Chapter 3

ELARA POV:

The next morning, I was the first one at the pack's medical center. I asked a junior Healer, one I trusted, to run a blood test. I told her it was for a patient.

She returned an hour later, her eyes wide. "Chief Healer, the hormone levels are definitive. The patient is six weeks pregnant."

Pregnant. The word echoed in the silent examination room. A child. A child of the man who had another family. A child he had just told me he didn't want.

A cold despair settled over me, so heavy I could barely breathe. This pup was a part of me, a part of my soul, but it was also a link to a man who had shattered my trust.

I left the clinic in a daze and walked towards the Elder's council hall, not knowing where I was going. As I rounded a corner, I heard voices. Damien's voice, low and placating.

"Cassia, calm down."

I ducked behind a large stone pillar. I saw them standing in a secluded alcove. Cassia was crying, her face buried in Damien's chest.

"When, Damien?" she sobbed. "When will you make me your Luna? She's just a Healer! I've given you a son! An heir!"

Damien stroked her hair. His voice was firm, but held a note of weary affection. "I've told you, I will not reject Elara. The bond is a sacred duty. She is my responsibility."

Responsibility. Not his love. Not his soulmate. His duty.

As he held her, Cassia's eyes lifted and met mine over his shoulder. A triumphant, vicious smile spread across her face. She had known I was there. This was another performance, staged for my benefit.

The last flicker of hope inside me died. I was a placeholder. A convenient, respectable front for his real life.

I turned and walked away, my steps silent. I went back to my office and made two calls. The first was to schedule a ceremony. A terrible, painful ritual to sever the flow of lunar energy from a mother to her unborn pup, effectively ending the pregnancy.

The second call was to my friend, Ayla.

"Ayla," I said, my voice devoid of emotion. "I need you to draw up the papers. A formal Dissolution of Mating Bond."

It was the first legal step towards a Rejection.

Before she could ask any questions, a Mind-Link from Damien cut through my thoughts. It wasn't a request. It was an order, laced with the undeniable power of his Alpha authority.

"The pack's annual gala is tonight. You will be there. You will stand by my side as my future Luna."

The Alpha's Command vibrated through my bones, a power that no pack member could easily defy. It was meant to compel obedience, to ensure the pack's stability. He was using it on his own mate to force me into a charade.

"I'll be there," I sent back, my mental voice cold and brittle.

He would have his perfect Luna for one last night. He had no idea the storm that was about to break over his head.