Chapter 4

The second I opened the front door of the packhouse, I heard laughter coming from upstairs. From the Luna's Sacred Chamber.

My anger flared instantly.

That chamber had been sealed for twenty-five years only opened when a Luna carried the pack's heirs. Three months ago, when the pack elders learned I was pregnant with twins, they'd performed the ancient ceremony to open it for me. Damon had stood beside me that day, his hand on the sacred birthing bed. "This is where our pups will be born," he'd promised. "Where they'll receive every Luna's blessing."

And now he wanted to give that to Sophia?

Fury surged through me. I stormed down the hallway and up the stairs, swinging the door open,only to find Sophia lying in the Luna's birthing bed. The bed where every Reed Alpha had been born for ten generations.

"This room is incredible, Damon," she purred, running her hand over the ancient headboard. "My pup will be so blessed to be born in this sacred space."

I yanked her up without thinking, rage burning in my chest. But before I could get a word out, Damon grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from her.

"What is wrong with you? You act like a lunatic the second you walk in," he snapped. But when he saw the tears in my eyes, he hesitated,his grip loosening just a little.

"Are you really giving her this chamber?" I asked, my voice raw and broken.

Damon frowned and said"Sophia said she felt called to it. It's not a big deal if she uses it."

"Do you remember when the elders opened this room for me? When they performed the Luna's Blessing ceremony? You promised me"

"Enough, Aria!" he cut me off, irritated. "Everything you've done these past few days has been disappointing. If you keep acting like this, I'll have to reconsider whether this marriage should even continue." He paused, eyes cold. "You don't want your pups to be born without a father, do you?"

He was threatening me with rejection.

Looking at his face, the way he turned away when he was done with an argument, I felt the memories crumble. All his promises, all his whispered vows about treasuring me and our pups forever.

He once said this chamber would always belong to our babies. He said he would protect our family for the rest of his life.

And yet here we were.

I didn't say anything else. I turned around and walked out, numb. My hand instinctively cradled my belly, feeling my twins flutter restlessly inside me.

"Don't worry, babies,we don't need that room. I'll find us somewhere better."

Behind me, Damon stood frozen, watching me walk away. That same flicker of guilt from the hospital flashed across his face again sharp and quick, then buried.

But as Sophia called out to him from the chamber, he turned and went back to her.

Later, when I was alone in what used to be our bedroom, I heard them talking through the walls. Their voices carried clearly, and every word felt like a knife twisting in my chest.

"The energy in that room is perfect for childbirth," Sophia was saying. "I can feel how powerful it is. My pup is already responding to it."

"I'm glad," Damon replied, his voice soft with affection. "You deserve to have the best for our baby."

Our baby. Not her baby. Ours.

I pressed my ear to the wall, hating myself but unable to stop listening.

"Aria seemed so upset," Sophia continued, false concern dripping from her words. "I hope she understands that you're just being practical. After all, my due date is earlier than hers now."

"She'll get over it. Aria's always been dramatic about these things."

"Still, I feel terrible taking something that was meant for her. Maybe I should"

"No," Damon said firmly. "You're not going anywhere. That chamber should go to whoever needs it most. And frankly, you've been much easier to deal with during your pregnancy than she has."

I listened to him comfort her, the same gentle tone he used to use with me. Hearing his tenderness directed at another woman, I realized something that made my stomach turn.

Every kind word Damon had ever spoken to me during my pregnancy, every gentle touch, every moment of care it had all been practice. He was learning how to be a good mate and father with me, perfecting his technique so he wouldn't make mistakes when it really mattered.

When it was Sophia.

I was just his rehearsal. His chance to work out all the kinks before the real performance began.

The Luna's chamber that the elders had blessed for me? He'd always planned to give it to her. Every sacred tradition, every ancestral blessing, every promise he'd made it was all just words to keep me calm while he prepared for his real family.

I clenched my fists so tightly my nails drew blood. The pain in my chest was so intense I could barely breathe. All I could do was whisper to myself over and over that it was okay.

It was okay. Because soon, we'd be free of him.

Just me and my babies. And we'd be just fine.

The twins kicked, like they could hear me. Like they understood.

I wrapped my arms around my belly and held them close.

I stayed that way for a long time, until I could finally breathe again.

Until I could finally let go.