THE ALPHA KING felt his world crumble.

The sight before him took him back to five decades ago when he found the charred and bloody body of his father in the library with the lingering scent of the only original fire elemental in almost three millennia.

His mate who was too terrified to speak up for herself when she was being scolded, was the same one standing in front of him with flames covering her hands.

Darius looked down at Gabriel's body on the ground. Gabriel's shirt was almost turned to a crisp, revealing his slightly burnt chest and shoulders.

For a moment, instead of Gabriel's body, he saw his father's.

"Darius, look I... uh I don't kn-" Ophelia tried to say but he quickly cut her off.

"What are you?!" He growled.

The Alpha King saw her visibly flinch at the look in his eyes and the flames on her hands instantly disappeared.

"I don't know," Ophelia whispered, her blue eyes begging him to believe her.

He stepped forward till he was standing face to face with her. "You don't know? Till now, you refuse to admit your schemes!"

"Listen, I-I-I..." she stuttered as her eyes quickly filled with tears then said, "I honestly don't know."

As the Alpha King stared at her teary face, it suddenly clicked.

Bright blue eyes and fiery red hair. Of course, it was her. The answer was right before his eyes all this time. How could he have missed it?

Immediately, all the pieces started coming together. The weird scent she carried that he couldn't explain and the medieval family.

Everything suddenly became clear.

"You're from the Monroe family. The daughter of the one and only Pauline Monroe!" Darius declared abruptly, grabbing Ophelia by the arm.

At her wince, he loosened his grip but didn't let go. He then focused on trying to find the truth in her eyes.

Ophelia's eyes widened in shock. "Wait... how do you know my mother?!"

As if her hand burnt him, the Alpha King shoved her away from him.

The force almost tossed Ophelia to the ground, but luckily the Duke Beta quickly ran over to catch her before she fell to the ground.

"Be careful, Alpha, the Luna is pregnant!"

SOME CHANGES HAPPEN like a switch flip while others take more time.

The change in Darius might have seemed like it happened in a blink of an eye but Ophelia couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't a change.

But then again, the truth was that she never really knew him.

Ophelia was confused about a lot of things and their persistent questions weren't helping. First, it was Noriel and then Darius.

And worst of all, they weren't listening to her when she told them that this newfound magical ability was news to her as well.

Like the wolf men that stood before her, Ophelia also wanted to know why she could shoot fire out of her hands.

She also wanted them to explain to her how her mother was related in all of this and why it sounded like they hated her so much but they wouldn't let her say two words.

But, then all of a sudden, Darius shoved her away, and in that moment, as Noriel caught her before she fell, it felt like everything around her went still.

Ophelia stared up at Darius to confirm if he was indeed the one who pushed her.

For the sake of her sanity, Ophelia badly hoped she was being delusional or perhaps a bit blind but no matter how much she wished to blink the picture away, the sight of an angry Darius remained in front of her.

Ophelia faintly heard Noriel tell Darius that she was pregnant when he helped her up but her shocked eyes were on Darius.

He looked at her with so much disgust in her eyes that she almost didn't recognise him.

Various times since she found out that she was pregnant, Ophelia had visualised how she would tell Darius and how happy he would be once he found out.

But as he stared at her with indifferent eyes, Ophelia could see how wrong she was.

"Bring her along with you, we leave for Montana immediately!" Darius ordered and turned to leave when Ophelia stopped him.

"I won't go with you!"

It surprised her that her voice came out strong despite how she was feeling.

Darius turned back to her with a blank stare on his face. "You are carrying my child. You don't have a choice."

"I said, I won't go with you!" Ophelia repeated even more stronger.

Yesterday, Ophelia couldn't see a reason why she shouldn't be with him but now, she had two.

The first being that she needed to find out what she was and why she could do the things she could do.

And the second reason was that she wouldn't let her child stay where it wasn't wanted. Even if its father was involved.

"It wasn't a question. We leave for Montana whether you like it or not! Do you think I would let my child grow up with Witches?" Darius said, not even trying to hide the distaste in his voice.

"Please don't do this, Darius! I promise that you won't ever have to see me again," she pleaded desperately, not minding how pitiful she sounded.

It hurt her to say those words but she needed to do it, but Darius only ignored her and left the room with Noriel who didn't spare her another glance.

Staring at the door, Ophelia could almost hear the sound of her heart breaking into a million pieces. She had never felt so lost and alone, not even when her aunt died or when Tobias abandoned her.

"Please come with me, Luna, I don't want to force you," Samuel pleaded, bringing her out from the haze she was falling into.

"I can't, Samuel. For the sake of my child, I have to get away," she told him in a low voice.

"Going back to New York would only put you in danger of being caught by your brother.

"I'm sorry to say this, Luna, but only Alpha can keep you safe," Samuel advised and although Ophelia wanted to deny it and run as far away as possible, she knew he was telling the truth.

The Monroe family would find her wherever she hid. Still, Ophelia couldn't help but wonder if becoming a prisoner was better than being on the run.

She hadn't been able to understand whatever it was that was going on with her, but she couldn't risk the life of her child.

So as much as Ophelia hated to admit it... Samuel was right, Darius was her safest bet.

{•}

Thank you for reading.