Chapter 1

When the healer told me I was pregnant again, I was overjoyed.

I just wanted to surprise Wyatt. I never expected to walk into this.

"Wyatt, not here... What if Harper walks in?"

"Don't mention her. Total buzzkill."

The sound of tearing fabric and heavy panting slammed into my eardrums.

I stood frozen behind the curtain, my mind entirely blank.

In my hand, I still maintained a death grip on my pregnancy test results.

"Wyatt, you're hurting me..." Stella tilted her head back, letting out a sweet, breathy moan.

Wyatt growled, biting down hard on the side of her neck before gently licking the mark.

His passion and gentleness were things I had never experienced.

Every time we were intimate, it felt like he was just completing a chore.

My inner wolf whimpered in despair, and the mate bond flared with agonizing, piercing pain.

I bit down hard on the back of my hand, tasting the metallic tang of blood in my mouth.

This was the true mate I had loved deeply for many years. Every time I hemorrhaged during a miscarriage, he would kneel by my bed, hold my hand, cry, and swear to love me forever.

Yet here he was, bending my own flesh and blood over his desk.

Just when I thought the worst had happened, Wyatt's phone rang.

"Damn it," he muttered hoarsely. "Hold on." He answered the phone, annoyed. "What is it, Healer?"

He paused.

And then, he grinned. Wyatt hung up and pulled Stella into his arms, a genuine, radiant smile breaking across his face.

It was a smile I hadn't seen in years.

"You're pregnant," he whispered.

Stella covered her mouth, tears instantly spilling over.

"Oh my goddess... I'm really going to be a mother? I'm having your pup?" She threw her arms around Wyatt's neck, but soon, her voice took on a pathetic, aggrieved tone. "But... Harper is your rightful Luna. When my pup is born, will they have to call her mother? Or... will they just be some shameful bastard child?"

At the mention of my name, the ecstasy on Wyatt's face instantly cooled.

His eyes turned ruthless.

"Don't worry, baby. After next week's checkup shows you're fully healed, I won't need her anymore."

My blood ran cold.

What did that mean?

"The Full Moon Gala is the day after tomorrow," Wyatt said, stroking Stella's stomach gently, though his words were utterly cruel. "I'll invite all the pack elders and shareholders. At the climax of the banquet, I'll publicly announce your pregnancy."

"But what about Harper?"

"I'm going to slip something into her drink at the gala, then throw a rogue into her room. Once her shameless affair with a rogue is exposed, I can easily kick her out of the pack without giving her a dime." Wyatt smirked smugly. "All my wealth, power, and glory belong to you and our pup."

I squeezed my eyes shut, my nails digging deep into my palms.

He had planned everything. He was just waiting for the perfect moment to throw me away like trash.

"Wyatt, you're so good to me." Stella leaned happily into his chest, tracing circles on it. "But... was the healer's secret remedy really that magical? Using the blood of my sister's four unborn pups as the cure—did it really work?"

Boom.

My heart skipped a beat. My breathing stopped completely.

Four pups? A cure?

What was she talking about?

Wyatt carelessly adjusted his messy shirt, his tone light.

"Of course. That was the heart's blood of embryos carrying pure Alpha bloodlines. It was the only cure for your womb."

His words were like a rusty, blunt knife hacking into my brain and shredding my soul.

"If I hadn't precisely slipped a little wolfsbane into Harper's pregnancy supplements to induce a miscarriage every single time, how would the healer have gotten the chance?" Wyatt looked like a literal demon to me. "It just took a little effort to extract the embryos each time."

"Poor Harper," Stella murmured, her voice dripping with mock pity. "But if she knew I was pregnant, she'd be happy for me, right? I am her sister, after all."

"Of course. You're far more important than she is." Wyatt kissed her forehead affectionately. "But make sure your parents keep this quiet. Harper can't find out."

Stella giggled. "Don't worry, Mom and Dad love me best."

My heart was bleeding, but I couldn't deny it.

Growing up, my parents had always favored the pretty, spoiled Stella. I was practically invisible in that house, forever just a backdrop for her.

And now, even my babies had become the sacrifices to cure her.

I stared at the two faces through the gap in the curtains.

My vision blurred. For a second, I thought I was going to pass out.