The day I suffered my seventh miscarriage, Alpha Marcelo returned to our packhouse with a young Omega named Virginia. She carried the faintest curve of a baby bump, her youthful face glowing with the promise of new life. The sight of her made my chest tighten, but I forced myself to remain composed.

"Virginia is still young," Marcelo said, his voice cold and detached. "She’s inexperienced with pregnancy. As the Luna of this pack, it’s your duty to guide her."

He paused, his dark eyes narrowing as he studied my reaction. "Since your pregnancies have all ended in tragedy, we’ll claim Virginia’s pup as ours once it’s born. It’s for the good of the pack."

For the first time, I didn’t cry or argue. I simply nodded, my expression blank. Marcelo seemed almost pleased by my compliance, offering a rare moment of false kindness. "If you do well, I might consider giving you another chance."

I smiled faintly, masking the storm brewing inside me. He had no idea that in seven days, I would leave this pack forever, carrying the ashes of my seven pups with me.

“Yes, Giovanna, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.” I ended the call, my voice steady despite the turmoil in my heart.

Marcelo strode into the room, his Alpha aura filling the space. "What’s happening the day after tomorrow? Who are you meeting?"

I didn’t answer, my gaze fixed on the bathroom where I had lost my seventh pup just hours earlier. The memory of the blood staining the tiles made my stomach churn. Marcelo’s irritation flared as he noticed my distant stare.

“Alyssa, Virginia says she’s hungry. Go make dinner! If she or the pup go hungry, you’ll answer to me!”

I wiped away the tears that threatened to fall and, despite the weakness from my miscarriage, dragged myself into the kitchen.

The summer heat made the kitchen unbearable, and by the time I finished cooking, I was drenched in sweat. The blast of cold air from the living room sent shivers down my spine as I stepped out.

Virginia lounged on the couch, her head resting on Marcelo’s lap, basking in his attention. A bowl of her favorite strawberries sat on the table, and Marcelo peeled them one by one, feeding her with a tenderness he had never shown me.

My hand instinctively touched my belly, now empty and silent. Just a few days ago, my pup had been alive inside me. Watching Marcelo dote on Virginia’s unborn child felt like a dagger to my heart. In five months, my own pup would have been born.

But because I was seen as an unfit Luna, and because I had failed to win Marcelo’s affection, even my pup was discarded. I couldn’t help but wonder how different things might have been if I hadn’t called Marcelo immediately when I fell, or if he had rushed home to take me to the pack’s healer.

But he hadn’t. He had simply hung up, his voice cold and dismissive. “I’m busy with Virginia’s prenatal checkup. We’ll talk later.”

So, I had lain there, alone and bleeding, watching as the life within me slipped away. It was a pain worse than death, and it still haunted me.

Perhaps my gaze was too intense, because Marcelo glanced at me with a sneer. “What is it, Alyssa? Are you thinking about your pups again? I’ve already told you, it’s not in the cards for you. Consider it a blessing that I’m letting you look after Virginia’s pup.”

I shook my head. That pup wasn’t mine. Beside him, Virginia giggled softly, her voice dripping with mockery. “Marcelo, don’t upset Alyssa. After all, it’s not her fault she’s like a barren wolf.”

Marcelo chuckled, tapping her nose affectionately. “Our Virginia is lucky—she succeeded on the first try.”

They spoke as if I, his mate and Luna, were invisible. In the past, such scenes would have shattered me. But now, they only felt hollow and exhausting.

I retreated to the bedroom, only to find my clothes scattered on the floor and my belongings tossed in the trash. In their place were boxes of contraceptives and revealing lingerie, alongside an array of brightly colored dresses that belonged to Virginia.

Marcelo appeared in the doorway, his arms crossed. “Oh, I forgot to mention, Virginia needs to sleep with me since she’s expecting. You’ll move to the spare bedroom. Misfortune clings to those who miscarry, and I don’t want any bad luck affecting Virginia.”

Virginia appeared behind him, her smile sickeningly sweet. “I hope you don’t mind, Alyssa. This house has seen the deaths of your seven pups. It’s unsettling. Marcelo’s presence is needed to keep any restless spirits at bay.”

Marcelo wrapped his arms around her, kissing her gently on the head. “Don’t worry, Virginia. I’ll handle any restless souls that come along.”

I couldn’t hold back the retort that bubbled up. “Those aren’t spirits, Marcelo. Those are our pups!”

Marcelo laughed, a cold, cruel sound. “Pups? I don’t recognize them as such! Virginia’s pup is the one I’ll acknowledge and place in the pack’s lineage.”

“Even if your pups had been born, I wouldn’t accept them! Better they’re gone, wandering souls, never to trouble me.”

Tears welled in my eyes as I looked at him. The Marcelo I had once loved, the vibrant and ambitious Alpha, seemed to have vanished. After that accident, the Marcelo who survived was a monster, devouring every ounce of my love, bit by bit.

The sharp ache in my abdomen was unrelenting as I knelt on the cold marble floor of the packhouse dining hall, gathering the scattered remnants of my dignity along with the clothes strewn across the room. My body screamed in protest, still reeling from the recent loss of yet another pup, my seventh. The hours I’d spent standing in the kitchen, preparing a meal fit for an Alpha and his favored Omega, had left me drained, both physically and emotionally. Yet Marcelo, my mate, my Alpha, seemed to care little for my suffering.

Virginia, perched at the head of the table like a queen, wrinkled her nose as she surveyed the spread of dishes I’d prepared. “Alpha,” she began, her voice dripping with faux sweetness, “my tastes have changed since the pup started growing. Alyssa must have made these dull dishes on purpose because she doesn’t like me or the baby. How am I supposed to eat this?”

Marcelo’s gaze snapped to me, his eyes dark with anger. “Luna,” he growled, his Alpha tone lashing like a whip, “did I not make it clear that Virginia’s needs come first? How dare you serve her something she can’t eat? Are you trying to starve her and my pup?”

I opened my mouth to explain, to remind him that a bland diet was healthier for a pregnant Omega, but Virginia’s eyes welled with crocodile tears as she looked up at him. “It’s okay, Alpha,” she said softly, her voice trembling. “I understand. Alyssa is still grieving her loss, and she wants me to feel that pain too.”

Marcelo’s fury erupted like a storm. “You lost your pup because you couldn’t carry it,” he snarled, his voice cutting through the room like a blade. “And now you’re taking it out on me? On Virginia? On my future pup?” He strode toward me, his towering frame casting a shadow over my kneeling form. Before I could react, he kicked the back of my knees, forcing me to collapse fully onto the unforgiving tiles. The impact sent a jolt of pain through my already battered body, and I bit my lip to keep from crying out.

Marcelo turned back to Virginia, his expression softening into something almost tender. “Come, Virginia,” he said, his voice gentle now. “I’ll take you out for your favorite steak. You deserve better than this.”

Virginia rose gracefully, her smirk barely concealed as she glanced back at me. “Alpha, you’re spoiling me too much,” she purred, her tone teasing. “What if I gain weight? Will you still love me then?”

“Always, Virginia,” Marcelo replied, his voice warm. “You’ll always be the most beautiful mom-to-be in my eyes.”

As they walked out of the dining hall, their laughter echoing behind them, a memory surfaced unbidden—a time when I, too, had been pregnant. It had been my fifth month, my body swollen and aching, my face flushed with the glow of life growing within me. It had also been my birthday, and despite my exhaustion, I’d spent hours preparing a meal for Marcelo, hoping to celebrate with him. But when he’d walked in and seen me, his expression had twisted in disgust.

“Alyssa,” he’d said, his voice cold, “you look like a pig with this pregnancy. It’s repulsive.” He’d slammed the door behind him, leaving me alone with my shattered hopes.

Now, watching him dote on Virginia, I realized something that cut deeper than any insult or humiliation: Marcelo knew how to love. He simply had never loved me.

I had been kneeling until my legs felt like they were about to give out when a pack warrior arrived to escort me to Marcelo. As soon as I stepped out of the car, the scent of sizzling meat hit me, and I realized we were at a high-end steakhouse, packed with patrons and filled with the rich aroma of grilled food. Virginia spotted me immediately, her golden eyes gleaming with mischief as she waved me over. Slowly, I dragged my bruised and swollen legs to her table, my head bowed in submission.

With a sly grin, she pointed at me and announced to the group, "This is the Omega who tends to me. You might recognize her—she’s the Luna of the Silver Moon Pack."

The faces around the table shifted, a mix of pity and thinly veiled disdain. Virginia pouted dramatically and gestured to a plate of shrimp cocktail. "Luna, peel the shrimp for me."

I forced a polite smile, though my hands trembled. "I’m sorry, Virginia. I’m allergic to shellfish. I can’t do that for you."

Her lips curled into a pout, and she turned her gaze to Marcelo, who sat at the head of the table, his broad frame exuding dominance. He swirled his wine glass, his dark eyes locking onto mine with a smirk. "What’s the matter, Alyssa? Would you prefer to kneel here instead?"

"Or perhaps you’d like a drink? We seem to be missing a drinking partner at this table."

I knew Marcelo wasn’t going to let this go. He never did. So, I steeled myself and nodded, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest. "Alright, I’ll drink."

I grabbed the bottle of whiskey he indicated, ignoring the sharp burn as I downed it like water. My wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, but I silenced her, forcing myself to keep going.

By the tenth bottle, the pack members around the table began to intervene. "Alpha, that’s enough. We’re just here to enjoy a meal, not to harm anyone."

Marcelo’s jaw tightened, his alpha aura flaring as he leaned forward, his voice cold and cutting. "I’m curious to see how much she can handle."

My tolerance was high; at least, I remained conscious until I finished the twentieth bottle. On the way to the pack’s infirmary, the healer diagnosed me with alcohol poisoning, her tone laced with concern. But I barely registered her words, my body burning with fever and my legs screaming in pain.

Lying on the cot, I couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over. My wolf stirred again, her soft voice echoing in my mind. *He doesn’t mean it. He’s hurting too.* But I didn’t believe her. Not anymore.

A gentle voice beside me asked what was wrong. I choked out, "Marcelo, my leg hurts so much."

The next moment, I felt a warm hand gently massaging my leg, the touch so tender it almost made me forget the pain. Comforted, I closed my eyes and drifted into a restless sleep.

In my dream, I was back at Moonstone Academy, where Marcelo and I had first met. He was the future Alpha, and I was just an Omega, but we had been inseparable. Our bond had felt unbreakable, our love pure and all-consuming.

But everything changed after the accident. My parents had lost control of their car, colliding with Marcelo’s parents’ vehicle. None of them survived. After that, Marcelo’s heart turned to stone. He mated me not out of love, but out of revenge. I knew the truth about my first six pups—it was Marcelo who had poisoned me, causing their deaths.

For years, I endured his cruelty, hoping that one day he would let go of his hatred and we could start anew. But seven years and seven lost pups later, all I had to show for it was a body scarred by pain and a heart shattered beyond repair. I was tired of waiting. I didn’t want to wait anymore.