Chapter 1: Harrowing Betrayal

Haliyah’s POV.

I sat across from the healer, my hands folded in my lap as she examined me. Her fingers rested lightly on my wrist. Her brows slowly drew together, then a relaxed smile appeared on her face.

“Congratulations, Luna! You are with a child.”

I blinked, once, twice, as if my eyes could clear my ears too. The room seemed to tilt slightly, as if the words hadn’t found their way into my mind yet. I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling my heart pound hard against my palm.

“What…?” My voice came out uncertain.

I didn’t think much of it at first. For days, my body felt unwell. Certain smells made my stomach turn. I told myself it was just exhaustion from managing the pack as Luna. That was what I believed.

She gently pushed a thin sheet of paper toward me. “You’re pregnant.”

I hesitated, then slowly picked it up, my head spinning. I stared at the paper in my hands, and for a second, I thought I might faint. Tears welled up in my eyes without warning, blurring the words.

“I… I’m pregnant?” I asked again, as if saying it aloud would make it real.

The healer nodded, chuckling at my overwhelmed reaction. “Yes, Luna. You’re going to be a mother.”

I covered my mouth with my trembling hand. Tears spilled down my cheeks, but this time, they were unstoppable. I laughed and cried at the same time, unable to control myself. I had waited five years for this moment.

The healer patted my hand kindly. “Take good care of yourself. The child is healthy.”

I left the healer’s hall in a daze, my feet barely touching the ground as if I were floating. The moment I stepped outside, the world looked different. The sun had never looked so bright. Even the cold wind felt gentle against my face.

I clutched the test report tightly and caught myself smiling foolishly. Raven didn’t know yet. I could already imagine his reaction. He would be so surprised— maybe even stunned. This news deserved more than a simple announcement. It had to be special.

Almost without thinking, one name came to my mind. Cassandra… She was my sister-in-law, but more than that, she had been my best friend long before she married into the family. After her husband passed away, she raised her child alone. She knew everything about pregnancy, about children, about parenting and motherhood. If anyone could help me now, it was her.

I wanted to tell her first. I wanted to ask her for advice and help me plan a surprise pregnancy announcement ceremony for Raven. With that thought, I adjusted my cloak and hurried toward her residence.

I passed through the familiar paths of the pack. Pack members stopped what they were doing and bowed as I walked by, greeting me respectfully.

“Good afternoon, Luna Haliyah.”

I nodded back in response, my hand resting lightly over my stomach without realizing it. No one knew. Only me. And soon… the whole pack would.

As I approached Cassandra’s house, I slowed down and stopped in front of the door, suddenly nervous. I didn’t know why my heart was beating so fast. The place was quiet as usual. Something didn’t feel right, though I couldn’t tell what.

I took a deep breath and raised my hand, about to knock. But just as my knuckles were about to touch the door, I paused. I lowered my hand and frowned slightly. A sound came out from inside. It was faint, more like a gasp.

At first, I thought I had heard wrong. The wind often played tricks on the ears. I leaned closer, my fingers slipped from the air and fell to my side. Then, I heard it again, but clearer this time.

“O-Oh! Raven…” Cassandra breathlessly moaned.

My blood ran ice-cold. A chill ran up my spine, every hair on my body standing on end.

No. That couldn’t be.

I breathed in and swallowed hard, trying to calm myself. Raven was busy today. He told me he had pack matters to handle. Surely, this was impossible. I must be mistaken. Maybe Cassandra was unwell. Maybe someone else was visiting. But my feet moved on their own, and I stepped closer to the door against my will.

Another sound followed, deeper this time. It was a man’s voice. It was too familiar to be mistaken.

“Cassandra… you feel so good…”

My ears rang as if someone had struck me. My heart slammed painfully against my chest. Could I be wrong? Maybe it wasn’t him. Maybe I had imagined it. But I knew his voice better than my own.

No. Please… no.

I pressed my palm against the wooden door. I didn’t know what I was hoping for. That the door would be locked? Or that my ears were lying?

The door wasn’t fully closed. There was a small crack to let me see inside. I leaned forward, my breath caught in my throat. And then, my worst fear became real… Raven, my husband, was in bed with Cassandra.

I froze in shock, my whole body stiff as if it had turned to stone. I felt like the world had stopped. The room blurred instantly, as if my eyes refused to accept the scene before me. Raven’s back faced the door, his shoulders tense. Cassandra was beneath him, her hands clutching his arm. They were too close— too intimate that there was no room for doubt.

“Be gentle…” Cassandra whispered. “Don’t make too much noise. Be careful not to wake our precious boy.”

Precious boy?

“Don’t worry. I know,” Raven replied softly, nothing like the cold tone he always used on me. “I’ll be careful.”

Cassandra let out a giggle. “You’re spoiling him too much. He’s still young.”

Raven chuckled. “He’s my only son. Of course, I’ll spoil him.”

His son.

I sucked in a sharp breath. I could barely breathe. Nausea rolled up from my stomach. I tasted bitterness at the back of my throat. I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from making a sound. My whole body trembled uncontrollably, like I had stepped into icy water.

How long? How many years had this been going on? How many times had Cassandra smiled at me while hiding this? How many nights had Raven come back to my bed after leaving hers, pretending nothing had happened? The thought pierced my chest like a knife.

My husband and my best friend… their immoral affair had been going on for years. They even had a child together, which everyone, even I, even I, had thought he was Raven’s brother’s child. But now, the truth crashed down on me with terrifying clarity. The boy was his. I couldn’t believe it.

My knees buckled, but I grabbed the doorframe desperately for support, as if it were the only thing keeping me upright. I felt the pregnancy report slip from my fingers, fluttering down silently to the floor. I didn’t pick it up. I couldn’t. I felt drained of all strength.

The future I had imagined shattered in an instant. All my dreams of a family with Raven were gone.

“What about Haliyah?” Cassandra asked casually. “She’s been trying so hard to give you a child. Sometimes, I almost feel bad when I see her.”

Raven snorted. “That’s useless. She can cry for another ten years and it won’t change anything. She won’t have a child. She never will.”

“What do you mean?”

Raven lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret meant only for her. “I made sure of it,” he continued calmly. “I’ve been giving her contraceptives since the first year of our marriage. I mixed them into her food and medicine. She trusted me completely. She never suspected a thing. She never noticed.”

My heartbeat went wild. My vision swirled and went black for a moment. I slid down the wall, my legs finally giving out. My body shook violently, and I barely managed to stay silent.

So… the truth revealed itself. Five years. Five years of blaming myself, hating my body, crying alone at night, and begging the Moon Goddess for mercy. It wasn’t my fault that I couldn’t get pregnant. It wasn’t me. It wasn’t my body that was broken. It was him. It was all part of his deliberate scheme. I didn’t know how to make myself believe such a harsh truth.

“So that’s why… all those failed attempts,” Cassandra said mockingly.

“I couldn’t let her have a child,” Raven spoke again. “Because the only heir I want… is our son.”

Only heir.

The words repeated themselves in my mind. I bit down hard on my lip until I tasted blood, and yet the pain didn’t stop the tears from falling.

“But what about the pack? The elders favor Haliyah. She’s the Luna.”

Raven’s voice turned firm. “I’ll arrange it.”

“Arrange it how?”

“I’ll announce the pack’s heir soon. When the time comes, the elders won’t object. They’ll have no choice.”

Cassandra sounded pleased. “So… my son will inherit everything?”

“Yes,” Raven said without hesitation. “He’ll be the pack’s future Alpha.”

“And Haliyah?”

He scoffed. “She’s just a title. Once the heir is confirmed, she’s nothing.”

Cassandra hummed thoughtfully. “What if she finds out?”

“She won’t.”

“And if she does?”

“Then, she’ll just have to accept it.”

I couldn’t hear anymore. I felt dizzy. Betrayal on top of betrayal, crushing me from all sides. My heart felt like it had been ripped out and stomped on.

How could they? How could they do this to me? How could they betray me like this? They were the two people I trusted the most, and yet they showed me no respect at all. Cheating on me was already painful enough— but hiding the fact that my husband had a child with my best friend all this time was even crueler.

I forced myself to stand, my body unsteady as I staggered backward. Step by step, I turned away slowly from the door. I couldn’t stay there. I had to leave. If I stayed even one second longer, I knew I would collapse right there.

“Keep going, Haliyah,” I whispered to myself.

I groaned and doubled over, clutching myself as a sharp pain stabbed my lower belly. The pain grew stronger. Cold sweat soaked my back.

“No… no…” I murmured, panic rising.

Then, a warm sensation trickled down my legs. My mind went blank with fear. I looked down, and my breath caught in a strangled sob when I saw so much blood spreading across the floor, staining the carpet. I collapsed to my knees, the pain crashing over me all at once. My raw cry tore out before I could stop it.

“No… no, please!” I gasped, tears blinding me.

My hands clutched my stomach, my body curling inward as if I could protect the life inside me that was already being taken away. I was losing the child I hadn’t even held, the child I had dreamed of for so long…

“I’m sorry…” I sobbed, not knowing who I was apologizing to. “I’m so sorry… I didn’t know…”

My vision blurred completely. As darkness swallowed me, my last thought echoed fiercely in my mind.

They destroyed me. They took everything from me. And I would never forgive them.

One last tear rolled over my cheek. Then, everything went black.