Devil's Dark

I hid behind the door of the bar's private room and signaled my best friend to stay quiet.

One of Christopher Scott's friends remarked, "Christopher, Rebecca may be the Alpha King's daughter, but she's not irrational. If you deliberately keep this from her and she finds out the truth on the day she delivers the pup, what will you do if she causes a scene?"

Christopher replied, his tone dismissive. "She'll be too weak during labor to cause any kind of chaos."

He then added, "I had the witch give me a prophecy. Scarlett is carrying a male pup who will inherit my Alpha position in the future and lead the pack to greater prosperity. Promoting Scarlett will also give my pup a better environment."

After a pause, he continued, "As for Rebecca, she's only carrying a female pup, destined for future alliances."

Christopher's friends couldn't hide their concern. "No matter what, Rebecca is the Alpha King's daughter. What happens if her dad finds out about this?"

Christopher let out a faint smile, and his words carried a trace of indifference."Our pack is far from the Alpha King, and he's busy dealing with internal rebellion right now.

"He won't have time to concern himself with Rebecca. By the time he takes action, everything will already be set in stone. For the good of the pack and his daughter's future, he won't say a word."

He reassured them, "Rebecca is both the Alpha King's daughter and our pack's Luna. Even if she doesn't like it, she'll endure it for the sake of the pack."

I listened to their conversation from behind the door, my fists clenched.

Christopher had planned everything long ago. With my father too busy to care, I was powerless and completely at his whim.

My best friend's expression darkened. She rolled up her sleeves, ready to kick the door open, but I stopped her with a sharp look.

Some of the others were still uneasy, trying to reason with Christopher. "What if Rebecca just refuses to compromise?"

Christopher laughed even louder. "You all have no idea how much Rebecca loves me. Back when I was just a bastard, she defied her dad's arranged marriage to stay with me. Now that I'm the Alpha, I indulge her in everything. How could she ever leave me?"

Christopher took a sip of his drink. His voice was tinged with contemptuous disdain as he spoke. "Don't be fooled by her tough exterior. Deep down, she craves love, and she's very obedient when she's with me."

So to him, all my sincerity was just being obedient.

My bestie was livid for me. If I hadn't held her back, she would have stormed in to confront Christopher.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Lowering my voice, I said, "Let's go."

I had barely returned to the bedroom when Christopher walked in.

His face was still wearing that gentle smile. In his hands, he carried a bag filled with tiny clothes for our pup. "Rebecca, our little one will be here soon. I've prepared a few outfits. What do you think? Aren't they adorable?"

All the clothes in the bag were pink and red. They were clearly for a female wolf pup.

I didn't pick any and asked him instead, "Seeing the clothes you picked, does that mean you're certain our pup is a girl?"

A flicker of panic appeared in Christopher's eyes. He hurriedly explained, "No, of course not. I just thought they looked good. Male pups can wear these too."

I ignored him and carefully selected comfortable fabrics for my pup.

Seeing that I didn't press further, Christopher let out a sigh of relief. He stood up immediately. "Take your time choosing. The pack still has plenty of matters that need me."

About an hour later, my bestie slipped quietly into my room and whispered, "I'm so furious. Christopher actually gave the wolf fang, the symbol of the Alpha's authority, to Scarlett. He even handed over the Luna's duties to her. He's outright humiliating you."

She added, "If you hadn't told me not to act impulsively, I would've already torn those two apart."

She got more agitated as she ranted, flopping onto the bed in a storm of indignation. "If that she-wolf's pup ends up being the Alpha heir someday, what are you going to do then?"

After I carried his pup, Christopher pretended to care, insisting I should take it easy. In reality, he kept undermining my authority, gradually passing the Luna's duties over to Scarlett Lane.

I held my belly and silently vowed, "Don't worry, my pup. I'll protect you from any injustice."