Page 25 of Hidden Pain

“I’m not a whore.” Ebony placed her hand over her stomach. “The only person I’ve ever slept with is you. I gave you my virginity, and you took it, promising to love me forever. I’m not the one who’s been proven a liar as a result. You didn’t even tell them of your continued visits to me. You, Hunter, are the man who needs to own up to his errors and fix them. I’m carrying the heir to this pack, and you need to accept that and give me back what is mine. I demand it.”

“Christian, get her out of here,” Hunter demanded, having heard enough.

Hunter wasn’t stupid. Well, he was for sleeping with Ebony after their split, but he knew she wasn’t fertile at the time. He’d made sure to inspect her scent before sinking in deep and chasing his release. Either, she wasn’t pregnant with his child, or she’d tricked him somehow and had changed her scent. Whatever the truth, he wasn’t going to give her what she wanted. Even if the child she was possibly carrying proved to be his, he’d make sure he and he alone took responsibility for raising it. There was no way he’d let Ebony be a mother to a future alpha. Under her influence, the boy would grow up vain and end up destroying the pack.

Hunter’s hands were shaking—he was so furious. He just wanted this woman out of his life. He had enough problems to deal with: wanting the future for his pack to be stable, but at the same time, having to deny his feelings for both Lily and Kingsley. Being alpha was a curse, one he’d happily walk away from if it wasn’t for the loyal pack members who supported him. They needed his protection from the fight bearing down on them all at a rapid rate.

Christian had hesitated to carry out Hunter’s order. His hand was placed on Ebony’s shoulder, but he wasn’t ejecting her from the room.

“I think maybe we should at least have Ebony examined,” his beta tentatively suggested.

“No,” Hunter shot him down immediately. “She lied about being hit by Kingsley. I’m sure this is another lie designed to get her position back within the pack.”

“But what if she is pregnant with your son?” Christian retorted, and the room fell silent. The only sound Hunter could hear was the deep thump of his own heart within his ears.

Reaching down into her top, Ebony pulled out a piece of paper and threw it onto the table in front of them all.

“That proves I’m pregnant.”

Hunter picked it up and opened the folded paper. It was a scan picture with a small blob on the page that looked like a smudge rather than a baby.

“Certified by the doctor. Your personal one.” Ebony reached over and jabbed a manicured nail at the paper.

“Shit!” He heard some of the table exclaim.

“I think we’ve got a problem,” Christian added, but Hunter wasn’t listening. He was staring down at the paper. Was this the first picture of his child? A miracle he’d always dreamed of? However, never once in his dreams had his baby been growing in Ebony’s stomach. It’d just sort of appeared with no mother. Well, until Lily recently showed up with a rotund stomach in his fantasies.

“Hunter.” Christian’s voice broke through his reveries.

“What?” the senior wolf snapped.

“I think, if Ebony is pregnant with your child, which seems maybe true, then we have a problem. A very serious one that we need to address now,” the pack beta insisted.

Hunter slumped down in his chair. He knew what was coming next. His life was about to end. He’d be forced to take Ebony back as his mate for the future of the pack. Lily and Kingsley would be cast out. His stomach churned at the thought. He’d been denying the truth of his feelings even though they were plainly obvious. He wanted both Lily and Kingsley, no matter what. But it was too late now. He’d made his bed, and he’d have to lie in it.

“I’ll give Ebony her position back as alpha’s mate,” Hunter told them in defeat. A few of the pack clapped. Family, breeding, and consistency without change—these things were important, especially to the older generation.

“I don’t think that’s going to be sufficient. This is another example of you not acting in the best interests of the pack. I think it would be better to have a vote of no confidence in you. If successful, then as beta, I’ll take charge until the infant is old enough to do so himself.” Christian folded his arms across his chest and stared down at Hunter from his vantage point behind a smug looking Ebony.

A couple of the other members of the pack murmured agreement while a few instantly stated “No.”

Hunter laughed. It was a loud bellow which filled the room. Christian and Ebony lost the smirks on their faces, and some of the pack stared at him as though he’d gone insane. Maybe he had…maybe the pressure was getting to him, and this was all just some crazy episode he was having: Ebony wasn’t really here, and he was alone in his bed, mulling over the future of his pack. He pinched himself just to check. No, it was real, and now he had an ache in his arm.

“Have you listened to anything I’ve been saying?” he addressed his pack. “There’s a war coming. I’m not talking about a little fight with rabbit shifters over carrots, or a squabble with a neighboring pack coming onto our land and stealing our provisions. I’m talking about a battle to end all battles. Humans discovering the existence of shifters will change the face of the world as we know it forever. Do you seriously want to have a baby who’s still in utero being responsible for your protection?”

Christian interrupted him. “You’re being ridiculous. The baby won’t be in charge—I’ll make the decisions for him. You’re not what is best for the pack anymore, Hunter. Your loyalties are elsewhere with other breeds and even with humans. If anything, we should be following Nuka Lincoln’s example and preparing ourselves to kill the humans when they attack. We are the superior race and could easily win any battle. We show weakness when we bow down to the humans and allow them to stop us from being who we really are. We are wild animals. We should be free to roam our lands and live without fear of captivity.”

Hunter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was the mindless drivel of the ignorant. How had he ever thought Christian was a good choice for beta?

“Listen to yourself, Christian. Those are the words of a racist with misguided loyalties. You’re clearly only interested in what power you can obtain,” Hunter snapped. He got to his feet and headed to the door. His skin was heated with anger. He needed to escape and go anywhere away from his pack. They didn’t understand what the future would be like for them if they cast him aside.

“If you want your vote, then go for it. Put your trust into the hands of a man who would seek alliance with Nuka Lincoln: a tyrant who wants to rid the Earth of humans because they are different to us. Humans may be intolerant of what they don’t understand, but they don’t deserve death as a result. We need to stand side by side with them, learning to co-exist and teach each other. The world has changed. and it will continue to change. I see the future for what it could be, and I want to be a part of that better world. If you support me, then so will you. However, if you choose the other route and follow Christian, it will be to your downfall.”

Chapter Fourteen

The sound of the birds singing in the trees seemed to call to Kingsley with inspiration. He’d been sitting in the garden for over an hour, trying to draw. He’d decided, after his previous disastrous drawing attempts, to go back to basics. Rather than trying to create illustrious masterpieces, which only depressed him because he couldn’t get them right, he was focusing his efforts on basic lines and shading.

His thoughts then turned to Lily. She’d put on a dress today. He’d never seen her wear something that wasn’t baggy before, and she’d looked stunning. His little bear shifter had been sitting with him while he attempted to draw, but she’d disappeared up to her room to fetch a book about ten minutes ago and hadn’t returned. He wasn’t worried, though. Lily had been tired, and he was sure she’d fallen asleep. He wondered if it was her natural state, because as little as he knew about bears in the wild, he was fairly certain they slept a lot.

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