Chapter 2

I dragged my suitcase to the small suite in the side wing.

This used to be my "temporary home."

I lived here for the three years before our mating ceremony.

Back then, Xander would always say, "Just wait until our bedroom is finished. I'm going to give you the best of everything."

His eyes were full of dreams.

"We'll make our pack the strongest. We'll be loving mates for life."

Those promises sounded so ironic now.

I remember the first night we moved into the main wing.

The moonlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Xander kissed the corner of my lips and whispered, "Regina, you are my whole world."

But everything changed after Ryan died.

In my last life, on our mating anniversary, I waited for him at the restaurant for three hours in a custom-made gown.

The waiter kept asking if he should serve the food.

Xander finally rushed in, his clothes stained with Sadie's tears.

"I'm sorry, Regina. Sadie suddenly got a high fever. I couldn't just leave her."

On the anniversary of my father's death, I stood at his grave all afternoon.

Xander was supposed to be with me.

But Sadie sprained her ankle, so he disappeared for the whole day.

Thinking back, those weren't accidents. They were carefully laid traps.

A sharp knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts.

Sadie walked in, her belly leading the way. Her eyes scanned the small room with open contempt.

"Tsk, tsk. The Luna's room isn't even as big as the bathroom in the main wing," she sneered.

"What do you want?" I stared at her coldly.

"Just visiting my predecessor, of course," Sadie said, stroking her belly, smug. "This place will be a storage room soon, won't it?"

"You're not welcome here, Sadie."

"Not welcome?" She laughed out loud. "Regina, you need to figure out your place! You're nothing but a Luna in name only!"

She stepped closer, her voice turning sharp.

"When my son is born, he will be the sole heir to this pack. And you? You'll have nothing!"

My wolf roared in my chest.

Even though I'd decided to leave, I couldn't stand her arrogance.

"Get. Out," I said, word by word. "Now."

"Why should I listen to you?" Sadie took a dramatic step back, her hand on the doorframe. "I'm the mistress of this pack now!"

As she spoke, she suddenly "lost her footing."

I watched, my blood turning to ice, as she deliberately threw herself toward the stairs.

"Ah! Help me!"

Her scream echoed through the manor.

In a flash, Xander was there, his Alpha power radiating off him in waves.

He moved with terrifying speed, catching Sadie just before she could tumble down the stairs.

"Sadie! Are you okay?" His voice was filled with terror.

"It hurts... my stomach..." Sadie sagged against him, tears rolling down her face like pearls.

Xander slowly turned to me. The fury in his eyes made my heart stop.

It was a look I'd never seen before.

Cold. Disappointed. And filled with deep disgust.

"Regina, how could you?"

His voice trembled, like he was holding back a tidal wave of rage.

"She's pregnant! How could you lay a hand on a pregnant woman?"

"I didn't..."

"It wasn't me," I managed to say.

"Not you?" Xander roared, his Alpha's aura crashing down on me. "So you're saying Sadie threw herself down the stairs?"

I flinched back from his gaze.

He had never looked at me like that in our past life.

Not even when he let me die in agony on the birthing bed. Back then, his eyes still held a flicker of conflict.

But now, there was only pure, damning anger.

"Regina, when did you become so vicious?"

Every word was a knife in my heart.

He carefully lifted Sadie and strode toward the master bedroom.

"Someone! Get the healer here, now!"

I followed them, watching as he gently placed Sadie on our bed.

The bed where we'd whispered promises in the dark.

The healer rushed in, and after a careful examination, he let out a sigh of relief.

"She's just a little shaken up. The pup is healthy. She just needs a few days of rest."

Xander was so relieved. He pulled out his phone, taking detailed notes of the healer's every word.

"What should we watch out for? Any foods she can't eat? How often should we do a check-up?"

He asked so many questions, not even trying to hide the fact that he believed the pup in Sadie's womb was his.

After the healer left, he personally walked him out, asking for more details on caring for a pregnant Omega.

Once he was gone, Sadie slowly sat up, a triumphant look on her face.

"Xander's going to be a great father, don't you think?"

Her hand rested on her belly, a sly glint in her eyes.

"It was worth it," she purred, "slipping that drug into his drink to make him think he's the father."

"What?" My voice was barely a whisper. "That pup... it isn't Xander's?"

Sadie realized what she'd said and quickly covered her mouth.

But just as quickly, she straightened her back, defiant.

"So what if you know?" she sneered. "It changes nothing. You should just be smart and leave!"