1

I was foolish to think my life as a filthy omega would change for good when my mate turned out to be the Alpha. I thought the mating bond and status were all I needed to end the humiliation, degradation, and torture, but I was wrong.

My life's suffering grew worse. Why? Because I was a weak omega who couldn't give the Alpha an heir, making me unworthy of Luna's status and a disappointment.

"Luna Zana." The voice of the doctor sounded faint, seeming like I was drifting away, drowning in a whirlpool of my ceaseless thoughts.

My throat constricted, restricting my flow of oxygen as my eyes went over the words again with a heaving chest.

"Dear Luna Zana," I began in my head, hoping the words would change this time. "We regret to inform you that the pregnancy test result shows that you had a miscarriage due to the ingestion of a harmful substance."

I lifted my head to meet the doctor's sympathetic and apologetic gaze, I lowered my head, my body shivering as I continued to read.

"This has resulted in the permanent damage of your womb." Tears blurred my vision, and my heart pounded violently against the walls of my chest as the words echoed in my head.

"What-what do you mean by a harmful substance?" I stammered, voice trembling, laced with dread and agony as I struggled to take the news.

I raised my head, peering at the doctor. A tear slid down my cheek, and another followed its path.

"The test carried out found some Raven's wing and shadowbloom in your system," he revealed with equanimity, scratching his nose from over his blue face mask.

My brows knitted into a frown of confusion, unable to comprehend what he had just said. "What in the name of the moon goddess are those?"

"Raven's wing is a black powder made from the wings of a cursed raven," he explained. "Shadowbloom is a deadly flower that blooms in the shadows. Its pollen causes irreversible scarring and lining to the uterus, which disrupts the fertility of a she-wolf."

The doctor's voice was gentle, but his words knifed my heart.

I parted my lips, a gasp flying out of them as the news delivered a phantom blow to my gut. I had lost the Alpha's heir for the fourth time.

My hand flew to my lips, pressing firmly against them as sobs wracked through my body. My shoulders quivered, and tears streamed down my cheeks.

"How did they get into my system?" I demanded, struggling to swallow the lump that had formed in my throat.

I released my grip on the paper, and it dropped on my thighs. Its content echoed in my head, taunting me, and reminding me of the failure I had become.

My thoughts toppled over as I awaited the doctor's response.

"You had one job!" Alpha Richard, my mate and husband growled, his fangs glinting under the moonlight. "You had one simple job, Zana! One!"

I jerked, watching fat veins throb in his temples.

"It wasn't my fault," I said weakly, fear clenching my stomach.

"Whose fault was it then?" He inquired, nose flaring. "Your job is to bear me an heir, but you're too weak to carry one in your womb. How did I get mated to an unfortunate she-wolf like you?!"

Tears pricked my eyelids, threatening to spill out.

"You're not just a weak and pathetic omega. You're wolfless!" He barked, anger blazing in his brown eyes.

"I'm sorry, Luna..." the doctor trailed, halting my thoughts and pulling me out of memory lane. "...but I do not know how they got into your system. Perhaps you should question your maids."

My palms grew cold and clammy, and balls of sweat rolled down my back, making my dress cling to my skin. How was I to break this news to Richard?

I swallowed hard, trying to ease my parched throat, but it scorched the walls of my throat like a scalding cup of coffee.

"I'm sorry, Luna," the doctor muttered, mirroring my sadness.

"Thank you," I sniffed, rubbing the back of my palm across my nose. I folded the test result and placed it in my bag.

I failed again and would continue to be an object of ridicule to the pack members.

Pushing the chair back, I rose to my feet, legs wobbly. My vision turned foggy for a second, causing me to sway a little.

Swiftly, the doctor rushed to my side, holding my shoulders to stop me from falling. "Are you okay, Luna Zana?" The doctor asked, concern laced in his voice.

I nodded, massaging my temples. His hands fell from my shoulders, and he stepped away from my bubble.

My legs willed me out of the hospital and halted me in front of the Black jaguar Alpha Richard had blessed me with the first time I got pregnant.

Omega Bryan held the door open, offering me a small bow. Ignoring him, I sat at the back of the car, dread twisting in my gut.

Who could have added those substances to my food or drink? Anger coursed through my veins, and my fingers curled into fists at whoever had done something this wicked to me.

*****

My throat tightened, and my body grew limp on the bed as I prayed to the moon goddess, asking for her to heal my broken heart.

I curled up in a fetal position, tears cascading down my cheeks. It had been a week since I found out I could no longer carry a child in my womb. Richard grew colder towards me, but was bent on finding the culprit.

"Zana?" A familiar female voice called from the other side of the door, halting my train of thought.

Quickly, I wiped my tears away.

Parting my lips to respond, nothing came out of them. I snapped my mouth shut, not attempting to rise because my joints felt like bags of bricks had been placed atop them.

The door opened with a creak, and I didn't bother to check who it was. I knew it was none other than Richard's cousin.

"Zana, are you asleep?" Risa asked softly.

I shook my head, and she sucked in a deep breath before materializing in front of me with a tray. Setting down the tray on my bedside table, my eyes lingered on the two cups.

"I brought you a cup of coffee," she said, lowering herself to my bed. "Alpha Richard has been searching for the culprit, but it has been futile. I'm sorry."

She added, "I'm sure he will get to the root of this, worry not."

I averted my gaze to her freckled face, and she flashed me a compassionate smile, picking up a cup of coffee and extending it to me.

"Sit up." She jutted her chin.

Sitting up, a sharp pain stabbed my stomach, and I winced, clutching it as I rested my back on the soft headboard of my bed.

"Easy," she muttered.

A small smile graced my lips, Risa was the only relative of Richard who treated me nicely. If not for her, I would have lost my sanity long ago. She was mateless, and I prayed every night for the moon goddess to bless her with a good mate, not one as heartless as her cousin.

"I thought you might want to hear something good to uplift your mood," she started, picking her cup and taking a sip from it. "I don't know if now is the right time."

I took various sips out of my cup, enjoying the way the hot liquid coated my tongue with the rich taste of cocoa and milk. Gulping it down, it burnt my throat, melting away the stubborn lump that had camped there.

"Yeah." I found my voice. "As long as it is good news."

"I found my mate, and we are getting married tomorrow," she announced, and her eyes gleamed with delight.

My mouth hung open in a silent gasp, and then my lips stretched to the back of my neck. I grinned like the Cheshire cat.

"Oh, my days!" I beamed. "How, when, who, why didn't you tell me?" I threw questions at her, feeling giddy.

Excitement surged through my veins, and my heart leaped for joy.

She chuckled, setting her cup on the tray. "I wanted you to heal. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. He's an Alpha, one of our allies, and I want you to stand in as my mother since she's late. What do you say?"

I blinked rapidly with misty eyes. "Yes. Congratulations, sweetie!"

Dropping my cup, I pulled her into a warm hug.

She giggled, and it warmed my heart. We pulled away from the hug, and I felt pressed. I swung my legs to the other side of the bed, "I need to pee."

I got into the restroom, unable to contain my happiness. After relieving myself, I made it to the sink to wash my hands.

Glancing up at my reflection, I shuddered. I looked like I died three days ago. My lips were chapped, and my skin was pale.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit me, and my vision blurred, while the earth under my feet spun. Gripping the sides of the sink, I squeezed my eyes shut and popped them open. My vision cleared, and I swallowed a sharp breath with a racing heart.

What was that?

Convinced that I was okay to walk, I released the sink. Just as I reached the door, the knob doubled, and my vision became foggy.

My head spun, and I staggered.

"Risa!" I exclaimed, feeling my legs turn into jelly.

"Are you alright?" She called back from the room, concern etched to her tone.

The door swung open, and the edge hit me in the face, rooting a pain deep into my face. The impact sent me staggering back, causing me to lose balance. I fell to the ground, and pain shot up my coccyx and skull.

My eyes fluttered shut, and the last thing I remembered was my name being screamed, "Zana!" Before the throes of darkness snatched me.