On the eve of my wedding, I caught my fiancé, Caleb, and my bridesmaid, Serena, tearing each other’s clothes off. The two of them didn’t even look guilty. Caleb looked me straight in the eye and said, “I don’t love you, Lyra. I only proposed to get my hands on your father’s throne as the leader of the Goldvein Pack.” I ripped up our marriage contract on the spot and told them both to get the hell out of my sight. As soon as the sun rose, I packed my bags. I swore I would never set foot in the Bramblefall Pack’s territory again. But just as my convoy crossed the border, we were blocked. Kian, the Alpha of the Ashford Pack, was standing right in the middle of the road with his men. This was the Wolf King—notorious for being cold, ruthless, and completely uninterested in women. He looked at me, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine. “Lyra, I’ve loved you from afar for years. I don’t want to take advantage of your pain, but I want to give you a marriage with dignity and all the respect you deserve. Marry me. Be the Luna of the Ashford Pack.” Heartbroken and exhausted, I nodded. Our alliance shook the entire North American werewolf community. Everyone said we were a match made in heaven. Kian was incredibly attentive. He gave me everything I could ever ask for. But after three years of marriage, I still wasn’t pregnant. Kian told me that because of his powerful Alpha lineage, conceiving was naturally difficult. He told me not to rush. To have a baby of our own, I drank bitter herbal medicine every single day for three years. Even when I was throwing up so hard I could barely stand, I never complained. Finally, in our third year, I got a positive pregnancy test. The whole pack celebrated. Kian treated me like I was made of glass. I genuinely thought I had stepped out of the shadows of my past and found real happiness. Until my eighth month of pregnancy. I went to the clinic for a routine checkup and overheard Kian talking to the doctor in the private consulting room. “Alpha Kian, the fetus is developing perfectly. The due date is in two weeks.” “But I still don’t understand… Luna Lyra is your true mate. Why did you insist on transferring your and Serena’s embryo into her womb?”
Kian’s voice was completely nonchalant. “Serena is just a low-ranking Omega. Her status is too low. A child born from her would never be respected enough to inherit my title as Alpha.” “Only by carrying the baby in Lyra’s womb can this child secure the inheritance.” “This way, Serena will be taken care of for the rest of her life.” I leaned against the freezing wall, all the strength draining from my legs. It was all an act. Three years of devotion, three years of sweet words… all a trap. A sick, twisted trap. Hearing footsteps approaching, I scrambled into the nearby emergency stairwell. Pressing my back against the cold concrete, I covered my mouth to muffle my sobs. Only after the hallway fell completely silent did I drag my numb body downstairs. The lobby was bustling with pack members. I stood there, my eyes burning with unshed tears. It didn’t take long for Kian to find me. He rushed over, his face pale with anxiety and concern. “Lyra! Why did you come down by yourself? I told you to wait for me in the room while I talked to the doctor.” “You weren’t answering your phone. You scared me to death.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead gently, his eyes filled with warmth. It was the exact same loving gaze he had given me for three years. But looking at his face now only made me feel icy cold. “I was looking for the restroom and got lost,” I said quietly, my voice surprisingly steady. Kian chuckled, tapping my nose playfully. “My little directionally-challenged Luna. What am I going to do with you?” Once we got into the car, he buckled my seatbelt and brought something up, trying to sound casual. “By the way, Serena’s birthday party is in a few days. The pack elders and our allies will all be there. What happened back then was years ago, and she’s just doing administrative work for the pack now. So…” “Sure, I’ll go,” I replied calmly. “I didn’t make a scene years ago, and I won’t start now. Don’t worry.” Kian visibly relaxed, a bright smile spreading across his face. “I knew my wife was the most reasonable woman. I’m so lucky to have you.” I turned my head to look out the window, watching the trees blur past to hide the coldness in my eyes. Right. Reasonable. He only married me because I was “sensible” enough to quietly carry his and his mistress’s baby, didn’t he? For the past three years, every time I choked down that bitter medicine, he would hold me tightly and say it was okay if we didn’t have kids. But then, he would “accidentally” mention how cute other Alphas’ pups were. Every single word was designed to make me willingly suffer for him. Late that night, after Kian fell asleep, I took his phone and crept into the study. The passcode was Serena’s birthday. The wallpaper was a photo of Serena in a white dress standing under a cherry blossom tree. I opened his photo gallery. It was packed with photos of her, taking up almost his entire storage. The very top photo was a group shot from years ago when I first introduced Serena to Caleb and Kian. I remembered Kian looking annoyed back then, complaining about taking “useless group photos.” But now, both Caleb and I had been cropped out of the picture. Only Kian and Serena remained. It was the same for all the other photos. Even the photos Serena posted on Instagram with Caleb—Caleb’s face was cropped out, leaving only her smiling face. Pack ribbon-cuttings, charity galas, and private dinners I had never heard about. In every single photo, his eyes were locked onto Serena with a tenderness that made my stomach turn. With shaking fingers, I opened their Snapchat history. He replied to her messages instantly. Always. He sent her huge sums of money on Venmo—all ending in the digits of her birthday. Even the dates of our pack’s business contracts were aligned with her birthday. And our wedding day… it was on Serena’s birthday. I had asked him back then if we could change the date. He told me the elders had calculated it to be the most auspicious day for the pack, telling me not to overthink it. There was no auspicious day. Even though I was the one wearing the white dress, he had made her the true main character of our wedding.
In our three years of marriage, he never allowed me to call him during work hours. Once, when I had severe abdominal pain during my early pregnancy, I called him in a panic. He blew up at me, calling me immature and accusing me of ruining a major business merger. I felt incredibly hurt, but I forced myself to be understanding because of his heavy responsibilities. Now I realized it wasn’t about the business. It was just me. I was never the one who mattered. I let out a bitter laugh and closed the phone. I dialed the private number of Chloe, my best friend and the chief physician of the Goldvein Pack. “Chloe, arrange a procedure for me. I want to terminate the pregnancy in three days.” Three days. That was enough time to say goodbye to this lie. I set a countdown timer on my phone as a silent reminder. Returning to the bedroom, I stared at Kian’s handsome face as he slept peacefully. The cruel truth replayed in my mind like a horror movie. Tears soaked my pillow. I didn’t sleep a wink. The next morning, I sat at the dining table, waiting for him. He came downstairs with his usual warm smile. “Why are you up so early, babe? Pregnant women need their sleep.” I smiled and said nothing. Just then, my phone buzzed. He caught a glimpse of the word “Doctor” on the lock screen and frowned. “A message from the clinic? Is something wrong with the baby?” I turned off the screen and acted natural. “Nothing. Just spam. Data leaks are getting out of hand these days.” “Didn’t you say the mining investors are coming today? Hurry up and eat so you won’t be late.” He wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. “I must have saved a kingdom in my past life to end up with a wife as perfect as you.” I forced a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Wait until our anniversary, babe. I have a huge surprise for you.” “Great. I can’t wait.” He really went all out just to make sure I delivered his and Serena’s baby. But this marriage of lies was about to end. As soon as Kian left, I drove straight to the Pack Elders’ Council. The Elder in charge of marital contracts stood up immediately to greet me. When I told him I wanted to dissolve the marriage, his jaw dropped. He kept asking for the reason, asking how much territory and assets I wanted to claim in the divorce. “I don’t want a single dime,” I said calmly. “Just sign the papers. Effective immediately.” Under the Elder’s shocked gaze, I took the printed divorce agreement and left. On my way back, I stopped by Kian’s office building. Before I even reached the entrance, I heard the receptionists gossiping in the lobby. “Is that girl really the Alpha’s first love? She’s stunning. Better looking than most influencers.” “You have no idea. All the limited-edition jewelry and furs our pack imports are named after her. Last month, she casually mentioned she liked that million-dollar moonstone necklace, and the Alpha bought it at the auction without blinking.” “No wonder we keep renewing our unprofitable partnership with the Bramblefall Pack. It’s just so the Alpha can see his dream girl more often.” I didn’t stop. I walked straight up to the penthouse suite. The office door wasn’t fully closed. The muffled, heavy breathing coming from inside made me freeze. Peering through the gap, what I saw made my stomach heave. Clothes were scattered all over the floor. Serena was sitting on Kian’s mahogany desk, her pale legs wrapped tightly around his waist. “Kian, you’re the only one who truly cares about me. You knew carrying a baby would ruin my body, so you made Lyra do it for me. If I had to rely on Caleb, I don’t know how I’d survive.” Her voice was dripping with sweet triumph. Kian kissed her neck, gasping, “Does Caleb treat you well? Has he been hurting you?” “Oh, he’s obsessed with me. He gives me whatever I want. He just bought me that private island estate last week.” Kian’s voice carried a hint of bitterness. “As long as he treats you well, I can bear it.” Serena snuggled closer into his chest, her voice softening. “Kian, you’re so good to me. Since I can’t marry you, this is the only way I can repay you…”
Before she could finish, Kian pressed his lips hard against hers. I had never seen this side of Kian. With me, he was always disciplined, distant, and composed. But here, he was desperate, wild, and out of control. The disgusting scene made me want to throw up. I turned around and walked out of the building. Back at the villa, I ripped down every single wedding photo from the walls, smashed the frames, and threw them into the fireplace, watching them burn to ash. Kian didn’t come home that night. Serena posted a new update on her Instagram. Against a background of expensive silver fireworks, a pile of limited-edition designer bags and jewelry was on display. The caption read: [Someone decided to celebrate my birthday early. Just the two of us.] In the corner of the photo, a silver cufflink in the shape of a wolf’s head was visible. It was a custom-made coming-of-age gift I had personally designed for Kian. I let out a cold laugh and liked the post. Then, I turned off my phone and went back to packing my bags. The next morning, Kian finally called to explain. “Lyra, there was an emergency at the mine yesterday. I was working until 3:00 AM. It was too late, and I didn’t want to wake you, so I slept at the office.” “Yeah, it’s fine. Work comes first.” He let out a sigh of relief. “You’re the best, babe. I’ll have my driver pick you up for the birthday party tonight. Make sure to dress up beautifully.” After hanging up, I stood in front of the mirror. Looking at my exhausted face and my heavily swollen belly that could no longer fit into any elegant dress, I laughed at myself. Dress up? For what? No matter what I wore, I could never compete with the girl in his heart. That evening, the driver dropped me off at the birthday gala. Serena stood in the center of the crowd, her curves hugged by a stunning silver-white gown, surrounded by the luxury jewelry Kian had bought her. The moment I walked in wearing a loose, plain maternity dress, the surrounding wolves threw throwing-shade looks at me. Kian frowned, a flash of annoyance in his eyes. “Why did you wear that? I told you to dress up.” “None of my dresses fit anymore,” I said flatly. His expression softened slightly, but he quickly turned back to network with the Alphas of other packs. Serena walked over with a fake, sweet smile, grabbing my arm and offering to take me to the second-floor VIP lounge to rest. The moment the door closed, her fake smile vanished. She looked me up and down like I was a piece of trash. “Lyra, look at you. Pregnancy really ruined you, didn’t it?” “But I bet you didn’t know… the baby in your belly actually belongs to me.” “Kian couldn’t bear to see me suffer through pregnancy. He wanted our child to inherit the Ashford Pack legitimately, so he used you, the precious daughter of the Goldvein Pack, as a incubator.” “You should really thank me. If I hadn’t given you this chance, you wouldn’t even be the Luna of this pack. He wouldn’t even look at you!” I shook with anger. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through my abdomen, and my face went completely pale. A malicious glint flashed in her eyes. She grabbed a glass of red wine from the table and splashed it all over her own dress. Then, she let out a piercing scream. The door was kicked open. Kian rushed in and immediately pulled Serena into his arms. He glared at me, his eyes blazing with fury. “Lyra! What the hell are you doing?” “Serena was nice enough to bring you up here to rest, and you throw wine at her? You said you let go of the past, so why are you acting like a psycho now?” Serena whimpered in his arms, covering her face. “Kian, don’t blame Lyra… I just wanted to clear the air. I joked about wanting to be the baby’s godmother…” “But she… forget it. It was my fault for what happened with Caleb years ago. Just let this be my apology to her.” Kian’s face was terrifyingly dark. “Lyra, apologize to Serena. Right now.” I looked him dead in the eye. “Apologize? Shouldn’t the two of you be apologizing to me instead?”
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