I couldn't sleep. The ultrasound photo burned in my pocket like a secret waiting to be told. Our miracle pup—the answer to years of prayers and tears—deserved a father who would cherish it. A mate who would celebrate this blessing.

Greyson's scent led me through the pack house corridors. I followed it instinctively, my wolf guiding me even as my mind struggled with what I might find. The cedarwood aroma was stronger now, mixed with something else—the faint musk of another wolf.

The private drawing room door stood slightly ajar. I approached quietly, my footsteps silent on the plush carpet. Before I could push it open, voices drifted through the crack.

"The Blue Lake Pack's Beta arrives tomorrow," Greyson was saying, his voice low but clear to my enhanced hearing. "He thinks he's coming to finalize the mating ceremony with Gracelyn."

"And you've allowed this?" Beta Thomas replied, confusion evident in his tone.

"I've encouraged it," Greyson said coolly. "It makes things easier."

My hand froze on the doorframe. What was he planning?

"Alpha, I don't understand," Thomas said. "If you want Gracelyn as your—"

"As my second mate," Greyson finished for him. "My wolf craves her, Thomas. It's a connection I can't ignore."

The world tilted beneath my feet. Second mate? The sacred bond between us meant nothing?

"The Luna has given you everything," Thomas ventured cautiously. "And the pack—"

"The pack will understand," Greyson cut in. "Riley was never meant to be my only mate. The Moon Goddess has shown me another path."

I pressed my hand against my stomach, protecting the tiny life growing there. Our pup deserved better than this betrayal.

"I'll stop the ceremony," Greyson continued, his voice hardening with resolve. "Gracelyn belongs here, with me. My wolf won't let her go to another."

"Even if it means breaking your mate bond?" Thomas asked quietly.

"Riley will adjust," Greyson dismissed. "She's always been... practical."

Something inside me snapped. Practical? Is that all I was to him?

I pushed the door open, stepping into the room with my chin high despite the tears threatening to fall.

"Practical enough to hear every word," I said, my voice surprisingly steady.

Greyson's eyes widened momentarily before narrowing in irritation. "You shouldn't eavesdrop, Riley."

"Eavesdrop?" I laughed bitterly. "On my own mate planning to take another woman?"

Thomas backed toward the door, clearly wanting to escape the confrontation.

"Stay," Greyson commanded him, then turned to me. "You're overreacting."

"Overreacting?" My voice rose despite my efforts to control it. "You're planning to destroy another wolf's mating ceremony to claim a rogue!"

"She's not just any rogue," Greyson snapped. "She needs protection."

"And I need a mate who honors his bond!" I countered, stepping closer. "The Moon Goddess blessed us—"

"The Moon Goddess is giving me a second chance," he interrupted, his amber eyes flashing. "You should be grateful I'm still here at all."

---

Dinner that evening was torture. Greyson had insisted we all eat together—him, me, Gracelyn, and Kyro. A family portrait with the wrong players.

"More potatoes, Kyro?" Greyson offered, his voice warm as he scooped a spoonful from his own plate.

Kyro nodded eagerly, opening his mouth for the bite. It was an intimate gesture, one reserved for parents and their pups.

"Alpha Greyson is so good with children," Gracelyn remarked, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "Kyro's never had a father figure before."

The words were carefully chosen, each one a dagger to my heart.

"Some women just aren't meant to be mothers," she continued, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "It's not your fault, Luna Riley."

My fingers tightened around my fork as I fought the urge to throw it at her smug face. Instead, I placed my free hand under the table, resting it protectively over my stomach.

"Gracelyn has been through so much," Greyson said, reaching across to squeeze her hand. "Raising Kyro alone, surviving as a rogue..."

"She's remarkable," I managed through clenched teeth.

"Kyro deserves a real family," Greyson continued, feeding another bite to the boy. "Someone who can protect him."

The implication hung heavy in the air. Someone like him. Not someone like me.

I watched as he wiped a smudge of gravy from Kyro's chin with his thumb—a tender gesture that made my wolf howl in anguish. That should have been our pup. Our family.

But as Greyson smiled at Gracelyn across the table, I realized with crystal clarity that he had already chosen his path.

And it didn't include me.

I couldn't sleep after dinner. The image of Greyson feeding Kyro, the intimate gestures between them, played on repeat in my mind. My hand rested protectively over my stomach as I paced our bedroom—alone. Greyson hadn't returned.

A soft knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.

"Riley? It's Palmer. Can I come in?"

I hesitated before opening the door. Palmer stood there, her expression concerned, her Beta authority radiating from her in waves of protective energy.

"We need to talk," she said, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

"I'm not in the mood for lectures," I warned, turning away.

"This isn't a lecture." Palmer's voice was unusually gentle. "I saw something today. Something you need to know."

I faced her, crossing my arms defensively. "What?"

"Gracelyn." Palmer's jaw tightened. "I caught her in the laundry room this morning. She was... she was deliberately rubbing her scent on Greyson's clothes."

The accusation hung in the air between us. My wolf snarled inside me, but I pushed the reaction down.

"You're wrong," I said automatically. "She wouldn't dare."

"Riley." Palmer stepped closer, her eyes pleading. "I know what I saw. She was marking his clothes with that vanilla scent of hers. It's what rogues do when they're trying to claim territory—or wolves."

"That's ridiculous." But even as I denied it, doubt crept in. The vanilla scent that had been lingering around Greyson...

"Greyson wouldn't allow it," I continued, more to convince myself than Palmer. "He's my mate. We have a bond."

"A bond he's been ignoring," Palmer countered gently. "Riley, I've been watching this unfold for weeks. You're not the only one who's noticed."

I turned away, unable to face her sympathy. "Once he knows about the pup, everything will change."

Palmer's silence spoke volumes.

"What?" I demanded, whirling back to her.

"Nothing," she said softly. "I just hope you're right."

---

The week before the Moon Goddess Festival was always hectic. As Luna, I typically worked alongside Greyson to prepare the ceremonial fire—a tradition as old as our pack itself.

"This year's offerings need to be blessed before sunset," I reminded him at breakfast, my tone carefully neutral.

Greyson barely looked up from his phone. "You handle it."

"I need your help with the ceremonial wood," I insisted. "It requires both Alpha and Luna."

"Can't Thomas do it?" He shrugged, already standing to leave. "I have other priorities today."

I watched him walk out, frustration building in my chest. The ceremonial wood needed to be blessed by both of us—it was tradition, a symbol of our united leadership.

An hour later, I spotted them leaving the pack house—Greyson, Gracelyn, and Kyro piling into his black SUV.

"Where are they going?" I asked Beta Thomas, who was passing by.

"Into town," he replied uncomfortably. "For clothes shopping, I believe."

"Shopping?" I echoed incredulously. "The Alpha is shopping while I'm here preparing our most sacred ceremony alone?"

Thomas shifted uncomfortably. "He said it was important. For the festival."

I watched the SUV disappear down the drive, my hands clenched at my sides. "Of course it is."

---

The night of the festival arrived with a sky full of stars. I stood alone on the ceremonial dais, the blessed wood arranged perfectly around the fire pit. The pack had gathered in concentric circles, their faces expectant.

"Where is Alpha Greyson?" Elder Marcus whispered beside me.

"He'll be here," I assured him, though uncertainty gnawed at me.

The crowd murmured as minutes ticked by. I maintained my composure, though my wolf paced anxiously inside me.

Headlights cut through the darkness, and Greyson's SUV pulled up at the edge of the clearing. The crowd parted as he emerged, but it wasn't his presence that caused the collective gasp—it was who was on his arm.

Gracelyn stepped into the firelight, her dress a deep midnight blue that perfectly matched Greyson's Alpha ceremonial robes. The fabric shimmered as she moved, drawing every eye. Kyro trotted beside them, dressed in a miniature version of Greyson's formal attire.

"Sorry we're late," Greyson announced, his voice carrying across the clearing as he approached the dais. "We had important preparations to make."

The pack's shocked whispers reached my ears—the matching outfits were unmistakable in their implication. My cheeks burned with humiliation as Greyson helped Gracelyn up the steps to stand beside him.

"Brothers and sisters of Dark River," Greyson addressed the crowd, his Alpha voice resonating with power. "Tonight, we celebrate not only the Moon Goddess's blessing but also a new beginning for our pack."

He placed his hand on Kyro's shoulder, drawing the boy forward.

"Tonight, I announce my intention to formally adopt Kyro Sanders as my son."

The crowd erupted in murmurs. My vision blurred as Greyson continued speaking, but his words seemed to come from far away.

"...a son of the pack..." he was saying, his arm now around Gracelyn's waist.

I stood frozen beside them, invisible in the shadow of their manufactured family portrait.

The ceremonial fire crackled before us, flames reaching toward the star-filled sky. The pack watched in stunned silence as Greyson reached into his pocket and withdrew something that caught the firelight—a deep green emerald pendant on a silver chain.

"This amulet," Greyson announced, his voice carrying across the clearing, "has been passed down through generations of Dark River Alphas to their true mates."

My breath caught in my throat. That was my birthright—the Luna's amulet. The symbol of my position, my bond with Greyson and our pack.

"Tonight," he continued, "I present it to Gracelyn, as a symbol of her new beginning with us."

The crowd's gasps rippled through the night air. Elder Marcus stepped forward, his weathered face tight with disapproval.

"Alpha," he said quietly, "that amulet belongs to your Luna."

"It belongs to whoever will stand beside me," Greyson replied coldly.

I watched, frozen, as he placed the chain around Gracelyn's neck. She beamed up at him, her fingers caressing the emerald that should have been mine.

Something inside me snapped. Not just the amulet—but everything he was taking from me. From us. From our unborn child.

I stepped forward, my legs trembling but my resolve firm. The microphone stood abandoned on its stand, forgotten in the drama of the moment.

"I have an announcement," I said, my voice surprisingly steady as I took hold of it.

Greyson's head whipped toward me, his eyes narrowing in warning.

"The pack deserves to know," I continued, ignoring his glare, "that I am carrying the true heir of Dark River."

The crowd erupted in shocked murmurs. Eyes widened, heads turned. Even Gracelyn's triumphant smile faltered.

"Four months along," I announced, one hand protectively covering my stomach. "A miracle blessed by the Moon Goddess herself."

Greyson's face drained of color. "Riley—"

"I, Riley Price," I began, the formal words of rejection rising to my lips, "daughter of Alpha James Price of Silver Moon Pack, reject you—"

"STOP!" Greyson roared, his Alpha voice exploding across the clearing with such force that several wolves dropped to their knees.

He stepped toward me, his eyes flashing amber, his aura pulsing with power. "SILENCE!"

The command hit me like a physical blow. My lungs seized, refusing to draw breath. My knees buckled as the weight of his Alpha voice crushed down on me.

"—reject—" I fought to continue, but the word died in my throat.

Pain tore through my abdomen—sharp, insistent pain that made my vision blur. Something warm trickled down my inner thigh.

"Riley!" Someone caught me as I fell.

I looked down to see crimson spreading across my white ceremonial dress. Blood. Our baby's blood.

"Get her to Elena!" Palmer shouted, her Beta authority cutting through the chaos.

Everything became a blur of faces and voices as they carried me from the dais. Through the haze of pain, I heard Dr. Elena's voice, sharp with urgency:

"She's hemorrhaging! The Alpha is killing his heir!"

The world tilted and spun, darkness creeping at the edges of my vision. I fought to stay conscious, to protect my pup, but the pain was overwhelming.

---

I woke to the sterile scent of the pack infirmary. White walls, beeping monitors, the taste of iron in my mouth.

"She's awake," someone whispered.

I turned my head slowly, wincing at the movement. Greyson sat beside my bed, his face haggard with guilt. His hand reached for mine, but I flinched away.

"The pup?" I whispered, afraid to hear the answer.

"Still with us," Dr. Elena said from the foot of the bed, her expression carefully neutral. "But it was close. Too close."

Relief flooded through me, followed immediately by a surge of anger. "What happened?"

"You collapsed," Elena explained. "The combination of stress, your pregnancy, and the force of Greyson's Alpha command... it nearly killed you both."

Greyson leaned forward, his eyes pleading. "Riley, I didn't mean—"

Before he could finish, the door burst open. A young nurse rushed in, her eyes wide with panic.

"Alpha! You need to come quickly! Gracelyn has fainted! She's asking for you!"

Greyson hesitated for just a moment—looking between me and the door—before rising to his feet.

"Go," I said flatly. "She needs you."

He nodded once, then followed the nurse out the door without another word.

The final thread of hope inside me snapped. Even now—even after nearly killing me and our child—he chose her.

I turned my face toward the window, watching as the moon rose higher in the night sky. My hand rested protectively over my stomach.

"It's just us now," I whispered to my pup. "And we don't need him."