FREYA'S POV

The word punched the air from my lungs. My heart thrashed painfully, a roaring in my ears drowning out everything else.

My vision blurred with tears I refused to let fall.

He got her pregnant? While I waited?

My wolf howled in agony, scratching at the inside of my chest to get out, to attack, to demand answers.

I turned away from them, feeling my whole body go numb. Once I was in my room, I crashed on the bed, curling my body into a ball and feeling the tears run from the corners of my eyes.

I stayed that way until it was dark.

I didn’t have the strength to move. The moment the door creaked open, his scent invaded—thick and musky, wrapping around my collar. My wolf whimpered before I could bare my teeth.

I felt the bed dip, his fingers brushing against my arm, and I shivered.

“Don’t.” I snapped, but it came out as a cracked whisper.

“Freya, what’s wrong?” His voice softened.

I clenched my jaw. How dare he sound so gentle? My vision blurred again, this time with rage.

He cupped my face. My skin burned where he touched. I wanted to slap him. I wanted to lean in.

“You’re different,” I rasped, forcing the words past the tightness in my throat. “I hate the way you’re acting.”

His fingers slipped to my neck. Gentle pressure. My pulse leapt under his thumb.

“You don’t have to worry about Alyssa,” he murmured. “She won’t come between us.”

“Us? There is no us if you’re lying to me.” I scoffed.

He smiled then—slow, knowing. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

My hands balled into fists. “Stop it. Don’t you dare flirt right now.”

But he did. He tugged me onto his lap with humiliating ease. My knees fell open around him, and I felt his hardness, hot and insistent.

“Really?” he drawled, breath ghosting over my cheek. “You’re going to interrogate me while you’re trembling on top of me?”

Fury and want tangled in my gut. I bit back a sob, shaking my head.

His grip tightened on my thigh—a subtle threat beneath the caress. “You know I’d never hurt you. Alyssa’s sick. That’s all. Don’t make me explain again.

I hated the sound of her name on his lips. I hated the weakness in my own.

Tell him to get out.

Instead, I touched his mouth.

“Just kiss me,” I whispered, my voice breaking. I’ll deal with the consequences later.

His mouth crashed onto mine. My wolf howled in triumph and I let it. Even as some deep, cold part of me screamed that this was wrong.

Who would have thought surrendering tonight would cost me everything one day?

*****

The sunlight streamed through the curtains alongside the warm breeze, but as morning came so did my new reality.

I stared at the empty space in front of me, my hand brushing over the rumpled sheets.

He promised to stay with me, but he’s gone so early.

Knock! Knock!

“Luna Freya, it’s time to get dressed.” Chloe’s voice rang through the door.

I blinked the tears away, scooping my body from the sheets and clearing my throat.

“Come in.”

Chloe and her twin sister stepped inside. They were the two strongest female warriors of the Moonhowl Pack. I had single-handedly picked them out after they won their trial exams to become official warriors of the pack.

They noticed my expression and their steps slowed.

“I’ll go get your bath ready.” Raven gave a smile while I nodded weakly.

“Luna, are you okay? You don’t look so well this morning. If you’re ill, I can go get a healer.”

“I’m fine,” I mumbled.

Chloe rubbed my shoulders. “Is it about Alpha Eric?”

“Of course it’s about Alpha Eric. The whole pack is talking about how he brought a little weak silver omega to replace our Luna,” Raven grumbled. “I overheard the servants talking about how Alpha Eric went into that silver wolf’s room before it was even daybreak.”

My heart dropped, fingers tightening around the sheets. So that’s why he’s not here.

He left to go meet her?

Chloe tilted her head at Raven and she quickly snapped her mouth shut, pouting.

“I just don’t like that he’s choosing our beautiful Luna over that wolf.”

“Raven!” I called out, forcing a smile. “He’s still your alpha and you don’t get to question his decision.”

The words tasted like salt against my tongue and I felt my heart bleed.

“But...” Raven grumbled and my brows knotted together.

Raven’s shoulders slumped and she crossed her arms in defiance.

Chloe moved closer. “Luna, Elder Regale is concerned about you after he heard the news of...”

I sighed.

Elder Regale was my adoptive father. He took me in after he found me at the outskirts of the pack because his wife and daughter had died young.

Since I had no memory of my past, he took me in. He’s the only father I’ve ever known, and making him worry like this broke me.

No doubt he was feeling guilty because he was the one who arranged the match between me and Eric, but it wasn’t his fault.

“Don’t worry. I’ll go see him and explain,” I said.

Chloe helped me up. As my feet hit the floor, I heard Raven gasp. My curiosity spiked as she stared at her phone, hands trembling.

“Raven, prepare Luna’s bath and stop slacking off,” Chloe jeered.

Raven blinked uncontrollably between her screen and me. She swallowed. “I...”

My eyes narrowed. “Speak.”

“I think it’s better if you see this, Luna.” Raven said quickly, then she passed the phone to me.

I snatched it quickly, and my wolf groaned in my ears as I froze. Chloe peeked over my shoulder.

“Alpha Eric Attends Pack Meeting with Mistress, Announces Midnight Welcome Party Till Dawn,” Chloe read the pack's tabloids in horror.

“Luna, your birthday is tomorrow and the Alpha... he... How could he do this to you, after all your sacrifice?”

Words couldn’t describe how I was feeling. Was it anger, pain, fury? I couldn’t even tell.

Really, how could he do this to me?

“Luna, what are we going to do?” Raven asked sharply while Chloe held my shoulders as I staggered back.

Most alphas never stuck to one wolf. Some had breeders and countless mistresses, but Eric promised it was only going to be just me because our bond was special.

My teeth gritted as my wolf paced within me, restless.

If he’s taking a new mistress he should do so, instead of humiliating me this way.

Why make a promise you can’t keep and then lie shamelessly?

My fist tightened, forcing the words out. “Get me a new dress. If he wants a show, I’ll give him one.”

*****