♠ RILEY ♠

 ➶

"The goddess has finally granted your deepest wish," the doctor exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Congratulations, Riley, you're six weeks pregnant!"

I gasped, my heart racing as I stared at her in disbelief. She handed me a white envelope, and I took it with trembling hands, placing it gently in my bag. I had taken the pregnancy test a week ago, but I needed to hear it from my best friend, who also happened to be my doctor.

A smile spread across my face, and I felt warmth in my chest that I hadn't felt in a long time, but I couldn't shake off the fear of the unknown. I was going to be a mother, and I had no idea what to expect. 

I don't know how Diego and his brothers are going to take it. The image of their angry faces appeared on my mind and I frowned. They had made it known to me several times in the past that we had nothing between us, that our relationship was nothing more than just a peace treaty. They made me understand that we could never have more between us, but somehow, I had found hope when they started to come to my room after they had sex with me when they came home drunk one night. 

Kathy must have sensed my anxiety, as she took my hands in hers and squeezed them gently. "I know what you are thinking about hun, but come on, you don't have to because I believe that your mates are going to be happy once you tell them the good news." I shook my head and opened my mouth to speak but she placed a firm finger on her lips. "It must be difficult for you to believe but trust me, it's going to be good this time around. Didn't you say so yourself that your relationship has been becoming better over the past three months?" She narrowed her eyes on me, as though trying to gauge my reaction. 

I couldn't deny it. Things were beginning to improve, but I still couldn't shake off the fear that this news would change everything.

Over the past years, they had barely spoken to me. Our first night together, the night I conceived, felt like a miracle. Perhaps the Moon Goddess had willed it to happen. But could they set aside their hatred for me and accept this child, our child? The thought of it made my heart race with fear and uncertainty.

Slowly, I nodded my head in agreement to her question. Her thumb tracing circles on my palm sent soothing waves of calmness through me. 

"You are right—"

She greeted me with a smile that reached her eyes, assuring me, "Everything's going to be fine, babe." We locked eyes for a long moment before her laughter bubbled up, her eyes glinting with humor as she tilted her head back, and I couldn't help but join in, the sound of our laughter melting away any lingering tension. 

We had always relied on laughter to ease each other's burdens, and once again, it worked its magic.

 ∞∞∞

The ride back home after saying goodbye to Kathy was quiet, with only the sound of the car's tires humming against the smooth tarmac. Suddenly, a searing pain shot through my abdomen, causing me to gasp in alarm.

I had been getting these pains a lot since my marriage to my mates, but had ceased after the night they came to my room. 

It usually occurred whenever my mates were with other women, and just like other times, there was nothing I could do about them. After all, I was the reason why they do what they do—at least according to them—because I wasn't the right one for them. 

I understood their situation, being forced to reject their fated mate and marry someone they didn't love, all for the sake of our packs—Glowing River Pack and the Crimson Shadow Pack. 

Just as the car pulled up in front of the big mansion that I shared with my mates, I dragged myself out of the car and through the front door. Normally, I'm usually met with Omegas eager to take my things but there were no sights of them. I didn't have time to call them when pain laced through me, searing my chest with its heavy sensation and making it difficult to breathe. I couldn't even scream, as my lungs were on fire, and my legs suddenly turned to jelly.

But they still managed to carry me up the first step, where I looked forward to lying down and resting on my bed. With each step, the pain amplified, as if thousands of needles were passing through my body.

I finally made my way to the top floor, and as I dragged myself towards my room, I began to hear muffled sounds that sounded like collective moans. It was enough for the pain racing through me to intensify, preventing me from walking further. 

I rubbed my hand over my tummy, recognizing the familiar sounds. It felt like a thorny rosebush had taken root inside me, its sharp prickles twisting and turning, tearing at my insides at every point. Betrayal, the bitter taste of it, spread through me like a poison, leaving a trail of hurt and anger in its wake.

"Words baby, I need to hear my name from your mouth if you want me to ride faster." Drew growled. 

I always knew they cheated but they never brought their whores back to our home. They made sure they accorded me that respect so what happened today? 

So I took the final step toward my room and pushed the door open, and the scene before me hurt more than the sounds I heard. 

Right there on the bed were my mates, their backs towards me with all their hands wrapped around the petite form of the whore they were fucking. 

"Drew! Ride me faster!" Hearing her scream my mate's name made my tummy flip with disgust. 

Diego was fondling her breasts while Dexter peppered kisses all over her neck. For a moment I was too stunned to make a sound, watching them in the act. 

"Diego!!" I cried out his name, just as I watched him cover her boobs with his mouth. 

They all suddenly stopped moving, and fell back on the bed with their whore cocooned between Dexter and Diego. She pulled the duvet which was at the foot of the bed to cover her nakedness but Dexter stopped her, and covered her with his body, leaving his ass in full display while the rest did nothing to cover their down parts. 

I searched their faces, expecting to see regret or remorse, at the very least, but what I saw in their eyes instead made me feel as though I was falling into an endless abyss. Their eyes were empty, hollow, like they were staring at a stranger. I felt my stomach drop, and for a moment, I thought I might lose my balance. The weight of their indifference hit me like a ton of bricks, and I realized with a sinking feeling that they didn't care.

"Why?" I croaked the word out as tears fell down my eyes like non-stop rain. "Why bring your whore to our home… and to my room? Is this how little you think of me?" I snarled, gnashing my teeth as antagonizing pain slashed through me. 

Diego's eyes turned a shade of black, almost as if he was controlling his beast from coming out. In an instant, he was standing before me, the room filled with their commanding auras. 

It was the first time they were using the Alpha aura on me, and just like that, I found myself bending my head in submission. 

"Next time I hear you call our mate a whore again—" he grabbed my jaw and squeezed tightly, forcing me to look into his eyes, "then I'd be forced to damage this pretty face of yours." He pushed me so hard that I stumbled on the floor, mouth opened as I stared around in shock. 

Mate? 

Did he mean their fated mate? This was Chloe? The weight of that realization sent shivers down my spine, like an icy breeze slicing through the air.

Diego returned and threw a document in my face, catching me unawares. I took it with quivering hands and opened the document, but the words in bold print at the top made me freeze. 

'DIVORCE AGREEMENT'

My tummy churned as I observed their signatures. They could have made it easier for me by not signing it first. Were they so eager to get rid of me? 

I skimmed through the rest of the words and traced a finger over the area that was stated that they would be offering me five billion and a villa as alimony. 

"But your father—"

Drew snorted loudly, getting my attention. "Did you think we are stupid? We made sure he was out of town before pulling out this stunts." I gasped, as more tears fell down my face. "So that way, after you must have left the pack, we will tell him how you couldn't bear with us and decided it was best to divorce us and leave." He cackled loudly and instinctively, my left hand moved to my tummy, almost as if protecting the life in there from their father. 

Chloe's gaze met mine and I shuddered at the animosity I felt in them. If looks could kill, I knew she must have done so to me by now. 

"I thought the past three months meant something… I thought you were beginning to accept me?" I couldn't help but ask the questions on my mind. 

Drew's eyes narrowed with a mixture of anger and resentment as he rolled them in exasperation. He impatiently climbed down from the bed, his movements rigid with tension, until he stood towering before me. The weight of the moment seemed to hang in the air as he squatted down, bringing us eye to eye, his intense gaze locked onto mine.

I instinctively recoiled as he reached out a hand, his fingers poised to grasp me, but I mustered the strength to swat his hand away. Undeterred, Drew responded with a malicious grin, casually waving his hand with disdain in my face. The corners of his mouth curled up in a sneer, exuding an unmistakable air of contempt and superiority.

"You owed it to us," he hissed through clenched teeth, his voice dripping with venom, "to give us your virginity after you stole our years, and the Luna position from our mate."

His words struck me like a thunderbolt, a surge of disbelief engulfing my senses. My eyes widened, reflecting the shock and confusion swirling in my mind. Meanwhile, Drew's taunting smirk only fueled the fire of my disbelief. 

"Two things Riley, two things you owe us just before we let you slip out of our hands."

"What two things?" I managed to choke out, my voice betraying the dryness that had settled in my throat. I swallowed hard, hoping to ease the parched sensation, but it offered little relief.

Drew's eyes glimmered with a sinister sparkle as he relished the effect of his next words, reveling in the power he wielded over me. "Break you. Destroy you," he sneered, each word carrying a chilling finality.

I gasped as the weight of his intentions descended upon me like a sudden storm. The realization hit with such force that it left me breathless and trembling.

 No, there was no way… it couldn't be.