Chapter 6

—•Avery Pov•—

Two months passed in my gilded cage. I was now showing a small bump, and each day brought new discomforts. Morning sickness plagued me constantly, and the loneliness was crushing.

Tonight was the annual Moon Festival—a celebration where all packs gathered under the full moon to strengthen alliances and honor the Moon Goddess.

In previous years, I had been allowed to attend but was mostly ignored, the wolfless omega nobody wanted to acknowledge.

This year, Ryan had ordered me to attend as well.

"People are starting to talk about your absence," he'd said coldly. "You will come to the festival and smile. You will tell everyone how happy you are to be carrying the future heir of Red Stone Pack."

So here I was, dressed in a loose green gown that did little to hide my slightly swollen belly, standing alone in the gardens away from the crowd in the grand hall.

I couldn't bear to watch Ryan and Kira playing the happy couple, accepting congratulations for both their marriage and "their" future child.

The cool night air was a welcome relief from the stuffy atmosphere of the main celebration.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, my hand instinctively moving to rest on my stomach.

"Well, well, well, look who's hiding out here all alone."

My eyes snapped open at the familiar voice.

Kira stood a few feet away, looking radiant in an expensive red gown that matched her position as Luna. Her brown eyes gleamed with malice.

"Leave me alone, Kira," I said tiredly. "Haven't you taken enough from me already?"

She laughed, the sound like shattered glass. "Taken? Everything I have is rightfully mine. I'm the one with a wolf. I'm the one worthy of being Luna."

I turned to walk away, not wanting to engage in any conversation with her.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me,” Kira hissed, grabbing my arm and digging her nails into my skin. "You may be carrying the heir, but don't forget your place. You're nothing but a breeding machine, Avery!"

"Let go of me,” I warned, trying to pull away. "Ryan wouldn't want you to hurt his precious heir."

Her face twisted with rage. "Ryan belongs to me! He always has. Even when you two were together, he would come to my bed at night."

The words hit me like a physical blow.

Was she telling the truth?

Had Ryan been betraying me even before the wedding?

"Y-you're lying," I whispered, but the doubt had already taken root.

"Am I?" Kira smirked. "Why do you think he chose me in the end? Not out of pity, you fool. He chose me because he loves me. He always has."

I tried to walk away again, my heart aching with fresh pain.

But Kira wasn't done with her torment.

She grabbed me again, her claws partially extending as she dug them into my arm.

"When that little brat is born, I'll raise it as my own," she snarled. "And you'll be cast out like the garbage you are!"

Fear for my child surged through me, giving me strength I didn't know I had.

Without a second thought, I slapped her hand away and backed away.

"You will never touch my baby!" I gritted with more conviction than I'd felt in months.

Kira's eyes flashed gold, her wolf emerging with her anger. "You little bitch—"

She lunged at me, claws fully extended, aiming for my face.

Startled, I raised my arms to protect myself, bracing for the impact.

But it never came.

Instead, a deafening growl shook the very ground beneath us.

The sound was so powerful, so filled with white hot rage, that both Kira and I froze in terror.

A massive figure stepped between us, moving so fast I could barely track the movement.

One moment Kira was about to attack me, the next she was sprawled on the ground several feet away.

A dark, towering man standing protectively in front of me.

"Touch her again," he growled, his voice deadly calm, "and I will tear you apart, piece by piece!"