THE INVISIBLE WIFE

Two pink lines.

​I stare at the plastic stick in my trembling hands, blinking to make sure I am not hallucinating. They are still there. Two solid, undeniable pink lines.

​"I am pregnant," I whisper to the empty bathroom. A hand drifts down to rest over my stomach. For the first time in three years, a genuine smile stretches across my face.

​I have been the Luna of the Obsidian Pack for three years in title only. To the world, I am Evelyn, the lucky woman who married Alpha Kael, the most powerful wolf on the West Coast. To Kael, I am a contract obligation, a debt paid between grandfathers, a placeholder until he finds something better.

​But this changes everything. Alphas cherish their heirs above all else. Kael is cold and distant, but he is a man of duty. An heir will bind us. An heir might finally make him look at me and see his wife, not just a burden.

​"Happy Anniversary, Kael," I whisper, tucking the test into my silk robe.

​By seven o'clock, the penthouse smells divine. I spent four hours in the kitchen, dismissing the staff to do everything myself. I made his favorite rosemary crusted lamb with a red wine reduction.

​I set the table with the good crystal we received as a wedding gift but never used. I light the tapered candles. Upstairs, I change into a deep emerald green dress that hugs my curves, elegant enough for a Luna. I apply a touch of lipstick and perfume on my pulse points. Looking in the mirror, I finally see a Luna, not an invisible wife. I go back downstairs and sit at the head of the table.

​Half past seven.

​He is late. That is fine. He is the Alpha, and pack business is unpredictable. I pour myself a glass of sparkling water, pretending it is champagne.

​Half past eight.

​The lamb is getting cold. I cover it with foil and place it in the warming drawer. I check my phone. No texts. I type out a message. Dinner is ready whenever you are. Happy Anniversary. I stare at the screen. The status does not change to read.

​Quarter to ten.

​The candles have burned down halfway. The silence in the penthouse feels heavy tonight, like a premonition. I stand up, walk into the living room, and press the power button on the remote.

​The massive flat screen flickers to life, tuned to the local werewolf news channel.

​"Live from the Annual Lycan Charity Gala in downtown Seattle," the reporter chirps, panning over a sea of tuxedos.

​My breath hitches. I forgot the gala was tonight. Kael did not ask me to go, even though a Luna is supposed to be at the Alpha’s side for protocol.

​"And here comes the man of the hour!" the reporter gushes. "Alpha Kael of the Obsidian Pack."

​There he is. His presence is overwhelming even through the screen. He wears a black tuxedo that fits his broad shoulders perfectly. His steel gray eyes scan the crowd with that bored, predatory look I know so well.

​But he is not alone. Clinging to his arm in a diamond covered dress is Elena.

​My stomach drops. Elena was his childhood friend, the one everyone thought he would marry before the contract forced his hand. She left for Paris three years ago. I did not know she was back.

​On screen, Elena laughs, leaning her chest against Kael’s arm. He does not pull away. Instead, he leans down and whispers something in her ear that makes her smile widen.

​"Alpha Kael!" a reporter shouts. "Is the Obsidian Pack looking for a new Luna? Is this a new relationship?"

​Kael looks directly into the camera, his expression completely void of emotion.

​"Elena is a dear friend," his deep voice rumbles through the speakers. "And she has returned home to take her rightful place in the pack."

​Her rightful place.

​I click the TV off. The room plunges back into silence. He did not forget our anniversary. He ignored it to parade his former lover in front of the entire werewolf community. I look down at my emerald dress, feeling utterly small.

​I walk back to the dining room and blow out the candles. I take the plates, the crystal glasses, and the cold lamb, and I dump it all directly into the trash.

​I am scraping the chocolate tart into the bin when the front door unlocks. Kael walks in, loosening his tie with a weary sigh. The televised charisma vanishes instantly, replaced by the icy wall he built between us on our wedding night.

​He pauses, sniffing the air. "Why does it smell like burnt rosemary?" he asks, tossing his keys onto the entry table. He walks past me toward the stairs as if I am part of the furniture.

​"Kael," I say, hating how weak my voice sounds.

​He stops on the bottom step and turns slowly. His gray eyes rake over my dress, but there is no heat in his look. Only calculation.

​"You are still awake," he states flatly. "It is late."

​"It is our anniversary," I reply.

​Silence stretches between us. He does not flinch or apologize. His face remains a mask of indifference.

​"Is it?" he asks, sounding bored. "I forgot."

​Two words. I forgot. No apology. No guilt.

​"I made dinner," I say, gesturing toward the kitchen. "I waited."

​He sighs, running a hand through his dark hair. "Evelyn, do not start. I have had a long night. I do not have the energy for your drama."

​Drama. I want to scream that I am his wife, not his employee. Instead, I clutch the fabric of my dress, my knuckles turning white.

​"I saw the news," I whisper. "Elena is back."

​The temperature in the room drops ten degrees. Kael’s eyes narrow.

​"Elena is none of your concern," he snaps. His voice drops into the Alpha growl that usually makes my wolf submit, but tonight I am too hurt to cower.

​"She was hanging off your arm, Kael. The reporters asked if she was the new Luna. You did not deny it."

​He steps off the stairs, towering over me with radiating irritation. "You are the Luna by contract, Evelyn. You have the title, the house, and the credit cards. Is that not enough?"

​"I want a husband!" I cry out, tears spilling over. "I want a family. We have been married for three years and you treat me like a stranger."

​He laughs, a harsh and humorless sound. "We are strangers, Evelyn. We signed a piece of paper. That is it."

​He turns his back, dismissing me entirely. "Go to bed. And have the guest room prepared tomorrow. Elena is staying with us until she finds her own place."

​My blood runs cold. "She is staying here?"

​"Yes. She is part of this pack and under my protection. Do not make her feel unwelcome." He starts walking up the stairs again.

​I think of the test in my pocket and the baby growing inside me. If I tell him now, will it change anything, or will he just think I am trying to trap him into this marriage all over again?

​"Kael, wait," my voice trembles.

​He pauses but does not turn around. "What now?"

​I grip the plastic stick in my pocket. "I have something to tell you."

​He groans, looking up at the ceiling. "Can it wait until morning? I smell like expensive perfume and champagne, and I need a shower."

​You smell like her, I think.

​"It is important," I pressed.

​He turns his head slightly, giving me a sharp side glance. "Unless the house is burning down, Evelyn, I do not care. Leave me alone."

​He takes the stairs two at a time, disappearing into the shadows of the second floor. The door to his bedroom slams shut. The lock clicks.

​I stand alone in the hallway, the silence rushing back in to drown me. Slowly, I pull the pregnancy test out of my pocket. The two pink lines are still there, bright and mocking.

​"Do not worry, little one," I whisper, a tear splashing onto the plastic display. "Mommy wants you. Even if he does not.”