Chapter One

The air in the Rivas Pack's big house was full of tension. Diego Rivas stood tall in the big living room. He was the Alpha of the Rivas Pack at his best, with a broad frame that made him look powerful. You could see the anger coming off of him. His jaw was tight and his eyes were hard. His wife, Mariana Pérez, the Luna of the pack, looked small next to him. She was shaking and her eyes were full of tears that she tried hard to hide, but the pain in her chest was too much for her to handle.

Mariana's voice broke, and she could barely hear it when she said, "You're lying."

"No, I'm not," Diego said back, his voice colder than the bitter wind outside. "Yes, it's true. I can't do this anymore. I've been trying to make it work for too long. His words cut through the air like a knife. "I'm going to leave you for Lucia."

Mariana stopped moving, and her breath caught in her throat. The name rang in her head, a cruel reminder of everything she had tried to forget. Diego's ex-girlfriend, Lucia Torres, was the woman who had never really left his heart, even after they got married. Not only did she betray him, but it was her. The woman who had once broken up their love was back to finish the job.

"Diego, please... don't do this," Mariana's voice shook, and her hands shook as she reached out, begging him not to make the biggest mistake of his life. "We've made a life together, our life. This isn't enough to break us. You are the Alpha. "You can do better than this."

His eyes softened for a moment, but then they got hard again. "No, I'm not." I can't do better than this. I have been holding on to something that isn't even there anymore. "Mariana, it's over."

His words hit her like a punch in the stomach. Mariana had always been the strong one, the one who held the group together, but now she felt like the ground beneath her was crumbling and her very foundation was disappearing.

"I never asked for this," Mariana said through tears that had been building up for a long time. "I loved you, Diego." I gave you everything. She was speechless as he turned away without saying anything else. Her heart broke.

She felt her chest tighten as she watched him walk toward the door. The quiet between them was so loud it hurt.

Diego stopped just before he got to the door. He was still facing away from her, but there was something about the way he was standing that she couldn't quite put her finger on. He looked like he was going to say something, but then he turned and walked out, his footsteps heavy on the marble floors.

Mariana's heart raced as she looked at the empty space where Diego had been. It was as if the world had just come crashing down, leaving her with nothing but the wreckage.

Her knees gave out, and she fell to the floor. She felt like a freight train hit her when she realized what had just happened. He left. Diego was gone for Lucia. The woman who had always been there for him.

She sat there for what seemed like forever, not moving, and her tears made the floor below her wet. Her heart hurt so badly that she couldn't even understand it. But even though she was sad, she had a secret that could destroy Diego's world like nothing else could.

She closed her eyes and felt the truth's weight on her. I'm having a baby. With his kids. Her fingers instinctively curled over her stomach, where the life she was carrying had already begun to grow. With each passing moment, the future she had hoped for slipped away.

The betrayal hurt too much, but this secret was the kind of thing that could ruin Diego. Once he found out, his world would fall apart. But she just couldn't tell him. Not now. Not like this.

A knock on the door broke her train of thought. A soft knock, but it still sounded urgent in the quiet that followed Diego's leaving.

"Mariana?" Her best friend, Raquel Cordero, was there. Mariana could almost feel the weight of her gaze through the door. Her voice was full of worry.

Mariana took a deep breath, stood up, wiped her tears, and fixed her face before opening the door. Raquel stood there with her eyes wide open in fear.

"Raquel," Mariana whispered, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

As Raquel looked at her, her eyes softened. "Are you okay?"

"No," Mariana's voice shook. She couldn't keep it in any longer. "He's going away from me." He is going with Lucia. She felt the lump in her throat rise again, but she forced it down. "And I'm going to have a baby. With his kids. But I can't say that to him. Not right now. Not after what he did."

Raquel stepped forward and put her arms around Mariana in a comforting way. Raquel whispered, "I promise I won't tell anyone." "You're not the only one going through this." You never have to be by yourself.

Mariana held on to her, thankful for the help. But Mariana's mind was racing even as Raquel held her. The secret of her pregnancy was like a time bomb. Diego would have to find out at some point, but when? What would he do when he found out?

"I don't know what to do, Raquel," Mariana said, her voice breaking. "He's messed up everything."

Raquel pulled away, her face stern. "You'll figure it out." "We'll work this out together."

Mariana nodded, but inside she was unsure of what to do. She didn't know if she could ever forgive Diego for what he did, but she did know that she would do anything to keep their kids safe. Even if it meant never telling him about it.

Mariana stood at the door and stared at the empty hallway as Raquel left. Her heart was heavy. But then a shadow moved under the door, and a letter slipped through the space at the bottom. Mariana bent down and picked it up, her hands shaking.

The letter was for Diego and had a seal on it that she didn't know. As she opened it, she felt a chill run through her body as her eyes scanned the words.

"To Diego Rivas, the leader of the Rivas Pack." You don't know how close the truth about your bloodline is. Your past is important for your future, but it might not be what you think it is. "Be careful," they said.

She couldn't catch her breath. The family line. Her kids. The past. What was this? And why did it seem like everything was about to fall apart again?