ter leaving the hospital, I took a taxi straight to my parents‘ house.
My father, Richard Thompson, was the Beta of the Silver Creek pack. To ensure Ethan would give our family more pack resources, he always instructed me to be obedient to Ethan, to never make my Alpha displeased.
Mom’s brow furrowed when she saw my haggard appearance.
“Where’s Ethan? Didn’t he go with you for the prenatal check–up?” she asked, concern etched or her face.
I shook my head. “Mom, this baby… I don’t want it anymore.”
Mom pulled me to the couch, sitting beside me. “Is it because of his stepsister?”
I shook my head again, unable to speak through the lump in my throat.
“That Ethan,” she sighed. “He’s marked you for so long yet still hasn’t publicly acknowledged you as his mate. I’m calling him right now to find out what’s going on.”
I grabbed her hand before she could dial. Looking into her eyes, I said firmly, “Mom, I’m not going to marry Ethan.”
Dad, who had been silently listening from his armchair, suddenly stood up, pointing at my stomach.
“Have you lost your mind?” he shouted, his face reddening. “You’re carrying Ethan Stone’s pup and you’re saying you won’t marry him? If word gets out, our family will be disgraced!”
He began pacing, gesturing wildly with his hands.
“Besides, Ethan promised our family additional pack resources! Your brother needs those resources for his training. If you don’t marry Ethan, how will you repay those resources?”
His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Do you know how many she–wolves would kill to be in your position? To be the Alpha’s mate? And you want to throw it away because he has a female on the side? That’s just how Alphas are!”
I gave a bitter smile, watching my father rant. I suddenly felt exhausted. This was my family.
They had only agreed to my match with Ethan when he inherited the Alpha position. When he was just an unloved bastard son of the previous Alpha, they hadn’t even spared him a glance.
I didn’t understand. They were my parents–they should love me more than anyone. Why was I just a bargaining chip for benefits in their eyes?
“You need to secure your position as Luna,” Dad continued, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “So what if he has his stepsister? Let him have his fun. As long as you’re his official mate, you control the pack resources. That’s what matters.”
He grabbed my shoulders roughly. “Your obligation is to this family first. Remember that.”
Without waiting for my response, Dad pulled out his phone and dialed.
“Alpha? Yes, Emma is at our house. You should come pick her up immediately. She’s pregnant, you know, and pregnant women have unstable emotions. I’ve already disciplined her–she won’t give you any more trouble.”
7:32 pm D
After hanging up, Dad yanked me back to the couch.
“Wait here. Ethan will come for you soon.”
His hands gripped my arms tightly, afraid I might run. I could feel the bruises forming under his fingers.
“Let go of me,” I hissed, trying to pull away.
“You ungrateful child,” he growled. “After everything we’ve done for you. Your mother and arranged this match to elevate our family’s standing in the pack. Do you know how hard I’ve worked to become Beta? And now you want to throw it all away because your Alpha has a side piece?”
Mom sat silently, eyes downcast. She wouldn’t stand up to him–she never did.
“I don’t care about the resources,” I said through clenched teeth. “I care about being respected Being loved.”
Dad laughed harshly. “Love? You think werewolf matings are about love? They’re about power strength, bloodlines. Your job is to give him pups and manage the pack females. His job is to lead and protect. If he finds pleasure elsewhere, that’s just how Alphas are.”
The doorbell rang, and Dad’s grip on my arm tightened further.
“That’s him. Now you’ll go home with your mate, apologize for your behavior, and secure your position. Do you understand me?”
Dad opened the door, and there stood Ethan, clutching an enormous bouquet of moon lilies–the traditional werewolf courtship flower.
Even with the strong floral scent—Scarlett’s scent, I could still detect the jasmine perfume clinging to him, and I couldn’t miss the red marks that trailed down his neck.
“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry,” Ethan said, his voice smooth as he extended the flowers toward me.
“I should have been with you for the prenatal check–up, but I had to oversee emergency training for the border patrol wolves. Please don’t be angry. I promise I’ll attend every single appointment from now on.”
I breathed in the mingled scents of moon lilies and jasmine perfume, silently thinking, “Ethan, we won’t have a future to worry about.”
“I got you something else,” he said, reaching into his pocket to pull out a small velvet box. Inside were silver earrings shaped like crescent moons with small diamonds.
I stared at the earrings without feeling any joy. I’d never worn earrings–my wolf found them irritating. Scarlett was the one who loved earrings.
Dad snatched the box from my hands before I could respond, then pushed me roughly toward Ethan.
“Go home with your Alpha now,” he ordered, then turned to Ethan with a sycophantic smile. “Alpha, don’t forget about taking Emma’s brother to Beta training tomorrow. The boy has real potential.”
“Of course,” Ethan nodded, placing his hand possessively on the small of my back. “Richard, I appreciate your… understanding in this matter.”
As soon as Ethan and I walked through our front door, my phone rang. Scarlett’s name flashed
Chapter 2
7:32 pm DDDD
on the screen.
“Sister–in–law,” Scarlett’s sugary voice filled the room. “Do you like those earrings? They came free with the luxury handbag Ethan bought for me yesterday. If you had to buy them separately they’d be quite expensive, you know.”
I hung up, but my phone immediately buzzed with a notification. I opened it to find a photo of a diamond–encrusted handbag–clearly worth thousands–with the earrings Ethan had “bought” for me tossed carelessly in the corner like trash.
Then another photo appeared. Two hands intertwined–Ethan’s distinctive Alpha ring clearly visible on his finger, and on Scarlett’s hand, an enormous diamond engagement ring sparkled.
I touched my bare ring finger and took a deep breath.
Just one more betrayal left.
