Chapter 0001

Selena.

“Six years of marriage and still not a single child from you, Selena.” My mother-in-law, Brinny, snapped at me in front of the entire council, “A true Luna should know that without bringing forth an heir, she has failed her pack and her husband.”

The entire room fell silent because they knew not to say a word to aggravate her whenever she started this conversation.

Absentmindedly, I reached out to hold the necklace around my neck. It always comforted me anytime she reminded me that Lucian was far away from me. He had sent it as a gift to me during my last birthday, and it was the only reason I was confident that I just needed to be patient and calm with Brinny.

“But how can she have a child when Lucian is away most of the time?” Katherine, my sister in law and favourite human in the pack house, tried to defend me, but her mother shut her up almost immediately.

“Maybe if she found a way to make him stay back like a real wife should, maybe he wouldn’t have left. Maybe if she tried to capture his heart rather than focusing on matters that should be handled by the Alpha, she would have given us an heir by now.”

“You hold no value to my son, so it’s understandable that he doesn’t want you.” She added.

“No value? Everything I have done, I have done for this pack. My husband left me behind to ensure the pack doesn’t fall to shambles, and I have done that part, I have ensured everything prospers in his absence.” I clapped back confidently.

Whispers and murmurs broke out among the council members who were mostly family of my husband, Lucian. I could tell from the look on their faces that they were panicking but unable to voice out their objections directly on the matter because they knew that it would only make things worse.

Lucian and I got married six years ago, regardless of the fact that we were not fated mates, I grew to love and care for him. I adjusted easily in Crescent Moon Pack and was glad to fill in for him while he went off to training for the position of Alpha King because he always sent home gifts and messages that reminded me that he was still my husband and would return home as soon as the training was over.

I just needed to hold on until he was back. It has been almost two years since I last saw my husband, even though the training camps were only opened once a year, he spent almost all the months of the six years we’ve been married there.

Brinny always cursed me for her son’s absence. No matter how hard I tried, she just didn’t like me.

The task of ruling the pack also fell to me. I kept the pack members in line and even though the task was demanding and kept me up late at night, I performed my duties without complaining because a part of me believed one day Lucian would return back home to me and he would make up for all the years we’ve lost.

“I would send a message for him to come home soon.” I muttered under my breath just to pacify her, but that wasn’t enough for her. It never was.

She scoffed out loud in response.

“Right, like my son would listen to you. I never agreed on my son marrying you. The mate bond is a gift given by the Goddess, and your existence is merely a stain to it. Maybe that’s why you couldn’t give my son an heir!”

“But we cannot overlook how immensely Luna Selena has contributed to this pack,” one of the elders spoke, “what would we do without Luna Selena? What would become of us? She has kept our borders safe, and our pack members have not starved in a long time.”

“It’s not her task to protect our borders. Hers is to bring forth children.” She seethed angrily.

“You can not even keep a man. How would you manage a home.”

“What use is a successful Luna without a child?”

“Mind your behaviour, Brinny. Selena is our Luna, and she deserves some respect here.” One of the elders said.

“Who are you to talk and defend her? Did you two hook up or something?” Brinny pulled back her arm, her eyes wandering between me and the young elder that had spoken. “Watch your position. Even if my son doesn’t want Selena, she still belongs to him!”

“Enough!” I tried to restrain my anger when Brinny spoke. I did that because she was Lucian’s mom and I couldn’t deny the fact that Lucian and I were not fated mates but I would never watch her insult my husband by claiming I was sleeping with a member of his council.

The whole thing made me realize just how much I missed Lucian. If he was here, Brinny would never be able to speak to me in such a manner. He would defend and protect me, stand by my side, and no one would ever be able to ridicule me again.

I really couldn’t wait for him to come back home. Sadly, I turned to make my way out when the door suddenly swung open, and a guard walked in.

“Alpha Lucian is back!” He called out with a hint of excitement in his tone, and I turned towards the door sharply. My heart skipped a beat.

I wasn’t sure I had heard the guard right, but the reaction of the faces of the elders seated around us showed they had heard it too.

My excitement was palpable. I felt like a child that had not seen her father in years and was about to see him again. My heart leapt for joy at the mere thought of it. I had imagined our reunion a thousand times, the way I'd run into his arms, the way he'd hold me tight and never let me go.

I was about to take a step forward when someone shoved me aside so hard that I slammed my head against the wall and crashed to the ground.

Brinny, who was the one that had shoved me aside, jumped right over me and ran towards the door in a hurry. I rushed to my feet regardless of the burning sensation behind my arms, which I was certain was a bruise and rushed outside too.

My entire body tingled excitedly.

My heart was racing with anticipation, unlike anything I had ever felt before.

My breath got stuck in my throat as soon as my eyes landed on him.

He was standing in front of me, with a thin smile on his face... and a girl beside him. My brows furrowed when I noticed how tightly he held onto her hand and the way his shoulders flared protectively and in a possessive manner when he saw me staring at her.

To my surprise, he pulled her closer to him, his arms wrapped around her in such an intimate manner.

The silence in the hallway was deafening as all eyes fell on them.

“There is someone I would like you all to meet,” Lucian said, breaking the silence as he turned to stare down at her in a loving manner, a way he had never looked at me before, “the mother of my child.”

My eyes widened in shock as I took in the sight of her swollen belly, a clear evidence of her pregnancy.

The mother of my child? What did he mean by that?

His words echoed over and over again in my head as I stared at her belly in astonishment. Every other sound suddenly faded into the background. It was as if I was underwater. My hearing was now muffled, and I was somehow unable to release the air that was now stuck in my chest.

At the realization of what was going on, the excitement and joy I had felt just moments before suddenly disappeared inside of me. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my breath knocked right out of me.

How could he? How could he do this to me? The pain was like a knife twisting in my heart as a painful lump stretched across my throat. I felt like I was drowning and unable to find a lifeline to cling onto.

The smile on his face, the girl by his side... it was all too much to bear. I felt like I was living in a nightmare, a nightmare from which I couldn't wake up.