**POV: Cassandra**"Mate..." said Sebastian Stones, my husband and Alpha of the Crescent Moon pack, his eyes gleaming with desire.Unfortunately, he wasn’t referring to me, but to the woman sitting next to me at the dinner table, my younger sister, Emily. An anguished silence filled the room as Emily lifted her face and rose toward my husband, murmuring the same word."Mate..." she whispered, almost breathless upon seeing him for the first time after years away. Sebastian immediately let go of my hand, as if all our memories and moments together had been erased.Instinctively, I followed my husband's gaze, which was fixed on Emily. She had just turned eighteen, and her wolf, Ayla, had recently awakened. Her beauty was stunning, with bright green eyes and blonde hair cascading in curls down to her waist. She had undoubtedly inherited our mother Johanna's beauty, who was sitting beside us at the table, as shocked as the rest of the guests, all waiting for my reaction."Sebastian and I h
**POV: Cassandra**I woke up the next day with unbearable pain, as if an invisible force were crushing my abdomen. The room was dark and silent except for the muffled sound of my own labored breathing. I tried to get up, but the pain paralyzed me, and I realized I was lying in a cold, damp pool. My blurry vision fixed on the red stains around me."No... no... no," I whispered, trying to understand what was happening. It felt like my body was being battered, with multiple spasms making me cry out in pain. I took a deep breath, hoping the pain would pass, but it only intensified, causing me to writhe on the bed.Then I heard hurried footsteps and distant voices. The bedroom door burst open, and a group of doctors entered, their faces serious and concerned."Cassandra, what happened?" asked one of the doctors who had been monitoring my pregnancy since I discovered it."I... I feel a lot of pain," I managed to say, but my voice came out weak. "I think... something is wrong."The doctors m
**POV: Cassandra**Sebastian left, leaving me alone. The pain radiated throughout my body. When the door opened again, a faint smile appeared on my lips when I saw who it was.“Mom…” I whispered, breathless, my lips trembling and pale.“Dear… I’m sorry…” She lowered her head, pulling me into a hug. I couldn’t help it; tears ran down my face. I tried to get up to hug her, but my body groaned in pain. I was still bleeding and hadn’t fully recovered.“Mom… please, talk to Emily… she can’t do this to me,” I pleaded, desperate. My mother was the only person who could protect me and make her change her mind.My mother smiled weakly, holding my face firmly. “Dear… this place was never yours. Emily is the destined mate. If you hadn’t coveted what was hers, your children would still be alive… accept your fate!” she said coldly.“Mom…” I murmured, shocked, almost falling to the ground. “Why are you supporting this betrayal?”“Cassandra, I raised you as my daughter, but the truth is that you are
**POV: Cassandra**Sebastian rushed to us, his eyes widening at the sight of Emily covered in blood and the knife in my hands. He pushed me away from her, his gaze filled with anger. She had orchestrated everything perfectly: the white dress, the knife, the blood. I knew she wouldn’t be stupid enough to seriously harm herself, but the tight white dress made it look like she was losing liters of blood.“Cassandra, what have you done?” he shouted, holding Emily in his arms. She seemed to be weakening, unable to stand.“No, Sebastian, it’s not what it looks like! She… she did this to herself! She wanted to frame me!” I tried to explain, but my voice was trembling and the words came out confused. At that moment, Emily opened her eyes one last time, as if bidding farewell, and whispered:“Alpha… I swear I tried to make amends with her, for our family, but she had a fit of jealousy when she saw me in a wedding dress. She ruined my dress and even tried to kill me.” Emily whispered with a fal
**POV: Cassandra**“Quickly, can’t you see she’s in pain?” the doctor said, noticing my pale face and clenched jaw from the pain.The nurse immediately injected my arm with the needle, and after a long time, the morphine began to take effect, but the relief was temporary and insufficient. Days passed quickly, and I had been trapped in that dungeon for more than seven days. The remnants of the placenta still hadn’t been expelled completely, and I could die from an infection at any moment. The pack’s doctor wanted to perform an emergency intervention, but Emily, as usual, sabotaged every plan to make me suffer. She made a point of having sex every night with Sebastian in our room, preventing any attempts at nighttime surgery and intensifying my pain to the point where I could only survive on strong painkillers like morphine. As if being beaten every time she slept with him wasn’t enough, she also made a point of taunting me daily.“I’m sorry, Luna, but I can only give you another inject
**Cassandra's POV**"Bind her and tie her to the horse!" he ordered through clenched teeth, his eyes locked on me, full of hatred.A large brown wolf, marked by a scar crossing his left eye, threw the shackles to the ground. Other men hurried to put them on my wrists. The moment my hands touched the cold metal, I felt a searing pain, as if my skin were burning. I took a deep breath, biting my lower lip to stifle a scream. The shackles were polished silver, and I knew the walk to the pack would be long and excruciating. Under the scorching sun, the silver would burn my skin until it was raw."Take the prisoner and deliver the contract directly to Alpha Sebastian!" the man in polished armor ordered firmly. I looked back as I was pulled away, feeling a tear silently roll down my face."This is the contract I enforce with all the packs under my domain. Clause 14 stipulates that if the contract is violated, I can take whatever I want and eliminate whomever I desire!" he declared with a cru
**Cassandra's POV**"Hurry! Bring the basin with medicated water!" A shrill and hostile voice echoed through the room, forcing me to open my eyes.When I tried to move, I suddenly realized he was right in front of me. His polished armor gleamed under the dim light, and a black mask covered his face, hiding his expressions but not the aura of power that emanated from him."Let me do it!" he responded brusquely, snatching the cloth from the trembling maid's hands. With a swift motion, he stretched the cloth towards me, apparently to place it on my feverish forehead. When his hands rose to touch my skin, I instinctively recoiled, my body shrinking in fear. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for more pain."Stupid girl, I'm trying to bring down your fever!" he growled impatiently, huffing in frustration before throwing the wet cloth on me carelessly.I swallowed hard, feeling the lump in my throat. He began pacing back and forth in the room, his boots echoing heavily on the floor. There wer
**Xavier's POV**She could barely move, her body trembling more intensely as I pressed her arm against mine. I could feel her weakness, but also the intensity of fear and hatred emanating from her."So, you know who I am," she whispered, her voice trembling, as a solitary tear slid down her pain-marked face."How could I forget you?" I murmured, my lips dangerously close to hers. Inside me, my wolf growled, eager to claim her, but I forced myself to stay in control, not giving in to the temptation to act impulsively."So, you came after me... to collect my father's debt," she said, her voice weak and downcast. The despair was evident in her eyes, but it was soon replaced by intense anger. "How can you be so cruel?" she screamed, pushing me with all the strength she could muster. I stepped back, feeling the impact of the disdain in her gaze. "My father needed that medicine for my mother. She was sick, and my sister was very young at the time. Everything he did was to save her, but you.
**Pov Alpha Xavier**The night seemed endless. I sat in my office chair, drumming my fingers on the desk, unable to close my eyes. Anxiety ate away at me, and my wolf, Ragnar, was restless, growling softly in my mind.*"He's taking too long,"* I thought for the thousandth time, glancing at the clock on the wall. Each second felt like torture.I rose from the chair and began pacing back and forth. The shadows cast by the dim lights danced on the walls, as if mocking my impatience. I needed the truth. **Now.**Finally, I heard footsteps in the hallway. The sound of Josh's boots echoing on the wooden floor made my heart race. The door opened slowly, and there he was, holding an envelope with his usual grave expression."Josh, do you have it?" I asked, moving toward him before he could say a word.He nodded silently and extended the envelope. I grabbed it hastily, my fingers nearly tearing the paper from his hands. I ripped the seal open and pulled the report out, my hands trembling sligh
**Alpha Xavier's POV** “Any updates?” I asked Beta Josh, my voice sharper than I intended. The weight of the past few weeks was crushing me. The search for the woman with the tattoo, the chaos in the King Alpha’s pack, and the growing frustration with fragmented information—it was all becoming unbearable. Josh took a deep breath, his expression heavy. “Nothing yet about the woman, Alpha. We’re still searching, but... everything is falling apart in the King Alpha’s pack. He’s becoming more unpredictable by the day. His subjects fear for their lives. They say he’s killing anyone he suspects of being allied with the Wolves of the Dawn. It’s a bloodbath.” I clenched my jaw. The situation in Valentim’s territory was a powder keg ready to explode, and with each passing day, it seemed less likely I could get what I needed without plunging into an open war. “And what about Cassandra?” I asked, trying to shift my thoughts. Josh hesitated, his eyes meeting mine. “The tests are rea
**Cassandra's POV** Jennie looked at me seriously, her expression heavy with concern, while my mind reeled from the information she had just shared. "You have to be sure about this, Jennie. It can't be true... this sounds..." My voice faltered as I gripped the arm of the chair tightly to steady myself. "I’m just telling you what I heard," Jennie replied, nervously biting her lip. "The Alpha is looking for a woman who was close to the former King Alpha. The soldiers said this woman has a tattoo somewhere on her body, a mark that indicates the location of a document the Alpha needs to claim the throne." My body tensed, a shiver running down my spine. My stomach churned, and a wave of nausea hit me hard. "Cassandra? Are you alright?" Jennie asked, taking a step closer to me. I shook my head, trying to suppress the nausea, but it was no use. Everything around me seemed to spin, and my legs weakened. "I... I think I’m going to faint..." I whispered before losing my balance.
**POV Alpha Xavier** I held the report in my hands, my gaze fixed on it as if the words might magically form answers that had so far eluded me. "If the herb wasn’t what caused the loss... then did someone give Cassandra something else before I did?" I asked, fury evident in my voice. Josh shook his head slowly, visibly uncomfortable. "I’ll investigate, Alpha. But honestly, I don’t believe anyone would be bold enough to harm the Luna. Not only because she carries your child, but because everyone knows how much she means to you." I growled softly, running a hand through my hair. "Then explain, Josh. Why do the tests show she’s no longer pregnant?" The beta sighed, crossing his arms. "There are too many unknowns, Alpha. If you wish, we can repeat the test... without the Luna’s consent. Just to avoid her suffering more or fostering false hopes."His words hung in the air, and I felt my chest tighten. Cassandra had been avoiding me since that day. Every attempt I made to get
POV ALPHA XAVIERIt had been a few days since I had been home, following the clues Alpha Damom had provided about the supposed document. The situation seemed to worsen with every step. To make matters worse, the news about the document had reached the King Alpha’s pack, and when Valetim learned of it, he completely lost his mind. They said he had become an even crueler tyrant, terrorizing his people mercilessly. It was impossible to ignore the reports of dead subjects, missing workers, and an atmosphere of fear that hovered over the palace like a dark cloud. “Any updates?” I asked my Beta through the mind-link as I ascended the stairs, approaching Cassandra’s room. “Nothing concrete, Alpha,” he replied in a grave tone. “Our spies have checked all the king’s concubines, but none of them bear the mark or tattoo mentioned. Moreover, the King Alpha himself is searching for this woman. The palace is in chaos, a dark and hostile place. The staff are terrified, fearing they’ll be the n
**POV Cassandra** The months passed so quickly that it felt like I blinked and was already in a new stage of pregnancy. Each day it became harder to hide my growing belly, a constant reminder of the life I was carrying. "Careful, miss!" Jennie warned, holding my arm as she helped me step into the bathtub. Her movements were cautious, as if I were made of glass. After much insistence, I managed to convince Xavier to allow Jennie to return to the pack as my servant. He seemed so consumed by guilt over what happened—or rather, what he *thought* had happened—that he didn’t dare deny me anything I asked for. "Are you sure you don’t want to do any tests to find out the baby’s gender?" Jennie asked, pouring warm water over me as she gently lathered my body. I sighed, leaning my head back, letting the heat of the water relax my muscles. "I don’t care, Jennie. All I want is for this child to be born healthy and far from anything that could harm them." I ran my hand over my belly, c
**POV Alpha Xavier** --- Dr. Afonso left my office so abruptly that, for a moment, I was paralyzed. When I came to my senses, I realized I was alone with Cassandra. The silence in the room was so heavy it seemed to press down on every corner. Outside, my staff kept their distance, likely too afraid to cross my path in this state. She approached me slowly, her steps measured, her face still pale, but a faint smile graced her lips. Her eyes were gentle, though tired. When she raised her hands to caress my face, the touch was so light and delicate that I almost couldn’t hold myself together. A moment later, she rested her head against my chest, pulling me into a tight embrace. For an instant, it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted. “I love you, you know?” Her voice was a soft whisper, but it carried immense meaning. She seemed so fragile, so small in my arms. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise.” Her words cut deep, striking a part of me I didn’t re
**Alpha Xavier's POV** "You bastard! Incompetent!" My voice thundered down the hallway. "I’m going to kill you!"My hands were firmly wrapped around Dr. Afonsos’s neck as he stared at me with wide eyes full of sheer terror. My wolf roared within me, thirsty for blood, demanding vengeance as the only possible justice for the death of my child."I trusted you..." My voice came out low and dark before rising again like a roar. "You told me the herb was harmless! That it wouldn’t harm the baby! And look what happened!"I pressed his back hard against the wall, tightening my grip on his neck. He struggled to breathe, his face turning a deeper shade of red as his eyes pleaded for mercy—mercy I had no intention of granting."Alpha... please..." he managed to croak, his voice hoarse and faint. "I... I don’t know what happened. The herb... it’s never had abortive effects before... I swear, this has never happened!"His desperate, hesitant tone only fueled my rage further. His excuse was a da
**Cassandra’s POV****Five Days Later**"Yes, perfect. Deliver everything to Dr. Afonsos. He won’t suspect a thing." My voice sounded firmer than I actually felt as I carefully placed the collection containers in Maria’s hands. She looked at me with wide eyes, hesitating to take them."Luna, what we’re doing is very dangerous," Maria murmured, her voice filled with concern. "Without Dr. Afonsos, you won’t have any monitoring during your pregnancy—no exams, no prenatal care. This could harm the baby."She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, as if trying to gather the courage to say what was on her mind."Besides," she continued, her voice breaking, "I think the Alpha has suffered enough. He comes to visit you every day, Luna, and at night the staff hears him crying softly in his office, asking the Moon Goddess why it had to be this way. I’ve never seen a man like him so broken."Tears streamed down Maria’s face. She believed what we were doing was wrong, yet she kept helping me.