Chapter 12 Kieran's POV. When Lucian came over with a bag full of herbs, he found me sitting motionless in front of Cecelia's hospital room. Assuming I had come to my senses but did not know how to face Cecelia, he moved to open the door for me. However, the next moment, Helena's regretful voice drifted out from inside. "I never expected your dad to give me a name, but you must fight to marry into the Wolfe family. Otherwise, your pup will be like you, born a bastard and forced to live like a rat in the gutter." Lucian's face instantly darkened, and his entire body began trembling violently. He never imagined that the mother of the heir he had adored for all these years was actually an illegitimate daughter, one without any status at that. The Wolfe family was a century-old dynasty, and every Luna had been born into noble bloodlines. If our family's Luna turned out to be a bastard child, the scandal would make them the laughingstock of every other pack. Moreover, our family, the Wolfe family, had lost much of our former power over the generations and desperately needed marriage alliances to secure our position. Cecelia had been Lucian's carefully chosen candidate for the Wolfe family's Luna. She came from the equally prestigious Donati family, which currently held an even higher status than the Wolfes. Besides, she was beautiful, charming, and most importantly, she had lowered herself to carry my pups before officially marrying into the Wolfe family. How could anyone not be satisfied with such an arrangement? Ever since Cecelia joined the Wolfe family, Lucian had treasured her, giving her whatever she wanted. However, it seemed like the woman he had invested so much into was actually the daughter of a mistress, one without any legitimate standing. This was even worse than Elise's human status! It finally hit us why we had not seen Cecelia's father, Alpha Orion Donati, since the ceremony that day. Lucian flew into a rage and burst through the door. "You two despicable liars! How dare you deceive me?!" Screams erupted from the room, followed immediately by the sound of things being thrown and smashed. I quickly wheeled myself inside to find the room in complete chaos, with Lucian's herbs scattered all over the floor. When she saw me, Cecelia panicked, and she struggled to get up. However, the anesthesia had not worn off yet, leaving her body weak and causing her to collapse to the floor the moment she left the bed. I watched her coldly as she painfully crawled up from the ground and knelt tearfully at my feet. "Kieran, let me explain, please. I never meant to hurt our pups! I only did it because I love you so much. Please, for the sake of the 1/2 Chapter 12 two pups I've borne you, don't send me away!" Until today, Cecelia had always felt her life was exceptionally blessed. Though she was Orion's illegitimate daughter, she had still been showered with love. As she grew up, she thought she had won me over and got to bear children for the man she adored. Even though I said I loved another woman, seeing her willingness to have my pups without demanding any official title had gradually warmed my heart toward her. However, at that moment, everything was ruined. I knew the truth, Lucian knew, and soon the entire Wolfe family would know! Orion had his legitimate wife and daughter, and attending Cecelia's wedding had already been his final courtesy. Cecelia's only path forward now was to cling tightly to the Wolfe family. She knew she absolutely could not lose me. "Pups?" I finally spoke, but my voice was utterly cold. "In your eyes, the pups are just tools to get my attention. What right do you have to mention them? Cecelia, for their sake, I'll give you a ten-million-dollar settlement, but don't ever appear in front of me again." Those few words must have cut through her last hope like a blade and extinguished the light in her eyes. As I turned my wheelchair to leave, Cecelia found strength from somewhere and tried to get up to chase after me. However, sharp pain shot through her lower abdomen, and her whole body went rigid as she looked down at her dress in disbelief. Warm blood gushed from beneath her gown, pooling at her feet like a crimson lake. "N...no!" Support Share 2/2