Chapter 1

Leina’s POV

“Happy tenth mating anniversary, my Luna!”

Maya, my personal assistant, walks into my room with a bright smile on her face. Her cheerful voice fills the quiet room immediately, and I turn toward her with a soft smile of my own.

“Thank you, Maya,” I reply quietly.

Ten years. The words echo deeply inside my chest as I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Ten years of loving Kael. Ten years of standing beside him through every struggle. Ten years of defending him even when the whole world looked down on him.

Ten years of choosing him over my own family.

I slowly smooth my hands over my dress and adjust it carefully. The gown falls perfectly against my body, elegant and simple at the same time. Today matters too much for anything to go wrong.

Today is not just our anniversary. Today is supposed to change everything.

A nervous excitement swirls inside me as I glance at the small gift box resting on the table nearby. Beside it sits a bouquet of red roses, Kael’s favorite flowers.

I still remember the day I choose him.

Back then, Kael is nothing more than a rogue Alpha with no official pack, no territory, and no powerful bloodline backing him. Everyone says I am throwing my future away for a man with nothing.

But I do not care. I love him. And I believe in him. Unfortunately, my grandfather does not feel the same way.

The moment I tell him I want to marry Kael, he becomes furious. The entire Bloodmoon Pack hears about our argument that night. My grandfather strips me of my title as future Alpha heir and cuts me off from the family completely.

But before I leave, he gives me one final condition.

“If this man remains loyal to you for ten years, then I will recognize him publicly as your mate and future Alpha beside you. The Bloodmoon inheritance will belong to both of you.”

At that moment, I accept immediately. Because I trust Kael completely. And today marks the tenth year. Everything is finally supposed to fall into place.

“I’m heading out for a while,” I tell Maya as I grab my purse from the chair.

“To see Alpha Kael?” she asks teasingly while following behind me.

“I need to pick something up first.” I reply.

Something important. Something meaningful. Our scanned official mating certificate.

Kael handles everything during our mating ceremony years ago. The Moon Council priest, the witnesses, the documents, the registration papers… he took care of all of it himself while I focus on leaving my old life behind to build a new one with him.

I never question him. Never doubt him.

Today, I want to surprise him by bringing the certificate home myself along with the news that my grandfather is finally ready to accept him into the Bloodmoon family officially.

I imagine the look on Kael’s face when I tell him. He will probably smile that soft smile I love so much before pulling me into his arms. The thought warms my chest.

Maya nods quickly. “Then I’m coming with you.”

A few minutes later, we leave the estate together.

The drive through the city feels strangely short today. The roads are crowded, but I barely notice anything outside the window. My mind keeps drifting toward Kael. Toward tonight. Toward our future.

I picture us finally standing proudly before the Bloodmoon elders together. No more whispers about Kael being a rogue. No more judgment. No more separation from my family.

Everything is finally supposed to be right. Soon, our car stops in front of the Moon Council building.

The tall silver structure stands proudly in the center of the district, guarded by official warriors dressed in dark uniforms marked with the crescent symbol of the Moon Goddess.

Maya and I step inside. I walk toward the front desk confidently and hand over the mating certificate file.

The clerk behind the desk accepts the file politely and begins checking the records on her screen. At first, everything seems normal.

Then her expression changes. The small smile on her face disappears slowly. A crease forms between her brows. Something cold suddenly settles inside my stomach.

The woman looks back at me uncertainly.

“I’m sorry, Luna…” she says carefully. “But this document is invalid. I can’t scan it.”

My smile disappears immediately.

“What do you mean?”

For a second, I think I hear her wrong. The clerk looks uncomfortable as she checks the screen again.

“There’s no official Moon Council seal attached to this certificate,” she explains slowly. “According to our records… this document appears fake.”

I stare at her in complete shock. Fake? That word crashes through my chest violently.

“That’s impossible,” I say quickly. “We had a real mating ceremony. The Moon Council priest himself performed it.”

I remember that day perfectly. The candles. The vows. Kael holding my hands while promising to love me forever beneath the Moon Goddess.

The witnesses standing around us. The priest blessing our union. Everything is real. So how can the certificate be fake? Nothing makes sense. The clerk hesitates before speaking again.

“Alpha Kael is legally mated,” she says carefully. But then the woman slowly turns the screen toward me.

“But the registered mate is not you.”

My heartbeat stops completely. The world around me suddenly feels silent. Cold even.

“What…?”

The word barely leaves my mouth. The clerk clicks another file open. And then I see Kael’s full name. Beside it is another name. Helena Morris.

My eyes widen in horror instantly. Helena.., His secretary. An official mating certificate fills the screen clearly. Kael Arden. Helena Morris. The Moon Council seal is attached to the certificate to show its legal, and valid.

My hands turn ice cold. The air suddenly feels difficult to breathe.

“I’m sorry, Luna,” the clerk says softly again.

But her voice sounds distant now. Everything around me feels like it is shattering apart piece by piece. My chest tightens painfully.

My vision blurs.

“Luna…” Maya’s careful voice reaches me from beside me. I slowly turn toward her, unable to speak,

“What do we do?” she asks.

But I cannot answer. My mind feels completely empty. How is this possible? I give up everything for Kael. My family. My future. My title. My inheritance. Ten years. Ten whole years.

Just yesterday, Kael kissed my forehead and told me he loves me more than anyone else in the world. So how? How can another woman legally be his mate? Without saying another word, Maya, who is a hacker, quickly pulls out her laptop.

“I’m checking his records,” she mutters while typing rapidly.

I do not stop her. Right now, I need answers. Even if those answers destroy me. A few moments later, Maya’s fingers suddenly slow over the keyboard.

Then she looks up at me with a pale face. “Luna…”

she whispers. “There’s more.” Fear settles heavily inside my chest. A terrible fear. My throat feels painfully dry.

Maya slowly turns the laptop toward me.

“There’s a child.”

I freeze completely. Every part of my body goes numb.

“A son,” she continues quietly. “His name is Ethan.”

My entire world stops. Maya opens another folder slowly. Photos immediately fill the screen. I see Kael. Helena. And a little boy. My chest tightens so painfully that I can barely stand.

The pictures continue one after another. Kael carrying the child on his shoulders. Helena smiling beside them. The three of them sitting together at parks, restaurants, family events.

They look happy. Like a real family. My eyes burn painfully as tears begin filling them. Then Maya opens another file. A DNA test result. It shows positive match.

Kael Arden confirmed as biological father. A cold shiver spreads violently across my entire body. This cannot be real. It has to be a nightmare.

For ten years, I suffer endlessly trying to give Kael a child. After my first miscarriage nearly kills me, every pregnancy ends the same way. Loss. Pain. Blood. Heartbreak. Again and again.

The healers never understand why. And through every tragedy, Kael holds me close while comforting me gently.

“You don’t need to hurt yourself to give me an heir,” he whispers many times while stroking my hair gently. “We already have each other. That’s enough for me.”

I believe him. Moon Goddess… I believe every single word. But all this time… He already has a child. With another woman.

Suddenly, memories begin replaying painfully inside my head. The night of my first miscarriage. I remember lying in bed crying from unbearable pain while the healers struggle to stop the bleeding.

I begged for Kael’s presence. I begged to see my mate. But he never came. Later, he told me urgent Alpha business keeps him away.

At the time, I understand. I even apologize for disturbing him. But now… My chest tightens violently.

Was he with Helena that night too? Was he holding her while I lose our child alone? The nausea hits me suddenly.

I stumble outside the building toward the railing as hot tears stream silently down my face as my stomach twists painfully. Everything hurts. My heart. My pride. My soul.

I grip the railing tightly while trying to breathe. Ten years. Ten years of lies.

My tears continue falling endlessly as I pull out my phone with trembling hands. I call Kael immediately. Once. Twice. Three times but he never answers.

Each unanswered ring feels like another knife pushing deeper into my chest.

“Should I tell your grandfather?” Maya asks softly behind me.

My voice sounds weak.

“Tell him something urgent came up. I’ll see him later.”

Without saying another word, I turn and walk away while Maya follows quietly behind me. The pain inside my chest only grows heavier with every step.