2

The next morning, I said to Alaric, "Let's go to Frostmoon Pack together."

His expression froze for a moment, his jaw clenching visibly before he quickly regained his composure. His eyes darted to mine, searching for my intentions.

"Why the sudden interest?" he asked, voice carefully controlled. "I thought you were tired."

I met his gaze steadily. "It's my family too. I want to see them."

He hesitated, fingers tapping rhythmically against the breakfast table. I could sense his wolf's unease, his energy shifting uncomfortably in the room.

“But...”he hesitated, then sighed. "They're also celebrating her pregnancy. I didn't want to tell you because I know how painful that would be for you."

Finally, he refused to take me with him. I nodded silently in agreement, but deep down, I sensed he was hiding something beyond not wanting me to disrupt Eliza's special day.

But I didn't care about his concerns anymore. I just wanted to see my family one last time. So after he left, I secretly made my way to Frostmoon Pack.

After all, tomorrow I would be preparing to leave forever.

When we arrived at the Winters family home, the celebration was already in full swing. Cars lined the driveway, and cheerful chatter spilled out from every window.

I spotted my parents across the room, their faces alight with pride. They hadn't even noticed my arrival.

In the center of it all stood Eliza, glowing in a flowing white dress that accentuated her slightly rounded belly. She was surrounded by admirers, their voices carrying across the room.

"Your healing skills will strengthen our pack for generations!"

"Such brilliance at your age—truly remarkable!"

"I heard you'll definitely give birth to a powerful Alpha! The moon goddess has blessed you!"

Their praise seemed endless, each compliment making Eliza's smile grow wider, her hand resting protectively over her stomach.

Before anyone spotted me, I noticed Alaric entering, carrying a small ornate box.

My heart stopped when I recognized that box.

It was the special container I had commissioned to preserve the Moon flower herb—the rare, miraculous plant that could repair damaged wolf.

Three years ago, in a rogue wolf attack, in order to save Alaric, my wolf was seriously injured and could no longer get pregnant.

This Moon flower herb is the only hope to repair my wolf. I had spent three years tracking down and paid ten million dollars to acquire this herb.

Alaric had insisted it would be safer to keep this herb in his Alpha office safe. But last week, he claimed that this herb was stolen during a rogue wolf attack.

Eliza's eyes gleamed as she opened the box, gasping dramatically at the sight of the glowing blue herb inside. "Oh, Alaric! A Moon flower! How did you ever find one?"

The gift box in my hand fell to the ground, making a noise, and everyone realized that I was here.

Alaric's face drained of color when he saw me.

I ignored him and ran directly to Eliza, trying to take back my Moon flower herb.

Before I could reach them, Eliza quickly turned away, pulled out the precious Moon flower herb, and to my horror, fed it to the small dog beside her.

"No!" I screamed, lunging forward.

The dog swallowed the herb with a happy yip.

Eliza turned back to me, her eyes wide with practiced innocence.

"Sister!" she called out, voice honeyed but eyes cold. "What a surprise to see you here."

"Thank you, sister. I heard you spent so much time looking for this herb to give to me. My little pet dog was dying and really needed this herb."

I moved toward the dog, my fingers trembling slightly.

Eliza intercepted me, her voice dropping to ensure only I could hear. "Thank you, sister. My dog ​​has become much stronger after eating it."

I gave her a cold look, about to speak when suddenly she cried out:

"No—!"

She stumbled backward dramatically, her body crashing into the decorative candles on the display table. The flames barely touched her dress, singeing just the hem, but she clutched her stomach and collapsed to the floor, her face contorted in theatrical pain.

The room immediately erupted into chaos.

"Eliza is pregnant! How could you push her into the fire!"

"Someone get healing salve, quickly!"

In the midst of the confusion, I heard a panicked cry: "Eliza!"

The voice cut through the chaos like a knife. Others might not have noticed, but I recognized it immediately.

It was Alaric.

He knelt beside her, cradling her head with a tenderness I hadn't seen in months.

His fingers trembled as they brushed her hair from her face, his voice breaking as he whispered, "Are you hurt? Is your pup safe?"

When he finally noticed me watching, Alaric quickly attempted to regain his composure. He straightened his shoulders and adjusted his expression to one of calm authority.

He turned to me, his tone gentle but reproachful: "You shouldn't have come here. I knew you would cause trouble."

His eyes darted between Eliza and me, conflicted yet accusing. "Regardless of anything else, Eliza is carrying a child. You shouldn't have pushed her into the fire. How could you be so cruel?"

I stared at him, my voice eerily calm. "If I hadn't come, I never would have known that my Moon flower herb wasn't stolen by rogue wolves at all. It was given to Eliza's dog."

He stiffened slightly, a muscle in his jaw twitching before he responded with practiced innocence: "The Moon flower herb was stolen by rogue wolves. I just happened to find another one yesterday. You're strong enough right now—you don't need the Moon flower herb immediately."

Seeing my ice-cold gaze, he grew flustered. He reached for me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "You're my Luna, the only one I love. I promise I'll find another Moon flower herb for you, no matter the cost."

I laughed coldly, saying nothing more.

He was right about one thing. I didn't need the Moon flower herb anymore.

I had planned to use it before our fifth anniversary, to heal my damaged womb so I could surprise him with a pregnancy—the family he had always wanted.

Now I realized that even our bond was a lie, making my all effort meaningless.

I smiled and didn’t say anything. My wolf and I were in perfect agreement: we would punish those who stole what was ours.

Alaric seemed to notice something different about me, something that made him uneasy. He suggested:

"Why don't we leave now? Find somewhere quiet to relax."

I looked up at him, my lips curving into a slight smile: "Let's go to the hunting grounds in the Northern Territory then. We can hunt under the night sky and watch tomorrow's sunrise."