Chapter 2

"Faye is pregnant!" Alexander announced. I froze. I blinked slowly, trying to digest Alexander’s words. The sincerity on his face told me—he wasn’t lying. He had brought back his lover. And got her pregnant. “You bastard!” I screamed. So that explained it—the constant burning on my mark these past few weeks, the searing pain I’d felt on my neck. Every time I asked him about it, he brushed it off as my imagination. Before I could slap that arrogant face of his, he caught my wrist mid-air. Pain shot up my arm. “Scarlett, don’t do something you’ll regret,” he warned, voice low and sharp. “If you dare challenge my authority as Alpha, you’ll see who I really am.” My wolf snarled. “Bastard!” “You heard her, Scarlett!” Alexander’s claws extended in warning. He grabbed my shoulders. My wolf whimpered and recoiled. She was in agony—just like me. She had longed for our mate’s acceptance, only to be cast aside by both Alexander and his wolf. My pain meant nothing to him. I stared at his cold, detached expression and asked with icy clarity, “Are you going to name Faye as the new Luna?” “No!” Alexander’s wolf flinched, stepping back. “You are still the Luna of Crescent Moon.” “What do you mean by that?” “I still love you,” Alexander said. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll abandon the mother of my pup. And as Alpha, I need my true mate by my side.” “Bullshit! Then reject me!” I roared. “I won’t tolerate my mate betraying me in public.” Alexander stepped closer, hissing, “There will never be a rejection! Understand? This is final. The sooner you accept reality, the sooner you can go back to being the beautiful Luna you were.” “Alexander, you know me. I don’t just roll over and take it,” I said through gritted teeth. “If you stay on this path, then I’ll choose my own.” My fists clenched again. I racked my brain, trying to make sense of his shameless logic. How could he be this despicable? He was basking in triumph while grinding me into dust. Three years of marriage—did they mean nothing to him? Did he forget how I helped him rise from nothing to lead the second most powerful pack? Tears welled in my eyes. Alexander only sneered. “You think you still have a choice?” He stood up and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Calm down, darling. Look around you. You’ll see—nothing changes unless I allow it.” My eyes widened. A knock on the door interrupted us. Alexander opened it. Faye stood outside. “Alpha Alexander, I saw you rush out of our room. I was worried you and Luna Scarlett might argue because of me… That’s why I came,” she said, hesitating. Then she turned to me, feigning concern. “Oh my, Luna Scarlett, you don’t look well. I’m so sorry—I didn’t come here to break you two apart. I only came to help the pack. Alexander said he really wanted a pup, but you… you haven’t been able to get pregnant…” She stroked her belly as she spoke, flaunting her success. I swear I saw her roll her eyes—even if just for a second. But I couldn’t refute her. I didn’t know why pregnancy was so difficult for me. Still, that wasn’t a reason for Alexander to betray me. “You’re so generous,” I said with a cold smile. “But… didn’t Alexander tell you that I will always be Luna of Crescent Moon? Which means—your child will be mine. And you’ll forever be the Alpha’s hidden lover, kept in the shadows.” I saw Faye’s expression change. It was clear now—Alexander knew she could never be Luna. He’d chosen to lie to her. But he had given her his heart. Faye clutched her belly, groaning. “Ah, Alexander, my stomach hurts… I need to leave…” “Enough, Scarlett. Faye’s pregnant. You need to be kinder to her. That’s a warning,” Alexander said, glaring at me before chasing after her. He scooped her into his arms and comforted her gently—loud enough for me to hear. “Faye, I’ll always treasure you. I’ll make sure the pack knows—you’re more deserving of my love than any Luna.” As they vanished down the hall, pain surged back through me. I collapsed onto the floor. Alone now, the vulnerability drowned me like a flood. The room was suffocatingly cold. My knees buckled, but I refused to fall completely—not here, not like this. Not for him. I pulled myself into the nearest chair and forced my breathing to slow. My hands trembling, I picked up my phone and began calling every name I could think of. The Wolf King. Allies. Elders. The men and women who once stood beside my father. No one answered. Desperation clawed at my chest. I tried again. And again. Still nothing. Finally, on the fifth try, a familiar name lit up my screen—Alpha Reno, an old friend of my father’s from the Stormhowl Pack. I answered instantly. “Alpha Reno,” I said, fighting to keep my voice steady, “It’s Scarlett. Alexander brought Faye back. She’s pregnant. He did it behind my back—and paraded her in front of everyone at the ceremony. He didn’t even tell me.” There was a long silence on the other end. “Scarlett,” Reno finally said, his voice heavy. “I’m sorry this happened to you. But we can’t interfere with internal pack matters. That’s council regulation.” “But there’s no punishment for an Alpha who betrays his mate?” I pressed, unwilling to give up. “Morally, yes. We all condemn it. But legally—there isn’t one,” Reno said, with a sigh. “So I’m supposed to just rot in this toxic pack until I die?” I whispered, broken. “You can divorce him. Find a pack willing to take you in and start over,” Reno suggested. “But if I do that, I lose my claim to my pack, don’t I? Even though it’s still right here!” My voice cracked, the black hole inside me growing deeper. Reno spoke cautiously. “Yes. The council hasn’t passed the bill allowing female Alphas. Unless you launch a new proposal and get enough votes… but we both know that’s nearly impossible. Most Alpha wolves are male—they don’t trust women to lead.” The black hole inside me widened. Just as I was about to hang up, Reno’s voice turned urgent: “But… if you can get the support of the strongest Alpha, others may follow more easily…” The strongest Alpha? A face flashed in my mind—my best friend’s brother’s pack. Nightshade Pack. That powerful man. I thanked Alpha Reno for his willingness to help, then hung up. I had to try. “Kyra…” I whispered to my wolf. “Kyra, are you there? Are you okay?” But she didn’t respond. The repeated betrayal from our mate was too much for her. I feared she’d disappear completely. I had to be strong—for both of us. I turned and walked away. Now, I needed to contact the one man who might help—Katherine’s brother. The only one powerful enough to stand with me.