Emma
It 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 was never enough for her. Everything I did was wrong in her eyes. Sometimes, I even questioned myself if I was really her child.
"Did you forget, Mom?" I reminded her. "Andrew couldn’t marry Jessica because she didn’t have Beta blood. I did. That’s why you brought me here in Dark Desert Pack, right? To be Jessica’s substitute?"
“YOU UNGRATEFUL BITCH—”
. "Sorry, but I have to go.”
I ended the call before she could say anything else. Maybe, it was time to stop dreaming that Mom could ever love me. Because no matter what I do or say or achieve in life, I would never be the daughter she wanted me to be.
Perhaps, I should have stayed in Blood Moon Pack instead of coming here with her.
Even after all this time, I still felt like an outsider here. People were nice to me, but that was only because I was married to the Alpha. Deep down, I knew I didn’t have any real friends here. No one treated me like family. Even my own flesh and blood was treating me like a piece of shit. Here, I never experienced how to be cared for and loved. Everyday, they let me feel like they were just nice to me because of my title. My life here was far from what I had in Blood Moon Pack.
When I was about four years old, my nanny took me to a stroll in the woods and lost me in the process. Luckily, a group of kind-hearted rogues found me. Since I was too young to remember who I was, they gave me a new name, Emma Walters, and raised me like their own in a rogue pack called Blood Moon.
My life in Blood Moon wasn’t bad. I grew up in a life far from luxury, but I was happy. My adoptive parents cared for me deeply. I was blessed with a strong wolf, and over the years, I became skilled in both combat and survival. I earned my place among the pack and felt like I truly belonged there.
But somehow, I longed to find out about my past. Big mistake.
One day, a she-wolf suddenly showed up in the Blood Moon Pack. She stared at me with wide eyes before declaring, “I’m your mother. You’re the daughter of the Dark Desert Pack’s Beta. I’ve come to take you home.”
My heart soared. I thought they had forgotten about me but they had been looking for me after all. As much as I wanted to stay in Blood Moon, my adoptive parents knew I deserved to learn about my roots. So, they let me go, hoping that finding my biological family would give me a better life than what they could give me.
But I was wrong. I was dead wrong.
The welcome I got when I set foot at Dark Desert Pack was far from what I imagined. No one gave me some flowers or even warm hugs. Instead, they welcomed me with indifference.
Shortly after I had gone missing, I found out that my parents had another child, Luke, and adopted a daughter, Jessica. The four of them were a perfect family, and my return felt more like an inconvenience than a blessing. They looked down on me for being rough around the edges and for not knowing proper manners. I struggled to fit into their perfect family. Even their servants were looking down on me for being a “rogue.” They all compared me to Jessica. In their eyes, I was nothing but an outsider.
I was ready to run away and get back to my loving family in Blood Moon until I saw Andrew. I admit, it was love at first sight. He was warm and compassionate. While we were not yet friends, he showed me kindness when no one in the Dark Desert would. Because of him, I decided to stay.
Andrew was way out of my league. His relationship with Jessica only added to the complication. I mean, how could we be together? Jessica was everything I was not. With that, I settled on us being friends and decided to just hide my feelings for him.
One day, Andrew said he wanted to date me. During this time, Jessica broke up with him and decided to study at uni. Of course, I was happy! We became a couple and eventually, he proposed.
At that time, I was the happiest she-wolf alive. But my happiness was short-lived. Because after the wedding, I found out that I was only a substitute for Jessica because the council didn’t agree to let Andrew marry her for not having a high-ranking werewolf blood. Do you know what made this worse? It was my parents’ idea. They never really cared for their lost daughter. They decided to look for me so they could still be married off to the Alpha family since Jessica couldn’t.
It wasn’t an issue at first considering Andrew and I were already married and I felt his love. But that didn’t last. I just woke up one day and realized that Andrew was no longer paying attention to me. His love was the only reason I endured everything my family put me through, and now that, too, was slipping away.
**************
I decided to come home against the doctor’s wishes. Staying there alone was only making my ordeal worse. I just assured her that I would take care of myself and my baby. She agreed and just prescribed some medicine to help me recuperate.
I walked into the alpha mansion with a heavy heart. I felt so tired from all the stress and worry my marriage was giving me. I headed straight to the bedroom, but the moment I stepped inside, I froze when I noticed something.
There was a black lace bra lying on our bed! And it wasn’t mine!
Suddenly, I felt the urge to throw up. I felt disgusted knowing that Andrew brought his woman here, in our very own bedroom. Did he hate me that much to trample on my dignity like this?
I leaned against the sink and stared at my reflection in the mirror. Dark circles surrounded my eyes. My cheeks looked sunken and pale. My hair thinned with so much stress and my lips were dry and cracked. I hardly recognized myself.
When did I become so pale and frail? When did I let myself become someone else’s doormat?
I walked to the bedroom and sat at the edge of the bed. I tried to make sense of how my life had turned into this mess. I did everything for this marriage to work. But regardless of the amount of love and understanding I poured, it was still not enough. I still wasn’t enough for Andrew.
I heard the front door open. I knew right away that it was Andrew. And yet, I could make myself run and greet him like I always did. I felt exhausted…exhausted to fight for this love knowing it was only I who was fighting for it.
Then, I heard his loud voice booming throughout the mansion.
“Emma! Did you not prepare any dinner tonight?”
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
EmmaA much-needed distraction came when an omega called us both for dinner. Jessica quickly put her innocent face back on before heading downstairs.“Coming!” she said enthusiastically.After hearing that from Jessica, my mood worsened. I had expected it from her, but it still annoyed me that I could do nothing. After a while, everyone soon gathered at the dining table. I avoided their gazes throughout the meal and hoped to finish my food quickly. The food tasted like nothing with them around. The two talked as usual until Jessica suddenly frowned. A few more seconds and she was crying. She pulled out a pitiful tone and asked,“Alpha, am I causing trouble between you and Emma?”Andrew chuckled. “Of course not, you silly girl. Emma is your sister, remember? So, make yourself at home.”After hearing this, Jessica wore another wide smile. Then she glanced at me. I quickly turned my eyes away from her. I had no idea how long she would stay here, but I didn’t want to deal with her. It wo
EmmaI didn’t even get to answer him. Because in the next second, an extreme pain tore through my belly. The pain was so intense that I felt my body was being split in two. “Ahh! It hurts—Ken!” I cried out. My hands flew to my stomach. The gut-wrenching pain rendered me speechless. I didn’t have to be a doctor to know that the fall hurt my baby more than it hurt me. At this time, I panicked. “Please… please. Not my b—”But my words stopped the instant I looked down. If I thought that nothing could ever make me feel more terrified than I already was, I was wrong. I saw something that I wished I never had.Blood.I could still feel its warmth. It was seeping out from between my legs and terrified me every second. My heart dropped. My mind couldn’t comprehend what was going on. All I knew was that at that moment, if help didn’t arrive, I would lose that one thing I held on to the most.My child. My everything.“No… no, no, no…” My hands trembled as I reached between my legs. As if I
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