I had a miscarriage.

It happened after months of stress and exhaustion, juggling long shifts at the clinic and all the endless demands of pack life. I kept pushing myself, wanting to be the strong Luna my husband, Caleb—the Alpha—needed. I thought I could handle it, but I ignored every sign my body was giving me.

Then one evening, I came home feeling weaker than usual, with this deep ache in my stomach. By the next morning, I’d lost the little life I was so excited for.

It’s been two months since then. Two months since I lost the hope of becoming a mom.

I thought Caleb would be there for me through it all. But instead, he got more distant every day. He buried himself in pack duties, leaving me alone in our empty home.

Today was my check-up day, a reminder of what I’d lost—and of the loneliness that followed. Caleb didn’t even ask if I needed a ride. I didn’t bother asking him, either. Pleading for his attention felt pointless now. So I went alone, shuffled through the clinic, and got my test results, all while feeling numb.

While I waited outside for a cab, a message from Caleb popped up: “I have a council meeting. Can you manage on your own?”

Once, I would’ve clung to that message, hoping it meant he still cared, that maybe he just needed a little more time to be the Caleb I knew. But today, I just felt… empty. Nothing.

I texted back a quick “Sure.”

On the way home, I looked out the window and saw Caleb’s car turning into the hospital parking lot. My heart skipped a beat—was he coming to surprise me? But then I saw his face as he got out. He was smiling, looking so… affectionate. And then I saw her.

Hannah.

The woman he’d once loved, who left to marry someone else, but came back to the pack a few weeks ago after her husband passed away. She brought her young son with her—a kid with Caleb’s eyes and hair.

Rumors had started going around the pack since she returned. Whispers that Caleb was spending a lot of time with her, checking in on her and the boy. I ignored it at first, thinking it was just talk. But there they were, standing together, looking like a family.

By the time I got home, I felt like a ghost in my own life. I checked my phone and saw someone had tagged Caleb in a post: “The best Alpha, always looking after us.” The picture was of Hannah, her son in her arms, with Caleb standing close. I see how Caleb had gone with them to the doctor's office to support her son’s check-up.

Wow.

I felt this sharp sting of betrayal. The boy looked so much like him. Seeing them together felt like a slap. For a moment, I even wondered if Caleb was the father, but I quickly shrugged off the thought. It was impossible.

I told myself it was just Caleb being kind because she was going through a hard time. But Caleb had never looked at me like that. Even at our best, he never showed me that kind of warmth.

When he came home that night, he tried to be quiet, like he didn’t want to wake me, but I was already up.

“Sarah,” he whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Did everything go okay at the check-up?”

I could smell her perfume on him, faint but there. I forced myself to look at him and said, “Yes. Everything’s fine.”

He just nodded, clearly distracted. “The pack’s been busy… a lot going on.”

I wanted to ask him if “pack duties” included spending time with Hannah, looking at her like she was his world. But I kept quiet, swallowing down the pain.

“You should get some sleep,” I said quietly. “And maybe take a shower first.”

He hesitated, guilt flashing in his eyes, but he didn’t argue. He just got up and went to the bathroom, the sound of the shower filling the silence around me.

I lay there, listening to the water running in the bathroom, my mind racing with thoughts I didn’t want to have. Caleb had always been my steady support, the one I could count on. But now... now it felt like he was slipping away. It wasn’t just the distance. It was the way he looked at Hannah, like she was everything to him.

I heard the water turn off, and I forced myself to sit up, trying to regain some control. My phone buzzed, pulling me back into reality. A notification—another post.

I opened it.

This time, it wasn’t just a picture of Caleb and Hannah.

It was a video. Caleb... kissing her.

The screen froze, but the image of their lips meeting was seared into my mind. Everything around me seemed to crash down.

I dropped the phone.

Days passed, and the distance only grew. Caleb kept disappearing for ‘pack duties, and business meetings,’ spending more and more time with Hannah and her son, while I stayed behind, breaking a little more each day.

The video of Caleb and Hannah kissing still haunted me. I had told myself it was nothing—a moment of comfort, nothing more—but deep down, I couldn’t ignore it. I couldn’t pretend it didn’t hurt. And today, I’d had enough.

“Caleb,” I said as he walked into the kitchen that evening, “what’s going on with you and Hannah?”

He froze for a moment, his expression hardening. “What do you mean? She’s a pack member, Sarah. She’s going through a lot.”

“And what about me?” I whispered, the words tasting like acid in my mouth. “Have you forgotten what I’ve been through? What we’ve lost?”

His face softened briefly, but his eyes shifted away, avoiding mine. “I... I have responsibilities, Sarah. You know that.”

I scoffed, the anger bubbling up in me. “Responsibilities to her? To her child?”

He didn’t answer, and that silence told me everything. I wasn’t a priority. I was a duty, something to manage, but never truly cherished. I was his wife, but never his choice.

I woke up the next morning feeling like a shadow of my former self. Empty. As I stared at the ceiling, I knew Caleb would be leaving soon, and honestly, I didn’t feel like making him breakfast. He was too busy with Hannah and her kid, so what was the point? I threw on some clothes and decided to head to work without bothering to prepare anything for him.

As I walked toward the kitchen, I could hear Caleb stirring in our bedroom. I didn’t even care. I poured myself a cup of coffee and grabbed my bag, ready to get out of the house.

“Sarah!” Caleb’s voice cut through the stillness, irritation dripping from his tone. “Where’s my breakfast?”

I took a deep breath before answering, forcing the words out. “I didn’t make any. Figured you wouldn’t mind since you’ve been busy with pack duties.”

He stepped into the kitchen, looking more confused than anything. “You didn’t prepare anything? I don’t have time to grab food on the way.”

“Maybe you could’ve thought about that before prioritizing your time with Hannah and her son,” I shot back, the frustration I had been holding back spilling over.

His expression hardened, and I saw the anger beginning to stir beneath the surface. “This isn’t about her! I’m the Alpha. I have responsibilities to the pack.”

“And what about me?” I snapped, my voice rising with the hurt that had been building. “I used to be your priority. Now, I feel like a ghost in our own home.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but then he just shook his head, defeated. Without another word, he turned and walked away. The silence that followed felt heavier than ever, like a weight pressing down on my chest.

I stepped outside, feeling a strange mix of anger and relief. I wasn’t going to keep sacrificing my happiness for someone who didn’t appreciate me. Work was a distraction—a way to focus on something other than my crumbling marriage.

At the clinic, I found comfort in the familiar routine. My coworkers noticed I was off, though. They asked if everything was okay, and I shrugged it off, putting on a brave face. But inside, I was still hurting.

After my shift, I bumped into Jake at the nearby coffee shop. He was from an allied pack, and we’d known each other for years. Being around him felt like a breath of fresh air, a reminder that I wasn’t completely alone.

“Hey, Sarah! You look a little down. Everything okay?” he asked, genuine concern on his face.

I sighed and leaned against the counter. “Just dealing with some stuff at home. You know how it is.”

“Want to talk about it?”

I hesitated, but then decided to spill everything—the miscarriage, Caleb’s distance, how lonely I felt. Jake listened, and for the first time in a while, I felt like someone really saw me.

“Caleb’s being an idiot!” Jake said, his tone low but firm. “You deserve someone who values you, not just as the Luna but as a person.”

“I know,” I admitted. “But it’s hard to let go. I keep hoping he’ll come back to me.”

“He’s not going to change unless he realizes what he’s losing,” Jake said. “You shouldn’t wait for him to figure it out. You deserve happiness, Sarah.”

His words stuck with me long after we parted ways. Maybe it was time to stop waiting for Caleb to wake up and start focusing on myself. I had connections in the pack—people who cared about me.

When I got home that night, I didn’t feel like pretending anymore. I took a shower, threw on my pajamas, and curled up on the couch with a book. When Caleb walked in, he glanced at me, confusion flickering in his eyes.

“Aren’t you going to make dinner?” he asked, his tone sharp.

I looked up from my book, surprised. “Nope. I figured you could handle it since you’re so busy.”

He scowled, and for a second, I felt a rush of satisfaction. I wasn’t going to let him control my happiness anymore. “I’m tired of being the only one putting in the effort. If you want dinner, you can figure it out.”

He crossed his arms, his irritation growing. “What’s your problem, Sarah? I’ve been busy with the company and the pack—”

“Oh, I get it. Pack duties!” I cut him off, my voice cold, every word sharp and pointed. “Does that include kissing Hannah too? Is that part of your responsibilities now? You couldn’t even look me in the eye after the kiss, but you sure as hell showed up for her.”

His face went pale, his lips parted as if to explain, but the words wouldn’t come. He stared at me for a moment, and I saw the guilt flicker in his eyes, but he didn’t speak.

Before I could say anything more, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen, his expression instantly changing to one of urgency. He let out a frustrated sigh. “I have to take this,” he muttered, already walking away. “It’s urgent. Something happened at the company.”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to ask him how long he planned to keep hiding behind work, how long he would avoid the truth. But the words got stuck in my throat. The anger—oh, it was there, but so was the pain. I watched him, helpless, as he quickly dialed his secretary, his focus now completely on the call.

"Yeah, I’ll be there right away," he said before walking toward the door, not even sparing me another glance.

And just like that, he was gone. Left me standing there in the silence of our empty home, the weight of everything crushing down on me.

I sank back onto the couch, the tears finally spilling over. I didn’t care anymore. I was so tired of pretending, so tired of being the one who always gave. And I hated him for doing this to me.

The door slammed behind him, and I was left with nothing but my own shattered heart and a room full of unanswered questions.

***

The days blurred together, and the tension between Caleb and me just seemed to grow. Every little thing turned into a fight, and I found myself snapping back more than ever before. Gone were the days when I’d just stay quiet and let him vent his frustrations. Now, I was ready to stand my ground.

One evening, while I was washing the dishes, Caleb walked in, phone glued to his ear. He was pacing back and forth, talking about pack business. I could hear the irritation in his voice, and it only added to my frustration.

“Can you believe this? I swear, they’re all idiots,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s like they don’t even think! Ugh!”

I rolled my eyes, not even trying to hide it. “Well, maybe they wouldn’t be idiots if you actually listened to them instead of barking orders all the time.”

He turned to me, surprise flashing across his face. “What did you just say?”

“I said maybe if you were a little less of a dictator, they wouldn’t screw up!” I snapped back, not backing down. “I know how dumb you are!”