“Did you see Mr. Greene’s face when I mentioned the donation?” Celeste’s voice cut through the air, bright and animated. Xavier’s eyes flicked to her in the rearview mirror.

“He probably didn’t know how to handle you,” he chuckled. “You’ve got that charm, Celeste.”

I swallowed the rising frustration, my hand rubbing my seven-month belly absentmindedly. “Maybe I should take over the next charity event,” I said, trying to sound casual.

Xavier barely looked at me. “You’ve got enough to handle the pregnancy, Lyra. Celeste’s got the personality for these things. She knows how to make people like her without even… trying.”

The words stung. It felt like a slap to the face. Celeste giggled, clearly pleased. I bit my lips…

Until— the impact came out of nowhere.

A deafening crash. Xavier swerved violently, and the car skidded. My seatbelt jerked loose, and I was thrown forward as the airbag failed to deploy. My head slammed against the dashboard, and I barely registered Celeste’s scream before darkness took over.

When I came to, pain was the first thing I felt. It clawed at every nerve in my body. My vision blurred, and the sharp scent of blood and gasoline filled my nose.

“Celeste! Are you okay?”

Xavier’s voice cut through the haze, frantic and loud. I tried to move, to speak, but my body wouldn’t obey.

“I’m… I'm fine,” Celeste replied, her voice shaking. “Just a scratch.”

“Thank the Moon Goddess,” Xavier murmured. “Stay still, I’ll check you.”

I wanted to scream, to call out, but all I could manage was a weak gasp.

“X-xavier!” I rasped.

His head snapped toward me, his face pale but… not worried. “Lyra, you’re awake.”

Relief wasn’t in his voice—it was exhaustion. Like checking on me was just another chore. He didn’t rush to my side. Instead, he turned back to Celeste, gently inspecting her arm.

“Let me get you out of here first,” he said softly to her.

Tears blurred my vision. “Xavier, I’m—” My words broke off into a sharp cry as pain shot through my abdomen.

“Don’t move,” he said curtly, barely sparing me a glance.

Celeste hesitated, looking between us. “Xavier, she—”

“She’ll be fine,” he snapped, cutting her off. “I need to get you out. You could be in shock.”

The betrayal stung more than my injuries. My husband, my mate, was prioritizing my sister over me—over our child.

Am I not that important?

The paramedics arrived moments later, pulling me from the wreckage. I couldn’t stop shaking, clutching my stomach, silently praying that my baby was okay.

Hours passed in the hospital before I was told the truth.

“Mrs. Nightshade,” she began gently, “I’m so sorry. We did everything we could, but…” She hesitated, then continued, “You lost the baby.”

The world tilted, and I clung to the sheets as if they could anchor me. “No,” I whispered. “No, no, no!”

“I’m so sorry,” she repeated. “There’s… more.”

I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to know. But she pressed on, her voice shaking with sympathy.

“Your injuries were severe. There was significant damage to your spine and reproductive system. I’m afraid… you won’t be able to carry children again. And…” She hesitated, glancing at my legs, “You may not regain the ability to walk.”

The words echoed in my head. No baby. No future children. No ability to walk. I wanted to scream. To cry. But the tears wouldn’t come.

Xavier arrived later, his face shadowed with guilt—or maybe disappointment.

“How is Celeste?” I asked bitterly before he could speak.

“She’s fine,” he said quickly. “Just a scratch.”

Of course, she was.

“How are you feeling?” he finally asked.

How was I feeling? Broken. Empty. Devastated. But I forced a small smile. “I’m alive.”

“That’s what matters.” His jaw tightened, and he looked away. “The doctor told me. I’m sorry, Lyra.” His voice lacked warmth, and I knew then that he wasn’t truly sorry—not for me.

The days that followed were worse than the accident itself. Xavier visited me out of obligation, but his heart wasn’t in it. He avoided looking at me for too long, and when Celeste came by, his mood would brighten.

I overheard them once, standing outside my hospital room.

“You shouldn’t blame yourself, Xavier,” Celeste said softly. “It’s not your fault.”

“It is,” he replied, his voice heavy. “If only I’d reacted faster. If only…”

They didn’t know I was awake, listening. He didn’t say if only I’d saved Lyra. No, his regrets were for Celeste, the unscathed beauty who had stolen his attention long before the crash.

Lying in that hospital bed, I realized I had lost more than my baby and my health. I had lost my husband, too—and maybe, I had never truly had him to begin with.

Two weeks had passed since I was discharged from the hospital. Two weeks of silence so loud it threatened to shatter me. I had spent every moment trapped in this wheelchair, staring out the grand windows of our mansion, wondering when the next blow would fall.

It came that evening.

The pack gathering was supposed to be a chance to strengthen bonds, to remind everyone of unity in times of crisis. For me, it felt like a trial—one where I already knew the verdict.

I sat in my wheelchair beside Xavier. My husband, my mate, didn’t so much as glance at me. Instead, his attention was focused on the person seated beside him—my sister, Celeste.

Her laughter rang out as she leaned closer to Xavier, whispering something in his ear. He smirked, nodding slightly, as if they were the only two people in the room.

I clenched my fists in my lap, willing myself to stay composed. But the murmurs around the room were getting harder to ignore.

“It’s such a shame,” someone whispered behind me. “The Luna can’t even walk anymore. How can she lead us?”

“And no heir,” another voice added. “The Alpha deserves better. Tsk.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, refusing to let their words break me. But the final blow came when Xavier’s mother, Evelyn, stood up and called for silence.

“Thank you all for coming,” she began, her sharp eyes scanning the room. “As you know, our pack is facing an uncertain future. Without an heir, the Nightshade lineage is at risk. It is our duty to ensure the strength of our bloodline and the stability of our pack. With Lyra unable to bear children,” Evelyn continued, her voice unwavering, “it is only logical for Xavier to take another mate. Someone who can give him the heir this pack so desperately needs.”

The room erupted in murmurs of agreement.

Evelyn stepped forward, her eyes landing on Celeste. “Thankfully, the solution is already in front of us. Celeste has graciously offered to fulfill this role.”

My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. I turned to Celeste, hoping for some sign of guilt, of hesitation—but there was none.

She smiled, her face glowing with pride. “It’s for the pack, Lyra,” she said sweetly, as if her betrayal was a noble sacrifice.

“You should be grateful,” someone from the crowd called out. “Your sister is saving your mate and your family’s legacy!”

“Grateful?” I said, my voice trembling. “You expect me to be grateful that my sister is taking my husband?”

“Don’t be dramatic, Lyra,” Xavier snapped, his tone colder than I had ever heard. “This isn’t about you. It’s about the pack.”

His words cut deeper than I thought possible. “About the pack?” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “You mean it’s about you, Xavier. About what’s convenient for you.”

“Stop embarrassing yourself,” he said sharply. “You’ve done enough damage as it is.”

Laughter rippled through the room, cruel and mocking.

“Don’t act so surprised,” Celeste added, her tone light and cheerful. “You knew this was coming. After all, you can’t give Xavier what he needs anymore.”

The words were like a knife to my chest. I wanted to scream, to lash out, but I knew it would only make things worse.

“F-fine,” I said finally, my voice steady despite the tears threatening to fall. “Do what you want. Take her. Take the heir. Take everything. But don’t expect me to stand here and pretend to be happy about it.”

Xavier’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. Evelyn stepped forward, her expression triumphant.

“You’re making the right decision, Lyra,” she said, her tone laced with condescension. “This is for the good of the pack.”

I couldn’t bear another second in that room. The humiliation, the judgmental eyes, the laughter—it was suffocating. Then Xavier ordered one of the warrior to accompany me home. I smiled bitterly.

The ride home was silent except for the rattling of my chair against the floor of the car. I refused to cry. Not here. Not where anyone could see me.

When we reached the mansion, the maid helped me out and pushed me to my room. I wanted to scream at her to leave, but I didn’t have the energy. She tucked a blanket over my lap before leaving.

Still, Xavier didn’t come.

As soon as the door clicked shut, the tears came. Silent, aching sobs that wracked my body as I sat there, staring at the cold, empty room.

I clutched the armrests of my chair, my mind racing back to the Xavier I once knew.

I remembered the first time he confessed his love to me. It was raining, and I was standing under an old oak tree, my umbrella broken and useless. He had come running, drenched to the bone, holding a bouquet of flowers so large I could barely see his face behind them.

“Lyra!” he shouted while his voice was desperate. “I don’t care what anyone says! I want you, and only you. Please, be mine.”

I’d laughed through my tears, shaking my head at how ridiculous he looked. But I had said yes. How could I not? He had looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the world.

And then there was the time he flew across the ocean just to see me. I had been studying abroad, and we had a fight over the phone. I thought it was over. But the next day, there he was, standing outside my dorm with another ridiculous bouquet of flowers.

“I can’t do this without you, Lyra,” he had said, his voice breaking. “Marry me. Please.”

I’d thrown myself into his arms, laughing and crying at the same time.

Now, those memories felt like they belonged to someone else.

The Xavier I knew back then would’ve never let me leave the pack gathering alone. He would’ve been the one pushing my wheelchair, whispering reassurances into my ear.

But that man was gone.

Ever since Celeste came back, it was like I had disappeared.

She had been gone for ten years, off studying medicine abroad, and when she returned, she was... perfect. Beautiful, accomplished, and full of charm.

Xavier had been polite at first, but then his focus shifted. Slowly, subtly, but enough for me to notice.

“Celeste is so thoughtful,” he'd said one night after dinner. “Did you know she’s planning to open a free clinic for the pack? Incredible.”

I’d smiled tightly, pretending it didn’t bother me. But it was always Celeste this, Celeste that.

And then the excuses started. He was too busy to have dinner with me, but he had time to take Celeste on a tour of the territory. He was too tired to talk to me, but he stayed up late helping Celeste with her late night “projects.”

The shift was slow, but it was undeniable. I wasn’t his priority anymore.

Now, sitting alone in my room, I felt like a fool. How had I not seen it coming?

“Lyra,” I whispered to myself, my voice trembling. “You’re nothing to him now. Just a burden.”

The tears wouldn’t stop. My chest ached, my head throbbed, but the pain in my heart was the worst.

I had given him everything—my love, my trust, my future. And he had given it all to Celeste.

Celeste moved into the mansion not long after the pack gathering. The house that used to be a place of comfort for me now felt suffocating, like a cage I couldn’t escape from. Every room, every hallway, was a reminder of how things had changed, how everything I thought was mine was slipping away.

At first, I tried to ignore it, tried to pretend that everything was fine. I put on a brave face, smiling through my discomfort whenever Xavier or Celeste would come near. But deep down, I was breaking. I could feel it with every breath.

The worst part? Xavier was all about Celeste now. He couldn’t look at me without that cold indifference, but whenever he saw her, his eyes lit up. And it wasn’t just the way he looked at her. It was how he acted around her, the way he made her the center of attention.

And then, just a few weeks after Celeste moved in, the news came that shattered whatever small semblance of hope I had left.

Celeste was pregnant.

The pack was ecstatic.

There were celebrations, toasts, and congratulations. Everyone cheered for Xavier and Celeste, and I was expected to smile and clap along. I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw the glass of wine they’d handed me in their faces, but instead, I just stood there, a fake smile plastered on my face, feeling the weight of my failure like a thousand pounds on my chest.

"Isn't it just amazing?" Celeste said, her voice dripping with sweetness as she placed her hand on her stomach. "Xavier and I are going to give the pack the future it deserves."

I could barely swallow the bile that rose in my throat. The future they deserved? What about the future I was promised? What about the dreams I’d built with Xavier? The ones that didn’t include my sister taking everything from me?

I forced myself to stay calm, but as the days passed, it became harder and harder. Celeste would flaunt her pregnancy in front of me like it was some kind of victory. She’d walk around in dresses that showed off her growing belly, constantly touching it and reminding everyone, including me, of what I’d lost.

"How’s your therapy going, Lyra?" she’d ask, her tone feigned concern, but her eyes full of smug satisfaction. “I hope you’re getting better. Wouldn’t want you to miss the baby shower.”

I gritted my teeth and smiled through the pain. "It’s going fine, thank you."

But the truth was, it wasn’t going fine. I was pushing myself harder than I ever had before, in secret. I’d started physical therapy, working on my legs every day when no one was around. The pain was unbearable, but I couldn’t stop. I had to get better, I had to walk again, if only for myself.

I wasn’t going to let Celeste have everything. She could have Xavier’s attention, she could have his child, but I was going to prove that I wasn’t just some broken woman in a wheelchair. I wasn’t useless.

But it was hard. Every time I looked at Xavier, I saw the man who used to be mine—who used to love me—and I knew deep down that those days were gone.

One evening, after dinner, when the house was quiet and I was alone in the living room, I overheard Xavier and Celeste talking in the hallway. Their voices were muffled, but I could still hear the conversation clearly.

“Xavier, I know you’re doing this for the pack, but I want more,” Celeste’s voice was low, but it had that determined edge to it I had heard too many times before.

“I know,” Xavier’s voice came back, distant, almost bored. “We’ve been through this, Celeste.”

“I want to be Luna. I want to be your true mate,” she said, and my heart stopped. “It’s not just about the heir, Xavier. It’s about us, about what we can build together. You need to make me your permanent mate. I’ll be the one standing beside you, leading the pack.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. Was she really asking him that? To make her Luna, to replace me completely? But then again, why was I surprised? I was just the broken wife in a wheelchair.

But then, as if he knew my thoughts, I heard Xavier’s response. "Celeste… Once the baby is born, we'll announce it. You’ll be the new Luna. I’ll make you my official mate."

I froze.

The words hit me harder than anything had before. Official mate. He was planning on marrying her.