Chapter 3: Lost your pup

Caroline’s eyes fluttered as a sharp pain shot from her abdomen up toward her chest. For a moment, she couldn’t tell whether she was still alive.

"Am I dead?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "My baby..."

The thought of her pup brought tears to her eyes. Caroline began to sob, barely noticing the sound of approaching footsteps until a deep voice came from nearby.

"Wouldn’t it be better if you were alive?"

Caroline’s eyes snapped open.

Her gaze immediately landed on the man standing at the foot of the bed, a report held loosely in one hand.

He was dressed entirely in black, his clothes emphasizing his tall, broad frame. Shoulder-length silver hair fell around his face, making his otherwise severe appearance even more striking.

"Who are you?" Caroline asked weakly, her voice filled with suspicion.

The man lifted his gaze from the report and looked directly at her.

The moment their eyes met, something inside him shifted.

His pupils changed, the color deepening into a striking burgundy as his wolf stirred violently within him. The same realization struck Caroline, even though she couldn’t understand what was happening.

’Mate.’

The word echoed through Andrew’s mind as his wolf recognized the bond between them.

He stared at her for several seconds before finally speaking, his deep voice calm despite the turmoil raging inside him.

"Your savior."

He paused, his burgundy eyes remaining fixed on hers.

"I am Andrew Kensington."

The way he introduced himself made it clear that Andrew Kensington was not an ordinary man. There was an authority in his voice that made Caroline instinctively wonder who he really was.

"I’m Caroline. Thank you for saving me last night," she said promptly. Her eyes lowered to her stomach. "How’s my pup?"

Before Andrew could answer, the door opened, and the doctor walked into the room. The moment he saw Andrew, he stopped and bowed respectfully before approaching the bed.

"Oh, you’re awake, Miss. You’ve been unconscious for more than four days," he explained as he moved closer and checked her vitals.

Caroline barely listened. Her attention remained fixed on the question that mattered most to her.

"I want to know about my pup. Are they safe?" she asked, placing both hands over her lower abdomen.

The doctor hesitated.

His expression changed, and his voice became low when he finally answered. "I’m sorry, Miss, but you lost your pup. You were struck by something sharp while you were in the forest. The injury was too severe and the bleeding too."

Caroline stared at him blankly.

For a moment, she couldn’t process his words.

"No..." Her fingers tightened against her stomach. "No, my pup can’t be dead."

"Miss—"

"Tell me this is a joke!" Caroline suddenly screamed, tears spilling down her cheeks. "Why am I alive then? Why did you save me if my pup is dead?"

She thrashed against the bed, her grief quickly turning into panic. The doctor immediately called for the nurse while glancing toward Andrew, wondering if he would be angry by this tantrum of the woman.

Andrew had already put the report aside.

His eyes remained fixed on Caroline as he watched her struggle against the pain, and something inside him twisted at the sight of his mate breaking down in front of him.

He crossed the bed and sat beside her, carefully taking hold of both her arms to keep her from hurting herself.

"Calm down, Caroline," he said firmly but gently. "It was an unfortunate incident. Don’t blame yourself for what happened."

Caroline continued to cry, her body trembling beneath his hands.

"You haven’t fully recovered yet," Andrew continued, his voice softening. "You need to rest."

He paused, his gaze resting on her tear-streaked face.

"I’m sorry your pup couldn’t make it. For their sake, calm down. Please."

The doctor and the two nurses who had just entered the room were bewildered to see this side of Alpha Prince Andrew. He wasn’t someone who would show such gentleness toward anyone.

But four days ago, when he had arrived with Caroline in his arms, he had looked terrified. He had summoned the best doctor in the country to save his mate.

None of them had ever seen Andrew so desperate to save someone. The man who was known for his cold temperament had barely left Caroline’s side since bringing her to the hospital. Even now, seeing him hold her arms gently and try to calm her felt completely out of character.

"He killed my pup. He killed my family too." Caroline’s voice broke as another tear rolled down her cheek. "All I ever did was love him too deeply."

Andrew’s expression hardened. He could feel his anger rising, but he forced himself to remain calm.

"Who was the man you loved?" he asked, barely managing to keep the fury out of his voice.

Caroline shook her head and closed her eyes, as if even thinking about him was too painful.

"I want to report him to the sentinels," she said. "He murdered my family. I heard the pack wolves talking. They said he wanted to get rid of me."

Her voice trembled as the memories came rushing back.

"My parents..." She swallowed hard. "They died too. I couldn’t save them. I ran because I thought I could at least save myself and my pup. I thought if I reached the sentinels, I could make him pay for what he had done."

Her fingers tightened around the bedsheet.

"But in the end, I lost everything."

The agony in her voice made the room fall silent. Andrew could hear the pain behind every word, and the more he listened, the harder it became for him to control the anger building inside him.

Before Andrew could ask her anything about the man, Caroline’s eyes suddenly closed, and her body went limp against the pillows.

"What happened?" Andrew shot to his feet and glared at the doctor.

"I believe she fainted from exhaustion," the doctor replied after checking her condition. "Losing a pup is an extremely traumatic experience for any woman, Alpha Prince. Her body has already been through severe physical strain, so I strongly advise you to give her enough time to rest and recover."

Andrew said nothing. His attention returned to Caroline.

He gently wiped the tears that had dried on her cheeks before pulling the soft blanket over her and carefully tucking it around her shoulders.

"Your Highness."

Andrew turned at the sound of his beta’s voice.

Miller stood near the doorway.

"I’ve found out which pack lies on the other side of the border," Miller announced.

Andrew slowly rose to his feet and looked at him.

"Which one?"

"It is called the Crystal Moon Pack, Your Highness," Miller replied.

Andrew’s expression turned cold and he ordered,

"Annihilate the entire pack. Every single wolf present there must pay the price of hurting my mate."