Cristian Vasquez’s love for me was notorious.

In our pack’s school, despite the strict rules against mating before adulthood, he made his intentions clear from the start. He was the future Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, and I was just the daughter of a Gamma, but that didn’t stop him from marking his territory. He’d growl at anyone who even looked my way, his alpha aura intimidating enough to send them scattering. Once, he even tore up a letter from a young Delta who’d dared to express interest in me. Cristian didn’t just want me—he wanted everyone to know I was his.

Later, to attend the same university as me, Cristian, who wasn’t exactly top of his class, pushed through sleepless nights and intense study sessions to secure a spot in a prestigious program. His parents, the former Alpha and Luna of our pack, even thanked me for inspiring his success. They saw me as a stabilizing force in his life, someone who could temper his impulsive nature.

Before we completed our mate bond, he transferred all his pack assets to my name, joking that he’d forever be my loyal assistant. It was a grand gesture, one that made me feel secure in his commitment. Even after the marking ceremony, he continued to rely on the allowance I gave him, though it never seemed to bother him. He’d laugh it off, saying, “You’re the one with the brains, Gracelynn. I’m just here to look pretty.”

But despite all that, he still managed to have an affair and support another woman.

I found out when their pup was almost due.

---

On a pack assignment, I started feeling unwell. My wolf stirred uneasily in the back of my mind, a low whine of discomfort echoing in my thoughts. My colleague, Apollo Ross, a Delta warrior in our pack, insisted on taking me to the pack’s healing den. There, I discovered I was pregnant.

My heart soared for a moment. This was what we’d been waiting for, what I’d feared might never happen. I was about to mind-link Cristian to share the news when I saw him, unexpectedly, aiding another woman with a clearly visible baby bump in the distance.

The connection went through before I could sever it.

“Hey there, what’s up?” His voice was as soothing as ever, calling me ‘darling’ right in front of that woman, with all the affection in the world.

I saw the woman’s fleeting disappointment upon hearing his words, but she quickly tugged playfully on his sleeve, and he held her teasing hand.

“Where are you?” he asked smoothly. “Darling, remember? I’m supposed to be checking out the new training grounds today. Everything alright?”

We were both at the same healing den, playing pretend over the mind-link.

“Oh, I forgot. I just remembered I’ll be home a bit late tomorrow. You don’t need to pick me up.”

He continued to ask if I had any issues...

Meanwhile, the woman beside him, possibly overhearing my words through the mind-link, wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling close. Her scent—vanilla and something faintly floral—reached me even from where I stood, and it made my stomach churn.

I hurriedly ended the connection, worried my emotions might betray me.

Hidden in a corner, I watched Cristian embrace the woman and gently caress her belly, saying something that made her beam with joy—a picture-perfect family, one that could easily evoke envy.

I always thought Cristian wasn’t keen on pups.

Due to my health, I had difficulty conceiving, and he reassured me patiently, “We can enjoy our time just us two. Pups can be a handful. It’s great they’re not happening.”

To avoid pressuring me, he dealt with the calls for grandchildren alone.

He told his parents, the former Alpha and Luna, “If you love pups so much, go ahead and have another one yourselves. I wouldn’t mind a younger sibling.”

Only to get a playful growl from his father.

My mother, a Gamma in her pack, feared that my struggle to have a pup might make the Vasquez family turn away from me. Already anxious about mating above my standing, she grew superstitious and sought out unconventional remedies when I didn’t conceive.

When Cristian learned about it, he earnestly promised my mother it was his issue, insisting I shouldn’t resort to strange medicines.

He said that if we couldn’t have pups, we’d adopt, since pups are pups, and adoption would save us the trouble of having our own.

Cristian’s love was so genuine that I never doubted him.

When did he wander?

Who was this other woman?

I knew none of it, except for the image now etched into my mind of him touching her belly and smiling warmly. My wolf let out a low whine, a sound of pain and betrayal that echoed deep within me. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stay composed. But inside, I was breaking.

I tucked away the pregnancy test results, my fingers trembling slightly as I pondered the road ahead. Over the next few days, Cristian Vasquez, my mate and the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, stuck to his routine of calling three times a day. What used to be ordinary conversations were now charged with suspicion. I couldn’t help but imagine him on the other end of the line, with Olivia Cruz, that rogue, cozied up next to him. Did he hang up and immediately rejoin her, basking in their perfect little family? Was he agreeing with her when she mocked my struggles to conceive a pup, claiming that he only cherished the one she carried?

I realized I was imagining Cristian as the villain of my own story. His business trip was supposed to last three days, but I extended my stay by two more, giving myself time to prepare for our inevitable confrontation. Despite telling him not to meet me, there he was at the station when I arrived, his towering frame impossible to miss even in the bustling crowd.

As soon as he saw me, he opened his arms like he always did, ready for a hug. His scent—pine and something uniquely Alpha—washed over me, and for a moment, I almost forgot the betrayal. "Why’d you take so long getting back, Luna? Your Alpha was all lonely here," he teased, his deep voice laced with a warmth that used to comfort me. He rattled off how much he missed me, his words dripping with a charm that now felt like venom. My stomach churned. When had he become so effortlessly deceitful? During my absence, he’d been seeing that rogue, yet he acted as though he had been loyally waiting for me like a character from some tragic tale.

I made myself return his hug, my arms stiff, torturing myself with the thought of him holding her the same way. Suddenly, I pushed him away, gagging. His expression shifted from concern to sudden excitement, his piercing brown eyes locking onto mine. "Gracelynn? Are you pregnant?" he asked, his tone a mix of hope and urgency. Without waiting for my answer, he turned to Scott Knight, the Delta warrior driving us, and commanded in his Alpha tone, "Scott, slow down. Now."

I had imagined countless scenarios where we welcomed a pup together, but now the thought made me even more nauseous. How did he know so much about pregnancy symptoms? Had *she* taught him this? I didn’t want him to know, so I shook my head firmly, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "No, Alpha. I just ate something bad while I was away. I’m feeling a bit off, that’s all."

"Not feeling well? Let’s get to the healing den then, Scott—" he started, already gesturing for the warrior to turn the car around.

"No need," I cut him off sharply, my tone leaving no room for argument. "I’ve already been to the den. There’s no reason to go again."

All the mental preparation I’d done crumbled the moment I saw him. His Alpha aura, usually so comforting, now felt suffocating. Exhausted, I leaned back against the car seat and closed my eyes, refusing to engage any further. My wolf stirred in the back of my mind, a low whine escaping her as she sensed the tension. I silenced her with a thought, unwilling to let her vulnerability show. Not now. Not when I needed to be strong.