Chapter One

Chapter One

Harper 

The rooftop terrace of the pack house looked absolutely perfect.

I smoothed down the front of my silk dress and smiled at the dining table. I had spent the entire afternoon baking. Trays of warm vanilla pastries, roasted meats, and sweet breads sat under the soft glow of the fairy lights. Today was Elec's birthday.

I pressed a hand to my flat stomach. My heart fluttered with a nervous, overwhelming joy. I was going to tell him tonight. I was going to tell the most feared Alpha in the region that he was going to be a father.

The heavy glass door slid open behind me.

"You went through a lot of trouble."

His voice was a deep, rough gravel that sent familiar shivers down my spine. I turned around. Elec stood there, looking like a dark god carved from marble. He had taken off his suit jacket. His white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the intricate black ink of his pack tattoos creeping up his neck. He looked exhausted, dangerous, and devastatingly handsome.

"Happy birthday, Elec,"I said softly.

He walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. He sat down heavily, resting his tattooed arms on the white tablecloth. His silver eyes scanned the food.

"Did you bake all of this yourself?"he asked.

"I did,"I nodded, taking the seat across from him. "I know you love the vanilla ones. I wanted tonight to be special."

Elec picked up a pastry and took a bite. He chewed slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. For the past few months, he had been so kind. He bought me diamond necklaces, kissed my forehead before leaving for the pack office, and held me close every night. I truly believed the ice around his heart had melted. I believed he finally loved me.

"It is good,"Elec said, swallowing the bite. "Thank you, Harper."

"How was the meeting with the Elder Council?"I asked, leaning forward. "Did you get the investment for the new territory?"

Elec leaned back in his chair. The soft, relaxed expression on his face vanished completely. It was replaced by a cold, calculating stare that made the breath catch in my throat.

"I got it,"he said, his voice dropping to a low chill. "The elders voted unanimously. The European sectors are officially under my control. My company and my pack are now the most powerful on the continent."

"Elec, that is incredible,"I smiled widely. "We should celebrate. I actually have a surprise for you tonight."

"I have a surprise too,"he said flatly.

He reached into the inner pocket of his discarded jacket hanging on the chair. He pulled out a thick brown envelope and tossed it onto the center of the table. It landed right next to the plate of pastries.

"What is this?"I asked, my smile faltering.

"Open it,"he commanded.

My fingers trembled slightly as I reached for the envelope. I pulled back the flap and slid out the thick stack of legal documents. I stared at the bold, black letters at the top of the very first page.

Decree of Divorce and Pack Separation.

The world seemed to stop spinning. The air vanished from my lungs. I looked up at him, my vision blurring with sudden, hot tears.

"Elec?"My voice broke. "I do not understand. What is this?"

"It is exactly what it looks like, Harper,"Elec said coldly. He did not even blink. "Sign the papers. I have already instructed the guards to pack your bags. You need to be out of the pack house by midnight."

"But why?"I gasped, a painful sob tearing from my throat. "I thought we were happy. You have been so kind to me. You bought me gifts. You kissed me just this morning."

Elec let out a harsh, mocking laugh. "You really are incredibly naive. Did you actually think I loved you?"

I flinched as if he had struck me across the face.

"The Elder Council refused to hand over the European sectors to an unmarried Alpha,"Elec stated, his tone completely devoid of any emotion. "They wanted a stable leader. They wanted a family man. I needed a Luna who would look pretty, keep her mouth shut, and play the obedient wife in front of the cameras. You served your purpose perfectly."

"A purpose?"I whispered, staring at the man I had loved for three years. He felt like a total stranger. "I was just a prop to you?"

"You were a requirement,"he corrected cruelly. "And now that the deal is finalized and the territory is mine, I no longer require your services."

The glass doors slid open again. High heels clicked sharply against the wooden deck.

"I told you she would cry like a pathetic human,"a sharp voice sneered.

I looked over my shoulder. Ria, Elec's younger sister, strolled onto the terrace. Their mother, Luna Adora, walked right behind her with a look of utter disgust on her face.

"Oh, look at her,"Adora laughed coldly. "She actually baked a cake. How thoroughly domestic and entirely useless."

"Please,"I choked out, looking back at Elec. "Tell them to leave. Please talk to me."

"There is nothing left to discuss,"Elec said, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "My family is right. You are a weak wolf, Harper. You bring nothing to this pack. You are an embarrassment to my bloodline."

"You did not say that last night,"I cried, the tears finally spilling over my cheeks.

"Last night was acting,"Elec sneered, leaning closer to the table. His eyes were like chips of ice. "Do you want to know the real reason I am throwing you out?"

I could not speak. I could only shake my head.

"Because Vespa is coming back,"he said.

The name felt like a knife twisting directly into my heart. Vespa. His first love. The woman he had always wanted.

"I love her,"Elec continued, showing absolutely no mercy. "I have always loved her. She is my true Luna. She is returning tomorrow morning, and I will not have my house tainted by your presence when she arrives."

Ria laughed loudly. "Did you hear that, Harper? You are nothing but trash to be swept out before the real queen arrives. Now sign the papers and get out of our sight."

I looked down at the divorce papers. My hands were shaking so violently I could barely see the lines.

I thought about the secret growing inside my womb. His baby. His heir. The very bloodline he claimed I was embarrassing. A sudden, burning anger sparked to life beneath my crushing heartbreak. If I told him now, he would take my baby and throw me to the streets anyway. Or worse, he would let Vespa raise my child.

I picked up the black pen resting beside the envelope.

"You will regret this, Elec,"I whispered, my voice trembling but finding a new edge of steel.

Elec scoffed loudly. "The only thing I regret is letting you sleep in my bed for three years. Sign."

I pressed the pen to the paper and scrawled my name. I stood up, pushing the chair back so hard it scraped against the wooden deck. I did not look at Ria. I did not look at Adora. I only looked at the ruthless, arrogant bad boy who had just destroyed my entire life.

"Goodbye, Alpha,"I said coldly.

I turned around and walked toward the glass doors. But before I could even take three steps, a massive, muscular hand clamped down onto my shoulder like a vice.

Elec spun me around roughly, his tall frame towering over me. His silver eyes were burning with a dark, unreadable intensity.

"You forgot to read the final clause on the second page, Harper,"he whispered directly into my ear, his hot breath sending a terrifying chill down my spine.

I froze. "What clause?"

Elec stepped back, a cruel, wicked smirk spreading across his handsome face. He snapped his fingers, and two massive pack enforcers stepped out from the shadows of the terrace, their eyes glowing yellow in the dark.

"The clause that states you are not just leaving the pack,"Elec said, his voice echoing loudly in the night air. "You are leaving the country entirely. And if my men catch you anywhere near my borders after tonight, you will not be exiled."

He paused, his smirk widening as the enforcers grabbed both of my arms.

"You will be executed."