Chapter 2

I stared at him, a dull ringing in my ears.

Pregnant?

Right when I had decided to leave him?

For years, the healers said my body was too weak to carry a child because my wolf was unstable.

Alaric's Alpha parents tried to force his hand. They even cut off the medicine that kept my wolf stable, hoping to drive me away.

But Alaric went ballistic.

He said if the pack wanted a future, he had to keep me as his mate.

Otherwise, he would leave with me and start a new pack.

With his power, he knew he would win if he ever had to fight his old pack.

His parents had no choice but to back down.

Now, Alaric thought my stunned silence was joy.

He scooped me into his arms, spinning me around with a triumphant laugh.

"Our pup will carry the purest Alpha blood of the Black Moon Pack! Those stubborn old fools on the council can never deny our heir!"

He gently set me down on the soft sofa and knelt on one knee. His large hand rested on my still-flat stomach.

The warmth of his palm seeped through my dress, but it felt like a brand, making me want to scream.

"Alaric…" I started.

I wanted to tell him this baby was coming at the worst possible time. That we were over.

I wanted to throw the whole ugly truth in his fake, loving face.

But then I looked into his eyes, filled with that obsessive love.

The next second, my stomach lurched. I ran for the toilet and threw up.

Alaric knelt behind me, not even flinching at the sour smell.

He gently gathered my long hair, his big hand rubbing my back in slow circles.

"The healer said this is normal, Aurora. It's your first pregnancy. Your body is adjusting to the powerful Alpha bloodline."

His voice was full of heartache for me.

Before, I would have felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

The great Alaric, the untouchable Alpha heir, kneeling on a cold bathroom floor for his sick, pregnant mate.

But now, it just made my stomach churn more violently.

Because as he got closer, I smelled it again.

Even after he had showered, even though he was wearing a clean white shirt, my pregnancy-heightened senses picked it up.

It wasn't just the sickly-sweet scent of Rowena.

Then I smelled it. Faint, but unmistakable. The sour-milk scent of a newborn. He reeked of another woman's pup.

"Don't touch me!" I shoved his hand away and heaved again over the toilet.

Alaric's hand froze in mid-air. A flicker of shock and hurt crossed his face. "Baby, what's wrong? Are you in pain? I'll call the healer right now—"

"I'm just sick," I muttered, pushing myself up. I splashed cold water on my face, trying to wash away the truth I wanted to scream at him. "It's nothing."

He paused, then gave a resigned smile and took off his jacket, tossing it out the door.

"Okay, I won't wear it. As long as you and the baby are okay, I'll do anything."

Looking at his flawless, loving act, my heart twisted painfully.

For a desperate second, I wavered.

What if he ended it with her, right now? What if he could bury that betrayal and just be my Alaric again?

After all, we were mates.

That bond, connecting our very souls, was still there, still pulsing with his love for me, no matter how much he had tainted it.

Just then, Alaric's eyes went distant.

The tell-tale sign of a mind link.

A few seconds later, a look of frustration crossed his face.

"What's wrong?" My gut told me it was Rowena, but I asked anyway.

"Something urgent came up with the pack." Alaric gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. "Rogues are causing trouble on the southern border. I have to go deal with it. I might not be back tonight."

The lie was so clumsy, yet so practiced.

I looked into his eyes.

The same eyes that had made me countless promises now couldn't hide his desperation to leave.

"Do you have to go?" I grabbed his sleeve. This was his last chance. "I don't feel well today, Alaric. I want you to stay with me. Just for tonight."

Alaric looked at me, and for a split second, he hesitated.

But then, as if another urgent message came through, his expression hardened again.

"Be good, Aurora," he said, his voice firm. "I'm about to be Alpha. I have responsibilities." He gently pried my fingers from his sleeve. "You rest here. I'll be back before the coronation," he promised. "And I'll bring the perfect gift to make it up to you."

He left.

Without a backward glance.

I collapsed onto the floor. Not long after, I got a message from Chloe:

[He went to her manor. You were right.]

....

Alaric didn't come back until the night before the coronation.

He looked radiant, his eyes full of love.

"Close your eyes."

He took my hand and led me to the center of the living room.

When I opened them, he was holding an ancient stone box.

Inside lay a sapphire that glowed with a soft, moon-like light.

"What is it?"

"The Tear of the Goddess," Alaric murmured into my hair, his arms wrapped around me from behind. His voice was thick with pride. "It was a gift from the Moon Goddess herself to the first Alpha of our pack. Only the true, accepted Luna can wear it. And now, I'm giving it to you, and to our future heir."

How ironic.

He had just come back from his bastard child, and now he was using a sacred relic to appease his true heir.

Did he think he could have us both?

Did he think this was love?

"Thank you, I love it." I took the box, a perfect, fake smile plastered on my face. "It's… it's too precious."

"Nothing is too much for you."

Then, he checked the time. "It's time to get ready. The Elders are waiting for us at the Moon Temple. Tonight is the Blessing Ceremony."

It was a pack tradition. Before an Alpha's coronation, the family and close allies gathered for a blessing.

Every wolf was excited to see their powerful new king and his adored Luna.

I took Alaric's arm, accepting everyone's blessings and envious looks.

"The future Luna looks beautiful tonight, like she's made of moonlight."

"Look at the way the Alpha looks at her. He's so in love."

I smiled mechanically, responding to the praise, but my heart had already sunk into a cold, dark pit.

Halfway through the ceremony, the great hall doors burst open. A sickly-sweet scent crashed through the room, poisoning the air.

Rowena walked in, wearing a brazen red, deep-V gown.

She didn't have an invitation, but the guards at the door hesitated, not daring to stop her.

Because walking beside her was the head of the Gray Wolf Merchants Guild, the man who controlled all trade in the North.

"Alaric, long time no see."

Her gaze cut across the room, landing directly on Alaric.

Then, her challenging eyes shifted to my still-flat stomach, and a cold smile touched her lips.

"What a coincidence. To run into our future Alpha, and…" she paused, her eyes lingering on me, "...the Luna."