SERENITY KELLER
"Mrs. Vernal, take a look at these photos."
The young woman standing in front of me scattered the pictures across the floor. My gaze swept over them, landing on Elias's face—so devastatingly handsome that my wolf, Novella, trembled every time I saw it. But those honey-sweet eyes weren't looking at me. They were fixed adoringly on the woman in his arms. On the crowded dance floor of a bar.
In the passenger seat of a speeding sports car. In front of a hotel room's floor-to-ceiling windows.
Their heads were close, as if they might kiss at any moment. The intimate poses looked like something from a magazine cover, dripping with heat and pheromones.
"You should recognize the man in these photos with me." The woman's crimson-painted lips moved like a garish wound, spitting out words sharp as blades, trying to pierce my heart.
But surprisingly, my bleeding heart had grown too numb to feel much pain anymore.
"I do," I said. My voice came out so calm it startled even me. "That's my mate."
The woman's smile widened. "Good. Since you can see clearly, I'll be blunt.
He's betrayed you, and he chose me. An Omega like you doesn't deserve to be his Luna."
Doesn't deserve to be Luna. Such a familiar accusation.
I lifted my head and met her eyes. Beneath her smug confidence, I saw nothing but contempt for me.
That look. I knew it too well. From the very first day I married into the Vernal pack, everyone had looked at me exactly that way.
Everyone except Elias.
I thought back to six months ago, when things between us hadn't been so cold. After he'd chased off the pack members who'd been harassing me because of my status, he turned to me.
"Listen, Serenity." His expression was stern, his tone cold as ice, but the fingers wiping tears from my cheeks were unexpectedly warm. "Don't think being an Omega means you have to let them walk all over you. Don't let anyone else dictate how you live your life. You have every right to decide what you do. When you need to say no, say it loud enough for them to hear."
"What if they hit me?" I had asked through my tears.
Elias's hand had paused for a moment. Then he had said firmly, "Then call my name. Call me—and I'll come protect you."
Now, standing before me, this young woman was saying almost the exact same words those bullies had said back then. But this time, Elias wouldn't appear to defend me.
This time, he was the one sending these women to my door.
"You're the third one this month," I murmured.
The woman didn't catch it. "What?"
"I said you're the third woman this month who's come to me hoping to replace me as Luna." I stood, the black silk of my gown swaying with my movement. I stepped toward her, and she backed away. "The one before you was a model. Before her, his secretary. They all came with photos, even videos. They all said the same things."
Words like curses.
Words like daggers.
Every single one—Elias's revenge against me.
I stopped walking. "So you're nothing special."
"Everyone knows the Vernal pack's Alpha is a notorious playboy now. His flings are as countless as the stars, and every one of them thinks she's special. But none of them are."
Because I knew the truth. He didn't love any of them.
The old Elias would never have done something like this. He was the Vernal pack's most powerful and brilliant heir. Everyone had high expectations for him, and he had never disappointed anyone.
Until the day Liv died.
His heart and soul had sunk into the ocean with her. He would never love another woman besides Liv. Everything he had become was just to torment me, to humiliate me—punishment for the wicked mate who had killed the girl he loved.
Even though I had told him again and again through my tears that I hadn't pushed Liv into the sea. That I wasn't the traitor who had conspired with hunters and betrayed the pack.
"I'm pregnant with his child!" the woman shrieked.
That was probably her trump card. But I couldn't help doubling over with laughter. The clear, bell-like sound of it only enraged her more. She grew even more hysterical.
"What are you laughing at?"
"You think I'd believe that?" I wiped the moisture from the corner of my eye and tasted it. Bitter. "Do you have any idea how powerful Lycan bloodlines are? So powerful they're nearly impossible to continue."
I went on. "Every generation of the Vernal pack has only one heir—not because they don't want more. To conceive a Lycan's offspring more easily requires a fated mate, a permanent mark under the full moon, and complete bonding of both partners' pheromones. Which of those conditions do you meet?"
"I'm his fated mate!" the woman declared with conviction. "From the moment I first saw him, I knew. Just touching his hand made me —" "Made your heart race? Your pheromones surge? Made the whole world suddenly seem brighter?" I finished her sentence and kept going. "Your wolf howled inside you. It wanted to squirm in his arms like a pup. You wanted to press your thighs together, bow your head, and worship his fingers and lips?"
The woman stared at me, dumbfounded. Her face went pale. She was smart enough to realize the truth.
I slowly curved my lips. There was no mirror here, so I couldn't see my own face. But I knew my smile must have looked terrible.
"You can't be his fated mate. Because I am Elias Vernal's one and only destined mate."
The woman stumbled away in terror.
I watched through the window as she fled through the Pack House gates.
The spine I had forced myself to hold straight finally gave way under the weight of everything, and a sudden wave of nausea hit me hard. My stomach churned as if I'd swallowed silver, acid surging toward my throat. I gripped the cold windowsill, dry heaving violently.
Damn it.
My head buzzed. This had been happening a lot lately—every time my emotions ran high, my body reacted badly.
I must have been exhausted from dealing with this endless stream of "visitors." But I couldn't rest yet. Not now.
"Luna, may I come in?"
Lizzie's voice came from outside the door. After I let her in, she curtsied and reported, "Luna, one of the Elders has requested to see you. He's waiting in the study."
Here we go. I bit my lip softly. This was today's truly difficult "visitor."
Because there was only one Elder who would ask to see me at a time like this—Elias's father, the former Alpha of the Vernal pack.
"Tell him I'll be right there." I smoothed my gown, hoping I could present a better appearance when I faced him.
Lizzie lingered. She was the only one whose kindness toward me hadn't changed after everything. She looked at me with concern. "Luna, you look terrible. Are you sure you're all right? Should I ask the Alpha to come back and stay with you? Or should we call a doctor?"
Ask Elias to come back? I almost laughed out loud. He was probably in some woman's bed right now. Why would he come back for a "murderer" and "traitor" like me?
I should be grateful he hadn't snapped my neck himself, shouldn't I?
"That won't be necessary," I said and shook my head. "He has more important things to attend to."
Lizzie sighed but said nothing more.
I met Alfred Vernal in the study.
The aging wolf's teeth were no longer sharp, and his meticulously combed hair had gone completely gray, but he still radiated the commanding presence of an Alpha.
Before, his mere presence made me afraid. My Omega instincts always urged me to submit. But now I could force myself to stay composed—not out of courage, but out of habit.
Ever since I had become a suspect six months ago, my movements had been restricted to the mansion. Everywhere I went, I felt those watchful eyes.
The constant suspicion was far more suffocating than the old Alpha's disapproval.
"Serenity, we need to talk."
Alfred delivered his opening line, and I already knew what was coming— another lecture about my "failures."
"Tell me, how long have you been Elias's Luna?"
"A year and a half," I answered.
"Yes, a year and a half. Almost two years." Alfred's voice held no warmth.
"Do you know what that means, Serenity?"
"I do."
"No, you don't!" He slammed his palm on the desk, Alpha dominance crashing over me like a wave. The pressure nearly crushed my sanity. The nausea I'd barely suppressed surged back, and my head buzzed.
"If you did, why is your belly still empty? The only reason this pack tolerates a lowly Omega in the Luna position is because you're the easiest path to producing Elias's heir. If you can't even do that simple task, you would have been cast out after the hunter attack!"
Slap.
Alfred's words struck like a blow to my face. My cheeks burned. My nails dug into my palms, nearly drawing blood. But outwardly, I kept my head down and said nothing.
I knew what he was talking about.
Six months ago, the Vernal pack had been attacked by hunters. Someone suspected there was a traitor among us, and I had become the prime suspect —an outsider, an Omega, yet with enough status to access classified intelligence. Every detail pointed straight at me.
Since then, I had learned that defending myself was useless. No one would believe me.
Even Elias. I had thought he believed me, which was why he had insisted on an investigation instead of letting the others exile me immediately. But his first order was to confine me like a prisoner, forbidding me from leaving the mansion. And I never got a verdict. The investigation just… stopped.
"Face reality, Serenity. Think carefully about what's kept you living in comfort all this time." Alfred was still talking, each word tearing at what little self-respect I had left. "If you can't conceive an heir soon, you'll be thrown out of this mansion and banished from the pack!"
He wasn't joking.
But to me, it just felt ironic. Everyone desperately wanted me to carry Elias's child, yet I couldn't tell them the truth. Forget children—Elias hadn't even given me a permanent mark. We still weren't truly mated.
An unmarked Omega was like a flower planted in barren soil, starved of nutrients. How could I possibly bear fruit?
So I sat there like a lifeless statue, my thoughts drifting to the past.
I remembered the first time I met Elias. I had just turned eighteen, and my father had brought me to the Spring Gathering.
Honestly, I hated those kinds of events. My siblings never missed a chance to remind me how out of place I was at such elegant affairs. They poured wine over my hair and dress, mocking me for showing up in last year's gown.
They threw me into the garden fountain. Water rushed into my nose and mouth, bubbling up in clear streams.
So many people gathered around the fountain, laughing. I struggled to climb out, and their hands shoved me back under. I floated in the water, looking up, my lungs empty of air, no more bubbles to release. Just as I was on the verge of giving up, a man's tall shadow appeared on the surface above.
"Get out of my way!"
He knocked aside the wolves blocking the fountain's edge with a few punches. Strong arms plunged into the water and hauled me out with a splash. Countless droplets soaked his clothes, ruining his expensive tailored suit. But he didn't even flinch.
When his hands touched me, when our eyes met, I couldn't focus on my siblings anymore. I could only drink in the sight of him—his dark brown hair, his perfect physique, and those emerald eyes deep enough to drown in all over again.
Novella howled frantically inside me. Every cell screamed the same word— mate, mate, mate!
How ecstatic I was in that moment. I thought finding my fated mate meant I could finally escape the Keller pack. The Moon Goddess had finally shown me mercy. I would have a mate who truly loved me with all his heart.
After all, Elias himself had told me, "Don't let anyone else dictate how you live your life. You have every right to decide what you do." So I had every right to pursue the one I truly wanted.
So I gathered my courage and pursued him earnestly. After I became his mate, I held myself to the standards of the perfect wife every single day. I prepared delicious meals for him, organized everything he needed for work and travel, and racked my brain to plan romantic surprises for every holiday.
Even though I always knew Elias's heart wasn't with me, I believed that with enough effort, we could build a happy family and fulfill my lifelong dream.
For a while, I even thought I could see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Elias stopped rejecting me the way he had when we first married. He carefully ate every meal I brought him. He exposed his vulnerable throat in front of me, letting me tie his tie like a real partner.
These small, ordinary moments were so mundane, yet they filled me with happiness and hope for the future.
Until the day I saw disgust on Elias's face—the same look everyone else gave me. That was when I realized he had been lying all along.
Happiness and hope were just bubbles rising from that fountain, fragile and fleeting.
All those fairy-tale dreams had turned into nightmares.
I didn't notice when Alfred left.
When I came back to myself, tears had streamed down my face. I slid off the chair, cold sweat soaking through my clothes, too weak to even crawl up.
"Luna, are you all right?" Lizzie rushed in and held me, screaming, "Get Dr.
Charles, quickly!"
I clutched her arm, trying to refuse, but the dizziness made it impossible to speak. The room spun around me, and the nausea intensified. Lizzie helped me onto the bed in my room. Twenty minutes later, the family doctor finally arrived.
He examined me carefully, and I nearly threw up several times during the process.
When he finally set down his stethoscope, his face held a strange mix of surprise, joy, and disbelief.
"Luna"—he cleared his throat—"congratulations."
I blinked in confusion. "What?"
"You're pregnant," Charles announced happily. "The baby is about three weeks along. Your symptoms are just normal pregnancy reactions."
Pregnant. Me?
I thought I must have heard wrong.
But werewolf hearing didn't make mistakes—especially when Lizzie started shrieking with excitement beside me.
Elias's child.
Our child.
My hand moved instinctively to my stomach. An intense tremor ran from my skin all the way to my scalp.
I looked out the window. Bright sunlight streamed in. I hadn't been outside in so long—not since my confinement began.
Suddenly, I realized this child could be my chance—a way out of here.
Elias hated me, despised me, but he shouldn't hate his own child. I knew how desperately the Vernal pack wanted a new life. Maybe this baby could bridge the chasm between us.
Just imagining it made those old dream-bubbles rise to the surface again.
All the memories of my time with Elias, all the kindness and protection he had once shown me—maybe I could find that Elias again.
We still had a chance to be a happy family.