Chapter 23: Schemes and Resolve
Chapter 23: Schemes and Resolve
(Caroline’s POV)
The nerves hadn’t left me since I deleted the text from Freya’s phone two days ago. My mind kept replaying
the moment, over and over. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Why would Freya text Aaron instead of telling him face to face about the pregnancy? Was she afraid of him? No, it wasn’t fear. It was manipulation. I was sure of it. She didn’t have the courage to confront him directly,
and that made me laugh bitterly to myself.
But I couldn’t take a deep breath. Instead of feeling relief, my anxiety only grew each hour. What if Aaron somehow found out? What if someone slipped and told him about the cub?
I hadn’t been able to rest.
Over the past two days, I stuck to him like glue. Every chance I got, I made sure I was nearby. Whether it was showing up at evening runs or sitting in his office while he worked, I stayed close.
“Caroline,” he said yesterday, glancing at me as I typed at the desk across from him. “You should relax. You’ve been at all the meetings this week. Go for a run or take the night off.”
I smiled, masking my worry easily. “Oh, I just want to help, Aaron. You’re dealing with so much already.”
But the truth was, I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t risk him stumbling onto the truth. Not now.
Last night, during a small gathering with pack allies at the lodge, I finally saw my chance. Aaron had been reserved all evening, but I managed to steer him toward the bar.
“You deserve to unwind,” I told him, pouring him a glass of whiskey.
“I shouldn’t,” he muttered, though he didn’t stop me from handing him the drink. His golden wolf eyes glinted with exhaustion. “Busy day tomorrow.”
He drank it anyway, and I made sure his glass stayed filled the rest of the evening.
It was easy to act concerned, brushing my hand lightly across his arm every time I coaxed another sip out of
him.
“You’re pushing me tonight,” he said at one point, raising his brow.
“Just making sure you let yourself relax, Aaron,” I told him with a soft smile.
The drink had its effect. By the end of the night, he was passed out in the lodge guestroom, his breathing steady and deep.
That’s when I seized the moment.
Sliding his phone just slightly from his pocket, I dialed Freya’s number.
The phone only rang once before she picked up.
“Yes, Aaron?” Her voice was low, and I could hear the hesitation in it.
“It’s me,” I said, soft and deliberate, though the sharpness in her tone when she realized it wasn’t Aaron sent
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an unexpected thrill through me.
“What do you want, Caroline?”
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I paused, debating how far I should push this, but before I could say anything more, she abruptly hung up.
I stared at the phone for a moment, then smiled. She was desperate. I could feel it, even in those few short
words.
Freya wanted Aaron’s attention. She wanted his approval. But she wasn’t going to get it.
The next morning, I decided the time had come to move forward with my plan. I reached out to my friends in
the Redwood Pack, including Rebecca Winters.
Together, we worked to spread word to Freya. The message was simple: Aaron wanted her to terminate the pregnancy. He would offer her territorial rights in exchange for leaving.
It was cruel, but necessary. If she refused to leave, she would use this cub to strengthen her position.
At first, the news seemed to work in my favor. Freya agreed… but then, just as quickly, she backed out.
It didn’t make sense. Why would she agree to go through with the termination, only to change her mind?
The answer came to me in a wave of cold dread. She was stalling. She had a plan.
She was waiting, using time to solidify her position. The cub would change everything. Aaron might even begin to see her differently.
No. I couldn’t allow that to happen. I wouldn’t.
So, I made a decision. I would confront her myself.
(Freya’s POV)
The pack house was quiet. Too quiet.
Aaron had left early in the morning to handle pack business, leaving me alone again.
I stayed in my quarters, staring blankly at my phone. It hadn’t stopped buzzing all morning.
Caroline’s friends were relentless. Their calls came in from different numbers, but I blocked each one without
hesitation.
Still, their persistence rattled me. My conversation with Grace Hunter at the medical facility replayed in my mind, sharpening the edges of my thoughts.
Her bravery in the face of her mother’s control amazed me. She was so young, yet clear in her stance.
I touched my stomach, feeling a stir of warmth from Bella within me. Her protective instincts were growing stronger every day.
For the first time in weeks, I allowed myself to remember the joy I felt when I first suspected I was pregnant.
The subtle changes in my body hadn’t gone unnoticed. My wolf had alerted me before the test results confirmed it. I felt… happy. Excited, even.
I wanted to share the news with Aaron immediately. But then doubts crept in. Would he be happy? Would he see it as a blessing, or as an obstacle?
The thought of termination made Bella howl with sadness. My own heart clenched at the mere idea.
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“I can do this,” I whispered to myself, my fingers brushing lightly across my stomach. “We can do this.”
But being a rejected Luna… the whispers and judgments would never stop. Could I really endure that?
The phone buzzed again, pulling me from my thoughts. Another unfamiliar number.
This time, I hesitated. Was it another of Caroline’s allies?
This time, instead of blocking the call, I answered.
Silence stretched across the line for several seconds.
Then, her voice.
“Luna Freya.”
It was Caroline.
“What do you want?” I asked, my voice steady despite the tremor in my heart.
“We need to meet.”
I exhaled slowly, debating what to do. Then, almost on impulse, I made up my mind.
“I’m at the pack house,” I said, my tone firm. “Come here, if you want to talk.”
The pause on her end was almost satisfying. When she finally replied, her voice carried a hint of surprise.
“I’ll be right there.”
The moment I hung up, I placed both hands on my belly, feeling Bella surge with emotion beneath my skin. “This cub is mine,” I said, my voice filled with resolve. “And no one will take it from me.”
(Caroline’s POV)
The pack house stood before me, its size and grandeur a symbol of everything Aaron had built.
Martha Wilson, the pack house manager, answered the door with her usual composed demeanor.
“Luna Freya will be down shortly,” she said, her tone polite but formal.
I stepped inside, waiting as instructed. My ears caught the faint sound of footsteps descending the stairs. When I turned, my jealousy flared.
Freya appeared, wrapped in a white shawl over a light blue dress. Pale, delicate, ethereal.
For a brief moment, I faltered. The sight of her, so serene and unbothered, was unsettling.
Martha led us to the sitting room and served us tea.
“Your special herbal tea, Luna,” she said to Freya with a touch of care that felt almost reverent. “Safe for your
condition.”
My jaw tightened as I watched Freya accept the cup calmly.
The way the staff treated her…
They truly saw her as their Luna.
It wasn’t fair. She had everything I should’ve had.
If I hadn’t left, it would’ve been mine.
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Freya caught my gaze, her violet eyes steady but not unkind. Her expression was unreadable as she thanked
Martha for the tea.
I forced a smile, trying to hide my resentment.
“Your staff is well–trained,” I commented, keeping my tone light.
Freya nodded, her voice soft but confident. “They’re loyal pack members.”
My smile tightened. The room felt warmer suddenly, but not in a comforting way.
“Then I should thank you in advance,” I said, letting a hint of sharpness slip into my words.
She raised an elegant brow, her gaze questioning but still calm.
I watched her closely, gauging her reaction.
“Your well–trained pack staff will make it easier when I come to visit,” I clarified, studying the way her beautiful violet eyes changed.
For a moment, the room was silent. My words hung in the air like a challenge waiting to be met.
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