Lycan Prince’s Secret Baby (Moonlit Forbidden Love #1)

Chapter 14

Leah

The stench of damp stone and decay clung to the air like a heavy fog, suffocating me as I lay curled in the corner of my filthy cell. The bed was nothing more than a hard splintered plank, while a crude hole served as a latrine, accompanied by a grimy, stained washbasin.

Days bled into one another. Each one was marked only by brief moments when a Moonlight delivered a meager meal, which was always just enough to keep me alive but never enough to quell the gnawing hunger clawing at my insides. Bitterness festered, and I reflected on how I’d fare if I hadn’t grown used to more substantial amounts. But after weeks of surviving on the scraps the Moonlights brought, only the reserves of weight and strength I’d amassed over the last couple of months kept me alive.

Each meal, typically delivered by Emily, was accompanied by taunts. “There’s a good Blood Moon in your cage where you belong,” she crooned, a malicious smile stretching over her sharp features. “Good dog, you ate all your dinner,” she mocked as she took my empty dishes away, her laughter echoing off the cold stone walls.

These cells, nestled close to the Council Chamber, were buried so deeply in the earth that all sound was blotted out. My senses felt deadened, and with the unchanging surroundings, it seemed as if time had come to a standstill. Weeks had blurred together, resentment growing within me like a tangled thicket of weeds. I couldn’t help but think that I had once believed Kyle reformed the Blood Moon Pack’s rations out of compassion. Now, the absurdity of that belief made me laugh. Where was he?

I remembered how he’d interceded between his father and me in the Council Chamber. My skin prickled at the thought of Reginald’s cutting stare and how he’d implied he was willing to torture the truth from me. I longed to believe there was some strength of feeling left in Kyle for me that had made him stop Reginald. But with Kyle’s continued absence, it seemed clear that everything that had happened between us meant little to him.

As I grew weaker, the thought of how wrong I’d been about him stung sharper than my merciless hunger. Increasingly, nausea racked my body, and bile coated my throat. I worried—had these squalid conditions made me ill?

After the third morning in a row of emptying my stomach, that worry merged into cold clarity, crashing over me like an avalanche. I hadn’t had my period in over a month and a half. I was always regular, even when I’d been malnourished and overworked.

I’m pregnant.

My wolf rose up deep within me, her instinct twining with mine.

We are.

The dawning realization prickled over my clammy skin, both terrifying and thrilling. Trembling, I cursed the lack of food and the brain fog that had taken me so long to realize what was happening. I was pregnant with Kyle’s child. Confusion whirled through me as my wolf basked in the thought that we were carrying our mate’s child. But, grinding my teeth, I swore to myself that this was my child. Not Kyle’s.

Mine.

I realized I hadn’t been plagued by any of my usual estrus symptoms these last few weeks either—not even at the thought of Kyle. It was something I guessed my pregnancy was responsible for. With the knowledge of my child growing in my womb, something began to shift within me. I felt a little less alone. This tiny life within me was like a seed buried deep in the dark earth, defying winter’s chill, confident that spring would come. Their light kept me company in the stench and filth. Their presence was like a spell diminishing the darkness and hardships. Their well-being became my most pressing concern.

Along with the realization, however, came a creeping dread. What if my captors discovered my condition? I lived on tenterhooks, dreading that a change in my scent might betray my secret. Every time Emily visited, I bit the inside of my cheek, stifling contempt as she needled me with insults. I needed her to remain oblivious. Her smirking confidence that she was wearing down my spirit became my only defense—and the only chance I had to protect myself and my baby.

The pack had a strict rule against Blood Moons and Moonlights mating. Any child born with the mixed blood of a red wolf and a gray wolf was taken away and … dealt with. It was a rare occurrence, usually resulting from a Moonlight soldier taking advantage of a Blood Moon female. But it had happened. Beth, one of our pack members, had fallen pregnant by a Moonlight soldier a couple of years ago. Her gut-wrenching screams as her baby was taken from her haunted me now.

I curled my arms protectively around my middle, trying to shield my child from such threats. Helplessness spiraled through me as I anguished over how I could protect them when I couldn’t even safeguard myself from captivity.

We can’t stay here.

The thought sliced through me. Staying with my pack was a danger to both me and my child while we were oppressed by the Moonlight Pack. I needed to escape. But how? Desperation clawed at me. Locked away, it was only a matter of time before my oppressors uncovered my secret. The thought of Reginald’s icy stare weighing the fate of my unborn child fueled my nightmares.

Most nights, I woke in the darkness, hands clasped tightly around my belly, having escaped dreams where the Moonlight Alpha tore my baby away. My heart raced, haunted by visions of my child abandoned in the woods, cries muffled by the cold, surrounded by snow, while branches snatched at them like the gnarled fingers of dark witches. The cold, empty stones of my cell echoed with the imagined cries of my future child, pleading for me to act.

But finally, a ray of hope pierced the darkness. As I bit into the dry bread of my measly lunch, something pricked against my fingers. My heart thumped wildly. Someone had sliced into the bread and buried a scrap of paper inside. With trembling hands, I pulled out the tiny cylinder. My pulse raced as I recognized Phoebe’s spiky handwriting.

“Leah, you need to get out. The Alpha isn’t going to let you go, and we’re not letting you waste away in a cell. There’s a key in your bowl. Use it tonight, and get yourself out of there. Love, all of your Anuki and Nukai.”

My brothers and sisters . My heart soared with love for all of my pack. Homesickness filled me. They were so close but so out of reach that it felt as if hundreds of miles separated us.

The key.

I felt around in the briny soup, anticipation coiling tight within my chest. My fingertips brushed against cold metal. My body vibrated with the knowledge that freedom might be closer than I’d dared to believe. Adrenaline flooded my veins as my fingers curled around the metal.

I shook off the liquid from the object, revealing a small, expertly crafted key. I recognized Mary’s handiwork, her skills as a metalsmith honed in the Nightwing lands. I glanced at the tiny keyhole of my cell, overwhelmed by the thought of how she had fashioned it—how someone had gotten the lock’s measurements, written the note, and slipped it into my food. My family had come through for me.

For us.

I hid the precious key against my skin, burying it in my bra for safekeeping. Determination surged through my blood. The rest of my day dragged, but I fought the restlessness writhing within me, forcing myself to lay on the hard surface of my bed. If my escape was successful tonight, it might be days before I could rest again.

After the moonlight had taken away my dinner dishes that evening, I stripped down to my underwear, scrubbing my skin from the grimy basin. I prayed that the cold water would wash away traces of my scent, giving me a fighting chance to elude the patrol tonight.

Finally, when night’s heavy curtain fell, I extracted the key from its hiding place and approached the door. The key felt so light for something so important. My breath shallow, I slid it into the lock. The click echoed ominously in the silence, sending fear coursing through me, threatening to freeze me in place.

As the door creaked open, I peered into the yawning darkness of the corridor. Could this moment be real? I tiptoed up the stairs, pressing against the wall, palms trembling against the stone as my pulse raced, a chorus urging me to move and slip out into the night.

Every step whispered against the cold stone, and I strained to catch any sound ahead. At the top of the stairs, I approached the outer door, praying it wouldn’t be locked. It opened, and I stepped out into the night.

I was at the back of the building, next door to the rear of the Council Chamber. The lighting was dimmer here, and I remembered the area well enough from my time living at Kyle’s, which was only a few buildings away. The thought of him nearby knotted my stomach and cinched my lungs tighter.

But I pushed the dread away.

One step at a time, Leah. You can do this.

With tentative footsteps, I crept through the yard, keeping to the shadows and holding my breath. I slunk along the wall, staying low to the ground. Tonight, the air was still and stifling, and I hoped my earlier scrub would mask my scent from patrolling guards. I allowed myself a breath, striving to calm the erratic rhythm of my heart.

Darting over to the next building, I paused, scanning for signs of movement. A chill raced over my skin, and then I froze. Footsteps echoed in the distance.

Terror exploded through me. The fragile window of my escape threatened to shatter. A wave of panic surged, suffocating me.

“Hey!” A low, commanding voice cut through the stillness of the night. “You two, a Blood Moon was just spotted by the kitchens. Go check it out.”

My heart raced as I processed the man’s words; the guards had been ordered to the other far side of the compound—away from me.

I recognized the man’s voice, familiarity washing over me. Yet from my shadowy vantage point, I couldn’t see him. Cloaked in the darkness, I remained motionless, listening as the man’s directive pulled the guards away. Their presence receded, leaving the path ahead clear. A surge of relief coursed through my veins, and I sensed the man moving away from the area, too. I silently thanked the moon goddess for this stroke of fortune. Instinct tugged at me, whispering tha t this was the spy within the pack. Shock and gratitude twisted together in a heady mix. Against all odds, my escape was becoming a reality thanks to this ally watching my back.

With a deep breath and with tired yet firm legs, I seized the moment. Slipping along the wall, I crossed over to the next structure, anticipation beating through me like a drum. I moved stealthily to the following building, then the next, gliding through the compound like a thief in the night.

Determination stole across my face.

Tonight, Igaluk, please let me and my child steal our freedom.