CHAPTER 5

I slipped out of bed at dawn, leaving Dominic sleeping soundly. His arm had been across my waist all night, though his dreams had called out Selena's name twice.

The kitchen had always been my sanctuary. I prepared a hearty breakfast—eggs, bacon, and fresh blueberry pancakes that Dominic loved. My hands worked automatically while my mind plotted.

"Playing housewife so early?" Selena's mocking voice broke the silence.

I didn't turn around. "Good morning, Selena." I said pleasantly, turning back to the gas cooker. "Sleep well?"

She came closer, wearing nothing but one of Dominic's shirts that barely reached mid-thigh. My claws threatened to emerge, but I forced them back.

"Terribly," she sighed dramatically. "The guest room bed is so uncomfortable. Maybe I should ask Dominic if I could sleep somewhere more... suitable."

My hand tightened around the spatula. "I'm sure we can find you a better mattress."

She moved closer, her honeysuckle scent invading my space. "Don't pretend you don't know what's happening, Reina. I've seen the way you look at us."

I kept my focus on the eggs. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Dominic doesn't love you," she said bluntly. "He never has. You were just convenient after I left."

The spatula clattered against the pan. "You need to stop."

"Why?" she challenged. "Because you can't handle the truth? That your marriage is a sham? That your mother was right to betray—"

The sound of my palm hitting her cheek echoed through the kitchen. Selena's eyes widened in shock, then narrowed with malice.

You little bitch," she hissed, her hand flying to her reddening cheek just as heavy footsteps approached.

Dominic appeared in the doorway, his expression darkening as he took in the scene. "What the hell is going on?"

Before I could speak, Selena burst into tears. "I was just trying to be friendly," she sobbed. "I told her how much I appreciated her hospitality, and she attacked me!"

Dominic's eyes flashed dangerously as he turned to me. "Is this how you treat our guests? Our allies?"

"She's lying," I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite my racing heart. "She was insulting our marriage."

Selena hid her face in his chest, her body shaking with false sobs. "I thought we were friends, Reina. I don't understand why you hate me."

Dominic's arm tightened around her. "Apologize to Selena. Now."

I felt my wolf raging inside me, demanding we challenge them both. But the tiny life inside me needed protection more than my pride needed satisfaction.

"I'm sorry, Selena," I managed, the words tasting like ash. "I misunderstood the situation."

Dominic nodded curtly. "Finish breakfast. We have pack business to discuss."

He guided Selena to a seat at the table, his hand lingering on her lower back. I turned back to the stove, my hands trembling with rage.

****

Later that afternoon, I slipped away to Mira's cabin, passing through the woods unnoticed by Dominic's patrol guards.

"It's worse than we thought," Mira said after reviewing the photos I'd taken. "These marks on the map ,they're planning an attack through the northern border."

"When?" I asked.

"A day after the full moon. Fifteen days from now." She pointed to a date marked on the map. "They need Dominic weakened before then."

"The wolfsbane," I realized. "She's poisoning him slowly."

Mira nodded. "You need to be careful. The dose that weakens him could kill your child."

I placed a protective hand over my stomach. "What should I do?"

"Continue gathering evidence," she advised. "But we need to make contact with Alpha Mark of the Northern Crescent. He's been sheltering your mother and he's also our strongest potential ally."

She handed me a small vial of clear liquid. "This will protect your baby from any wolfsbane that might find its way into your food."

As I left Mira's cabin, my phone buzzed with a text from the pack's Beta: Emergency meeting called. All council members required.

I hurried back to the pack house, slipping in through the kitchen entrance.

______

After the emergency meeting, I made my way to the pack archives housed in the basement of the main building. The elderly archivist, Joel, looked up in surprise as I entered.

"Luna Reina," he greeted me warmly. "What brings you here today?"

"Research," I replied. "I need information about pack law regarding Luna succession."

His eyebrows rose. "An unusual request. May I ask why?"

"Just refreshing my knowledge," I said smoothly. "Could you also pull the records from five years ago? Particularly regarding my mother's trial?"

Joel hesitated. "Those are sealed by Alpha's orders."

I leaned forward. "Joel, how long have you known my mother?"

"Twenty years," he replied softly. "She was a good woman ,right?."

"Then help me now," I whispered. "Please."

He studied my face before nodding slowly. "Wait here."

Joel disappeared into the stacks then he returned, placing an ancient leather-bound book and a sealed folder before me. "Be careful, Luna," he murmured. "These are dangerous waters."

I opened the book to find the answer I needed—and something else entirely. Inside was a handwritten confession signed by Dominic, detailing exactly how he and Selena had framed my mother for treason.

CHAPTER 6

I woke up gasping for air, my hands clutching my stomach. Something was very wrong.

A sharp pain radiated through my abdomen .My nightgown was damp with sweat as I stumbled to the bathroom, careful not to wake Dominic who slept soundly, oblivious to my distress.

Once inside, I locked the door and sank to the floor, my vision blurring as another wave of pain hit me. Was I losing the baby? Panic surged through me as I fumbled for my phone.

"Healer Elena," I whispered when she answered, my voice strained. "Something's happening. The baby—"

"Where are you?" she asked sharply.

"Bathroom. Can't let Dominic see me like this."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes .I'll use the servants' entrance." She hung up without another word.

I managed to pull myself up, splashing cold water on my face. In the mirror, my reflection was frightening—pale skin, dark circles under my eyes. I changed into fresh clothes and slipped out of the bathroom.

Dominic hadn't moved. I crept past our bed and down the back stairs, each step sending fresh waves of pain through my body.

The night air was cold against my skin as I made my way to the servants' entrance. Elena was already waiting with a medical bag in hand.

"Inside," she whispered, helping me through the door. "The examination room. Quickly."

We moved through the silent house, pausing at every creak and groan of the old floorboards. Finally, we reached the small room where Elena treated minor pack injuries.

"Lie down," she instructed, closing the door behind us.

I obeyed, wincing as she pressed her hands against my abdomen. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she worked, mixing herbs and checking my vitals.

"What's happening?" I asked, my voice breaking. "Am I losing the baby?"

Elena's expression was grim. "Not naturally, no."

"What do you mean?"

"There's wolfsbane in your system," she said quietly. "Not enough to harm you significantly, but enough to threaten the ..." ,gesturing to my baby.

My blood ran cold. "Wolfsbane? How?"

"It was in your food or drink. Diluted and carefully administered." She mixed something in a small cup. "Drink this. It will counteract the effects."

As I took the bitter liquid, realization dawned. "Selena served us tea this afternoon. Said it was a special blend from her territory..."

Elena asked,. "Does she know you're ~?."

"No? I've been taking the concealment potion—"

Elena checked my pulse again. "The baby should be safe now, but you need to be more careful. Don't consume anything she offers you."

I closed my eyes, anger replacing fear. "She wants to kill my baby."

"Or she wants to expose your pregnancy before you're ready," Elena suggested. "Either way, you're in danger now."

A soft knock at the door made us both freeze. Elena motioned for me to stay silent as she approached the door cautiously.

"Who is it?" she called softly.

"It's Mira," came the whispered reply.

Elena opened the door just enough for Mira to slip inside. One look at my face told her everything.

"I saw your call, what happened?" she demanded.

Elena explained while I struggled to sit up. Mira's expression darkened with each word.

"This changes everything," she said once Elena finished. "We need to move up our timeline."

"I'm not ready," I protested weakly. "I don't have enough evidence against him yet."

"You don't have a choice anymore," Mira insisted

______________________________

DOMINIC POV

I wasn't asleep when Reina slipped out of bed.

My eyes remained closed, but every sense was alert as I tracked her movements through our bedroom. Her heartbeat was too rapid, her breathing shallow and pained. Something was wrong.

For weeks now, she'd been different. Subtle changes that most wouldn't notice, but I was her Alpha, her mate. How her smiles never quite reached her eyes anymore. The strange scent that sometimes clung to her clothes—someone outside our pack.

She locked the bathroom door. Unusual. In five years of marriage, she'd never once locked a door between us.

I strained to hear through the thick wood, catching fragments of a whispered conversation.

"...something's happening..."

I heard the shower turn on, but the water pattern sounded wrong. She wasn't standing under it, she was using it to mask her movements. A trick I'd taught her years ago.

When she emerged fifteen minutes later, I regulated my breathing to mimic deep sleep. Through barely-opened eyes, I watched her change clothes and slip out of our bedroom without a backward glance.

The moment the door closed, I was on my feet. I followed her scent through the house, staying far enough back that she wouldn't detect me. The servants' entrance? At this hour?

Outside, I caught another familiar scent that made my wolf bristle. Elena, our pack healer. What was she doing here in the middle of the night?

I circled around to the side of the house, finding a window where I could see into Elena's examination room without being spotted. Through the gap in the curtains, I watched as the healer pressed her hands against Reina's abdomen, her expression concerned.

Their voices were muffled, but I caught fragments that sent ice through my veins.

"...wolfsbane in your system..."

But wolfsbane? Who would dare poison my mate?

"...Selena served us tea this afternoon..."

My head snapped up at the mention of Selena's name. I moved closer to the window, desperate to hear more.

Then a new scent approached the room—Mira, my former Beta's mate. The woman who'd fallen from pack hierarchy after her mate questioned my leadership years ago. What was she doing with my Luna?

I heard footsteps approaching from inside the house and quickly retreated into the shadows. One of the night guards was making his rounds. I couldn't be discovered eavesdropping on my own mate.

I raced back to our bedroom, slipping between the sheets just minutes before Reina returned. I kept my breathing deep and even as she eased into bed beside me, careful not to wake me.

My mind raced with questions as she settled into an uneasy sleep beside me. Wolfsbane poisoning. Secret meetings with the pack healer and a former Beta's mate.

Whatever game she was playing, I needed to end it quickly. I grabbed my phone and spoke in a low tone. 'I need everything on Reina's activities for the past month. She's hiding something that could ruin us all. And if she is plotting against me... I want her eliminated. "

CHAPTER 7

The next morning, I woke before dawn with my stomach churning with nausea. I barely made it to the bathroom before emptying the contents of my stomach. This was the third morning in a row, and I knew my pregnancy was becoming harder to hide. Elena's potion had masked my scent changes so far, but the physical symptoms were another matter entirely.

I rinsed my mouth and splashed cold water on my face just as Dominic appeared in the doorway.

"Are you sick?" he asked, his brow furrowed with what might have passed for concern if I didn't know better.

"Just something I ate," I lied, avoiding his gaze in the mirror.

He stepped closer, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Maybe you should see Elena today."

I tensed under his touch. "I'm fine. I have too much to do today."

"What could be more important than your health?" he asked, his voice dropping to that tender tone he used when playing the role of caring husband.

"Pack business," I replied vaguely. "The winter festival preparations won't organize themselves."

His hand dropped from my shoulder. "Selena offered to help with that. She has excellent taste in these matters."

Of course she did. "How thoughtful of her," I said, forcing a smile. "But as Luna, it's my responsibility."

Before he could argue, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his expression shifting subtly. "I need to handle this. We'll talk later."

The moment he left, I pulled out my phone and texted Mira: Meeting today?

Her response came moments later: Noon. The old hunting cabin. Come alone.

I dressed quickly, choosing loose clothes that wouldn't reveal the slight swell of my stomach. As I made my way downstairs, I heard voices from the kitchen—Dominic and Selena, laughing intimately over breakfast.

"I'll be out for a few hours," I announced from the doorway. "Pack errands."

Dominic barely looked up. "Take a guard with you."

"That won't be necessary," I said firmly. "I'm just going into town."

"It wasn't a suggestion, Luna," he replied, his Alpha voice slipping into the command. "Mason will accompany you."

Mason was Dominic's most loyal guard and his childhood friend. Having him shadow me would ruin everything.

"Fine," I conceded. "I'll find him on my way out."

As I turned to leave, Selena called out, "Oh, Reina? Could you pick up some jasmine tea while you're out? I seem to have run out."

The audacity of her request made my wolf snarl. "Of course," I said sweetly. "Anything else you need in my house?"

Her smile faltered just slightly. "That will be all. Thank you."

I found Mason waiting by my car, his broad shoulders and imposing height making him an intimidating figure. "Good morning, Luna," he greeted me with a respectful nod.

"Morning, Mason," I replied, getting into the driver's seat. "We're just making a few stops in town."

He slid into the passenger seat without comment, his dark eyes watchful as I started the car.

My mind raced as we drove. How could I lose him before meeting Mira? The hunting cabin was deep in the territory's western woods, in the opposite direction from town.

We reached the marketplace, and I began my charade of normal errands—picking up fresh bread, stopping at the bookstore, collecting Selena's precious tea. All the while, Mason shadowed me silently, reporting our movements to Dominic via brief text messages that he thought I didn't notice.

It was nearly eleven when disaster struck. As we walked past the pack clinic, Elena emerged, her eyes widening at the sight of me.

"Luna Reina!" she called out. "I was hoping to see you today. Your test results came back."

My blood ran cold. "Test results?"

Elena's confusion was evident. "Yes, from your appointment last week. About your—" She glanced at Mason and lowered her voice. "Your condition."

Mason's attention sharpened immediately. I could almost see his ears perk up at the whispered exchange.

"Right," I said quickly. "My... headaches. Can we discuss this inside?"

Once in the privacy of her office, I rounded on Elena. "What are you thinking? I never came in for any tests!"

Elena's face paled. "I'm sorry, Luna. Alpha Dominic came by this morning asking about your health. He mentioned you'd been sick, and I thought—"

"He sent you to trap me," I realized, my heart pounding. "He suspects something."

"I didn't tell him anything," Elena assured me hastily. "But Luna, you need to be careful. The potion masking your pregnancy won't work forever, especially as you enter your second month."

I ran a hand through my hair, calculating rapidly. "I need you to create a diversion. Something that will keep Mason occupied for at least two hours."

Elena hesitated. "What kind of diversion?"

"A pack emergency. Something that requires strength but isn't life-threatening."

She thought for a moment, then nodded. "I can do that."

I left the clinic with a fake prescription bottle filled with vitamins, telling Mason they were for my "headaches." We continued our errands until Elena's plan unfolded perfectly. A young warrior rushed up to Mason, panic in his eyes.

"Mason! Thank the Moon Goddess I found you. There's been an accident at the training grounds. Three warriors are trapped under collapsed equipment. We need your strength!"

Mason looked torn, glancing between me and the messenger.

"Go," I urged. "I'll head straight home. I'm done with my errands anyway."

After a moment's hesitation, he nodded and followed the warrior, leaving me alone.

I drove quickly to the hunting cabin, arriving just as Mira pulled up with another vehicle behind her. A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped out, Beta Liam from the Northern Crescent pack.

"Luna Reina," he greeted me with a formal bow. "Your mother sends her regards."

Tears pricked my eyes at the mention of her. "Is she well?"

"Very," he assured me.

We entered the cabin, and Mira quickly secured the perimeter while Liam laid out maps on the table.

"We've gathered significant support," he explained. "Four neighboring packs are ready to stand with you when you challenge Dominic's leadership. But we must move carefully. Selena's presence complicates things."

"She's planning something," I said, showing them the photos I'd taken of the wolfsbane and weapons. "I think it's more than just Dominic's obsession with her. They may be planning to overthrow neighboring packs."

Liam's expression darkened. "This confirms our suspicions. Our scouts have reported unusual movements along your borders. Rogues gathering, but not attacking."

"They're building an army," Mira concluded grimly.

I placed a protective hand over my stomach. "We need to move faster. Once my pregnancy becomes obvious—"

A sudden howl cut through the air—the pack's alarm signal. All three of us froze.

"That's from the eastern border," Mira said, moving to the window. In the distance, smoke billowed into the sky.

My phone exploded with notifications. Messages from pack members, all saying the same thing: Attack on the eastern border. All warriors report immediately.

Then a text from Dominic: Where are you? Return to the pack house now.

Liam's phone buzzed as well. "It's my Alpha–Alpha Mark," he said grimly. "The Northern Crescent border patrol found three of our warriors dead. Throats slashed."

"This is no coincidence," I said.

My phone rang, Mason calling. I answered cautiously.

"Luna," his voice was tight with anger. "There was no accident at the training grounds. I've been searching for you for over half an hour "

Before I could respond, the cabin door burst open. Three masked warriors rushed in, their eyes glowing with bloodlust.

"Run!" Mira shouted, shifting instantly into her wolf form.

I turned to flee but my path was blocked by a fourth attacker. As I backed away, my foot caught on the edge of the rug. I fell backward, my head striking the corner of the table with a sickening crack.

The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was Liam charging toward my attacker and Mira's wolf leaping through the air, jaws open and ready to kill.

My final conscious thought was of my unborn child, and a prayer to the Moon Goddess to protect the innocent life growing within me.