1

“Be my Luna, Alethea.”

I held my dress in my hands and ran, tears of joy pooling my eyes. I was in bed, my heart pounding with excitement and fear when Karl’s text eventually came in.

I was being silly, scared he’d changed his mind about us.

I stopped running to gaze up at the sky. Only two hours until midnight, yet here I was, early and eager, unable to wait a moment longer.

Tonight was the night I would escape my father’s house, and start a new life with Karl, the handsome Alpha’s son who had captured my heart.

I met Karl when I turned eighteen and over the past three years, we've grown inseparable. It was only a matter of time before we'd spend the rest of our lives together. But fate had other plans.

My father's debts were mounting, and I knew he'd soon try to use me as a tool to repay them. In fear, I suggested to Karl we flee together. But his text popping up almost immediately wasn’t expected. Instead of escaping, he wanted to officially claim me as his own. He wants me to be his luna!

After a five-minute walk, I arrived at the basement, but Karl was nowhere to be found. I scanned the area, double-checking to make sure he hadn't arrived before me.

Satisfied that I was alone, I settled onto the floor. This basement had been our secret meeting spot for years, a place where I felt safe and at ease.

As I waited, my nostril caught a familiar scent, strong and deep. However, after I picked up another scent, I was confused. Someone was definitely here, but who? It couldn’t be Karl, right?

I rose up my feet as quickly as I could and sprinted in the direction of Karl’s unmistakable scent.

I was only halfway there when I heard the sound of moans and heavy breathing. I rolled my eyes upward in annoyance. Seriously? Someone had picked this spot to engage in something so private. The audacity was astonishing.

Nevertheless, I didn’t stop walking. My goal was to make them vacate the premises before Karl arrived. As I drew closer, I heard what made me slow down and caused my pulse to race.

“Oh, shit! Harder, Karl. Make me run wild before she comes.” A voice I recognized as my bestfriend’s pleaded.

Indie was beneath Karl, who was straining above her, his face tense with pleasure, his muscles bulging, and sweat dripping down.

The more Karl’s cock thrust in her wetness, the more she moaned in pleasure and delight.

This can’t be real. I must be dreaming or losing my mind. I blinked, again and again, praying the scene before me would disappear, but it didn’t. The horrific image of my mate and best friend fucking remained as clear as daylight.

Karl and I had a weekly bed routine. I always made sure he was satisfied, and he often told me I was the only woman who could truly please him. But now, finding him naked above another, entwined with someone else…

“Damn, Karl. Tell me, does Alethea make you feel as good as I do? Is my poor best friend any good?” Indie asked, her voice honeyed with pleasure as she writhed under him.

“Not at all, baby. You’re the best.” He grunted. My body ran cold and I suddenly couldn’t take it anymore.

“What on earth is going on here, Karl?!” I screamed, and they froze, the room falling silent.

Karl’s eyes locked onto mine, startled. Indie tried to scramble to her feet but Karl grasped her shoulder, holding her in place as he wrapped the blanket around her. His gaze never left mine as he asked, his voice cold.

“Why are you here so soon?” The question was absurd, and we both knew it.

“Why am I here so soon?” I repeated, disbelief shaking my voice. “You’re kidding, right? You’re caught red-handed, literally, and you’re asking why I’m here?”

I glared at him, incredulous, as he stayed there, calm and collected, gently patting Indie’s back as she snuggled deeper into his arms. The scene was sickeningly intimate, and my anger boiled over.

“You cheated on me, and yet you’re still trying to protect her?” I pointed at him, hot tears streaming down my face. “Where’s your loyalty? Ain’t you supposed to be my partner, my mate? Have you sold your conscience to the devil himself?”

He pulled back from Indie and walked over to where I was standing, "You're the one with no conscience, Alethea. We've been together for three years, and you never once thought to tell me the truth. You’re only with me because of my wealth and status. You’re a gold digger who wants to cling to me for my power and riches, even though you can’t give me the one thing I truly desire - an heir. And now you have the nerve to come crawling here? You're heartless, wanting me to crown you my Luna despite your...barrenness!" He yelled back, beads of sweat covering his forehead.

I stood in shock, frozen by the venom that spilled from his mouth.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut.

"Barren? What…” I paused, and looked at Indie, the only person who held all my secrets. "Is that what you told him? Is that why you betrayed me?" I asked her.

Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. If things took this turn, I'd be doomed. My father would sell me off, and I doubt anyone would want me - not when I was already pregnant. Memories of my initial joy at the news flashed before my eyes, and my hands clenched into fists.

Indie and I had been inseparable since childhood, but lately, things had changed. Ever since I started dating Karl, Indie became increasingly curious about my personal life, often making me feel uneasy but I would brush it off. It didn’t stop me, she remained the one person I trusted with my deepest secrets.

During my first year with Karl, I grew anxious when I didn't see any signs of pregnancy. I had hoped that having a child would be the perfect gift for him. However, when I visited the pack's doctor, I received devastating news that my mother's generational curse had been passed down to me, rendering me infertile.

Indie was the only person I confided in about the curse. I had told her it was irreversible, but what I hadn't shared was that my mother's curse had eventually broken, allowing her to give birth to me. I had hoped that my own curse would be lifted, but I kept that hope to myself.

Now, looking back, I’m relieved I kept that a secret from Indie. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have known her true nature – a snake hiding in the grass.

Indie smirked, rising from the couch with the blanket wrapped around her. Karl wanted to intervene, but she flashed him a sweet smile and cat-walked towards us.

"I wouldn't say I betrayed you, dear friend. Let's just say I didn't want Karl's efforts to go to waste. And since he's my type anyway, I decided to take a chance, and it turns out we're perfect for each other. I'll be giving Karl something you would never be able to give him, even in your lifetime. Why? Because you’re infertile, and in my eyes, that makes you less of a woman.” She said bluntly, and I reacted without thinking, slapping her hard across the face.

“How dare you?” I bit out, my patience finally snapping.

Indie burst into fake tears and Karl’s face turned red with anger. Before I knew what was happening, he grabbed me by the neck.

“How dare you lay a hand on her? I wanted to be lenient with you but now, you’ve gone too far.” His eyes flashed, his voice low and dangerous.

I tried to pull away, but he squeezed tighter. I pleaded with my eyes for him to stop. Finally, he let me go, and I fell to the floor, rubbing my neck and coughing.

“I’m done with you, Alethea. She’s right, I should get rid of you. You don’t deserve to be with me, and now, it’s over,” He trailed off, taking a step back and I stiffened. I knew what was coming and it terrified me.

“What if I tell you I am pregnant with your child?” I said quickly, interrupting him before he could hit me with what I fear the most and he squinted his eyes in disbelief, unable to process the information.

“What did you just say?” He asked sourly, stepping forward and I looked him square in the eyes before repeating myself. “I said I am pregnant!”