Filed to story: Tangled in Moonlight Unshifted Novel by Lenaleia
The blood drains from my face as the realization hits me. She’s rightif I’m pregnant with Clayton’s child, Renard won’t touch me. At least, not until he can force me to abort it.
Or until they give birth and use the baby as a pawn.
My hand drops to my stomach, and I swallow hard. Could I be…? No, it’s too soon to tell. But the thought sends a shiver of fear down my spine.
If I am pregnant, it buys me time. Time to figure out a way to escape, to get back to the Aspen Pack and Clayton. But it also means I’m carrying a childa child that will be caught in the middle of this war between packs.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to push the thought away. One problem at a time. First, I need to get out of here. Then I can worry about the rest.
I try to keep my face impassive as Phoenix and Jessa argue, but it’s difficult to hide my discomfort as they talk about me like I’m not even there.
“If she has to stay here, then we need to prove she’s not an omega,” Phoenix insists, his jaw clenched tight. “If we can do that, then Renard has no reason to keep her around.”
I can’t help but scoff. As if Renard needs a reason to torment me. Even if I’m not the omega he wants, I’m still going to be used as a breeder. My fate doesn’t change then, only Phoenix’s. Still, I know this is my chance to try and sway them to my side.
“I’m definitely not an omega,” I interject, my voice firm.
Jessa barks out a harsh laugh, her eyes glinting with cruel amusement. “And how the hell would anyone prove that, genius? It’s not like there’s a test for it.”
My heart sinks as I realize she’s right. There’s no way to definitively prove whether I’m an omega or not. It was all speculation off my heat. I’m not an omega, and no one believes me.
“Well, we have to do something” Phoenix growls, his hands clenching into fists on the table. “I’m not going to let everything I’ve worked for be taken away just because Ava can’t keep her legs closed.”
Whitehot anger flares in my chest at his words, and I have to bite my tongue to keep from lashing out. As if I had any choice in the matter?!
“Maybe we should just kill her,” Jessa muses, her tone casual as if she’s discussing the weather. “That would solve the problem, wouldn’t it?”
Kill me? My heart stutters, and I can feel the blood draining from my face. She can’t be serious.
But one look at her cold, calculating expression tells me that she is. My own sister is contemplating murdering me, all to protect her own interests.
I open my mouth, desperate to defend myself, but Phoenix cuts me off with a shake of his head.
“No, we can’t do that,” he says, his voice low. “Renard would never forgive us for killing his only chance at an heir. He’s crazed for one. I’ve always only been his secondbest option. We need to find another way.”
Relief and fear war within me as I realize that, for now at least, my life is safe. But the fact that they’re even discussing this, that they’re so willing to discard me like a piece of trash, cuts me to the core.
These are my siblings, my own flesh and blood. I’ve been betrayed by them, abused by them, neglected and dismissed. And yet, it still hurts.
I swallow hard, forcing down the lump of emotion that threatens to choke me. Instead, I lift my chin and meet Jessa’s gaze headon, refusing to back down or show. any weakness.
“You’re right,” I say, my voice steady despite the turmoil raging inside me. “There’s no way to prove whether I’m an omega or not. But what you’re forgetting is that it doesn’t matter.”
Jessa’s eyebrows rise skeptically, but I press on, determined to make them see reason.
“Whether I’m an omega or not, Renard is going to use me however he sees fit. He doesn’t care about any of us, not really. We’re just pawns to him, pieces on a chessboard to be sacrificed or protected as he pleases.”
Phoenix shifts in his seat, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. Good, I’ve struck a nerve.
“The only way any of us are going to get out of this unscathed is if we work together,” I continue, holding both of their gazes. “We need to stop fighting each other and start fighting him.”
The words hang heavy in the air, and for a moment, no one speaks. Then Phoenix sighs and stands up, turning to Jessa. “We’ll figure it out later.”
Okay. They’re willing to go against his wishes, but not stand up against him yet.
Jessa’s right. I have time. I just need to bide it carefully.
Thank you all for supporting me through the first season of TIMU! <3
Lenaleia
Creator’s Thought
Life at home really sucks, but I find a little solace in the fact that, for once in my life, Jessa and Phoenix are on my side.
Kind of.
I am still a little worried that Jessa’s just going to stab me in my sleep, but I don’t think she wants to deal with the wrath that will come with that kind of drastic measure. I’m pretty sure she’s keeping it as an option, but I don’t think she’s going to do it anytime soon.
Thanks to Jessa’s pointing out of the obvious, my stress level is somewhat reduced as I thank Clayton in my head for succumbing to his heatdriven passions. Until Alpha Renard is sure that I have no Aspen pup in my womb, he’s not going to touch me.
I can tell he has no true desire for me. Every time he looks at me, it’s with calculation. I don’t think the man’s capable of feeling true desire for someone like me.
If our numbers were greater, I truly believe he would eradicate humans from the world instead of fighting with other packs.
It doesn’t keep me safe now with this ridiculous ‘true omega’ nonsense they’ve got in their heads, but at least I have the luck of Mother Nature on my side…
And Jessa’s cell phone.
She’s not thrilled about it, but sits on the couch while I wait in the kitchen, listening to the ringing as I call Lisa’s phone.
They shouldn’t be keeping tabs on her now that I’m back, right?
But even if they doshe’s my only ticket out of here.
“Hello?” her suspicious voice finally answers, after I call her three times in a row,
“Lise, it’s me.”
“Ava. Oh, my God. You’re alive. You’re okay. Wait, are you okay?”
A laugh bubbles in my throat even as tears fill my eyes. I love Lisa so damn much. How did I ever deserve a friend like her?
“There’s a lot to fill you in on, but just wait and listen to the important stuff right now. I’ve been dragged back home. They caught me in Washington, where- oh, shit, you don’t even know. I was with the Aspen pack… There’s a lot to unpack there. We’ll do that later. Anyway, some things happened and somehow they found out about it.”
Wait. How did they find out?
I need to ask Phoenix.
Like, as soon as I hang up the phone.
“Ave?”
“Sorry. I got distracted. Um, anyway, they found me and brought me home. Long story short, my alpha wants to make babies with me because he thinks I have some special womb-“
“Oh, are you an omega?”
Pulling the phone away from my ear, I double check the number on the screen. It’s definitely Lisa. “Um, how do you know about omegas?”
“I watch TV, Ave. I’m sure it’s not accurate, but I kind of get it. Omegas are like, super fertile and shit, right?”
“Wellnot exactly… Most of them are just called.
omegas because they were chosen to breed, not because they were meant to. But anyway, that’s not the point.”
Her voice crackles through the speakers with all the surety of someone who’s never had to deal with the consequences of badmouthing an alpha. “So that old fart wants to fuck you? I’m not surprised. Everything I’ve heard about them is bad news bears, Ava. What do you need me to do? I’ll do anything. Hell, fuck this place. Mom and Dad won’t mind if I disappear for a few months. Let’s disappear together. Where do I pick you up?”
Those tears that fill my eyes are falling now, dripping with embarrassing ease down my cheeks. “You can’t do anything yet. They’re still worried about me. But they are going to want to make sure I’m not pregnant before doing anything.”
“Pregnant? Ava, what the hell have you been doing, and with who? Is he nice? Does he take care of you?”
“He’sit’s a long story. It’s not what you think.” Though my heart twists as I think of Clayton and how worried he must be. How long have I been here now? It feels like months, but hasn’t it only been a few days? A
week?
Everything’s blurring together already. I guess that’s what happens when you disassociate in front of a TV.
And Lucas…
It’s been a long time.
He must be worried. Or maybe he’s moved on.