Seven moons into my pregnancy, the fire of war blazed within me. Not just against rival packs, but against the traitorous whispers that now poisoned the air I breathed. I was the Ultima—a rare, powerful alpha whose strength could dominate even the fiercest wolves. But power could not shield me from the bitter sting of betrayal.
It started with whispers. Passing the healer’s den, I caught the familiar voices of Fenrir, my mate, and Seraiah, the omega I trusted with my life. Their words froze me mid-step.
“Fenrir, if Astra realizes what is coming to her, she would be so gone...” Seraiah’s voice was sweet, like honey hiding poison. “She’ll lose her mind. Maybe even kill herself.”
“ This will really shake her….I mean so far, she wasn’t a really great mate to you. She is stealing the spotlight and doing everything you should be doing. Just the mention of her name, she gets doors open and territories conquered. I want her to feel what it feels to be regarded as a commoner!” Seraiah’s voice came again.
A sharp laugh followed. His. “If only she’d do it sooner. Her death would make everything easier. All her lands, her power—they’d pass to the pup. And us. But she’s too stubborn to die before birthing our heir.”
“If not that she is more powerful than my wolves altogether, if I decide to part ways. I would have left her for you, Seraiah…Astra is like a log of wood that can't make love. Even the moon goddess doesn't approve of our bond as each time we mate, there's no howling!”
“Waiting a few more years for them to grow won’t be bad…” Seraiah rubbed her protruding stomach. When I asked her about her mate, she said she had no mate and was banished from their pack.
Fenrir was her mate!
Now it made sense that he was the one that brought her after a patrol in the forest saying she was discarded after being pregnant.
My heart stopped. I felt I didn't hear clearly.
Their pup? The child in my womb wasn’t mine? It can't be. How come Seraiah and Fenrir are together? When clearly, Fenrir had always said I showed her too much attention for a lowly Omega. I was being deceived by them!
My hand instinctively went to my swollen belly, as if to protect it from their dangerous words.
Fenrir's reply was cold and calculated, "If she does die it’ll be better for us. Her power will pass to the pup—and then, to us. The real threat is if she finds out my motives and casts me out before we secure control. We need to keep her in the dark long enough for her to give birth. After that, we’ll crush her. She’s nothing without the power of her bloodline."
My vision blurred with anger. The powerful alpha inside me snarled to life, clawing for vengeance. I clenched the edge of the den wall, breathing deeply to steady the rage within. They dared to betray me, to steal from me, to make me a pawn in their sick game? Me? Astra, the mighty Ultima?
The stone wall dug into my palm as I steadied myself. My breath caught, struggling to contain the growl threatening to erupt. I should’ve torn into them right then. But I was too stunned, too shattered. Every word twisted a knife deeper into me.
I stayed to hear more.
“If she finds out before the birth,” Seraiah whispered, “she’ll banish us both.”
“Then we make sure she doesn’t,” Fenrir replied coldly. “Once the pup’s born, we’ll switch it with another. She’ll never know.”
I stormed into the den. The air turned electric as their gazes snapped toward me, shock written across their faces.
"Did you think I wouldn’t hear you?" I growled, my voice low but laced with power. The room trembled as my fury seeped into the earth. Fenrir stepped forward, his expression quickly shifting concern.
"Astra, you shouldn’t be here in your condition," he began, his tone soft like talking to a fragile pup.
"You spineless liar," I snapped, cutting him off. My claws extended, glinting in the low torchlight. "You betrayed me. Both of you.”
Seraiah’s eyes darted to Fenrir, fear was the expression. "Astra, you misunderstood—"
"Silence!" I roared, the sound echoing through the den and out into the camp. Wolves outside stopped what they were doing, ears perked, sensing the brewing storm.
But before I could lunge, a howl pierced the air—a war cry from the edge of our territory. An enemy pack had launched an ambush. My warriors needed me. They needed Fenrir.
The camp erupted into chaos. Wolves scrambled to defend the border. I pushed past the pain in my belly and rushed toward the noise. The enemy pack had come to challenge us, thinking I’d be weak. I would show them how wrong they were.
I reached the battlefield, my warriors already locked in combat. Blood splattered the ground, the scent thick and sharp. A rival wolf lunged at me, teeth bared. I met him mid-air, my claws ripping through his throat before he could land.
Pain stabbed through my stomach, but I ignored it. I wouldn’t fall here—not while my pack needed me.
More wolves charged. I moved like lightning, tearing through them. A scream erupted behind me, one of my own wolves falling under an enemy’s jaws. I turned, my vision red, and pounced on the attacker. The earth shook beneath me as I slammed him to the ground, snapping his neck with a sickening crack.
But the strain was too much. A sharp, searing pain ripped through my abdomen. I staggered, clutching my belly.
“My lady!” One of Fenrir's betas ran to me, his fur matted with blood. “You’re hurt!”
“I’m fine,” I lied, forcing myself upright. But I wasn’t fine. The pup stirred violently inside me, as if sensing the danger.
Then came another wave of pain—stronger this time. My knees buckled. Blood pooled beneath me. My packmates rushed to my side, their howls of victory turning to cries of alarm.
“Get her to the healer’s den!” someone shouted.
The healer’s den was chaotic. They laid me on a bed of furs, my breath coming in shallow gasps. The pain was relentless, each contraction pulling me closer to the edge. I could barely see through the haze, but I caught a glimpse of Seraiah on the other side of the room. She was writhing, screaming as midwives surrounded her.
“She’s in labor too?” one of the healers muttered, glancing between us. “The Ultima and her omega… this is madness.”
“Focus on me!” I growled, but my voice cracked. The world tilted as another contraction wracked my body.
Fenrir stormed in, his face a mask of feigned concern. “Astra, you need to rest. Let the healers handle this.”
I bared my teeth at him. “Don’t touch me.” My words were venom, each syllable dripping with hatred.
He stepped back, but his eyes flickered to Seraiah, softening in a way that made me want to tear him apart.
“Push, Astra,” the healer urged. “The pup is coming.”
I clenched my teeth, summoning every ounce of strength. Pain ripped through me, blinding and raw. I screamed, feeling the world tilt again.
Another wave of pain tore through me, and I screamed. Across the room, Seraiah’s cries mingled with mine. It was as if our fates were intertwined in this moment—a cruel twist of destiny.
"She’s not strong enough," the healer muttered, glancing at Fenrir. "Neither of them are. They’ll both die at this rate.”
Sweat soaked my hair, my vision danced with shadows, and my grip on reality began to waver. Through the haze, I heard Seraiah’s voice—a broken whisper.
"Fenrir… help me…"
I turned my head, barely able to focus. Fenrir stood frozen, torn between his two lovers. His betrayal hit me anew, reigniting the fire in my veins.
"You don’t deserve to call yourself an alpha," I snarled, my voice hoarse. "You’re nothing but a coward."
That seemed to snap him out of his stupor. He stepped toward me, reaching out as if to comfort me, but I bared my teeth, warning him off.
And then all of a sudden, darkness.
When I awoke, the air felt different. Quiet. Too quiet. My body was heavy, drained of every ounce of strength. The pain in my belly was gone, replaced by a hollow ache.
I reached out instinctively. “My pup… where’s my pup?”
The healer hesitated, her face pale. Fenrir stepped forward, holding a bundle in his arms. “Here, my love. A strong, healthy heir.”
But something was wrong. The scent was… unfamiliar. My wolf stirred uneasily, growling low in my chest. “Let me see.”
Fenrir hesitated, just for a moment, but it was enough. My instincts screamed. I snatched the bundle from him, holding the pup close. My heart sank. The child looked perfect, but the bond—the connection every mother feels—wasn’t there.
This wasn’t my pup.
My gaze snapped to Fenrir, then to Seraiah. She lay across the room, her body still, her chest barely rising. And in her arms, another bundle. My stomach twisted.
“No,” I whispered, the pieces falling into place. “You switched them.”
Fenrir’s face hardened. “Astra, you’ve been through a lot. Rest now—”
“You switched my child!” I roared, the sound shaking the walls. The healer flinched, backing away. My claws extended, my vision going red.
Across the room, Seraiah stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She clutched the pup tighter to her chest, her lips curling into a weak, defiant smile.
“You’ll never prove it,” she rasped.
My blood boiled. I staggered to my feet, the false pup slipping from my arms into the hands of a trembling midwife. “You think you can steal from me? Lie to me? Betray me?”
Fenrir stepped between us, his voice low. “You’re too weak to fight, Astra. Stand down.”
But he underestimated me. I wasn’t just an alpha. I was the Ultima. And this wasn’t over.
I lunged, claws aimed for his throat.
