The day of the union ceremony arrived swiftly. Since hearing the news, Maya had deliberately stayed away from the clearing, burying herself in work to avoid confronting the reality. Oliver, too, had visited the clearing several times in hopes of finding her, but luck was not on his side. At one point, he even considered searching within vampire territory, but the rumors swirling around and Alpha Timothy's relentless pursuit of the culprit made him realize that not even his father could shield him from the consequences.
Now, Oliver stood alone at the center of the clearing, awaiting his future Luna. This ceremony was unlike any other; the leaders of the other two kindreds had chosen to attend in person instead of sending representatives, marking a rare moment of unity. Adding to the weight of the occasion were guests from distant territories—Freshbound, elves, and fairies from the western lands—regions so remote that an ocean separated them, and whose involvement with the three main kindreds was minimal at best. Attempts by all three to recruit these western kindreds had repeatedly failed, making their presence at the ceremony both a privilege and a potential turning point in the balance of power.
Thousands had gathered, filling the space with a charged energy as the ritual moved forward smoothly. At last, the final rite was upon them—the moment when the gloom would claim his bride. The ritual required Oliver to bite the bride's neck, marking her as his own.
Oliver bowed his head toward Leah's neck, but a sudden, familiar scent caught his attention. He hesitated, eyes scanning the crowd. For a brief moment, the scent was unmistakable, then it disappeared as quickly as it had come.
"Maya," he whispered through clenched teeth.
Leah, standing closest, heard his words. Before she could react, a sharp pain flared from where Oliver's bite had pierced her skin. Despite the pain, Oliver felt a strange bond form between them. With the ritual complete, he seized the moment amid the crowd's mingling and slipped away. He had another place to be.
Meanwhile, Maya had knelt nearby, unease gnawing at her. She had come to the ceremony hoping to confirm her fears. There he was—ready to unite with another. Unable to bear it any longer, she fled into the forest. Her speed as a vampire was unmatched, and she raced through the trees until she was breathless.
Maya wasn't sure if all vampires experienced emotions as intensely as she did, or if her transformation from human had only amplified the ache in her chest—a pain that was not physical but burned deeper than any wound she had ever known.
A voice behind her interrupted her turmoil.
"Maya."
"Go away," she snapped without turning, though she knew exactly who it was. She could sense his presence in her very bones—it was Oliver.
"I can explain," he said urgently.
"Let me guess," she said, facing him now, "It was your duty. You were forced. Or maybe you love her. Which one is it, Oliver?"
Oliver was speechless, which one was it, he didn't love her ,he wasn't forced to, and he was sure it wasn't out of duty so which was it.
Oliver walked towards her ,he wanted to console her ,tell her that it was all because of her ,he was afraid, afraid that if others found out ,she would be hurt or worse executed. He didn't want her to suffer, he couldn't and distancing himself to her was his way of keeping her safe.
The pain in his chest was unbearable he was breaking." It was out of duty," he said looking away to avoid meeting her eyes.
"Did you think about me for a second,"she asked . She couldn't believe he chose duty over her . Maya looked away touching her belly,.
Oliver noticed the touch, first he didn't think anything about it, but he started getting concerned,when she would do it out of instinct as if protecting it.
"Maya," Oliver said, his voice cutting through the tension, causing her to stop mid-sentence. "Are you... pregnant?" He enunciated each word carefully, as if trying to make sense of what he was asking.
"What?" Maya replied, her hand instinctively moving to rest on her belly. How did he know? she wondered, eyes widening as she looked down. Then she noticed his gaze and felt panic rising. What am I supposed to do now? she thought, her heart pounding. She had planned to tell him back at the clearing—if only he had shown up before learning about the marriage.
"How is this possible?" Oliver asked, stepping back as though the reality stunned him. "Who's the father?"
She wanted to reply, You are, but the words caught in her throat.
Oliver's frustration broke through next. "How could you do this to me?"
Maya blinked, her expression blank. "What do you mean?"
"You're pregnant."
"Yes."
"Is there someone else?" His voice sharpened with suspicion.
"No," she said firmly, disbelief creeping into her tone. "What kind of question is that?"
"But how?" Oliver pressed, confusion and anger mingling in his eyes.
Maya's mind raced. Why is he acting like this? Is he trying to dodge responsibility? She knew all too well how some men avoided it—denying their part, refusing to accept the truth. It was a common story in the human world. His behavior left a bitter taste in her mouth, and a growing unease settled in her chest.
Maya turned to leave but stopped and said "did you think ,that maybe you were the father,"she didn't wait for him to answer and left at full speed.
Oliver stood there ,he had ruled out all possiblity of him being the father ,not out of ignorance, but the impossibility of it happening. The cells between the werewolves and vampires were not compatible.
---
"Father, I messed up," Oliver said to his father when he got back to the his packs territory.
"Please, don't tell me you didn't want to marry Leah?," alpha Victor saw his son hesitation while performing the last ritual and he had been afraid, he would throw away their only chance at gaining some status .
The Vermin pack's status was slipping, and securing that pact was crucial to restoring their standing.
"It's not that," he said quietly.
Victor's concern grew. His son was never the type to get into trouble. "Then what is it?"
Taking a deep breath, the young man lowered his head, shame weighing heavily on him. "I got a vampire pregnant."
A sudden, unexpected laugh echoed across the room, causing him to lift his gaze.