~INNES POINT OF VIEW~
My husband was in his chambers. All I had to do was go in and tell him the good news. The smile on my face couldn't stretch any wider.
My skin was the finest in the pack—smooth and flawless. My long silver hair flowed like silk, and my eyes were the purest among them all. My figure was unmatched—everything an Alpha could ever want. Except for one thing.
It was difficult for me to bear children.
No matter how many years I had been married to my mate and husband, today was going to be the happiest day of my life. I was finally going to tell him—I was pregnant.
After ten years of marriage, we were finally going to have our first child.
For some reason, despite all these years of love and countless attempts, I had never conceived. No matter how many times we mated, I had never gotten pregnant. But now… now I was.
I wiped a stray tear from the corner of my eye.
"Will Max be happy knowing I'm pregnant? Would he argue with me about whether it's a boy or a girl?"
I stood there for thirty seconds, lost in thought. I didn't know why, but I couldn't stop imagining my mate's reaction when he found out.
As I stood there, smiling uncontrollably, my closest companion, Emily, grinned along with me.
"Luna, are you planning to stand there smiling like an idiot instead of sharing the good news with Alpha?"
Emily had been by my side for the past ten years, ever since I became Luna. Talking to me like this wasn't offensive—it was just how we were.
I nodded at Emily's words and wiped my tears away before turning toward the door.
"You're right. I need to go tell Max. I shouldn't stand here wasting time."
Emily shook her head, but she didn't blame me for my excitement. For years, I had been mocked by the pack for being a childless Luna. But I had endured, remained strong. And now, finally, I was pregnant.
I had every right to be excited—to show off as much as I wanted.
Emily was excited for me too.
"Emily, what are you still doing there? Come with me!"
I called out in excitement to Emily, who was still standing inside the room.
Emily nodded and rushed to follow me.
I finally arrived at my mate Maxwell's chambers. Smiling happily, I reached the door and turned to Emily.
"Wait for me here until I come out," I said.
This was a private moment between my mate and me, so no matter how close Emily and I were, she shouldn't be present. I was only here with her because my mate had made it necessary for a powerful female Gamma to be both my protector and servant.
Emily nodded in understanding.
"Luna, go on, have your private moment with your Alpha while I, this poor mate, just stand under the lonely moon."
I wanted to roll my eyes—Emily could be so dramatic. I barely nodded at her before slowly opening the door to my chambers.
"Max, my lord, Maxwell dear," I called, excitement mixing in my voice.
I looked around, but no one was in the main chamber. I paused, thinking for a moment. Maybe he was in the bathing area. He might be taking a bath. I should go look for him.
So, I headed to the bathing chambers, but my feet suddenly stopped in their tracks as if chains had wrapped around them.
My eyes widened in shock at the scene before me.
My mate, Maxwell, was in the bathing pool, and a blue-haired woman clung to him in a posture as if she was about to kiss him.
Maxwell's eyes were closed as if he was ready to embrace the kiss coming his way.
I didn't know when the tears started falling from my eyes.
Come on, Innes. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding. Find out what's actually happening, I convinced myself, trying to calm down.
I didn't want to dwell on the reason why my husband—who was always disgusted by any woman's touch except mine—was now accepting the touch of this strange woman in the pool with him.
"Max," I called. Though my voice was faint, it was enough to make my Alpha's eyes snap open.
Max turned toward the sound of my voice, his gaze shifting from me to the blue-haired woman still clinging to him as if moments away from kissing him.
"Gloria, back off," he commanded, his face expressionless, his eyes void of emotion.
He was always like this—charismatic, full of mystery, never revealing his thoughts. And he had never cheated.
Except today, I had caught him with this woman.
"Gloria," I repeated to myself. So that was the woman's name.
As Max ordered Gloria to get off him, the woman obediently stepped away. Her actions seemed harmless, almost submissive. But the moment Max turned away, she shot me a look—an intimidating stare that sent a chill down my spine.
That look told me everything.
This woman was trouble.
And for the first time, I felt like someone was about to ruin the bond I shared with my mate.
Max didn't notice the silent exchange between us. He simply walked toward me as he stepped out of the pool.
As he got closer, I couldn't help but gulp.
My husband seemed even more dangerous today. He was exuding an overwhelming amount of Alpha aura.
For some reason, alarm bells rang in my heart.
I tried to look at my mate with love, not wanting to seem afraid. Maxwell had always told me never to fear him—he hated it. I remembered how cold his expression would become whenever I flinched away from him, as if he despised the idea of me fearing him just because he was an Alpha.
But the truth was, I was just a rogue werewolf.
I was just a normal rogue she-wolf who found her mate in his pack.
And even though I had gotten used to staying here in the past few years, right now, I felt like an outsider again.
"Innes," Max called, and my heart fluttered.
I almost wanted to submit to him immediately—to be surrounded by his embrace, to feel the heat between us, and to never be separated.
"Alpha," I answered in a meek voice.
I was so caught up in my emotions that I didn't notice the shift in Maxwell's eyes.
Suddenly, his arm wrapped tightly around my neck—choking me.