Chapter 18 Sheldon's Pov

• Karel's eyes bore into mine, her gaze piercing. I sense a hint of accusation and flinch at how easily she had come to doubt me.
• “What are you talking about, Karel?” I ask, trying to maintain a neutral tone.
• Her smile grows wider, and I recognize it. It's the kind she gives when she is extremely vexed. It's laced with poison. "Don't play dumb, Sheldon. I know you're hiding something. You're keeping something away from me, Sheldon."
• I take a deep breath, my mind racing. How did she suspect? I can't possibly tell her about the pregnancy. Not now…
• "Karel, I assure you, there's nothing."
• "Don't lie to me!" she snaps, her voice rising. "I've seen the way you protect her. Look at you placing guards outside her ward like she's some princess. Giving her special treatment like she's Luna and not me."
• Her words don't seem far off from the truth, and I struggle to maintain my composure.
• "Karel, please stop this," I warn, my voice firm.
• She takes a step closer, her eyes blazing with fury like nothing I had seen before. "No, Sheldon. I won't stop until I uncover the truth.”
• The guards shift uncomfortably, sensing the escalating tension.
• "Karel, please," I say, trying to reason with her. “This isn't the time or place.”
• Her laughter sends a chill down my spine. "Oh, I think it's perfect. Your precious mate is right inside, isn't she?"
• Suddenly, Karel's gaze darts past me, toward Esmeralda's room.
• "No," I growl, instinctively stepping forward to block her path.
• Karel's eyes lock onto mine, probably surprised at my reaction. Goddess knows I was too. It had to be my wolf’s doing. I thought, pacifying my racing heart.
• “Move aside, Sheldon.” She orders in one word, sounding authoritative.
• I stand firm, my protective instincts on high alert. "You're not going in there, Karel.” My wolf's Alpha instincts light up, thanks to how she has shouted me down. “Please, understand.”
• "Understand?" she repeats, her voice laced with pain. "You're asking me to understand why you're hiding your mate from me?"
• My heart aches, knowing I've hurt her. "Karel, I never meant to deceive you. My bond with Esmeralda... it's nothing compared to what we share."
• "What do we share? You're bonded to her, Sheldon. That's not nothing; that's fate.”
• I take a deep breath, searching for the right words. "Karel, my feelings for you are real. But my bond with Esmeralda... I can't deny it. And now, with the pregnancy—"
• Karel's eyes widen, shock written across her face. "Pregnancy?"
• I nod, my voice raspy from how much I had talked. This was the second confession I had done in just one day. "Yes. Esmeralda's carrying my child."
• The air seems to leave Karel's lungs. She looks shattered, and although our marriage hadn't been founded with love, my heart breaks all over again. This wasn't supposed to be like this.
• I feel like I'm torn between two worlds. My loyalty to Karel and my duty as Alpha. How can I reject Esmeralda, especially now? But how can I break Karel's heart?
• Karel’s face contorts, her shock giving way to anger, and it’s like I can feel each pang of betrayal running through her. For the first time, I see the deep, raw hurt I’ve caused her, and it cuts me in ways I hadn’t prepared for.
• I take a step toward her. “Karel, I swear to you, this wasn’t how I planned things. I didn’t even know she was pregnant until today. But my bond with you is just as strong, if not more.”
• “Strong?” She lets out a bitter laugh. “You expect me to believe that, Sheldon? When you’re tied to her in ways I can never be?”
• I clench my fists, trying to keep my emotions in check, knowing I need to reassure her. “Karel, listen to me. I… I’ll find a way to make this right.”
• Her gaze turns to me. “And how exactly do you plan to do that?”
• I swallow hard, the words forming before I can fully think them through. “After she gives birth, I’ll break the bond with her.”
• The declaration lingers between us, heavy and final. It’s a promise I make for Karel’s sake. I am forever loyal to her, especially after the sacrifice she had made on my behalf years ago. But even as I say it, a sense of unease twists inside me. I quell my wolf's reactions, but I know deep down it's not my wolf.
• Her expression finally softens, and for a moment, relief flickers in her eyes. “You… you’d do that?”
• “Yes,” I say, my voice low but steady. “Once the child is born, I’ll end the bond with Esmeralda.”
• She studies me, her gaze a mix of skepticism and something else I can't recognize.
• “I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy, Karel. You’re my Luna. Nothing will change that.”
• She breathes out slowly, visibly relaxing, though a glint of lingering doubt remains. “Very well, Sheldon. But I want your word—you’ll honor this promise.”
• “You have my word,” I assure her, though a gnawing guilt coils inside me. I know the pain of breaking a bond is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and I can’t ignore the part of me that feels conflicted.
• All I feel towards the breeder could not be summed up in one word. Karel straightens, seeming satisfied for now. “Good. Then I’ll trust you to follow through.” Her voice softens slightly, her hand reaching for mine. “I only want what we once shared, Sheldon. I want that back.”
• I squeeze her hand, my heart aching from the conflicting emotions tearing through me. “So do I, Karel. So do I.”
• As she finally turns to leave, I watch her go, feeling the weight of my decision settle heavily. Breaking the bond with Esmeralda… I’ve told Karel I’ll do it, but the thought of abandoning my fated mate and the mother of my child feels like a betrayal I’m not sure I can endure.
• I return to Esmeralda’s room, standing at the door for a moment, watching her sleep peacefully, unaware of the words I’ve just said.
• Esmeralda's POV
• I wake up with a start and look around, surprised to find myself in a stark white room with drips and needles connected to my veins. In the corner is someone sitting, holding their head in their hands.
• Is that who I think it is?
• I try to speak, but my throat is dry. How long have I been out? What happened to me again?
• I try hard to remember what had happened, but a headache almost freezes my brain over, so I stop trying almost immediately. There's a glass of water nearby, and I try reaching for it but groan, taking a sharp breath intake at the pain that assails my back.
• The sitting figure startles, seemingly surprised at my being awake. He sees my gesture and gets the glass of water without my asking. Just as I am thinking about how I would possibly drink it in my lying position, he raises my head gently and brings the glass to my lips.
• I am somewhat surprised at his gentle actions, but I don't think deeply about it. I have learned from the past. My throat feels a bit better now that I have drunk water, but I still feel incredibly weak.
• “What happened? Why am I at the hospital?” My voice sounds like tires scraping against gravel as I ask.
• His face is tight as he looks at me with an unreadable expression and sets the glass aside before stepping back. For a moment, he seems hesitant, his gaze flickering over me as though carefully checking his words. Finally, he speaks, his tone cool and detached.
• “You were on trial, Esmeralda,” he says flatly, his eyes looking everywhere in the room but at me. “It… didn’t go as planned.”
• My mind races, my heartbeat pounding as I try to piece together what little I can remember. But my memories feel distant, obscured by pain and exhaustion. I watch Sheldon’s jaw tighten, sensing something darker behind his words, a layer of tension I don't yet understand.
• “I don’t remember,” I whisper, frustration mingling with fear.
• He nods, unbothered. “It’s better that way,” he replies coldly, looking anywhere but at me. “You should be more concerned about what’s ahead of you now.” His gaze dips toward my abdomen, lingering just long enough for me to grasp his meaning.
• The realization hits me slowly, the faint hint of warmth from within my body suddenly tangible in a way I hadn’t noticed before. Tears well in my eyes, and I open my mouth to ask more, but Sheldon continues, his tone as emotionless as ever.
• “You’re pregnant,” he states bluntly, as though it’s a fact devoid of any personal connection. As if it doesn't concern him. “So from now on, you’ll stay inside the packhouse. No exceptions.”
• My mouth goes dry, and the weight of his words presses down on me. This is what he always wanted. He had always reminded me of my duty to bear him an heir. Albeit cruel, it was the only way I could remain intimate with him in a complicated sort of way. And now…
• He regards me with an icy demeanor as I process my thoughts. I am going to be the mother of his child, trapped here forever. How many more children would he make me give birth to for him?
• His eyes narrow as he regards me, his voice dropping to an ominous warning. “Stay away from my Luna,” he says, each word a deliberate, cold command. “As far as anyone else is concerned, you don’t exist. Your only purpose here is to carry my child and deliver it. After that, you’re free to go. This is a contract, nothing more.”
• I feel my heart tighten, my mind still not used to the detachment in his voice. It was a blunt reminder that I am just a vessel, a temporary presence meant to be discarded.
• “A contract?” I murmur, barely audible, my voice tinged with hurt and vulnerability despite how I try to hide it.
• He doesn’t respond directly, only stares at me as though waiting for me to accept his terms. “Keep your head down, and keep out of sight,” he says sharply, his gaze cold and unyielding.
• I feel a flicker of unexpected relief beneath my shock. He’d agreed to let me go once the child was born.
• “So… I’ll be free?” I ask softly, the question slipping out before I can stop myself.
• He barely reacts, just gives a slight, curt nod. “When you’ve done your part, yes.”
• I swallow, my throat still raw, but my voice steadies with a quiet determination. “And what about the child?”
• Sheldon clenches and unclenches his jaw. “The child belongs to the pack, to me,” he says coldly. “You’ll leave once it’s born. That’s the deal.”
• An ache builds within me, sharper than any physical pain I've endured. I'm certain that if I leave, I'll never see my child again.
• A surge of fear and desperation floods me as the single thought takes root.
• I may have to fight Sheldon and the entire pack if I ever hope to keep the child.