After receiving a definite response, I immediately deactivated my personal information without hesitation.
Raylan, the Delta warrior from my new pack, didn’t sense anything was off. He felt relieved and happy that I had finally seen through Alpha Ronan’s deceit. We chatted briefly before I turned away and fell asleep.
When I woke up again, I saw Ronan’s face—his sharp jawline shadowed with hesitation, his broad shoulders tense, his Alpha aura faintly crackling in the air. His eyes were red, filled with guilt and regret. “Monroe,” he said, his deep voice trembling, “the healers told me that due to the severe bleeding, you won’t be able to keep your uterus.”
“There was no other choice. Please don’t blame me.”
I stared at him in silence, my mind blank. He took my silence as sorrow, holding my hand tightly, his calloused fingers brushing over mine. “Monroe, don’t worry. We already have a pup. I’ll make sure everyone knows the Silver Moon Pack has only one heir, and no one will ever bully her.”
“I will never betray you.”
I was the one who lost my womb, yet he spoke with such sincerity it almost seemed as though he was the victim. Too exhausted to argue, I simply nodded.
Satisfied, Ronan drew me into his embrace, his scent of pine and musk enveloping me. “Rest assured, when the pup turns one moon old, I’ll transfer all our assets to her name and set up a foundation in her honor.”
“She will be the sole heir to the Peterson bloodline, and no one will dare look down on her.”
So he had already made such elaborate plans to secure his affair partner’s pup’s future. I closed my eyes, bitterness seeping through my thoughts. My wolf stirred faintly in the back of my mind, a soft whimper of pain echoing in my chest.
After a long pause, Ronan continued, his tone cautious, “It might be a bit awkward for you to attend the pup’s one-moon celebration…”
Awkward? Yes, it was indeed awkward.
I laughed bitterly, tears spilling over. “You’re right. You should go with Elia.”
I knew what he wanted to say. He wanted me to step aside so she could take my place as Luna.
Fine then. Their little family would be perfectly happy together, and no one would miss my absence.
Ronan looked at me in surprise, evidently not expecting me to agree so easily. But since he got what he wanted, he chose not to push further.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed a notification pop up on my phone. He froze for a moment, his Alpha instincts kicking in, before anxiously asking, “Monroe, what personal information did you deactivate?”
I deleted the message and replied calmly, “My online shopping account got hacked recently, so I deactivated it. It’s no big deal. You can go ahead with your work.”
Ronan stared at me intently for a few moments, his piercing gaze searching for something he couldn’t quite place. Then he pulled me into his arms again, his voice softening. “You’re having trouble getting around now. Just let me know if you need anything.”
“From now on, you can count on me.”
If this were the Ronan from before, I’d have been thrilled to hear this. But now, all I feel is a bitter irony.
Relying on him had cost me half my life. If I keep counting on him, soon I might lose everything. My wolf let out a low growl, a reminder of the betrayal that still burned in my heart. I forced myself to nod, playing the part of the obedient mate, even as I plotted my escape from the Silver Moon Pack and the life that had brought me nothing but pain.
