I Gave Him Nine Lives, He Gave Me a Pregnant Rival

This was the ninth time Kyle had died.

For a worthless piece of borderland, he’d charged into the Moonstone Pack's camp alone, like a madman, trying to kill their Alpha single-handedly. He was torn to shreds by five of their top enforcers.

Just as reckless as the last eight times.

The first time, he’d smiled and plunged a silver dagger into his own gut, just to prove his dominance over a Beta wolf who’d challenged him.

The second, he’d fought an ancient guardian beast to conquer a smaller pack.

Every single time, he was a gambler throwing his life on the table, because he knew I was his ace in the hole.

He knew I'd trade my life for his without a second thought.

The elders of the Black Moon pack weren’t even worried anymore. One of them just smiled and nudged me forward. "Hurry up, Althea. The Alpha is waiting for you to work your magic."

There was no pity in their eyes.

I walked onto the altar, slowly stripped off my clothes, and sat, naked, on Kyle’s blood-stained body.

This was part of the ritual—I had to absorb the aura of his death to form the Pearl.

The first time, I was so ashamed. Now, I was just numb.

My fingernails sharpened into claws, and I sliced open my own stomach.

Ah—!

The pain was like someone carving out my insides with a rusty spoon, inch by inch. A soul-tearing agony made me curl into a ball.

I pulled out the blood-slicked Pearl and fed it to Kyle.

The Pearl dissolved into his body, and color returned to his pale skin.

A few seconds later, Kyle’s eyes shot open and he gasped for air.

He was alive.

I collapsed beside him, completely drained, unable to move a finger.

The shimmering blue fishtail mark on my arm was gone. It had faded a little more with every Pearl I lost. Now, it had vanished completely.

And my mate—the man who caused all this—didn't even offer a hug. Not even a thank you.

Kyle sat up, and the first person he looked at wasn’t me. It was an elder waiting anxiously nearby.

"What's the situation? Did the Moonstone bastards retreat?"

"They took the western woods, Alpha!"

Rage flooded Kyle’s face. He whipped his head around to face me, and the gray eyes I had once loved so fiercely now held nothing but cold, sharp blame.

"What took you so long this time?"

In that moment, my heart felt like it had been pierced by a shard of winter ice. The last bit of warmth I held for him froze and shattered.

I suddenly remembered years ago, when I’d snuck ashore to play and was hunted down by humans. I was bleeding out, sure I was about to die.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Kyle's face.

He was just a bold teenager back then.

He wiped the blood from my cheek and smiled. "Your life is mine now."

He was right. My life was his. So he could squander it as he pleased.

The emptiness and pain made my head spin, but I forced myself to meet his eyes.

This twisted bond had to end.

With the last pearl gone, I was of no more use to him.

"Kyle," my voice was raw, "you once promised to give me the precious Silvermoon Flower as a gift."

He froze, clearly not expecting me to bring that up.

The Silvermoon Flower was the only thing that could ease the weakness that came after creating a pearl. I had begged him for it so many times, but he was always too busy.

Now, I just wanted to use this one last request to put an end to my pathetic love story.

Feeling the hollow agony inside me, I used the last of my strength to ask, "Now… can you give it to me?"