History Repeats – 1

Thea’s POV

“Ms. Sterling, are you okay today?” one of my students asked, her eyes filled with concern.

It had been a month since the Kane situation, and I was still a mess. Okay? Not even close. Painful? Like being mauled by Rogues. Moving on? I hadn’t even touched the edge of it. Every morning I woke up feeling like I was sinking deeper into an ocean of pain and heartbreak. I’d thought I was healing when I was with Kane, but now I realized it had all been a fucking lie I told myself. His betrayal was like a key that unlocked all those painful memories I’d tried to lock away. All those old wounds splitting open at once, mixing with fresh pain.

I was going through the motions each day like a zombie. The world around me seemed to have a blurry filter over it. I could smell other people’s scents in the air but couldn’t really feel any emotions. Everyone else had moved on, but I was stuck, unable to break free.

“Just… Thea. I’m fine… focus on your assignment,” I answered briefly, turning away to hide my expression.

Another thing – I hated the Sterling surname. Every second it reminded me of my past. I wanted to change it but didn’t know what to use instead. Kincaid? But I didn’t know them well enough yet. And I hadn’t spoken to them since that day at my house.

I turned around, hiding my emotions. Before, I loved teaching. Now it was just another thing that drained me. Every day I came to work wishing the time would pass quickly so I could go home. I wanted to be alone. But Iris and Sebastian kept checking on me, which meant I was never truly alone.

The pupils I taught had clearly noticed the change. The classroom atmosphere wasn’t vibrant anymore, and my voice had become mechanical and flat. Several students had started skipping class. I couldn’t blame them – who wanted to listen to a walking corpse? I just didn’t know how to find that confident Thea who thrived in her field again.

Instead of trying to go back to who you were, why not try to create someone new? I’d gotten used to that strange female voice occasionally popping into my head. I didn’t know what it was, but I treated it as my second conscience, talking to her like I was talking to another version of myself. But was it possible? To create a newer version. One different from that child, that girl, that woman who’d been broken countless times.

The bell interrupted my thoughts. I packed up without even saying goodbye to my students and left the classroom. I kept my head down as I hurried to the teachers’ lounge. I just wanted to breathe for a moment before my next class. Luckily, no one stopped me in the hallway. I really didn’t want to talk to anyone.

When I reached the teachers’ lounge, I froze. I’d expected it to be at least somewhat empty, but damn, it was packed. I groaned and headed for the furthest seat.

Just then, my phone rang. Seraphina’s name flashed on the screen. I’d been avoiding her calls, not knowing how to face these sudden biological parents. Especially considering Kane’s relationship with them. I was about to hang up, but my finger mysteriously slid to answer instead.

“Thea? Are you there?” her voice came through the phone, a hint of nervousness in it.

I didn’t answer, just breathed softly.

“Please, my daughter, don’t shut us out,” she pleaded quietly, her voice trembling slightly at the end. “Don’t reject me and your father.”

I remained silent, even though I wanted to speak; my throat felt like something was blocking it.

“You’re our blood, Thea. I want to be the mother I was supposed to be. I know you’re hurting, and I want to be there for you. I’ve already lost one child, please don’t let me lose another. Losing you again, after just finding you, would kill me,” she begged, crying, which broke my heart.

Tears involuntarily welled up in my eyes. Damn, I’d become so emotional these past few weeks.

“I need time,” I finally said, my voice raspier than I’d expected.

History Repeats – 2

She noticeably sighed with relief: “I’ll give you all the time you need. But please remember, I love you. Even when I thought you were dead, I kept you in my heart. I hope you’ll believe that if you need us, your father and I will be there in an instant.”

God, it felt good to be wanted, but I didn’t know if I could really trust them. Only time would tell.

“I’ll think about it,” I answered briefly, then hung up.

I understood her feelings, but I still had doubts. What if they were just looking for someone to fill a void? That’s what worried me. Being used, being second choice, just like I was Sebastian’s second choice.

Bethany suddenly sat down across from me, interrupting my thoughts. She was notorious among my colleagues for gossiping and always managed to catch me exactly when I least wanted to talk.

“Wow, such a good appetite today?” she remarked with surprise, looking at the food in front of me. “You’ve been so moody lately, and eating more, just like… well, a pregnant she-wolf.”

Though I knew she was joking, I froze in my seat. Her words echoed in my mind like a broken record, and fear spread through every fiber of my body.

“Thea? Are you okay?” Bethany frowned, “You know I was just kidding, right?”

Before she could finish, I grabbed my bag and rushed out of the lounge, not even caring about my next class. I practically stumbled out of the school, jumped into my car, and stepped on the gas, tires screeching against the pavement. Damn. This couldn’t be happening. Please don’t let it be happening.

My brain was a mess as I ran two yellow lights, speeding toward the nearest pharmacy. The moment I jumped out of my car, I froze–Aurora was walking out of a shop next door, holding an elegantly wrapped package.

“Thea?” she called out, slightly surprised, probably because I looked like a complete mess.

I ignored her and pushed through the door, heading straight for the women’s health section. I grabbed five or six different brands of pregnancy tests and quickly went to the checkout.

Back home, I robotically drank three large glasses of water, then walked into the bathroom and started testing. This couldn’t be real! I couldn’t be pregnant, especially now, carrying that traitor’s child!

Five minutes later, when all five different brands showed the same result, I collapsed onto the floor.

“Why? Just fucking why?” I whispered weakly, tears blurring my vision.

Was the Moon Goddess punishing me? Because I was a wolfless freak, so I had to be this unlucky? Going through two unplanned pregnancies? First Leo, and now this. I tried to get up from the bathroom floor, but I just didn’t have the strength. I was completely drained.

Thinking back, Kane and I had had one intimate encounter without protection. I’d forgotten to take the morning-after pill, and by the time I remembered, it had been several days. I’d told Kane about it. I thought he’d be angry, but he wasn’t. Instead, he comforted me. We both thought it was unlikely I’d get pregnant. I’d noticed some changes, like my period being late, but I attributed it to the stress I was under. I never thought much about my increased appetite because I always ate when I was stressed or upset.

When a sudden knock on the door startled me, I jumped. I didn’t want to see anyone, much less let anyone see me like this. The knocking became more urgent, but I just buried my head in my knees and covered my ears.

After a while, the knocking stopped. I sighed with relief, but then I heard the door open. Heavy footsteps came up the stairs, heading toward the bathroom. I started to panic.

I wanted to hide the pregnancy tests, but it was too late. A tall figure appeared in my bathroom doorway.

“Thea?” Sebastian’s voice was deeper than usual. I looked up at him, tears flowing uncontrollably again.

“Why you?” I was almost sobbing. “Of all people, why did it have to be you?”

The Choice

Thea’s POV

Sebastian slowly walked in and crouched in front of me, his eyes hiding emotions I couldn’t quite identify,

“Aurora saw you at the pharmacy,” he began, wiping tears from my face with his fingertips. “She said you looked completely out of it, bought a bunch of pregnancy tests, and rushed off.”

Fucking Aurora! What right did she have to tell Sebastian about this? What the hell was she trying to do?

“She had no business running her mouth,” I snapped through gritted teeth. “This isn’t her concern, and it sure as hell isn’t yours either.”

He didn’t flinch at my sharp tone, just asked quietly: “Did you take the tests?”

I nodded silently, another wave of tears threatening to spill over.

“What were the results?”

I couldn’t answer. I just couldn’t bring myself to admit what those tests had shown.

Sebastian’s gaze swept across the bathroom, eventually landing on the pregnancy tests scattered near the sink. He stood up and walked over, picking one up. Under normal circumstances, I would have been furious at his intrusion, but right now, I couldn’t bring myself to care about such trivial things.

He returned to my side, this time choosing to sit on the floor beside me. “Congratulations. You’ll be an amazing mother,” he said softly, a strange tremor in his voice.

I rested my head on his shoulder, letting all my pent-up thoughts pour out: “Really? For seven years you never wanted to give Leo a sibling, even though I was so hopeful. I thought… I thought it was because you didn’t think I was good enough to be a mother.”

Every moment with Sebastian had been accompanied by insecurity. I knew the truth–he didn’t want more pups because he was always waiting for Aurora to return. I chose to deceive myself because believing he thought I was a terrible mother was easier than

accepting he simply didn’t want to create life with me.

“Thea, you were never a bad mother. You’re incredible. Just look at your relationship with Leo,” he paused for a moment. “Can I be honest about something?”

I nodded.

“I’ve always been jealous of your relationship with Leo,” his candor caught me off guard. “I still am.”

I looked up at him in disbelief. “Really?”

“Absolutely,” he answered without hesitation.

We fell into silence, with nothing but the sound of our breathing surrounding us. Fatigue washed over me like a tidal wave, and my consciousness began to blur. My last memory was the warmth of Sebastian lifting me up, and the soft sensation of his lips pressed against my forehead.

When I woke up around noon the next day, I found breakfast waiting on my nightstand. I had no appetite and quickly showered and changed, making an appointment with an OB-GYN.

I deliberately drove extremely slowly on the way there, as if not reaching my destination would somehow prevent reality from setting in. Eventually, I had to face the warm, professional office of Dr. Harper. “I’d like an ultrasound. I took pregnancy tests yesterday and they were positive, but I just want to confirm,” I told her, wringing my hands.

When I lay down for the examination, I was practically on the verge of a heart attack. I lifted my shirt as Dr. Harper instructed, and she squeezed gel onto my abdomen before beginning to move the probe around.

I closed my eyes until her voice reached me: “You are indeed pregnant, approximately three months along.”

Her voice sounded pleased, while I felt like I’d been doused with ice water.

Everything after that became a blur. She cleaned me up and gave me some instructions, talking about diet and vitamins. I left her office and passed through reception. The front desk gave me the date for my next appointment and printed ultrasound images of the

baby.

After it was all done, I fled like the hounds of hell were chasing me.

As I drove, I felt numb. I had been holding onto hope. Hope that those tests were false. I knew pregnancy tests could sometimes be inaccurate. I had hoped that would be my case.

But now I was driving with tangible proof in my backseat that I was pregnant with Kane’s child.

I drove for a while, unsure of where I was, until I finally stopped. I got out of the car and found myself at a cliff near the outskirts of town.

How could I possibly feel happy about this baby? I didn’t want a child conceived through deceit and lies. A child with the man who had done everything in his power to end my life.

How could I look at him or her without feeling any resentment? I wanted to forget my time with Kane, and this child would ensure I couldn’t do that. He or she would be a reminder of how their father had betrayed me.

I only needed to take one step forward. Just one step and it would all be over. No more pain, or sadness, or heartbreak. I would be free from the constant darkness that was drowning me.

“Thea! What the fuck are you doing?” Sebastian’s voice roared from behind me with fear and anger I’d never heard before.

The wind was blowing harder, but I didn’t turn around, still staring into the abyss below my feet.

“Step back, get away from there!” his voice trembled, mixed with pleading. “Come to me.”

Exhaustion washed over me like a tide: “I’m so tired, Sebastian. Fighting every day, waking up in pain every day. I just want peace, even if just for a moment…”

Before I could finish, he had moved quickly to my side, pulling me back to safety with such force that I almost couldn’t breathe.

“Listen to me,” he gripped my shoulders tightly, his eyes burning with fury and fear.

“Think about Leo! Do you want him to lose his mother at such a young age? And the pup in your belly–can you really be so heartless as to not even give he or she a chance to come into this world?”

The mention of Leo’s name hit me like a revelation. My son, my sunshine, the only light in my life.

Sebastian continued: “I don’t care if you hate me right now, I’m getting you the best damn therapist. You’re going to be okay, you’re going to be the strongest mother to those two kids no matter who their fathers are.”

I collapsed in his arms, all resistance washing away like the tide. He carefully lifted me into his arms, and I could feel his rapidly beating heart.

“How did you find me?” I asked softly, leaning against his chest.

His answer was simple and firm: “I told you before, Thea. I can always find you. Always.”

I closed my eyes, feeling his warmth: “Thank you… thank you for pulling me back.”

His response was a light kiss on my temple, almost making me believe those seven cold years had never existed.

My thoughts began to clear. Sebastian was right. Leo needed me, and this life in my womb, regardless of what its father had done, deserved a chance. I had to be strong, not just for myself, but for my pups.

There was one more thing I needed to face–Kane needed to know about this child. This meant I would have to visit him in prison.