CHAPTER 2

Maya 

My body feels like it doesn’t belong to me. I didn’t get a wink of sleep. My heart is heavy with thoughts of Ethan, our marriage, and his fated mate.

I’ve seen and heard enough to know what this means for us. This marriage is already over.

I remember Luna Avery. She used to be the Luna of a neighboring pack, and she and her husband were chosen mates too. 

She went through the same pain, forced to share her husband with his fated mate. She turned to drinking just to numb the ache in her heart. Eventually, her mate stopped taking her to pack gatherings, or even care for her. Their excuse was always the same: a fated mate makes the Alpha stronger.

Luna Avery’s tragic fate terrifies me, and I feel it deep in my bones. Ethan chose me so completely that I’ve pushed aside any thought he might still have a true mate out there. 

And now, I’m carrying his child, the one thing he’s always longed for. Yesterday should have been the happiest day of our lives. But instead, everything has changed in ways I never could have imagined. 

I toss and turn for hours before I finally drift to sleep. When morning comes, my body feels like stone, and my heart feels like glass about to shatter.

Ethan didn’t come home last night. I keep telling myself he’ll walk through that door, that he just stayed late at the hospital. But deep down, I know he won’t. Not when she’s there.

Suddenly, I feel a sharp twist in my stomach. “Goddess, what’s wrong?” I whisper, I press a shaky hand against it as I try to take a steady breath.

I know I’ve been stressed too much, and that’s not good for the baby. So I force myself to get dressed, even though the pain comes in intervals. Somehow, I managed to make it to the hospital.

The moment I step into Ava’s office, her eyes widen. She’s been my only friend since I came to this pack.

“Oh, Goddess, Maya, you don’t look well,” she says quickly. I can tell from her tone that I look awful. I barely recognize myself when I look in the mirror at home.

“I didn’t sleep well,” I whisper, trying to smile, but it comes out weak and forced.

“Let me check you, just to be safe,” she says with a worried frown as she gently guides me toward the exam room. I can tell she’s trying not to scold me for pushing myself too hard.

The sound of the ultrasound fills the room as Ava examines me. Her eyes glued to the screen. Then her hand freezes. Slowly, she looks at the monitor and back to me.

“Maya…” she whispers, with a trembling voice. “You’re not just pregnant. You’re carrying twins.”

For a moment, the world tilts, and my breath catches in my throat.

“Twins?” I choke out, barely able to breathe.

“Yes,” Ava nods, her eyes glistening. “Two little heartbeats.”

Tears blur my vision as I clutch the edge of the bed. Of all the time I spent praying and hoping for a pup, I never imagined I’d be blessed with twins.

My heart feels full… but the moment I think of Ethan, it shatters all over again.

I watch as Ava continues to study the screen, and a deep frown forms on her face.

She turns the monitor toward me, but honestly, I don’t understand a thing. My pulse quickens when she lets out a quiet sigh.

“Maya… your readings show signs of a threatened miscarriage,” Ava says carefully.

My stomach drops, and for a moment I can’t breathe. “A miscarriage? Ava, I’ve been so careful.”

“I know,” she says softly, her brows pulling together. “But I need to ask you something important. Have you been exposed to wolfsbane recently?”

I blink at her, confused. “Wolfsbane? No. Why would you even ask that?”

“There are traces of it in your system,” she explains gently.

My heart stutters. “That’s impossible. The only thing I’ve been taking is the herbal mixture Victoria gives me. She said it would help me get pregnant. I’ve been drinking it for three years, Ava.” My voice trembles as the truth starts to unravel in my mind. “Are you saying that’s where it came from?”

“It’s possible,” she says, reaching for my hand. “The dosage is extremely small, not enough to harm you or the twins right now. If it were deliberate, the symptoms would’ve appeared long before this. It might just be accidental contamination in the herbs.”

I swallow hard. “But if it increases…” I can’t even finish the sentence.

Ava squeezes my hand. “If the amount gets any higher, it could cause a miscarriage.”

A tremor runs through me. I wrap an arm around my stomach, as if I can shield the babies from things I can’t see. “I didn’t even know I was putting them at risk,” I whisper.

“You’ll stop the herbs immediately,” Ava says firmly. “And we’ll monitor you closely. Right now, you and the twins are safe, that’s what matters. But you need rest, Maya. Lots of it. No stress, no emotional strain. Do you understand?”

I let out a bitter laugh before I could stop it. “Rest?” I whisper. “How can I rest with everything happening between Ethan and that woman?” My heart feels like it’s being crushed from the inside out.

I see the pity in Ava’s eyes, and I hate it.

“Does Ethan know yet?” she asks softly.

I can’t bring myself to answer. Instead, I shake my head as tears spill freely down my cheeks. “No. He hasn’t even come home. He’s been… with her.”

“Chloe Bennett,” Ava mutters, her expression tightens. There’s something in her tone that makes me look up.

“What is it, Ava?” 

“There’s something strange about her, Maya.” She hesitates, her lips press together before she finally continues.

My heart skips. I wipe my tears quickly. “Strange? How?”

“When she was admitted, she refused every form of treatment. She screamed like a banshee until Alpha arrived. But the moment he touched her hand… she went quiet. Completely calm. It was as if she was under a spell.”

I almost roll my eyes, but when I notice Ava glancing around cautiously to make sure no one is listening, I stop and stare at her instead.

“And there’s something else,” she whispers, lowering her voice. “I’ve seen her before.”

I frown, confused. “Where?”

“At a rogue border camp three years ago. She wasn’t their prisoner, Maya. She was their Luna.”

I slowly shake my head Ethan told me she was a slave 

“That’s impossible.”

“You need to tell Ethan about the twins. He deserves to know, and you deserve to fight for your family.” Ava grips my hand. 

My heart pounds with so much fear if what Ava is telling me is true, I need to warn Ethan 

“You’re right.” I gather everything I came with Ava, squeeze my hand and I see hope in them.

So I rush out and make my way towards Ethan's office. I raise my hand to knock but I stop myself when I notice the door is slightly ajar and I hear voices. 

“…She doesn’t belong here, Ethan.”

That’s Ethan’s mother. She has this old, barbaric belief that an Alpha is only powerful when he’s with his true mate.

“Maya was never your fated mate. The Moon finally gave you what you deserve, Chloe.”

My heart stops.

“Mother, that’s enough,” Ethan says, with a tired voice. “Maya is still my wife.”

Victoria scoffs. “A barren Luna? She’s done nothing but embarrass this family. Chloe carries the true bond, the Moon’s blessing. It’s time you accepted your fate.”

Each word pierces through my skin. I clutch my stomach and bite my lip until I taste blood.

“Ethan, maybe she’s right. I can leave if you want me to, but… I can feel our bond. It’s so strong. Can’t you?”

I hear Chloe’s soft, innocent voice. It breaks slightly, and it could fool anyone.

I just want to hear what he has to say.

“You can’t fight the Moon, Ethan. Maya’s time is over. Make Chloe your Luna,” Victoria says. Her voice drips with venom.

“Chloe will stay.”

Something inside me shatters. I want to talk to him, about Chloe, about us, but right now. He’s made his choice.

I can’t stand to hear more. I turn and walk away. My vision blurs as my heart pounds against the fragile lives growing inside me.

By the time I reach our bedroom, my hands are shaking. The room spins, but I don’t care. Deep down, I know this isn’t just betrayal, it’s a curse.