Letting Go Is the Alpha's Antidote

"The cold seawater engulfs me, its relentless pull dragging me into the abyss. I kick desperately, my lungs burning, but the surface drifts farther and farther away."Save me, Kane… save our child…"Pain lances through my body as I clutch my stomach, shielding the fragile life within me. The child I never thought I'd have, the child who was supposed to be our blessing.Through the watery haze, I see Kane Porter standing on the jagged cliffs above the shore.His tall, commanding figure is framed by the moonlight, his golden eyes burning with hatred. The alpha of the Nightfall Pack, the man who once whispered my name with reverence, now looks at me like I'm filth beneath his feet.His voice cuts through the roaring waves, sharp and merciless."Don't think I don't know what you've done, Selene."The currents tug me deeper. My strength wanes, but his words stab deeper than the water ever could."You drugged me with a philter, hoping to make me mark you—hoping to force your way into the position of my Luna. Because of your selfishness, Arya is gone. You destroyed her mind, pushed her into madness!"A shadow of despair twists across his face, but it vanishes beneath pure fury."She fell from that cliff because of you."I shake my head, but I can’t speak. The sea is swallowing my voice."Do you know what it’s like to wake up every day in torment? To live knowing the woman I loved died because of you?" His eyes glint like a wolf ready to tear out his prey's throat."I want you to feel every ounce of that pain. I want you and your cursed child to die with her."The waves crash above me, and darkness claws at the edges of my vision.When I open my eyes again, I'm taken back to the day Kane's philter takes effect. He approaches me, his face flushed and his breathing rapid. He's already undone his buttons."Hang on, Kane. Arya will be here soon!" I back away and open the door behind me. Then, I run off."