For five years, I was his fated mate.
One day, he brought his pregnant mistress into our home.
"I need a pure-blooded heir," he said.
Cast out and alone, my only comfort was an injured pup I rescued from the wilderness, another soul discarded by the world.
But as his mistress's life was on the line, he dragged me back and drained my blood to save her.
Then, he and his mom left me and the pup for dead in the mountains.
We survived.
When he finally knelt in regret, he found me standing beside my new Alpha, and the pup beside his dad.
————————
1
I was packing my bags.
Just then, Ethan walked in with Victoria.
He looked at me, his face filled with guilt.
“Gritte, please understand. I’m the CEO of a werewolf conglomerate. I need a pure-blooded heir to carry on my family’s special wolf abilities.”
“She’s young, her bloodline is pure, and she’s fertile. We’ve been together for years, and you’ve never conceived.”
“After Victoria gives birth, I’ll remove her mark, okay?”
I didn’t say a word.
He took my silence as acquiescence.
“I knew you’d understand. You want this baby as much as I do, right?”
“As soon as the child is born, you’ll be his mother. As for Victoria, I’ll give her a huge sum of money and make her disappear.”
I just smiled at him, staying quiet.
He patted my head affectionately. “Thank you for understanding. By the way, since Victoria’s pregnant, it’s not safe for her to live alone, so—”
“So you brought her here,” I finished for him.
Ethan seemed to sense something was amiss and watched my reaction carefully.
“It’ll be easier for me to look after her if she’s living here.”
I remained calm. “You’re right. Let her have the master bedroom. It’s bigger and better ventilated.”
Ethan was overjoyed.
But when he saw my suitcase, the smile froze on his face.
“Where are you going?” He frowned, grabbing my wrist.
Victoria stepped between us.
She looked at Ethan with tears in her eyes. “Please, Gritte, don’t go. If you don’t like me, I can live in the basement!”
“How could I let you live in the basement?” Ethan’s brow furrowed. He let go of my hand and wrapped his arm around Victoria’s shoulders.
“You’re carrying my heir now!”
The anxious look on his face almost made me laugh.
“Then…” Victoria glanced at me pitifully before turning back to Ethan.
He looked at me and said, “Alright. You can move out for a while. I’ll have you come back after Victoria has the baby.”
I picked up my suitcase.
As I walked past him, I knew there was no need. This wasn't my home anymore.
I left without a backward glance.
I drove into the mountains to resume my fieldwork.
It wasn’t until I was completely alone that I finally started to relax.
