I woke up in the middle of the night to find the bed empty. It had been three days since Elijah and I had mated and stayed in his room throughout, knowing that if I ever left his chamber, I would have males on my tail, all trying to fight and mate with me.

I got up from the bed and went to the toilet to take a leak before returning to the comfortable bed. I tossed and turned, trying to go back to sleep, but I couldn't. Looking at the ceiling, I sighed and turned the lamp on.

I sat on the bed for a while, contemplating whether I should go out and search for the King.

I had only two days remaining for my heat to be over. My mating scent wouldn't be that strong... Right?

Putting on my pajamas, I opened the door and hurriedly walked down the hall.

I walked around, trying to locate him so we could go back to sleep together.

"You have to make a choice now!" A familiar voice whispered-yelled from the study room where Elijah had teleported from when I was attacked in New York.

I peeped in through the ajar door to see who it was.

Elijah was pacing around a lady who had grabbed my arm in the palace a few weeks ago, her bright purple eyes watching him with irritation.

"I-I can't," The king stammered, running his hand in frustration through his hair.

I furrowed my brows in concentration and confusion, trying to understand what was going on. Clearly, it was something serious.

"Your mate only has a few days, Elijah, or her soul will leave this world forever!" The witch lamented in annoyance.

"I know that, Evanora!" The king shouted in anger, and I jumped back in fright but kept my lips sealed, so as not to expose my presence to them.

Elijah gazed at the door, his eyes glowing a bright golden color, and his hands in a fist. I quickly placed my back on the door, praying that he did not see me.

"She's the perfect vessel, Elijah," The witch - or should I say Evanora - muttered softly to him, and I released the breath I was holding when I realized that he did not notice me eavesdropping.

"You can have your mate back, Elijah. You can have Samantha back."

What the hell is happening? His mate? Samantha?

I peeped again to see the King rubbing his temple in frustration. Evanora placed her slender fingers on his shoulder from behind.

"You could have her forever. All you have to do is sacrifice Celeste after all; this was your plan to start with," the witch said.

I gasped in horror as tears fell from my eyes. It felt like I was hit by a thousand bricks at once.

Elijah turned his gaze toward the door, and that's when our eyes met. I stumbled back, almost falling on my butt.

Elijah burst out of the study room with Evanora behind him.

"How could you?" I asked with my hands on my chest. My heart felt heavy. I had been betrayed, betrayed by the one I love.

"How could you!" I screamed at him, my voice echoing in the hall.

"Celeste," he whispered my name, walking up to me.

"No!" I screamed, pushing the king as he stumbled a step or two. My eyes grew puffy as I wiped my tears away.

"Tell me it's not true, Elijah, tell me," I mumbled.

"Tell me!" I screamed, slapping him out of anger and hatred.

"Yes," he replied in a growl, his eyes turning a bright golden color.

My heart stopped for five minutes, and I stumbled back. I stared at him with shock written on my face.

I wiped my tears from my cheek and then ran. I ran out of the palace into the cold night without looking back.

I could hear Elijah and some guards chasing me. I quickly went behind a tree and took off my clothes. I loosely tied my pajamas around my ankle and then shifted into my wolf, soon taking off.

The wind flowing through my fur felt amazing as I let my wolf take full control. Her desire to burn off all the stress, confusion, and betrayal was very high. My paw hit the forest floor, the leaves crunching underneath me.

I soon lost the King and his guards, and I shifted into my human form as I fell to the ground. I let out a silent howl as my heart bled. The pain my wolf and I felt was worse than when our mate rejected us. We loved him... We loved Elijah, and he betrayed us.

I placed my hand on the mark that sat proudly on my neck. I scratched at it, wishing his mark would disappear.

Sitting on the ground naked, I covered my face with my hands and cried, crying out my heart.

When I heard twigs snap, I jerked around, searching for the source of the noise.

Nothing.

However, my heightened sense of smell detected a terrible, acrid odor, and I quickly wiped my face before putting on my clothes that were still tied to my ankle.

"I know you're there!" I screamed in the mist-covered woods.

I felt a sharp pain on the right side of my neck and I hissed out, then placed my hand on it and removed a dart.

"Fuck," I cussed as everything became blurry, and the world spun around me. I tried running, using the trees to support myself, but my legs felt like jelly.

I soon fell to the ground with a thud, and the blurry figure of some people gathered around me. My eyes rolled to the back of my head, and then everything went black.

****

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****

I was lying on a cold ground, my eyes were open, yet I couldn't move. The metallic smell of stale blood surrounded me, and a puddle of blood was literally right in front of me.

I groaned as I tried to move, but it seemed like my body would not cooperate with me.

"Shh," a voice said from my cell, and I heard the shuffle of chains before a hand was laid on my shoulder.

I was turned around to lie on my back. I almost jumped in fright - if I could - at the face of the woman above me. Her eyes were completely white, and so was her hair.

"The poison will soon wear off, child," the woman said, taking my chained hand into her wrinkled ones. She rubbed between my thumb and my index finger, and soon I could move my body.

"Thank you," I rasped out as she helped me sit up. I couldn't stop looking at the woman. I was curious to know what she is.

She smiled at me when she noticed my gaze on her. "You must be wondering who I am, child," the woman mumbled beside me.

"I am Selene, named after the moon goddess herself, the eyes and ears of the goddess." She muttered, "I am the seer," she added with a chuckle.

"I thought there were no more seers in the world," I mumbled, and she chuckled.

"Seers are born every hundred years, child. I know my time is about to come," she whispered, then coughed.

She took my hand in hers, and I looked at her confused, her white eyes staring deep into mine.

"The moon has blessed you,

Celeste," she whispered, then placed her right hand on my stomach. "You have been gifted with a child, a great king," she added.

I stared at her in shock as she smiled at me and removed her hand from my tummy. The men stood outside our cell door as they opened it. They came in and dragged the seer out, but all I could do was stare.

I placed my hand on my stomach as I cried in happiness. I am carrying Elijah's child.