Chapter 2

I had no idea what time it was.

I woke up to the harsh morning sun hitting my face, too bright and too unforgiving. My head throbbed faintly as awareness crept back in. Groggily, I pushed myself upright and leaned against the mahogany headboard of the massive bed, my fingers curling into the smooth wood as if grounding myself.

"D-Did I really just give myself to a stranger?" I whispered, clutching the silk duvet tightly to my chest.

My eyes widened when a sharp ache flared in my thighs, the dull soreness impossible to ignore. The cold morning air brushed against my bare skin, sending a shiver down my spine. Slowly, I turned my head to the left.

He was there.

The man I had poured my soul out to the night before lay fast asleep, sprawled facedown across the bed and hugging a pillow like he owned the place. His broad back rose and fell steadily with each breath, completely at ease.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs, so loud that I feared his heightened werewolf senses might pick it up even in his sleep. I pressed a hand over my chest, trying to calm myself.

Why was my heart racing like this?

Was it even possible to feel a pull this strong toward a complete stranger?

I studied him more closely, letting my eyes trace the hard lines of his body. It felt strange. Unexpected. There was no regret sitting in my chest, no shame weighing me down.

Staring up at the ceiling, memories from the night before rushed back uninvited. Catching Rave, tangled up with another woman in his condo should have shattered me completely. I had expected to feel broken.

But the pain was gone.

Had I ever truly loved Rave? Or was I just a lonely Beta’s daughter, desperate to know what it felt like to be chosen?

He had been my first boyfriend. He spent three months courting me, making me feel visible in a pack that usually treated me like a ghost drifting through the halls. I had mistaken attention for affection. Now, lying beside this stranger, Rave felt distant, like a fading shadow I no longer needed to chase.

The bed shifted beneath me.

A heavy, muscular arm slid across the mattress and hooked firmly around my waist, pulling me closer. I sucked in a breath, frozen in place.

He was still asleep.

His lips were slightly parted, his expression relaxed and unguarded. A small, almost involuntary smile curved my mouth as I reached out, my fingers sinking into his dark, messy hair. It was soft, warm, real.

I wish we could stay like this.

Reality crashed down on me without mercy.

Carefully, I disentangled myself from the arm wrapped around my waist, moving slowly so I would not wake him. I slipped out of bed and began searching for my clothes scattered across the plush carpet. Heat rushed to my face when I spotted my lace underwear.

They were shredded.

Ruined by a strength that was clearly more than human.

"Good Goddess," I muttered under my breath. How was I supposed to go home like this?

With a tired sigh, I grabbed a pair of his grey boxers and a matching t-shirt. They hung loosely on my frame, swallowing me whole. I found my wallet near the edge of the bed. Something slipped out and fell to the floor, but I was too rushed and overwhelmed to check what it was.

I paused at the foot of the bed and looked back at him one last time.

He looked like a god carved from stone. A sharp, chiseled jaw. A straight nose. Thick brows that gave him an intense, commanding presence even in sleep. And his body was built for power, for dominance.

"Thank you for making me happy," I whispered softly. "I won’t forget last night."

I leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, then his cheek. There was no regret in my chest, only a quiet ache I could not explain.

I slipped out of the room and into the hallway, realizing only then that we were in a high-tech penthouse overlooking the city. Floor to ceiling windows reflected the morning light. This had to be a neutral zone luxury suite.

**

Six Weeks Later

My hands trembled as I stared down at the pregnancy test. The moment the second line appeared, my breath hitched and a sob tore out of my chest.

Positive.

I ripped open another box, then another. Three tests lay on the table.

All positive.

I was carrying a child.

A pup was growing inside me.

My legs gave out as I sank onto the sofa of my small apartment. I no longer lived on the pack estate. I did not earn enough for a luxury condo, and I had refused to work for my father’s firm, no matter how many times he pushed it.

I pressed my palms to my temples, gasping as panic set in. I was not ready to be a mother. But worse than that, I knew my family.

If the Beta and his wife found out, they would force me to terminate the pregnancy to protect the so-called purity of our bloodline. Reputation mattered more to them than my life.

A loud pounding on my door made me jump. I quickly stood, shoving the tests behind my back.

"Aubrey!" I gasped as I opened the door.

My sister stood there, perfectly put together, looking every bit the high-ranking she-wolf in designer heels and a dress that probably cost more than my car.

"So you are here!" she snapped. "Why did it take you so long to open the door? What are you even doing with your life?"

"W-Why... are you here?" I asked, tightening my grip on the tests.

"To bring you home for the engagement party," Eileen said with a sneer. "Trust me, I don’t want you there, but Dad insisted. Go get dressed. Hurry up. I don’t do waiting."

The engagement.

I had almost forgotten.

She was marrying into one of the most powerful Alpha lineages in the country.

Eileen’s gaze dropped to my arm. I tried to rush toward my bedroom, but she moved faster, lunging forward with werewolf speed and grabbing my shoulder.

"What are you hiding?"

She kicked my bedroom door open, the wood splintering slightly from the force.

"It’s... nothing! Just trash," I said quickly.

She did not listen.

She shoved me back and swiped at my hand, knocking the tests to the floor. The sound of plastic hitting tile echoed through the room.

Silence followed.

My heart felt like it stopped beating as Eileen stared down at them.

"Eileen, please," I whispered.

She picked one up, her lips curling with malicious satisfaction. "You’re pregnant." Her gaze flicked up to mine. "It’s not Rave’s, is it? We all know he dumped you weeks ago."

I could not speak.

"You’re just like your mother," she spat. "A stray. A tramp. Out of all the things to inherit from that woman, you chose her lack of morals?"

My fists clenched. "Don’t you dare talk about my mother!"

"Why not?!" she shot back, throwing the test at my face. "Who’s the father? You don’t even know, do you? You’re just a low-rent omega who slept with a stranger while our father was out trying to maintain this family’s dignity!"

Something inside me snapped.

My hand flew out, connecting with her cheek. The sound was sharp and loud. Her head snapped to the side.

"D-Did you... just hit me?" Eileen hissed, her eyes flashing amber. "You’ve grown a spine living in this dump?!" She grabbed my hair and yanked me forward. "We’re going to the estate! Let’s see what our father thinks about his bastard grandchild!

"Eileen, you’re hurting me!" I cried as she dragged me toward the elevator.

"Good," she barked. "You’ve done nothing but bring shame to this family. I don’t know why Mom ever let you into our house."

She shoved me into the back of her SUV and slapped me twice before slamming the door shut. I curled into myself, sobbing. They were always like this, using physical dominance to remind me where I stood. I wished they had never taken me in after my mother died.

When we arrived at the massive Beta Estate, fairy lights illuminated the gardens. The elite of the pack filled the grounds, laughter and music drifting through the air.

"Get out!" Eileen ordered, dragging me toward the entrance.

"Eileen, please.... Don’t do this. Dad will make me get rid of it," I begged, nearly collapsing.

"Carry her," Eileen snapped at her driver.

"What is going on here?"

The deep, baritone voice sliced through the noise.

Eileen immediately released me, smoothing her dress and forcing a sweet smile onto her face.

"Sweetheart, don’t worry. Just some sister drama," she said lightly.

I slowly lifted my head.

The man she was calling sweetheart stood a few feet away.

My breath caught.

It was him. The man from the bar, and my sister fiance.

Travis Thorne froze, his dark brows drawing together as his gaze locked onto mine. "You’re hurting her," he said, his voice dropping lower, his eyes flicking to the bruises on my arm.

"Travis, she’s a mess," Eileen said quickly. "She’s going to ruin our family name today. I’m just handling it before the guests see."

She reached for me again.

Travis stepped forward, his Alpha aura rolling outward, heavy enough that nearby wolves instinctively lowered their heads. He caught Eileen’s wrist mid-motion.

"What did she do?" he asked quietly.

"She’s pregnant," Eileen said. "And she doesn’t even know who the father is. She’s been sleeping around like a rogue."

Shock flashed across Travis’s face before disappearing behind an icy calm.

"Don’t make a scene," he said coldly, glancing toward the garden. "There are guests everywhere."

"But—"

"Not now, Eileen. Let’s go," he commanded.

The authority in his voice was absolute.

"Fine," she snapped, shooting me a glare. "I’m not done with you. Go upstairs and change. Try not to look like a stray for once."

I watched them walk toward the mansion together, my thoughts spinning.

Eileen already hated me.

What would she do when she realized her perfect Alpha fiancé was the father of the child growing inside me?