Malia

As the days turned into weeks, three weeks to be precise. I made a conscious decision to accept Victoria's presence in our home and be understanding, even though it made me feel incredibly uncomfortable. I wanted to support Zade and make this situation work, no matter what.

I never knew how wrong and impossible that would be. One day, while they were in the middle of a training session, something unexpected happened. I was standing behind Victoria when she slipped lost her balance and fell to the ground.

She lets out a piercing scream. My heart raced as I rushed to her side, concerned for her well-being. "Oh, goddess! Victoria are you alright?" I placed my fingers on her leg checking for injuries.

Zade comes rushing, looking extra scared and worried "V, are you okay? What happened?"

"She fell. It's okay I just checked everywhere, she seems fine." I reassure him before turning to her, "Victoria are you okay? Can you-

"Let go of me! This is all your fault. You pushed me!" Victoria shrieks angrily.

"W-what?" I sputter with disbelief. "I didn't push you. You slipped while trying to pick up your training stick." I say truthfully. I look around and see that we've gathered an audience and all their eyes are on me, silently judging. I ignore them and focus on the person that matters, "Zade, I didn't push her." I whisper to him.

Victoria sniffs and tears start rolling down her eyes. "Stop lying, Malia! You've been nothing but mean to me ever since I came here." What the hell? She's lying!

"What? Why are you lying, Victoria? I've never done anything to make you feel unwelcome since you arrived." I turn to Zade hoping I'd hear him say something and call Victoria out on her lies in front of everyone but he remains quiet.

"You just pushed me and tried to hurt my baby!" She glares at me before standing up and her hands drop to her stomach instinctively. " I won't let you hurt my child!" She repeats and there's a small gasp from someone in the crowd but I'm too frozen from shock to move or say anything to defend myself again. My jaw dropped in shock when the. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. But as I looked at her, something caught my attention. The slight curve of her belly was barely noticeable, but undeniably there.

Victoria was indeed pregnant.

I looked at Zade and then back at Victoria who only smirks and rubs her small bump.

I feel sick.

Zade who had been quiet until now finally spoke up, "Back to work everyone. Now!" He adds loudly and the crowd immediately disperse, obeying their Alpha. "Two of you, follow me." Zade commands and the three of us make our way into the house.

My feet feel heavy as I try to move them one after the other, but it feels like a huge stone is weighing me down.

Victoria is pregnant. These words keep ringing in my head until my body feels like it's moving on its own.

I raise my head and look at Zade and Malia walking ahead. Does he even know that I'm way behind? Does he care?

I try to wrap my head around everything that happened. All I did was try to help her get up, but before I could even offer help, she accused me of pushing her and trying to harm her baby.

Confusion and doubt flooded my mind. I couldn't help but wonder if there was more to this situation than met the eye. I remember those nights when Zade would leave our bed to check on Victoria because she was having nightmares and she needed him, were they really just about comforting her? Or was there something more going on between them?

"Is he the father of her child?" I ask myself and I have to suppress the ache in my chest that appears after asking that question.

I felt a mix of emotions, ranging from hurt to anger to betrayal. I knew I needed to confront Zade and get some answers. I couldn't let these doubts consume me. But at that moment all I could see was the betrayal, I was mentally incapable of moving past it. Victoria's little stunt from earlier didn't make it any easier.

What is she playing at? Is she trying to break Zade and me apart?

I walk into the house and take a seat on the sofa opposite Zade. I don't have it in me to see if Victoria sits with him or if she even sits on his lap. I swiped at my cheeks with the back of my hand, but it was like trying to sweep water back into the ocean. Utterly futile.

"Victoria, what happened on the training grounds?"

She gasps loudly as if unable to believe that Zade would ask her that sort of question. "Zade, I told you Malia pushed me. And I want an apology."

Zade sighs and runs his fingers through his messy hair. "Malia, did you push her?" He turns to me, "You can tell me the truth. It's just us here and I promise to settle this and end it amicably."

I scoff with disbelief. When I needed him to stand up for me outside he remained quiet and let his ex-girlfriend accuse me. "I already said the truth outside. My answer remains the same. Victoria I'm sorry you fell, but I didn't push you. I'd never do that to anyone." I got up and rushed out of the house I needed to get out of here.

Tears blurred my vision, and I wasn't sure if I was going in the right direction, but I didn't care. I just needed to get away.

From Victoria's lies and cruel words, from Zade's cold eyes.

I keep running and I don't turn back or stop until I bump into someone. I step back and wipe at my tears to see who it is.

"Malia? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Lily asks worriedly before embracing me.

"S-she's pregnant, Lily. And I think it's his."

"Oh, no. I'm so sorry, Malia. You need to stop crying, please. Let me walk you to the house."

"No! No, I can't be there. Everywhere I go it's like she's there! And now with a child that may or may not belong to my mate."

Lily's expression saddens and she looks away briefly, "Malia. I uh, I wasn't going to tell you this before but the other day I saw Alpha Zade and Victoria at the creek. I had no idea it was them and when I realized who it was I ran out of there!" She adds immediately.

Alpha Zade and Victoria at the creek.

I stumbled backward toward a tree, Lily's words echoing in my brain like an endless taunt.

"H-he… took her to the creek?" I ask weakly. My gaze falters and more tears rim my eyes. I could feel my heart shattering into a thousand pieces.

That place was special to us and he took his ex-girlfriend there! Zade named that place after me. That was the place I gave him my virginity.

"Malia, I-I think you should sit down. You don't look too good. The Alpha is going to be mad you ran away. Oh, goddess." Lily's voice echoes around me, but it just seems to mix up with the other background noise. My breath feels constricted and my surroundings suddenly feel small. But an idea presents itself in my head from what Lily said and it helps me gain enough focus to explain my idea.

I sniffed and wipe the tears from my cheeks. I grab onto Lily's shoulders and look at her "I-i need to leave. I can't be here anymore. Lily, you need to help me run away from here, please!"