I was ambushed on the day of my mating ceremony with my fiancé Rowan. A group of omegas attacked me, their eyes glaring with hatred.

They ripped the car door off its hinges, and the driver lost control. We swerved off the road, slamming into something solid.

Everything went black.

When I came to, I was disoriented and panicked.

I was lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by the pack's medical staff. But something was terribly wrong.

"Why is everywhere so dark?" I screamed, thrashing about in bed.

The pack nurses rushed to calm me down, speaking softly and trying to restrain me. But I didn't want to be consoled!

Then I heard the sounds of hurried footsteps and Rowan's worried voice. "Cora, oh goddess, Cora!"

"Rowan! You’re here!" I exclaimed as I licked my dry lips.

His warm large hands found mine. "Yes, honey, I'm here. I came as soon as I heard."

I clung to his hand, a relieved sigh escaping my lips. Rowan was here. Everything would be okay.

The pack doctor finally came and examined my eyes.

There was a long, uneasy silence before he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Alpha Cora. It appears you've gone blind from the impact of the accident. I removed the glass from your eyes, but...I feared this might happen."

This couldn’t even be real.

Blind? I would never see Rowan's face again? Never see our future children?

I burst into tears, shaking all over. Rowan wrapped his arms around me, trying to hush me.

"There has to be something we can do!" He yelled. "We need to call the pack healers, now! They have to be able to heal her."

The doctor sounded sympathetic. "I've never seen damage this extensive. Even with the healers...I'm not sure she'll ever see again."

"Rowan, I'm so scared," I cried, my fingers clutching at his shirt.

He pulled me even closer, stroking my arms.

"Cora, calm down. The wolves hurt you too. You need to be careful, not move around too much."

I stilled, feeling a big plaster around my side.

"The wolves came from nowhere! I couldn't even fight back. I don't know why."

Rowan replied immediately. "Maybe it's because you're in the first trimester of your pregnancy. Your senses might be a bit off."

My fingers immediately found my belly, and I felt that rush of panic.

"Wait. I hope my pup is safe?"

My voice was shaking and I feared the answer.

The doctor reassured me my baby was safe for now but they needed to examine me further.

Rowan’s soft lips touched the back of my hand gently. "As long as I'm here, Cora, I won't let any harm come to you or our unborn child."

As the nurse gave me the anesthesia, the last thing I remembered was the sound of his voice whispering "I love you" in my ear.

I lost consciousness.

When I regained my senses, my eyes were shut under the bandages.

But my hearing was sharper than ever, as if my body was compensating for the loss of my sight.

I could hear the doctor and Rowan’s voices from a separate wing of the hospital, perhaps 4-5 floors away from my room.

But their conversation was loud and clear, as if they were standing by my bedside.

"...she's still unconscious, isn't it best we treat her?" the doctor asked.

Rowan snapped. "Treat her for what? And risk her having another child?"

My heart skipped a beat. What did he mean?

The doctor's voice was hesitant. "But...the incomplete abortion was carried out as you instructed, and now she's developed sepsis. If we don't treat her, it could kill her."

Abortion? Sepsis? What was happening?

And then it hit me – I could no longer feel the life of my child in my belly. My pup was gone.

No, no, no. This couldn't be happening.

Rowan sounded colder. "We'll treat her, but only once her uterus is damaged. Wait a few days first."

The doctor protested, "But it's risky. She could –"

Rowan cut him off. "She won't die. She's a female alpha, strong enough to withstand the pain."

I felt like throwing up. What kind of monster was Rowan?

The doctor asked, "And what about her blindness?"

Rowan's response sent chills down my spine. "It's a blessing in disguise. I wanted her to be paralyzed, but this is even better. Now I can push her around, and she still won’t see anything."

I felt hot tears slipping from my eyes, soaking into the bandages.

The doctor asked, "What if she finds out?"

"She won't," Rowan growled. "And if you dare to tell her, I'll kill your entire family. You know the price you must pay for the money I've given you."

"Of course, Beta Rowan," the doctor said, terrified. "I would never betray you."

Rowan's tone turned almost jovial. "Even the driver is on a ship out of the city with the money he's been given. Everything should be alright."

He paused, and I could sense his smile. "And then the omegas who attacked Cora will be greatly rewarded and ranked higher when I become Alpha, just like I promised them."

I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

And then I suddenly remembered the wine he gave me before the ceremony, the one he said was for good luck.

It must have been spiked, which explained why I was so weak and unable to fight back.

Rowan's voice cut through my thoughts, speaking to the doctor. "I need Cora to be more cooperative, especially now that I'm about to take over as Alpha and bring in my true Luna, Odessa."

Odessa? The one who was supposedly just a childhood friend?

What he said next blew my mind. Odessa was carrying his child, his true heir.

He literally planned everything!

All he did was to pave the way for his true mate, Odessa, and their child. And to take over as Alpha.

Rowan sighed finally. "Go give her the wolfsbane right now. We need to ensure everything goes according to plan."

They were coming for me. There had to be a way out somehow.

Who was I kidding? I was freaking blind.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and Rowan's voice called out to me.

"Honey, are you crying?" he asked in a voice as soft as a feather.

His tone could have fooled me if I just didn’t overhear him.

I swallowed hard. "I'm fine. Just in severe pain."

He sighed. "Sadly, we actually lost our pup. I’m pained but at least, we can make another one after we get married."

He was acting like the loss of our child was no big deal. As if it was just a freaking minor setback.

Rowan’s thumb found my face and brushed the tears off my cheeks gently. "Darling, you're bleeding all over,"

He asked the doctor, who was standing close to us. "Why is she still bleeding?"

The doctor hesitated before responding. "It's normal. The bleeding will stop after a few days. In the meantime, I can inject her with a painkiller to help manage her discomfort."

I knew exactly what that "painkiller" was.

Wolfsbane.

And I knew I had to avoid it at all costs.

I shook my head weakly. "No! I don't need it. I'll be fine."

But Rowan was insistent. "Darling, you're in a lot of pain. This will help you feel better."

He turned to the doctor. "Give it to her. I don't want her to suffer."

My heart started hammering in my chest as the doctor prepared the injection. If only I could see him and knock the syringe over and run away or something.

But it was too late. I felt the sharp needle in my vein, and the wolfsbane was being inserted.

I immediately felt even weaker, my body numb. Unresponsive.

I couldn't even hear Aida, my wolf, anymore. I knew that with this wolfsbane, my injuries would linger, and I wouldn't be able to heal fast.

Rowan rubbed my shoulder affectionately and I couldn’t even move an inch. "You need ample rest, Cora. The nurses will be called in to clean up the blood and pad you up."

He kissed my forehead and excused himself.

As the nurses finished cleaning me up, I lay back against the pillows, exhausted.

The sound of a phone vibrating by the bedside caught my attention.

I recognized the notification tone as Rowan's. I ordered the only nurse left in the room to take the phone and open it.

The nurse picked up the phone and asked, "What's the password?"

I paused, realizing that Rowan had never allowed me to touch his phone. I had no idea what his password was.

"Try my birthdate, 25-06-1999" I said, hoping that might work.

The nurse tapped in the numbers, but the phone remained locked. "Sorry, Alpha Cora. That's incorrect."

I thought fast, trying to come up with a solution. And then, a name popped into my head - Odessa.

"Try 'Odessa',"

After a few seconds, she said, "It's opened now. There's a new voice message from Odessa."

My heart fell as I realized that Rowan's password was indeed his mistress's name.

It was a very painful reminder of his crazy betrayal.

I asked the nurse to lower the volume and tap on the message. She handed me the phone, and I brought it close to my ear to listen.

Odessa's voice was sugary sweet. "Hey, Rowan. Just got back from the doctor, and our baby is safe and healthy. I couldn't be happier that Cora's out of the way. We need to act fast and get you in position as Alpha. Then we can introduce our little family to the pack."

But then, what she said next left me breathless. "I just got word that the Alpha is dead. The timing couldn't be more perfect."

I gasped, my hand flying to my mouth. My father, the Alpha, was dead? I couldn't process it.

I ordered the nurse to delete the message and keep the phone back. The nurse did as she was told before leaving me alone.

I started sobbing again.

My father had been suffering from a strange illness since an attack from a rival clan.

And being his only daughter and a female alpha, I was supposed to take over right after I married Rowan.

Rowan, my father's beta, was supposed to be the most trustworthy.

But turns out, he was a snake.

He had been playing me all along, using me to further his own ambitions.

As I sobbed profusely, trying to understand it all, I started hearing Rowan and Odessa's voices far away.

They were speaking in quiet voices, but I could make out their words.

Odessa was saying something about just trying to reach him, and Rowan was asking tenderly about their baby.

"How's our little one doing?" he cooed. "How much longer do I have to wait?"

Odessa giggled, her voice husky. "Just one month, my love. And our heir will be here."

She continued, "Like I said earlier, your plan worked. The Alpha is dead."

Rowan sounded excited. "I knew giving the rival clan information about him would pay off. They attacked him, made him helpless...it was all worth it. Thank the goddess he's finally dead."

I felt like gagging.

So, Rowan had orchestrated my father's attack too? It just kept getting worse.

I heard Rowan kissing Odessa all over, his voice so calm and tender. "I love you so much, Odessa. I couldn't have done it without you. I promise, we'll rule the pack together, and our child will be the future heir."

I cried out, feeling the stabbing pain in my heart. "I'll give anything," I whispered, barely hearing myself. "Moon goddess, please...just give me my sight back."

I couldn’t believe the moon goddess actually listened to my prayers!

My eyesight was back, and I had been discharged from the hospital.

I had just been placed in a wheelchair by the maids and a white cane was sitting on my lap.

Rowan and Odessa strolled into the room, arm in arm, looking so bright and happy.

I just stared ahead, acting like I couldn’t see them.

"Cora, have you eaten?" Rowan asked, as he reached me. "I could feed you myself."

I had to hold myself from lashing out at him.

"I'm not hungry," I said, my voice flat.

"Very well, then," he said, his eyes never leaving my face. "But Odessa, my friend, came for a visit."

Friend indeed.

Odessa’s belly was really round and swollen like she would give birth any minute now.

As Rowan spoke, his hands snaked around her waist, his touch possessive and intimate.

I felt a stinging hurt at the sight but decided to ignore them, biting my lip.

Odessa smiled smugly. "Hi, Cora. Glad to see you're recuperating."

I nodded curtly, staring at the wall.

One of the maids burst into the room just then.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, Sir Rowan, but a pack member is outside and needs your attention."

Rowan excused himself, his eyes lingering on me for a moment before he followed the maid out of the room.

As soon as Rowan was out of earshot, Odessa turned to me, her nose scrunched up.

"Ugh, I've been holding my breath ever since I walked in here. What's that terrible stench coming from you? Didn't you bathe very well or something?"

"I wouldn't stop bleeding after losing my pup," I said, striving to sound calm. "It's not my fault."

Odessa snickered, her eyes malicious.

"Oh, just shut up. How can someone like you even be Rowan's bride? You have no eyesight, you're healing slowly like a weak omega, you couldn't produce a heir, and on top of everything else, you're smelling like a corpse?"

Her words really cut me deep, and I had to push back the tears stinging my eyes.

"Why are you so bitter?" I asked, my voice tight.

She huffed and flipped her burgundy hair. "Just because I care about Rowan doesn't mean I should care about you too,"

Rowan came back into the room just then and Odessa immediately spoke softly to him.

"You should send for the maids to bathe Cora again. Maybe my nose is extra sensitive because of my pup, but I'm sorry to say, Cora smells very bad."

I was only bleeding nonstop and had the foul smell because of the incomplete abortion.

The solution was to go back to the hospital but I couldn’t request that. Else they’d know I already found out.

"So, Odessa is with child?" I asked, as if I didn’t already know.

Rowan's face lit up with a smile. "Yeah, she is,"

He had never been this excited about our child.

Rowan continued, his voice soft and gentle. "Cora, honey, your personal maid Eliana would be here to come give you a bath and change you. I need to get ready."

I gave a stiff nod. "You need to get ready for what?"

"There's an important pack meeting in an hour, and I have to be there on your behalf. Since you're not in the position to go."

"No," I shook my head. "If there's a pack meeting, as the next Alpha, I'm supposed to be present."

"That's crazy, Cora," he said in a firm voice. "You're not even close to recovering yet. You need to rest. I'll personally let you know all the details of the meeting."

Oh if only I could reach out and claw at him, punch him, anything.

"I'll see you later," he said finally, before turning to Odessa holding her hand.

I watched as they left the room together, my heart breaking into a million pieces.

A few minutes later, I got up from my wheelchair, abandoning my cane. I had to see what they were up to.

When I reached the living room, Rowan was feeding Odessa tenderly, rubbing her belly and kissing it. He was so affectionate, so loving.

When I had told him about my pregnancy, he hadn't even looked pleased.

For the first trimester, which was my most delicate time, he had never accompanied me to any of the visits to the doctor.

He claimed he was busy with other pack matters.

But here he was, gushing over Odessa's pup, and right under my own roof.

And worse I had just lost a pup of my own.

My heart was hurting so bad, and I held my chest, feeling physical pain.

Rowan kissed Odessa on her lips very tenderly.

"I can't wait to show you to the world,"

She giggled. "You can't have a better Luna than me,"

Rowan was supposed to be my mate, my partner.

I turned around, my eyes blurry with tears. I couldn't watch this anymore.

When I got back to the room, I spotted Rowan's laptop on the desk. Curious, I decided to check it.

I opened it and Odessa's birthday was the passcode.

Of course.

I scrolled through the files, my eyes widening as I saw receipts of transfers made to Odessa. He had gotten her so many expensive things.

There were hospital visits, doctor's appointments, and ultrasounds. And pictures of them together.

They were taken from the very first week of her pregnancy, all the way up to the present day. And now she was eight months.

The last picture was taken just a day before our ceremony. Rowan was grinning so wide.

I saw another folder labeled "Our Special Day"

Inside, I found documents detailing a secret wedding ceremony, planned entirely according to Odessa's taste.

Rowan had never planned to marry me.

The entire mating ceremony was just a big fat joke.

And then, I saw the white dress I had picked out for the ceremony. He had told me that someone else had paid for it, and that we were too late.

But now, I saw he had been the one to pay for it, and he had purchased it for Odessa instead.

Wiping at my eyes, I closed the laptop, my heart heavy like lead.

There was a tap at the door. It was my personal maid, Eliana.

"Alpha Cora?" she called gently. "Sir Rowan asked me to draw you a bath, get you some food, and help you get into bed."

I replied sharply. "I don't want any of that. What I want is for you to accompany me. I'm going to the pack meeting right now."