Chained on My Due Date

My water broke on the coldest night of winter.

My fated mate, Alpha Cassian, wrapped silver chains around my wrists and threw me into a freezing dungeon.

"Lucian's son must be born first," he snarled, forcing wolfsbane down my throat as I screamed through contractions.

Above me, his sister-in-law Sienna rested in silk sheets, surrounded by healers and warmth. She was carrying his dead brother's heir—the future of the pack. And I? I was nothing. Just the Omega he'd been forced to mark, the one his pack blamed for Lucian's death.

As silver burned through my skin and ice water rose past my chest, I felt our baby's heartbeat flutter. Then slow.

"Please," I begged. "Our child—"

"You owe him this," Cassian said coldly.

When the chains finally came off, he'd lost us both for good.

Aria's POV

"Get those goddamn silver chains OFF me! Don't touch me!"

I screamed and staggered back. Pain ripped through my abdomen. The silver shackles burned into my skin, the stench of scorched flesh filling the air. My wolf thrashed inside me, desperate to protect the life in my womb.

Cassian's Beta—Caleb—looked at me like I was already dead. He stepped forward and slammed his fist into my side, right next to my belly.

"AHH—!"

I doubled over. He grabbed my neck and snapped a heavy pure-silver collar around my wrists and throat.

Sssssss—

White smoke hissed up. Pain shot through to the bone.

"Alpha's orders," Caleb said, dragging me toward the flooding chamber. "Silver and ice water will shut down your womb. You're keeping that pup in until Sienna's delivered. End of story."

"End of—are you HEARING yourself?!" Bloody fluid ran down my thighs. "You'll kill my baby!"

"Lucian's heir comes first. That's the order."

He kicked me hard. I hit the water, gasping. He wrapped the chain around an iron post and pulled tight.

"This is insane!" I yanked at the chains. Metal cut into flesh. "My baby will DIE!"

"Relax. Just knocks your wolf out for a while. You'll live."

CLANG. The door slammed. Ice-cold water rose to my chest, reeking of rot. Runes pulsed on the walls, draining my wolf strength.

Between the burns and contractions, I could barely think. Caleb stood on the steps and clicked the comm-stone.

"Alpha, she's secured. Water broke, but it'll be a while before she delivers."

"She still making noise?" Cassian sounded annoyed.

"Cassian!" I screamed. "It's me! Please—our baby's dying!"

"Oh, spare me." He laughed bitterly. "Sienna just went into labor. You're telling me you can't hold off for two hours?"

"Hold off? My water BROKE! I can't just—that's not how this WORKS!"

"Right. Funny how your body worked just fine when you climbed into my bed last year."

That night flashed back—Lucian's death, Cassian losing control...

"I was bringing you soup! You weren't in your right mind—you know that—"

"Don't." His voice went quiet. Deadly. "Don't you dare. You drugged that soup. And you severed my Pack Link—that's why Lucian died alone at that border. That's on YOU."

"Cassian... it hurts..." Sienna's voice broke through, weak.

The change was instant. All that rage just melted. "Hey, hey, I'm right here, love. Breathe with me. In and out."

"The baby... he's coming..."

"I know. And he's strong, just like his father." His voice went soft. "You're doing so good, Sienna. Just a little longer."

Each word cut into me. We were both pregnant—but her child was the heir everyone wanted, and mine was just... inconvenient.

"Cassian..." I tasted blood. "Please, I'm begging you... I need help... the baby stopped moving..."

"Your baby?" The ice came back hard. "Listen real careful. The only reason you're still breathing is because you're pregnant. Otherwise I'd have let the Pack rip you apart and scatter the pieces. Caleb—dose her. Make it quick."

The line died.

Caleb pulled out a vial of black Wolfsbane. His boot crushed my chest. He forced my jaw open.

"NO—please—!"

He shoved the vial between my teeth and poured. Fire burned down my throat. I gagged, vision going dark.

"Relax. Won't kill you." He dropped my head. "Just delays things."

"Delays—you're poisoning me!" I choked out.

He wiped his hands. "You still don't get it, do you? Lucian's bloodline means everything. The old Alpha forced Cassian to mark some nobody Omega before he died—biggest mistake he ever made."

He spat into the water. "And look what happened. Lucian's dead. All because of you, you worthless bitch."

The poison exploded through me. My contractions went wild. And the tiny movements in my belly were getting weaker... fainter...

"I never... I didn't..." Pain shredded the words. "Please..."

"Too late for that. This is what you owe him."

The door slammed. Just water and silence now.

I couldn't move. Couldn't even lift my hand.

"Baby..." My fingers barely touched my stomach. Tears came fast. "Please move... just once..."

Nothing. Just quiet.

BANG.

The door flew open.

Kaitlyn—Cassian's adopted sister and the Pack's nastiest fighter—walked in with a barbed silver whip.

She grinned, showing teeth.

"Huh. Still alive?" The whip cracked. "Cassian wanted me to check on you." Her grin stretched wider. "Guess we haven't broken enough of you yet."