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Lena’s Shock

The pressure increased as the weeks went by. As the one-night encounter turned into something much more complex than either of them had expected, Lena's feelings for Kai had only grown stronger. She felt as though she was walking a tightrope every day, and their fleeting times together had taken center stage in her life.

The day Lena recognized something was amiss then arrived.

For days, she had been feeling strange. She felt queasy and lightheaded, and her body was acting strangely. But everything did not hit her like a freight train until she was standing in front of the bathroom mirror with the little test in her hands.

She felt sick all of a sudden and clung to the edge of the table for balance. Her senses sharpened, and she let out brief gasps of breath. Her steps were heavy as she staggered to the restroom, as though her body was already bracing for something she was not yet prepared to acknowledge.

Normally a haven, the tiny wooden hut felt suddenly too small. Too restrictive. Lena gazed at herself in the glass, her amber eyes wide with a mix of tiredness and something else—fear? Her silver hair was unkempt. Hope? She was unable to tell.

The symptoms—the little vertigo, the strange taste in her mouth—became clear as she gazed at her mirror. She thought about the previous week. the cycles that were missed. Her body had felt strange. Subsequently, the idea that had been persistently lingering in the recesses of her thoughts struck her like a forceful blow.

Lena paced the little hut, a flurry of contradictory feelings racing through her head. expecting a child. She was unable to get the term out of her head. There was no way. She had always been cautious. She had never let anyone, especially Kai Blackthorn, get too close to her or let herself become vulnerable.

However, everything had changed now.

Like a storm cloud, the understanding weighed heavily on her. This could not be done by her alone. However, to whom might she turn? Selene? Someone who knew her better than everybody else? Though the idea of facing him and telling him what had transpired between them made her stomach turn even more, she could even consider Kai.

Feeling the unaccustomed weight of the choice pressing down on her, she ran a hand through her silver hair. She could still hear her father's voice cautioning her against distraction and weakness. She had never allowed her feelings to interfere with her duties to the pack. But now it was all about feelings.

Lena's gaze landed on the little wooden table that held her mother's ancient journal. The fact that it was written by a woman who had overcome insurmountable obstacles and made choices no one could have foreseen always gave her comfort. However, not even her mother had faced this.

As she walked over to the journal and turned to the first page, her heart pounded in her chest. The sentences were still readable even though the ink had long since faded. "Lena, find strength in silence. Silence is the only thing that can protect you.

Secure? Lena laughed. Never had she felt secure. But at that time, the words resonated with her. She required quiet. She required privacy. Not yet, she could not tell anyone.

Lena wanted evidence, even though she had already noticed the symptoms—the nausea, the lightheadedness, the odd, abrupt changes in her mood. Like an animal in the dark, the doubt tore at her. She had to know for certain.

She took the little exam out of the drawer, its straightforward design taunting her with its assurance. This little stick, albeit inconsequential, felt like the most essential object in the world in her shaking hands.

Lena's eyes darted to the window as she held the test, the moonlight illuminating the room with a spooky gleam. The silence was broken by the sound of her own heartbeat. She detested the sensation that something unknown was taking over her life and that she was powerless.

The minutes passed slowly, with each second seeming to drag on forever. When she eventually flipped the exam over and saw the clear outcome, her palm trembled.

expecting a child.

Lena's body went numb as she took a sharp inhale. Now there was no doubting it. She was unable to flee from it. His child was inside her. The enemy Kai Blackthorn's child. She should have known better than to let the man into her heart.

She glanced at the tiny, white plastic test and let out a sour laugh. Control was something she had always taken pride in, but this? This was more than she could ever have imagined.

The situation's weight fell heavily on her. How was she going to handle this? She was unable to get back to her pack. Not quite yet. Not in this manner. Not with this news like a black cloud hanging over her.

However, she was also unable to visit Kai. Passion, heat, and fire had formed their relationship, but love had no place in the world she lived in. Her first responsibility was to her pack and to her father's legacy. Always.

Kai's pack, often known as the Blackthorn pack, came next. She would never be accepted by them. This child should never be accepted.

In a desperate attempt to gain clarity, her mind was racing, with each idea crashing over the others. She could not embarrass her group. Risking everything she had fought so hard for was not an option. This was something she had to conceal.

The choice solidified in her thoughts. She needed to conceal it.

With a cold, resolute resolve in her breast, Lena got to her feet. Nobody would be able to know. Not Selene. No one. She would not tell anyone about this. For the time being.

However, a deep, gnawing worry settled into her gut as the realization took hold. What are the implications of this for the future? What would she be as a mother?

Although she lacked the answers, she was certain that she was by herself in this. She would have to deal with it alone.

With the decision she had just made weighing heavily on her mind, Lena laid in bed and stared up at the ceiling. Outside her window, the only sound in the too-still night was the gentle rustle of the trees.

She had to live with the decision she had made. However, the room's silence was oppressive. Her entire being cried out for someone to hear it, to share this burden with someone else. Who could she trust, though?

Selene would inquire excessively. She could not confront him with that inquiry on her lips because Kai would want to know how it had transpired. She was unable to let him in.

Her fingertips brushed the area where the infant grew while her hand lay on her stomach. born into two different worlds. Two packs engaged in combat. It should never have happened that two persons met. Nevertheless, here it was.

Lena exhaled slowly and closed her eyes tight. As long as it took, she would keep this secret. She was going to defend her pack, herself, and the infant. But at what price?

She felt the decision pressing down on her chest, and then she heard a gentle knock on the door, just as she was starting to feel the weight of the quiet.

A beat skipped across her heart.

Who might it be?

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