First

Chapter 23

“Alpha,” Kelvin replies in a composed voice. “The Luna is wounded, she can barely walk, I was taking her

to-”

“Did I stutter?”

Tatum’s voice becomes even colder, his alpha aura spreading through the corridor as he takes slow heavy steps towards them, his icy orbs fixed on the frall woman in Kelvin’s arms.

Kelvin doesn’t want to drop Leila, he cares deeply about her but he cannot disobey his Alpha and Tatum’s aura weighing down on him forces him to bare his neck in submission.

He tries to hold on to Leila but his wolf is reacting the opposite and when he finally gives in and tries to let Leila go, she tightens her grip around his neck, shaking her head slowly at him, her pitiful eyes saying the word she is too weak to say with her lips.

“I don’t think she agrees with you, Alpha,” Kelvin says, looking back at Tatum, knowing he must have seen Leila’s reaction.

“What did you do to her?” Tatum asks Kelvin coldly, spotting the blood soaked shirt tied around her arms and seeing how weak and fragile she looked, like she could pass out the next moment.

“What do you care?” Leila’s weak voice comes, tears slowly running down the corner of her eyes.

Why is he acting like he cares about her now? He may not have asked Clayton to whip her but if he had not condemned her to be punished, if he had believed her, taken her side, none of this would have happened.

Tatum is visibly shocked by Leila’s words, taking a step and squinting his eyes at her with a surprise filled

gaze.

“T’ll take her and there better be an explanation for this, Tatum replies, trying to carry Leila out of Kelvin’s arms but she flinches away, hugging Kelvin tighter.

Leila doesn’t look at him, she cannot bring herself to. She’s afraid looking into those grey eyes will get to her, no matter what form they are in. She is scared she will let him take her to the hospital and he will learn about the baby.

She doesn’t want that. She will take her child and leave his life for good.

“Get your hands off me,” She says in a tone bereft of warmth before she raises her teary ocean eyes up to meet Kelvin’s similar blue eyes that look confused yet affectionate. “Please, get me away from this man.” Tatum stands rigid in their path, his eyes holding a pained look and his chest heaving slowly.

“Leila… His words escape him with a deep growl that sounds like a warning and his eyes lock with Kelvin’s. “Give her to me.”

Kelvin pulls Leila back this time, locking stoic eyes with the Alpha, understanding she doesn’t want to go with him and Lella finally looks at Tatum, staring him dead in the eye, holding her weak arms up to stop him from coming any closer.

“When Carmela broke her wrist, you didn’t even look at me or my bruised face, you swept her up in your arms and left me there like I meant nothing to you and now you suddenly care?”

Chapter 23

+25 BONUS

“I know what you really want and I’ve given it to you, you’ll find it on your desk, let’s go Kev.”

Tatum’s cold eyes grow sullen and he slowly steps out of the way, looking at Leila with utter disbelief and a guilty look in his eyes.

Leila gives him one last glance as Kelvin takes her away and she silently sobs into Kelvin’s chest, her heart splintering into a million different places.

It hurt her beyond words to be so cold to him, to say those words to him, to accept that once he gets home and signs the divorce papers, their life together will be over but that is what must happen.

He has clearly made his choice, she is only making things easier for him.

“Leila, I hope what you have waiting on the Alpha’s desk is not what I think it is,” Kelvin asks Leila, moments later at the hospital, after she has been tended to.

“It is,” Leila replies in a monotonous tone, staring into the warm light above her.

“Leila…..are you sure? You’ve loved him since forever,” Kelvin replies in a concerned tone.

“You don’t understand Kev,” Leila shakes her head. “This is not just about me, I have to protect my-” Leila hesitates. Kelvin doesn’t know about her baby, no one does and she doesn’t know if she can trust him with the secret, it’s a huge one for her, one that she wants to keep from Tatum forever.

“Your heart, I understand, it’s just, I’ve never seen you act so cold towards him. Is your heart…”

Not with him?

Leila scoffs lightly, a bitter smiling curling up her lips.

Everyone sees that, Tatum as well, of course. Maybe, especially Tatum. That’s why he can tread on her heart like this, without mercy.