At eight months pregnant, I was sent by my mate to the territory of Rowan Marshall, the infamous Alpha of the Marshall Pack.

It was because Rowan had specifically asked for me.

"The Alpha Marshall is known for his ruthlessness. If our Luna goes there, she might not return alive," the pack members whispered among themselves.

But Theo, my mate, paid no attention.

He calmly brought back his chosen mate, Liliana, who had been hidden in the outskirts of the city.

With a cold expression, he said, "Don’t blame me for being heartless. It’s the Alpha’s command. No one dares to defy him."

He even promised Liliana a legitimate place in our pack right in front of me.

I didn’t cry or protest. I obediently got into the car.

Because in my past life, I had threatened to take my own life, and Theo had sent Liliana, who was also pregnant, in my place.

Within half a month, Liliana was tortured to death.

Theo bided his time until the day I gave birth, when he brutally killed our child right before my eyes.

I desperately tried to stop him, but he used his claws to tear through my heart.

He said, "This is what you owe Liliana."

But this time, I would let him have his way with Liliana.

==============================

"Have you heard? The Alpha Marshall specifically demanded that our Alpha send his mate to serve him in exchange for helping our pack out of this crisis."

"That Alpha Marshall is notorious for his brutality. No woman who enters his territory ever comes out alive. This is a tragedy."

"Indeed. Our Alpha agreed yesterday. In three days, he’ll send our Luna there. Poor Luna, she’s been so kind to us, and she’s pregnant. It’s a cruel fate…"

The window was open, and the whispers of the pack members drifted in clearly.

Sylvie, my loyal Omega servant, had cried her eyes red.

"My Luna, why don’t you beg our Alpha? You’ve been so close. He wouldn’t dare send you to such a hellish place!"

"Silly girl, begging won’t change anything," I replied calmly, my gaze distant. "He’ll do it anyway."

The whole pack was abuzz with gossip.

Theo and I were once seen as a perfect match, deeply in love.

In my past life, when Rowan’s demand reached our pack, Theo, though shocked, agreed for the sake of resolving the pack’s crisis.

It was I who knelt before him, threatening to take my own life.

Theo then sent Liliana in my place to Rowan’s territory.

But within half a month, Liliana was tortured to death.

Theo had her body quietly buried.

He told me to focus on my pregnancy.

But on the day I gave birth, Theo brutally killed our child before my eyes.

Then he tore through my heart with his claws.

That was when I realized it had all been an act. He was madly in love with his chosen mate.

Yesterday, when Rowan’s messenger specifically demanded me, Theo agreed without hesitation.

That was when I knew Theo had also been reborn.

So this time, he would do everything to protect Liliana and send me away.

"Alpha is back!"

The familiar sound of footsteps echoed outside, followed by Theo’s cold and emotionless voice.

"Where’s my mate? Bring her out to meet Liliana."

The pack was in shock.

Sylvie rushed to me in a panic. "My Luna, the Alpha has brought a woman back. She’s…"

"She’s pregnant," I finished for her.

Sylvie stared at me in disbelief. "My Luna, how did you know?"

In my past life, Theo, coveting my family’s wealth, hadn’t sent me to Rowan’s territory directly.

He put on a show of being a devoted mate, swearing with tears in his eyes that he loved me more than anything.

To keep me, he brought Liliana, who had been hidden in the outskirts, into our pack.

"Iris, this is a servant I bought. She’s pregnant, just like you. Rowan hasn’t seen you. He won’t know the difference."

He played a game of deception, sending Liliana to Rowan’s territory while pleading with Rowan to spare my life.

But in the end, Liliana was still tortured to death.

It wasn’t until my dying moment that Theo told me the child Liliana carried was his.

Thinking of this, I shook my head with a faint smile.

"Sylvie, you’re calling me 'my Luna' now. That woman outside is Theo’s new chosen mate."

"Go pack our things. In three days, we’ll leave this place for good."

As soon as I finished speaking, Theo kicked the door open and stormed in.

"Iris Young, you’ve got quite the attitude. Even the servants can’t get you to move. What, do you think you’re already the Alpha Marshall’s woman and I can’t order you around anymore?"

I ignored him, but Liliana, trailing behind him, quickly knelt down.

She put on a pitiful expression, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Alpha, please don’t be angry. My Luna comes from the wealthy Young Pack. It’s only natural she looks down on an orphan like me."

"I should have come to pay my respects to the Luna. It’s not proper for the Luna to come out to greet me."

Before my knees could touch the ground, Theo reached out and pulled me up with a mix of concern and irritation in his eyes.

“Iris, don’t kneel,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “You’re carrying my pup. There’s no need to submit to her.”

He turned to me, his expression hardening. “Besides, Liliana will be sent to the Marshall Pack in three days. After that, you’ll be the one in charge of the Young Pack’s affairs.”

I straightened, holding a small black box in my hands. Theo’s eyes narrowed as he instinctively shielded Liliana.

“What are you doing?” he demanded, suspicion thick in his tone.

I smiled faintly, my voice calm. “I’m simply handing over the responsibilities to the future Luna.”

I opened the box, revealing the keys to the pack’s vaults and the financial ledgers. Under their stunned gazes, I extended it toward Liliana.

“Take it,” I said.

Liliana hesitated, her hand hovering, but before she could touch it, Theo slapped the box out of my hands. The contents scattered across the floor, the metallic clink of the keys echoing in the room.

“Iris, how do I know you haven’t poisoned these?” he snapped, his voice dripping with distrust. “In three days, you’ll be sent to Rowan Marshall’s den. How can you act so calmly? Don’t think I don’t see through your schemes.”

I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping me. He was as foolish as ever.

Who said being sent to Rowan’s den meant certain death?

When I remained silent, Theo’s expression shifted, a flicker of guilt crossing his face before it was replaced with cold resolve.

“Iris, don’t blame me for being harsh,” he said, his tone softer but still patronizing. “Rowan Marshall demanded you specifically. No one dares cross him, or they’ll end up dead. If you go willingly and help me through this crisis… maybe I’ll take you back as my chosen mate someday.”

“That won’t be necessary,” I interrupted, kicking the scattered ledgers aside. “If you don’t trust me, have a pack member collect them for her.”

Liliana moved into the pack house with all the confidence of a future Luna. Theo issued a stern warning to everyone in the pack: anyone who showed disrespect to Liliana would be severely punished—fifty lashes and exile from the pack.

When Sylvie told me this, I was stitching a gown, my hands steady despite the storm brewing around me.

“Miss Iris, how can you just let this woman walk all over you?” Sylvie cried, her voice trembling with anger. “When Theo came to your family to claim you as his mate, he swore an oath—never to take another mate, or he’d face the Moon Goddess’s wrath! How could he betray you like this?”

I shook my head, my voice calm. “It’s not worth wasting energy on someone like him. Are our things packed?”

Sylvie wiped her tears. “Yes, but Miss Iris… the way you’re packing and sewing this gown, it’s like you’re planning to stay with the Marshall Pack for good.”

My hands stilled for a moment. Even Sylvie thought I wouldn’t survive this.

Before I could respond, a cold splash of tea hit my face. The liquid dripped down my cheeks, soaking the gown in my hands.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Iris,” Liliana said, her voice dripping with mock concern. “I must have slipped. Your gown is ruined.”

She stood there, her pregnant belly prominent, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

“It’s just so strange,” she continued, her tone sweet but venomous. “You’re being sent to Rowan Marshall’s den, yet here you are, sewing a gown like you’re preparing for a mark ceremony. Don’t you think people will laugh at you?”

Sylvie clenched her fists, her face red with anger. “How dare you!”

“Sylvie, stand down,” I said sharply.

Liliana smirked, emboldened by my silence, her eyes dropping to my abdomen.

“Iris,” she said, her voice dripping with false pity, “I’ve heard Rowan Marshall is notorious for his brutality. I doubt your pup will survive the night with him. Such a shame, really.”

The gown was ruined. I tossed it aside without a second thought.

“Don’t trouble yourself with my fate,” I said coolly, turning to leave.

But Liliana grabbed my wrist, her grip surprisingly strong. Her smile turned sinister.

“Iris, what do you think Theo would do to you if something happened to me?” she whispered, her voice low and menacing.

Then, without warning, she let herself fall backward, a cry escaping her lips.

At the same time, Theo’s hurried footsteps echoed in the room.

“Help! Someone help me!” Liliana screamed.

Theo’s face paled as he rushed to her side, pulling her up from the floor. Liliana clung to him, her voice trembling with feigned distress.

“Theo, don’t blame Iris,” she said, her voice soft and pleading. “She’s just jealous that I’m carrying your pup, that I’ll be by your side every day. She didn’t mean to push me…”

Her words lit a fire in Theo’s eyes. Before I could react, his hand struck my face, the sharp sting of the slap burning my cheek.

“You wretch!” he roared, his voice shaking with rage. “You’re the one who attracted Rowan Marshall’s attention, and now you’re trying to kill Liliana and my pup out of jealousy?”

I stood there, my face throbbing, my heart cold. The game had only just begun.

The final day.

I was locked in the storage room by Theo in a fit of rage.

"Without my permission, not even a drop of water is to be given to her!"

Sylvie knelt outside, weeping and pleading.

"Alpha Cruz, you cannot do this to Luna Iris! She carries your pup, eight months along. Even if she can endure this, the child cannot..."

Theo didn't hear a word.

Meanwhile, Liliana, who had slipped during the pack run but was unharmed, slapped Sylvie viciously.

"Wretched Omega, I am the Luna of the Cruz Pack now! Iris Young is nothing but a rogue’s mate. That child in her belly is likely a rogue’s spawn!"

Sylvie was livid, trying to confront Liliana but was held back by her minions.

"You really are a loyal dog," Liliana sneered. "But your precious Luna won't survive past tomorrow night."

Sylvie kept vigil outside the storage room all night.

The next morning, when the Marshall Pack’s SUV arrived, Theo finally opened the door.

"Drink this," he ordered, motioning for a Delta to bring me a cup of dark liquid.

"It's a tonic to ease your pregnancy. After drinking it, go and serve Alpha Marshall properly."

I scoffed.

He gripped my chin, his Alpha aura pressing down on me.

"Iris, the mate bond between us runs deep. If you return alive, I promise to provide for you and the child."

He forced me to drink.

"This is the finest tonic, it will protect our pup."

I lowered my lashes and accepted the cup.

He thought I didn't know.

That it was actually a concoction to induce miscarriage.

I had overheard them the night he brought Liliana back.

She had said plainly,

"Since Iris won't last much longer anyway, there's no need for that pup."

Theo had hesitated. "But..."

Liliana hooked her arms around his neck, her scent overpowering.

"Darling, you still have the child I carry, don't you? You promised me our pup would be the heir."

In the end, Theo had agreed.

Still, I drank it without hesitation.

My child, don't blame your mother. You simply came at the wrong time.