I didn't belong here.
That was the first thing that popped in my mind as I stepped into the ballroom of the Astoria Hotel, the most prestigious hotel in the city.
Not only were we going to celebrate Henrixon's eighteenth birthday tonight. He would also be proclaimed a future Alpha.
I curled up next to one of the marble columns in a corner. Safer and less noticeable. Similar to a houseplant that has been neglected.
There were so many people in the room. Men wearing fitted suits. Women wearing gowns that most likely exceeded the monthly budget of the Omega quarters. The aroma of pricey perfume blended with champagne, polished wood, and wolf musk. I wrinkled my nose. Tonight, everything was too much.
One month.
That was how long it had been since I found out that I was pregnant. That I was carrying Henrixon's child.
And in that same month… we hadn't met. Not even once.
I told myself Henrixon was just busy. Training, pack duties, his eighteenth birthday preparations, alpha succession rites.
Then he'd come find me soon, talk, laugh, he'd touch my cheek and say, My moonlight, I'm sorry for disappearing.
I clung to that idea even then, like a child clutching their favorite toy.
My fingers tightened around the strap of my tiny bag.
I have prepared two gifts for him.
The first was a necklace. Thin silver chain with a tiny silver charm engraved with H & A, filled with dried moonleaf and frost-thyme. Herbs for calming the mind, strengthening the body, easing pain. I'd spent three nights drying them in my room, burning my fingers twice sealing it. Worth it.
The second gift was not invisible… yet.
Just a heartbeat inside my body that only I knew existed.
My free hand briefly pressed against my lower stomach.
Our child.
The idea brought a tiny spark of courage. I straightened up a bit. Lifted my chin. I might look small in this borrowed navy-blue dress. But I was carrying something precious. Something powerful.
I watched pack members swirl across the floor. Even guests from other packs, their auras rubbing up against mine like unseen waves.
I was about to retreat further into my shell when the crowd subtly shifted. And then…
He was here.
I didn't need to look. My wolf knew. My body knew. The air itself seemed to tighten.
But I looked anyway.
Henrixon was there.
He stood near the center of the room in a black formal suit, crisp white shirt. His dark hair was combed back, exposing the sharp lines of his face.
His dark hair was combed back, exposing the sharp lines of his face
Future Alpha.
My mate.
The father of the tiny life growing inside me.
A soft ache bloomed in my chest. Not painful. Just full.
Henrixon laughed at something one of the older Alphas said. The sound reached me even over the music. My chest tightened. I took a small step forward, then another, weaving carefully around clusters of guests.
Just a little closer. Close enough to catch his eye again.
For a moment, his gaze lifted.
Our eyes met across the room.
Everything went quiet.
Not literally, of course. The music continued. People chatted. Glasses clinked. But inside me, something hushed.
I expected warmth or a secret smile.
And for one foolish second, I thought, He's going to come to me.
But then his jaw tightened. His gaze slid away.
And then… He looked away.
He turned to greet another guest, a smile returning like a mask carefully fitted.
The little sun inside my chest stuttered.
No. It was fine. He was being careful. This was a public event. He had told me we had to be secret. I had told myself I understood.
Before I could sink deeper into my thoughts, the music stopped. The chatter softened. Glasses lowered.
"Attention, everyone."
Alpha Reign Hartwell stepped onto the small raised platform at the front of the ballroom.
Henrixon's father.
Tall, silver-haired, eyes like carved ice. The aura of an Alpha who had never once been questioned.
I edged closer, weaving between tables until I stood near the back. Not too close. Not too far. Just enough to see.
Reign stood tall beside Gia, elegant in silver-blue silk. The image of power and grace. The perfect Alpha and Luna.
"Members of the Wintermere Pack," Reign's voice rolled across the room. "And honored guests from our allied families."
Silence settled.
My pulse beat in my ears.
"Tonight, we celebrate my son's eighteenth year," he continued. "Tonight, Henrixon Hartwell is recognized not just as my heir… but as the future Alpha who will lead Wintermere into the next era."
Applause burst out. Cheering. Whistles. Pride swelling through the crowd like a rising tide.
My heart leaped.
This was it.
Reign lifted a hand, quieting the room again.
"But an Alpha does not rise alone," he said. "Strength is built through alliance. Through unity. Through bonds that secure the future of our kind."
My smile froze slightly.
Alliance?
Reign gestured toward the side of the stage.
"Therefore, it is my honor to announce a formal union between Wintermere and Shadowpine Pack. A betrothal, forged in mutual respect and shared vision."
My stomach dipped.
No.
No, no, no…
"Please welcome Audrey Blackwell."
A woman stepped forward.
She was tall. Graceful. Dressed in a shimmering silver gown that clung to every curve. Her hair was pinned elegantly, a few curls framing a flawless face. She looked like she'd been born in ballrooms and raised on champagne.
High-status wolf. Shadowpine's Alpha's daughter.
My fingers curled into fists at my sides.
Reign extended his hand to her, then to his son.
Henrixon stepped onto the platform.
The room clapped again. Louder this time. A few cheers from Shadowpine wolves in the back.
My heart pounded so hard I felt dizzy. Maybe I would faint. Maybe that would be easier. Collapse. Let someone catch me. Wake up and find out this was a nightmare.
But I stayed standing.
Henrixon stood beside Audrey. His expression was carved from stone.
Reign spoke again. "Henrixon Hartwell. Audrey Blackwell. May this bond strengthen our packs for generations."
The crowd erupted.
And then Henrixon took Audrey's hand, lifted it, pressed his lips to her knuckles.
A gesture I knew too well.
The exact same gesture he had once done to me in the cottage, after calling me precious. After apologizing for secrecy. After promising he'd make us official one day.
Something inside me went still. Not broken. Not screaming.
Just… silent.
My wolf, usually a restless whisper at the back of my mind, whimpered once. Shock hollowed me out.
All the warmth I'd been carrying froze into a clean, cold fury that didn't even tremble.
I stared at the scene unfolding in front of me. I simply watched as Audrey stepped closer to him, as if she already knew where she belonged. Watched as the crowd cheered for a future that did not include me or our child.
That's when I realized Henrixon hadn't averted his gaze earlier due to anxiety. He had already made up his mind, so he had turned away.
My hand pressed to my stomach again. I didn't deserve this. My child didn't deserve this.
A strange calm settled over me. I didn't wait for the next speech, the dancing, or the congratulations. I turned away.
No dramatic exit or confrontation. Not now, at least. Not while hundreds of eyes watched the future Alpha and his perfect betrothed.
I slipped through the crowd. Past the tables, the doors, the noise.
Each step felt like walking underwater. Heavy. Muffled. Slow.
No one stopped me. No one noticed. Why would they?
I was just an omega in a borrowed dress.
Outside the ballroom, the corridor was quiet. The carpet is soft under my shoes. The lights dimmer and I kept walking.
Past the elevator, the lobby. Out through the revolving glass doors.
Cold night air greeted me. City lights glittered. Cars passed. Humans laughed on the sidewalk.
Life continued.
Inside, in a golden ballroom, my mate kissed another woman's hand.
I wrapped my arms around myself.
Not crying or screaming. Just breathing.
One breath. Then another.
My fingers brushed my tiny bag. The necklace inside. The herb-filled charm. Our initials.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
H & A.
How naïve.
I lifted my gaze to the night sky. The moon hung full and bright above the city.
I whispered, barely audible.
"Moon Goddess… What kind of joke is this?"