SWNOVELS Chapter 1
CHAPTER 01
Katherine:
“Flog her! Lock her up without food and water till she dies.” My mate, Zane yelled at his soldiers as I knelt on the ground pleading and asking myself how on earth Zane had believed everything.”
“I swear on our unborn baby’s life, Zane, I didn’t do it. I didn’t kill the Alpha king. They’re all liars, Zane, believe me. Why don’t you believe me Zane.”
Tears rolled down uncontrollably, and I couldn’t stop it. “Zane!” I yelled again as they picked me up from the floor. I tried to struggle free from their grip, but I was forced to the floor and I fell with a thud wincing in pain and hoping the fall had not affected the children growing in me. “Please, believe me.” I cried out in a whimper, staring down the soil and the blood from the sprain on my ankle, and once again, I was being lifted up to face my mate.
“I, Alpha Zane of the blue crest pack, reject you, Katherine Everhart as my mate and future Luna, accept my rejection!” He yelled back at me. His words were like barbed wires, piercing through every corner of my nerves, but I knew if I didn’t accept it, I was going to die from pain and misery. I sniffled, trying to be strong, but I couldn’t. How on earth could Zane do this to me, how could he believe the words of my foster sister and my family when he clearly knew how much they despised me.
I stared at his deep blue eyes still raging with so much anger. I understood he was so hurt and angry at the death of his father, the Alpha king, but it wasn’t me, and I couldn’t prove it because my family had planned everything too well, even shocking me to my bones. I always knew they never loved me, especially my foster sister Jane, but I never knew they would all go to this extreme just to get me out of Zane’s life.
My gaze averted to Jane who was standing behind my mate when arms folded under her breast. She had a satisfied smirk plastered on her face which represented her accomplishment to my downfall and there was nothing I could do to show Zane that I was innocent. I was carrying his children, and yet he didn’t look me in the eyes, or he didn’t care. I expected even a little bit of pity, but Zane wasn’t the man I thought I knew anymore.
I sniffled again, holding my stomach to feel our babies, our 7 months old babies. I could tell they were also in so much pain like I was, and I wish there was something I could do to save them from what was about to befall us. They were going to die before their birth, and that was what I feared most.
“I, Katherine Everhart, accept your rejection.” My wolf Lyla howled in pain, trying as much as possible to keep us standing. Thunder struck in the sky, and I immediately knew that we didn’t have much time left. I was going to die anyway because Zane wouldn’t spare me, but one thing I knew was that I would never forgive him even in death for betraying me in this manner. The pain felt like a nail was being pierced through my heart, or like a sizzling fire burning my internal organs without mercy, and slowly squeezing life out of me. I tried to fall, but the soldiers held me firm so I wouldn’t, and then I found Jane’s gaze again from my distance where I was standing
Her eyes told me,
“I warned you bitch, you could have saved yourself and walked away when I gave you a chance, now take a look at your pitiful self.”
“Goddess.” I cried out almost in a whimper.
“Take her away immediately.” Zane yelled at his men. As I was being dragged away, I told myself I had to be strong for my babies. No matter what, I had to be really really strong. I had to bring them into this world before dying.
“Throw her in.” The head soldier ordered after I had been flogged mercilessly. Even though I was carrying Zane’s children, the future heirs, and no one, absolutely no one cared. As they threw me into the dungeon, I crawled until I got to the wall and rested on it, laying my hands on my stomach. I was bleeding from everywhere hoping that all of this would be some sort of a dream that I would wake up from, but as much as I hated it, everything that happened earlier felt so real. My own family! How could they do this to me? My father even consented to their evil plans after everything he had done to me and my late mother.
He killed my mother and never once cared about me.
3 years ago, my mother fell really ill and we needed a lot of money to get her treated from the strange illness. My father had more than enough of what we needed since he was managing the business that he and my mother had grown together, but he abandoned her in the hospital and used most of the money to get married to my step mom, Lena. I never thought father would leave mother in that condition until I watched her die on the eve of my birthday. As if that wasn’t enough, my stepmom and foster sister made life hell for me, and when I finally left the house, I found mqy mate, Alpha Zane. Zane showed me the love I thought I would never receive from anyone after the death of my mother, but when my family found out that I was mated to Alpha Zane, Jane stepped into the way, claiming that Zane was also her mate and that she wanted him.
I thought it was a joke when she asked me to stay away from him, but no…. It wasn’t…. And I was just realizing it.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain.
It was so sharp that I ended up yelling so loud in pain. I tried to take a deep breath in and out, and told myself to keep calm.
“No! No, please, not now babies….you have to wait a little, please.” I cried out because I could feel my babies wanting to come out of me. I wasn’t strong enough to push them out yet and I was scared because they would be born prematurely. If that happened, then they would die because absolutely no one would care about them.
“Please goddess, don’t let my babies die. Let them live.” When the pain became unbearable, I screamed out in pain, holding my stomach and my waist. Despite the pain I was feeling, I was willing to hold on for my children. My cries attracted the attention of some of the soldiers and some of the pack’s midwives arrived just to help me out. As they walked in, I wondered if it was Zane who called them.
“Place her on the ground properly and get a big bucket of water… she’s going to labor.” I heard in my weak state. After I had being placed on the floor properly, and made to lie down on my back keeping my two legs apart, I heard one of the nurses say,
“You have to push hard… I’ll count to 3 and you push.”
I nodded my head, “One, two, three…”
My screams filled the dungeon as I cried out. “Harder! I can see one.” I heard. These words encouraged me to push even harder until I heard the cries of one, “It’s a boy.”
“Oh, goodness!” I was looking at him. “There’s another baby, you have to fight it and push.”
I shut my eyes. Seeing my little boy gave me so much strength to push harder so my second baby would come out, and after a few minutes, I heard another cries,
“It’s a girl.” I heard. That was it… I had no idea where the strength came from, but I did it despite the pain,
“They are healthy, it’s absolutely incredible.”
I couldn’t help the tears that rolled down my eyes when I heard those words because I was scared my babies would die since they were born prematurely. Maybe the moon goddess heard my cries afterall.
“Take them away, immediately.” One of the midwives uttered to my disbelief, and I arched my brows in fear. “No! What do you mean? Leave my babies alone, come back with my children, please…. Don’t take them away from me, I beg you.”
“I’m sorry Luna.” She uttered, walking away with them, and as I watched them take my children away, my head fell back on the floor, and I shut my eyes….. sliding into darkness immediately.