Hide-and-Seek with Death

I'm eight months pregnant when my Alpha mate abandons me at a hunting ground. He leaves to welcome his ex-girlfriend, who's returned from her travels.

From that day on, I disappear without a trace.

Initially, my mate doesn't take this to heart. He's even in the mood to make a bet with his subordinates. "She'll be back in three days at most!"

Ten days later, he freezes my credit cards and sends me a threatening text. "You can starve to death out there if you still refuse to come back!"

A hundred days later, he barges into my best friend's home and forces her to hand me over. "Where have you hidden her? I admit defeat, okay? I've had enough of this game!"

My best friend sneers as she throws photos of my body, which has been pierced through by countless blades, at him. "Wake up, you fool! Your Luna is dead, and you're the one who led a team to dig her body up from the trap! Have you forgotten?"

Enzo Chetson drove me to a prenatal checkup in the eighth month of my pregnancy. On the way through the hunting grounds, he received a phone call.

"Enzo, I'm back from my trip. Did you miss me?"

I recognized that voice as Charlotte Wilbur's—soft and sweet, each word captivated him. This was how she always talked to my mate.

I held my breath and looked at Enzo. Sure enough, his expression suddenly changed—he looked excited and expectant.

Charlotte continued, "My friends are throwing me a welcome-back party. You're definitely coming, right? I'll be waiting at our old spot."

Enzo replied without hesitation, "Okay, I'll be there right away."

When I realized he was about to leave, I instinctively grabbed the hem of his shirt and looked at him with teary eyes. "Enzo, don't go. You promised to accompany me for the checkup. You said you had forgotten her and only wanted to live a good life with me. Have you forgotten?"

Enzo mercilessly shook off my hand. Without even looking at me, he said coldly, "I'm just going to a party with her. What can that change? Don't make a big deal out of it."

A storm of negative emotions churned in my heart. Perhaps it was affected by me, but the pup in my belly started to move restlessly.

I clutched my belly, breaking into a cold sweat from the pain, and instinctively turned to my Alpha mate for help. "Enzo, my stomach hurts…"

Enzo finally looked at me, but it was a look filled with disgust and contempt.

"Quit acting! I'm not in the mood for your performances right now."

"I'm really in pain! Alpha, please, take me to the hospital first!"

My pleading didn't change his mind—he only thought I was trying to make him stay.

He slammed on the brakes and stopped the car in the middle of the hunting grounds, impatiently saying, "Get out!"

In that instant, his words froze me in place. I