Chapter 1

Elena's POV

In our three years of bond, my Alpha, Damon Slater, maintained a facade of gentle affection while secretly poisoning me with a sterility-inducing drug. I was on the verge of confronting him when his lover, Isabelle Turner, brazenly declared that she was pregnant with Damon's pup.

"I'd like to announce that my Alpha has given me the most precious gift."

Isabelle had announced it in a cloyingly sweet and triumphant tone, with an accompanying photo showing her hand resting on her lower abdomen.

I was stunned, my breath catching in my throat. That single message instantly crushed my intention to seek Damon out and demand a confrontation.

In the meantime, the group chat was bombarded with messages.

"Congratulations! Alpha Damon finally has an heir!"

"It's wonderful news for the pack!"

"I'll have to start preparing for the congratulatory gift!"

There were well-wishes coming in one after another. Callum Smith, the Beta of the pack, instantly gave Isabelle a shimmering, rare Luna Gem, while the chief warrior of the pack delivered a symbolic gift of centuries-old cedarwood.

There were also others who vowed to dedicate their lives to guarding Damon and Isabelle's pup, the Alpha heir.

"I solemnly swear my allegiance to the future Alpha by the oath of the pack!"

"I pledge my unwavering loyalty to the future Alpha heir!"

There were pledges of loyalty flashing past the screen, one after another.

Damon, the admin of the group chat, remained silent throughout the whole thing. He offered no denial, no single word of explanation, and made no move to halt the frenzy either.

I had to sit and bear witness as Isabelle, established as the mother of the future heir, received the solemn vows and lavish gifts from Damon's most trusted allies.

I felt my hands trembling—they weren't born of grief or despair, but pure rage.

"Thank you, everyone, for your thoughtfulness."

Isabelle sent another message, sounding like the rightful Luna of the pack. "I'll make good use of these gifts to decorate the pup's nursery."

She then sent a smile emoji with another message, stating, "Damon and I will invite the Elders to attend the naming ceremony once the pup is born."

It was a sacred rite that could only be presided over by the Luna of the pack. It turned out that Isabelle was already planning her rise, acting as if she were the Luna-to-be.

I took screenshots and saved all the evidence, then turned off the communication crystal. It was awfully quiet in the room, with only the sound of my ragged breathing echoing.

I had consistently wondered why I couldn't conceive in the past three years. I sought out every healer and doctor, endured countless tests, and even submitted to ancient fertility rituals. I would receive Damon's comforting words with every failure, with him saying, "You have nothing to worry about—there's still plenty of time, Elena."

He would then hand me more of those "elixirs" after comforting me.

I finally realized the truth now—he never intended for me to conceive. I was nothing more than a tool to him, used to secure the alliance between the two major packs.

I then heard footsteps approaching the door and realized that Damon had returned ahead of schedule. He was supposed to be handling a territorial dispute at the border tonight and wasn't due back until tomorrow. He clearly had something more important to deal with since he came back early.

His voice, dripping with fake concern, called out, "How come you're back so soon, Elena? How did the check-up with the shaman go?"

I took a deep breath, struggling to keep my voice even as I replied, "It all went well."

Damon pushed open the door and stepped inside, his face bearing his usual gentle smile. "It's good news, then. I'm feeling rather exhausted tonight, so let's head to bed early."

I gazed at his face, picturing him using that exact same expression to murmur sweet nothings to Isabelle just a few hours earlier. I then asked him, "Why are you back so early tonight?"

"It's because the border issue was resolved more smoothly than expected," Damon replied. He slipped out of his coat, his movements as natural as if nothing had happened.

I knew he was lying because the corner of his left eye always gave a slight twitch whenever he lied—just as it did that very moment.