I stared at the pregnancy test in my trembling hands, my heart pounding against my ribs like a trapped bird. The faint blue lines glowed unnaturally bright under the bathroom light, as if touched by something unseen.
I blinked, rubbing my eyes hard.
It was still there. Positive.
A strange warmth curled low in my abdomen—not pain, not comfort, but something alive. My wolf stirred for the first time in years, restless and alert.
"I'm pregnant," I whispered to the empty bathroom, my voice breaking. "I'm going to be a mother."
Tears slid down my cheeks, hot and uncontrollable. For the past year, my life as the unspoken mate of Kael Blackwood had been nothing short of hell. Although the Moon Goddess herself had bound us as Fated Mates, Kael had never publicly marked me, never acknowledged me as his Luna.
To him—and to the entire Moon Pack—I was just Aria.
An orphaned Omega.
A mistake he refused to name.
He was cold. Distant. And when his patience ran thin, cruel.
But tonight… tonight would be different.
An heir.
Every Alpha needed one. The laws of the Pack were clear on that—even if Kael pretended otherwise. Once he knew I was carrying his child, he would have to see me. To accept me.
Maybe then… maybe then he would finally love me.
I pressed a hand to my stomach, swallowing past the sudden tightness in my chest.
Stay with me, I silently begged. Please.
The Pack House blazed with light and sound.
Music echoed through the grand hall as wolves in expensive gowns and tailored suits laughed and celebrated. The scent of roasted meat, wine, and raw Alpha power saturated the air, making my head spin.
I stood at the entrance, suddenly dizzy. The warmth in my abdomen flared again—sharp this time—before fading.
No one greeted me.
As I moved through the crowd, conversations stopped. Backs turned. Smirks formed.
"What is she doing here?" Jessica, the Beta's daughter, whispered loudly. "Doesn't she know she's just a bed warmer?"
Another laugh followed. "Kael would never disgrace the Pack by making her Luna."
I tightened my grip on my clutch. The pregnancy test inside felt heavier than stone.
Just wait, I told myself. They won't be laughing for long.
Then I saw him.
Kael stood at the center of the hall, champagne in hand, commanding attention without effort. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dominant. His dark hair fell carelessly over eyes the color of glacial ice.
Power radiated from him in waves.
My wolf—weak, silenced for years—lifted her head and whimpered.
I drew in a shaky breath and stepped forward.
"Kael," I called softly, reaching for his arm.
He turned.
The warmth in his eyes vanished the instant he saw me.
"Aria." His voice was low, sharp. "I thought I told you to stay in your room if you didn't have anything appropriate to wear."
A familiar sting pierced my chest. I forced myself to smile. "I… I have something important to tell you. It's about us."
"Us?" He scoffed, glancing around. "There is no us. Not tonight. Go back upstairs."
"No, please," I whispered. My heart raced. This was my only chance. "Kael, I'm pr—"
BANG!
The massive oak doors burst open.
The music died. Laughter vanished. Silence slammed into the room like a blade.
Moonlight flooded the entrance.
A woman stood there.
Her cloak was torn, her face pale and smudged with dirt, yet her beauty was devastating. Long silver hair cascaded down her back, shimmering like liquid moonlight. Her eyes—clear, fragile, glass-like—searched the room in terror.
A chill ripped through my spine.
Kael went rigid.
His glass slipped from his hand and shattered at his feet.
"…Serena?" he whispered.
The name detonated the room.
"The savior!"
"She's alive?"
"The Alpha's miracle—returned!"
Serena swayed—and collapsed.
"Kael…" she sobbed weakly.
"SERENA!"
Kael moved.
Not walked.
Not hesitated.
He charged.
I was directly in his path.
"Kael—wait!" I cried.
"Move!"
He knew it was me.
He knew my body was fragile.
He knew I had collapsed twice already tonight.
And still—he shoved me aside with the full force of an Alpha.
Pain exploded as I hit the marble floor. My vision blurred.
My stomach clenched violently.
"My baby—!" I gasped, curling instinctively, arms wrapping around my abdomen as terror drowned everything else.
The warmth flared again—hot, furious.
No one looked at me.
All eyes were on Kael as he fell to his knees, gathering Serena into his arms as if she were the only thing that mattered in the world.
"I thought you died," he choked. "I thought I lost you."
"I crawled back from death for you," Serena whispered.
I lay on the cold floor, shaking, watching the man I loved hold another woman with a tenderness he had never shown me.
To him, she was salvation.
To him, I was nothing.
"Kael…" I whispered.
Serena glanced at me then, eyes widening in false concern. "Who is she?"
Kael's jaw tightened. He stood, lifting Serena into his arms with reverence.
He looked down at me—curled, pale, clutching my stomach.
"Stop embarrassing yourself," he said coldly. "Get up."
"I need to tell you something…" My voice shook.
"Not now."
He turned to the crowd, voice ringing with authority.
"Serena has returned. She is the savior of this Pack—and the only woman who holds my heart."
Cheers erupted.
I disappeared.
As he passed me on the way upstairs—to our bedroom—he paused.
"Clean this up," he said to the servants, gesturing at me.
Then, without emotion:
"Move your things out of the master bedroom tonight. The basement quarters will suit you."
My breath shattered.
"Why…?"
He smiled softly at the woman in his arms before answering.
"Because Serena is the rightful mistress of this house."