Chapter 1

Natalia’s POV

The dream felt so real. In it, I let out a moan as he sensually placed his hands on me, breaking our kiss. His electrifying touch sent waves of desire coursing through my veins. He lowered his head, and his kiss caressed the tender spot on my neck. I closed my eyes, hoping his affections would continue.

His breath hungrily grazed my earlobe, sending shivers down my spine. But then, in a deep, chilling voice, he said, “Never.”

I gasped, and my eyes flung open. I was alone in the room.

It had been two years since I married Adrian Miller, the future alpha of the Crystal Blood Pack. During our two years together, I had tried and failed to win his love many times over. He hadn’t even marked me yet, despite that I was his wife. And as a werewolf, I couldn’t help but want my alpha to mark me as his. He also hadn’t been home in a long time, and I yearned for his touch.

I heaved a sigh, sat slowly, and yawned. Then I looked at the clock, and my mouth dropped open.

“Shit! I’m going to be late.” I hastily went to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for my monthly checkup with Doctor Harold Reid at the pack hospital. After quickly putting myself together, I descended the stairs and headed to the main door, thinking about my marriage.

I loved my husband dearly, despite that our marriage wasn’t perfect. I always hoped that we could have a child, too, and that maybe, with a child, Adrian would come home more often.

****

At the hospital, nerves engulfed me as Doctor Reid completed his examination, drawing the blood for the test himself. He left the room afterward, saying he’d return with the results soon.

As I waited, I resolved to divorce Adrian and put an end to my loveless marriage if I wasn’t pregnant this time.

However, Dr. Reid returned with a smile. “Congratulations!” he exclaimed.

My mouth dropped. “Really?” I stroked my stomach before naively asking, “There’s a baby?”

“Babies,” he replied.

My eyebrows drew together, and I couldn’t contain my grin.

“Twins,” he confirmed.

Tears welled and then rolled down my cheeks as joyous slashes of happiness.

“But I advise you to be careful,” Dr. Reid said. “Your uterine walls that you have are extremely thin.”

His unexpected words sobered me completely taken aback. The realization hit me that he shouldn’t have said that, and suddenly, a wave of fear for my children crept into my mind. In that instant, I knew I had to be careful. The stakes were too high, and I couldn’t afford to lose them.

“I’ll take care of myself,” I said, then thanked him before leaving the hospital, wearing a smile once again.

At least until I returned home.

There, I found Adrian with his new lover, Lynda, seated together on a couch in the living room. I stopped short. Lynda as she was crying, and he was gently comforting her. Seeing him so gentle with her, I was consumed with hurt. I clenched my fists, trying to keep my the tears at bay.

Adrian’s anger-filled eyes shifted to me. He yelled, “How dare you come back! How dare you bully Lynda!”

“What? What are you talking about?”

His expression became more ferocious. “Oh, please. You make me sick.”

Unable to bear further humiliation any longer, and not wanting to shed tears in front of another woman, I covered my mouth and scurried to my bedroom. There, I opened my nightstand drawer and pulled out the divorce agreement I’d had prepared a few months ago, after the first time Adrian had mistreated me for Lynda. Back then, I had wanted to give our marriage a second chance. I had hoped I might get pregnant and that a child would help win his heart.

But I’d been wrong to hope. With my thumb, I stroked the bold characters on the divorce agreement and whispered to myself, “He will never mark me as his mate. He will always humiliate me for his lover, which means he won’t accept my babies, either. I have no choice but to go through with it for the sake of my children.”

I wiped my tears, signed the paper, then sat on the bed and stared blankly, trying to absorb what I’d just done.

After a few moments, Adrian threw the bedroom door open violently thrown open.

I shoved the agreement into the drawer and stood. “Ad-Adrian,” I said in alarm, while watching him turn the lock.

Before I could say anything more, he strode to me and pushed me onto the bed. “Do you think you’re going to be the luna of this pack?”

I tried to squirm away from me, but he locked my hands over my head.

“Don’t forget how you set me up to marry you in the first place.” He began to undress me. Despite being held by his powerful arms, I resisted and yelled.

“No!” I yelled, working to resist him. “Please stop!”

Roughly, he kissed my neck. “You stop! Stop pretending! This is what you asked for, and you ruined my life.”

As the weight of his accusation settled, I halted my movements and met his gaze. “Then let’s get a divorce.”