Lucian followed the healer into her office to retrieve Sabrina’s prenatal results. Sabrina, meanwhile, murmured something about needing to use the restroom—but she didn’t move an inch. She simply lingered in the hallway, waiting.

The moment their footsteps faded behind the door, she drawled, voice dripping with mock amusement, “You can come out now. You’ve been hiding there long enough. Haven’t you stared your fill?”

I stepped out from behind the corner, keeping my expression as blank as stone.

Seeing my silence, Sabrina’s mask slipped; irritation flared through her eyes, quickly sharpening into ridicule.

“What’s wrong?” she taunted. “Not even a shred of dignity left? You’ve always known Lucian never chose you. Yet here you are, clinging to that Luna title like it means something.”

A cold, humorless laugh escaped me. “And you don’t feel embarrassed being the wolf who crawls into another woman’s marriage knowingly?”

Sabrina smirked, brushing her hand over her belly with a careless sort of pride. “I knew Lucian long before you ever crossed his path. If I hadn’t gone overseas, you never would’ve become Mrs. Blackwood in the first place.”

Then she leaned closer, voice syrupy and triumphant. “And now that I’m back—carrying his pup—it’s about time you remove yourself from the picture.”

I had known, from the very beginning of our bond, that Lucian had a woman he once deemed his fated one. But I never imagined her presence in his heart ran this deep—that she could simply return and eclipse everything we had built.

Pain ripped through my chest so sharply that I had to steady myself. My grip tightened instinctively on the document in my hand.

Sabrina noticed—and in a quick, snatching motion, she ripped the report away from me.

She scanned the conclusion, and her laughter exploded down the hallway—wild, cruel, echoing off the walls.

“Cancer?” she shrieked with glee. “Tell me, Vivienne, what do you think? Will you even survive long enough to birth that little mutt? Or will the two of you die together before that?”

The shrill laughter crashed against my ears like a pack siren. Something inside me—the last thread of restraint—broke. I stepped forward and struck her across the face.

Sabrina reeled back, then threw herself dramatically to the ground with a piercing cry.

“Vivienne!” she wailed, clutching her stomach. “I didn’t want you to find out this way! I’m pregnant—how could you hit me?!”

Tears streamed down her cheeks in exaggerated, theatrical rivers. I barely had time to process her performance before a force slammed into my back.

I lost my balance completely, crashing belly-first onto the cold, unforgiving floor.

Lucian’s hand clamped around my arm, yanking me upright. My head spun, the shock disorienting, but his roar cut through the haze.

“Are you insane?!” he shouted in my face. “How could you push Sabrina? She’s carrying a pup!”

I stared at him in disbelief, still catching my breath. Before I could utter a word, Sabrina whimpered pitifully from the floor.

“Lucian, please…” she sniffed. “Don’t fight with Vivienne because of me. I shouldn’t have asked you to come to my appointment. This is my fault. As long as the baby is fine, she can slap me if it makes her feel better.”

Her trembling-lip routine made her look like the moon goddess’ tragic martyr.

Lucian’s jaw clenched with fury. When he faced me again, his voice was low, harsh—sharper than claws.

“You’ve crossed a boundary you can’t take back, Vivienne,” he said coldly. “Apologize to her.”

I let out a hollow laugh, stunned even by the sound of it.

“You want me to apologize?” My voice cracked, thick with disbelief. “Lucian, do you even know what this is?”

My hands trembled as I shoved the medical report into his chest. My throat burned with unshed tears.

He didn’t glance at it.

He tore it in half—the entire diagnosis—without hesitation. The shredded paper fluttered to the floor like snow.

“I don’t care what your report says!” he snapped. “All I know is that you’ve gone too far this time. Spirits, Vivienne—you’re pregnant! How could you harm another expecting wolf?”

Hot tears escaped down my cheeks, unbidden and silent. My whole body shook—not from injury, but from a fury so deep it felt ancient.

Lucian saw the tears and, for a brief moment, his anger dulled. His tone shifted, trying to soften.

“Look… can you just apologize?” he murmured. “I know I haven’t given you attention these past few months. But once the pup is born, I promise I’ll make things right.”

Then, unbelievably, he placed his hand on my back and guided me toward Sabrina—pushing me like I was the offender, the villain.

Sabrina met my gaze with victorious, glinting eyes.

I looked at Lucian—really looked at him—and wondered where the wolf who once swore loyalty to me had gone. How could he transform so utterly just because Sabrina reappeared? Had he forgotten every vow he made beneath the moon the day we bonded?

I inhaled slowly, steadying the storm inside me.

“No,” I said quietly, firmly. “I won’t apologize. And Lucian… you’ve disappointed me more than you’ll ever understand.”

Then I turned around and walked away. Without looking back.

As I turned away from him, Lucian’s expression darkened like a storm rolling in. For a split second, genuine fear flickered in his wolf-bright eyes, as if he sensed our bond thinning. He started to move toward me—but Sabrina suddenly doubled over, clutching her stomach with a dramatic whimper.

“Lucian… my wolf… it hurts,” she breathed shakily. Then, in a trembling voice meant to sound noble, she rasped, “But go after Vivienne. She’s your Luna. Her feelings matter more.”

She said it loud enough to echo down the pack clinic’s hallway.

Lucian hesitated, jaw ticking, but only for a heartbeat. Then he shook his head and positioned himself between her and the attending healers. “No. Your condition comes first. Vivienne is just overwhelmed. She’s eight months along—any talk of separation terrifies a pregnant wolf. I’ll handle her later.”

His voice dropped to a low murmur, meant only for himself, “She’s only acting out.”

Then, without another glance in my direction, he swept Sabrina into his arms and carried her into one of the private pack infirmary rooms.

---

By the time I reached the packhouse, the moon had risen, casting cold silver light across the territory. I stood outside the front steps for a long while, staring at the home that was supposed to be sacred—the Alpha residence where I was meant to feel protected. But ever since Sabrina returned to our pack lands, Lucian’s scent had rarely lingered here. The warmth of this place had vanished, replaced by something hollow and foreign.

Inside, I walked straight to the wall of framed memories, reached for our wedding photo—a symbol of the mate bond I had once treasured—and pulled it down. Without hesitation, I tossed it into the trash bin.

I refused to leave behind a single reminder of the life I had been desperately trying to hold together.

Next, I gathered every shared item—our matching cloaks, trinkets from bonding ceremonies, little tokens wolves give their mates—and stuffed them into a black trash bag. I was carefully making my way down the stairs when the front door burst open.

Lucian walked in, carrying Sabrina in his arms like she already belonged here.

The moment his gaze met mine, a flicker of guilt rippled across his face, quickly masked by irritation.

“She’s not doing well because of your behavior,” he stated, as if it were an indisputable fact.

I let out a cold, humorless laugh. “Not doing well? Then why isn’t your precious she-wolf in the healing ward? Why drag her into the Alpha residence? Or is our packhouse now your personal refuge for mistresses?”

His eyes flashed with dominance. “Watch your tone, Vivienne. I’m trying to manage the situation. Whether you approve of it or not, Sabrina is staying here.”

Sabrina placed a hand on her stomach, stroking the curve of her unborn pup like she knew exactly how to provoke me.

“It’s true, Vivienne,” she whispered sweetly. “Nothing inappropriate is happening. Lucian only wants what’s best for the baby.”

Her words were crafted to slice through me the way rogue claws would.

My wolf bristled under my skin, rage simmering through my veins. I stared directly at Lucian, voice steady but sharp. “This is my territory. My home. I don’t want her living in it.”

Lucian hesitated—a moment of doubt—before Sabrina grabbed his wrist and guided his hand to her belly. The sensation of the unborn pup’s heartbeat softened him instantly.

Like magic. Or manipulation.

When he turned back to me, his voice was full of annoyance. “Enough, Vivienne. You’re carrying a pup too, yet you show no understanding. You pushed Sabrina earlier—I’m only making sure she’s safe. If you can’t accept her presence, then maybe you’re the one who should leave.”

His words struck like a rejection blow—sharp, freezing, merciless.

I felt the blood drain from my face. My whole body shook, not just from hurt but from the bond fraying under his disregard.

“As you wish,” I said evenly, my voice cold as a winter howl.

Tonight would be my final night in this packhouse. After this, I would walk away—and Lucian Blackwood would be nothing more than a chapter I had already burned.

Decision made, I tightened my grip on the trash bag and walked out the front door, ignoring the pain twisting in my wolf’s chest.

Behind me, Sabrina’s voice floated out, coated in feigned sympathy.

“Don’t fight because of me, Lucian. She’s so angry she even took down your wedding portrait.”

Lucian sighed, frustration rumbling through his chest like an Alpha’s growl. “She’s being dramatic. Once she realizes I’m not giving in, she’ll come running back.”

A single tear slid down my cheek. I stepped into the night wind, cold against my skin, and tossed the bag into the pack’s refuse bins—along with every last remnant of love I ever had for him.

The moment I pushed the door open, a faint sound drifted out of the nursery—and instantly my wolf bristled, heat flaring through me. That room had been Lucian’s pride the second he learned I carried his heir. He had personally overseen every detail: the carved wooden cradle from the Northern Pack, the rune-stitched blankets, the protective charms, the stuffed moonbeasts… all chosen by his own hands.

All chosen for our pup.

And now he intended to hand all of that over to Sabrina?

A savage fury rose like wildfire under my skin. I stormed down the corridor, claws itching to break free, and shoved the nursery door wide open—

Only to find Sabrina curled up inside the cradle, as if trying to claim it as hers.

I didn’t even think. Instinct roared to the surface. I grabbed her by the arm and lifted her straight out of the crib, rage pounding in my chest like a second heartbeat.

But before I could speak, Lucian appeared in a blur of movement, his Alpha strength clamping around my wrist as he yanked me back.

“What in the hell is wrong with you, Vivienne?” he barked, anger vibrating through his wolf aura. “You fly into a frenzy the moment you walk through the door!”

His dominance pressed down on me—until he saw the tears filling my eyes. His grip loosened, barely.

My voice cracked. “Are you truly giving this room to her?”

Lucian’s expression tightened. “Sabrina said she feels comfortable here. It doesn’t matter if she uses it temporarily. Stop overreacting.”

“Do you even remember—”

“Enough, Vivienne!” he snapped, slicing off my words with a growl of irritation. “Your behavior these past days has been unacceptable. If this continues, I might have to reconsider whether this mating bond is still viable.”

He paused, eyes chilling to frost.

“Unless you want the pup inside you to grow up without a father.”

He was threatening me. Threatening divorce. Threatening rejection.

As I stared at him—his profile turned away like he always did when he was done arguing—every warm memory we’d built disintegrated. The vows he whispered under the moon, the promise that this nursery would belong to our firstborn forever… all of it felt like smoke and lies now.

All of it meaningless.

Without another word, I turned and walked out. My fingers instinctively cupped my stomach, feeling the soft flutter of life beneath my palm.

“It’s alright, little one,” I whispered. “We don’t need that room. I’ll make you a better one. Somewhere safe.”

Behind me, Lucian remained motionless, watching me retreat. That same fleeting guilt I saw at the clinic flickered over his face again—sharp, fleeting, almost human. Then Sabrina called his name from the nursery, and he pivoted toward her without hesitation.

---

Later, when I returned to the master bedroom, my phone buzzed repeatedly. A string of voice messages from Sabrina.

I pressed play.

With each recording, Lucian’s gentle, doting voice washed over me—soft tones, comforting murmurs, the kind he once used with me when he thought he was being a good mate. But hearing them now, layered with Sabrina’s coy responses… the truth slammed hard into me.

Every affectionate gesture Lucian ever gave me had been nothing but training for her.

The soups he served me to “strengthen the pup.”

The gifts he bought for the nursery.

The care instructions he read out loud.

The nights he talked to my belly as though speaking to our future heir.

All of it—every last piece—had only been practice.

He had used me and my unborn child as a rehearsal, a trial run so Sabrina wouldn’t suffer through his inexperience. Even the nursery, which he swore was for our pup, had been prepared for the offspring in Sabrina’s womb.

I listened to the messages again and again until the ache in my chest twisted so painfully it forced out a laugh. A brittle, broken sound.

I wasn’t laughing because it was amusing.

I was laughing because the hurt was so deep it split something inside me.

Everything I had cherished since learning I was pregnant—every tender moment, every shred of hope—was nothing but a lie Lucian crafted so he could perfect his gentleness… for another wolf’s child.

His affection for my pup didn’t even scrape the surface of what he lavished on Sabrina’s unborn one.

My hand trembled as I gripped the phone, breath shuddering. My lungs felt tight, painful, like my ribcage had shrunk around my heart.

All I could do was whisper to myself, again and again:

“It’s fine. It’s fine. We’ll be alright.”

Because soon… we would be free of him.

Just me and my pup. And we would survive.

As if sensing my turmoil, the tiny life inside me gave a soft kick—gentle, reassuring, almost protective. Like he understood. Like he agreed.

I wrapped both arms around my belly, holding the little one close, anchoring myself.

I stayed like that for a long while, breathing slowly, waiting for the pain to loosen its grip.

And finally… eventually… it did.