Silenced Mate : The Barren Luna Returns

The savory aroma of slow-roasted venison filled the packhouse kitchen, but my hands wouldn’t stop shaking.

Every few seconds, my fingers drifted down to brush the soft fabric of my emerald green dress. Dominic’s favorite.

“Your eyes are like deep forest moss, Daciana,” he had whispered into my neck on the night of our mating ceremony five years ago. “Wear green for me, and I’ll never be able to look away.”

Today, I needed him to look. Really look.

On the marble counter rested a small box wrapped in silver silk. Tucked beneath the ribbon was a slender white stick bearing two bold, undeniable pink lines.

Four weeks.

Tears prickled the corners of my eyes, warm and disbelieving. For five agonizing years as Luna of the Whiteridge Pack, I had endured the covert sneers, the hushed pity, and the biting condemnation of the council elders.

A wolfless Luna. A barren Omega. A useless hen who cannot lay eggs.

They wanted an Alpha heir. Dominic had shielded me from their worst venom, holding me through late-night sobs and whispering that he loved only me. But the pressure had been slowly suffocating us both.

Until this morning.

A pup. Our pup. A miracle from the Moon Goddess.

The heavy iron gates of the packhouse courtyard groaned open below. Shouts and wolf howls echoed across the grounds.

“The Alpha is back! The border crisis is won!”

My heart hammered against my ribs. Snatching the small silver box, I rushed out of the kitchen, down the grand staircase, and out onto the front terrace into the crisp autumn wind.

Warriors lined the courtyard, mud-splattered and triumphant. And standing at the head of the procession was Dominic.

Tall, broad-shouldered, and lethal. His dark hair was windblown, his jaw darkened with stubble, his slate-gray eyes scanning the crowd. The sheer aura of his Alpha presence commanded the air.

My lips curved into a brilliant smile. “Dominic—”

The name died in my throat.

Dominic wasn’t walking alone.

His heavy arm was curled protectively around a woman’s waist, steering her through the throng with tender, uncharacteristic caution.

Vivian.

The Beta’s daughter. A pack warrior. The childhood friend Dominic had always sworn was like a sister to him.

Her leather armor was unclasped, revealing a loose tunic beneath. And resting under Dominic’s hand was her slightly swollen, rounded stomach.

She was pregnant.

My world tilted on its axis. The air turned to pure ice in my lungs.

Dominic led her up the stone steps. His eyes met mine, flickered with a brief wave of guilt, and hardened into cool resolve.

“Daciana,” Dominic’s deep voice carried across the dead-silent courtyard. “Vivian is carrying my pup.”

A violent ringing erupted in my ears.

His pup.

A murmur swept through the gathered crowd like wildfire, growing into a vicious chorus.

“An heir! The Alpha finally has an heir!” “Praise the Moon Goddess! A warrior’s child, not a barren Omega’s!” “Vivian fought beside him... she’s the one who truly deserves to stand at his side as Luna!”

Every word was a serrated blade tearing through my chest. The silver box in my trembling hand felt like burning coals.

Elder Thomas stepped forward from the inner circle, his wrinkled face breaking into a wide sneer as he glanced at me. “Congratulations, Alpha! The Whiteridge Pack is saved. It seems the Goddess has finally corrected our misfortune. A useless hen cannot produce, but a true warrior delivers!”

Blood rushed to my face. The sheer humiliation made my knees buckle.

“Enough!” Dominic’s command crashed like thunder, snapping the elder’s head back. “Daciana is still your Luna.”

He stepped away from Vivian, walking straight toward me. His expression softened, reaching out a hand to pull me into his chest. “Daciana, come here—”

“Don’t touch me!”

I shoved his chest with all the strength in my frail arms. The force barely moved him an inch, but the rejection echoed loudly enough to stun the courtyard into silence.

Hot tears burned my cheeks. Turning on my heel, I hoisted my skirts and fled into the packhouse.

I bolted into our master bedroom, slamming the heavy mahogany door shut and leaning against it, gasping for breath. The walls that had once held five years of sweet vows and warmth now felt like a prison cell.

Before I could lock it, the handle rattled violently. The door flew inward.

Dominic strode in, his brow furrowed in irritation. Vivian trailed directly behind him, clutching her stomach with a fragile, helpless expression that made my stomach churn.

“What was that display out there, Daciana?” Dominic demanded, his voice thick with exhaustion and annoyance. “I just spent three weeks knee-deep in rogue blood defending our borders. I come home to my Luna, and instead of welcoming me, you make a public scene?”

“A scene?” A raw, choked laugh ripped from my throat. “You come home with another woman on your arm! You announced to the entire pack that she’s carrying your child! And you expect me to smile and congratulate you?”

Dominic sighed heavily, stepping forward to reach for my trembling shoulders. His voice softened into the gentle cadence he always used whenever the pack elders made me cry.

“Daciana, sweetheart, listen to me. I’m tired. I just want to rest with my wife.”

“Don’t call me that!” I slapped his hands away, stepping back until the bedside table dug into my hips. “You betrayed me! You broke your vows! How could you sleep with Vivian? How could you get her pregnant?!”

Vivian whimpered softly behind him, lowering her head like a wounded bird.

Dominic’s jaw tightened. “It was an accident. After the final battle, the warriors celebrated. I drank too much. When I woke up, she was beside me. The pack doctor confirmed the pregnancy two weeks later.”

He took another step, his gray eyes searching mine with desperate earnestness.

“It means nothing, Daciana. I love only you. You are my only Luna. Once Vivian gives birth, we will adopt the pup. You will raise it as your own. The elders will finally be silenced, the pack line will be secure, and our position will be stable. I am doing this for us.”

I stared at him, horror crawling over my skin.

Adopt her child? Raise the product of his infidelity as my own?

“You... you want me to raise your bastard with another woman?”

“Watch your tongue, Daciana!” Dominic snapped, his Alpha authority flaring. “Do not make a fuss out of this. You know how much pressure the council has put on me because you haven't conceived! Once this child is born, the pack is safe. I will compensate you. Anything you want—jewels, land, titles—it’s yours. Just be sensible.”

Be sensible.

He was treating this like a minor pack dispute. A petty grieGeorge to be bought off with sweet words and expensive gifts.

My fingers gripped the silver box behind my back, crushing the delicate ribbon.

I am pregnant. I finally have your baby growing inside me.

I opened my mouth, the confession rising in my throat. “Dominic, I don’t need her child. I—”

“Ah!”

A sharp cry cut me off.

Vivian stumbled against the doorframe, clutching her lower abdomen, her face pale as she sank toward the floor. “Dominic... my stomach... it hurts so badly...”

Dominic’s head whipped around. Pure panic flashed across his face.

In a fraction of a second, he abandoned me, rushing to Vivian’s side and sweeping her up into his arms.

“Dominic, wait!” I cried out.

He shot me a look of cold reprimand over his shoulder. “Stop acting like a jealous child, Daciana! You have always been sensible—don't lose your mind now. My pup is in danger.”

Without looking back, he carried Vivian down the hall, shouting for the pack doctor.

The bedroom door remained wide open. The silence left behind was deafening.

My knees gave out, and I crumpled onto the cold hardwood floor, clutching the small silver box against my chest.