Caged in Labor novel - Episode 11

My heart died with my baby. My father’s empire held sway over the wealth and resources of nearly every pack in North America, its influence reaching across the Atlantic to the old packs of Europe. By angering my father, Damien had signed his pack’s death warrant. From that day forward, I buried all thoughts of love and romance, dedicating myself to learning the ways of our empire from my father. I was his only heir.

The entire Sterling empire-all its territories and enterprises-would one day be mine. Ihad no other distractions now. As soon as my body fully recovered, I was going to headquarters to officially take over my family’s affairs. I found the most beautiful spot on the island for my baby’s grave. It was a quiet place, surrounded by the ocean, a place that felt free. —- I wanted my child to be free from all burdens, from everyone and everything.

To at least be able to rest in peace, under the protection of the Moon Goddess. Isat in front of the grave for a long, long time. So long that I started to imagine the life he should have had. Maybe he would have grown up to be a powerful Alpha like his grandfather. Maybe he would have found a mate he deeply loved. Aservant finally had to call me back for dinner as night fell. After that day, I left the past behind me for good. There would be no more longing.

I would learn to be as ruthless as my father, a true Alpha in a world of power and shadows. But I never imagined Damien would find out the body ‘was a magical fake so quickly. The news had already spread throughout the —- werewolf world. After learning of my “death,” he hadn’t buried my body according to pack tradition. Instead, he had cleaned the body and was keeping it with him. Eating with it, sleeping with it. The news left me stunned.

As weeks turned into a month, the body showed no signs of decay. Damien sensed something was wrong and brought in the pack elders to examine it. They discovered it was a fake, created by magic. Hope instantly reignited in Damien. He sent out his entire pack to search for me. He even put out a public bounty: a million dollars for any information on my whereabouts.