Chapter One: Betrayal

Lenora's POV

 I sat before the vanity in my room, gazing at my image in the mirror, holding the test results on my lap as tears streamed down my face. My hands shook as I gripped the test results, the words “negative” and “barren” piercing my thoughts like a branding iron. 

As the Luna of the Pack, my responsibility was to bear an heir, yet here am I - infertile. I will never be able to bear children of my own.

  I have never considered myself a believer in miracles, but at this moment, I hope a miracle occurs and the test results reveal ‘positive’. 

 The weight had been bearing down on me for years, and with every month that went by, the Pack's demands became more intense. 

 I can't help but feel that very soon I'll be sent away from the Pack and the Pack would force my mate to take another woman that can give him an heir. 

 “Our mate loves us and he won't hurt us that way” My wolf whispered to me and I smiled sadly. If only that was the truth. He has fallen out of love with me just because I couldn't provide an heir. His last words to me some days ago still lingered in my heart. 

 “I accepted you as my mate because I wanted an heir and since you can't give me that, I'm afraid we can't be together anymore” 

 I have a feeling that if I can provide an heir, he would go back to loving me and that's one reason I want to get pregnant by all means. I thought back to the countless nights I'd spent praying to the moon goddess, begging for a child to call my own. But the goddess had remained silent. It's as if she wanted me to face the consequences of my failure alone.  

 The sound of footsteps outside my door broke the silence and I quickly wiped away the tears that had begun to roll down my cheeks. I knew that it was my mate. I couldn't let him see me like this - weak and vulnerable.

 As his mate and the Pack's Luna, weakness and vulnerability is not something I should entertain. At least not in front of anyone, including him. 

 “Lenora,” Axel's deep voice called out, his tone quiet but commanding. I took a deep breath and turned to face him, a mask of calmness weaved perfectly on my face, like I wasn't crying a minute ago.

“Alpha!” I replied, my voice steady despite the unease growing within me. “What brings you here?” 

 He walked fully into the room, his eyes scanning the room before falling on me. 

 “Where have you been? I have asked the maid to come get you, but I was told that you went out,”

 I took a deep breath in an effort to calm myself before standing up straight. “I went to the hospital,”

 He raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “You were at the hospital the whole day?”

 I shook my head. “I also went for a walk. I needed some fresh air to clear my head,” I answered, trying my best to keep my voice steady.

 “Anyways, I didn't come here to talk about this. I've received the test results,” he said, his voice expressionless. “It seems you are not pregnant and worst of all, you are…. barren,”

 The words cut deep, a fresh wave of pain washing over me. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. I had begged the hospital not to send the reports directly to my mate. I wanted to break the news to him myself, but that was impossible. They would definitely break the news to him.

 I took a deep breath. “I'm sorry, Alpha,” I whispered. 

 His expression turned cold, his eyes narrowing. “Sorry isn't enough, Lenora. The Pack needs an heir and you are incapable of providing one”

 I felt a sting from his words, like a slap to the face. My eyes dropped, shame and inadequacy washing over me. 

 “I know,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I'm trying, Alpha. I really am. Please try to understand,”

 But he just laughed, the sound of cold and menacing. “Trying, huh? Come on, Lenora, you've had three years to try. And what do you have to show for it? Nothing”

 His words really hurt me and made me feel worse about myself. It just destroyed the last bit of self esteem that I had left.

 “Anyways, I've made arrangements for Melissa to move into the pack house,” He continued, his voice dripping with malice. 

 “Melissa? My step sister?” I asked in confusion and he nodded. 

 “Yeah. She's pregnant, Lenora. And she will be the one to provide the pack with the heir, since you can't provide the pack with one,”

The words hit me like a blow and I felt my knees buckle beneath me. I couldn't believe what I just heard. Melissa is carrying my mate's heir. I felt a mix of emotions - jealousy, sadness and anger.

  “I'm sure you know what that means huh? Maybe I should spell it out for you. I need an heir to succeed me and since you can't provide one, your sister will,”

 “Why did you choose to hurt me like this? We should have waited for the moon goddess…..”

 “How long do I have to keep waiting, huh? This is the third year of our marriage and still you have nothing to show for it.” He scoffed. 

  “I'm afraid that if I choose to wait like you suggested, then I'll have to keep waiting forever. Lenora, I'm not getting any younger for heaven's sake.” He yelled. 

 “Does it have to be with my step sister? It could have been with someone else.”

 His expression was unreadable. He didn't say anything for long, the silence between us stretched for what felt like forever.

 Finally he spoke through gritted teeth. “Whoever I chose to bear an heir with, shouldn't be your problem, so long as I got my heir. After all, you had three years to provide one for me but you couldn't”

 “How could you do this to me, when you claimed to love me?” I asked. I was trying so hard not to cry even though all I wanted to do was bawl my eyes out.

 “You are my fated mate. The bond can not be denied. You are still my Luna and will always remain my Luna. But I need an heir. No one expects me to be with a barren Luna,” 

  Anger coursed through my veins but I kept trying to control myself and the best I could control my anger was to stay quiet.

 “Anyways, I hosted a ceremony to celebrate the arrival of my heir with your sister. It is in thirty minutes, so do well to be there.” he said, his voice cold. “I expect you to put on a good face, Lenora. For the sake of the Pack,”

 “I won't go there. I can't pretend to be happy when I'm not. I can't celebrate the result of your infidelity with my sister” I said through gritted teeth.

 I saw the way his face twisted in anger. “Don't push me to the wall, Lenora. I am trying so hard to be calm with you and you should do the same, else I'll be pushed to send you to the dungeon. We don't want that right?” After that, he turned around and walked away.