I gaped at Lloyd as if the man had gone completely mad. He was down on one knee, his eyes filled with hope, extending a diamond ring that sparkled under the light. The sight alone made my chest tighten.
“Lloyd what do you think you’re doing?” I backed away, instinctively placing a protective hand over my abdomen—the secret I’d been hiding for weeks now fluttering inside me.
“I mean it, Janet,” he said earnestly, taking a step forward. “Leave with me. Let’s go somewhere far away.”
“No,” I said flatly, though inside, my wolf stirred with a flicker of uncertainty.
Lloyd’s jaw clenched. Determined, he moved closer, trying to close the distance. “Janet, please—”
But before he could finish, the door slammed open with a bang.
Sharon stood in the doorway, fury etched into every line of her face. Her gaze bounced between me and Lloyd thick with disgust.
“Are you serious right now?” she snapped. “Cheating on Darren—on your wedding day, no less?”
The accusation felt like a slap, not for what it meant, but because of who it came from.
I opened my mouth to defend myself, but she spun around before I could speak and stormed out.
My heart seized in panic. I couldn’t let her twist the story—again.
“Sharon, wait!” I yelled, jerking my arm from Lloyd’s grasp and running after her.
My wolf growled in protest, but I didn’t stop. I sprinted down the corridor, breath catching as I reached the ceremonial hall.
Too late.
Sharon stood in front of the crowd, her voice sharp as she pointed right at me. “She’s been with another man. I saw it myself.”
A wave of gasps and murmurs rippled through the room like a tsunami.
“Janet?” My mother stepped forward, her face pale, her voice trembling. “What is going on?”
Before I could answer, Darren’s voice cut like a blade through the silence.
“Is it true?” he asked coldly, eyes drilling into mine, already condemning me.
Inside, my wolf snarled, rage bubbling beneath my skin. He had no right to judge me.
“You’re seriously taking her word over mine?” I asked, voice low but steady.
The whispers multiplied, disapproval thick in the air.
“What a shame, the Alpha’s daughter caught in scandal…”
Darren’s father raised a hand to silence the crowd. “Alpha Graham, if this is the behavior of your heir, then our alliance is at stake.”
My father stepped forward and yanked me aside. His palm struck my cheek with brutal force in front of everyone.
“You will stop this disgrace right now. Whether you like it or not, the wedding will go on. We need this union. Just stand there and act like a proper daughter—for once,” he growled in my ear.
He had never wanted me as a successor. To him, no she-wolf could ever be worthy of leading the pack. But he had no sons—only daughters, and I was the eldest.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” I said quietly, blinking back tears, but he didn’t care.
Then someone asked, “Ms. Johnston, if you saw her with someone, can you identify him now? Let him speak for himself.”
Sharon’s confidence faltered. She looked around, but Lloyd had disappeared.
“I know what I saw!” she insisted, voice faltering. “He was just here… he’s not now, but I swear it happened.”
“Then there’s no issue,” said one elder. “Let the ceremony proceed. What do you say, Mr. Johnston?”
Darren’s father gave a stiff nod. He didn’t like it, but without proof, he couldn’t oppose the Alpha’s word—not without risking war between packs.
My mother took my arm gently and led me back to my dressing room, murmuring about fixing my hair and calming down.
But the moment we stepped inside, I felt my stomach churn violently. I barely made it to the bathroom before I threw up.
“Are you pregnant?” my mother asked softly from behind me.
I didn’t reply.
She left quietly to inform my father that I needed a few minutes alone.
As I leaned against the sink, trying to steady my breath, something caught my eye.
A small glint of silver resting on the vanity.
Lloyd’s ring.
My vision blurred. I clutched the ring, heart pounding with a clarity I hadn’t had in days.
If the Moon Goddess had spoken, her answer was already inside me—growing, waiting to be born.
“I can’t do this anymore,” I whispered to the mirror. “I’ll leave. I’ll vanish like Lloyd did. I’ll raise this baby far from this cursed place, in a world where no one decides my fate but me.”
