The great hall of the Silvercrest Pack gleamed with light, laughter, and celebration. Long tables were piled with roasted meat, fruits, and overflowing goblets of wine. Wolves from every corner of the pack feasted together, their voices blending in cheerful chatter. This night was supposed to be about unity, about family. About the future of our pack.
I sat quietly beside my husband, Alpha Kieran Silvercrest, trying to smile even as my heart felt heavy. The air was too warm, too stifling. My wolf, Lumi, shifted uneasily inside me, her unease mirroring my own. Something was wrong.
Kieran's hand didn't reach for mine. He hadn't looked at me once since the feast began. His jaw was clenched, his posture rigid—so unlike the man who once swore he would love me through every storm.
And then she came.
Selene Greyson. My childhood friend, the girl I once trusted with all my secrets, walked gracefully into the center of the hall. Her golden hair shimmered under the glow of the chandeliers, her lips curved in a sweet smile that looked innocent to everyone—everyone except me. I knew that smile. That smile had stolen my toys, my dresses, my spotlight as a child. Now it was about to steal the last thing I had left.
She moved straight to Kieran, her emerald gown trailing behind her like the tail of a serpent. And before my eyes, she laid her hand upon his arm. He didn't push her away.
The hall fell into silence. Conversations halted. Eyes widened. A ripple of whispers rushed through the crowd like the wind before a storm.
Selene's gaze found mine across the room. A satisfied smirk danced on her lips, though she quickly masked it with a pitiful look, as if she were the one who deserved sympathy. My chest tightened.
And then Kieran spoke.
"I have something to announce," he said, stepping forward, his voice cutting through the hall like a blade. He glanced at Selene before turning to the pack. His face was cold, unreadable.
"On this joyous day, let it be known… Selene is carrying my heir."
The words shattered me.
Gasps filled the room. My ears rang. My heart stopped. The ground beneath me seemed to tilt, and I swayed, barely keeping myself upright. His words weren't just an announcement—they were a dagger, plunging deep into my chest, tearing apart four years of marriage, of love, of sacrifice.
I could barely breathe. Lumi howled inside me, her cries echoing my anguish.
I stumbled to my feet, my vision blurring. My brother, Darius, rushed to my side, steadying me before I collapsed. "Elara," he whispered urgently, but I barely heard him.
"What… what did you say?" My voice cracked, trembling, almost inaudible.
Kieran turned, his eyes as cold as winter. "You heard me, Elara. Selene is carrying my heir."
Tears burned my eyes. "Is this… is this why you've been distant? Why you've turned from me?" My voice shook as the words tumbled out, desperate for some denial, some explanation. But none came.
Selene stepped closer, her crocodile tears glittering in her eyes. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Elara," she said softly, her tone dripping with false sympathy. "But love cannot be denied. Kieran and I… we share a bond you no longer can give him." She pressed her hand against her stomach, pretending to cradle life. "And now that I carry his heir, there is nothing you can do. But don't worry." Her lips curved into a cruel little smile. "When the child is born, we can raise him together… as sisters."
Gasps and murmurs spread through the pack like wildfire.
Selene leaned in, her arms sliding around me in a mock embrace. Her perfume was sickeningly sweet, suffocating. Her lips brushed my ear as she whispered words meant only for me:
"I will be his only Luna. You will wither away, weak and barren, and die alone."
A shiver racked through me. I tore her hand off me, shaking my head in disbelief, and turned to Kieran—my mate, my husband, the man who had once sworn to cherish me. "Please… tell me this is a lie."
But his words struck harder than any blade.
"I did this because you cannot give me an heir."
The world spun. My body trembled as memories of my miscarriage surged back—the blood, the pain, the crushing words from the healer that I might never conceive again. That was the day Kieran began to drift away, but I had clung to hope. Hope that our bond would keep us together. Hope that he still loved me.
Now that hope burned to ashes.
Whispers swirled around us like vultures circling a dying prey.
"She's a weak Luna."
"Selene is stronger."
"She deserves to be replaced."
Each word sliced me open, leaving me raw and bleeding.
Darius stepped forward, fury in his eyes, but a guard blocked him. A beta, even my brother, could only go so far against an Alpha's will. He clenched his fists, helpless, watching as humiliation swallowed me whole.
Kieran raised his goblet high, his voice ringing with pride. "Tonight we celebrate not only our feast but also the coming of my heir. Rejoice with me!"
The hall erupted in forced cheers, though whispers still hissed beneath the surface.
I couldn't bear another second. My legs moved on their own, carrying me out of the hall. Each step was heavy, my body shaking as if the earth itself mocked me. The night air hit me like a slap, cold and merciless.
I was Luna Elara Ashwood of Silvercrest… and I had just been broken before my entire pack.