ASTRID'S POV.
“You don’t understand, Alpha Dane; I need to know because I had a one-night stand with a stranger a few months back, and that’s how I got pregnant,” I blurted out, my voice trembling with the weight of my confession.
The words hung in the air between us like a dark cloud, and I could see the confusion washing over Dane’s face.
His brows furrowed, and his lips parted slightly, but no words came out. He just stared at me, trying to process what I had just revealed.
For a moment, we stood frozen in the silence, locked in each other’s gaze. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, each beat louder than the last.
My mind raced, wondering what he was thinking. Did he understand? Was he angry? Hurt? His expression gave nothing away, and the longer the silence stretched, the more anxious I became.
“You have to talk to me, Astrid,” Dane finally said, breaking the silence. His voice was calm, but there was an edge of desperation in it. “What exactly is going on? I need to know.”
I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of his question pressing down on me. This wasn’t easy, but I had to tell him the whole truth. I owed him that much.
“I had a one-night stand a few months ago, Dane,” I began, my voice quieter now, but still steady.
“It was after Halfdan rejected me. He chose Camilla over me, and it broke me. I was devastated. I didn’t know how to cope, and I wanted to get back at them somehow, to hurt them the way they had hurt me.” I paused, my eyes searching his face for any sign of understanding.
His expression remained unreadable, which only made me more nervous.
“I ended up going out that night, getting drunk,” I continued, my words coming out in a rush now, as if I could somehow lighten the burden by getting it all out quickly.
“I don’t even remember everything that happened. It was all a blur. I was hurt, angry, and vulnerable… and that’s when it happened. I had a one-night stand with a stranger. I have no recollection of who he was or what he looked like. The memory is just… gone.”
I stopped again, giving Dane a moment to absorb what I was telling him. His face remained blank, unreadable, and I felt a knot of worry tightening in my stomach.
What was going through his mind? Did he understand? Or was he silently judging me for my mistake?
“I know it sounds terrible, and I’m not proud of it,” I added, my voice faltering slightly.
“But that’s how I ended up pregnant, Dane. That’s why I’ve been so confused about everything.” My heart ached as I spoke, the weight of my guilt and shame hanging heavily in the air between us.
Dane was still silent, his eyes fixed on me as if he was trying to piece everything together.
I could see the gears turning in his mind, but I couldn’t read what was going on in his head.
Was he angry? Hurt? Disappointed? I didn’t know, and that uncertainty made me sick with worry.
I had laid everything out for him, bared my soul, and now I waited anxiously for his response, praying that he would understand, that he wouldn’t hate me for what I had done.
“I’m sorry it happened like this, Dane,” I began, my voice trembling as I tried to keep my emotions in check.
“But I found out I was pregnant just a few weeks after that night. When my father’s pack learned about it, they banished me. In their eyes, carrying an illegitimate child; especially one whose father I knew nothing about—was unforgivable. There was no tolerance for it.”
I watched Dane closely as I spoke, trying to gauge his reaction. His face remained impassive, but I could see the slight twitch in his jaw, the way his eyes flickered with surprise, or perhaps disbelief. It was hard to tell.
“I wanted to tell you,” I continued, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me.
“I tried to reach out. I called, I texted, but you never answered. You weren’t picking up your calls or responding to my messages.”
“That day, I was supposed to meet you, but everything fell apart.” I paused, swallowing hard as I recalled the painful memory.
“That same day… I lost the child, Dane. I was phoenix that day, trying to rise from the ashes, but I lost everything.”
The words hung heavy in the air, and I could see the shock wash over Dane’s face. His eyes widened, and for the first time, I saw the raw emotion in his gaze.
He ran a hand through his hair, clearly trying to process everything I had just told him. His lips parted as if he was about to say something, but no words came out.
“You mean to tell me,” he began, his voice low and uncertain, “that you are the girl from that night?”
His question hit me like a punch to the gut. I realized at that moment he remembered. He remembered the one-night stand we had shared—the night that had turned my life upside down.
My stomach twisted with a mix of dread and relief. I had always feared this moment, yet here it was.
I nodded slowly, my eyes locked on his, unable to find the words to say. I could see the wheels turning in his mind as he stood there, processing everything I had just revealed.
He turned on his heels without saying another word, his footsteps echoing in the room as he made his way to the door.
I stared in disbelief, watching him walk away, my heart racing. Had I made a mistake? Had I said too much, too soon? Panic clawed at my chest as I pushed myself off the bed, determined to go after him, to make him understand.
But before I could take a step, Ethan walked into the room, his usual warm smile quickly fading as soon as he saw the panic on my face.
“Don’t even think about it,” Ethan said firmly, stepping forward and gently tucking me back into the bed.
“You need to rest, Astrid. You’ve been through a lot. Give yourself time to recover.”
I parted my lips to argue, to tell him I had no time for rest when everything was crumbling around me, but before I could get a word out, the door swung open once again.
This time, Halfdan strolled in, holding a single flower in his hand, a smile on his lips that made my skin crawl.
My stomach churned with a mix of anger and disgust as our eyes met.
“What do you want, Halfdan?” I snapped, my voice cold and gruff, the mere sight of him igniting a fire within me.
“I’m here to see my mate and my unborn child,” Halfdan announced, his voice filled with authority, as though he expected me to simply accept his claim without question.
His words caught me off guard, and for a moment, I just stared at him, trying to process what he had just said. “His” unborn child? The absurdity of it all almost made me laugh, but instead, I folded my arms and narrowed my eyes at him.
“Your unborn child?” I repeated, my voice laced with disbelief. I had to hear it again, to make sure I wasn’t imagining things.
“Yes, my unborn child,” Halfdan replied, his confidence unwavering, which only made him look more ridiculous in my eyes.
He stood there as if he had every right to be in this room, as if everything he said was the undeniable truth.
A bitter scoff escaped my lips before I could stop it. I could feel my irritation rising with every second he spent breathing in my presence.
I was already overwhelmed with everything that had happened, and now **this**? The audacity!
“You need to speak properly to me, Halfdan,” I said through gritted teeth, barely able to contain my growing frustration.
“What makes you think this baby is yours? Don’t be a fool. I don’t even recall the last time we… well, you know,” I snapped, my patience running thin.
His presence alone was enough to grate on my nerves, and now he was making outlandish claims?
But instead of backing down, Halfdan stood his ground, his face hardening as he looked me square in the eye.
“You may deny it all you want, Astrid,” he said, his voice steady but filled with conviction, “but the baby is mine. You were already pregnant before you left the pack. So don’t lie to me, Astrid,” he added, his tone challenging me as if daring me to deny the truth.
My frown deepened as I listened to his words. He was delusional, absolutely delusional.
“This child isn’t yours, Halfdan. Those are my words,” I shot back coldly, my voice firm, leaving no room for doubt. I wasn’t about to let him bully me with his baseless accusations.
Halfdan’s eyes darkened as his temper flared, but he kept his composure, even as his frustration became more evident.
“Well then,” he said, his voice filled with icy determination.
“I’ll make sure to run every possible test to prove the paternity of the child. You didn’t want it the easy way? Fine. We’ll do it the hard way.”
His words hung in the air like a threat, and for a moment, the room was filled with tense silence.
But I wasn’t intimidated. If he wanted to go down this path, then so be it. I had nothing to hide.
“Fine, be my guest,” I replied curtly, glaring at him with all the anger I felt bubbling inside.