"Why are you not pregnant yet, Delilah? It's not that hard to open your damn legs and lay there. Even you can't mess that up, right?"
Mrs. Roman, my mother-in-law made her disappointment clear in every interaction. That question, the same one she asks every day, hit me harder than usual. I swallowed, and the familiar sting of failure quickly returned. "I'm trying…" It had been two solid years of trying. "Trying and failing." she snapped. "The pack needs a Luna who can handle her responsibilities, not someone who's constantly apologizing and half-assing it." Her presence was a reminder of everything I wasn't, everything I could never be. No matter how hard I tried to be the Luna she expected me to be, I always fell short. Castor defended and reassured me, but it never erased the feeling that I wasn't enough. "You're doing great," Cast told me that night, holding me close as I fought back tears. "Mom doesn't understand how much you do for the pack. But I see it, Lila. I see how hard you work." He always tried to soothe the doubt that I dealt with constantly. But he couldn't erase the whispers from the pack, the way they looked at me like I was a failure. I was Castor's wife, the Luna, yet I felt like a fraud every single day. Mrs. Roman reminded the pack of my failures every chance she got because it allowed her to remain in the past, where she was the Luna, not me. and I could feel it in their interactions with me. I was a placeholder. A stand-in. She was at it again a few days later, drilling into me about how I wasn't cut out to be Luna. "Your days will be numbered soon." Mrs. Roman spat.Later that day, I took another test, just like I did every month. It had become a ritual, one filled with dread and disappointment. I knew not to get my hopes up. It would be the same as always.
One pink line and I would return to pretending I didn't care. But this time was different. Two pink lines. Two. Pink. Lines. My heart stopped. I blinked and stared at the test, willing it to change, to turn back into the single line I was so used to seeing for a second. I wasn't Mom material. I wasn't even really Luna material. Cast's Mom made that clear every day. But it didn't. Two pink lines. I was pregnant. I was really pregnant. I started crying as I sank to the floor, clutching the test like it was my lifeline. This was real. This was happening. After all the years of waiting, hoping, and silently crying myself to sleep, it was finally real. I was going to have Cast's baby. He was going to be so happy. So unbelievably happy. I could give him the family we both wanted so much. I couldn't wait to tell him. I couldn't wait any longer. I had to see Cast. I had to tell him the news face-to-face. I imagined the look on his face, the way his beautiful brown eyes would light up when he realized what this meant. He loved me, and this would make him love me even more. It had to. I texted Selena, telling her I had exciting news and asking if she could come over later. Usually, she replies within minutes. But this time, there was nothing. I checked my phone again, feeling a strange sense of unease settling low in my stomach. Selena had always been there, the one friend who stuck around after Mrs. Roman made sure I was isolated from everyone else. We'd been close ever since. Maybe not the kind of deep friendship I'd once had with others, but still, she was the only one who hadn't turned her back on me. She'd always been there, especially when I had no one else. Everyone in the pack seemed to love her, which often softened the blow for me. I sent Castor a quick message, asking what he wanted for lunch. If Selena was busy, surely Castor would answer. But his silence mirrored hers, and that ripple of unease turned into a cold, sinking feeling in my stomach. Why weren't they responding? A part of me wanted to share the news, to tell Selena everything, but something held me back. Maybe it was the strange silence, or maybe it was the nagging doubt I couldn't shake. I decided not to text her again. I could hardly contain my excitement as I drove toward Castor's office. He was going to be a father. I imagined his face when I told him...the surprise, the joy. It would be the moment we had both waited for, the one that would finally make everything right. I could almost hear him whispering in my ear how proud he was of me and how much he loved me. Castor was the Alpha of our pack, the leader who commanded respect and fear. Under his father, the pack had built Georgia's largest werewolf-run real estate investment business. Castor had only expanded it, making his mark on the city and solidifying his power among humans and werewolves alike. His office, located in a grand ten-story building in downtown Augusta, was a testament to that success. The building itself was a relic of old-world Georgia, with its stately columns and wrought-iron balconies, a symbol of the strength and tradition that Castor upheld. Every detail screamed of the pack's influence. He wanted it to feel intimidating, and it did. As I stepped inside, my heels clicking on the marble floor, I felt the familiar sense of unease I always did. The pack members who worked directly for Castor were always around, their dark brown hair and piercing chocolate brown eyes a constant reminder of how different I was. With my blonde hair and blue eyes, I stuck out like a sore thumb. I was a continual outsider in my own world. I couldn't shake the feeling that I would never truly belong, no matter how hard I tried. I approached the elevator, trying to ignore the glances I received. I knew what they thought. I was too soft and too human to be the Luna this pack needed. But I was determined to prove them wrong. I was carrying Castor's child now, and that meant everything would change. The elevator doors opened and I stepped inside, pressing the button for the top floor. My heart raced as the elevator ascended, each floor bringing me closer to Castor. I clutched the small gift box with the test in my hand. It was going to be perfect. When the doors slid open, I was greeted by Castor's receptionist. She was a young woman with dark hair and the same piercing brown eyes as the rest of the pack. She looked up, surprise flickering across her face. "Luna... Uhh, Delilah, what a surprise. Castor's in a meeting," she said, standing quickly to block my path. "It'll just be a moment, really," I replied. "He's... he's really busy right now. It might be better if you..." she started to say. I barely registered what she was saying. I was too focused on the news I was about to share. "It'll just take a minute," I said, brushing past her. I didn't realize my excitement was overpowering the odd feeling in my stomach. As I neared Castor's office, a low moan stopped me in my tracks. I froze, my hand hovering over the doorknob. The sounds grew louder. Moaning, growls, gasps. Each one was more unmistakable, more horrifying than the last. My body went numb as the realization hit. I could barely breathe as I pressed my ear to the door, praying I was wrong. But the noises left no room for doubt. I stood there totally paralyzed, my hand shaking violently as I finally gripped the doorknob. I didn't want to open it. I didn't want to see what I already knew. But some force, some terrible need for the truth, pushed me forward. I opened the door slowly, each click echoing in the hollow silence around me. The door creaked open, inch by excruciating inch, and my breath hitched in my throat. At first, the scene didn't register. The dim light, the heavy scent of sweat and musk, and the soft, rhythmic sounds filled the space. Then, the reality hit me all at once. Selena was straddling Castor, her body rippling with an intimacy that made my stomach turn. Seeing her naked skin sliding against his... the way her fingers twisted in his hair... the way his hands gripped her hips. An intense wave of nausea nearly knocked me off my feet. Everything in my vision became distorted. Mrs. Roman had been correct. I was nothing. I was nothing but the tool who was now pregnant with the cheating Alpha's kid.Everything around me twisted and blurred, like I'd fallen underwater. When he moaned her name, the room pivoted, and everything came back into harsh focus. Cast's hands on her sweaty skin, Selena's fingers twisted in his wet hair. They'd obviously been at it for some time. No wonder neither responded to my texts. The agony was immediate and sharper than I'd thought possible. I looked down at the small box in my hand. The pregnancy test I'd planned to show him, the future I thought we'd share, felt like a bomb now. "Why?" I barely recognized my voice as I threw it at them. The box hit him square in the chest. His head snapped up, and his eyes shot open. The test tumbled out and landed on his bare skin between them. The room went dead silent. They both froze with their eyes locked on the test like it was about to detonate. I took a single step back and turned toward the door. I didn't have a plan. I just knew I needed to get out and breathe. But the deep, commanding Alpha tone i
My lungs burned as my feet pounded against the familiar pavement of my childhood street. Running had always been my escape, and with new life growing inside me, I felt a surge of energy I couldn't quite explain. It was strong. So strong. If this was what Alphas had running in their blood their whole lives, no wonder they were always so intense. I slowed to a jog near the old oak tree where Selena and I took photos before Mine and Cast's wedding. She'd been my maid of honor. The betrayal stung. "Lila!" A voice called out behind me. I turned to see Selena approaching, her face flushed like she'd been crying. "What do you want?" I asked, trying to keep my composure. And my distance. The urge to slap her was overwhelming. So damn overwhelming. "We need to talk," she said, thankfully stopping a few feet away. "I have nothing to say to you," I growled. Wow, I never growl. Definitely the Alpha blood. "Please, just hear me out." I hesitated, then crossed my arms over my ches
After the fight with Castor, I drove aimlessly through the streets. I couldn't believe how quickly everything had fallen apart. Castor's betrayal had broken my heart, but his demand that I give him his heir before he would even consider a divorce was the final blow. I wasn't a breeder, and he wasn't about to treat me like one. I couldn't stay with him, couldn't bear to live in that house knowing what he had done and what he thought of me. But leaving him wasn't as simple as walking out the door. This baby was guaranteed to be Alpha. That meant if I didn't do this right, he could take the baby from me and no one would look twice. He had more claim over the baby than I did as far as the council and any werewolf was concerned. I didn't stand a chance if I didn't get human law involved here. Werewolf law leaves little space for women beyond pregnancy. Their worth is measured by the pups they produce and the bloodline they strengthen. Once a child is born, he is often handed off to
I stood outside Declan Lincoln's sleek office in downtown, a few streets over from Cast's. I had an appointment, but my nerves had me frozen in place. The receptionist hadn't even let me in yet. I buzzed the intercom once more and waited. Nothing. I pressed the button again. Still nothing. I sighed in frustration. I was about to turn away when a man walked past me, glancing down at his phone. His tailored suit fit him perfectly, dark against his smooth, deep brown skin. Our eyes met. He stopped mid-step. "Lila?" I blinked, taking in the sharp features of his face. "Luca?" He smiled wide, stepping toward me. "Wow, I didn't expect to see you here. It's been ages." "It really has," I replied, the pressure in my chest easing slightly at the sight of an old friend. "You work here?" "I do." He held up his ID badge, flashing it at the door's scanner. It beeped, unlocking the entrance that had refused me just moments ago. He opened the door and gestured for me to enter. "
Castor's message came in the late afternoon, just when I started believing I could have a peaceful evening. I gripped my phone tightly as his words glared back at me. "If you want the divorce, meet me at seven. We'll settle this once and for all. Your lawyer will be here and everything." I should have known better. I should have sensed that something was off. But I was too desperate for it to be true, too hopeful that he had finally given up and was ready to let me go. So, I pulled myself together, dressed in a white sundress that clung to my curves from the weight I was already gaining, and headed to the address he gave me. The elegant building was tucked away in the heart of the city, its tall windows glowing with warm light. Inside, the space buzzed with energy. It was a large ballroom filled with high-ranking werewolves from all over. Something was wrong. My stomach twisted as I stepped inside, scanning the room. Castor appeared by my side almost immediately, gripping my
LINC POV - I watched from across the room as Lila slapped Castor hard, loud enough to make the entire banquet hall fall silent. The crowd parted, murmuring in shock as she stormed away, her white dress stained and clinging to her body. Castor stood there, frozen, his face contorted with anger, but he didn't follow her. Not this time. He knew better. I couldn't tear my eyes away from her as she pushed through the crowd and disappeared through the doors. She was different from the women I was used to seeing in these circles. She was strong, bold, and unpredictable. As she made clear, she didn't back down even with her husband, her soon-to-be ex-husband. I had come here tonight expecting nothing more than the usual pleasantries, the familiar politics of pack life. But Lila? She had turned everything on its head in a matter of seconds. Castor had miscalculated if he thought he could control her forever. I excused myself from the conversation I had barely been listening to and mad
Linc had given me a lifeline, and I knew I had to take it, but walking into yet another law firm felt like admitting how tangled my life had really become. I stood outside the building, staring up at its sleek glass façade, fighting the instinct to turn around and run. But I couldn't keep running from this. Castor had to be dealt with, and I couldn't do it alone. I took a deep breath and stepped inside. The receptionist didn't even glance at me twice this time as I told her I had an appointment. She buzzed me through, and before I knew it, I was sitting across from a lawyer who looked like he belonged in some glossy magazine. Everything about her was polished, from her pantsuit to how her hair was styled. She reviewed the paperwork I'd brought. "So, you're the one Lincoln recommended," she finally said, setting the papers down. I nodded. "Yes. I assume Mr. Lincoln already told you about my situation." The lawyer smiled. "I know enough to understand this will be a tough case. Ca
I spent days searching for a job. Each morning, I woke with a knot of anxiety in my stomach, knowing that I would face another round of rejections. The world outside Castor’s grip was cruel, and I had never realized how dependent I had been on him. The rejection was hard to take. I didn’t have a degree, and my resume was little more than a blank page. Most companies barely let me finish speaking before they cut me off. Some knew who I was the second I introduced myself. “Lila Roman? Castor Roman’s wife?” The interviewers would stare. They didn’t say it outright, but I could tell they were afraid. Afraid of hiring someone tied to the most powerful Alpha in the city. I wasn’t a person to them. I was Castor’s property, even if I was trying to leave him. No one wanted to be caught in his orbit. No one wanted to take the risk. I tried to hold onto hope. I couldn’t go back to Castor, not after everything. But the weight of the rejections piled up, making me feel smaller each day. I w
DECLAN - We took the long way back to the packhouse. It took far longer than the ten minutes I'd agreed to. Suki was going to give me hell for that. She’d probably time it down to the second and bring it up at dinner, then again at breakfast. I was already prepared to ignore the first three times before I gave in to whatever atonement she had planned. Honestly, I was looking forward to the punishment. Gaia and I fell into old habits. She challenged me to spot tree knots shaped like animals. I told her she was making them up when she did. She called me arbitrary and pronounced it correctly. I lobbed a pinecone at her head. She caught it, grinned, and tucked it into my hood when I wasn't looking. It was familiar. Just two people who used to know every inch of each other, finding the quiet rhythm again without forcing it. When the porch came into view, I slowed. "You and Dorian should stay," I paused. "The east wing at the Roman packhouse is yours if you want it. No strings. Just.
DECLAN - "I'm sorry." I looked over. She kept her eyes forward. Hands shoved into the front pocket of her hoodie. Shoulders stiff. We walked side by side. The trees closed in around us while the porch lights faded behind. Neither of us said anything for a long time. Our feet crunched through the undergrowth. The breeze rolled between us. I didn't try to close the space. Neither did she. But neither of us veered away either. The remains of the old house peeked through the trees. Blackened beams and collapsed stone still scattered across the clearing. A skeleton. A memory. "For how I rejected you. And for not telling you why." I didn't answer until we reached the house. "You didn't just reject me. You vanished." She flinched. "I know." "So why?" She took a deep breath and stopped walking. Her eyes stayed on what was left of the front steps. "I'd gotten the call. The implant was finally approved, and they found a werewolf doctor who could do it. It was scheduled. It was final
DECLAN - That was her fated mate.It was written in the way he tracked her every move, in how he hovered just close enough to guard but not crowd. His posture said protector. His eyes, sharp and constantly scanning, said no one would get within reach unless she wanted them to. He moved like he'd been made for that role. Like every instinct in his body had clicked into place the moment he met her.He moved like he already belonged next to her.Judson finally spoke. "This going to be a thing now? Fated mates falling out of the sky onto your porch?" Then he squinted. "Wait. No way. Dorian?"The other man stepped forward, arms crossed. "Judson."Judson huffed. "Damn, talk about the sky falling. Of course it's you."Gaia looked between them. "Wait. How do you know him?"Judson tilted his head toward Dorian but didn't look away. "Med school. He was top of the class. Never let anyone forget it. Ever."Dorian crossed his arms. "And you were always one sarcastic comment away from getting kic
DECLAN - "You're not gonna pout if I drink the last one, are you?"Judson didn't even glance over. "Only if you waste it."I reached for the bottle closest to him, smirking when he didn't try to stop me.Crickets chirped loudly in the trees. The house behind us had finally gone still. It was peaceful.A lazy row of empty beer bottles lined the railing like some halfhearted scoreboard. Judson leaned back again, one ankle hooked over the other, shoulders loose. That rare kind of settled that only happened when nothing needed to be said.We were both quiet. Not the kind of silence that needed filling, just the kind that held space. The kind that made it really easy to notice how much I liked having him here. Judson wasn't soft, but he didn't crowd either. There was something about the way he held space, like he understood exactly how not to mess it up. I hadn't realized how rare that was until I felt it.Until headlights swept across the tree line.Judson didn't move, but I straightened
DECLAN - I squinted. "So... you left your pack?"Judson shook his head. "Not really. My sister's mate stepped in. Human guy, believe it or not. Doctor. Weirdly chill. He helps now with the medical side, which freed me up to go to college and train properly. They all said it made sense. I guess... I just haven't thought much about what I was gonna do after."He paused, then shrugged. "Now I get it. I wasn't supposed to leave the South yet. I was supposed to be here. Meeting her. If I'd been back in North Carolina, this wouldn't have happened. Or it would've taken years."He looked out toward the trees. "So no. I didn't leave them. I just followed where I was needed next."I blinked. "You live on the Riverwalk."He grinned. "I know. Kind of perfect, right? It's loud on the weekends and peaceful at sunrise. Plus, amazing food within walking distance."I stared at him.He raised his bottle. "Look, I didn't plan to meet my mate while helping chart bloodwork samples in a borrowed lab, but
DECLAN -When we pulled into the driveway, Dad and Linc were already waiting.They didn't speak, but I felt something in the way they stood there. At the time, I'd figured they were just sizing up Judson, doing the protective dad routine. But now, after everything Judson had said, it clicked in a way that made my chest feel too tight.They already knew.Not just about Judson. About what he might be. About how important he was going to be. Just like they'd known about Mom. Just like they'd kept it all quiet. For me.I'd spent so long thinking I was figuring all of this out on my own. That the timing was random, or fate, or whatever the hell else. But maybe it wasn't. Maybe Cassy hadn't just guided me.Maybe my whole damn family had. Perhaps they'd been walking beside me the entire time, keeping quiet so I could come to it on my own.Judson wasn't the surprise.I was.They stood at the edge of the porch, arms crossed, matching unreadable expressions locked in place. The second we still,
I stepped forward and stifled the growl as best I could. "Hey. Get up. Now!"The guy startled awake. "What?"Tory shot up in the bed, wide-eyed. "Declan, no! No, wait! This is... this is Judson."She looked panicked. But not afraid. Not at all."He's... he's my..."I stopped. Everything shifted. I looked at her. Looked at him. Looked back."You're mate."She nodded.I took a breath. Held it. Then stepped forward and stuck out my hand. Judson stood, still looking like he expected me to deck him. He shook my hand. I shook his harder.Tory glanced between us, then spoke up. "He's a nurse practitioner here. Was walking past the ICU when I first came in. Caught my scent in the hallway and almost dropped his coffee."Judson rubbed his hand where I'd gripped it "I tried to play it cool. Avoided eye contact, walked the long way around, you know, the usual 'don't poke the angry fathers and big brother' protocol. I thought I was being slick about it too. Barely even looked at her. Just nodded a
We didn’t leave the woods.Not that day. Not that night. I didn’t want to, and neither did she.We ran until our legs trembled. We played, circling and snapping at each other’s heels, tackling and wrestling in the mossy patches of clearing. We swam again, slower this time, more tangled up in each other than anything else. We lay in the grass and the sun, curled together, drowsy and content.And then we shifted.Over and over.Human, wolf, back again. Each shift smoother than the last. No moon. No pain. Not really. Not like the pain I had braced for my entire life. Just choice. Pure choice and ability. The power that came with it was almost addictive. I always wondered what they meant when saying the power overtook the pain. It was raw. It was strong. I loved it.And I loved her.We didn’t talk much, not out loud. But we didn’t need to. We were in each other's heads and had no plans to leave. When we shifted back to skin, we couldn’t stop touching. Couldn’t stop reaching. It was like
It hit all at once.One second I was halfway to my knees, still trying to breathe through the pull of her shift. The next, my ribs cracked outward and my body folded. I didn't fall. I collapsed.The pain was nothing like the moon-forced change I'd endured before. This wasn't guided or timed. This was raw. A hundred fractures all at once, my limbs pulling and twisting, muscles screaming as they rearranged.I couldn't stop the sound that tore out of my throat."Cassy!"I didn't even know what I was asking. Just that I was begging. My mind reached for her. I was desperate and frantic.Her voice came, faint and steady."You're never selfish, so you would've never asked."Bones popped in my jaw. My fingers stretched, then broke, shifting in crooked bursts. I slammed my hand into the dirt and gritted my teeth against the next snap. My skin burned. My eyes blurred.Oh shit.Did she make me...Cassy... Did you do this?Another bone cracked somewhere deep in my back, cutting the thought in hal