1. Sister’s Betrayal.

Zarelia's POV: 

They were kissing. 

My husband of nine years was… kissing my little sister. 

I felt my heart slam against my ribs so violently, I thought it might break free.

Adelia's fingers threaded into his hair, clutching him like he belonged to her.

I stood frozen in the doorway, unable to speak, unable to breathe. 

My brain tried to lie to me, to twist the image, fool me into thinking I was seeing wrong. Maybe she's confused, maybe he's pushing her away.

But he wasn't. He had his arm wrapped around her possessively.

I had come to check on Adelia tonight. The maids had informed me that she was sick. And I hadn't even known my husband, Lurien was back from his trip. No one told me anything. Not even the maids.

“Promise me, Alpha Lurien.” My sister whispered as they broke the kiss. “Promise you'll make me your Luna.”

He kissed her again, tenderly. “I promise, Adelia. You already are. I love you—”

“Lurien…” A sob tore from my throat. A hoarse, broken sound.

They spun toward me.

Adelia paled. Lurien didn't even blink.

“W-what…” My voice cracked. My hands trembled as I clenched them. “What is going on here?!”

Silence.

“Adelia? Lurien?” I lifted a shaking finger, pointing between them. “What… what is this?”

Lurien sighed deeply. “You were bound to find out eventually,” his tone calm, unbothered. “Well, I'm in love with Adelia. She's going to be my wife.”

The hallway tilted beneath my feet, I swayed, grabbing the doorframe.

Wife?

“No…” I shook my head.

“Yes,” Lurien scoffed. “Your opinion doesn't matter, Zarelia.”

“B-but… I'm your wife!” My voice rose as I felt my chest tighten painfully. “I'm your mate!”

Tears blurred my vision. My lips trembled. “Lurien, we built everything together—how could you do this to me? Nine years! I've stood beside you, through everything, I gave you nine years of my life. How could you betray me?” 

Adelia snickered, clinging to Lurien.

“Betray you?” He laughed. A sharp, cold sound that ripped my heart in two. “You're barren, Zarelia.” 

Barren. 

My blood went cold.

He'd never said those words to me. Never once thrown my predicament in my face.

“Your womb is as infertile as a desert,” he added, his voice emotionless. Cruel. “You'll never give me pups. You're simply useless to me.” 

My throat closed up, tears rolling down my face. “That's… that's not fair…” 

My whole body was trembling now as I tried to hold myself together.

“You know why I can't have children. I sacrificed myself for you,” I choked. “If I didn't get in the way that day, you would have died, you owe me your life.”

“I owe you nothing!” He growled and I flinched.

I stared, wide eyed. “I took that rogue's claw to the gut—for you, I almost died!” 

Has he forgotten everything? We'd been attacked and I'd used my body as a shield, taking the hit for him. I had been unconscious for days and had to wake up to the news that I'd never be able to bear a child.

He shrugged. “I didn't ask you to.”

“W-what?” I gasped, shocked by his cold, cruel words. “But—”

“I need heirs, Zarelia. I need to continue my legacy, and I can't do so when I have a barren woman as my Luna. What good is a woman if her womb is destroyed? You can't even do the one thing a Luna is meant for!” 

I opened my mouth but clamped it shut.

He was right. A woman who couldn't bear children, could she still be considered a woman? In our Kingdom, the answer was no. I knew people mocked me behind my back for my childlessness. The elders have been demanding for an heir.

Other Lunas showed off their children whenever there was a festival in the entire kingdom. I'd been Luna for nine years and there's been no cry of a baby in my household. I'd also never got to experience heat. 

But none of that never really bothered me, Lurien had vowed to be by my side through it all. He’d been my pillar for years.

I swallowed thickly. “But you said you didn't care about children. Even when I spoke about adopting—”

“You must be stupid if you think a man like me would raise someone else's child,” he laughed, and this time, Adelia laughed with him.

I didn't know what hurt most, his betrayal or Adelia's. 

 “But do not worry…” he said, placing his hand on her stomach.“...For where you've failed, your sister excelled.” 

I blinked. Stared at her belly. Her hand was there too. Caressing…

Slowly, realization dawned on me.

No. No, no, no.

“You're pregnant?” My voice came out strangled, foreign. 

Adelia beamed, a wicked glint shone in her eyes. “Yes, Zarelia. I did what you couldn't do for years. A real woman gives her man pups,” she said proudly.

My stomach dropped, my knees buckled.

My eyes found my husband's, pleading. “Tell me she's lying,” my chin wobbled as tears blurred my vision. “Don't do this. Lurien, please, I love you so much—”

“Eww, stop being so pathetic,” Adelia snapped, her tone laced with disgust and contempt. “It's embarrassing.”

Shocked by her words.

I looked at her—really looked at her.

And I started to see things I hadn't noticed before. Like the fact that she never really loved me—had she at least, liked me?

The answer was clear. 

“You ungrateful snake!” I yelled, a tear rolled down my face. “I took you in. You were barely thirteen when your parents left you to rot, I begged my father to adopt you. I clothed you, fed you, nursed you through every fever, every breakdown—I gave you a family and a home! And this is how you repay me?!” 

Adelia didn't flinch. “I'm not your sister,” She smiled. “Sisters share blood and we do not. I wanted the man and I got him, deal with it.” 

Rage flared within me. My hand moved before I could stop it, about to slap the smug smile off her face.

But Lurien was faster. He caught my wrist.

He stepped in front of her. “Don't you ever lay your hands on Adelia, ever!” 

Then he shoved me.

Hard.

I crashed to the floor, pain shooting up my side. Gasps echoed from the maids gathered around, but no one moved to help.

Lurien and Adelia looked down their noses at me like I was dirt.

“I need you to know this, Zarelia.” Lurien wrapped his arm around her waist. “She is the only woman in my life now. She’s carrying my pups. She deserves to stay at my side as Luna.”

The hatred in his eyes as he spoke sent a jolt of pain through my chest.

I tried to stop the tears—I tried—but they flowed anyway. Hot, bitter, and relentless. I bit down hard on my lip, choking on the sob that tore out of me.

Lurien turned to the maids. “From today forward, you will all answer only to Adelia! She is your Luna now. Not Zarelia.” 

“Yes, Alpha Lurien,” They answered in unison.

The sound made me flinch. 

The pity on their faces made me bow my head in shame. I kept my eyes fixed on my lap, watching my tears drip down, soaking into the fabric of my skirt. 

“Let's go, Adelia,” Lurien muttered. “Being around her makes me sick.” 

His words cut deeper than a blade. It stole the air from my lungs. 

Sick? 

My hands trembled as I pressed them to the floor trying to steady myself, trying not to break more than I already had. 

I— Do I disgust him? 

Since when? 

Since I gave him my heart? Since I shielded him with my body and ruined my womb to save his life? 

None of this felt real.

Everything inside me cracked. 

It hurt. Goddess, it hurt.

“Wait!” Adelia said suddenly. 

My head jerked up. 

Lurien paused mid-step. “What is it?” 

She glanced at me over her shoulder, her eyes glinting with something cruel and vile. 

“Oh, it's nothing,” She said sweetly, smiling mischievously. “Zarelia and I have something to discuss.” 

Then she winked. 

“Don't we, ‘sister?’”