"Celeste sent you?" Evelyn gasped, stepping back from Alaric as if he were a venomous snake. "But... why? I thought you were my friend."
Alaric's face crumpled with guilt. "I am your friend, Evelyn. But Celeste... she has ways of making people do things. She threatened my family, said she'd hurt them if I didn't obey."
Evelyn's mind raced. She felt a surge of anger, not just at Celeste, but at Alaric too. How could he betray her like this, even under threat?
"So you were going to kill me?" she asked, her voice trembling with disbelief.
Alaric shook his head frantically. "No, Evelyn, never! I could never hurt you. I came here to warn you, to tell you the truth before it was too late."
"But you said Celeste is waiting outside," Evelyn pressed, her eyes darting towards the cabin door. "She'll be here any minute."
Alaric nodded, his face pale with fear. "That's why we have to leave, now. There's a hidden tunnel behind the fireplace. It leads to a secret exit, far from here."
Evelyn hesitated. Could she trust Alaric? He had already betrayed her once. But she had no other options. If she stayed, Celeste would surely find her.
"Okay," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Let's go."
Alaric rushed to the fireplace, his hands trembling as he pushed aside a loose stone. A dark opening appeared behind the hearth, leading into the unknown.
"Hurry, Evelyn," Alaric urged. "She could be here any second."
Evelyn took a deep breath and crawled into the tunnel, Alaric following close behind. The tunnel was narrow and cramped, the air thick with the smell of damp earth.
They crawled for what seemed like hours, their hands and knees scraping against the rough walls. Evelyn's muscles ached, and her lungs burned with exhaustion. But she kept going, driven by the fear of what Celeste would do if she caught them.
Finally, they reached the end of the tunnel. Alaric pushed open a hidden door, revealing a dense thicket of trees.
"We're safe now," he said, his voice filled with relief. "Celeste will never find us here."
Evelyn stepped out of the tunnel, her body shaking with exhaustion and fear. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. They were in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by towering trees and dense undergrowth.
"Where are we?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
"We're in the heart of the Shadow Woods," Alaric said. "It's a dangerous place, but it's also the most secluded. No one ever comes here."
Evelyn shivered, despite the fact that the sun was shining. The Shadow Woods felt ominous, filled with a sense of unease.
"What do we do now?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Now, we rest," Alaric said. "We need to gather our strength before we decide what to do next."
They found a small clearing and collapsed onto the soft earth, their bodies aching with exhaustion. Evelyn closed her eyes, trying to block out the fear and uncertainty that swirled within her.
But as she lay there, a sharp pain shot through her abdomen, doubling her over in agony.
"Evelyn, what's wrong?" Alaric asked, his voice filled with concern.
Evelyn gasped for breath, her face contorted with pain. "I... I don't know," she managed to say. "It feels like... like something's tearing me apart."
Alaric knelt beside her, his eyes filled with worry. "Maybe it's just the stress," he said. "You've been through so much."
But Evelyn knew it was more than just stress. The pain was too intense, too sharp. She had a feeling that something was terribly wrong.
As the pain subsided, Evelyn began to feel dizzy and lightheaded. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on her breathing.
Suddenly, she felt a warm trickle between her legs. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked down in horror. Her dress was stained with blood.
"Alaric," she whispered, her voice filled with terror. "I'm bleeding."
Alaric's face paled. He knew that bleeding during pregnancy was a sign of serious trouble.
"We need to get you to a healer," he said, his voice urgent. "There's a small village a few miles from here. They have a midwife who might be able to help."
Evelyn shook her head, her eyes filled with despair. "It's too late," she said. "I can feel it. I'm losing the baby."
Alaric tried to reassure her, but Evelyn knew the truth. She was alone, scared, and she was losing her child.
With Alaric's help, Evelyn made her way to the small village. The midwife examined her, her face grim.
"I'm sorry, Evelyn," she said, her voice gentle. "There's nothing I can do. You're going to lose the baby."
Evelyn closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face. She had lost everything: her husband, her pack, her reputation. And now, she was losing her child too.
As the hours passed, Evelyn's pain grew worse. She screamed and cried, her body wracked with agony. Alaric stayed by her side, holding her hand and offering words of comfort.
Finally, as the sun began to rise, the pain subsided. Evelyn opened her eyes, her face pale and drawn.
"It's over," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I've lost the baby."
Alaric held her close, his heart aching with sadness. He knew that Evelyn was devastated, but he also knew that she was strong. She would survive this, just like she had survived everything else.
But as Evelyn lay there, weak and heartbroken, she felt a strange flutter in her womb. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Alaric," she said, her voice trembling. "I think... I think there's another one."
Alaric's face lit up with hope. "You mean... you're still pregnant?"
Evelyn nodded, her eyes filled with tears of joy and relief. "I think so," she said. "I can feel it. There's another baby inside me."
Alaric hugged her tightly, his heart overflowing with happiness. They had lost one child, but they had saved another.
But as Evelyn celebrated the survival of her unborn child, a new wave of pain washed over her. This time, the pain was different, sharper, more intense.
"Alaric," she gasped, her voice filled with terror. "Something's wrong. I think... I think I'm having twins."
Twins? Evelyn couldn't believe it. She was already struggling to cope with the loss of one child, and now she had to face the prospect of raising two?
As the midwife examined her, her face grew grave. "Evelyn, there's something you need to know," she said, her voice serious. "These aren't just ordinary twins. They're... special."
"Special?" Evelyn asked, her voice trembling. "What do you mean?"
"These twins," the midwife said, "they possess a unique power. A power that could change the fate of the entire werewolf world."
Evelyn's mind reeled. What kind of power could her unborn children possess? And what did it mean for their future?
But as she pondered these questions, a new wave of pain washed over her, even more intense than before. She screamed and cried, her body wracked with agony.
"The birth is starting," the midwife said, her voice urgent. "But something's not right. The twins are in danger. And so are you."
As Evelyn prepared to give birth to her special twins, she couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen. She was alone, scared, and she had no idea what the future held.
But one thing was certain: her life would never be the same.