ASTRID'S POV
I panicked, trying to take another step, but the contractions were too strong. Tears filled my eyes as I whispered, “Help… please… someone…”
But no one stopped. People walked past me, ignoring my pleas. No one knew who I was, and they didn’t care. I was invisible.
“See where avoiding me got you?” Ethan’s voice came from behind me. I turned, and for the first time in my life, I was relieved to hear him.
“Let’s get you somewhere safe,” he said, grabbing my arm and guiding me toward his car. I didn’t fight him. I couldn’t. He helped me into the car, and we sped off.
The pain was unbearable now. I tried to hold back my screams, but it was impossible. Each contraction was worse than the last. I was losing control.
Ethan pulled up to a small cottage—not a hospital—but it didn’t matter. “Someone, help!” he yelled as he carried me inside.
An older man and two young women rushed over, guiding me to a bed. They set up quickly, and I knew it was almost time.
Minutes passed, and I was still struggling to push. The baby wouldn’t come, and I felt myself slipping away.
“You’re almost there. I can see the head. Push!” the man urged.
I gave everything I had left, screaming as I pushed one last time.
And then I heard it. The cry of a baby.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, louder than before, shaking the walls. I glanced out the window and saw the sky—a deep, angry red, like blood.
I collapsed back onto the bed, my body completely drained. As I closed my eyes, slipping into unconsciousness, I knew one thing for sure.
Nothing would ever be the same again.
*******
Soreness between my legs, a dull ache in my lower belly, and a wave of nausea hit me all at once.
These were the first feelings that came over me as I slowly pushed myself up from the bed, wincing from the pain. I felt weak—too weak. My whole body trembled as I tried to piece together what had happened. Then it hit me like a storm.
I had given birth. I had a baby now. My baby.
I tried to stand, but my legs were shaky. Each step felt like a battle, but I had to find my child. I moved across the room, my hand resting on my stomach out of habit. It was flat now. My baby wasn’t inside me anymore. I had given birth. The thought made my heart race.
Where was my child?
I shuffled toward the door, my mind spinning with so many thoughts. Ethan had saved me. If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t even be alive right now. He had been there when I needed him most, but was it just luck that he was around? I couldn’t bear to think of what might’ve happened if he hadn’t shown up.
I glanced out the window, needing to gather my thoughts. We were in a different place—a hospital maybe—but not a regular one. It was quiet, too quiet. My eyes drifted to the sky, and that’s when I noticed something strange. The sky was a deep red.
It wasn’t normal. It only happened when someone powerful, like an Alpha, had died. Someone like... my father.
Ethan’s words echoed in my mind. He had a plan all along. That much was clear. And now, he knew where I was, which meant I wasn’t safe anymore. My identity was out, and my baby’s life was at risk. I needed to leave. I couldn’t stay here.
I pressed my lips together, swallowing the rising panic. Ethan might have helped me, but I couldn’t fully trust him—not with everything going on between him and Dane.
They shared this twisted, love-hate thing. I didn’t believe for a second that Ethan would truly want to hurt his brother, no matter what promises he made.
I had to get my child and leave.
Just as I reached the door, it swung open, and there stood Ethan.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, my voice trembling.
But then, my eyes landed on what he was holding—my baby. Relief flooded me as I saw that my child was safe, unharmed.
“Give me my baby!” I shouted, stepping forward. I wouldn’t let Ethan take my child to Dane. I couldn’t.
Ethan’s eyes met mine, calm but firm. “Astrid, Dane is the father. You know that. We can talk about everything later, but right now, we need to leave. Your baby isn’t safe here.”
His words threw me off. “What are you talking about? I’m not going anywhere with you. I can handle things on my own. Just give me my child and leave,” I snapped, my heart pounding.
“You don’t understand,” he said, his voice low but urgent. “Your baby... he’s special. He’s a Moon Healer. You know what that means, right? He has incredible power, and there are people out there who will do anything to take him. We can’t stay here. This place isn’t safe. Especially not with the Fierce Claw pack around.”
I froze at his words, my gaze shifting to the baby in his arms. Could Ethan be telling the truth? Was my baby really in danger? My heart sank. It wasn’t just the red sky warning me of trouble; it was everything.
Before I could respond, a man entered the room. He was middle-aged, with cold eyes and two knives in his hands.
“Give me the child, and you both walk away alive,” the man sneered. “Or I’ll just take him from your lifeless bodies.”
His words were chilling, his presence terrifying. I felt frozen in place, too weak to fight. How had things come to this?
Ethan stepped in front of me, blocking the man’s path. “You let us go, and we won’t hurt you,” he warned, his voice steady.
The man laughed darkly. “You really think I’m letting a Moon Healer slip through my fingers? Not a chance.”
Ethan turned toward me, urgency in his eyes. “Take the baby. Stay behind me,” he whispered.
I held my baby close, fear squeezing my chest. Then, in a blur of movement, the man lunged at Ethan.
They fought, the sound of fists landing hard and fast filling the room. I could barely keep up with them; everything moved so quickly.
But in the end, Ethan was the one who stood tall. With one final punch, he knocked the man out cold.
“We need to go, Astrid. Now. More people will come for us. We don’t have time,” Ethan said, his voice breathless but determined.
I didn’t argue. I couldn’t. I was too scared to stay any longer. Together, we ran out of the room, my baby held tightly in my arms.
Soon, we were in a car, the seatbelt digging into my chest as Ethan started the engine.
“Where are we going?” I asked, clutching my baby close, my heart still racing.
“To safety,” he replied. “I promise.”