CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1: The Last Anniversary

My hands trembled as I stared at the third pregnancy test, the two pink lines unmistakable against the white plastic. Just like the other two tests scattered across my marble bathroom counter. After five years of trying, of monthly disappointments and tearful nights, our miracle was finally happening.

I pressed my palm against my still-flat stomach, fighting back tears. *Our pup.* The wolf inside me purred with contentment, already fiercely protective of the tiny life growing within. 

"Alpha Female Jessica?" Maria's voice carried through the door. "The ceremonial preparations are complete."

I quickly swept the tests into my drawer. "Coming!" The anniversary celebration could wait. Tonight, after the pack gathering, I'd tell Bryan everything. I imagined his golden eyes lighting up, his strong arms lifting me in joy. Five years of trying had strained our bond, but this would make everything perfect again.

The great hall buzzed with activity as pack members hung ceremonial wreaths and arranged traditional offerings. The scent of roasted meat and sweet honey cakes filled the air. My wolf preened at the display of abundance, though my human half noted the slight tension in the air. Something felt... off.

Adam, our pack advisor, caught my eye from across the room. His usual warm smile seemed strained. "Jessica, might I have a word?"

Before he could reach me, Sandra Gibbs sauntered through the main doors. My stomach clenched at the sight of Bryan's ex-mate. She wasn't supposed to be here – pack law forbade exes from attending mating ceremonies. Yet there she stood, wrapped in a crimson dress that screamed challenge.

"Jessica." Her smile dripped honey-coated venom. "Lovely decorations. Though perhaps a bit... excessive for a political mating?"

I stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh." She examined her perfectly manicured claws. "Didn't Bryan tell you? The elders only arranged your mating to secure the Knox bloodline. Surely you didn't think it was about *love*?"

My wolf snarled, but before I could respond, Bryan's scent hit me. He strode through the doors, powerful and beautiful in his ceremonial robes. But instead of coming to my side, he stopped next to Sandra.

The room fell silent.

"Jessica." His voice was formal, distant. "We need to talk."

My hand instinctively covered my stomach. "Bryan, I have something to tell you first—"

"I'm dissolving our mating bond."

The words hit like physical blows. Around us, pack members quickly filed out, leaving only the required witnesses for a separation ritual.

"What?" My voice sounded small, foreign. "Bryan, please—"

"It was always meant to be temporary," he continued, each word precise and rehearsed. "The elders needed my bloodline connected to the Knox pack for stability. But now that Sandra's back..."

"Back?" The room spun. "You've been seeing her?"

Sandra's smirk answered before Bryan could speak. Of course. The late nights at the pack office. The fading scent bond. The way he'd stopped sharing his thoughts through our mental link months ago.

Adam appeared at my side, separation documents in hand. His eyes held a strange urgency. "Jessica, perhaps we should postpone—"

"No." I grabbed the papers, my claws puncturing the parchment. In that moment, something inside me hardened. They wanted a political transaction? Fine. "Where do I sign?"

Bryan frowned. "Jess—"

"Don't." I scrawled my name across the dotted line, trying not to think about the tiny life I'd just sworn to protect alone. "You got what you wanted. The great Beta Bryan Knox, free to pursue his *true* mate."

As I turned to leave, Sandra's voice carried across the now-empty hall. "Oh, and Jessica? You might want to pack quickly. As Bryan's ex-mate, you'll need to leave pack territories by nightfall."

I froze. She was right. Pack law was clear – rejected mates had no claim to pack lands. In one afternoon, I'd lost my mate, my home, and my entire world.

But they hadn't taken everything.

My hand pressed against my stomach as I walked out, head high. They didn't know about the real Knox heir growing inside me. And if Bryan cared so much about bloodlines and power...

Well. Some secrets were worth keeping.

Adam caught up to me in the corridor. "Jessica, wait. There's something you need to know about your real family—"

A howl cut through the air – the signal for Bryan and Sandra's immediate mating ceremony. The betrayal hit fresh, stealing my breath.

"Tomorrow," I managed. "Tell me tomorrow."

I never made it to tomorrow. The rain was heavy that night, the roads slick with autumn leaves. My wolf's instincts screamed as my tires hit a slick patch on the mountain curve. I tried to correct, but everything happened too fast – the steering wheel jerking, metal groaning, my world spinning.

In that moment of terror, my hands didn't go to the wheel. They went to my stomach, my wolf's protective instincts taking over. Five years of trying for this baby. Five years of temperature tracking, fertility treatments, and disappointed hopes. I wouldn't lose this miracle. Not tonight. Not like this.

The guard rail gave way with a sickening crunch. As my car tipped into the ravine, time slowed enough for one crystal-clear thought: I had nothing left in that pack except the tiny life inside me. No mate. No home. No status.

But I had something they'd never know about – a reason to survive.

*Just hold on, little one*, I thought as we fell. *Mom's got you.*

The impact came in waves of shattering glass and screaming metal. Through the haze of pain, I heard voices above – other wolves who'd seen the crash. The bitter irony of pack dynamics meant they'd have to help, even a rejected mate.

"Call the nearest pack hospital!"

"She's breathing, but barely..."

"Wait – isn't this Bryan Knox's ex-mate? The one from today's separation ceremony?"

"Check her registration. We need to know which pack to bill for medical care."

Even barely conscious, that last bit made me want to laugh. Of course. Everything came down to pack politics and money. Always had.

As darkness crept in, I made two promises to my unborn child. First, we would survive this night. And second?

We'd come back stronger than Bryan Knox could imagine. Not as his discarded mate, but as something he'd never expected – a mother who'd do anything to give her child a better life than the cruel pack politics that had destroyed her own.

My wolf's last thought was pure, protective determination: ‘Let them think they broke us. We'll show them what real strength looks like.’

I surrendered to unconsciousne

ss with my hands still curved around my stomach, protecting the only future that mattered now.