Page 49 of Abandoned By My Alpha Husband

"Lina," I glared at her. "You'll regret this. I'm Lucifer's fated mate. I—"

Slap!

My face whipped to the side. Burning pain mixed with the taste of blood spread through my mouth. Lina stared coldly. "Fated mate? Are you insane?"

"Fated mate?" The male werewolf shoved his companion aside. He strode over and kicked me hard in the stomach. I crashed to the floor, curled up, pain radiating through my belly. I couldn't stop shaking, clutching my stomach with everything I had. The baby—

"You?" The male grabbed my hair and yanked my head up. He looked me over. "Dream on."

I took a deep breath. I couldn't fight back—not now. The pain in my belly felt different than before. "What do I have to do for you to let me go—"

"Simple," Lina cut in. "Lick my shoe, and I'll let you walk."

The male released my hair. I hit the floor hard. Lina returned to her seat and crossed her legs. Her silver heels gleamed under the lights. She propped her chin on one hand.

"Crawl over."

I got on all fours. Crawled forward. Laughter surrounded me. Someone pulled out a phone and started recording. Lina's smile deepened, especially when I stuck out my tongue and started licking her shoe.

"Bitch," Lina's voice was sweet. "Get out."

I scrambled up and left. My hands shook. Humiliation tore through me. My wolf snarled—wanted to rip out their throats—but she couldn't. Too many of them. And I was pregnant. I walked down the hallway, empty tray hanging at my side, fingertips cold. Near the stairwell, my belly cramped sharply. I doubled over instinctively, hand pressed to my stomach through the uniform fabric. That warmth sat lower than before—moving down.

I calculated quickly.

Labor—

I leaned against the wall and bit my lip through the contractions. Then I practically crawled into the elevator, fumbled for my phone, looked down—a dark wet stain spreading across my skirt. Ding—doors opened. I couldn't move.

"Elena?"

Jesse. I recognized her—an intern. She saw me on the floor clutching my stomach. Didn't ask questions. Just helped me up. "I'll take you to the hospital."

My consciousness blurred. The ambulance pulled up at the back door. They lifted me onto a stretcher. My belly contracted violently. "My baby—" That was all I could say. The ambulance pulled away from the restaurant. As we turned the corner, I caught that familiar cedar scent—Lucifer's black Lincoln passed quickly and disappeared. I closed my eyes.

Labor lasted forever. My wolf arched her back inside me, used every ounce of strength to protect that thing until it slipped out, let out a tiny, sharp cry.

"It's a girl." The nurse handed her to me.

My fingers trembled as I unwrapped the blanket. My daughter. Eyes closed, hair lighter than her brother's. I lay back against the pillow, panting. The nurse said she'd step out. But I heard the delivery room door lock.

Werewolf hearing is sharp. Voices in the hallway—

"Hybrid..."

"Procedure..."

"...has to be reported."

My blood froze. I looked at the window. Next second, I pushed myself up.

My body was weak, but I had no choice.

I climbed out the window, hit the ground hard, but shielded my daughter with my body. She was good—didn't cry. I dragged myself up and limped toward the exit. That warm bundle pressed against my chest, breathing shallow. My heart pounded. I slipped past the guard at the gate and flagged down a taxi.

The moment I got out, I didn't stop—rushed into my attic room, stuffed everything into an old duffel bag. The wooden crate at the bottom, clothes and odds and ends piled on top. The zipper wouldn't close—I tied the handles shut with a scarf. I wrapped my daughter in a faded cotton jacket and held her against my chest.

The platform was empty. I sat on a bench waiting for dawn. She slept in my arms—warm, quiet. My wolf curled beside her, tail draped over her feet.