Chapter 2

Loretta's POV

I stepped out of the villa to see Zane's Rolls-Royce.

Only two hours earlier, this same car had ferried another woman—that sweet, charming she-wolf.

The moment I opened the car door, the cloying scent of gardenia and orange hit me—it was her fragrance.

She was marking her territory.

Zane must really like her.

My wolf let out a low, wounded whimper, as if its tail had been stepped on.

Forcing down the sharp ache tearing through my chest, I fastened my seatbelt.

Zane glanced sideways at me, his eyes as cold as the water inside a frozen lake. His gaze drifted to my swollen belly and lingered for a fraction of a second.

The car pulled away. Outside, the streetlights flashed past one by one, quickly left behind.

The old me would have cherished this rare moment alone with him, trying clumsily to strike up a conversation.

Back then, my wolf was still willing to speak for him. "Be patient," it would whisper. "Our mate just isn't ready yet."

But now, it remained silent.

Zane didn't care how I felt. In his usual cold tone, he said, "Once the pup is born, I'll reject you."

My fingers clamped around the seatbelt as a blinding pain pierced my chest, making every breath a battle.

"Okay," I replied softly, forcing back the tears threatening to well up.

"Are you free tomorrow afternoon?" I asked. "We could go to the Council of Elders and file the dissolution paperwork. There's a waiting period anyway. It should be finalized before the birth."

Zane's brow snapped together. "I'll decide when. Not you."

His alpha aura slammed down like an invisible iron curtain. My fingertips went numb, my teeth aching.

My wolf dropped its head instinctively as the urge to bare my neck in submission took over.

A cold laugh escaped him. "Loretta, stop with these pathetic little games. You act like you're willing to walk away just to see if I'll finally care. Who do you think you're fooling?"

Games?

A bitter smile touched my lips.

To him, I'd always be nothing more than a scheming woman putting on an act.

The car pulled up in front of the Blade Pack's packhouse.

The estate sat at the heart of pack territory, its walls built from rough basalt. For generations, it had served as the home for alphas.

Every time I stepped through those gates, I would instinctively lower my head.

Margaret had arranged for an omega to greet us.

Margaret's smile widened, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepening. "Zane's grandfather is feeling much better now after knowing you're carrying a pup."

Zane's mother, Elise Thorne, agreed with a smile, but when her gaze swept over me, it turned judgmental, as if she were sizing up a rogue.

Delighted, Margaret pressed a moonstone into my palm. It rested there, heavy and cool.

I started to push it back, flustered by the gesture.

"Just take it," Elise said dryly. "Margaret wanted you to have it."

The contempt in her tone was sharper than any blade, slicing clean through whatever dignity I had left.

I knew the gift wasn't given out of affection for me, but because of the pup inside my womb.

We were supposed to stay for dinner until Zane's phone rang.

The moment he picked up, the ice in his eyes melted, replaced by a profound, gentle affection.

They seemed to have a pet. He cooed its name—"Sweetie"—in a soft, loving voice.

"Yeah, I'll be right there."

When he hung up and turned around, he found me standing by the balcony doors.

My wolf twitched in my chest.

The tenderness on his face vanished instantly. His eyes turned cold again.

"M-Margaret wants you in the study," I stammered, keeping my voice steady.

Zane didn't even glance at me as he brushed past.

The study door was slightly open. Muffled voices drifted out.

Waiting in the hallway, I couldn't make out the words.

Night wind swept through the cedar woods at the edge of pack territory, carrying the distant sound of patrol guards stepping on fallen leaves as they changed shifts.

A few minutes later, Margaret stepped out, beaming. "Something urgent came up, so Zane left. The driver will take you home later."

As she spoke, her gaze raked down my body, slow and deliberate, like a wire brush scraping across skin.

"You need to watch your appearance, pregnant or not." Her tone stayed pleasant.

"The luna of the Blade Pack doesn't keep her position on luck alone."

She was implying that I was a disgrace to the pack, being so fat and sloppy.

And they only wanted the pup in my belly.

Once, those words would have left me drowning in shame and despair. But now, as I stared at the swollen, haggard reflection in the rearview mirror, my gaze only hardened.

Margaret was right; I did need to change—but not for the approval of the Blade Pack, and certainly not to win over a cold-hearted Zane who had never wanted me.

I would change for myself. And for the pup I was bringing into this world.

Late that night, a black Maybach pulled into the driveway. The sound of the engine shutting off traveled through the second-floor windows.

I was surprised to see Zane walking through the front door. He had told me that very morning he would reject me. So why was he here?

"What—" I began.

Zane didn't even look at me. Loosening his tie, he headed straight for the stairs, saying coldly, "Make me a coffee. Bring it to my study."

I gathered myself, went to the kitchen, brewed a cup, and carried it to the study.

I set it down and walked away without a single word.

Even when he was home, we slept in separate rooms.

The following morning, I got up and dressed, then waited in my bedroom.

Only when the Maybach pulled out of the driveway did I stand up to go downstairs.

Just then, the door slammed open.

Susie walked in, a mocking smile on her face. "Still playing Luna, I see. What, were you waiting for a red carpet before you'd grace us with your presence?"

I slowly lifted my eyes.

The moment our gazes met, she instinctively flinched.

"I am the Luna." I rose to my feet, my voice low yet cold. "You're nothing but a maid."