Chapter 1

It was my birthday. I was dressed in a silk nightgown as Xavier Ashford pressed me down against the couch and kissed my neck. He reached up and under my nightgown, beginning to tease me.

He was as passionate as ever, and I enjoyed the pleasure I felt while carefully shielding my stomach from too much motion.

Once we finished, I was about to break the news of my pregnancy to him when someone started knocking on the door.

He hurriedly got off from on top of me and began to walk out as he straightened his clothes. "Sweetheart, I'll be right back. I just want to see who's at the door," he said.

I felt a strong sense of unease and got dressed so I could go downstairs. The moment I reached the top of the stairs, I heard Xavier gently consoling a she-wolf. "Talia, don't worry. Now that you're back, no one will dare to lay a finger on you. Mark my words."

Talia?

I stopped walking. My grip on the staircase railing tightened.

Talia Seeton was Xavier's childhood sweetheart. They were extremely close, and everyone in the pack thought Talia would be Xavier's Luna.

When he saw me, Xavier said, "Serena, let's terminate our bond as mates."

My head shot up as I looked at him in disbelief.

Talia was curled up in his embrace. Her eyes were red, brimming with unshed tears, making her look vulnerable and pitiful.

Xavier grabbed my hand and said sheepishly, "You know what happened. Talia's pregnant because some scumbag tricked her. She doesn't have a mate, so her child won't be able to get the rights to live with the pack. We need to terminate our bond so that I can become her mate."

When she saw my deathly pale face, Talia meekly tugged at Xavier's shirt and said, "Xavier, it's okay. I… I'll leave. Serena can't possibly agree to such a huge favor…"

"No!" Xavier refused in a deep voice. "You're a pregnant omega without a mate. That's incredibly dangerous."

He gently caressed Talia's stomach, staring at it with a gentle gaze that I had never witnessed before.

"Serena, don't worry. We'll only terminate our bond for a year. After that, we can get back together. You'll still be my Luna," he said sincerely as he passed me a bond termination contract.

I looked down at the single piece of paper in his hand. It felt like my heart was being squeezed by a large, invisible hand. Even taking a breath felt painful.

"Serena, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, but this is the only way…" Talia trailed off as she began crying. Through her tears, she looked at me mockingly.

"Xavier, if I were pregnant too, would you still be willing to father another omega's pup?"

Talia's expression soured immediately. "You can't possibly be pregnant. The doctors all said you were too weak to have any pups."

"Serena, it's not the time for tricks," Xavier said, looking at me angrily.

"It's not a trick," I said as I went back to our bedroom to get my prenatal checkup report.

While I was in the bedroom, Talia sent me a picture of an ultrasound with a text that read, "I'm pregnant with Xavier's pup. I'm the one he really loves. Hurry up and leave him, you infertile bitch."

I ripped my prenatal checkup report to shreds and signed the bond termination contract with zero hesitation.

Xavier let out a sigh of relief and grabbed my hands. "Talia has nowhere else to go. Can she stay with us for the time being?"

"Sure," I said calmly. I returned to our bedroom and began to pack my bags so I could leave.

In the five years we spent together, Xavier never marked me. We only had our mating agreement on paper, so as long as our bond termination contract went through, I was free to leave.

Early the next day, I went to the administrative center to complete the process of leaving the pack.

"Ms. Flint, are you sure you want to leave the pack? The request will be activated in 24 hours. Once you leave, you will no longer be protected by Shadowcrest Pack."

It was that worker's first time seeing someone request to leave the pack.

I pressed my lips together and fell silent for a moment. The image of Xavier and Talia acting all close and cuddly suddenly appeared in my mind.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll leave tomorrow."