Chapter 1

Ethan was still outside the door, barely holding back his anger.

"Elena is your fated mate."

"Those first two surgeries—you lied to her, told her the pups had no heartbeat, then turned around and handed two living pups over to Vivian."

"And now she's carrying the third. You're going to hurt her again?"

"I don't have a choice."

Kane's voice was barely above a whisper.

"If Vivian hadn't taken that blade, I'd be dead right now."

"The first thing she said when she woke up—she asked if I was hurt. But the healer told her she'd never be able to carry a pup of her own."

His breath caught for a second.

"She didn't want money. Didn't want rank. She just wanted a pup to call her mom."

"At first she said one would be enough. Then she wanted a second..."

"This time she swore on the Moon Goddess—after she gets the third, she'll really leave with them."

Ethan slammed his fist against the wall.

"What about Elena? Did you ever ask her if she wanted to pay your debts?"

"She doesn't even know her pups are still alive!"

Kane didn't answer.

After a long silence, I heard him murmur:

"She loves me so much. She'll forgive me."

Footsteps faded down the hall.

Tears slid down my cheeks as I sank into memory.

Four years ago, at the Moon Festival, Kane walked up to me in front of the entire pack. He sliced his palm open, pressed it to mine, and we exchanged blood.

He said I was the one mate the Moon Goddess had chosen for him.

The night the bond took, our minds linked for the first time.

He was so excited he couldn't sleep. He called out to me through the mind link over and over.

"Elena—my Luna. We're going to have so many pups together."

And we did. Two of them.

Only Kane told me each time that they never made it into this world.

When I woke from the surgeries, he was always by my bedside.

His eyes bloodshot. His palms marked with fresh claw wounds.

I thought that was a father grieving his lost pups.

Now I understood. That was the guilt of a man who'd given his pups away and had to live with the lie.

He loved me.

But every time it came down to me or Vivian, he took my pups first to repay his debt. Then he came back to love me.

A tiny movement stirred inside my belly.

I pressed my hand over it.

"Easy, little one."

"Mommy's not letting you become anyone's payment."

I picked up my phone and sent a message to a number with no name saved.

"Help me fake my death. I need to leave Kane for good."

Seconds later, the reply came:

"Tomorrow night. Midnight. I'll get into the hospital."

I deleted the thread and tucked the phone back under my pillow.

The day after tomorrow, I was taking my pup and walking out of Kane's life for good.