Chapter 1

Adele’s POV

The clock had long crossed midnight, but I was already deep in sleep, unaware of the world around me. My body had given up hours ago—too tired, too weak to stay awake any longer. All I wanted was rest. Just a few hours of peace.

That illusion shattered when a crushing weight pinned me down.

My breath left my lungs as the mattress dipped beneath us, my small body pressed helplessly into the sheets. Panic clawed up my throat. I forced my eyes open, squinting into the darkness, and that was when I saw them—glowing, icy blue eyes staring down at me, feral and unreadable.

I didn’t need the light to know who it was.

I knew him by instinct alone. His scent—sharp, dangerous, unmistakably insane. His warmth. His dominance. His breath against my skin.

My mate. My husband.

A low growl vibrated near my ear, sending shivers through my spine.

“Why are you wearing them?” he snarled. “Have you forgotten what I told you? You’re not supposed to. You’re meant to be ready for me. Always.”

Fear curled tightly in my chest.

I hadn’t meant to disobey him. I hadn’t even remembered. The past few weeks, I’d been constantly tired, nauseous, aching in ways I couldn’t explain. Tonight, the moment my head touched the pillow, sleep had claimed me.

But excuses meant nothing to a man like Caden Wayne—Alpha of the Western Packs, ruler by blood and violence.

He was feared not just among wolves, but among humans too. Wealth, power, brutality—he embodied it all. And I was his, bound to him by an arranged mating his grandfather had demanded.

I had saved the old Alpha’s life years ago, when I was nothing but an orphan with no pack to claim me. He decided I was worthy of his grandson. Caden had never agreed. He’d been forced—threatened with exile, stripped of his legacy, his territory, his empire.

So he took me instead.

And he hated me for it.

I felt his naked body pressed against mine, his heat overwhelming. My traitorous body reacted instantly, instincts I couldn’t silence responding to his dominance. Then pain ripped through me as he tore the fabric away and took me without warning.

I cried out.

“Damn it,” he muttered harshly. “You’re not ready at all.” His voice dripped with disgust. “And you stink. Sweat, herbs—what were you doing all day? Didn’t I tell you to cleanse yourself before sleeping?”

The words hurt more than the pain.

I had learned long ago that he didn’t love me. Three years of this bond had taught me that much. But his insults still carved into me, slowly hollowing me out.

Still… some foolish part of my heart hoped. That one day, the mate bond would mean something to him. That one day, he’d look at me without contempt.

I turned my face away, unable to meet his gaze anymore.

Then he did something that confused me—contradicted everything he said.

He lowered his head to my neck and inhaled deeply, like a wolf savoring a scent he couldn’t resist. His fingers moved with deliberate slowness, igniting sensations I didn’t want to feel. His tongue traced my skin, sending heat spiraling through me despite myself.

I bit my lip, trying to stay silent.

But my body betrayed me.

“C-Caden…”

He froze.

Slowly, he lifted his head, eyes blazing.

“What did you just call me?”

My heart dropped.

“I—I’m sorry,” I whispered shakily. “Alpha Wayne.”

He stared at me coldly.

“That’s right,” he said. “That’s all I am to you.”

He mocked me even then, humiliating me with words that didn’t match his actions. His gaze never left my face, intense, consuming—like a predator watching prey it didn’t want to release.

I wanted to scream. To shove him away. To ask why he needed me at all when he clearly despised me—when he could have anyone else.

But you don’t challenge an Alpha like him.

His touch resumed, rougher this time, and his control shattered what little resistance I had left. His kiss was fierce, desperate—like a starving wolf finally feeding. If I didn’t know him, I might have thought this was passion.

But Caden Wayne didn’t love. He only claimed.

He was never gentle. Tonight was no different—until it was.

“Wait,” I gasped. “Please.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Just… be gentle,” I whispered. “I don’t feel well.”

For a fleeting second, something flickered in his eyes—concern, maybe. Then it vanished.

“What is this?” he scoffed. “Another scheme?”

I stayed silent.

Annoyed, he shifted, gripping me firmly—and then, unexpectedly, his movements slowed. Despite his cruel words, his body betrayed him. He was careful. Almost… attentive.

I lay still, letting him do what he wanted.

When it was over—long after my strength had faded—he collapsed beside me, already slipping into sleep. I gently nudged him away from me, my body aching, my mind racing.

My hand drifted to my stomach.

For days now, my body had been whispering secrets I couldn’t ignore. The sickness. The exhaustion. The missed cycle.

The test I’d taken that morning confirmed it.

I was carrying his child.

His pup.

Fear twisted my chest tighter than any growl ever could. He had made it clear—he didn’t want an heir from me. Didn’t want anything that tied us further together.

And yet… beneath the terror, hope burned quietly.

Maybe this child would change something.

Maybe this bond—this life growing inside me—could be a new beginning.

Or maybe it would destroy me.

Only the Moon Goddess knew.