I CAN STILL HEAR the shaman’s words echoing in my mind.

“Alpha Damon will be mateless for the rest of his life.”

Those words are still playing in my mind and it hit me harder than I thought. I was worried looking at Alpha Damon, the alpha of the Black Moon Pack go still upon hearing that from the shaman. It has just been predicted that he will be mateless. And I know that this is really hard for him to accept.

I'm hurting for him. He's the man that I've been loving ever since before and it breaks my heart seeing him like this right now.

Moments later, I found him in the clearing at the edge of the woods, staring up at the full moon. His gaze was hard, his jaw set in the way it always was when he was carrying a burden he wouldn’t share with anyone.

“Alpha Damon…” I said softly, stepping closer.

He tensed, but didn’t turn. “Go back to your pack, Kierra. Don't go here in my territory again without your father.”

“I’m not leaving you,” I replied, my voice firmer than I’d expected. “You shouldn’t have to go through this alone. I know… everything is hard for you right now.”

“I’m not your responsibility, Kierra,” he said, his tone clipped, still refusing to meet my eyes. His words stung, but I tried not to show it.

“M-Maybe you’re not,” I whispered, my voice wavering. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t care. I care about you, Alpha Damon. More than you know.”

He finally turned to look at me, his eyes narrowed, dark with frustration. “Don’t do this, Kierra. Don’t make this harder than it already is. I don’t need anyone’s pity.”

“It’s not pity,” I insisted, stepping closer, my gaze locked onto his. “It’s love. Alpha Damon-”

“Don’t,” he interrupted, his voice a low growl. He looked away, his hands clenched at his sides. “You’re wasting your time here. Just… get lost.”

I bit my lip, feeling the familiar sting of his rejection. I should have been used to it by now, but it hurts just the same every time. And yet, I couldn’t walk away. Not when he was hurting like this.

“I know you don’t want to hear this,” I began slowly, choosing my words carefully. “But… about what the shaman said. About you being… mateless, about not being able to have an heir-”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said sharply, his tone a warning.

But I pushed on, my heart racing. “I could carry your child, Alpha Damon.”

The words were out before I even realized I was saying them, and for a moment, I thought he hadn’t heard me. But then he turned, staring at me in disbelief.

“Kierra, what are you saying?”

I swallowed, trying to steady my voice, though I could feel my cheeks burning. “I’m saying I’d be willing to have your child. You wouldn’t owe me anything. I don’t expect… I don’t expect you to l-love me, or to be with me. I just… I know how important it is for you to have an heir.”

His expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. “You’re being foolish.”

“Maybe I am,” I admitted, feeling the weight of his gaze, the intensity in his eyes. “But I’d do anything for you, Damon. Even if it means… even if it means you’ll never see me as anything more than this.”

“Kierra, this isn’t some… this isn’t something you can just offer like a gift,” he snapped, anger flashing in his eyes. “Do you realize what you’re saying? What are you offering?”

“I do,” I replied, my voice steady, though my heart felt like it was shattering into a thousand pieces. “And I wouldn’t offer it if I didn’t mean it.”

He turned away again, his shoulders tense, his hands balled into fists. I could see the struggle in him, the way he was trying to hold himself together, to keep that stoic mask firmly in place. And then, just as suddenly, he laughed, a low, bitter sound.

“You really are a fool,” he muttered. “You don’t even understand what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Maybe I don’t,” I said softly, taking a step closer. “But I know how I feel about you. And I know that I’d give anything to see you happy, Damon. Even if that means… even if it means being nothing more than a memory to you.”

He was silent for a long time, his gaze fixed on the ground. Finally, he looked up, his expression unreadable. “And you think this would make me happy?”

I felt a lump rise in my throat, but I forced myself to meet his gaze. “I think it would give you a future. A legacy. And that’s all I want for you.”

He exhaled slowly, his eyes softening for just a moment. And for that brief instant, I thought maybe, just maybe, he could see me for who I was. Not just Kierra, the daughter of the Moonstone pack’s Alpha. But Kierra, the woman who loved him with everything she had.

“Kierra,” he said finally, his voice barely a whisper. “You deserve more than this.”

“Maybe,” I replied, my voice trembling. “But you deserve to have an heir, Alpha Damon. And I’d do this for you. I’d do it without asking for anything in return.”

He looked away, his jaw clenched, and I could see the battle raging within him.

“I can’t promise you anything,” he said, his voice low, almost defeated. “I can’t give you what you want, Kierra.”

“I know,” I whispered, feeling a tear slip down my cheek.

There was a long silence between us, the weight of our words settling in the space between us. And then, slowly, he nodded.

“Fine,” he said, his voice barely audible. “If this is what you want… then so be it.”

I nodded, my heart both aching and elated. This wasn’t a fairy-tale ending. There was no promise of love or happily ever after.

HE AGREED. That's all that matters to me. He touched me that night and we had sex. It was urgent but tender and consuming. And my body and heart want it so much.

Our bodies became one, Alpha Damon bit my neck. He marked me, deep and permanent. That mark told the world I was his, and for a while, I let myself believe that he was mine.

“Ahh… I love you,” I whispered to him as soon as we both reached our peaks.

Three weeks later, I found out I was carrying his child. I’d never experienced such a mix of emotions.

When I told my father, I could see the disappointment and anger radiating off him. He yelled, his voice shaking with the kind of fury that only comes from heartbreak.

“How could you be so careless, Kierra?!” he spat, pacing back and forth. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! The pack will judge you for this!”

“I… I’m sorry, Dad,” I whispered, my eyes downcast. “But I’m going to keep this child.”

“Who's the father, then? He should marry you!”

My eyes widened in shock. No, that's not included with the plan! But seeing the rage in my father's eyes right now, I knew at that moment that I can never question his decision.

“Tell me, Kierra! I want an answer!” He spat angrily again making me almost jump in fear. He's the kindest father but he's really ruthless when mad.

I looked down, forced to answer him “I-It's… Alpha Damon… he’s the father.”

He narrowed his eyes at me, his voice cold. “Then he’ll marry you. You’ll do this right, and he’ll take responsibility.”

A part of me had hoped Alpha Damon would refuse, that he’d let me keep the child on my own terms. But he agreed, almost as if he felt obligated, like it was his duty and nothing more. And soon, we were bound together, not by love or choice.

The first few days in our new home, I tried to make it work. I prepared breakfast each morning, hoping he’d join me. But Alpha Damon had a way of drifting past me as if I was an air.

One night, I dared to talk to him. “Alpha… can we… t-talk?”

“About what? About how you locked me up in this damn marriage? I was free Kierra. You took my freedom away from me.”

I flinched, his words like daggers“I… didn’t do this to trap you, Alpha… but you agreed so I thought…”

He laughed, a cold, hollow sound. “You think I wanted this? Think again, Kierra.”

Every day after that, he grew colder, more distant. Each word he spoke felt like a calculated strike, designed to remind me of what he’d lost. I did my best to shield myself, to remind myself that I had to stay strong for our child. But inside, I felt myself breaking, each time he looked at me with that empty stare.

Then one morning, just as I was preparing breakfast, a knock echoed through the mansion. I opened the door to find a woman standing there. I immediately recognized her.

“Georgina?” I breathed, my voice barely a whisper.

She smiled, a perfect, practiced smile that seemed to mock me. “Kierra, isn’t it? Alpha Damon’s wife.”

Alpha Damon appeared, and for the first time in weeks, I saw a flicker of warmth in his eyes. But it wasn’t directed at me. It was for her.

“Georgina,” he greeted, his voice soft. I’d never heard him speak that way to me.

The way he looked at her, like she was a treasure he’d lost and suddenly found again, tore at me. I tried to swallow my jealousy, but my voice betrayed me.

“Uhm… d-do you two know each other?” I asked.

He glanced at me, his expression hardening. “She’s… someone important to me,” he said, and I could see the pain in his eyes, the memories he’d tried to bury.

“Someone important?” I repeated, my voice shaking.

Georgina placed a hand on his arm, a possessive gesture that made my stomach twist. “Don’t worry, Kierra,” she said, her tone saccharine. “I’m just an old friend.”

Friend. I knew better. The way they looked at each other, the quiet smiles and unspoken words, it was painfully clear she was much more than that.

The days that followed felt like a nightmare. Alpha Damon would spend hours with her, laughter and conversation drifting from rooms I wasn’t welcome in.

One evening, I found him in the library, alone, a rare moment without Georgina.

“Alpha Damon,” I said, stepping inside, my voice barely steady. “Can we talk?”

He didn’t look up from his book. “What is there to talk about, Kierra?”

I took a deep breath, gathering what strength I had left. “About us. About… her.”

His gaze finally met mine, cold and unyielding. “Georgina is none of your business.”

“How can you say that?” I asked, voice breaking. “I’m your wife. I'm carrying your child!”

He scoffed. “My child? This was never about the child, was it? You wanted to trap me, Kierra. To keep me for yourself. But newsflash. I was never yours to keep.”

Tears filled my eyes, but I forced myself to speak. “I never wanted to trap you. I know I was the one who wanted this first but… I wanted a family. A life with you.” I admitted.

“You made your choice. Now you’ll live with it.”

He left me standing there, broken, hollow. I didn’t see him for hours. That night, a sense of resolve grew within me. I was done waiting for Alpha Damon to see me, to care for me, to want this family as much as I did.

“I’m done, Alpha,” I whispered in the air.

“I’m done trying to make you love me. I’m here for our child, but you and I… this,” I gestured around us, “this is over. You can have your freedom. You never wanted me, anyway,” I added as if he's just in front of me.

I decided that night to cut my ties with Alpha Damon. I know that it was my fault to stay with him. It was my choice to carry his child. But I can't take this anymore.

It's time for me to leave so he could be happy with Georgina… the woman he truly loves.

THE NIGHT GEORGINA returned to the pack was the night my world began to unravel.

I had been sitting by the fire in the Alpha’s mansion, relishing the quiet evening, when Alpha Damon came in, his arm around her shoulders. She looked fragile and lost. There was a haunted look in her eyes, a reflection of the pain I knew must have brought her back.

But I didn’t see it as a reason for Alpha Damon’s sudden and all-consuming care.

“Kierra,” Alpha Damon’s deep voice broke through my thoughts, “Georgina needs a place to stay. It’s… only for a while. She’s lost everything.”

Lost everything. The words struck me, but not in the way he meant them. I felt the heat of jealousy rising, fierce and overwhelming.

I forced a smile, nodding stiffly. “Of course, Alpha Damon. Whatever you think is best.”

But as I said the words, a part of me already knew that “temporary” would become something else, something worse. Every time I saw him by Georgina’s side, helping her settle into her new space, giving her the kind of attention, I felt like an outsider.

My days became filled with painful glances, stifled sobs in empty hallways, and nights lying awake, wondering what Alpha Damon saw in her. I didn’t want to feel this way. I knew she’d suffered, and I wanted to have empathy, but my jealousy was stronger.

One day, after another evening of watching Alpha Damon’s concern for Georgina, I couldn’t keep my silence any longer. My heart pounded as I approached him, cornering him in the library.

“Alpha Damon, why are you doing this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why is she so important?”

He looked at me with surprise, a slight frown creasing his forehead. “Kierra, what are you talking about?”

“She’s… she’s just here, taking up all of your time, your attention,” I stammered, feeling foolish but unable to stop. “Do you even see what this is doing to…u-us?”

Alpha Damon sighed, stepping closer and taking my hands in his. “Kierra, Georgina has been through more than you could know. She doesn’t have anyone else, and right now, she needs support. This isn’t about you or me. It’s about doing what’s right.”

But his words didn’t comfort me. Instead, they stoked my resentment further. “I’m here, Alpha Damon. I need you too… We ne” My voice trembled, but he just shook his head gently.

“Kierra,” he said softly, “it’s not the same. She’s just a friend.”

Those words echoed in my mind, a bitter refrain that wouldn’t go away. He didn’t understand how deeply I felt, how much his attention to her tore at me. I wanted to believe him, to feel secure, but every time I saw them together, the pain came rushing back.

And then one night, I couldn’t take it anymore. It was late, and the mansion had gone quiet. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling as if I were suffocating under the weight of my own emotions. I had tried to be patient, to understand, but the ache in my heart was unbearable.

“Maybe it's time…” I whispered.

Without thinking, I got up, packed a few things, and slipped out of the house. The darkness wrapped around me as I left the mansion, left the pack, and walked away from the life I had known. I was carrying Alpha Damon’s child, his heir, but I couldn’t stay any longer… not when staying felt like I was losing myself piece by piece.

I didn’t tell anyone where I was going. Not even my father. I simply disappeared into the night, determined to start a new life, away from the pain and jealousy that had consumed me.

“I can do this,” I told myself with a bitter smile on my lips before looking down on my bulging stomach. “I have you, baby. We can do this without your… d-dad.” My voice cracked a bit but I still smiled despite my heart aching.

For five years, I lived in hiding, raising my son alone. Aaron was a bright child, full of laughter and life, with eyes that reminded me of Alpha Damon every time I looked at him. He was my world, my reason for getting up every day, and he made the ache of the past a little easier to bear.

But some nights, I would lie awake, haunted by memories of his father. I had tried to let go of the past, but the pain lingered, a dull ache in the background of my quiet life.

One day, as I was preparing dinner, Aaron tugged on my sleeve, his young face scrunched up with curiosity.

“Mommy,” he said in that innocent tone, “where is my daddy? Why isn’t he with us?”

My heart skipped a beat. I had known this question would come eventually, but I hadn’t prepared for it. I knelt down, forcing a gentle smile, even as my heart ached with the weight of what I was about to say.

“Your daddy… he’s not with us anymore,” I whispered, hoping that would be enough to satisfy him.

Aaron looked at me, his young face full of quiet wisdom, as if he could sense the truth beneath my words. “What do you mean, mommy? Most of my friends have their dads. They pick them up in our school. Maybe what Trevor told me was right,” he said, pertaining to his classmate.

I smiled bitterly and caressed his face that resembled his dad's so much. “You will understand everything soon, honey.”

“Why, mommy? I don't… really have a dad, right? Is it true? Maybe I'm just… adopted,” Aaron said bitterly.

I immediately shook my head. “No, you're not an adopted, okay? Don't listen to him, okay?”

“Yes, but… I want to know where my dad is, mom.”

I gulped the lump in my throat as I stared longer at his eyes. I didn't know how I would explain everything to him. I didn't know how I would tell him that… I left his dad for him to be happy with the woman he truly loves… that I just did the right thing.

I don't want to tell a lie on my son's face saying that his dad will be back soon. Because there's no guarantee. And I don't want him to hold onto something that there's no possibility that will happen.

“Y-You're… dad is… gone. He's gone, honey. He won't come back to us anymore,” I answered with my trembling lips.