I tucked away the pregnancy test results, my fingers trembling slightly as I pondered the road ahead. Over the next few days, Cristian Vasquez, my mate and the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, stuck to his routine of calling three times a day. What used to be ordinary conversations were now charged with suspicion. I couldn’t help but imagine him on the other end of the line, with Olivia Cruz, that rogue, cozied up next to him. Did he hang up and immediately rejoin her, basking in their perfect little family? Was he agreeing with her when she mocked my struggles to conceive a pup, claiming that he only cherished the one she carried?
I realized I was imagining Cristian as the villain of my own story. His business trip was supposed to last three days, but I extended my stay by two more, giving myself time to prepare for our inevitable confrontation. Despite telling him not to meet me, there he was at the station when I arrived, his towering frame impossible to miss even in the bustling crowd.
As soon as he saw me, he opened his arms like he always did, ready for a hug. His scent—pine and something uniquely Alpha—washed over me, and for a moment, I almost forgot the betrayal. "Why’d you take so long getting back, Luna? Your Alpha was all lonely here," he teased, his deep voice laced with a warmth that used to comfort me. He rattled off how much he missed me, his words dripping with a charm that now felt like venom. My stomach churned. When had he become so effortlessly deceitful? During my absence, he’d been seeing that rogue, yet he acted as though he had been loyally waiting for me like a character from some tragic tale.
I made myself return his hug, my arms stiff, torturing myself with the thought of him holding her the same way. Suddenly, I pushed him away, gagging. His expression shifted from concern to sudden excitement, his piercing brown eyes locking onto mine. "Gracelynn? Are you pregnant?" he asked, his tone a mix of hope and urgency. Without waiting for my answer, he turned to Scott Knight, the Delta warrior driving us, and commanded in his Alpha tone, "Scott, slow down. Now."
I had imagined countless scenarios where we welcomed a pup together, but now the thought made me even more nauseous. How did he know so much about pregnancy symptoms? Had *she* taught him this? I didn’t want him to know, so I shook my head firmly, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "No, Alpha. I just ate something bad while I was away. I’m feeling a bit off, that’s all."
"Not feeling well? Let’s get to the healing den then, Scott—" he started, already gesturing for the warrior to turn the car around.
"No need," I cut him off sharply, my tone leaving no room for argument. "I’ve already been to the den. There’s no reason to go again."
All the mental preparation I’d done crumbled the moment I saw him. His Alpha aura, usually so comforting, now felt suffocating. Exhausted, I leaned back against the car seat and closed my eyes, refusing to engage any further. My wolf stirred in the back of my mind, a low whine escaping her as she sensed the tension. I silenced her with a thought, unwilling to let her vulnerability show. Not now. Not when I needed to be strong.
