My Son Told His Father I Was Faking My Miscarriage

I had spent years making sure Jace never felt the pain in his damaged shoulder and Owen never missed the medicine that kept him safe.

When Jace had nothing, I sold my mother's silver moon bracelet so he could heal, and he swore I would never have to lower my head in our home.

When he became Alpha, he called me the woman who had built the throne beside him.

By the time Talia came back, I was still setting the breakfast table while my husband and son laughed with another woman in my chair.

That morning, I checked Owen's medicine card, warmed Jace's shoulder wrap, and found my mug already in Talia's hands.

Jace told me not to make a guest feel unwelcome.

Then he asked me to bring his old leather strategy book from our room.

The ultrasound photo I had hidden inside slipped onto the table.

Talia picked it up before I could reach it.

"You're pregnant?" she asked.

"Maya, why didn't you tell me?" Jace said.

"Don't worry, I would never come between your family," Talia murmured.

Owen laughed. "You already feel more like family than Mom does."

***

A fourth place setting occupied my usual seat at the breakfast table. Talia leaned back against the mahogany wood, sipping dark roast from my white porcelain cup—the one stamped with the Luna moon-crest.

"The eastern trails are perfect for riding today, Owen," she told my son, flashing a bright smile. "We can take the chestnut geldings."

I did not ask her to move. Instead, I walked around her chair and slid Owen's plastic daily pillbox next to his plate of scrambled eggs. Then, I dropped a steaming heat pack onto Jace's left shoulder.

My husband winced, a reflex from the winter before he took the Alpha title. I had pawned my mother's silver moon bracelet to buy his painkillers back then, keeping him warm when we had nothing. Now, he barely nodded at me. His gaze remained fixed entirely on Talia.

"Ten days," I said, keeping my tone flat. "You said you only needed the guest room for a week, Talia."

Jace shoved his plate aside, the ceramic scraping harshly against the wood. "She just got back. Do you have to calculate everything so clearly?"

"I'm just asking for a timeline," I replied.

"Mom just likes making rules," Owen muttered, stabbing his fork into a sausage. "She hates when people have fun."

I stared at my ten-year-old son. He was already mirroring his father, learning exactly how to frame my boundaries as a nuisance.

"Can we go to the track now?" Owen asked, tugging on Talia's sleeve. "I want to ride the big horses."

"Your science project is still under the sofa," I told him, pointing toward the living room. "Finish it first. It's due on Monday."

Talia rested her chin on her hand, her eyes crinkling in amusement. "A few hours of relaxing won't ruin his life, Maya. Kids need to breathe."

"Let the boy go," Jace agreed, waving a dismissive hand at me. "Go grab your boots, Owen."

Owen cheered and threw his arms around Talia's neck.

I picked up the blue medical pouch from the counter and held it out. "Take your backup allergy meds."

Owen rolled his eyes, groaning loudly. "I don't need them. She'll take care of me."

Talia reached over and took the pouch, swinging it by the strap. "I've got it covered, Maya. Relax."

"Which pocket has the epinephrine?" I asked.

Talia blinked, her smile faltering. Her fingers fumbled over the nylon zippers. "Um, the front one? Or the side?"

I snatched the pouch back and checked the compartments myself, ensuring the auto-injectors were secured. "Care isn't a performance. One mistake costs him a trip to the ER."

"It's just a quick trip to the stables," Talia argued softly. "I'll keep a close eye on him."

"A close eye doesn't stop anaphylaxis," I said. "He needs the injection within seconds if he touches the wrong feed."

Jace's expression hardened into ice. He slammed his hand flat on the table. "Don't pass your anxiety to the kid. You're suffocating him."

He stood up, towering over the dining space. "Go get my old leather strategy notebook from the bedroom. I want to show Talia the Pack's rebuilding map before we head out."

I turned and walked down the hall, leaving the three of them whispering behind my back. The worn leather binder sat on his nightstand. It held more than just maps. It contained our old overdue bills, his handwritten vows from eight years ago, and the glossy ultrasound photo I had hidden inside the front cover.

When I returned to the dining room, I handed the binder across the table. The worn spine slipped against my fingers. The ultrasound photo slid from the pages and fluttered to the hardwood floor, landing face up.

Talia swooped down before I could reach it. She stared at the black-and-white image, her eyes scanning the printed name and date at the top corner.

"Maya," Talia asked, her voice dropping to a hushed whisper. "Are you pregnant?"

Jace's careless posture vanished. The annoyance drained from his face, replaced by pure shock. He lunged forward, reaching for the glossy paper.

I snatched it from Talia's grip first and slid it into my pocket. "I planned to announce it at the family moon dinner next week."

Owen did not jump up. He did not smile. He looked at Talia, then scowled at me. "Does a new baby mean you're going to control me even more? Are you going to make more rules?"

Talia touched Owen's arm gently, offering him a sympathetic look. "Your mom will be very tired soon, sweetie. We should all give way to her more."

I tightened my grip on the edge of the table. She was already framing my pregnancy as a burden, setting the stage for every future discomfort to be treated as an inconvenience to them.

Jace turned on his heel and marched toward the kitchen. I followed him, letting the swinging door shut behind us.

"Three weeks," Jace demanded, his voice dropping to a harsh, accusing whisper. "Why did you hide this for three weeks?"

"I wanted a moment that belonged just to the three of us," I answered, meeting his angry stare. "I wanted to tell you and Owen when we were alone."

Jace scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Or did you wait for Talia to return just to announce it and make me look bad? Did you plan to drop this right when she was getting settled?"

"You think I timed my pregnancy around your guest?" I asked.

"You always do this," Jace muttered. "You weaponize everything. You couldn't just let us have a peaceful morning."

The words struck deep, burying themselves in my chest. He did not ask how I felt. He did not ask if I was healthy, or if the morning sickness was severe. My child was nothing more than a prop in his mind, a tool I was supposedly using to compete for attention.

I did not cry. I did not raise my voice to defend myself.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and opened the Pack's family portal.

"What are you doing?" Jace asked, stepping closer. "Don't ignore me, Maya."

I tapped Talia's profile on the screen. I unchecked her access to the medical cabinet. I deleted her from Owen's emergency contact list, confirming the prompt with a firm press of my thumb.

Then, I opened my own medical file. I scrolled past the Alpha Auto-View setting and switched it to Authorized Only.

Jace's phone chimed in his pocket, a sharp, piercing notification.

He pulled it out, his eyes scanning the glowing screen. The irritation on his face slowly melted into stark realization. He stared at me, his jaw slackening as he finally understood that I was not fighting over a seat at the breakfast table.

I locked my screen and slipped the phone away.

"Since you think I'm always exaggerating," I said, "from today on, my body isn't yours to judge."