(Vaelith's POV)

I sat up with a start and my heart hammered against my ribs while my nightgown clung to my skin in cold sweat.

"Another nightmare?" Fenna was asking from t across the room, looks like I woke up late.

"I still see it," I said, my voice still shaking. "The light. All the hall looking at me."

"It's over now," she said. "They put the essence into the Luna, that should be that."

I wanted to think that she was telling the truth, but my gut told me otherwise. I could still hear Seraphine's whisper in my ears. 'This is not over.'

Vaelith suddenly swung her legs off the bed, "The Head Maid has been looking for you, she wants you in the kitchen now." 

"Since?" I said, already reaching for my clothes, "Why couldn't you wake me?"

"I did my best, you wouldn't budge." She grabbed her own dress off the hook by the door. "Come on, let's hurry," he said.

We hurriedly dressed, and together we went downstairs in silence.

"Has there been an increase in tension since the ceremony?" Fenna asked quietly as we walked.

I said, "I have noticed...It's hard not to."

"Since last night, everyone's saying the Luna's been in a bad humor," she went on, lowering her voice even more. "One of the maids said she was so harsh with a servant yesterday that she cried."

"If that's the case, then I should try to keep my distance from her," I said.

"That's what everyone wants to do."

When we arrived at the kitchen, almost all the servants and brewers of the palace had already assembled, elbow to elbow in the toasty warm air, perfumed with the smell of bread. At the front was the Head Maid, her hands clasped, her expression more serious than ever. "Listen carefully. The palace has to be perfectly clean before my younger sister, Luna Seraphine, arrives for an extended visit, and every one of you will be assigned more tasks from today on."

There was a lot of chatter in the kitchen but the sudden mention of my name made me nervous.

"Vaelith.The corridors and the reception hall will be decorated with fresh flowers – you will have to finish it before evening." The head maid ordered. 

I nodded my head slightly and replied, "Yes, ma'am."

I picked up my baskets and began at once, arranging blossoms in the windowsills, twisting vines through the iron railings, from one corridor to another, working as fast as I could but my efforts were interrupted by the sudden wave of nausea. 

It over me so fast that I had to come to a halt and press my palm against the cool stone wall.

A passing servant asked, "You alright?

"Fine," I said, trying to smile. "Just didn't have breakfast yet, I believe."

I picked up my basket and continued walking and telling myself that it'll pass.

It didn't.

The dizziness became more and more intense as the day continued. I had to see out of the corners of my eyes several times and my legs were like those of someone else, awkward and slow under me.

One of the older breeders said, 'You don't look well.' as she frowned while passing me in the hall. "Perhaps you should sit down for a while."

"Thank you but I am fine, I'm okay," I said gently, cutting her off. I couldn't afford to stop, and I didn't. I knew if the Luna heard I'd left my duties, particularly after the incident at  the mating  ceremony, I did not want to think what she would do.

I put my final basket of flowers in the reception hall and ascended the small step stool that was set before the tall display near the entrance. I shivered with anticipation as I reached  my hands to place the last flowers.

The room tilted.

The flowers fell from my hands.

I clutched at the stool , but my hand couldn't reach anything but air.

Before I could feel my descent, everything went black.

On opening my eyes once more, I was not in the reception hall.

Instead, I was surrounded by white stone walls and there was an acrid odor of herbs and medicine in the air. Slowly, I blinked, trying to understand the strange ceiling above me.

I heard , "You're awake," and turned my head and saw that the Head Maid was sitting in a chair by the bed, and her face was contracted like it had never been before. "Do not move." 

"What happened?" My voice was hoarse as I asked.

"You just fell down," she said simply. "In the reception room. You did scare everybody."

The door opened before I could ask anything else and an older man walked in carrying a pile of papers. I knew him to be the pack's doctor, but had never spoken with him before.

Setting aside his records on the small table next to the bed, he asked, "How do you feel?

I mumbled, "Yeah, I'm a little dizzy. But otherwise fine. What was my fate?

He smiled  before  replying. "You passed out and your colleagues brought you here straight away. I examined you when you were unconscious."

"Whats wrong with me?" I asked, my heart already dreading the answer. 

He scanned through his papers for a second then looked up, his face taking on a slightly placating tone. "Well, there was some good news  really."

I looked at him in amazement. "What news?"

He said, "You're pregnant."

I was silent for awhile. I wanted to understand the word, but my brain  would not cooperate, it refused to make sense, no matter how many times I thought about it.

I finally replied, "Pregnant? As in carrying a child?Are you certain?"

He said he was "quite certain."

I said, "I was only called to the Alpha's chambers once," and then my voice got loud, like a panicky voice. "Just once, as part of my duties, how could this be possible?"

The doctor said simply and quietly, "One encounter is enough for conception. It is more common than people think."

I put my hand on my stomach, trying to comprehend what he was saying.

"The pregnancy is at an early stage," he went on. "It's too soon to tell the sex of the baby, but both you and your baby look healthy." He put down his pen and stared  at me. "From now on, you will have to be careful, you must not carry heavy loads, you must not exhaust yourself with work, you must not miss meals, whatever the day is going to be."

I said quietly, "I understand."

He started to put his records back in an orderly pile. "I'll have to issue a formal report to Alpha Kaedric."

My stomach dropped. I said, "Wait! "Please. Is there any way you could delay sending it? Even a few days?"

The healer shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I can't break the law, Vaelith, no matter the circumstances, because any pregnancy with the Alpha's bloodline must be reported immediately."

I was silent, for I knew that I could do nothing to persuade him.

Later in the afternoon a guard silent as a mouse took me back to the breeders' quarters, and as I walked back to them I tried to think of what would happen when Alpha Kaedric and Luna Seraphine found out.

It was only before I had taken a seat on the edge of my bed that there was a knock at the door.

It was opened before I could respond.

Then the Head Maid entered, her face expressionless and eyes boring into me.

"The Luna demands that you present yourself at her chambers."

(Vaelith's POV)

The weight of each step was more than the previous behind the Head Maid. I clasped my hands in front of me, as we walked through the palace corridors, my mind buzzing with one question that I could not get rid of. Has the doctor already sent his report? Did Kaedric know already? Did Seraphine?

I didn't know which would be worse:

The Head Maid knocked at a tall set of doors and after knocking twice, she pushed them open. "My Luna," she said, "the breeder Vaelith."

I went in and dropped my head, my eyes glued to the shiny floor.

A cup of tea was elegantly held in her hands, Seraphine was sitting by the window, the sunlight glittering upon the light blond of her hair. She didn't pay me any attention. She didn't say anything at all. She just let that silence creep up until it was too much and drank her tea as if I hadn't been there.

Finally, she didn't turn her head and she spoke. "Why did you fall when working?"

"I'm sorry, my Luna," I said, my voice from place to place. "When I was putting up the flowers for your sister's arrival, I suddenly felt dizzy, but that will never happen again." 

I didn't mention the pregnancy.

She put down her teacup slowly, the porcelain of the cup rattling on the saucer, and then looked at me. Her eyes were icy, piercing.

"You've brought such a disgrace to this palace," she said. "The servants must work despite being uncomfortable. Has no one told you to do this?

"I know, my Luna," I replied. "I apologize 

"You must pay for it," she said. "You have one less off day as a replacement for the day you wasted."

"Yes, my Luna." I mumbled. 

There was no use arguing. All I could say would only make her punish me even more.

Her lips curled into a little smile of contentment. "There was one more thing I want you to do for me." 

"Of course my Luna," I  replied.

"I need a rare herb, one that only grows in Blackthorn Forest, my sister's tonic can't be made without it." She ordered. "All guards are busy so you'll go alone."

My stomach tightened. Everyone was aware that Blackthorn Forest was a hazardous area, particularly for a lone person, particularly so late in the day. A refusal of a direct command from the Luna, however, was not something that a breeder could do.

I lowered my head, and said, "I'll leave right away," and turned to leave.

The moment I stepped into the forest, I could feel eyes on me but I could not go back, holding my  basket in my hand and a tiny knife in my hand, that only cuts stems and roots, I took the light with me but it  was immediately absorbed by the forest. The further I went, the quieter I got. The birdsong was heard less and less. Then the insects. Even the wind paused as if it had a breath of silence.

I squatted down, almost touching a bunch of light-colored flowers, looking them over against the description Seraphine had given me, and trying to ignore the creeping feeling on the back of my neck.

There was someone or something watching me.

I slowly straightened myself up and turned around.

Nothing. Only trees and shade.

I told myself that I was  only nervous, and that I have to concentrate on the herbs that are scattered around the floor of the forest.

I heard a twig break behind me.

I froze.

I knew this time, I was sure. I wasn't alone.

I picked up my basket and started to walk quicker – my heart pounding in my ribs. I heard another sound, from somewhere to my left. Then another one that was even closer and came from behind.

They all came out of the shadows, before I could run,

Wolves. Four or perhaps five, circling me, growling, low growls rumbled from their throats. I stumbled back clutching the worthless little knife in my hand, my basket to the ground forgotten.

"Please," I said in a trembling voice. "I'm just a breeder, I'm here picking herbs for the Luna, I don't mean any harm to anyone."

One of them laughed softly, a derisive laugh, and his figure changed, becoming broad and tall, a man, his eyes cruel and mocking. "You must be kidding me, do you think we'd let the woman carrying the Alpha's heir walk out of this forest alive?"

I froze completely. "How did you find out about that?"

"Another wolf grinned at him, sitting beside him. Blood as potent as that is not difficult to smell, certainly not for wolves like us."

"Why do you do this?" My voice cracked as I asked,

The one that appeared to be guiding them shook his shoulders like the query was insignificant and there was no need for an answer. "The situation itself isn't personal, we were hired to do a job."

"Who hired you?" I whispered.

He smiled slowly and cruelly. "The Luna."

He circled me, "She could never imagine the thought of another woman bearing Kaedric's child. Not after what happened at the ceremony. Her orders were clear: Neither you nor that thing inside you gets to walk back into Moonridge."

I found my knees buckling under me.

As I attempted to run two of them grabbed my arms and twisted them behind my back, and a third pulled out a small bundle from a leather pouch in his hip. Beyond that, I saw the dark, twisted leaves within it, and terror filled me.

I knew it right away. Nightbane root. Poisonous if eaten.

"No!" I gasped, struggling against the hands that held me. "No, please, don't-"

I clenched my jaw shut, and twisted my head away, but it didn't help. One of them opened my mouth, and the other one pushed the harmful herb into my mouth, and he closed my mouth and blocked my nostrils with a great force until I swallowed it.

It was like fire that engulfed my chest in a flash.

I lay on the ground of the woods, gasping and choking, shaking from head to foot. Blood was spilling out of my mouth, leaving stains on the dirt under me, stains on my hands as I pressed them uselessly against my lips.

The wolves loomed over me, unmoved and indifferent.

One of them said, "That should do it."

They turned and disappeared back into the trees, leaving me alone in the middle of the forest.

I had blurred vision at the sides of my eyes. I began to breathe shallowly, getting weaker with each second. Tears blended with blood in my face and I put my shaking hand on my belly.

I pleaded quietly, "Please. Please survive this. Please."

The night was closing in, devouring everything, the trees, the sky, even me.

I heard big feet coming through the bushes just before it totally engulfed me.

With the last of my strength, I opened my eyes.

A large, dark wolf stood above me, its eyes shining in the dim light. I couldn't determine whether it was to complete what they had started, or for another purpose altogether. There was no strength in my legs to run. Have no strength to resist.

I whispered the only word I could muster on my last breath.

"Help..."