Chapter 2 Pregnant Out Of Wedlock

Anne's POV:

The sound of birds chirping pulled me out of my unconscious state. The moment I opened my eyes, I suffered a banging headache. The warm sunlight peeping from the window told me that it was morning already. I sat up abruptly, but the pain from my pelvis made my body tremble and ache. The soreness reminded me of what happened last night. My cheeks burned hot.

"Oh, my... Last night..." I muttered, gripping the quilt on my body. A knot went up my throat, making it difficult for me to speak. Oren pounced on me last night. I recalled how he kissed and caressed me roughly. I could still feel how his rough hands kneaded my breasts.

Shaking my head hard, I tried to get rid of the thoughts. I yanked at my messy hair and cried, "No, no, no! We shouldn't have had sex last night. It was too early." I wanted to take things slow with Oren. It was my intention to make him deflower me at the coming-of-age ceremony in a month's time. However, Oren was so crazy last night that it happened before time.

Shame overwhelmed me at this time. I remembered how his touch gave me both pleasure and discomfort. I tried to stop him, but my body betrayed me as he continued to touch me in ways I had never been touched before.

I remembered the strong connection between us. At that fateful night, I knew he was my destined mate. Unlike the beings of my kind, I was a she-wolf without scent, so everyone thought I would never find a mate.

Although Oren didn't mark me last night, I was dead sure that he was my mate. After all, how else could I explain why he wanted me so bad? A sense of joy slowly eroded the embarrassment I felt. I looked around, only to find that Oren wasn't here. Where did he go?

Oren behaved abnormally last night. I wondered what made him so erratic and if he was all right now.

I endured the discomfort and put on my clothes to look for him. "Oren! Oren!" I checked the yard and the shrubs nearby while calling out his name, but he was nowhere to be found.

My throat was dry and the pain in my pelvis got worse. I had to give up. If I continued searching, I might just faint. I thought it wise to wait for him to come back on his own. Perhaps he might show up soon.

After returning to the hut, I sat on the edge of the bed to rest. The wind was blowing the curtains and the whirring sound tingled my ears. I yawned and my eyes caught glimpse of something. There was a folded piece of paper on the floor by the front window.

Oren must have left me a letter! My joy knew no bounds as I sprang to my feet. I rushed to pick up the paper and unfolded it.

It read, "Dear, Anne. Sorry, I wasn't there when you woke up. I encountered some troubles and had to go home. I'll be back in a month, tops. Please wait for me to come back and marry you.

Also, I'm sorry for keeping secrets from you. It's a really long story, and I'll explain everything to you when we meet again. Please forgive me. Yours, Oren."

Although I was confused, I felt relieved knowing that Oren was safe. Waiting was no biggie. And we could talk things out when he returned, so I decided to go back home for now.

Oren and I loved each other. I was hopeful that he would return early and that I would introduce him to my parents before the coming-of-age ceremony.

A wedding scene played out in my mind. I looked forward to spending the rest of my life with Oren. Little did I know that it wasn't going to be that easy.

A few days passed and I suddenly began to feel very ill. I was weak and suffered from morning sickness like those pregnant she-wolves in the pack. I had a bad feeling when I remembered that night with Oren. I wasn't so sure, so I decided to go to the clinic.

As a daughter of the Beta in Star Moon Pack, people knew me very well. The news of my clinic visit would spread like wildfire in no time, which was something I definitely didn't want.

I wore a disguise and sneaked to a less frequented clinic.

The pungent smell of disinfectant and drugs hit my nose as soon as I walked in. It made me sick in my stomach and also increased my nervousness. It was about nine o'clock, so there were a few pregnant she-wolves that came for check-ups. They were not alone. They had either their mates or family members by their side. My heart sank when I saw how these she-wolves were doted on. If only Oren was by my side now.

After taking the pregnancy test, I waited in the corridor to get the result. Many she-wolves went into the doctor's office with their mates before it got to my turn.

The doctor, who had a white beard, looked up at me with the report in his hand. My curiosity was killing me, but the doctor didn't know that because he went on to ask, "Miss, I know it's not in my place to ask, but I would like to know why your mate didn't come with you."

I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I didn't have one. So, I lied through the teeth, "Oh, he's quite busy today."

The next second, the doctor's face lit up in a smile and he said, "Congratulations! You are pregnant. I'm sure your mate will be very happy to hear this good news!"

It took me a second to process what I just heard. Good news? This was definitely not good news! I was pregnant without a mate.

Suddenly, I broke out in cold sweat. It was a huge shame to be pregnant out of wedlock in Star Moon Pack. My pulse galloped as I thought of what would become of me. How could I tell my father that I opened my legs for a male without getting marked? What would happen to me now? If anyone else found out, I would be severely punished.

Should I keep the child? But Oren wasn't even here with me! Maybe I should get an abortion so it would be like this never happened.

My head was a mess, but I found the courage to ask, "Doctor, what should I do if I don't want the baby?"

The second I said those words, the doctor's smile melted. He folded his hands on his desk and said, "In that case, you can make an appointment for an abortion as soon as possible. However, I won't advise you to do that. The child in your belly is a gift from the Moon Goddess, a fruit of love. If you ask me, you should keep it."

It was a fruit of our love? My mind went to Oren again.

Yes, Oren and I loved each other very much. He had also promised to marry me. He would definitely be heartbroken if he found out that I killed our child. How could I have thought about such a thing? No, I had to keep, love, and nurture this gift. I couldn't wait to build a family with Oren!

Holding high hopes for the future, I said goodbye to the doctor. I went back home as if nothing happened. I decided to wait until Oren came back to break the news to him.

Until then, I had to hide this secret to prevent all hell from breaking loose in the pack.