Amara slowly opened her eyes to the bright, sterile light above her. The familiar scent of antiseptic filled her nostrils, and the beeping of machines echoed softly in the background. Her mind was foggy, her body heavy. The last thing she remembered was a meeting with the council about rogue attacks near the borderlands. She tried to move, but pain shot through her body, causing her to wince and clench the thin hospital sheets in her fists.

"You're awake." A voice, gentle but clinical, came from the side.

Amara turned her head slowly to see a doctor standing by her bedside. His face was lined with concern, his hands steady as he looked at her chart.

"Where... where am I?" she croaked, her throat dry and her voice weak.

"You're in the royal infirmary, Luna," the doctor said softly, using her title with a kind of reverence that only deepened the unease pooling in her chest. "You've been through quite an ordeal."

Her heart raced as a cold dread began to creep over her. "What happened?"

The doctor hesitated for a moment as if searching for the right words. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he said, "I'm afraid I have some terrible news."

Amara’s breath hitched in her throat, her entire body going still as she braced for the blow. She could already feel the impending storm of grief approaching, but she wasn't prepared for the magnitude of what was about to be said.

"You lost the pregnancy," the doctor said softly, eyes filled with sympathy.

Amara’s world came crashing down in an instant. The child she had been carrying, the heir to the kingdom, the life she had nurtured within her... gone. She couldn’t even feel the tears as they streamed down her face. Her hands instinctively moved to her stomach, but there was nothing—just emptiness, just loss.

But the doctor wasn’t done.

"And..." He paused, and Amara’s blurry eyes focused on him, terror rising in her chest. "The Alpha King... Xander didn’t survive the ambush. He was killed."

For a moment, time stood still. The weight of the words hung in the air like a death sentence. Amara stared at the doctor, uncomprehending. It didn’t make sense. Xander was the strongest man she knew, the Alpha King. He was invincible.

"No..." she whispered, shaking her head. "No, that can’t be. He—he’s the Alpha King, he—"

"I’m so sorry," the doctor said, his voice barely above a whisper now. "He fought bravely, but the attack... It was too much."

Amara’s world darkened at the edges. The pain of her loss hit her like a tidal wave, pulling her under and drowning her in a sea of sorrow and disbelief. Her child. Her husband. Her love. Her world.

Gone.

Her vision blurred, and her head spun as her body crumpled back against the pillows. The beeping of the machines became distant, muffled, as though they were fading into the background of a nightmare. Her chest heaved, her heart shattered, and then—darkness.

***

The next time Amara woke, the room dimmed, the steady beeping of machines a faint background noise. Her mind felt clearer, but the ache in her chest remained, a hollow space where everything she loved had once lived.

She blinked, trying to adjust to the soft light, and then she heard a voice. Cold, cruel, and all too familiar.

"Finally, you're awake."

Amara’s heart skipped a beat as she turned her head toward the voice. Lucy, her stepsister, stood by the window, her arms crossed, a twisted smile playing on her lips. The same smile she always wore when she was about to cause trouble.

"What... what are you doing here?" Amara’s voice trembled as she tried to push herself up, but her body was too weak, too broken.

Lucy’s smile widened as she sauntered over to the bed. "Oh, poor Amara. You've lost so much, haven’t you? Your precious husband, your baby. It’s all so... tragic."

Amara's blood ran cold. Lucy’s tone was evil and dark.

"What do you want?" Amara asked, trying to sound strong, but her voice wavered.

Lucy sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers casually playing with a strand of her dark hair. "I’m here to end your pathetic life."

Amara’s heart lurched, and panic set in. She tried to move, to call for help, but Lucy’s presence was like a weight on her chest.

"What are you talking about?" Amara whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

"Oh, sweet, naïve Amara." Lucy’s voice was dripping with malice now. "Do you think all of this was just a coincidence? The ambush? The attack on your precious Xander? The loss of your baby? No, dear sister, this was all me."

Amara stared at her in shock, her mind struggling to comprehend the horror of what Lucy was saying. "What do you mean?"

Lucy leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with evil glee. "I planned the ambush. I made sure Xander would die, and I made sure you would lose everything."

Amara felt the ground crumbling beneath her. "Why would you do this?"

Lucy let out a laugh, cold and bitter. "Why? Because I’ve hated you from the moment you stepped into our family. You, the perfect little daughter. The precious little princess who always got everything she wanted. Luna, the Queen of the Alphas. You took everything from me."

Amara shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I never took anything from you. I was your sister."

Lucy’s eyes flashed with fury. "You were nothing to me! Nothing! Do you know how hard it was living in your shadow? Watching you get everything—power, love, respect—while I got nothing? But not anymore."

Amara could hardly breathe. Her mind raced, trying to piece together the fragments of Lucy’s madness. She couldn’t believe it. Lucy, her sister, was behind the ambush, behind Xander’s death, behind her baby's death. And now... she wanted to kill her too.

"You’re insane," Amara whispered, her voice trembling.

Lucy smiled a cold, cruel smile that sent shivers down Amara’s spine. "Maybe. But now I have everything I want. Xander is dead, and soon, so will you."

Amara’s heart raced as she watched Lucy stand up, reaching into her bag and pulling out a small vial filled with a dark, ominous liquid.

"I’ve been planning this for years," Lucy said, her voice casual as she held the vial to the light. "Ever since I made sure you were drugged two years ago."

Amara’s eyes widened in horror. "What... what are you talking about?"

Lucy chuckled, her eyes gleaming with wicked delight. "Oh, you don’t remember, do you? Two years ago, on the night of the council ball. You were drugged, Amara. The plan was to have you sleep with an omega and get humiliated by the paparazzi the next morning. I made sure of it. But being the lucky bitch you are, you ended up in the Alpha King’s room that night."

Amara felt sick. She remembered that night, the confusion, the hazy memories. She had always thought it was an accident, something she ate or drank. But now...

"It was you?" Amara whispered, her voice shaking.

Lucy grinned. "Of course, it was me. I wanted to ruin you, to take everything from you. And now, I’ve succeeded."

Amara stared at her stepsister in disbelief, her heart pounding. The betrayal was too much to bear. She trusted Lucy and loved her like family, and now she was staring into the face of the person who had destroyed her life.

"I’ll never let you get away with this," Amara said, her voice shaking but filled with a determination that surprised even her.

Lucy’s smile faded, replaced by a look of cold indifference. "You don’t have a choice. It’s already done."

With that, Lucy uncorked the vial and moved closer to Amara, her eyes filled with dark intent.

Amara’s heart raced. She had to act fast and find a way to stop her. But her body was weak, her mind clouded with grief and pain. She needed help. I needed to find a way to escape. But Lucy was right there, looming over her with that vial of poison.

As Lucy reached out to force the liquid down Amara's throat, Amara mustered all the strength she had left. She slapped the vial out of Lucy’s hand in one swift motion, sending it crashing to the floor. The liquid spilled out, sizzling as it met the tiles.

"You little—" Lucy hissed, eyes blazing with fury as she lunged at Amara.

But Amara was ready. With adrenaline surging through her veins, she grabbed the nearest object—an IV stand—and swung it at Lucy. The metal pole struck Lucy hard, knocking her back with a cry of pain.

Amara, breathing heavily, felt a surge of power return to her. She wouldn’t let Lucy win after everything she had taken from her.

"Get out!" Amara screamed, her voice hoarse but filled with rage.

Clutching her side where the IV stand had struck, Lucy glared at Amara with pure hatred. "This isn’t over, Amara. I’ll be back, and when I am, you’ll regret ever crossing me."

Although Amara had successfully fought Lucy, she found herself lost in the air and couldn't breathe! She tries to call for help, but no words come out. Amara silently prayed to the moon goddess to help her as she was about to give up the ghost.