Katie couldn't wait to share the news with her husband and mate, Liam.

She was pregnant!

This was the second opportunity they needed after the loss of their daughter Ruby. A fresh start to fill the gap.

When she reached Liam's private study door, she heard his voice, followed by Andrew, his beta. She slowed down, not wanting to disrupt their chat.

"...the ashes of your daughter Ruby have been brought back," Andrew said.

Katie's eyes almost popped out of her head.

Ruby? Ashes? What were they talking about?

"Where are the ashes?" Liam demanded.

"In the car, Alpha. I had to inform you immediately about the death."

Now Katie's heart was pounding. She was on the verge of passing out.

She thought Ruby was missing, kidnapped by someone.

But dead?

"What am I supposed to do with a jar of ashes?" Liam scoffed. "I'm surprised Ruby made it for one year. I thought she was going to die the very next day after I sold her as a slave to the Ember moon pack."

Her precious Ruby was sold. As a slave.

"Well, what should we do about the ashes now, Alpha?" Andrew asked hesitantly.

"Take it somewhere far, Andrew. Spread it across the sea or something. I don't want to deal with it," Liam said dismissively.

"But what if Luna Katie finds out?" Andrew pressed.

Liam chuckled harshly. "Find out how? She's still going to think Ruby is missing, not suspect that she just died."

For a minute, Katie’s breathing halted. Her heart felt tight in her chest.

For the past year, she had been searching for Ruby, thinking she was kidnapped. Liam had led the search, pretending to be concerned.

But he had been the one to sell off his five year old daughter!

Katie snapped out of her thoughts as she heard Andrew’s voice again.

"Alpha, at least maybe you should have given Luna Katie an opportunity to see her child's ashes one last time. She has been grieving for the past year."

Liam heaved a deep sigh. "Don’t be stupid. It is going to reopen old wounds. Katie shouldn’t know a thing about this, you hear me?"

Liam went on, his words piercing Katie's heart more and more.

"You understand why I did it, all right? Dakota's life was far too precious to give up. I know selling Ruby to the other pack was the only way to get access to the rare potion to cure Dakota's Lunar Fever. And since Ruby was born, she's always been a weak child. I suspected she wasn't going to live for long, and the best way was to put her to good use."

Katie had to forcefully cover her mouth to stop the sound of a sob that escaped her throat.

Her eyes burned with tears.

Dakota was Katie’s cousin and Liam’s first love.

He had traded Ruby's life for her.

In Katie’s heart, the betrayal and sorrow were like a dagger twisting.

Liam's voice rose again in a very serious tone. "You better keep this information between us. Now, go get rid of the ashes."

Katie could no longer stand there listening. Clutching the pregnancy test paper in her hand, she turned on her heel.

She snatched an empty jar, her car keys, and hurried outside.

When she saw Andrew's car, she hurriedly opened the door and looked for the jar that held Ruby's ashes.

A rush of sorrow passed over her as she carefully took it after finding it on the backseat. Then she replaced it with the empty jar.

She got into her own car and drove to a remote lakeside with towering trees and the calming sound of the water gently crashing on the shore.

After exiting the vehicle, Katie made her way to the lake. She inhaled the aroma of water lilies and damp dirt.

Kneeling among the pebbles, she held the jar to her chest.

Her thoughts went to those nights when she would hold a picture of Ruby to her chest and cry herself to sleep.

Liam would hold her in his arms, telling her that his best soldiers were searching for Ruby.

It was all a lie, though.

She finally gave herself permission to cry, and hot tears fell down her face.

She cried for Ruby, for the life she would never have, for the pain and suffering she had endured. She cried for herself, for the betrayal and hurt she felt.

When the tears dried, she glanced down at the jar, and murmured quietly.

"Don't worry, Ruby. I'll definitely avenge your death. Dakota and Liam will surely pay for what they've done."

Liam's car was gone when Katie pulled back into the mansion's driveway.

Great.

It meant she had time to sneak around.

She had always respected his boundaries, but not anymore.

Very cautiously, she made her way to the private study Liam had always kept her out of.

She pushed the creaking door open to find a room crammed with papers and books.

Her eyes found a safe in the corner, partially hidden behind a bookshelf.

When she reached the safe, she tried to think of the password number.

She used Dakota’s birth date and the safe clicked open.

Inside was a written contract between Liam and the Ember Moon Pack. As she read Ruby's sale terms, her eyes grew wide. It was true!

Next to the contract, she found a medical record, detailing the acquisition of a rare potion linked to Dakota's treatment.

She swiftly used her phone to take pictures.

Just as she was ready to go, she heard the front door open and knew Liam was back.

Katie hastily placed the documents back in the safe but bumped into Liam at the door who looked surprised as hell to see her there.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked, eyeing her all over.

She tried to think fast. "I was looking for you. The door was slightly ajar, and I thought you were in here. We planned on going to the park, right? You've been pushing for it for weeks, and it's Ruby's favorite place. It helps me feel closer to her."

"Let me take a shower first," he said in a soft voice as he caressed a flyaway hair from her face. "How come your eyes are bloodshot, though? Have you been crying again?”

Anger swept through Katie, but she controlled herself. "I had a dream that Ruby died."

Liam froze for a moment before he brought his strong arms around her. "The Moon Goddess will take pity on us and Ruby will be found eventually. Don’t worry."

Katie gripped her dress with her fists, refusing to hug him back. The audacity of him, pretending to be concerned about their daughter's disappearance when he was, in fact, her killer.

He guided her out of the study, and they walked to their room together. Katie sat on the bed while he jumped into the shower.

Her eyes fell on his beeping phone on the nightstand.

She had always assumed that the password was her name, just like he had told her. However, when she tried typing it in, the phone remained locked.

‘Deekay’ was the nickname Liam used to call her cousin Dakota. She wondered if he might have used it as a password.

Of course it worked.

The first thing Katie saw was a discussion about the cozy vacation house that her parents had given to her as a wedding gift.

She had spent countless special events and holidays there with her family as a child.

But then Liam had just gifted Dakota for being pregnant with his heir!

Dakota carrying Liam's child? Her stomach churned at the thought.

There were also pictures of the house being refurbished to Dakota's taste.

Liam had deceived Katie by adding his name to the deed of the house.

He said he would be able to protect it better if anything went wrong. And, foolishly, she had trusted him, because she loved him.

There were older messages from Liam, declaring his love for Dakota, and Dakota's responses, saying she couldn't bear the secret relationship anymore.

Liam consoled her by saying, "When the time is right, my love, I'll dump my good-for-nothing wife. You know you're my true mate."

Katie felt like she was reading a nightmare. She also saw transaction receipts for expensive things Liam had bought for Dakota.

Things he had rebuked her for asking for.

It got worse. There were nasty messages between them talking about their sex escapades.

Liam also said she couldn’t satisfy him like Dakota did. And it seemed like the moon goddess locked her womb after giving birth to that frail daughter.

She couldn't take it anymore and locked the phone, her eyes stinging with tears.

She remembered how she was never Liam’s fated mate but only chosen by both their families.

Dakota was his first love, and they had been forced to break up when Dakota went overseas for her schooling.

Katie had married Liam at twenty years old, two years after Dakota left, and had given birth to Ruby.

Now, six years had passed, and Katie realized that her entire marriage was a total waste of her time.

Dakota had returned a year ago terribly sick, and Liam found the potion to save her.

Now she knew it was at the expense of her child.

The phone vibrated again, and a message from Dakota popped up in the notification bar.

"Honey, where are you? You have to come with me for a prenatal visit. I miss you, by the way. And please bring my favorite creamy mushroom soup you always bring."

Katie's anger and hurt turned to disgust. Liam had always made her cook the soup regularly even though he didn’t like it.

He claimed that he brought the soup for his beta's elderly mother.

Such a liar.

The sound of the shower stopped, so she quickly placed the phone back.

Liam came in with a bathrobe and grabbed his phone, glancing through.

"I'm sorry, but the pack needs me. Can we reschedule our outing?"

With a tight-lipped smile, Katie answered, "It's okay."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, saying, "I would make it up to you, okay? Oh, and another thing, can you help me make that creamy mushroom soup you always do?"

Katie answered bluntly. "I'm sorry but I won’t cook today. I'm not feeling too well."

Liam's countenance went from composed to shocked. "You don't feel good? "What's wrong?"

With a shrug, Katie got to her feet. "It's simply a headache, nothing more. Go take care of your pack business."

Before now, she had never turned down any of his requests, even when it was inconvenient.

Liam looked puzzled, his eyes searching hers for any sign of what was really going on. "You usually want to tag along when I go out or want me home with you. Now it seems like you want me to leave."

"The pack needs you and I need my rest."

She excused herself without saying anything more and left the room, leaving Liam looking perplexed and worried.

She took out her phone and called the clinic as soon as she was out of sight. "Hello, I'd like to schedule an appointment for an abortion,"

"We have an opening tomorrow morning, Luna. Can you come in at 10 am?"

"Yes, that works. I'll be there."

There was no way she was having Liam’s baby.

Liam left the house that night but didn’t return home. For the first time, Katie didn’t care.

Her 26th birthday arrived the following morning. She wasn't shocked when Liam didn't call or message her because she hadn't thought he would remember.

He always forgot her birthdays. Their anniversaries. Any important event really.

She freshened up and dressed in a black lace dress, taking a mirror photo. She shared it on Instagram with a caption: "Another new year."

The comments flooded immediately, with friends and acquaintances wishing her a happy birthday.

But Liam didn't even see the post, let alone comment.

Katie sighed and made her way to the hospital.

Before long, her fingers were gripped together as she sat in the waiting chair. Suddenly, a pregnant lady and a woman who appeared to be her mother sat next to her.

The pregnant lady's mother gushed about how she couldn't wait to be a first-time grandma.

Something changed inside Katie as she listened and her maternal instinct took over.

So when the doctor called her name, she stood up and shook her head. "I'd like to keep the baby,"

She already lost Ruby, but she was going to protect this little one with her life. And Liam had no right to know about it.

As she left the clinic, she came across Dakota’s internet post.

It was a celebration for her new makeup line. In the background, Liam could be seen.

She drove to the venue and found Liam and Dakota in a secluded spot. Liam's hand was on Dakota's stomach. Their cheeks were beaming with joy as they laughed.

Dakota praised Liam for organizing the “awesome party," and Liam said that she should be celebrated more since she was carrying his heir.

Katie’s disgust grew. So he forgot her birthday and threw a party for his mistress?

She cleared her throat to draw their attention. They were startled.

Dakota began, "Katie, please don’t misunderstand. My own fiancé isn't in town yet, so Liam came just to help."

Katie folded her arms across her chest. "So you could invite my husband yet you didn't invite your cousin?”

"I apologize for forgetting. I assumed you were gonna be busy.”

Katie raised her brows. "The Alpha himself isn't busy, so why would the Luna be busy?"

Liam was quick to contribute. "I really didn't want to bother you, you said you were unwell. I only came because Dakota is delicate, being pregnant."

Katie pretended to be surprised. "Oh, really? Congratulations, Dakota."

Dakota gave her best smile. "Thanks cousin."

Then she added, "Oh, isn't it your birthday today?"

"Yes, why?"

Dakota grabbed the cake from the nearby table. "How about you have this? It was supposed to be mine for the celebration, but the flavor isn't good for the baby. Liam has already sent for another of my choice."

With a cheesy smile she handed the cake to Katie.

Katie's eyes shifted from the cake to Liam’s face.

Liam took a step closer. "I was actually going to send you a birthday surprise, but now you've ruined everything."

Katie knew he was lying. He hadn't remembered her birthday.

She forced a wry smile. "Thanks, Dakota. I'll take it."

She had to hold back from smearing her doll-like face with the white buttery cake.

"I'll be on my way home." she announced.

Liam called after her. "I'll join you soon."

Her eyes rolled in exasperation as she reached the exit. She quickly tossed the cake in the bin then went home.

Afterwards, Liam showed up with a lot of pricey presents. Katie looked around the room, uninterested.

Liam’s smile was as broad as a Cheshire cat's. "Kate, happy birthday. I chose these presents just for you. I hope you love them.”

Katie stared at him dead in the eye and stated calmly, "I don't want them. I don't want anything from you."