Chapter 16 Esmeralda's Pov

• The darkness around me feels alive, like a thick fog pressing down on my lungs. I struggle to catch my breath as I look around, finding the place unfamiliar. Sheldon and Astrid are gone to goddess knows where. The air is thick with a strange energy that makes the hair on my skin stand. It is a sign that I am in danger.
• I shiver, clutching my arms as I try to steady myself. Was this what she meant by a sanctuary? But everything about it feels wrong. The silence is loud, broken only by the faintest rustling of leaves that seem to whisper secrets and warnings I can’t quite hear.
• "Hello?" I call out, my voice sounding hollow, swallowed by the shadows. I half expect something to answer back, but there’s just an empty quietness.
• I start to walk, unsure if I’m moving in the right direction. Every step takes more effort than it should, as if the ground itself wants to trap me.
• The narrow path widens, leading to a clearing bathed in a strange, eerie glow. In the center stands a stone altar, draped with vines and glowing with the same runes that burned my hand at the entrance. A shiver runs through me as I approach it, the symbols drawing me in despite my instinct to stay away.
• Just then, a voice echoes around me, deep and unsettling, like it’s coming from the earth itself. “Esmeralda… come closer.”
• I freeze, glancing around, but I can’t see anyone. My heart hammers in my chest as I step forward, drawn by some magnetic force I can’t explain. The voice continues, lower this time, almost a whisper. “You’ve come to prove your worth… to survive.”
• My hands clench into fists as the realization hits me: this sanctuary isn’t a place of refuge. It’s a trial. Sheldon didn’t bring me here to keep me safe; he brought me here to see if I’m strong enough to survive. Anger flares within me, hot and unrelenting. This is he who was cruel and capable of destroying just anyone for his Luna.
• I step closer to the altar, my heart a storm of rage and fear. “What do you want from me?” I shout, my voice echoing in the emptiness.
• A figure materializes from the shadows, cloaked in black, their face hidden. They speak, their tone smooth and cold. “We want to see what you’re truly made of, Esmeralda. To test if you are worthy of the life you cling to so desperately.”
• “Worthy?” I snarl, feeling a surge of defiance. “I’ve been fighting to survive my entire life. I don’t need your approval. What have you all been going on about?”
• The figure tilts their head, amused. “Your anger will serve you well here… if you can control it.”
• With a wave of their hand, the ground shifts beneath me, and the earth opens, revealing a pit filled with large worms the size of an anaconda. Their eyes gleam red, their teeth bared as they stare up at me with dark, soulless eyes.
• “Your task is simple,” the figure says. “Survive.”
• Before I can react, the ground gives way, and I’m falling, tumbling down into the pit. I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me. The worms circle, squirming with a weird moaning sound that sounded like a whimper, their eyes fixed on me with deadly intent. There were about four of them.
• I scramble to my feet, my heart pounding as I search for a way out. But there’s no escape. I’m trapped, surrounded by creatures that see me as nothing more than prey.
• The first worm lunges, and I barely dodge, stumbling backward. Pain shoots through my ankle as I land wrong, but I grit my teeth, forcing myself to stand. I am probably going to die here.
• Another worm circles, baring its mouth filled with pin-like teeth, its gaze calculating. I meet its eyes, unable to look away. And just when I think it's going to bite my head off, my body reacts, jumping off from the spot.
• The worm lunges again, but this time, I’m ready. I sidestep, grabbing a jagged stone from the ground and slamming it down on the slimy surface. It yelps, momentarily stunned, and I use the distraction to back away, putting distance between us.
• I’m gasping for breath, every muscle in my body screaming in protest, but I refuse to give in. I can feel something stirring within me, a power I didn’t know I had. It’s like fire in my veins, fierce and unyielding, pushing me to fight.
• The other worms hesitate, sensing the change in me. I can feel their fear, their uncertainty. I raise the stone again, my gaze steady, and they back away, wary. I don’t know how long I can keep this up, but for now, I have the upper hand.
• A figure watches from above, their expression hidden, but I can sense their approval. Slowly, the worms retreat, slinking back into the shadows. I stagger, barely able to stand, and I collapse in a heap on the floor.
• My hair stays matted with sweat to my face, and I am out of breath. I soon realize that I had cried at some point when I clean my eyes, wet with tears.
• The figure’s voice echoes again, softer this time. “You are stronger than you realize, Esmeralda….”
• I glare up at them, my chest heaving. “Shut up! I want out. Get me out of here right now!” I demand, seething in rage.
• The figure chuckles, a sound that chills me to the bone. “Oh, you will be out soon, when I say so.”
• With a wave of their hand, the pit shifts, and I’m lifted back to solid ground. I collapse, my limbs trembling, but I push myself up, refusing to let them see how close I came to breaking.
• How did I move from being the Alpha's breeder and attending a party to being in this situation? I sob hard, feeling sorry for myself.
• Suddenly, a sharp pain stabs through my stomach, doubling me over. I gasp, clutching my abdomen.
• "No... no, no, no," I whisper, panic rising. I collapse to the ground, writhing in agony. The pain intensifies, spreading through my body like wildfire.
• "What's happening to me?" I scream, tears streaming down my face as the world slowly goes dark.
• Sheldon's POV
• I pace outside the trial area, my mind racing with worry. Esmeralda's been in there for too long. Was the trial going smoothly? Just what's happening?
• It had all been Astrid's idea to keep her safe: putting her through some trial.
• When I had met Esmeralda, I had not been able to determine her rank for some weird reason. She maintains that she is an omega with mixed blood, but I didn't even sense the lowly blood of an omega from her. She was not a human, as I could not pick up the scent of a human off of her. She is the 5th breeder I've had, and it worries me that, like the rest, she might be too weak to protect herself when the time comes.
• I had to deceive her to do this. It had always been a plan to put her through the test, but it had to be done earlier, especially after the appearance of the vampires.
• Suddenly, I sense a commotion. A figure emerges from the shadows, carrying the object of my thoughts in their arms.
• My heart sinks. "What's wrong?" I demand, rushing toward them.
• The figure, one of the sanctuary's guards, looks grim. "She collapsed, Alpha. Something's wrong."
• Esmeralda's limp form sparks panic within me. I take her from the guard, cradling her close.
• “What happened? What happened there?” I had insisted I wanted to see the whole process, but they had stopped me, saying only the one being tested could enter.
• I can feel her energy draining fast as she lay fragile. My wolf growls, anxious. Without wasting any more time, my spine arches, my skin stretching as my human form shatters, giving way to fur and claws.
• My wolf senses sharpen instantly, bringing the world into brutal clarity: her scent, the rhythm of her fading heartbeat, and the sound of her strained breaths. And I know I don’t have much time.
• “Give her to me.” I anxiously order the guard to hand her over immediately. Without hesitation, I race through the trees, Esmeralda’s limp form cradled in my arms. I push myself harder, faster, as my wolf and I fight against the cruel irony that this was supposed to test her strength, not push her to the edge of death. The forest blurs around me, and all I see is her pale face against my fur, her closed eyes and parted lips as if in some fitful sleep.
• I reach the pack doctor's cabin in record time, growling loudly for help. The door bursts open, and the doctor and his assistants rush to meet me. They quickly bring a stretcher, and reluctantly, I set her down, releasing her hand even as my wolf snarls at the separation.
• "Alpha, please step back," the doctor says firmly, his calm demeanor doing little to ease my worry.
• I can only watch as they carry her inside, her fragile form looking impossibly small under the bright lights. My fists clench, nails digging into my palms, barely holding my wolf at bay. It takes everything in me not to storm in there and demand they fix her now, but I know I’d only be in the way.
• I had risked her life in the name of some twisted test, all because I needed to know if she could handle the future by my side.
• I gambled with her life.
• After what feels like an eternity, the doctor finally comes out, pulling off his gloves; his expression is unreadable. My heart skips a beat, and I brace myself, every nerve in my body on edge.
• “Alpha Sheldon,” he says slowly, increasing my fear. “There's something... unexpected.”
• I swallow hard, my mind racing. “Just tell me what it is.”
• He hesitates, then clears his throat. "She's stable, but there's a reason her energy has been so depleted lately…" He looks up, eyes meeting mine. "Esmeralda is pregnant."
• The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I stagger back, grappling with the weight of it. Pregnant? Goddess knows how long I had waited to hear those words. The realization sinks in, filling me with a mix of emotions: disbelief, fear, and something fierce and protective that claws its way to the surface.
• "How far along?" I manage, my voice a rasp.
• "Not long. A few weeks, maybe." He pauses, watching me closely. “Whatever stress she had faced nearly put her and the child at serious risk."
• Guilt crashes over me, nearly overwhelming. My wolf roars with regret and anger, as though blaming me for my recklessness.
• The doctor places a reassuring hand on my shoulder, sensing my turmoil. "She’ll recover, Alpha. But she’ll need rest, a calm environment.” I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat.
• Without waiting, I push past the doctor and enter the room, finding her lying on the bed, her face pale but peaceful. Gently, I sit by her side, taking her hand in mine. Her fingers feel delicate and fragile, and I hold them with a new sense of reverence.
• "I didn’t know," I whisper, my voice thick with an unknown emotion. "I didn’t know… that you were carrying my child. Our child…