Be
Elara stood by the window of their small cabin, staring out at the darkening forest.
The trees swayed in the breeze, their shadows stretching across the wooden floor. She hugged herself tightly, trying to quiet the nerves twisting in her gut. Her fingers brushed the slight swell of her belly—two months pregnant, and she hadn't told Kael yet. Tonight, though, she had to. There was no more hiding it.
The rumble of Kael's truck broke the silence as it rolled up the dirt path. Elara took a shaky breath, smoothing her sweater and pushing her hair back. Her heart thudded as the door creaked open, and Kael stepped inside. He was tall and broad, his dark hair messy from the wind, his golden-brown eyes bright with a rare smile. He kicked off his boots, oblivious to the tension rolling off her.
"Hey, love," he said, crossing the room to pull her into a warm hug. "Missed you today. Patrol was a mess—some rogue wolf causing trouble near the border."
Elara leaned into him for a second, breathing in the familiar scent of pine and earth. "Missed you too," she said, her voice wobbling. She pulled away, nodding toward the table where dinner waited. "I made roast chicken and potatoes. Your favorite."
Kael grinned, raising an eyebrow. "What's the occasion? You don't usually go all out on a Tuesday."
She managed a weak smile, sitting down as he joined her. "No occasion. Just felt like it."
They ate mostly in silence, the clink of silverware loud in the small space. Kael chatted about the patrol, laughing about the younger wolves' clumsiness. Elara nodded, but her mind was racing, rehearsing the words she'd been holding in. The food sat heavy in her stomach, each bite harder to swallow.
When they finished, she pushed her plate away, her hands shaking. "Kael, I need to tell you something."
He leaned back, looking curious. "Alright. What's up?"
She swallowed, her throat dry. "I'm pregnant."
For a moment, everything stopped. Then Kael's face lit up, a huge grin spreading across it. He jumped up, pulling her into his arms and spinning her around. "A pup!" he laughed, his voice full of joy. "Elara, that's amazing! We're going to be parents!"
But then he slowed, setting her down. His brows furrowed, and he tilted his head, sniffing the air. The happiness in his eyes dimmed, turning to confusion. "Hold on," he muttered, his voice low. "Something's… not right."
Elara's stomach dropped. "What do you mean?
Kael stepped back, his gaze sharpening as he took another deep breath. His chest heaved, and when he spoke, his tone was tight. "The scent. It's wrong. It's not… mine."
The room felt smaller, the air heavy. Elara's hands went to her belly, protective. "Kael, I—"
"Don't," he snapped, his voice sharp. His eyes locked on hers, narrowing as the wolf in him stirred. "Who is it, Elara? Who's the father?"
Tears stung her eyes as she whispered, "I don't know. I swear, I don't know his name. It was one night—stupid and meaningless. I was drunk, and you were away with the pack for weeks. I was lonely, and he was just… there."
Kael's face twisted, pain flashing before it turned cold. "You don't know?" His voice rose, bouncing off the walls as he paced, boots stomping hard. "You slept with some random guy, and you don't even remember who?"
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice breaking as she sank into her chair. "It didn't mean anything. I never thought—"
"Stop." He whirled to face her, fists clenched. "You betrayed me. You betrayed us. And now you're carrying his kid?" His voice cracked, anger and hurt mixing together.
Elara sobbed quietly, hiding her face in her hands. "I'm so sorry, Kael. I didn't want this."
He stood there, breathing fast, staring at her. Then his eyes widened, and he stumbled back, gripping the table. "Wait," he said, almost to himself. He leaned closer, sniffing near her stomach. His breathing grew rough, panicked.
"Kael?" Elara's voice trembled, fear creeping in.
He looked up, pale and wild-eyed, the glow of his wolf shining through. "This child…" His voice was a shaky whisper. "It's not human. It's not werewolf." He staggered back, clutching the table harder. "What did you do, Elara?"
"I don't know what you mean!" she cried, standing up. "It was one night—I don't even remember his face!"
Kael snarled, his teeth sharpening. "You've brought something into this world that doesn't belong. I can smell it—cold, like blood and shadows. It's not right. It's… a vampire's."
The word hit like a slap. Elara froze, her blood chilling. "A vampire?" she said faintly.
"That's impossible. I didn't know—"
"Impossible?" Kael's laugh was bitter. "You didn't know, but you did it anyway. And now we're screwed." He pointed at her belly, his hand shaking. "If that's a hybrid, it's a monster. The pack won't accept it. I won't accept it."
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she reached for him. "Kael, please. We can figure this out together. It's still our—"
"No," he growled, pulling away. "It's not mine. Never will be." He grabbed his coat and stormed toward the door, pausing just long enough to say, "I'm telling the pack. They need to know what you've done."
The door slammed shut, the sound ringing in her ears. Elara stood there, hands on her stomach, his words sinking in. She didn't know the father. She didn't know what she'd done. But now, she was terrified of what it meant.
Then she heard it—the faint howl of wolves in the forest, growing louder, angrier. The pack was coming.