She studied Eva as Xavier introduced the both of them. In front of her stood an attractive and ravishingly beautiful she–wolf, and Bella couldn’t help but compare herself to her.

Bella knew she was no match, physically or in status, and that she could never compete with Eva.

She was merely an ordinary gamma, not fit to become Luna.

The only confidence she had stemmed from the mate bond she shared with Xavier.

Determined to secure Xavier as her mate and husband, Bella knew she had to get rid of Eva.

She needed the Luna position for herself Xavier kindly offered to take Eva back to the hospital and asked her to wait for him to finish some business.

This provided Bella with an opportunity to carry out her plan.

As she pondered how to remove Eva from the picture, Bella realized the challenge she faced. Eva was a reliable and beloved Luna; the pack spoke highly of her, making it almost impossible to win their acceptance, Frustration and self–hatred overwhelmed Bella, fueling her determination to find a way to claim Xavier as her own.

Instead of waiting for Xavier, Bella decided to follow Eva as she headed for the stairs.

Seizing the moment, she approached her, calling out to her in a cold and unfriendly tone. With no one else around, Bella dropped the act of being sick and fragile, revealing her true

self.

“Don’t be shameless, Eva,” Bella retorted sharply. “His mate is back now; shouldn’t you leave? The only reason he hasn’t offered to divorce you is because he pities you. You should take the initiative to end things. I am his mate, not you. Stop hoarding what’s not yours,” she spat, her anger and jealousy evident in her words.

Eva looked taken aback by Bella’s sudden change in demeanor.

Eva Frustrated and fed up with Bella’s smug smile and public display of affection with Xavier, I walked away, hoping to escape her taunts and irritation that now fueled me.

However, she relentlessly followed me, seemingly intent on provoking a reaction. My initial sadness turned to a surge of irritation; how dare she talk to me this way?

Unable to bear her presence any longer, I turned to face her, my head held high and my fists clenched in an attempt to appear brave and resolute.

“I am still his lawful wife. You may be his mate, but not everyone gets married to their mates. You can remain his mistress. I didn’t hoard nor did I steal. I’ll remain Luna, doing what’s right for the pack,” I asserted firmly, determined to stand my ground.

Her once beautiful face contorted into a mask of bitter anger and rage. Deep down, she knew I was right; Xavier may shower her with love and emotions, but I was still his wife, the Luna.

She wasn’t fit to be Luna, fully aware of her ordinary gamma status and the vast difference in our wolf bloodlines.

My parents possessed a strong and noble wolf lineage, making me a perfect fit for the role of Luna, a position of royalty. On the other hand, she was an ordinary gamma, the weakest in the wolf hierarchy.

“You’re a mistress, that’s all.” With that I turned to leave.

She walked faster stood in front of me blocking my way to the stairs, then she started backing off slowly, heading towards the stairs.

“What are you doing?” I snapped in frustration, witnessing her sly smile as she continually walked backwards until she reached the edge of the stairs.

Suddenly, she let out a chilling scream and allowed herself to fall, dramatically rolling down the staircase. I stood stunned

couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. She had fallen, and the chaos that ensued was overwhelming.

She threw herself down the stairs and fell. She lay at the end of the stairs writhing in pain. “Help, she pushed me.” She cried.

“What?!” I snapped, feeling my frustration and irritation intensify.

Upon closer observation, I noticed that Bella wasn’t badly hurt; she had taken care not to fall in a way that would cause serious injury. Xavier rushed out to her side, his concern evident, and I felt a pang of jealousy that he was giving her all his attention. He threw an angry gaze in my direction.

Bella was carried out of the building and into a car to be rushed to a hospital. I followed behind, instructing Adam to follow Xavier’s car. My mind was a whirlwind of confusion and amazement; just what was she up to? I knew I hadn’t touched her. The smug smile she gave me before releasing herself to fall from the stairs flashed before my eyes, and suddenly it all became clear – she did it on purpose to make me seem evil and make Xavier hate me. At the hospital, I waited in the waiting room while Bella was taken to the emergency ward. She had badly bruised her calf, but she concealed a smile in my direction, mocking and taunting me. Enraged, I couldn’t hold back any longer and walked into her room.

“You did it on purpose! I never pushed you. Admit it!” I yelled, my anger boiling over. Before I could reach her, Xavier stepped in, grabbing and shoving me away. The betrayal and disbelief in his eyes cut deep. “How could you hurt her?” he growled. The hospital belonged to the pack, and people were all around, witnessing this confrontation.

“Not only did you push her, but you’re also denying it! Have you always been this way? Cold–hearted and wicked? You could have killed her!” Xavier’s words echoed in my ears, and my heart shattered at his accusations.

Sitting on the cold hospital floor, I felt humiliated and lost, while people peered through the doors to see what was happening. The pack, who once respected and admired me as Luna, now saw me as a spiteful woman trying to harm my husband’s mate.

“Get out. Right now,” Xavier ordered, his voice filled with anger and disappointment. I stumbled off the floor, shock and confusion overwhelming me. “Xavier, believe me, I didn’t do it. I never pushed her,” I pleaded desperately, but he seemed unwilling to listen. “Go home and wait for me,” he instructed, and with a heavy heart, I obeyed, walking away stunned and unsure of how to salvage my relationship and reputation.

I truge down the stairs still in a daze, I couldn’t believe what had just happened.

As Adam pulled into the driveway of our gated mansion, my mind was still in turmoil. I exited the car almost robotically, my heart heavy with the burden of the truth that had been twisted against me.

As I passed the servants, I couldn’t even hear their greetings. The whispers about the incident followed me like a dark cloud, painting me as a villain in the eyes of the pack.

In the solitude of my dark bedroom, I grappled with my emotions, trying to make sense of

the situation. I knew I had to explain everything to Xavier, to make him understand the truth. Bella, just what was she up to? Framing me up like this wasn’t necessary.

Xavier tightly held onto Bella, his body trembling with anger.

He couldn’t believe Eva would hurt someone, but he witnessed it firsthand when she tried to harm Bella, his mate.

“Xavier, I’m okay now. It’s just a small injury. When she pushed me, I instinctively protected myself to minimize the damage. I’m sorry, I’m just so weak,” Bella said, her voice trailing off.

“I shouldn’t have followed her, but something seemed familiar about her, so I confronted her, and that’s when she pushed me.”

“What? Why would she be so angry at you? It doesn’t make sense for her to try to kill you,” Xavier inquired, trying to understand the situation.

“Alpha, I want to tell you some things, but please don’t get mad,” Bella said, looking at him intently.

Xavier adjusted to meet her gaze, ready to listen to her explanation.

“For over two years now, I’ve known you were my mate. I was planning to come and find you, but on the night of your birthday celebration, I was abducted. When I woke up, I was already being sold and taken far away,” Bella revealed sadly.

Xavier’s heart broke at the revelation, realizing that he had missed out on meeting his mate for such a long time.

“When I was drugged, I heard a woman’s voice giving instructions to my kidnappers. She wanted me taken far away. And when I met Eva, I felt she was familiar, so I confronted her. In her rage, she pushed me down the stairs. I was terrified, but I managed to protect myself,” Bella lied, trying to make her story more convincing as she broke down sobbing.

Xavier froze upon hearing her words, shocked that Eva had tried to kill Bella not once but twice.

He now understood why Eva had kept them apart, purposely preventing them from meeting as mates.

He remembered Eva’s obsession with him since their teenage years, always seeking his attention and constantly being around him. However, he never imagined she would such extreme lengths to get rid of his mate.

She had convinced him to marry her, assuring him and very certain that his mate was dead.

“Get some rest; I’ll be back later. I need to take care of something,” Xavier said in a constrained voice, filled with anger.

Bella nodded, hiding a small smile, knowing her plan was working.

Xavier believed Eva intentionally kept them apart and married him, which fueled his decision to divorce her.

Bella felt pleased with herself, as she knew Xavier’s reaction was going as she had planned.

While he walked away, he made a call to his Beta, Chris. “Arrange a marriage annulment, I’ll be divorcing the Luna.” He instructed.

He hadn’t planned anything drastic, but the revelation of how she had kept them apart ticked him.

The feeling of being a fool and manipulated by her over took all other emotions he had for her.

The documents were made ready in minutes and he drove off late that night to their gated mansion.

Eva’s POV

I was just settling into sleep when the doors swung open, and Xavier walked into our bedroom.

“Sign this,” he instructed, flinging a blue document on the bed, Curious and puzzled, I picked up the file and read the bold words

“Marriage Annulment.”

“Xavier, what’s this?” I asked calmly, trying to keep my emotions in check. “You’re divorcing me? You…”

“Bella’s my mate, I’ll get married to her officially by next week. You have until then to sign that, the rejection will take place tomorrow,” he replied in a restrained voice.

My heart sank, and a knot formed in my stomach.

This couldn’t be happening. “Do you love her?” I found myself asking, wanting to know the truth.

“Did you ever love me? Or even come to like me?”

“No, you were convenient, at least that’s what I thought till it came clear to me that it was all your plot, keeping Bella away, staying around me while I was drunk and trying to kill her yesterday!” he retorted with anger in his voice.

My eyes widened in disbelief and hurt. “What are you talking about?” I shot out of bed, running towards him. “I never pushed Bella. She threw herself…”

“Enough!” Xavier interrupted, furiously grabbing my arm and pinning me to the wall. His fingers tightened around my arm, digging into my skin.

His body was shaking with anger, and his gaze was filled with disdain. “You’re a mistake, getting married to you was a mistake. I fell for your plot.

You purposely got me drunk that day and probably drugged me that night, right?”

My head dropped slowly as tears filled my eyes, I was guilty of that.

“I’ll only give you a little bit of honor because of the service of your late father, for harming my mate, your Luna, You shouldn’t be allowed to live.

I need you out of my home by tomorrow. Bella will be moving in,” he said, releasing his grip on me as I fell weakly to the floor.

It’s hopeless, he believes her, even if he didn’t, I didn’t have a place here anymore, not in his heart. I’d hoped to win his love but that would never happen now.

“Are you okay, ma’am?” James, the family butler, asked, helping me up.

I took a pen and signed the papers. I ran after Xavier as he got into his car and called out, “Wait! I’ve signed it. I hope you’re happy together.”

Xavier took the files, got into his car, and drove away. James stood beside me, offering silent. comfort.

I spent the night packing and organizing my things. I decided to give away most of them to the kind helpers.

Morning came, and I hadn’t slept at all. James and Martha helped me with the final preparations. James said, “Finding your mate is a happy thing. He’s so in love. The Alpha never hated or disliked you. It just wasn’t meant to be. I hope you find your mate.”

“It’s good you’re not pregnant; it would have made things messier.” He added Confused, I asked, “What do you mean? What would have happened if I was?”

James explained.

“The first child of the Alpha must come from his mate, not a rejected one. Having the Alpha’s first child outside of the mateship is complicated. In most cases, such children might just be aborted. If the lady had the child, it would grow up with the Alpha and his mate, though most likely as an illegitimate child by the pack, if the Luna accepted the child. In most cases, though, the child was just aborted.”

James excused himself, leaving Martha and me alone.

She held my hands, and concern filled her eyes.

“Oh ma’am, you didn’t ask for your ginseng dose last month,” Martha said softly.

“You usually have menstrual cramps and request those soups, but it’s been weeks now, and you haven’t asked for them. You also haven’t had your time of the month yet, have you?” she inquired, urging me to consider the possibility.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been preoccupied with everything that was happening, and it hadn’t even occurred to me. Could I actually be pregnant? Counting back, along with the morning sickness and tiredness I had, it seemed possible. I looked at Martha in horror, and she seemed to understand.

With a concerned expression, Martha produced a test strip, and I excused myself to the bathroom to use it. As I waited for the result, my heart was pounding in my chest. When I saw the test, I let out a small gasp, unable to believe my eyes.

I was pregnant!

Martha’s expression turned grave as she looked at me.

“This is bad. You’re not the Luna anymore, and they might not let you keep this child. Even worse, they could take it from you. Don’t tell the Alpha about your pregnancy. Stick to your plan of leaving the country and start a new life, far away, with your child,” she said softly, her eyes filled with warmth and love.

I was taken aback by her words. Martha had always been loyal and caring, but this was a level of kindness and understanding I hadn’t expected.

She continued, “My lady, you’ve shown me such kindness and compassion. You don’t deserve this sad fate. It’s not your fault that your love couldn’t be reciprocated. Find happiness for yourself and your child. Don’t let them take that away from you.”

She swiftly grabbed the test strips and concealed them in my luggage, sealing it shut.

Soon we were done packing, the doors swung open, revealing Xavier’s handsome face with his hair swept to the side.

I remembered running my hands through it the last time we made love, but now he stood distant, flanked by his Beta and best friend Chris.

“Well, I’m all set now,” I said in a faint whisper, heading for the stairs. My voice quivered slightly as I couldn’t wait to leave, knowing that my child was at risk.

Chris spoke up, “One last thing, Luna, uh, Jasmine.” He corrected.

Right, I wasn’t Luna

anymore.

We need to be sure that you’re not leaving with anything that belongs to the pack.”

Confused, I asked, “What do you mean? I’m not a thief.”

He clarified, “I didn’t mean it that way. What I meant was, an heir. We need to be sure you our” As he spoke, Butler James brought out four pregnancy strips.

“My lady, you’ll have to use these before your official rejection and before you’re allowed to go,” James explained.

I glanced at Xavier

He interjected through gritted teeth, “We need to be sure you’re not pregnant.” He looked uncomfortable and anxious, he was clearly hoping for a negative result.

Holding back my emotions, I walked back to the room with the test strips clutched in my fingers. My mind was reeling as I wondered what to do.

“I’ll come with you, my lady. You’ll be needing assistance,” Martha offered, following me in shutting the door.

“Martha, what do I do?” I asked, grabbing her anxiously.

“I can’t let Xavier know,” I cried.

“Am not pregnant,” Martha reassured, taking the test strips from me. She gave me a small smile before heading to the bathroom.

She was done in a couple of minutes, and the strips read negative.

She handed all four of them over to me. We both exited the room, and Xavier and his Beta stood side by side. Butler James announced,

“It’s a negative.”

I heard Xavier heave a sigh of relief.

He looked relieved as well, which hurt me deeply.

It was clear he wanted nothing to do with me.

The joy on his face was painful to witness.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked him, “What would have happened if I was pregnant?”

I wanted to be sure that hiding the truth from him was the right decision.

Xavier’s face contorted with seriousness.

“It would have posed a problem, a huge one. It’s a relief you’re not,” he replied.

I nodded, feeling a mix of emotions. I knew I had made the right choice, doing what was best for both of us.

“Let’s get the rejection done with,” I demanded.

“Eva Woods, I hereby reject you as my Luna, dissolving any kinds of bonds we ever had,” he said,

With a heavy heart, I added, “I, Eva Woods, am Luna no more. Our marriage bonds dissolve.” The words finalized our separation, and my heartache was now officially a reality.

I turned to leave, to clear my head.

“Eva, finding ones mate is a magical experience. I really hope you find yours.” Xavier said walking away.

Adam kindly offered to drive me away, and my luggage was loaded into the vehicle. As we prepared to depart, I bid heartfelt goodbyes to the servants, knowing that this place had become my home for the past few months, and I had grown deeply attached to it.

Martha squeezed my hand, her eyes filled with warmth and care.

“Take care, My lady,” she said tenderly. “Your secret is safe with me. Stay happy with your child; you deserve all the happiness. And thank you for everything.”

I mustered a small smile and replied, “No, I should be thanking you. You saved me. I promise to live well. Goodbye, Martha.”

Taking one last glance at the house, I slowly got into the car.

As the vehicle left the mansion gates, another car drove in, and my heart sank when I saw Bella alight from it, running to Xavier’s embrace.

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes. Would I ever truly move on from this heartache?

Could I ever find love again? Doubts filled my mind, but one thing was clear – my child was my priority now.

I gently caressed. my belly, feeling a sense of protectiveness.

I knew that even when returned, no one would ever suspect my child’s true parentage, thanks to Martha’s brave actions.

Even if I came back with a child in the future, no one would suspect that it was Xavier’s.

They all believed I was not pregnant when I left.

Taking a deep breath, I leaned back into my seat, determined to start anew and leave this place and the packs behind.

I yearned to blend in as a normal, proper human, putting the past behind me.

It was time to move on, and I was ready for a fresh start, far away from everything I had known.

I lodged in a hotel, took a cab and rode far away to a hospital in a different town, there it was confirmed. I was actually pregnant