One

Chapter One

Valerie's POV

The two pink lines remained perfectly clear no matter how many times I blinked, and the longer I stared at the pregnancy test trembling in my hand, the more impossible it became to believe that the miracle I had prayed for throughout the past three years had finally become real. My vision blurred with tears before I even realized I was crying, and a soft laugh escaped my lips as I lowered myself onto the edge of our bed because my legs no longer had the strength to keep me standing.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered, pressing one hand against my chest as though it could calm the frantic beating of my heart. "We're finally going to have a baby."

For three years, I had counted every passing month with hope, only to hide my disappointment behind a smile whenever another test came back negative. I had convinced myself that the Moon Goddess simply wanted us to wait a little longer, and every time I noticed the disappointment Darius tried so hard to conceal, I silently promised myself that I would never stop believing for both of us.

Today, the waiting was finally over.

My trembling fingers slowly rested against my still-flat stomach, and although our child was no more than a tiny life growing quietly inside me, my heart was already overflowing with a love so fierce that I could barely breathe.

"You've made your father and me wait long enough," I murmured with a smile that refused to leave my face. "You have no idea how happy you've made us."

The room around me suddenly seemed brighter than it had ever looked before. Warm sunlight streamed through the tall windows, while a cool breeze drifted through the open balcony doors, carrying the fresh scent of pine trees across our bedroom. It was the same room I had shared with Darius for three years, yet this morning it felt completely different because every corner of it was now filled with hope instead of quiet longing.

I could finally picture the future we had dreamed about.

The distance that had quietly grown between Darius and me over the past few years had never been caused by a lack of love. He had simply become consumed by the endless responsibilities of leading the Blood Moon Pack. Every sunrise brought another council meeting, another border dispute, another training inspection, or another urgent matter that demanded his attention. I understood those responsibilities better than anyone because I had chosen to stand beside him through every burden, which was why I never complained whenever he returned home after midnight, forgot our anniversary, or fell asleep before we exchanged more than a few words.

I always believed there would be time for us later.

Now, later had finally arrived.

The thought of watching Darius become a father filled my heart with excitement. He rarely showed his emotions in front of others because an Alpha had to remain calm and composed, but I knew the gentle man hidden beneath that powerful exterior. That was the man I had fallen in love with when I was sixteen years old, and I could already imagine the look on his face when I placed the pregnancy test into his hands.

Suddenly remembering something, I hurried toward the bedside cabinet and opened the bottom drawer. Hidden beneath several neatly folded scarves rested a small white gift box that I had secretly bought months ago before hope slowly gave way to disappointment.

With trembling fingers, I lifted the lid.

Inside lay a tiny pair of white knitted baby shoes.

Fresh tears immediately filled my eyes.

I had hidden them away after another month passed without a pregnancy because looking at them had become too painful, but today they no longer represented another broken dream. Today they belonged to our child.

I carefully placed the little shoes inside my handbag before slipping the pregnancy test beside them.

This would be Darius's surprise.

I reached for my phone and immediately called him.

The call connected after only a few rings.

"Good morning, Luna."

Ryan's cheerful voice answered instead.

I smiled.

"Good morning, Ryan. Is the Alpha with you?"

"Yes, Luna. Alpha Darius is inspecting the western border. A patrol discovered unusual tracks before dawn, and he insisted on investigating them personally."

I looked down at my handbag before biting my lower lip to stop another smile.

"Is he busy?"

Ryan laughed softly.

"When isn't he?"

"I have something important to tell him."

"I can put him on the phone."

"No."

My answer came far too quickly.

"I want to tell him in person."

There was a brief pause before Ryan chuckled knowingly.

"Judging from the happiness in your voice, I think the Alpha is about to receive the best surprise of his life."

"I hope so."

"I'm coming to the border."

"I'll let him know you're on the way."

"No!" I quickly interrupted. "Don't tell him. I want it to be a surprise."

Ryan laughed again.

"Understood, Luna."

After ending the call, I grabbed my car keys and hurried downstairs.

Every servant who greeted me noticed the smile I could not hide.

"Good morning, Luna."

"Good morning."

Even Martha, the head maid, looked pleasantly surprised.

"You seem especially happy today."

"I am."

She smiled warmly.

"I hope the Moon Goddess continues to bless you."

I thanked her before walking outside.

The drive toward the western border normally took almost forty minutes, but today every passing mile seemed painfully slow because my heart refused to stop imagining the moment Darius would discover we were finally going to become parents.

The road wound through dense forests before opening onto the pack's western training grounds, where dozens of young warriors were practicing beneath the morning sun.

I smiled to myself.

One day...

Our child would probably run across these same fields while Darius proudly watched from the sidelines.

The thought filled me with so much happiness that I instinctively rested one hand against my stomach.

"We're almost there," I whispered softly.

When I finally arrived at the checkpoint, several patrol warriors immediately bowed.

"Luna."

"The Alpha is just beyond the forest trail."

"Thank you."

I adjusted my handbag before walking alone toward the clearing.

My heartbeat became louder with every step.

I imagined Darius turning around.

I imagined placing the little shoes into his hands.

I imagined him smiling.

Then I heard laughter.

It belonged to a woman.

The sound drifted gently through the trees, carrying a strange familiarity that made my footsteps slow.

I frowned and continued walking until the forest opened into a quiet clearing.

My smile disappeared.

Darius stood only a few steps away.

Facing him was a woman with long golden hair that shimmered beneath the sunlight.

Even after all these years, I recognized her instantly.

Selena.

His first love.

For several endless seconds, I simply stared because my mind refused to believe what my eyes were seeing.

She smiled at him.

Darius smiled back.

It was not the polite smile he offered neighboring Alphas or the tired smile he occasionally gave me before returning to another mountain of work.

It was warm.

Relaxed.

Happy.

The kind of smile I had spent years hoping to see whenever he looked at me.

My fingers slowly tightened around my handbag.

Selena laughed again before reaching up to brush an invisible speck of dust from Darius's shoulder.

He did not move away.

Instead, he gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

His movements were slow and familiar.

Then he lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead.

The pregnancy test slipped from my trembling fingers.

A heartbeat later, the tiny knitted baby shoes followed, landing silently on the forest floor while the beautiful future I had spent the entire morning dreaming about shattered before my eyes.

The sound finally drew their attention.

Darius turned.

"Valerie?"

Shock flashed across his face.

Selena looked at me before taking one small step backward.

I bent down and slowly picked up the pregnancy test and the tiny shoes with shaking hands before placing them back inside my handbag.

When I looked up again, my vision was blurred by tears.

"What am I interrupting?"

Darius frowned.

"It's not what you think."

"Then tell me what I should think."

His jaw tightened.

"Selena just returned."

"I can see that."

Neither of us spoke.

The silence between us became unbearable.

Finally, I forced myself to ask the question that had been tearing my heart apart.

"Why did you kiss her?"

Before Darius could answer, Selena stepped forward.

"Valerie, please don't misunderstand. We were only—"

"I wasn't talking to you."

She immediately fell silent.

Darius sighed heavily.

"It was only a greeting."

"A greeting?" My voice trembled despite my efforts to remain calm. "Is that how you welcome every woman who returns to the pack?"

His expression darkened.

"You're overreacting."

Those two words hurt more than the kiss.

I laughed bitterly.

"I came here because I wanted to tell you something that would change both our lives."

He looked at me.

"What is it?"

My fingers slowly reached for my handbag.

Perhaps...

Perhaps everything could still change.

Before I could open it, a childish voice rang across the clearing.

"Daddy!"

My entire body froze.