Who Stole My Pup?

"Lily, wake up. We can't be late for the Moon's Blessing today."

Ethan's voice came from outside the bedroom door, soft as always.

I blinked open my eyes, groggy. My hand flew instinctively to my stomach.

I froze for a second, then sat bolt upright and yanked my nightshirt up.

Round. Prominent. The pup inside seemed startled by my sudden movement and gave a solid kick.

My eyes instantly brimmed with tears.

In my past life, it was today. Ethan had taken me to the Pack Healers for the Blessing.

Afterwards, I'd been drowsy and dozed off in the passenger seat of the car.

When I woke up, my belly was flat. The pup was gone.

My mate told me I'd never been pregnant. The Healers said I was there for a general wellness scan.

Even my own mother said my desperation for a pup had caused vivid hallucinations.

I hadn't accepted it. I'd made a scene, a spectacle. They’d finally had Pack security drag me away to a mind-healer’s sanctum.

But until the moment I’d fallen from that rooftop, I never understood.

How could a pup I’d carried for seven full moons just vanish into thin air?

They all said that pup was a figment of my imagination.

But right now, he was right here, inside me.

I pressed my palm to my belly, and the tears fell.

"Hey, what's wrong? Bad dream?" Ethan leaned into the room, his expression shifting to concern when he saw my wet cheeks.

I looked at him, my emotions a tangled, painful knot.

In my past life, he’d been like this too. Tender. Attentive. The perfect mate.

But after the pup disappeared, he was the first to insist I’d never been pregnant. He’d agreed with the Healers' recommendation and had me taken away.

This time, I didn’t know if I could trust him.

But until I figured out the truth, I couldn’t tip my hand.

"It's nothing. Just didn't sleep well," I said, forcing a weak smile. "I don't want to go out today. Let's reschedule the Blessing."

Ethan paused, then came over to feel my forehead. "Not feeling well?"

"Just tired."

"Alright. I'll send a mind-pulse to the Healers. We'll move it to three days from now." He glanced at his phone. "The Lead Seer will still be presiding then."

Watching his profile, my thoughts churned.

If I skip the Blessing this time, if I just hide here in our den, will my pup be safe?

But how long can I hide?

I need to understand what happened before. Why did everyone insist I was never pregnant?

I closed my eyes, my hand a firm weight on my belly, feeling the little life stir within.

Not a hallucination.

I have three days to find the truth.