The white envelope in my hand felt heavier than it looked. I pressed it against my stomach, feeling the slight tremor in my fingers. After years of being the "wolf-less" girl in a pack of predators, I finally had something that belonged only to me.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered to the empty hallway of the pack house.

The words felt like a prayer. I had just come from the clinic, the doctor’s confirmation still ringing in my ears. I was 23, a Beta’s adopted daughter, and I was carrying the child of the Alpha. My fated mate.

"Vivian? Where have you been?"

I jumped, shoving the envelope into my coat pocket. My adoptive father, Beta Marcus, stood at the top of the stairs. He didn't look at me with affection. He never did. To him, I was a debt he’d paid to a dead friend, a human-shaped burden in a world of wolves.

"I was at the doctor," I said, my voice small. "Is Joseph home?"

"Alpha Joseph is preparing for the banquet," Marcus snapped, adjusting his cufflinks. "Stop loitering. Put on something that doesn't make you look like a beggar. Tonight is a monumental night for the Blood Moon Pack."

"I have something to tell him, Dad. It’s important."

"Whatever it is, it can wait until after the toast," he said, turning his back on me. "Don't be late. And for heaven’s sake, try to act like you belong here."

I hurried to my room, my heart racing. I chose a simple cream dress, the fabric soft against my skin. I would tell him tonight. Joseph would be thrilled. He had been so distant lately, buried in pack business, but this would change everything. A baby. Our baby. An heir for the Blood Moon.

The banquet hall was a sea of gold and black. The scent of pine and expensive bourbon filled the air, the signature smells of our pack’s elite. I scanned the room and found Joseph standing on the raised dais. He looked magnificent in his charcoal suit, his dark hair swept back, his jaw set in that firm, commanding line I loved.

I started toward him, my hand instinctively drifting to my midsection. I wanted to catch his eye, to see that spark of recognition that always ignited when we were close.

"Joseph!" I called out as I reached the edge of the platform.

He glanced down. His eyes met mine for a fraction of a second, but there was no spark. Instead, he looked through me, his expression tight and unreadable. He didn't reach for my hand. He didn't even nod.

"Not now, Vivian," he said, his voice clipped.

He turned to the microphone. The room fell into a sudden, expectant silence.

"Pack members, friends, family," Joseph began, his voice booming through the rafters. "Tonight, we gather to celebrate the strength and the future of Blood Moon. For months, there has been speculation about the succession of my line."

I felt a surge of pride. *He’s going to announce us,* I thought. *He’s going to tell them I’m his mate and we’re starting a family.*

"I am proud to announce," Joseph continued, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, "that the Blood Moon Pack finally has an heir."

Cheers erupted. I took a step forward, a smile tugging at my lips.

"The mother of my child," Joseph said, his voice rising over the noise, "and your future Luna... Caroline."

The world stopped.

My sister, Caroline—Marcus’s biological daughter—stepped out from behind the heavy velvet curtains. She was wearing a dress of shimmering crimson, her hand resting delicately on her stomach. She looked radiant. She looked like a queen.

"Caroline and I will be joined in three days' time," Joseph announced, his hand moving to rest on the small of her back. "To the future of our pack!"

The roar of the crowd was deafening. People were jumping to their feet, howling in joy. I felt the floor tilt beneath me. I reached out to grab the edge of a table, my knuckles turning white.

"No," I breathed, the word lost in the celebration. "That’s not right. Joseph!"

He didn't look at me. He was leaning down, whispering something into Caroline’s ear that made her throw her head back and laugh. It was a beautiful, triumphant sound.

I stood frozen as the crowd swarmed the dais. People were hugging Caroline, shaking Joseph’s hand, offering blessings to the "miracle child." I felt like a ghost haunting my own life.

Caroline broke away from a group of well-wishers and began walking toward the buffet line. Her path took her right past me. She stopped, her eyes raking over my pale face. She leaned in, the scent of her floral perfume cloying and thick.

"You look like you've seen a spirit, Vivian," she whispered, her voice a sharp contrast to the sweet smile she wore for the cameras.

"You're lying," I choked out. "Joseph is my fated mate. He wouldn't... he couldn't."

Caroline let out a soft, mocking titter. She stepped closer, her eyes flashing with malice.

"A fated mate?" she hissed. "Look at yourself. You don't even have a wolf, Vivian. You’re a defect. A mistake. Did you really think Joseph would tie the future of this pack to a stray like you? An Alpha needs a Luna with power, not a human pet."

"He loves me," I said, though my voice sounded hollow even to my own ears.

"He loves his pack," Caroline countered. She patted her stomach. "And he loves his heir. I’m the one giving him what he needs. You’re just the girl he felt sorry for. Stay in your lane, little sister. Or better yet, get out of our way."

She brushed past me, her shoulder hitting mine with enough force to make me stumble.

I fled. I couldn't stay in that room another second. I ran through the corridors, the sound of the party following me like a taunt. I locked myself in the small study at the back of the house, sinking to the floor. The envelope was still in my pocket. I pulled it out and tore it into pieces, the paper fluttering down like snow.

The door opened an hour later. Joseph stepped in, closing it quietly behind him. He looked tired.

"Vivian," he said, his voice soft.

I stood up, my face wet with tears. "Is it true?"

He sighed, walking toward me. He reached out to touch my face, but I flinched away. He didn't try again. Instead, he stepped into my space and pulled me into an embrace. I wanted to fight him, but my body was too weak.

"Vivian, don't be like this," he murmured into my hair. "You have to understand the position I'm in."

"You're marrying her," I sobbed into his chest. "You told the whole pack she’s carrying your heir. But I’m your mate! And I—"

"Listen to me," he interrupted, pulling back to look me in the eyes. "The child Caroline is carrying... it isn't mine."

I blinked, the tears blurring my vision. "What?"

"She’s in trouble, Vivian," Joseph said, his tone urgent and low. "She’s the Beta’s daughter. She got involved with someone she shouldn't have—a rogue. If the pack found out, she’d be disgraced. Marcus would lose his position. The stability of the pack would crumble."

"So you're lying to everyone? You're taking another man's child as your own?"

"I'm protecting the pack," he said firmly. "Caroline has always been a good girl, a loyal member of this family. She can't handle the scandal. If I claim the child, it secures the bloodline in the eyes of the council. It’s a political move, nothing more."

"And the marriage? The Luna ceremony?"

Joseph gripped my arms. "It’s a contract. A formality. I’ll marry her, the child will be born, and once the dust settles and the succession is secure, I’ll find a way out. I’ll divorce her. And then, Vivian, I will marry you. I’ll make you my true Luna."

"You expect me to watch you marry my sister?" I asked, my voice trembling. "To watch you raise a child that isn't yours while I sit in the shadows?"

"It’s the only way," he said, his thumb brushing over my jaw. "Trust me. I'm doing this for us. For our future. You’re my mate, Vivian. Nothing changes that."

"Everything changes that," I whispered.

He leaned down, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "I have to get back. They’ll wonder where I am. Just stay quiet, okay? Don't make this harder than it has to be."

He turned and left the room without another word.

I stood in the center of the study, the silence pressing in on me. My hand moved back to my stomach. I thought about the pieces of the report scattered on the floor.

*The baby isn't mine,* Joseph had said.

He was willing to lie for Caroline. He was willing to claim a stranger’s child to save her reputation.

I looked at the door, my heart heavy with a secret that felt like a ticking bomb. If I told him now, would he call off the wedding? Or would he see my child as just another complication in his political game?

I opened my mouth to call him back, but the words died in my throat.

Joseph’s hand paused on the brass doorknob. He turned back, his gaze heavy, and crossed the study in two long strides. He grabbed my waist, hauling me hard against his chest.

"Trust me," he demanded, his mouth crashing down on mine.

He didn't wait for a response. He dragged me down the hall to his private bedroom, kicking the heavy oak door shut behind us.

"I need to fuck you," he growled, ripping the cream dress down my shoulders. The fabric tore, pooling at my feet. "Tell me you're mine, Vivian. Say it."

"I'm yours," I gasped, my hands frantically unbuttoning his shirt.

I remembered the day I turned eighteen. The exact second our eyes locked across the training grounds, the mate bond snapping into place like a steel trap. He had been wild back then, a relentless force of nature, claiming me with a ferocity that terrified and thrilled me.

Now, his hands were rough, shoving my underwear down my thighs.

"I'm going to stretch your pussy out," he snarled, shoving two thick fingers deep inside me. "You feel so fucking good. Always so wet for me."

"Joseph, please," I begged, my hips chasing his hand. "Put your cock in me. Now."

He unzipped his pants, freeing his hard cock, and pushed into me in one brutal thrust. I screamed his name, my back arching off the mattress.

"Fuck, Vivian," he grunted, slamming his hips against mine. He grabbed my thighs, pulling them wider. "I'm going to breed you. I want to fill your womb with my pups."

His words shattered my hesitation. As the pleasure built, tightening my muscles around his thick shaft, I couldn't keep the secret anymore.

"Joseph," I cried out, my nails digging into his bare shoulders. "I'm pregnant! I'm having our baby!"

He froze for a fraction of a second, his eyes widening. Then a raw, ecstatic roar tore from his throat. He pounded into me with frantic, desperate force, hitting my deepest spot over and over.

"Our baby!" he yelled, burying his face in my neck, biting down on my collarbone. "Fuck, yes! A baby, Vivian!"

He came inside me with a violent shudder, crushing my lips with a bruising kiss. He held me tight, his heart hammering against my chest. He was happy. He loved me. Everything was going to be fine.

***

The next morning, the illusion shattered.

I walked into the parlor of my adoptive parents' house. Caroline sat on the velvet sofa, sipping herbal tea.

"I heard the news, stray," Caroline sneered, setting her porcelain cup onto the saucer. "You're knocked up."

"How do you know that?" I demanded, my hands curling into fists at my sides.

"Word travels fast when a human pet visits the pack clinic." She stood up, smoothing her crimson skirt. "Whose bastard is it? Some rogue you spread your legs for in the woods?"

"Don't you dare," I snapped. "This baby is Joseph's. He knows about it. He's thrilled."

Caroline laughed, a harsh, grating sound that bounced off the high ceilings. "You really are delusional. You think the Alpha would claim a mutt's offspring?"

The front door opened. Joseph walked in, Marcus right behind him.

"Joseph!" I rushed forward, grabbing his arm. "Tell her. Tell Caroline about our baby."

Joseph stopped. His jaw locked. He looked at Marcus, then at Caroline, and finally down at me. His eyes were completely blank.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Vivian," Joseph said, his voice carrying through the quiet room.

The floor seemed to drop out from under me. "What?"

"Caroline is carrying my only heir," Joseph announced, stepping around me to stand beside my sister. He placed a protective hand on her waist. "Whatever bastard you're carrying, it isn't mine."

I stared at him, my stomach twisting into violent knots. "You're lying. Last night—"

*It's only temporary, darling,* his voice echoed in my head, invading my mind through our mate bond. *Just to put your parents at ease. Play along.*

I stumbled back, my shoulder hitting the doorframe. Play along? He was publicly disowning our child.

"You ungrateful wretch," Marcus spat, glaring at me with pure disgust. "Living under my roof, eating my food, and you bring this shame upon us? Claiming your filth belongs to the Alpha?"

"Dad, no," I whispered, shaking my head. "I'm telling the truth."

"Silence!" Marcus barked, his Beta aura flaring, pressing down on my human senses. "Sit down in the corner and keep your mouth shut, or I'll throw you out on the street right now."

I sank into a wooden chair by the window, my legs refusing to hold my weight.

Joseph pulled out an armchair for Caroline, kissing her cheek before sitting beside her.

*I love you, Vivian,* his voice murmured in my mind again. *I'm doing this for us. Be a good girl.*

I watched them. Marcus laid out fabric samples and catering menus on the glass coffee table.

"The Luna ceremony needs to be perfect," Marcus said, pointing to a swatch of gold silk. "The entire council will be there to witness the union."

"I want white roses," Caroline said, resting her head on Joseph's shoulder. "Thousands of them. What do you think, Joseph?"

"Whatever you want, Caroline," he replied, squeezing her hand. "Money is no object."

I sat in the shadows, perfectly invisible. Nothing had changed since I was a child. I was still the outsider, the unwanted burden. No one in this room cared about me. Not Marcus, who viewed me as trash. Not Caroline, who stole my life. And not even my mate, who sat there planning his wedding to another woman while our baby grew inside me.

"I need to use the restroom," Caroline announced, standing up with a delicate smile. "I'll be right back."

She glided out of the parlor. A minute passed. I couldn't sit there watching Joseph pretend anymore. I stood up and slipped into the hallway, needing a moment to breathe.

"Where are my things, Greta?" I asked, staring at the empty wardrobe in my bedroom.

"Beta Marcus ordered them moved," the housekeeper replied, keeping her eyes fixed on her feather duster. "Miss Caroline requires the space for her wedding gifts."

"This is my room."

"Not anymore. Your boxes are in the attic."

I marched up the narrow, creaking stairs. Dust coated the wooden planks. Three cardboard boxes sat next to a rusty mop bucket.

"You owe me your life," Marcus used to bark, shoving a broom into my ten-year-old hands. "I saved you from the border. A wolfless stray with no name. You work for your food here."

I scrubbed floors for eight years. I endured Caroline’s constant sneers. I accepted my place at the bottom of the pack.

Then came my eighteenth birthday. Joseph had cornered me in the gardens during the summer gala.

"You're mine," he had demanded, his Alpha aura wrapping around me like a warm blanket. "My mate."

I believed him. I gave him everything.

Now, my entire life was packed into cardboard.

I headed back downstairs. I needed to face Caroline. I needed to expose her treacherous phone call about Alpha Mercer.

I reached the master suite. The heavy oak door stood slightly ajar.

"Are you sure she won't cause trouble, Joseph?" Caroline purred.

"Vivian obeys me," Joseph said. "She knows her place."

I peered through the two-inch gap. Caroline wore a sheer silk robe. She backed Joseph against the mahogany dresser, her hands sliding up his chest.

"Prove I'm your only Luna," she whispered.

She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth to his.

I waited for the rejection. I waited for my fated mate to shove her away.

He didn't.

Joseph’s hands settled firmly on her hips. He tilted his head, deepening the kiss. A low groan rumbled in his throat.

A loud, grating laugh erupted from my chest. It was an ugly sound. I should be crying, but the sheer absurdity of his betrayal just made me laugh.

Joseph’s head snapped toward the door. "Who's there?"

I spun on my heel and bolted.

"Vivian! Stop!" Joseph yelled from the hallway.

I ignored him. I slammed the front doors open and sprinted into the freezing night.

I ran blindly. Branches whipped my face. Mud ruined my shoes. I didn't stop until the glow of the pack house vanished completely.

"Well, well. Look what wandered away from the rich wolves."

I skidded to a halt. Three massive men blocked the moonlit trail. Their clothes hung in tatters. Their eyes glowed a sickly yellow.

"I don't have any money," I said, backing away slowly.

"You smell like an Alpha's whore," the tallest rogue sneered. "But you don't have a wolf. How tragic."

"Let me pass," I demanded, grabbing a heavy branch from the dirt.

"A wolfless toy giving orders?" Another rogue chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "We're going to have fun with you."

"Get her," the leader barked.

I threw the branch at his face and sprinted into the thick underbrush. Thorns tore at my jeans. Heavy paws slammed against the earth behind me. They had shifted. I was entirely human. I stood no chance.

A sudden, violent cramp ripped through my lower abdomen.

"Ah!" I shrieked, doubling over.

My foot caught on an exposed tree root. I slammed hard onto the cold ground. The impact knocked the wind completely out of my lungs.

The snarling beasts circled me, snapping their jaws. But the terror of the wolves faded beneath a much sharper, more devastating agony.

Liquid pooled between my thighs, warm and sticky.

I pulled my trembling hand up to the moonlight. My fingers were slick with thick, dark red blood.

"No," I sobbed, curling into a tight ball. "No, please. My baby. Not my baby."

The pain spiked again, blinding and absolute. The yellow eyes of the wolves blurred into twin stars. The forest spun, and then everything faded into a silent, pitch-black void.

***

Hundreds of miles away, a fire crackled in the grand hearth of the Ashberg Pack stronghold.

Luna Maria paced the length of the Persian rug. She wrung her hands together, her silver hair catching the firelight. "Did the trackers return?"

Alpha Tom sat heavily in his leather chair. "They searched the northern territories, Maria. Nothing."

"She’s out there, Tom," Maria insisted, her voice breaking. "Our daughter. I can feel it."

"It has been eighteen years."

"A mother knows!" Maria shouted, slamming her hand against the mantle. "She is alive. My heart tells me she is out there."

"We will find her," Tom said softly, standing up to pull his mate into his arms. "Even if I have to tear apart every pack on this continent."

A frantic knock shattered the quiet room.

The heavy wooden door swung open. Beta Silas stood in the entryway, panting hard. He clutched a crumpled piece of fabric in his fist.

"Alpha," Silas gasped, holding up a torn, blood-stained piece of cream-colored silk. "Our border patrols found this near the Blood Moon territory."

Maria gasped, snatching the fabric from his hands. She pressed it to her nose, her eyes going wide.

"It carries the scent of your bloodline," Silas said grimly. "But there was a massive amount of blood. We don't know if she survived the night."