A Little Left to Give (Forgotten Series #8)

Chapter Seven

I was almost straining to hear what was going on outside of the tent. I could hear Luiz's voice, that didn't surprise me in the least, but if Ezekiel was saying anything, I couldn't hear. The other females were throwing glances my way and I was doing my best to ignore it. Hilla was sitting on the cot next to me and she was giving me concerned little glances.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Her gaze flicked to my belly as I pressed my hand against it as it cramped again and I grimaced. I balled my hand into a fist and pressed it to the cot out of view. I didn't like her questioning it too much because then I would end up questioning it and I was too exhausted to question anything about this fucking pregnancy.

"I'm fine, it's just some cramps from running and Brandt getting me down. They'll stop in a bit." I kept my voice low and Hilla didn't look convinced but I didn't want her to question me on it. It was just stupid dumb luck. It was nothing to worry herself about. Honestly it was nothing I was worrying myself about. It was just an irritation at the moment and would go away eventually.

There was a bit of silence and I became aware the large group of females were slowly starting to approach, which was impressive because the tent was so small but I did my best to ignore them. We rarely interacted, it was safer not to. Sometimes the males liked to beat females if they all gathered together too close. Outside of the 'breeding pen' as the fuckers called it. The space where they rounded all the females into to keep them for the night. Interaction was rare and punished. Hilla and I were mostly different because we had been claimed by males, but the 'communal' females weren't allowed.

There wasn't a lot of space in the tent and them shuffling closer was obvious. "Who the fuck is that male?" One of them, I believed her name was Yvonne, asked it low, her sharp gaze intent on me.

I grimaced again, pressing my fist to the side of my belly. "He found Bryce attacking me in the forest." I wasn't sure if it was safe to tell them that I had known Ezekiel before so I was going to keep that knowledge to myself. Even though I didn't know what was going on in Ezekiel's head, I wasn't going to give anyone ammunition.

"I told you not to run." Raeanne scoffed and I scowled a bit darker, a small growl rumbling my chest. My wolf might not have wanted to hang around during this horror show and pregnancy, but she was still there. I missed her most days but I understood her want to bow out and hide.

"Sometimes it's better to just let it happen." Yvonne stared at me hard and there was some agreement from the group. They were nodding along, murmuring their agreement but the words sent a bolt of anger through me.

"Just letting it happen got me fucking knocked up with a baby I don't want." I snapped the words, another growl escaping me. I didn't want any of this but I let it happen because it was that or die and I apparently had some sort of survival instinct but it didn't mean I liked where I was now.

"Kreegan was beta, you were treated far better than a lot of us." Yvonne threw me a look and I bit my tongue. I understood their apprehension, I did, but this wasn't my fault. None of this situation was my fault. It was fate and Mene that were fucking us all over, that wasn't on me.

"Yah, you weren't their whore." Someone in the back hissed it out, probably because she knew Hilla or I would have swung at her if I had known who it was. As it was I bared my teeth as another growl rattled my throat and chest.

Hilla gave a small snarl in response. "We are all whores! That's what this is, so don't sit there and point fingers claiming someone got it better than the rest. Should Mandy be praised because she had a male? Should Judy? No. Because all of us are forced to be here. We are all whores!" She gestured at the group rather aggressively, her face almost angular.