4

As we drove deeper into the remote territory, a blockade of a dozen black SUVs appeared, completely sealing the road ahead.

Warriors in silver masks stood on the roofs of their vehicles, claws already extended, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

"Stop the car! Now!"

My scream ripped through the silence inside the armored vehicle.

"Damn it!" Marcus cursed. "All wolves! Protect the Luna!"

Gunfire erupted instantly.

Our guards leaped from the vehicles, shifting into their massive wolf forms and clashing with the enemy. The air filled with the scent of blood and the sound of furious snarls.

Marcus yanked me close, shielding me with his body.

"Don't be afraid, Elena. I won't let them hurt you."

But I saw it—a flicker of coldness in his eyes, and something that looked terrifyingly like relief.

A Black Stone warrior broke through our line of defense and lunged for the car door. Marcus met the attack, a perfect picture of a protective Alpha, but at the critical moment, he created a deliberate opening.

The enemy's claws tore through the armored door and clamped around my wrist.

"No—Elena!" Marcus's performance was flawless as he reached for me.

But he was too late.

I was dragged out of the car and thrown hard onto the dirt. A searing pain ripped through my abdomen.

"Marcus!" I cried, reaching for him.

He lunged toward me but was immediately swarmed by three attackers. In the chaos, I was hauled into the back of a black van.

"Marcus! Save me!"

The doors slammed shut.

He didn't follow.

He didn't even spare me a second glance.

Three hours later, I woke up in a dark, dank dungeon.

Iron bars surrounded me, and the air was thick with the stench of blood and mildew. Chains bound my hands and feet, and the silver shackles burned my skin.

"Marcus's mate. The Luna of the Shadow Moon Pack," a low voice rumbled from the darkness. "You're softer than I expected."

I looked up to see a burly man approaching. He had cold, blue eyes and a scar that ran from his eyebrow to his chin.

Damon, the Alpha of the Black Stone Pack.

"What do you want?" I hissed, ignoring the pain wracking my body.

"I don't want anything," he said, crouching to grip my chin in a rough hand. "I'm just fulfilling a contract."

A contract?

"Your Alpha husband is a smart Alpha." Damon stood up and motioned for his men to approach. "He knows how to get things done in a way that benefits everyone."

A silver-tipped whip whistled through the air and struck my back. The pain was like fire.

I bit my lip, refusing to scream. But my abdomen was a storm of twisting, tearing agony.

"Oh, and by the way," he said, pausing with a wicked grin. "I forgot to tell you. I'm surprised you didn't know yourself. You're pregnant."

What?

I stared at him in shock.

"This makes it even better." He raised the whip again. "Alpha Marcus already knows. He gave specific instructions for us to ‘handle' the little problem in your belly."

Another lash, this one landing squarely across my lower stomach.

I barely registered the physical pain.

Pregnant? I was pregnant?

The morning sickness, the nausea, the changes in my body…

"No, don't hurt my baby!" I screamed instinctively, but I couldn't stop the warm gush of blood between my legs.

I reached for my stomach, but I could no longer feel the flicker of life that had been there.

"Quiet now, Luna," a guard whispered as he walked by. "We've fulfilled our promise to Alpha Marcus. The other little mistake is gone now."

"Now the partnership between our packs can proceed."

My world shattered.

"My baby… Mommy's so sorry… I'm so sorry…"

My second child. Marcus's second child.

And it had all been arranged by the man I once considered my entire world. He had personally sent me and our unborn child to our deaths.

When I next awoke, I was in Marcus's arms.

He had burst into the dungeon and was kneeling on the floor, holding my blood-soaked body. Tears streamed down his face, and his voice trembled. "Elena, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry… I was too late…"

For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw genuine anguish in his eyes.

But my world was already a wasteland. I used my last ounce of strength to whisper, "Our baby… is gone…"

Marcus's face went ashen. "It's going to be okay. We'll have more pups, I swear it."

He lifted me with infinite care, as if I were the most precious treasure in the world.

As we reached the dungeon's exit, Alpha Damon watched us with an amused look. "You're a cruel bastard, Marcus. That was your own flesh and blood."

He smirked. "But congratulations, Alpha Marcus. I look forward to a long and prosperous partnership."