The child came at the worst possible time.
Just like me, born into a world that had no place for them.
My mother, Wynter Brooks, hailed from the distant Northern lands. She was the savior of the Lycan Queen, Kehlani Gardner. In gratitude, the Queen granted my mother the honor of being the only chosen mate of Alpha King Duncan. It was a rare privilege, but it came at a cost. My mother died from complications after giving birth to me, leaving me alone in a world that had no use for an Omega like me.
The Lycan Queen, perhaps out of guilt or obligation, arranged for me to be mated to her nephew, Caiden Gilbert, the Alpha of the Gilbert Pack. But Caiden’s heart belonged to my half-sister, Bellamy Turner. He spent years building his military achievements, not for the pack, but to secure his mate bond with her.
The day of their marking ceremony, the entire capital was buzzing with whispers, waiting to see how I, the unwanted Omega, would react. It was Carson Duncan, the Beta of the Duncan Pack and my childhood friend, who saved me from humiliation. Against his parents’ wishes, he stepped forward and proposed to me, binding us as mates.
For seven years, he treated me like a treasure, a Luna cherished by her Alpha. Even with the constant challenges from his mother, Yasmin Scott, the Alpha Female of the Duncan Pack, I endured. I believed in him, in us.
But then the rumors started.
“Beta Carson’s heart has always belonged to Bellamy Turner,” they said.
“He only mated Jaliyah to keep the peace in the packs.”
“Otherwise, that Omega with her mother’s legacy would have caused chaos.”
I dismissed the gossip as baseless. After all, Carson had always been kind, protective, and devoted.
But reality had a way of shattering illusions.
One evening, during a pack gathering, a rogue attack sent the entire area into chaos. In the midst of the turmoil, Carson had to make a choice. He could save me, his mate, or Bellamy, the woman he supposedly loved.
He chose her.
I watched as he carried her to safety, his eyes filled with concern, his aura radiating protectiveness—not for me, but for her. The bond between us, once unshakable, now felt like a fragile thread, ready to snap.
The whispers grew louder, more vicious.
“Beta Carson’s true mate was always Bellamy.”
“Jaliyah was just a placeholder, a way to keep the packs stable.”
I wanted to confront him, to demand the truth. But the pain in my chest, the bond screaming its agony, told me everything I needed to know.
I wasn’t enough.
My wolf, Seraphina, whimpered in the back of my mind, a quiet, broken sound.
*He’s a fool,* she said, though her voice lacked conviction. *He’ll regret this.*
But I wasn’t so sure.
The child growing inside me, a product of our bond, felt like a cruel joke. A reminder of everything I had lost, everything I would never have.
I stood there, surrounded by the pack, feeling the weight of their pity and scorn. My legs trembled, but I forced myself to stay upright. I wouldn’t let them see me break.
Carson’s eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw regret. But it was fleeting, replaced by the cold, detached expression of a Beta who had already moved on.
“Jaliyah,” he said, his voice calm, almost clinical. “We need to talk.”
I nodded, though my heart screamed in protest.
The child was coming, but it was already too late.
Just like me, it was never meant to be.
