At seven months pregnant, I overhear my Alpha mate, Christopher Scott, secretly planning to break tradition by promoting his secretary to a Beta and handing the Luna's duties over to her.

His friend urges him to reconsider. "Luna is about to give birth. Isn't it inappropriate to throw a promotion banquet for Scarlett right now?"

But Christopher dismisses his concerns. "What can I do? Scarlett is carrying my pup too. I can't just ignore her.

"Besides, with Rebecca's temper, she'd definitely throw a huge fit if she found out beforehand. I might as well wait until she has delivered the pup and is too exhausted to interfere, and only then will I hold Scarlett's promotion ceremony.

I say nothing. I pretend I know nothing at all and walk away.

On the day I go into labor, Christopher holds Scarlett Lane's promotion ceremony at the pack's most sacred altar.

While the entire pack is celebrating Scarlett's rise, the doors of the altar are suddenly kicked open.

My father, the Alpha King, walks in. "Christopher Scott, is this how you treat my daughter?"

I hid behind the door of the bar's private room and signaled my best friend to stay quiet.

One of Christopher Scott's friends remarked, "Christopher, Rebecca may be the Alpha King's daughter, but she's not irrational. If you deliberately keep this from her and she finds out the truth on the day she delivers the pup, what will you do if she causes a scene?"

Christopher replied, his tone dismissive. "She'll be too weak during labor to cause any kind of chaos."

He then added, "I had the witch give me a prophecy. Scarlett is carrying a male pup who will inherit my Alpha position in the future and lead the pack to greater prosperity. Promoting Scarlett will also give my pup a better environment."

After a pause, he continued, "As for Rebecca, she's only carrying a female pup, destined for future alliances."

Christopher's friends couldn't hide their concern. "No matter what, Rebecca is the Alpha King's daughter. What happens if her dad finds out about this?"

Christopher let out a faint smile, and his words carried a trace of indifference."Our pack is far from the Alpha King, and he's busy dealing with internal rebellion right now.

"He won't have time to concern himself with Rebecca. By the time he takes action, everything will already be set in stone. For the good of the pack and his daughter's future, he won't say a word."

He reassured them, "Rebecca is both the Alpha King's daughter and our pack's Luna. Even if she doesn't like it, she'll endure it for the sake of the pack."

I listened to their conversation from behind the door, my fists clenched.

Christopher had planned everything long ago. With my father too busy to care, I was powerless and completely at his whim.

My best friend's expression darkened. She rolled up her sleeves, ready to kick the door open, but I stopped her with a sharp look.

Some of the others were still uneasy, trying to reason with Christopher. "What if Rebecca just refuses to compromise?"

Christopher laughed even louder. "You all have no idea how much Rebecca loves me. Back when I was just a bastard, she defied her dad's arranged marriage to stay with me. Now that I'm the Alpha, I indulge her in everything. How could she ever leave me?"

Christopher took a sip of his drink. His voice was tinged with contemptuous disdain as he spoke. "Don't be fooled by her tough exterior. Deep down, she craves love, and she's very obedient when she's with me."

So to him, all my sincerity was just being obedient.

My bestie was livid for me. If I hadn't held her back, she would have stormed in to confront Christopher.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Lowering my voice, I said, "Let's go."

I had barely returned to the bedroom when Christopher walked in.

His face was still wearing that gentle smile. In his hands, he carried a bag filled with tiny clothes for our pup. "Rebecca, our little one will be here soon. I've prepared a few outfits. What do you think? Aren't they adorable?"

All the clothes in the bag were pink and red. They were clearly for a female wolf pup.

I didn't pick any and asked him instead, "Seeing the clothes you picked, does that mean you're certain our pup is a girl?"

A flicker of panic appeared in Christopher's eyes. He hurriedly explained, "No, of course not. I just thought they looked good. Male pups can wear these too."

I ignored him and carefully selected comfortable fabrics for my pup.

Seeing that I didn't press further, Christopher let out a sigh of relief. He stood up immediately. "Take your time choosing. The pack still has plenty of matters that need me."

About an hour later, my bestie slipped quietly into my room and whispered, "I'm so furious. Christopher actually gave the wolf fang, the symbol of the Alpha's authority, to Scarlett. He even handed over the Luna's duties to her. He's outright humiliating you."

She added, "If you hadn't told me not to act impulsively, I would've already torn those two apart."

She got more agitated as she ranted, flopping onto the bed in a storm of indignation. "If that she-wolf's pup ends up being the Alpha heir someday, what are you going to do then?"

After I carried his pup, Christopher pretended to care, insisting I should take it easy. In reality, he kept undermining my authority, gradually passing the Luna's duties over to Scarlett Lane.

I held my belly and silently vowed, "Don't worry, my pup. I'll protect you from any injustice."

The next morning, the moment I unlocked my phone, a trending topic on the forum popped up in front of me.

Two photos had gone viral. The first showed Christopher holding Scarlett by the waist as they entered a hotel together. The second showed Christopher spending a fortune at an auction to buy Scarlett a priceless Moonlight Necklace, just to make her happy.

The comments below varied. Some were envious of Scarlett, thrilled that an Alpha would spend so lavishly on her. Others were speaking up for me, defending me from the injustice.

"Christopher already has a Luna, yet he keeps things ambiguous with Scarlett. He's complete scum."

"When he asked the Alpha King for Luna's hand, it shook the entire pack. Has he forgotten the vow he made to love only her for a lifetime now?"

A lifetime loving me? Was his behavior back then driven by ambition, or was it genuine?

As the Alpha King's daughter, whoever I wed becomes the pack's Alpha.

At that time, Christopher was just a lowly illegitimate son of an Alpha, disliked within the pack and constantly bullied by Luna's kin.

He kneeled outside my mansion for a whole day and night. "I'll only ever love Rebecca. I swear to the holy Moon Goddess to give her happiness and never be unfaithful. If I betray this vow, may I never know true love in my lifetime."

That day, the rain poured down relentlessly, yet it couldn't wash away the sincerity in his heart.

The vow from back then seemed to echo in my ears, but now it sounded painfully ironic.

I broke the silence. "Let's go to the auction. I want to see what kind of beauty that she-wolf possesses to make Christopher go this far for her."

I drove to the auction with my bestie. Among the crowd, I saw a she-wolf in a haute couture gown move gracefully, radiating joy.

Scarlett was indeed beautiful. Her fitted dress revealed no hint of pregnancy.

Christopher stayed by her side, blocking anyone from offering her a drink.

Everyone praised Christopher for being so lucky to have such a stunning secretary.

Christopher grinned from ear to ear. He reached into his pocket and placed a blue moonstone ring on Scarlett's finger. "This ring once belonged to the Luna Queen. It's a genuine treasure. I'm giving it to you now."

At his words, the entire room fell silent in shock.

The ring belonged to the Luna Queen, yet Scarlett was merely a secretary. For Christopher to hand such a priceless item to her was outrageous.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails pierced my palms. In fact, that ring was my mother's heirloom.

On her deathbed, she placed it in my hand and said, "This ring has been treasured by our family for generations. I'll give it to you now. Seeing it should remind you of me, and it will bring you safety, peace and joy."

It wasn't just a treasure. It was my only connection to my mother, and Christopher had casually given it to another she-wolf.

My bestie was about to rush forward and grab the ring, but I held her back. "He won't get away with this forever. One day, he'll pay the price."

With that, I turned away and left the banquet silently.

On the way home, I pulled out my phone and called the top number in my contacts.

Christopher didn't return until midnight. Seeing me sitting on the couch instead of sleeping, he asked with concern, "Why are you still up so late? What if you harm yourself? You're carrying a pup now. You should put the pup first."

While speaking, he pulled a small plastic toy from his pocket and held it out to me. "I saw someone selling toys by the roadside on my way home, so I bought this specially for our pup. What do you think? It's cute, isn't it?"

Looking at the cheap toy he had bought from a stall and thinking of the ring he gave Scarlett just to make her smile, I felt nothing but bitter irony.

I lifted my gaze to him and smiled faintly. "I appreciate the thought. But if it's for my pup, it has to be the best.

"I've made up my mind. The ring my mom left me carries blessings for safety and peace. When the day comes, I'll give it to my pup. With her protection, we're sure to come through safely."

Christopher's smile froze, and he stuttered as he spoke. "That ring... It's your mom's heirloom. It's far too precious. When you deliver the pup, there will be so many eyes watching. What if someone with bad intentions tries to take it?"

I gave a meaningful smile.

He knew it was my mother's heirloom and how much it meant to me. Yet, without a second thought, he had given it to another she-wolf just to make her happy.

Seeing that I remained silent, Christopher grew more uneasy. "Tomorrow, we'll visit the Moon Goddess's altar and pray for a moonstone, so our pup can grow up safe and healthy."

I smiled faintly and nodded. "Alright."

When we arrived at the altar, we knelt before the Moon Goddess's statue, praying for a moonstone to bless our pup with safety and health.

"Rebecca, you must be tired. I'll have someone take you home first. I have some official matters nearby to handle, so I need to deal with them. I'll come back later to be with you," said Christopher.

He arranged everything thoughtfully, seeming very considerate.

I was indeed a little tired, but I didn't get in the car. Instead, I walked along the edge of Moon Lake and rested on the far side of the altar for a while.

Just then, I heard a man and a woman murmuring behind the tree, and the man's voice was one I recognized instantly.

He said, "Scarlett, you're still weak. Be careful."

"Christopher, you have no idea how much I missed you while you were away. But now, it seems Rebecca has completely taken my place in your mind," Scarlett replied.

The altar of the Moon Goddess represented pure love, yet there they were, meeting in secret. It was an utter desecration.

Christopher held Scarlett gently in his arms. His voice was soft and indulgent. "What nonsense are you talking about?

"I came to see you, didn't I? Look, this is the moonstone I specially prayed for the two of you. It'll surely bless our pup with a safe birth."

Scarlett accepted the moonstone and nestled into Christopher's embrace. "It's beautiful, but what if Rebecca finds out?"

"Don't worry. I'll just trick her with some random blue stone. She's easy to fool," Christopher replied.

I thought Christopher's conscience might have stirred, but I hadn't realized he never meant it for the pup in my womb.

Scarlett was still full of concern. "Christopher, you gave me all of Luna's authority and duties. She's the Alpha King's daughter and has never endured this kind of slight. What if she grows jealous and bullies me after delivering the pup?"

Christopher chuckled lightly. "You're overthinking it. Your womb carries the future Alpha of our pack. Once our pup is born, I'll give it the position of Alpha heir. By then, even Luna will have to follow your lead."

He paused for a moment and continued with an icy voice, "But knowing Rebecca's temperament, she won't accept it right away. When the time comes, I'll have the elders put pressure on her.

"For her daughter's sake, she won't dare stop me from choosing the Alpha heir. You'll be the mother of the next Alpha."

I crouched behind the tree, trembling uncontrollably.

He wasn't just having an affair with Scarlett. He was even trying to force me to give up Luna's authority, making me the laughingstock of the entire pack.

It was utterly ridiculous. I walked away silently.

Christopher must have forgotten the reason he ever rose to the Alpha throne.

If I hadn't chosen him back then, he would still be that outcast bastard son. His brother would've taken the Alpha title and likely cast him out of the pack as a Rogue.

But instead of showing the slightest gratitude, he repaid me by trying to topple me.

Hearing their triumphant laughter from across the way, I clenched my fists, forcing back my tears.

I wouldn't shed another tear for Christopher. He wasn't worth it.