"Ariana, just keep going. Avoid looking back."
I kept thinking about those words as I ran through the pitch-black forest, getting further away from Logan, the pack, and the life I had once believed in with each step. Every time my heart beat, new waves of pain shot through my chest. Even though the cool night air stung my face, the pain that was eating away at my insides persisted.
I hardly noticed as branches scraped my skin and roots protruded, threatening to trip me. I was only following my instincts, with a desperate need to get away driving every action. After what he had done and with the indescribable emptiness tearing me apart piece by piece, I couldn't stay.
Like a ruthless ghost, Logan's remarks from the ceremony continued to reverberate in my head. "Ariana, it's over."
He had turned me down. Denied our connection. Rejected everything that we had discussed. It had stung me like a knife, piercing right through my identity and tearing apart all the ties that had once bound us together. This broke the sacred, strong connection between us that had served as my mooring. Nevertheless, like an open wound that would not heal, the smallest hint of it continued to pulse within me.
At last, I decelerated, gasping for air as I stumbled to a stop. I had moved far enough away from the area to lose any sense of other people in the area. Tonight, no one would pursue me. I tried to catch my breath by sinking to the ground and leaning against a tall pine trunk. However, the enormity of what had just transpired started to suffocate me as I sat there.
I put a trembling hand to my stomach, as though the act alone would provide some sort of anchor. Instead, a nagging feeling that had been nagging at the periphery of my consciousness for days came over me. As I concentrated, I felt a slight shift, a tiny spark that was definitely... alive, and my fingers froze.
Suddenly, like a tidal wave, the realisation swept over me.
I was expecting a child.
My hand pressed closer to my stomach as I took a sharp breath. Logan's kid, Our kid. After all, I wasn't alone.
It was more of a broken sound than anything else, but I let out a bitter laugh. It was nearly too much to take in. Only a few hours prior, I had been standing beside him, envisioning a future together, and I had faith that we would overcome any obstacles that arose. And now here I was, rejected, left behind, with his child in my arms.
Emotions surged, threatening to overwhelm me. Fury. Sadness. Perplexity. And fear, the most powerful of all.
What should I have done? The group... They would view me as a Luna deserving of no title, a broken, abandoned mate. People would condemn me and my unborn child if they found out about my pregnancy. Logan had already concluded that I lacked the strength to support him. If he were aware of the life developing inside of me, what would he say?
"No," I muttered to myself as I tightly gripped my stomach for protection. "They can't take this away from me. I will not allow *him* to take this away from me.
Through the pain, I experienced a surge of fierce, uncompromising determination. I would leave if Logan didn't want me. Away from the pack, away from the shadows of his rejection, I would raise this child alone. My kid would understand what love is. My child would never experience the pain of being unwelcome or feeling abandoned.
Even though my legs were still wobbly, I forced myself to stand, my determination growing stronger by the second. Tonight, I would leave the pack territory. I would locate a secure location far from here where I could start over. Although I wasn't sure where yet, I was certain that I couldn't stay.
A silent, ferocious resolve descended upon me as I walked away from the only home I had ever known. Even though I had no idea what lay ahead, I now had a reason to persevere through the suffering and heartache. My child would provide me with the strength and motivation to continue even after everything else had fallen apart.
I took one last look back, saying goodbye to the world I was leaving. As I turned away from everything, the forest was quiet and the shadows were deep, seemingly holding their breath.
"Goodbye, Logan," I muttered as I felt my last connection to him ebb and flow. My heart ached, but my spirit was fiercely determined to preserve the life inside of me, so I stepped into the darkness and let the forest engulf me.