Chapter 1 of My Alpha Tried to Pass His Mistress’s Child as Mine

The Bloodstone Pack's Thanksgiving Banquet was flawless. I had made sure of it.

Crystal chandeliers cast warm light over the grand hall. Tables were draped in ivory linen. Centerpieces of autumn roses and gold-dusted branches sat between polished silverware. I had personally approved every detail three weeks ago, down to the vintage champagne we served in the foyer.

I stood near the entrance in a midnight-blue gown, greeting guests as they arrived. My Luna smile was warm and practiced. I remembered names, asked about families, and made each pack member feel seen. It was what I did. What I had always done.

"Luna Camila, you look stunning," Beta Marcus said as he passed with his mate.

"Thank you, Marcus. Please, enjoy the evening."

Across the hall, Elliot held court near the fireplace. He was magnetic tonight. His Alpha aura filled the room like a low hum beneath the music. He wore a charcoal suit that fit him perfectly. His dark hair was swept back. His jaw was sharp. When he laughed at something Gamma Reese said, the sound carried authority even in humor.

He caught my eye and smiled. It was the smile he saved for me in public—proud, possessive, perfect. I smiled back and raised my champagne glass slightly. He nodded and returned to his conversation.

Everything was perfect.

I moved through the crowd, adjusting a napkin here, redirecting a server there. The evening flowed like clockwork. Dinner was served at eight. The roasted duck was tender. The wine pairings were excellent. Conversation hummed at every table.

I was standing near the dessert display when it happened.

The mind-link.

Elliot and I had a private link, as all mated pairs did. It allowed us to communicate across distances, to share thoughts when words were inconvenient. He usually kept it sealed tight during public events. Too many voices, he always said. Too distracting.

But tonight, something slipped.

I felt the link crack open like a door left ajar. And through it, I heard his voice.

"...six weeks along. Maren confirmed it this morning."

I froze. My hand hovered over a plate of chocolate truffles.

That wasn't directed at me. He didn't know I could hear.

Another voice responded. Female. Soft and breathy. "And you're sure about the plan?"

Lily.

My heart didn't race. It stopped. Just for a second. Then it resumed, steady and cold.

"I'm sure," Elliot said. His tone was low, certain. "We'll present the pup as an adopted rogue. Camila will raise it as the heir. She'll never know."

"She's so kind," Lily murmured. "She'll love it. She'll love our baby."

"She will," Elliot agreed. "And you'll be taken care of. I promise."

The link sealed shut.

I stood there, surrounded by laughter and clinking glasses and the scent of caramelized sugar. My fingers were still extended toward the truffles. I lowered my hand slowly. I picked up my champagne glass from the table beside me. I took a small sip. The bubbles fizzed against my tongue.

Then I set the glass down, smoothed the front of my gown, and turned back toward the crowd.

My smile didn't waver.

I greeted Elder Constance near the windows. I complimented her granddaughter's new position in the pack archives. I laughed at something Delta Warren said about the weather. I moved through the room like water, fluid and unbroken.

No one noticed.

An hour later, I saw her.

Lily stood near the edge of the hall, just outside the main circle of guests. She wore a pale pink dress that clung to her frame. And over it—draped across her shoulders like a trophy—was Elliot's jacket.

His scent was all over it. Pine and leather and the unmistakable musk of an Alpha. But beneath it, woven through it, was her scent. Sickly-sweet. Overripe florals. Gardenias left too long in the sun.

She looked directly at me.

It wasn't accidental. Her eyes locked onto mine across the room. She didn't smile. She didn't need to. The jacket said everything.

I felt it then—the biological surge of Luna fury. My wolf snarled inside my chest, clawing at the edges of my control. She wanted to cross that room. She wanted to rip the jacket off Lily's shoulders and shred it in front of everyone.

I took a breath.

Then another.

The fury crystallized. It turned sharp and cold and perfectly clear.

I walked toward her.

Lily's eyes widened slightly as I approached. She straightened, her fingers tightening on the lapels of Elliot's jacket.

I stopped in front of her. My smile was warm. My voice was warmer.

"Lily," I said. "That dress is lovely. Pink suits you."

She blinked. "Thank you, Luna."

"Are you enjoying the evening?"

"Yes. Very much."

I let my gaze drift to the jacket for just a fraction of a second. Then I looked back at her face. "I'm so glad. Please, help yourself to dessert. The truffles are exceptional."

I walked away.

Behind me, I heard her exhale.

I didn't look back.

Four days later, I sat in Dr. Maren Cole's clinic.

The room was small and sterile. White walls. A single examination table covered in paper. The faint smell of antiseptic hung in the air.

Maren closed the door behind her and set a file on the counter. She was in her fifties, with silver-streaked hair pulled into a tight bun. Her expression was neutral, professional.

"You're pregnant," she said. "Six weeks."

I nodded slowly. I had suspected. My cycle was late. My wolf had been restless.

"Congratulations, Luna," Maren added. Her tone was flat.

I looked at her. She met my gaze without flinching.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

She handed me a printout. "Standard prenatal vitamins. Schedule a follow-up in four weeks."

I took the paper. "I will."

Maren hesitated. Just for a moment. Then she left the room.

I sat alone on the examination table, the printout in my lap. I placed one hand flat against my abdomen. There was no visible change yet. But I felt it. A small, fragile life growing inside me.

My pup.

And in that moment, I made a decision.

This child would never grow up in the Bloodstone Pack. Never live under Elliot's dominance. Never be raised alongside the illegitimate heir he planned to pass off as mine.

I would leave.

The plan formed in my mind like ice crystallizing on glass. Sharp. Clear. Unbreakable.

That evening, I returned to the Alpha suite. Elliot was at his desk, reviewing the pack's financial ledgers. He did this every Sunday. Black coffee in a ceramic mug. Reading glasses perched on his nose. Completely absorbed.

I stood in the doorway and watched him.

He didn't look up.

I counted sixty seconds. I studied the way he turned pages. The rhythm of his breathing. The casual confidence in every movement.

He had no idea.

I crossed the room and set a fresh cup of coffee beside him.

"Thank you," he murmured, still focused on the ledger.

I leaned down and kissed his temple. His scent—pine and leather—wrapped around me. Once, it had been comfort. Now it was just information.

"I'm going to bed early," I said softly. "Long day."

"Sleep well."

I left the study and climbed the stairs to our bedroom. I closed the door behind me, locked it, and opened my laptop.

I searched for a name I had heard whispered at a rogue-friendly gathering years ago.

Julian Hayes. Attorney. Discreet. Expensive.