Two Alphas Chase One Luna

Chapter 4: Terminate This Pregnancy

Chapter 4: Terminate This Pregnancy

(Ethan's POV)

Samantha was like moonlight wine, burning at first taste yet leaving a lingering sweetness that haunted the senses. Even now, with her gone, I could still feel her presence in every corner of our home.

I paced through our bedroom, my fingers trailing over her pillow. Her scent still clung to the fabric – a delicate mixture of lavender and something uniquely her.

"Why?" I whispered to the empty room. "Why did I drive away the one person I swore to protect?"

For eighteen years, I had shielded her from rival males who coveted her beauty, her gentle strength. The irony wasn't lost on me that I, her protector and husband, had become the one to break her heart.

The manor felt hollow without her laughter echoing through the halls. I missed the way she would curl against me at night, trusting and vulnerable in a way she never allowed others to see.

To the pack, Samantha was a fierce healer with unwavering determination. Only I knew the tender woman beneath that image – the one who rescued injured animals and cried during sad movies.

My wolf, Logan, howled inside me, demanding we search for our mate. But I resisted the urge to shift and run through our property as I usually did when stressed. I couldn't bear to disturb our shared home with signs of my distress.

Instead, I sat in darkness, letting the weight of my mistake crush me.

James Quinn entered my executive office the next morning, his face carefully neutral as he delivered his report.

"Alpha King, I've confirmed that Luna Reed has checked into the presidential suite at SilverCrest Hotel," he said, standing at attention. "She's also been making calls to various healers in neighboring cities, apparently intending to return to her profession."

I turned from the window, keeping my face half-hidden in shadow as I gazed out at the moonlit property.

"Sabotage it," I ordered, my voice low. "Make sure every healing establishment knows she's not to be hired."

James's composure slipped for a moment, surprise flickering across his features. "Sir? That seems..."

"Seems what?" I challenged.

"Uncharacteristic," he finished carefully. "And potentially counterproductive. If I may speak freely, this might further alienate Luna Reed rather than bring her home."

I laughed, the sound hollow even to my own ears. "You think I don't know my own mate, Quinn? Samantha has lived in comfort and protection for years. She's forgotten what it's like to struggle."

I moved to my desk, running my fingers along the polished wood where her hands had rested just yesterday.

"She'll quickly realize she needs my resources, my protection. The harsh reality of establishing herself as an independent healer will disillusion her within days."

James shifted uncomfortably. "And if it doesn't?"

"It will," I insisted. "She'll come home, where she belongs."

I fixed my Beta with a hard stare. "Also, inform Rebecca Taylor to stay within her bounds. She is merely a surrogate, nothing more. Her only connection to me is the child she carries."

"Understood," James replied, though doubt lingered in his eyes.

"Samantha is my mate," I said, more to myself than to him. "She'll return to me. She has nowhere else to go."

(Samantha's POV)

The presidential suite at SilverCrest Hotel felt cold and impersonal after the warmth of Blackwood Manor. I sat on the edge of the king-sized bed, staring at my reflection in the mirror across the room.

Who was this woman with red-rimmed eyes and trembling hands?

For the past three years, I had dedicated myself to conceiving an heir for the Blackwood name. I'd stepped away from my position as a healer at the peak of my career, focusing entirely on starting a family with Ethan.

I didn't regret it. Not really. But now I saw the folly in placing all my hopes on a husband – even one who had seemed as devoted as Ethan.

My phone buzzed with another rejection. That made seven healing establishments that had turned me down today.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Reed," the clinic director had said, not sounding sorry at all. "We've just filled our last position."

I wasn't naive. I knew Ethan's influence stretched far across the Northern Territories. He was systematically cutting off my options, forcing me to return to him.

I checked my bank account, calculating how long I could afford this suite. Three nights, at most. Ethan expected me back within days, crawling to him for support.

The realization that he was using business tactics against me – his wife of eighteen years – stung worse than finding out about Rebecca's pregnancy.

"You've miscalculated, Ethan," I whispered, cradling my stomach where our child grew. "I'm not as helpless as you think."

My options were limited, but I wasn't without resources. I still had my healing knowledge, my skills. I could start small, build my reputation again.

The thought of facing Ethan's child with Rebecca every day for the rest of our lives made my stomach turn. How could I look at that child without seeing Ethan's betrayal?

I pulled out my laptop and began researching independent healing practices. If Ethan thought I would break easily, he was about to learn how wrong he was.

The decision came to me in the darkest hour of the night. I couldn't keep this pregnancy.

I couldn't bear the thought of Rebecca always being connected to Ethan through their child. She would be a constant presence in our lives, a reminder of his betrayal.

And our child – how could I explain to them that their father had another baby with another woman at the same time? The complications would be endless.

Tears streamed down my face as I placed my hand on my stomach. "I'm so sorry. It's such a grievance for you to be born to someone like me, little one," I whispered, my voice breaking.

All the names I'd chosen over the years – Emma for a girl, Noah for a boy – would remain unused. All my dreams of seeing Ethan hold our baby, of watching his face light up when they said "Daddy" for the first time – shattered.

"Your father chose another woman to bear his heir," I told my unborn child. "What kind of life would you have, tied to a man capable of such betrayal?"

The decision tore me apart, but I saw no other way. I couldn't raise this child in the shadow of Ethan's other family. I couldn't subject an innocent baby to the bitterness and resentment that would inevitably poison our home.

Tomorrow, I would visit Dr. Katherine Miller and ask for her help. The thought made me physically ill, but I had to be strong.

For the first time in eighteen years, I had to put myself first.

Sleep eluded me that first night away from Ethan. I tossed and turned, my body missing his warmth beside me.

In a moment of weakness, I checked his social media. A video appeared at the top of his feed – Ethan comforting October, our rescued dog cub. The caption read simply: "Missing Mother."

My heart clenched as I watched his large hands gently stroke October's fur. The distinctive scar across the webbing between his thumb and index finger was clearly visible.

I remembered the day he got that scar. We'd found October being attacked by wild dogs three years ago. Ethan had fought them off, suffering a deep bite in the process.

"It's worth it," he'd said later as I bandaged his bleeding hand. "Look how she trusts you already."

October had become our baby when we couldn't have one of our own. Seeing her curled against Ethan, whimpering for me, broke something inside me.

Then I noticed Rebecca had "liked" the post. Curious, I clicked on her profile and felt sick. She had changed her profile picture to mirror mine – same angle, same soft smile, even similar clothing.

She was methodically inserting herself into my life, becoming my replacement piece by piece.

Disgusted, I closed the app and opened my own profile. I removed all traces of Ethan, changing my profile picture to a blank space and my status to "Moving On."

It felt childish, but also necessary. I needed to reclaim my identity, to remind myself and everyone else that I existed independently of Ethan Blackwood.

As dawn broke over the horizon, I made my decision. I dressed quickly, determination replacing the uncertainty that had plagued me through the night.

Dr. Katherine Miller's eyes widened when I walked into her office at Crescent Moon Medical Center the next morning.

"Samantha," she said, rising from her desk. "I wasn't expecting you today."

I knew how I must look – pale face, dark circles under my eyes, the evidence of a night spent crying obvious to anyone who looked closely.

"Katherine," I said, my voice hoarse from tears. "I want to terminate this pregnancy."