My heart was hammering under the chilled layers of my skin, my hands were pressed tightly over my stomach — my breath was labored and I watched my breath come out in white puffs of smoke before me.

Dustin's unwavering glare made me cower back, burning my insides, while his scent overpowered the smell of the water from the stream.

"Dustin.." I trailed off awkwardly, not knowing what to say exactly under his judging gaze — I felt so small standing before him and I was indeed terrified of his reaction to what he heard.

"So, h-how much of that did you hear?" I asked softly, the feeling of the tears that lingered under my eyes from before made me quickly use my shaky hands to wipe them away, his eyes followed my movements, making my gaze avert from his own.

"Try all of it, and tell me the truth now — are you pregnant with a child?" He stated calmly, his eyes a raging storm as they glared deeply into my soul making me stumble back slightly. My heart clenched at the fact that he said 'a child' and not 'his child'.

I gulped lowly while trying my hardest to compose my trembling body under his intense gaze and the cold breeze.

"Y-yes, I am pregnant with a child — your child." I answered breathlessly, his whole body tensed up and I could feel my anxiety start to grow.

"Are you kidding me? Celine, I have no time for your childish jokes. Are you doing this for attention?" He asked angrily while stomping closer to me, I gulped once more while frantically shaking my head and rubbing my stomach in disbelief. For attention? How can he even ask that?

"Oh Goddess how I wish this was a joke." I replied brokenheartedly, my eyes welling up as I looked down at my trembling hands which were holding the hem of the baggy shirt in a death grip.

"Tell me the truth Celine! Are you seriously pregnant?!" He asked loudly, his loud booming voice shook the trees around us and if possible made the wind stronger — my whole body was shaking under the cool air and my goosebumps were growing goosebumps. I was beginning to feel weak once again.

"Why won't you believe me, when I say that I am? You know that you're the man that I have only been with and yet you still dare to ask that question, as if it disgust's you." I stated, trying to express how emotionally hurt I am as I locked gazes with him and his stormy dark, blue eyes which narrowed thinly.

"I don't believe that, that child is mine because we were together only once and that was five days ago." He claimed, as if that made any sense in the world — I huffed out weakly while shrugging.

"I found out the day after, seeing as I still had a bit of werewolf presence in me I was able to tell earlier. I took a test with Marina and Elijah and found out that I was indeed pregnant." I explained slowly, raising my brows as his breathing became labored, his hand raked through his luscious dark locks and my curious eyes watched his every move fearfully.

"So you hid this from me for five damn days?! You let Marina know and Elijah? My Cell Guard? All without bothering to come speak to me, to tell me about it." He grit out, as if this all really did anger him — but I chose not to feel as if I betrayed him, and blocked out all the emotions the bond was trying to make me feel before nodding my head curtly.

"I tried to speak to you, don't you remember? The day after I came to your room, brought you food and wanted to actually talk. But you Dustin, you always react the way you want to. Always so mean and abrupt, making me leave the room because you were scaring me." I paused to inhale deeply before exhaling and watching a white puff of smoke appear before my lips.

"I'm sorry if you're upset, but it is all your own fault. I feared you knowing because I didn't want you to hurt me, or my child... I am honestly scared of you, okay?! Do you finally feel satisfied Dustin? Do you like hearing me express my true feelings for you? Do you like hearing that I hate you and that I am completely terrified of you, so I sincerely apologize for not telling you that I was pregnant with your child — a child I can tell you do not even want." I continued angrily, feeling my blood boil as my voice got higher, he looked taken back by my words — he looked as if he was hurt by them. Good.

"Is that what you think?" His question was an inaudible whisper under the crashing sounds of the waterfall, and the raging wind which battled with my unclothed, trembling skin.

"Yes Dustin, that is exactly what I think. If it wasn't, I wouldn't've even wasted my breath telling you that, if it meant nothing." I replied honestly, my face in a grimace as I fought the battle on keeping my body warm — the trees behind Dustin all swung side to side with the wind, showing me how much colder it was going to get.

"Why? Why would you think that? Unless... Unless you aren't even carrying my child but someone else's, I mean it wouldn't be the first time. Maybe it's that mans child — Alpha Dusk." He stated firmly, his brows furrowed and his lips in a scowl as he glared at me, my eyes widened at his words and I only gripped my body tighter to keep from freezing to death.

"Dusk's child? How on earth would I be carrying Dusk's child? Unlike you Dustin, ever since I found out you were my Mate, I haven't been with anyone else. I was loyal to you, while you were just a monstrous dog towards me." I claimed angrily, keeping my chin high under his intense gaze, his face fell under my words and I watched as his shoulders slumped; he looked almost as if he was trying to express an emotion.

"I-I-I'm sorry." He whispered before turning around and walking away from me, watching his broad back as he walked away from me made my heart speed up, while the cold finally took tole on my body making me unwillingly stumble back.

"D-Dustin!" I called out for help but my words were only a small whisper as my weak body went falling back, my feet twisting as I tried balancing myself — but all too quickly I fell back and into the cold water of the stream.

A loud splash followed suit, and I screamed loudly not knowing how else to react, but due to my open mouth, water came pooling down my throat making me choke, and barely be able to even scream properly.

I flailed helplessly as the moving stream dragged my body with it, my lungs felt tight as the water closed in around me — without Lia, I was hopeless in surviving.

The cold enclosed around me and my teeth clattered, I could feel my eyelids get heavier as I fought for my life — I was sinking deeper into the dark water and my hands were getting too numb to feel.

I felt my conscious slip away and the sound of bubbling water in my ears became too loud and painful to hear.

My heart was pounding previously but by now I could barely feel it as my once labored breathing was cut short — my lungs were on fire, but once I let out a single breath and dropped my arms, it was all fine.

So I decided not to fight it, and allowed my body to sink deeper into the endless, pitch black water.

My eyelids were shut and my whole body was numb, once I felt my body shut down, I knew I was as good as dead but I could feel large hands grip my shoulders and frantically pull me up higher.

I wanted to open my eyes and see who my savior was, but I was too weak to even move my eyelids — so I allowed my drained body to finally, truly shut down as those large hands continued holding me like their lifeline.

I just wished I remembered the sparks that shot all throughout my numb body, which I couldn't feel through the cold — and the warmth that fought to keep me alive, as my savior struggled to tug me out of the moving stream.