Stephanie’s POV
I woke up to warmth. For a brief, fragile moment, I thought it was a dream.
A familiar weight rested behind me, an arm draped loosely over my waist, pulling me into a body I knew far too well. The scent of cedarwood and musk wrapped around me, steady and unmistakable. Alpha Cain.
My breath caught, but I didn’t move.
I kept my eyes closed, as if pretending long enough might make everything go back to the way it used to be. Back when waking up beside him meant something. Back when his presence felt like safety instead of suffocation.
“Stephanie… Luna…” His voice was low, still thick with sleep as his lips brushed lightly against my shoulder.
My body stiffened despite myself. He didn’t seem to notice. Or maybe he did, and simply didn’t care.
“I came back late,” he murmured, his hand sliding slightly over my arm in a slow, absentminded gesture. “You were already asleep.”
I said nothing.
“I’m sorry about last night,” he continued, his tone softening as if that alone could undo everything. “I had too much to drink. You know how it gets.”
His fingers traced lazy patterns against my skin, the kind of touch that used to make my heart race. Now, it only made me feel cold.
“You should understand,” he went on, his voice taking on a casual edge that made something twist painfully in my chest. “Men… especially Alphas like me, we have needs.”
I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.
“And you’re pregnant,” he added, as if that explained everything. “I didn’t want to push you. It wouldn’t be good for your health.”
His arm tightened slightly around me, pulling me closer.
“So I just… let off steam somewhere else.”
There it was. Said so easily. So casually. As if he was doing me a favor. As if I should be grateful.
My fingers curled slightly against the sheets, gripping the fabric just to keep myself grounded.
He always did this. Came back like nothing happened. Spoke like nothing was wrong. Like I was too blind, too naïve to see the truth right in front of me. Like I was a fool.
“Say something,” Alpha Cain murmured, pressing a light kiss against my shoulder.
I forced myself to breathe.
“It’s fine,” I said quietly.
The words tasted like ash in my mouth. But they were expected. They were what he wanted to hear. And just like that, the tension in his body eased.
“That’s my good girl,” he said, satisfaction lacing his voice.
Something inside me cracked.
“By the way,” he added, shifting slightly as his hand rested over my stomach, “what was the result?”
My chest tightened.
“The baby,” he clarified. “What are we having?”
For a moment, I hesitated. Not because I didn’t want to tell him. But because I already knew. I knew what his reaction would be.
Still, I answered.
“A girl.”
The silence that followed was subtle. But I felt it. His hand stilled. His body, once relaxed, became rigid behind me.
“Oh,” he said after a moment.
Just that. Just one word. But it carried more weight than anything else he could have said.
I slowly opened my eyes, staring blankly at the wall in front of me.
“I see.”
His voice had changed. It wasn’t warm anymore. It was distant. As if the child growing inside me had suddenly become less important. Less valuable.
I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing down the wave of emotions threatening to rise.
“She’s healthy,” I added quietly, though I wasn’t sure why I felt the need to justify it.
“Mm.” He hummed in acknowledgment, but there was no real interest in it.
Of course. He wanted a son. An heir. Someone to carry his name, his power, his legacy.
Not a daughter. Not… her.
My hand moved instinctively, resting over my stomach. Protective.
“I’ll have someone prepare your vitamins,” Alpha Cain said after a while, pulling away from me as if nothing significant had just happened. “You need to take better care of yourself.”
“I can do it myself,” I replied softly.
He chuckled.
“You’re too stubborn sometimes.”
Despite that, he stayed, watching as I slowly sat up and reached for the small table beside the bed. The vitamins were already there, neatly arranged, along with a tray of food that had likely been brought in earlier.
I picked up the pills, swallowing them without complaint.
Then I ate. Each bite felt heavy. Like I was forcing myself to perform for him.
Alpha Cain watched the entire time, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“That’s more like it,” he said approvingly. “A woman shouldn’t be so difficult.”
My grip tightened slightly around the spoon.
“Your job right now is simple,” he continued, his tone light but firm. “Get pregnant, stay healthy, and give me many pups. Continue the bloodline.”
The words settled over me like chains. Heavy. Unyielding.
I kept my gaze down, saying nothing. Because what was there to say? That I was more than that? That I wasn’t just a vessel for his heirs?
Those words would mean nothing to him now.
A soft pressure touched my forehead. I froze slightly as Alpha Cain leaned down, pressing a brief kiss there.
“Be good,” he murmured.
The gesture felt… empty. Like a habit rather than something genuine.
Just as he straightened, his phone rang. The sharp sound cut through the room. Alpha Cain glanced at it, his expression flickering with irritation before he picked it up.
“I’m with my Luna,” he said firmly, his voice carrying a hint of authority. “And my child. Don’t disturb me.”
For a moment, something inside me stirred.
A small, foolish hope. But it didn’t last. Because even as he said those words, I could see it.
The impatience. The distraction. The way his attention was already elsewhere.
“Handle it yourself,” he added before ending the call.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“I have things to take care of,” he said shortly.
I nodded. “I understand.”
He paused, studying me for a brief moment. Then, without another word, he turned and left.
Just like that. As if he hadn’t just returned after humiliating me in front of the entire pack. As if nothing had happened.
---
He came back late. Again. The scent of alcohol clung to him as he slipped into bed beside me, his movements slightly unsteady. Without a word, he pulled me into his arms, pressing his face against my neck as if seeking comfort.
Within minutes, his breathing evened out. He was asleep.
I stared at the ceiling, wide awake. The weight of his arm around me felt suffocating.
Time passed slowly.
Until a soft glow caught my attention. His phone. It lit up on the bedside table, the screen illuminating the dark room.
I shouldn’t look. I knew that. Some part of me understood that whatever I saw would only hurt me more. But my body moved before my mind could stop it.
I reached out, my fingers hovering over the device for a brief moment before picking it up.
The screen unlocked easily.
A message. My heart began to pound. And then I read it.
[I’m so happy you came with me to the OB-GYN today.]
My breath hitched.
[Our son is very strong. He was moving so much. I think he already knows how excited his father is.]
The words blurred for a second as my vision wavered. Son.
My hands trembled. There was more. His reply. I forced myself to read it.
[Of course I came. He’s my son.]
A sharp pain shot through my chest.
[Take care of yourself. I’m happy we’re having a boy.]
My grip tightened around the phone.
The next message came almost immediately after.
[Unlike Stephanie. She disappointed me with a girl as the firstborn.]
And then the very latest message, one that was just sent seconds ago, [Alpha, please. Remember your promise. Make him your alpha heir.]
For a moment, I couldn’t feel anything. Then slowly, it all came crashing down at once. My hand moved instinctively to my stomach, cradling it protectively.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
Tears slid down my temples, soaking into the pillow beneath me.
“I’m so sorry…”
For bringing you into this. For giving you a father like him. For not being strong enough to leave sooner.
“You won’t grow up like this,” I promised softly. “You won’t have a father who doesn’t see your worth.”
My voice trembled, but the words felt real.
More real than anything else I had said in a long time.
“I won’t let that happen.”
