Chapter 4

Caleb's composure cracked for a split second. He dragged her toward the soundproof hallway outside his study.

"Sienna is here for pack business. She just mind-linked me. Let me go talk to her in the hall."

I treaded lightly, walking straight to the second-floor corner.

There was a vent connected to that soundproof hallway, enough for me to hear everything loud and clear.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Caleb growled. He fought to suppress his extreme rage. "I warned you never to set foot in this penthouse!"

"Alpha, I had no choice..." Sienna cried tears of sheer panic. "I'm bleeding... because you were too rough on the wine rack last night..."

Dead silence filled the hallway.

Then came the rustle of trembling paper.

"The test results are out. I'm pregnant. Nine weeks." Sienna sobbed.

My blood instantly ran cold.

Nine weeks.

Seven years ago, when we first mated, I eagerly asked him when we'd have a pup.

He kissed my neck and refused without hesitation: "Pups will only distract us. Tessa, I don't need an heir. I just want you all to myself."

What a romantic confession.

And now, he had knocked up some low-ranking Omega on the side.

Through the vent slats, I clearly saw Caleb's clenched jaw instantly relax.

The fury in his eyes vanished without a trace, replaced by barely contained ecstasy.

"Nine weeks? My first pup..." Caleb placed his large hand over her flat stomach, his voice softening. "Don't be afraid. I'll take you to the private shifter clinic in the Neutral Zone right now."

Hiding in the blind spot of the hallway, they kissed each other deeply and passionately.

"Be a good girl. Wait for me in the car," Caleb's voice was hoarse and urgent.

A minute later, the hallway door swung open again.

Caleb walked back into the bedroom. His joy was already tucked away, replaced by his familiar mix of apology and anxiety.

"Tessa, I'm so sorry." He quickly threw on a clean jacket. "The southern territory deal sparked a violent border dispute. It's bad. I have to go mediate it myself for a few days."

I looked into his flawless eyes and nodded obediently.

"Go. The pack is more important."

Relieved, he gave me a tight squeeze, turned, and rushed out.

Watching his eager back, a wave of relief actually washed over me.

Thank the Moon Goddess.

Thank Goddess we had no pups. It meant I could cut ties completely without leaving a single trace of bloodline attachment.

That afternoon, my phone buzzed.

It was an ultrasound photo from an unknown number.

Followed by a taunting text:

"Does a useless, barren she-wolf deserve to hog the Luna position? Get the hell out of the territory!"

Looking at the blurry shadow on the screen, I scoffed. I felt absolutely nothing.

An Omega trying to use a pup to climb the ranks. Her tactics were a total joke.

I didn't reply. I just deleted the text.

Over the next two days, I received the permanent scent blockers and quietly erased every trace of my existence.

I hacked into the pack network and permanently wiped all my personal and medical files.

I threw every piece of clothing in my closet that carried my scent straight into the high-temp incinerator.

I didn't leave so much as a single strand of hair in this house.

It wasn't until the third day that Sienna sent another photo.

In it, she was wearing a ridiculously lavish white gown, a cheap replica of a Luna tiara resting on her head.

"The Alpha promised me a title," her text flaunted like a winner. "Today, he's throwing a secret, temporary mating ceremony for me at the new manor in the Neutral Zone. Thanks for stepping aside."

I stared at the cheap replica of the tiara in the picture and typed out a few words to send back:

"I hope you get everything you wish for."

Then, I picked up my only duffel bag and walked out of the penthouse that had trapped me for seven years, without looking back.

The Council's car was already parked at the corner.

I slid into the backseat, and the car drove smoothly toward the territory borders.

While driving through an intersection in the Neutral Zone, the car stopped at a red light.

"Look! An armored SUV convoy!"

"What a show-off. Which major pack's Alpha is that?"

The gasps of pedestrians on the sidewalk caught my attention.

I turned my head and looked at the next lane.

The stretch limo parked right next to us had its back window rolled halfway down.

I spotted Caleb inside instantly.

He was wearing an incredibly formal custom suit, his eyes full of tenderness as he smoothed the wrinkles out of Sienna's lavish dress.

At that very second, perhaps due to an Alpha's sharp instinct, or maybe our fading mate bond flashed some deadly warning.

Caleb snapped his head around.

Through the two car windows, in the middle of a bustling intersection, our eyes locked.

One second of dead silence.

The tender, watery smile in his eyes shattered instantly. His pupils shrank violently in pure horror.

"Tessa..."