#Chapter 1
Kaida's POV
The moment I stepped into the hall, everyone went quiet. My throat dried up. I stood there at the entrance enduring the stares from a hundred faces.
A dinner party. Big one.
I was the Luna of the Greyhounds Pack, and I wasn't aware of any party at all!
But this moment didn't last long. When the pack recognised it was me, they hissed in unhidden disgust and turned back to their conversations.
Frozen, I searched for my mate with my eyes. I was mated to Alpha Dimitri, but I was barren. For six years I hadn't been able to give him an heir. This was a huge thorn in my throat.
But Dimitri never used it against me.
Except tonight.
I saw him get up among the royal tables, and the hall was once again silenced.
"It's a good coincidence that the barren Luna is here," he began.
It was like I'd been slashed by hot iron across the chest. What was happening? Why this sudden verbiage?
He turned to me, his face blazing. "Or aren't you?"
I swallowed and took one step forward. "Alpha Dimitri, I understand how painful it is, but I'm working towards—"
This went the wrong way.
"How dare you talk back at me?" he thundered. If I was still an Omega, I'd already be surrounded by his guards. "A childless Luna shouldn't engage in conversations with any members of the pack. Kaida, do you at times imagine the shame your condition brings me as an Alpha?"
Standing in front of the whole pack, I was shocked to the bones. I didn't know what to say.
From above I saw another royal figure appear. Dimitri's father.
"What's the matter, son?" the old man asked, hands gripping the rail.
"I was rudely interrupted, father, by... this woman here." It was almost a spit.
"Your Luna?"
"Regrettably."
I closed my eyes for a moment, wondering if this was a dream.
Dimitri's father was silent for a while, and I thought I was about to be defended.
"I don't know why you chose this piece of shit in the first place," he stated. "She's an Omega with a detestable background. Her father is a freaking railroad officer, who got murdered in cold blood by rogues. Her mother's probably in the streets, looking through trash cans. The least she could have done in this royal family is to birth a pup. Dimitri, you are too kind to her."
With that, he stood back, waiting for his son's next move.
Tears gathered in my eyes as the words hit me. Was I the moon goddess who mated me with the almighty Alpha? And was I responsible for the fact that I couldn't get pregnant?
Alpha Dimitri pinched his nose and sighed. Then faced his pack. "I'm not a fool," he said. "That's why I took action immediately. Where's Vanessa?"
A young lady with an hourglass shape stood among the crowd. She glowed with heavy makeup. I immediately thought I'd met her before, but wasn't quite sure.
"She is the reason I summoned you all," said Dimitri, a glimmer in his grey eyes. "Meet Vanessa Phil, my personal Breeder. Vanessa and I are expecting our first baby in a few months."
Something exploded in my head, worsened by the clapping ovation that broke out from the crowd.
I surged forward. "How could you do this to me, Dimitri?"
His beta, Russ, jumped to his feet. "You've been warned to remain quiet, Kaida, don't make me repeat it. Stay put and welcome the Breeder. Hell, you should be happy for her! She's come to rub off the shame off your sorry face."
Russ had never spoken to me in this manner. Dimitri did nothing about it.
I saw Vanessa moving towards me, all teeth and smiles. She gave me a flamboyant bow. "I am super honored to be accorded a place in your revered family, dear Luna. I beg that you accept me as I deliver an heir to the Alpha. Please."
I heard my wolf growl inside me. It was time to strike the hell out of this little demon, my wolf suggested.
But I stayed calm. At this rate, I could be lynched if I made an aggressive move.
So I managed a painful smile and took her hand. "You have my welcome, Vanessa."
"Great, let's make a toast then," the Breeder sang, reaching for a glass of champagne.
Something wasn't just right. I looked at Dimitri and met his shifty eyes. He was trying to keep things leveled, but it was clear a lot had slipped out of hand.
"I'm quite impressed you're taking this as a sensible woman,” said Dimitri, warning me with his eyes to stay calm.
Suddenly, rage boiled in me. You'll regret this, Dimitri, I thought. But how that'd come about, I didn't know.
I was just a woman with a broken heart and a dark future. It was only a matter of time before things would begin to go really wrong in my life. And the pack.
There was just something fishy about Vanessa and the way she influenced everyone! Who really was she? Where had she come from?
Vanessa was all over the place. She'd gotten every wolf to hold a glass. Now, she handed one to me.
"For you, my queen."
I hesitated a bit before accepting the wine. It was very difficult to keep a straight face when you were in shatters and your insides were turning.
When did Dimitri begin to have sex with Vanessa? I asked myself, my heart bleeding. At what point...
"Luna!"
The shout returned me to reality. I jumped to my feet, pushing the chair behind me.
"I just told you to make the toast," Vanessa said, her eyes widening.
Looking down into my glass, all I could see was blood. Then Vanessa's face.
I blinked hard. And again.
Then it struck me. I was there when my father was attacked and killed by a pack of rogue wolves. When I was twelve. There'd been a raid, a leak of secrets, a breakout. I was too young to process it all.
Where had I seen this face of Vanessa's?
I shivered and looked Vanessa in the eye.
Then asked her, "Vanessa, are you from a rogue pack by any chance?”
