Chapter 3

Cade’s voice in the mind-link turned cold and furious.

"Vicious," he snarled. "How can your jealousy run so deep you'd curse our own son? How could you say something like that?"

I stared into the darkness, my heart pounding.

"Curse him?" I trembled through the link. "Cade, he was our son! How could I ever curse him?"

"You're cursing him right now!" Cade's voice dripped with disgust. "Saying he's dead? That you almost died? Your jealousy has made you insane, Evelyn!"

My heart broke into a million pieces.

He didn't even believe our son was dead.

"Fine." My voice was terrifyingly calm. "Cade, I'm giving you one last chance."

"What?"

"Be at the Elders' council tomorrow with Rhys and agree to the rejection," each word was an icicle. "Or I will expose your affair with Lilah to the entire Northern Pack Alliance."

There was dead silence on the link.

A few seconds later, Cade's panicked voice returned. "You can't do that!"

"Why not?" I sneered. "It's the truth, isn't it?"

"That would destroy her! She's innocent in all this! She saved my life, I can't let her get hurt because of our drama!"

I closed my eyes.

The moment Lilah might be affected, he folded.

But our child was dead, and he thought it was a curse I’d invented.

"Tomorrow, 3 PM. The Sacred Moon Temple." My voice was devoid of warmth. "Don't keep me waiting."

I severed the mind-link.

Lying in the hospital bed, I couldn't stop myself from remembering a night months ago.

I had burst into Cade's office, excited to tell him I was pregnant.

But he was hosting a gala for Lilah's "canine rescue."

The whole hall was filled with stray dogs she had saved.

She drifted through the crowd in a white dress, looking like an angel.

"Cade, I have amazing news!" I walked toward him, my eyes shining with hope.

He was talking to some investors and waved me off without even looking. "Wait a minute. Lilah's event is more important right now."

Just then, a large dog that Lilah claimed was "traumatized" suddenly went wild and lunged at me.

Its sharp teeth tore through my dress, leaving bloody gashes on my calf.

Cade rushed over—but not to me.

He immediately went to soothe the dog, stroking its fur gently.

"Shhh, it's okay, you're safe," his voice was impossibly soft.

Then he turned to me, his eyes full of blame. "Evelyn, your Luna aura is too strong. You scared it. These dogs are traumatized, you need to be more careful."

I looked down at the wound on my leg, blood trickling down my skin.

"Cade… I'm pregnant," I said through the pain, my voice shaking.

The moment the words left my mouth, Lilah gasped. "Oh my goddess, I think this dog is pregnant, too!"

Cade’s attention snapped to the dog. He immediately knelt to check.

"Really?" His voice was full of excitement. "That's fantastic! We need to get her to the vet right away!"

He scooped up the dog and hurried toward the door.

"Evelyn, just get that wound cleaned up. I'll talk to you later."

I stood there, watching him and Lilah disappear into the night.

I should have known then. I should have seen it.

In Cade's heart, her dog would always matter more than our child.

The next afternoon, at the Sacred Moon Temple.

The echo of solemn bells filled the ancient, stone-pillared hall.

Kenna and I were already waiting, holding the rejection papers drawn up by the Elders.

Cade and Rhys finally arrived late. And Lilah was with them.

She wore a flowing white dress, looking fragile and innocent.

"Why is she here?" Kenna asked coldly.

"Lilah needs to see this farce come to an end," Cade said, his voice arrogant. "But first, you both need to apologize for upsetting her."

Kenna and I locked eyes, a bitter, shared irony passing between us.

"Apologize?" I scoffed. "Why would I apologize?"

"You spread vicious rumors and slandered her name!" Rhys stepped forward. "You're a Luna! You're supposed to see the bigger picture!"

"I refuse," my voice was iron.

Kenna stared them down. "I refuse, too."

The Head Elder, his white hair a sign of his long life, stepped out from the temple's shadows.

"Since all parties have arrived, the ceremony will begin," the Elder’s voice boomed through the hall. "Place your blood seal on the documents. This ritual will dissolve the legal ties of your mating."

Cade and Rhys looked at each other, clearly wanting to argue more.

"Hurry up," I urged, my patience gone. "Don't waste everyone's time."

Cade gritted his teeth, walked to the ceremonial table, and sliced his finger with a silver dagger. He pressed his thumb to the document.

The red blood bloomed on the parchment, glowing with a faint light.

Rhys followed, doing the same.

Then it was our turn.

Without hesitation, I cut my finger, and my blood dripped onto the page.

Instantly, a sharp, tearing pain ripped through my chest.

The vibrant tether connecting our souls hadn't snap, but grew thin and frayed, the connection suddenly distant and cold.

Cade collapsed to his knees in agony. Rhys’s face went white.

Kenna and I felt the same agony, but we gritted our teeth and stood tall.

"By pack law, your union is dissolved," the Elder announced, his voice echoing. "You are free from your vows. "

I stood up, a wave of cold relief washing over me.

Just then, a black car pulled up outside the temple.

My friend Maya got out, her face grim.

"Evelyn," she said softly, her face grim. "The car is ready. We can go bury the pup's ashes."

I nodded, ready to leave.

But Cade scrambled toward me, grabbing my arm. His voice trembled.

"Our pup…" His voice trembled. "He's… he's really dead?"

I shoved him away, numb. "My pup is dead. It has nothing to do with you."

Cade just stood there, frozen, before fumbling to call the pack’s medical center.

The Head Healer answered, his voice trembling. "Alpha... you don't know? Three days ago, the Luna went into premature labor. It triggered Moon Eclipse Sickness... The pup... it didn't survive. It needed the Moonflower Dew..."

Cade's eyes turned bloodshot. The phone slipped from his hand and crashed to the floor, the screen shattering...