That night, I heard my pup crying somewhere in the darkness.
The sound echoed through a cold forest under a pale moon. I ran toward him through the shadows, calling his name, begging him to stop crying. But Gavran was already there, standing over him like a dark shadow.
“You believe this pup belongs to you?” he said coldly. “You betrayed me. That pup is not mine. From the moment he was born, his fate was already sealed. He was meant to die.”
I screamed, “No! Stop! He’s your pup! Don’t say that! Don’t do this!”
Before I could reach them, he threw my pup into the blazing sacred fire pit like he meant nothing.
Morana stood beside him, laughing softly.
“Go on,” she mocked. “Run faster. Scream louder. Nothing will change.”
I ran. I begged. I tried to reach him.
But my feet would not move, as if invisible chains bound them to the ground.
Then I woke up.
The bright lights of the healing chamber stabbed my eyes. The sharp scent of herbs and cleansing potions filled my nose.
For a moment, I didn’t know where I was.
Then the dream returned to me, followed by the memories of everything else and my chest tightened painfully.
A pack healer stood beside my bed, writing notes on a wooden board. He cleared his throat.
“Luna Stormridge… you should not be moving so much. If this happens again, your body may not be able to carry another pup.”
I stared at him without feeling anything.
“Tell me something,” I said quietly. “How much silver did he give you?”
He blinked in confusion. “I beg your pardon?”
“How much did Alpha Gavran pay you to harvest my pup’s stem cells… and let him die?”
His hand froze.
“Luna, that’s not what happened.”
I cut in sharply. “Don’t dare lie to me.”
His face turned pale. He lowered his gaze. But still he didn’t answer.
That silence told me everything.
“Give me the discharge papers,” I said flatly. “I am leaving.”
He hesitated for a moment, then handed them to me.
My hands trembled as I signed my name.
“You should remain here for a few more days,” he said softly. “Your body is still weak.”
“I don’t care,” I replied. “I only want to leave this place.”
This time he didn’t try to stop me.
I pushed the blanket aside and stood up.
Pain struck my body immediately, but it was nothing compared to the memory of the nightmare.
My legs shook. My vision blurred.
Still, I kept walking.
***
When I finally returned to the pack mansion, the same one I had chosen for Gavran during our first mating anniversary, my chest felt heavy.
Every hallway, every curtain, every foolish little decoration.
I once imagined this place as the home where our pups would grow up running and laughing.
Now it felt empty. Lifeless.
I pushed the door open. Laughter struck my ears like sharp claws.
Gavran’s mother, Corinne, stood in the living room, hovering over Morana while holding a teacup. She fussed over her like an overprotective hen, ordering the maid to bring food and insisting Morana drink more tea.
I stepped forward.
“This place looks… warm and comfortable.”
Corinne immediately turned toward me with a cold gaze.
She placed the teacup down with a hard sound.
“Why have you returned?” she said sharply. “Your pup is dead. All because of your clumsiness. That foolish lift accident. Honestly, I don’t understand why you still show your face here.”
I froze as cold spread through my blood.
“Mother, please don’t blame my sister,” Morana said gently while leaning back on the couch. Her swollen feet rested on a cushion while her hands lay over her stomach.
“She has always been clumsy since we were young. It’s not her fault. She tried her best.”
I wanted to speak and scream that none of it was true. That Gavran had murdered my pup.
But before a single word could leave my mouth, the front door opened. Gavran walked in. In his hands was a cake, Morana’s favorite flavor.
My stomach twisted. Anger rose like poison.
He stopped when he saw me.
“What are you doing here?” he said with a frown. “You should still be at the Healing Hall.”
“Why?” I asked coldly. “So you can pretend I don’t exist?”
He stepped closer, his eyes narrowing.
“Don’t start trouble. Mora is pregnant. You should stay out of her way.”
My voice turned icy.
“You allowed her to take my pup.”
He flinched slightly. A trace of guilt crossed his face before it disappeared under anger.
“Enough,” he snapped. “If you weren’t so weak, your pup might still be alive.”
The words struck my chest like a heavy blow.
My knees nearly gave out, but I turned away so he would not see my shaking.
“I’ll be gone soon,” I murmured quietly. More to myself than to him.
And I meant every word.
***
When I reached the top of the stairs, I stopped in front of the nursery.
My hand hovered over the door.
The gentle scent of baby powder used to fill this room.
I had painted small clouds across the ceiling myself while Gavran laughed and told me I cared too much about details.
I slowly pushed the door open. Then everything inside me froze.
The room no longer belonged to me.
The cradle was different. The curtains were pink. The walls that once held soft blue paint were now white with golden stars.
Above two new cribs were names carved into wooden boards.
Zayne
Zeyla.
For a moment, I could not breathe. I stepped inside slowly. My hands trembled.
Everything I had created in this room. Every small dream I had carefully built.
Gone.
Completely gone.
Then I noticed something on the floor. My pup’s ultrasound photo. The glass frame was cracked.
I knelt down and picked it up carefully, brushing away the dust.
“My sweet boy… I am sorry. I am so sorry.”
Something inside me finally broke. I grabbed the pink curtains and tore them down. The curtain rods crashed onto the floor.
I ripped the name board from the wall and snapped it in half. The sound echoed through the room.
A scream tore out of my throat, wild and broken. I kicked one of the cribs until the wood split. I didn’t care that my hands were bleeding or that shards of glass covered the floor.
I only wanted everything gone. Everything that belonged to them.
That was when I heard Morana’s voice behind me. Her cry sounded sharp and false.
“Moon Goddess! What are you doing?” she shrieked while holding her stomach.
“You’re going to hurt the pups!”
