One

Chapter One

Nia’s POV

Today was my husband’s birthday, and for the first time in three years, I allowed myself to believe that perhaps tonight could be different.

For three years, the people of the Black Moon Pack had whispered whenever I walked past them.

Barren, worthless, Luna without an heir.

Some of them were cruel enough to say that the Moon Goddess had made a mistake when she bonded me to Alpha Azrael, because what good was a Luna who could not give her Alpha a child?

I had heard every word, even when they thought I wasn't listening.

I had cried over those words more times than I could count, but I had never told Azrael how much they hurt me because somewhere inside me, I had always believed that if I could give him a child, everything would finally change.

Maybe he would look at me differently, maybe he would hold me the way a husband was supposed to hold his mate, maybe he would stop running to Hailey every time he wanted company.

That was why I had spent three days searching for the fertility seed.

It was not an ordinary seed, and finding one was almost impossible unless you knew where to look. I had traveled beyond our territory, spoken to an old wolf healer who lived near the northern mountains, and spent almost every coin I had saved because I wanted to bring home something that could change our lives.

The little silver seed rested between my fingers as I stared at it, I had already used it.

The healer had warned me that it would awaken my body and increase my fertility for a short period, and that I would need to be with my mate while its effects were strongest.

My heart had raced when she told me that.

For the first time in years, I had allowed myself to imagine carrying Azrael's pup.

I imagined his face when I told him, I imagined the entire pack celebrating.

Most of all, I imagined finally proving that I was not the reason my husband had no heir.

So tonight, I had prepared everything.

The dining table was covered with his favorite food, the candles were already burning, and beside his plate was the small gift I had wrapped myself.

I even wore the dress he once told me he liked.

It was embarrassing how much effort I had put into one night, considering how rarely Azrael and I spent time alone together.

But he was my mate, my Alpha, my husband and tonight was his birthday, surely he would come home and remember that.

I sat quietly at the table, listening to the sound of the wind moving through the trees outside the mansion.

Then I heard footsteps.

My heart immediately jumped, I stood so quickly that the chair moved behind me.

"He's home."

A smile spread across my face before I could stop it, and for a moment, I felt like a foolish young girl waiting for her mate instead of a Luna who had spent three years learning how lonely a mating bond could be.

The footsteps came closer. I heard the front door open, followed by the familiar voices of the guards.

Then one of the security wolves opened the dining-room door.

My smile disappeared.

Azrael stood there, my husband, my Alpha but he wasn't alone.

Hailey, his ex-girlfriend before the moon goddess mated him to me, was beside him, her hand was wrapped around his arm, and she was smiling up at him as though she belonged there, as though she had never left.

As though she had never been the woman who made my marriage feel like a punishment.

My fingers tightened around the edge of the table.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Azrael barely looked at me before turning his attention to Hailey.

She leaned against him and smiled.

"Happy birthday, Alpha Azrael," she said sweetly, her voice filled with the kind of affection I had forgotten what it felt like to receive.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

Everyone in the pack called me Luna, but sometimes I wondered if that was all I would ever be to him.

Luna,a title, a position, nothing more.

If the Moon Goddess had not tied our wolves together three years ago, would Azrael have ever chosen me?

I already knew the answer.

He would have chosen Hailey, he always chose Hailey.

Still, I forced myself to smile.

"Happy birthday, my love," I said softly. "I prepared dinner for you, and I thought we could eat together tonight. I wanted us to have some time alone because we hardly get to do that anymore."

Azrael finally looked at me, there was no warmth in his eyes. "I don't need your food, Nia."

My heart sank, but I tried not to show it,bI glanced at the table and then back at him. "I made everything you like, and I thought that since it was your birthday, perhaps we could forget everything else for one night and just be together as mates."

His jaw tightened.nInstead of answering me, he looked at Hailey.

She smiled.

Then Azrael looked back at me. "If you really wanted to give me something for my birthday, you should have given me an heir."

The words struck harder than I expected, I stared at him, he knew, he knew exactly where to hurt me.

Hailey covered her mouth as she laughed. "I cannot believe she is still pretending this will happen," she said, looking me over with a mocking smile. "Three years, Nia. Three whole years as Luna, and you still haven't given the Alpha a single pup."

My eyes burned, I wanted to tell her that she knew nothing, I wanted to tell Azrael about the fertility seed hidden inside my pocket.

I wanted to tell him that I had spent three days searching for it because I was tired of watching people call him barren but the words remained trapped inside me.

Hailey stepped closer to him. "You should stop trying so hard," she continued. "Just enjoy being Luna while you still have the position, because soon enough, I'll be wearing your crown."

My breath caught. Azrael did not correct her, that hurt more than anything she could have said.

I looked at him, waiting for him to defend me, he didn't.

Instead, Hailey reached up and kissed him, right in front of me.

My chest tightened as I watched my mate kiss another woman in our home on his birthday, the same night I had spent hours preparing everything for him.

I lowered my eyes, maybe this was my answer, maybe I had been foolish for believing tonight would be different.

Without another word, Azrael took Hailey upstairs.

I heard their footsteps disappear down the hallway.

Then the bedroom door closed.

Something inside me broke.

I stood alone beside the dining table, staring at the untouched food.

The candles continued to burn, the food grew cold and the birthday gift I had prepared for my husband suddenly felt like the stupidest thing I had ever done.

My hand slowly moved to my stomach.

The fertility seed had already begun working, heat rushed through my body.

I gasped and grabbed the table for support. "Oh..."

My vision blurred.

My wolf stirred restlessly inside me, confused by the sudden intensity spreading through my body.

I had been warned that the seed would awaken my fertility and increase my desire, but I had not expected it to feel like this.

My skin burned, my heart raced.

I could barely think,bI closed my eyes and tried to steady myself.

Then I heard footsteps behind me, slow, heavy, familiar.

My heart began beating even faster, I turned around.

A man stood at the entrance, the room seemed to spin around me.

His face was difficult to see through my blurred vision, but the shape of him, the scent surrounding him, the familiar Alpha presence that filled the room made my wolf react immediately.

My lips parted. "Azrael..."

He moved closer.

I could barely breathe. "You came back for me," I whispered, tears still wet on my cheeks.

He didn't answer,he only stared at me.

I stepped toward him. "I thought you didn't want me anymore."

He remained silent.

I reached for him, my fingers trembling as they touched his chest. I noticed a mole in his chest, but as I could remember, Azrael doesn't have a mole, but tonight, I do not care, I just want to be with him.

My wolf recognized the Alpha presence, and the strange heat inside my body became almost unbearable. "Why did you come back?"

He looked down at me.

Then he leaned closer.

My eyes fluttered shut and when his lips touched mine, every thought disappeared from my mind.

I reached for him, my fingers trembling as they touched his chest, and that was when I noticed a small mole beneath his collarbone.

Azrael didn't have a mole there.

For a moment, confusion flashed through my mind, but I pushed it away. I didn't care. Not tonight.

My wolf recognized the Alpha presence, and the heat inside me became unbearable.

"Why did you come back?" I whispered.

He only stared at me before leaning closer, when his lips touched mine, every thought disappeared.

I kissed him again, more desperately this time, but he hesitated at first. "Please, I need you," I whispered.

 Just then, he carried me, I wrapped my arms around his neck, believing that my husband had finally come back to me.