Emma
"Congratulations, Luna. You are two months pregnant," the doctor announced.
The words didn’t sink in at first.
Pregnant?
Did she just say I was pregnant?
I felt my world suddenly stopped spinning. My heart continued to pound inside my chest as I stared at the doctor. I tried saying something but nothing came out of my mouth. I just couldn’t believe I was hearing these words from her.
The doctor continued speaking. She said, the baby inside my belly was six weeks long then handed me the sonogram of my baby. That was the only time I realized everything was real.
I had been waiting for three long years for this to happen.
Three long, agonizing married years with Andrew Campbell, the Alpha of the Dark Desert Pack.
My eyes blurred with tears. My trembling hands moved to my stomach and closed my eyes. Everything felt surreal. Underneath the skin of my belly, a new life was growing that was a part of me.
And a part of him.
I took out my phone with my trembling hands. I couldn't stop thinking about how I was going to tell Andrew about the news.
I browsed through my phone and found his contact. I was about to hit the call button when it buzzed with an incoming message. My happiness faded in an instant as soon as I read it.
"Not coming home tonight."
It was the same message he’d been sending for the past months whenever he informed me he would spend the night at another house. He rarely came home. In a week, I could only see him once or thrice. I couldn’t even visit him in his office because he told me I wasn’t allowed.
My hand fell to my side as I stared at the screen. The message reminded me of who I was now to Andrew.
That I was no more than his wife on paper.
His doormat.
It wasn’t always like this, though. Andrew was affectionate. But all of a sudden, something in him changed. He became cold and distant and rarely spent time with me. I tried to convince myself it was nothing and gave him the space he needed. I just waited for him to go back to the way he was.
But he never did.
I covered my mouth to drown the sound as I sobbed. The doctor offered me a gentle smile before excusing herself. I typed back a simple "Okay” to Andrew’s message. Then. I decided to go home.
The next morning, I woke up alone and decided to prepare some jasmine tea. Suddenly, my phone rang. Ruby’s name, Andrew’s secretary, flashed on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Hey, woman, the Alpha forgot a very important file. He said it was on his desk. Can you bring it to his office now? And fast!”
I wasn’t the type to get easily irritated by people forgetting my rank, but calling me “woman” as if I were some kind of mistress and not the Alpha’s wife? That was beyond disrespectful. Insulting, even.
But Ruby didn’t seem to care and Andrew never did something to correct her behavior. Sometimes, I even thought that Andrew was encouraging Ruby to disrespect me.
“I have a white folder here,” I replied as I looked at the documents scattered on Andrew’s desk.
“That’s the one. Hurry up and bring it here,” Ruby said before hanging up without even saying goodbye.
I sighed as I grabbed the folder.
Hold on, she said to bring the papers to Andrew’s office, right?
Eureka!
That means I could tell him about the baby in person.
I wasted no time getting inside my car. I already practiced inside my mind how I would deliver the news.
In the middle of the highway, my phone beeped again. I opened the message carefully as I continued driving.
“Last night, your husband was with me."
My whole body was shaking and I stared at the attached photo. It was a shot of Andrew lying shirtless on the bed. I knew it was him because of the distinct tattoo on his chest.
The phone slipped from my hand. Everything felt like it was slowing down. I couldn’t think straight. I lost the ability to hear anything except the wild beating of my heart.
After everything I did for him, how could he sleep with another woman?
My other hand touched my belly and I thought about my baby.
I took a deep breath and wiped the tears with the back of my hand. I couldn’t just give up. No, I had to fight. I had to fight for a chance to give my baby a complete family.
In the middle of this thought, headlights flashed in my peripheral vision. Before I could react, a truck swerved into my lane. I tried to avoid the impact, but it was already too late.
“Ahhhh!!!”
I let out a violent scream as the car spun out of control. My body was tossed in all directions until the car crashed into the railing with a loud, terrible bang.
Everything blurred. Every inch of my body was sore. The smell of blood and burnt rubber filled the air. I couldn’t move or think straight. It took me time to realize what had happened but as soon as it did, fear engulfed me.
My baby!
“Oh, moon goddess. Please save my baby,” I whispered in between sobs.
Getting help was the first thing I did. I tried looking for my phone. Luckily, it survived the crash. I picked it up carefully and tried my best to dial Andrew’s number. I could barely see the screen through my tears and pain but I was still able to press the call button. The phone rang twice before he picked up.
“Andrew—”
“What?” he snapped. “Don’t you know I’m in a pack meeting?! Make it quick.”
My throat tightened. I was shocked by his reaction as he never raised his voice on me. “I’ve been in an accident… Please help me…”
“Are you serious right now? You’re calling me for that?”
My heart sank. I bit my lip to keep myself from sobbing. His reaction made me feel I was nothing but a nuisance to him.
“I’m sorry… I just didn’t know who else to call. I need your help.”
“I am an alpha, not a fucking doctor,” he shot back. “Figure it out yourself. Go to the hospital or something.”
Then, the line went dead. I just realized something after that.
Andrew no longer cares whether I live or die.
Andrew no longer…loves me.
But I couldn’t just wallow in such feelings. My baby needs me and I can’t let him down. So, I forced myself to move, even though my whole body was hurting. I crawled out of the wrecked car while gritting my teeth. The sharp glass cut into my hands as I moved but that was the least of my worries.
Finally, I got out of the vehicle. I collapsed onto the cold pavement as I felt my energy drained from the action. Suddenly, I saw a light. It came from a car that was parked a few feet away from the crash and immediately called for help. But then, I stopped as I recognized the car. I couldn’t be mistaken because of the markings on the plate number, which is the emblem of the Dark Desert Pack.
It was Andrew’s car!
The door opened and revealed my husband’s frame. He moved to the other side of the car and helped a woman get out. Just when I thought the nightmare was over, I saw her wrap her hands around my husband’s neck and pull him into a long, deep kiss.
At that moment, I felt my heart died.
Hot tears streamed down my face. The pain I was feeling in my chest was so much worse than the pain I suffered from the crash. I felt betrayed. I felt empty. I felt used. The world around me grew dimmer. I turned to Andrew who was still making out with the unknown woman.
“So this is the important meeting you talked about,” I whispered as everything went black.
EmmaI woke up to a strong smell invading my nostrils. I immediately recognized those were herbal medicines. I blinked a couple of times as my eyes adjusted to the white light that welcomed me. “Where am I?” I asked myself. That’s when I felt the pain in my leg. I got up of bed slowly and felt a gentle hand pushed me back down.“Take it easy,” the voice said. I turned to the direction of the sound and saw a woman in white. I looked around and realized I was in the hospital.But why am I here?Slowly, my memories started to flood in. The message…The picture…The crash…Andrew…“My baby!” I exclaimed. I grabbed the doctor’s shoulders and cried out. “Please, tell me my baby is okay.”“Calm down, the baby is safe,” she whispered and that was the only time my heartbeat slowed down. She helped me lie down while explaining. “The baby survived despite the seriousness of the crash. All the doctors who treated you were puzzled as well. You really had a strong baby inside you.”I let out a si
EmmaIt had been months since I talked to my mother. The last time I had a conversation with her was when she asked me to deliver an important package to Andrew. After that, she continued treating me like I didn’t matter to her. “Okay, I’ll let him know, but he’s been really busy lately. Not sure if he’ll have time to—”“Who the fuck do you think you are to decide for him?” my mother yelled. Even if I couldn’t see her, I could already imagine the smoke coming from her nose. “You can’t even do a simple thing like delivering a message properly! You’re fucking useless. We should’ve let your sister marry him instead. At least she wouldn’t be such a pathetic excuse for a Luna like you. You’re a disgrace to our family! What did I do to deserve a lowly fucking daughter like you?”Useless.Pathetic. Disgrace.Lowly.I heard those words multiple times from my mom. But no matter how much I got myself used to it, it still hurt every time she hurled those words at me. No matter what I did, it w
EmmaMy stomach clenched at his tone.My husband.The man I had loved with all my heart.My alpha. The father of my unborn child.And yet, after everything that had happened to me, all he cared about was dinner.My heart ached at the indifference in his tone. It was always like this. I had spent years making sure his meals were perfect. I secretly enrolled in cooking classes to learn different cuisines because I wanted to ensure that I always served him a variety of dishes. I cooked each meal to his exact preference. I made sure it was hot the moment he stepped inside the mansion. But today, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. The effort felt wasted on a man who barely acknowledged my existence beyond the roles I played for him.Not after everything that had happened.Not after he cheated on me. "Emma! Where the heck are you?" Once again, Andrew’s sharp voice rang in my ears. I took a deep breath and forced myself to stand up, despite the pain shooting through my injured leg. Sl
EmmaThe next day, I was awakened by a delicious scent. The door of the study was slightly open so the smell of food entered the study. I was so sure that I clicked the door shut before I slept for the night. Now, I wondered who could have possibly checked on me while I was sleeping here. The Omegas? Impossible. They knew too well not to enter the study unless it was open. The standard rule in this house was that no one was allowed to disturb whoever was inside this place. Especially Andrew. That’s why this has been my favorite place to hang out whenever I was looking for solace because of the privacy it provides.The aroma became stronger as I walked out of the study. It pulled my nose closer to the kitchen. The scene my eyes landed on was something I never thought I would see one day. Andrew was wearing an apron…cooking something for breakfast.I didn’t know what to say. I just observed him in silence. And my husband seemed like he didn’t notice me because of how busy he was prepa
EmmaI hurried to get dressed When I was done, Andrew was almost ready. We went to his car without uttering a single word.As expected, the entire trip was silent. I remembered a few instances when I had tried to make conversation during the rare times Andrew was with me inside his car. But every time I did, he would always tell me to keep quiet so he could concentrate on the road.So now, I won’t even try. After all, I don’t want to be accused of causing an accident, just in case we have one. But the deafening silence was disrupted by the ring on Andrew’s phone. Andrew’s eyes widened. "What?!” he exclaimed. “You fell and got hurt on your way out? I’ll be right there."He hung up and turned to me. "Hmm, something came up at work. I’ll go ahead. I’ll catch up with you later."Andrew pulled over, and I was forced to get out of the car. Then he turned the car around, driving away from where I stood. I rolled my eyes as I stared at his disappearing vehicle. I already knew who it might be.
EmmaLuke and the others stared at the cell phone resting on the table. Then Luke looked at me. A smug smile was present on his lips.“How dare you,” he said. “You’re the one keeping the Alpha from seeing Jessica, and yet—”“Am I?” I challenged. “I’m literally giving you the chance to call him right now and ask him yourself. But instead, you keep insisting I’m the villain here. So tell me, are you really defending Jessica, or just looking for another excuse to throw blame at me?”The room went still. Luke's smirk disappeared, and he glanced away. Jessica said nothing. She didn’t even glance in my direction. The truth was, Jessica never needed to defend herself. It was always the rest of my family who did it for herEven at times, they didn’t have to. Just like now.“Alright, that’s enough,” Mom finally declared. She stepped in between Luke and me and fixed her eyes on me, as if I were the one who needed to be pacified. “Luke was just joking. Don’t take everything so seriously. Maybe a
EmmaAfter that visit, I realized my fate was decided. Andrew was already driving me home, and, of course, Jessica was with us. Since Andrew agreed for her to stay with us under the pretense of “recovering,” my family wasted no time but to let her come with us. Funny that her things were already packed. It was as if that talk was nothing but a mere formality and everything was already decided with or without my consent. Oh, well. That was pretty expected. Jessica was in the backseat, grinning and full of energy. On the other hand, I felt so uncomfortable knowing that she was sent to our home to seduce my husband. And hell, Andrew was so naive! How could he not suspect that Jessice was faking her illness? Was he blind? Suddenly, Jessica opened up a conversation."Andrew, thank you for letting me stay with you guys," she said sweetly. She was obviously rubbing it to my face knowing that I knew what her real intentions were. But as expected, Andrew was blind by it. All he could see w
EmmaI smiled bitterly. I was the wife, yet my husband seemed more interested in caring for another woman than me.I watched in silence as Andrew and Jessica disappeared from my sight. I waited a few more seconds, hoping Andrew would remember I was still in the vehicle. But once again, he disappointed me.My hands went to my belly. I guess I needed to get used to this setup. From now on, it was going to be just me and my baby against the world.I stepped out of the vehicle and followed them. I even caught Andrew walking upstairs, carrying Jessica into one of our guest rooms. Three years ago, my naïve self had believed we’d live a happy, fairy-tale life together, just like we had promised. I thought we’d build a future side by side, and make the Dark Desert Pack one of the most powerful in the northern U.S.Instead, here I was, sitting on the couch, eyes stinging with yet another wave of tears.Pathetic.How long was I going to let myself live like this?“You know what, I can’t do this
Entertain him? What does he mean by that?“Sorry, Alpha, but I don’t get what you’re trying to say.”I started to feel nervous. And yet, I tried my best to stay calm. There was something about the way Alpha Rogerr looked at me that made me super uncomfortable. It certainly felt like he would do something bad to me. Meanwhile, Alpha Roger’s men began to laugh quietly. I looked at Andrew and hoped for some clue about what Alpha Roger was trying to say. But he remained quiet. Meanwhile, my Dad seemed unaffected. Like whatever happens to me was none of his concern. “Oh, come on, Luna Emma,” Alpha Roger chuckled. “What’s not to understand? Today is a celebration. We need some fun, don’t we?”He turned to the side and walked towards the fire pit in the corner. The burning embers from the ritual earlier were still glowing. They were still burning hot. Then, Alpha Roger looked at me with an indifferent stare and said,“I want to see you walk into these embers. If you do that, I’ll sign the
EmmaA wave of guilt crossed Andrew’s face. Meanwhile, Jessica’s face turned red. A wave of satisfaction flooded inside my chest seeing her face like that.“I’m sorry,” Andrew said. His voice was much softer now. “I shouldn’t have yelled. I just... There’s so much pressure tonight, and I got carried away.”“I know you just want everything to be perfect. But it’s going to be fine. You can rest assured that I won’t do anything to humiliate our pack. Because your shame is also my shame. Right, sis?”Jessica’s face turned redder. But she immediately hid her humiliation by pretending to be lively. “Of course, sis. We should all work together in ensuring this party will be a success.” Andrew let out a quiet laugh, and just like that, the earlier commotion passed. I excused myself for a moment to check on the final preparations.A few hours later…The guests began to arrive one by one. The hall looked magnificent with the silver and blue decorations glowing under the warm lights. Everythin
EmmaThe day of the Moonlight Ball arrived.The whole Dark Desert Pack was excited. As the Luna of the pack, I was the overall in charge of the event. When I found out about it, I wasn’t too keen. But I figured it was a great distraction while waiting for the day of my departure. So, i accepted the role and did what was necessary. For the last few days, I dedicated myself to the preparation. My eyes darted around the hall as I instructed a group of omegas to double-check the flower arrangements and lighting.“Make sure the lightings on the tables are lit just before the guests arrive,” I reminded them. “And don’t forget to stand on the side in case the guests needed something.”“Yes, Luna,” one of the omegas replied. She bowed respectfully before hurrying off to relay the instructions.I walked away to check on the table placements. Suddenly, we heard a furious roar through the hall. The sound was so loud that everyone stopped what they were dOing. My heart raced inside my chest. I s
Emma I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. My head throbbed from too little sleep, and I was still recovering from the accident. My ribs still ached from my injuries and reminded me of how close I had come to losing my baby. The fear and stress from those long hours in the hospital, not knowing if either of us would make it, was still haunting me. Yet, there he was, unable to get himself a glass of water. How could he be so thoughtless?And yet, I set aside my physical pain and found myself willing to serve Andrew with his petty request. Like I always did.I moved toward the kitchen without a word. I didn’t look at him, but my peripheral vision could see him observing my every move. I prepared a glass of lukewarm water and a glass of jasmine for him just so he could be satisfied with both. “Still giving me the cold shoulder, huh?” His voice echoed over from the living room. When I turned in the direction of the sound, I saw him standing by the door. His shirt was half unbuttone
EmmaThe nurse smiled as she gently removed the IV from my arm.“You’re all set to go home now, Luna,” she said kindly. “But… where’s the Alpha? Isn’t he coming to pick you up?”Her words poked something inside my chest. And yet, I tried my best to hide it by smiling gently. “There was an emergency in the pack he needs to attend to,” I said softly. “That’s why he called to let me know he can’t take me home.”“Oh,” The nurse looked surprised for a second, then nodded. “It must be hard to be the wife of an alpha. I really admire you for your patience and understanding.”I just nodded and smiled again. “Yeah. Thanks.” Deep inside, I wanted to slap myself for making yet another excuse for my husband’s neglect. After all, he didn’t deserve any of it. And yet, I couldn’t just stand by and let his reputation be destroyed. At least until the time I walked away from this marriage for good. I didn’t have to call him to know the truth. Andrew wasn’t here to accompany me because he was with Je
AndrewI looked at her.Jessica’s familiar fingers moved slowly over mine. Then, she slid them beneath the cuff of my shirt with the same gentle grace I used to know so well. Her touch lingered for a brief moment. “Because if you were to ask me,” she whispered, “not a day goes by that I haven’t thought about you every single time.”Once, those words would’ve pulled me under. I would’ve reached for her hand and never let go. Hell, I might’ve dragged her straight to the nearest officiant and married her on the spot. Jessica was my first love. And for a while, I believed she’d be my last.But now… everything felt different.“Do you remember the time we used to sneak out at dusk just to watch the sunrise? You’d always bring that horrible-tasting instant coffee because you said we cannot bring the coffee maker with us?”I let out a breath. “You never finished your cup.”Yeah. Because it was never about the coffee. Heck, I didn’t care whether we drank cold water,” she said gently. “Just th
AndrewI helped Jessica lie quietly on her bed. In return, she gave me a soft smile to show her gratitude.“Let me call the doctor to check on you,” I said. But before I could take another step, she reached out and grabbed my arm.“No need, Andrew. I’m feeling better now,” she said gently. “Besides, the doctor will take his scheduled rounds in about an hour. I’ll just wait for that instead of bothering him.”I looked at her for a second. She seemed calm, but since her injury was on the head, I didn’t want to be complacent.“Are you sure?” I asked.“Yes, I’m sure.” She nodded as she touched my arm. “Just stay here and be with me until my parents come. Can you?”I nodded. “Of course. I’ll stay here until they arrive.”“Thanks, Andrew.”“Don’t mention it.” Jessica turned her head to the side and shut her eyes. Poor girl! She must have been too exhausted to need a quick nap. My eyes turned to the chair in the corner of the room and I sat down. Everything was quiet now. And yet, my mind
EmmaAndrew growled, “Do you think I care? Back off, pal. Who do you think you are?”Ken didn’t flinch. Instead, he walked forward. His head was up and full of confidence, he said,“I’m Kenneth John Cavanaugh. Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. I don’t belong to your pack, so I don’t have to follow your commands. But Emma is my friend. A very good friend. And even if she wasn’t, I would still call you out for treating her like that.”Andrew’s fists clenched at his sides. “You think you can just barge into our personal life and tell me how to handle my wife? You’ve got some nerve, pal.”Andrew’s eyes changed from blue to golden yellow, indicating that his wolf was taking over. But Ken remained calm. In fact, too calm for Andrew’s liking. “What I saw wasn’t a husband handling things but a disrespectful husband grabbing his wife like she was just property. You’re not acting like an Alpha. Even Omegas treat their mates better. Did you forget Emma is your wife and your Luna? If your pack sees
Emma“Andrew?” The moment my eyes landed on the flowers in his hand, my heart warmed. Maybe Andrew, by some miracle, finally realized that he had been neglecting me for so long. Maybe after hearing I bled and was rushed to the hospital, he finally cared. He had thought about everything that happened in the past and realized he had been a jerk and wanted to make up.That finally, he realized he couldn’t live without me. My heart leaped with joy. I had been waiting for this moment for so long. Would I accept him? That wasn’t even a question. Of course, I would give him a chance. Not just for myself but for a chance for the life growing inside me. I knew I might be called stupid, gullible, or hopelessly bonded with Andrew but what can I do? Andrew was the father of my child and I would be willing to swallow my pride and bet on him again if I had to all for the sake of giving my unborn child the complete family he deserved. I was about to approach him, hug him, and tell him that I was