Lysandra's POV
"Ah... oh Moon... Tristan..."
My back arched as his fingers danced over sensitive skin, pleasure tightening low in my belly. My thighs trembled as I clutched the sheets beneath me. His mouth closed over my breast, teasing my nipple through soft flicks and gentle sucks while his hand explored my body with maddening precision.
"Don't stop," I gasped, grinding closer, seeking more of him.
Heat coiled between us, our bodies slick with sweat and tension. Tristan hovered above me, his sculpted chest catching the soft moonlight. The hunger in his eyes was almost cruel, a look that made my breath catch and my core clench with desperate need.
"You want to come?" he murmured, voice low and rough.
"Yes," I whispered, breathless and aching. "Please, Tristan."
He moved with skill and power, drawing me closer and closer to the edge until, suddenly, he pulled away.
The loss of contact left me cold and trembling. He climbed off the bed, disgust flickering across his face as he looked down at me.
"Pathetic," he spat.
I jolted awake, chest heaving. My skin was damp, my legs tangled in the sheets. The other side of the bed was cold. Undisturbed.
Of course he hadn't come home. Again.
Two years married to the future Alpha of the Silverblood Pack and all I had to show for it was a lonely bed and a fading bond. Tristan had marked me out of obligation not love and spent most nights in his penthouse downtown.
With her.
Selene Darkwood.
I checked the time.
"Shit!" I bolted upright, late for my appointment. I rushed through my morning routine, still haunted by the remnants of the dream.
A child. Maybe a child would change things. Heal what was broken between us. Or at least give me something real to hold on to.
I touched my stomach briefly before pushing the thought away. I didn't have time for hope today.
The hospital felt too white, too sterile for the storm inside me. Dr. Rylan Jones welcomed me with a kind smile, one of the few people who hadn't turned cold since I became Tristan's Luna.
"Any changes?" he asked as I sat down.
"Just... tired. And maybe a little nauseous in the mornings."
His eyes narrowed in thoughtful concern.
"Let's run a few tests."
Twenty minutes and several blood samples later, I sat waiting.
When he returned, he was smiling.
"Congratulations, Lysandra. You're pregnant."
My breath hitched. My hand flew to my stomach.
"A baby?" I whispered.
He chuckled warmly. "Babies, actually. You're having twins."
The room swayed around me. I gripped the armrests of the chair, heart pounding with a mix of fear and wonder.
"Twins?"
"Yes. But I need to be honest with you. As a wolfless werewolf, your pregnancy will be more difficult. There's a higher risk of complications."
I nodded, trying to stay strong.
"I'll be careful," I said. "Maybe the Moon Goddess will bless us, just this once."
"Take it easy," he said, handing me a prescription. "And... congratulations again. Truly."
I returned home with the prescription in hand and hope blooming in my chest. Tristan's children our children were growing inside me. Maybe this would be the turning point.
But the soft murmur of voices stopped me at the doorway.
Tristan's voice.
And hers.
Selene.
I stepped quietly inside. They didn't notice me. She was curled against him on the sofa, her head resting on his chest, his fingers brushing gently through her hair. Her hand lingered possessively on his thigh.
"She's cruel to me," Selene whispered, a fake tremble in her voice.
"I know," Tristan said softly. A tone I had never once heard him use with me.
Something inside me cracked.
Tristan's gaze lifted suddenly, catching mine. In an instant, tenderness vanished.
"You," he growled. His Alpha power rolled off him like a wave. "How dare you come back here? How dare you harass Selene?"
"What are you talking about?" I asked, stunned. "Tristan, I have something important to—"
"Save it." His voice was a snarl. "Looking at you makes me sick."
Selene peeked at me from the safety of his arms, her eyes gleaming with a victorious shine.
I ran. Upstairs. Away from them both.
Behind the locked bedroom door, I curled into the bed and placed a hand over my stomach.
The severance scroll sat in the drawer beside me. All it needed was Tristan's mark his final agreement to end this bond.
He'll never love you. He'll never accept these babies. He'll always choose her.
Memories swirled like shadows. Selene flaunting the scar on her arm the one Tristan owed her for saving his life. Her endless claims to his loyalty. His cold shoulder every time I begged for just a sliver of what he gave her so easily.
Then—"
The door burst open. Wood splintered.
Tristan.
He stormed in, eyes like steel, voice like fire.
"Hiding now? Like the coward you are?"
"Stay away from me," I said, backing up.
He didn't listen. He grabbed my wrists, pushed me onto the bed.
"You think you deserve to be my Luna?" he growled. "A wolfless nobody?"
His face was inches from mine, rage radiating from him.
"You tricked your way into this marriage. My father forced me to take you. I never wanted this."
His mouth pressed hard against my neck, hand tugging my shirt upward.
"Don't!" I shouted. "Stop it!"
"You think I don't know what you're doing?" he snarled. "This was your plan all along ruin my life and then pretend you're the victim."
Something broke inside me. This wasn't about just me anymore.
These were our children. And they deserved more than this.
"Then sever the bond," I said, voice steady despite the tears burning in my eyes. "Mark the scroll. Let me go."