The icy water swallowed me whole.

The swift current pulled me downstream as I struggled desperately to surface.

"Help!" I screamed with all my might. "Kael!"

Just then, I heard a familiar voice shouting from the riverbank.

"Selene!"

It was Kael, his voice filled with panic and urgency.

I saw him rush out of the club and dive into the river without hesitation.

But he wasn't swimming toward me.

He was swimming toward where Selene had fallen in.

Before Kael ran out, she had jumped into the river herself.

I watched in horror as he pulled Selene from the water, holding her tightly in his arms.

"Selene, are you okay?" His voice trembled with raw concern.

"Kael... I almost died..." Selene sobbed in his embrace. "Clara's lost her mind... she tried to drag me down with her..."

"What?" Kael looked toward the river in shock, but by then I had been swept far downstream.

"She said I had to pay for stealing her design, then she grabbed me and jumped into the river..." Selene wept. "Thank goodness you came..."

I tried desperately to shout, to explain, but water filled my mouth.

"Where's Clara?" Kael asked.

"She... she was washed away..." Selene clung to him. "Kael, I'm so scared..."

Kael glanced downstream, then focused all his attention on the woman in his arms.

"It's okay, I'm here now," he soothed her gently. "Let's get you back inside. You need to change."

I was swept away by the river.

And my Alpha, my husband, chose to believe another woman’s lies, chose to abandon the search for me.

When I opened my eyes again, I was staring at the white ceiling of a hospital room.

I was in a bed, hooked up to monitors.

My head throbbed; I must have hit a rock in the river.

"You're awake," a nurse said, checking my vitals. "You were in the river for a long time before someone found you. You're lucky they got to you in time, otherwise…"

"My mate?" I asked weakly.

"Alpha Kael?" The nurse looked uncomfortable. "He's... he's with another lady. I heard she also fell in the water and was quite shaken up."

I closed my eyes.

Even when I was on the brink of death, he still chose to be with Selene.

"I'd like to rest."

"Of course. Press the button if you need anything." The nurse left.

I was about to drift off when I heard familiar voices outside the door.

It was Kael and his Beta.

"Are Clara's test results back?" Kael's voice sounded exhausted.

"They are, Alpha," the Beta’s voice was strange. "And there's an unexpected discovery."

"What is it?"

"Alpha... Luna Clara is pregnant. About six weeks along."

I froze.

Pregnant?

"Are you sure?" Was that... a hint of joy in Kael's voice?

"Positive. And according to her bloodwork, the child possesses an incredibly strong Alpha bloodline. It's likely because Clara was the pure-blooded heir of the Red Fang pack. Even with her wolf suppressed, the power in her blood remains."

"In that case..." Kael was silent for a moment. "This child... is a valuable asset."

Valuable. Asset.

"Alpha, what do you mean?"

"Let Clara have the child. A pup with the pure bloodlines of two great packs will undoubtedly become a powerful Alpha," Kael's voice became cold and calculating. "Once the pup is born, I can officially dissolve my mate bond with Clara."

"And Alpha Selene...?"

"There will be no obstacles then. An ex-mate who has borne my child is much easier to deal with than a burden I have to constantly protect."

I felt my heart tear in two.

In his eyes, my only value was for breeding.

"But Alpha, Clara's actions tonight..."

"Selene was right. Clara is likely mentally unstable due to her damaged wolf. After the child is born, I'll have her committed to a private sanatorium," Kael’s voice was cold and detached. "It will be for the best."

The footsteps faded away.

I lay in the hospital bed, silent tears streaming down my face.

Half an hour later, Kael came in.

He wore a look of concern, like a good Alpha worried about his mate.

"Clara, how are you feeling?" He sat by my bed, taking my hand. "The doctor said you're going to be fine. I'm so relieved."

"How is Selene?" I looked at him.

"She was badly frightened, but she's physically okay," Kael's eyes held a hint of blame. "Clara, can you tell me what happened last night?"

"I..."

"Selene said you were emotional and tried to kill you both." His tone turned stern. "Is that true?"

I looked at him, this Alpha who had once sworn his undying love to me.

Now, he believed another woman's lies without a second thought.

"What do you think?"

"I think you need treatment," his expression turned cold. "Your mental state is unstable, Clara. If this continues, you'll hurt yourself and others."

"Like hurting Selene?"

"Yes," he looked me straight in the eye. "Selene is innocent. She doesn't deserve to be the target of your resentment."

I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

"By the way, I have some good news," Kael's face suddenly broke into a smile. "You're pregnant."

He said it with a calculated gleam in his eyes.

"We're having a pup, Clara. Isn't that wonderful?" He kissed my hand. "This child will be strong, with the best bloodlines from both our families."

"However," his tone suddenly grew serious, "regardless of the outcome, after the pup is born, I'm sending you to a sanatorium. That is the price you will pay for what you did to Selene."

After I was discharged, I returned home to a situation far worse than I had imagined.

The villa was filled with at least ten unfamiliar werewolves.

Healers, nutritionists, and several strong Betas.

"Luna, I'm Dylan, the healer assigned to manage your pregnancy," a middle-aged male healer approached me. "Alpha Kael has arranged the best team to care for you and the pup."

Care.

The word sounded warm, but I knew it meant surveillance.

"Do I need 24-hour medical supervision?" I asked.

"Of course," Dylan smiled gently. "Your wolf's condition is unique, and you've been under a lot of stress lately. We must ensure the safety of both mother and child."

I looked around. There were people "caring" for me in every corner.

A nutritionist was in the kitchen preparing special meals.

Two nurses were in the living room organizing medical equipment.

Even outside my bedroom door stood a female Beta who claimed to be my "personal assistant."

This wasn't care. It was house arrest.

The next morning, while I was having breakfast, I heard a commotion outside.

Several pack staff were huddled together, whispering with grim faces.

"What's wrong?" I asked one of the nurses.

"Nothing, Luna. Please, focus on your meal," she waved her hands nervously.

But I could tell something was wrong from her expression.

When they weren't looking, I pulled out my phone and checked the werewolf forums.

As I expected, discussions about Selene stealing my design had exploded.

[Is the Red Fang Heir a Thief?]

[Did Selene really create that rune design?]

[Why did Luna Clara make such a scene in public?]

[Unstable Luna vs. Fraudulent Heir: Who's Lying?]

The comment section was even more heated:

"I think Clara has a point. That design style doesn't seem like Selene's work..."

"But didn't Clara lose her wolf? How could she create such a complex rune?"

"Maybe she designed it before she lost her power?"

"The Red Fang pack might be in for a huge scandal..."

A flicker of hope ignited within me.

Maybe the truth would finally come out.

Around noon, Kael rushed home, his face dark and stormy.

His wolf radiated a scent of anger and agitation, and everyone in the house instinctively kept their distance.

"Everyone out," he ordered coldly. "I need to speak with the Luna alone."

The room emptied instantly.

Kael sat across from me, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light.

"You're pleased with this, aren't you?" he asked.

"With what?"

"All this talk online." He slid a tablet in front of me. "You think you've finally found people who believe you?"

I looked at the screen and saw the situation had completely changed.

The top post on the forum was an official statement, published by Kael himself.

[An Official Medical Statement Regarding the Mental Health of Luna Clara of the Silver Moon Pack]

"Following a diagnosis by a team of professional healers, my Luna, Clara, has been found to be suffering from a severe psychological condition known as 'Lunar Hysteria,' resulting from her trauma three years ago. The main symptoms include persecutory delusions, memory fabrication, and misattributing the achievements of others as her own.

Clara is currently receiving professional treatment, and I hope everyone can show understanding and compassion for a patient's behavior.

Regarding the dispute over the rune design, I can confirm it is Alpha Selene's original work. To prove this, I am now releasing another of Alpha Selene's designs..."

Below was another rune design.

My eyes widened.

It was one of my early, unfinished drafts.

I remembered it clearly. It was in my private notebook.

"You stole my drafts?" I looked at him in shock.

"I didn't steal them," Kael said calmly. "You are my Luna. Everything that is yours belongs to me, including your work."

"That was my life's work!"

"Now it's Selene's," he looked at me coldly. "Clara, you need to face reality. No one will believe a mentally unstable, wolfless woman. Everyone will sympathize with a talented heir who has been falsely accused."

I scrolled down and saw the comments had completely flipped:

"So Clara has a mental illness... that explains everything."

"Poor Selene, being humiliated by a sick person."

"Alpha Kael is so patient, having to care for a wife like that."

"This second design is even more brilliant! Selene is a genius!"

I looked up, furious. "How could you? You know the truth!"

"The truth?" Kael scoffed. "The truth is you are carrying my child, and you need to give birth to it quietly instead of causing trouble online."

"I made those designs!"

"Where's your proof?" he shot back. "What proof do you have? Your computer's hard drive? Your sketchbooks? Your witnesses?"

It hit me then.

For three years, all my personal belongings had been under his control.

Destroying any evidence would have been effortless for him.

"For the stability of the alliance, and for the child in your womb," Kael stood and walked over to me, "you will cooperate."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you'll be harming our child." His hand rested on my stomach. "Clara, do you want our pup to be born with the stigma of having a mentally ill mother?"

He was threatening me with our own child.

I picked up the tablet, wanting to argue, to defend myself.

But Kael snatched it from my hands.

"Be good. For the greater good, you must endure this," his voice was soft, but his eyes were ice. "If you have any problems, come to your Alpha."

Back in my bedroom, I locked the door.

I opened a drawer and took out a small, ornate silver knife—a cruel irony, as Kael had given it to me three years ago as a "talisman" to "ward off dark spirits." The irony was suffocating.

I went to my vanity and began removing every token Kael had ever given me.

The wedding ring. Slice.

The mate necklace. Slice.

The Moon Goddess blessing bracelet. Slice.

With each cut, a faint silver light emanated from the items as the pack magic of the mate bond dissipated.

My wolf, though weak, let out a low hum of relief.

Three years of bondage. It was time for it to end.

At 4 a.m. the next day, during the changing of the guards, I slipped out of the villa.

In a derelict factory district on the edge of the city, a dark witch, exiled from werewolf society, offered "special services."

"Are you sure about this?" The witch, Raven, looked at me, her eyes glowing an eerie green in the dark. "That child has a powerful bloodline."

"I'm sure."

"An Alpha-blooded pup, even before it's fully formed... destroying it will cause significant harm to your body," she warned. "You could hemorrhage, or even..."

"I said, I'm sure."

The ritual was over quickly.

A sharp pain tore through my body, but the sense of psychological relief was far greater.

This pup was just a tool in Kael's plan.

That being the case, I could never let him be born.

But why did my heart still ache so much?

After crying my eyes out, I wiped my tears and headed back to the pack house.

But as I reached the gate, I saw a shocking scene.

A dozen reporters and cameramen from the werewolf media were swarming the entrance, cameras flashing incessantly.

And Selene, my dear "sister," was on her knees, tearfully pleading to the cameras.

"I just don't know what to do anymore..." her voice trembled. "Clara keeps saying I stole her designs, but they're really mine..."

"Alpha Selene, do you believe Luna Clara's accusations are malicious?" a reporter asked.

"I don't want to think that... she's my sister, after all, we grew up together..." Selene wiped her tears. "But her current state really worries me."

"There are rumors that Luna Clara suffers from a mental illness. Is that true?"

"I... I can't comment on that," Selene shook her head, but her expression clearly implied something. "I just hope she gets better and stops... stops hurting innocent people."

The reporters excitedly scribbled down every detail.

I stood a short distance away, watching the meticulously staged performance.

Selene’s acting was superb. She had successfully painted herself as an innocent victim persecuted by her deranged sister.

"Clara!" a reporter suddenly spotted me. "Luna Clara, do you have any response to Alpha Selene's words?"

All the cameras instantly turned to me.

I must have looked awful—pale, unsteady, and weak from the procedure.

"Clara!" Selene rushed over, pretending to support me. "Why are you out here by yourself? Didn't the healer say you need to rest?"

The moment her hand touched me, she smelled the scent of blood and dark magic on me.

A flicker of shock, then elation, crossed her face.

"Oh my god... Clara, where have you been? What is that smell on you..." she said loudly, making sure the reporters could hear.

"What smell?" the reporters swarmed closer.

"It's... it's the smell of dark magic..." Selene backed away, trembling. "And blood... a lot of blood..."

The crowd erupted.

In werewolf society, dark magic was strictly forbidden.

Any contact with a dark witch was considered a sign of corruption.

"Luna Clara, can you explain?"

"Did you have contact with an exiled dark witch?"

"Does this have anything to do with your child?"

Just then, the roar of an engine cut through the chaos.

Kael's car sped toward us, and he jumped out, furious.

"All of you, get lost!" His Alpha command stunned the crowd. "This is private property!"

The reporters were forced back, but their cameras kept rolling.

Kael’s gaze swept over the scene, taking in the "frightened" Selene on the ground and then me, my face ashen.

His wolf instantly made a choice.

He strode to Selene and lifted her into his arms.

"It's alright, I'm here," he soothed her gently. "These reporters won't bother you again."

Then he turned to me, his eyes filled with cold fury.

"Go back to your room." His voice was ice. That was all he said to me.

No concern, no questions, no protection.

In front of the media, in front of everyone, he chose Selene again.

I watched him hold her, saw the triumphant gleam in her eyes.

I understood.

She had planned all of this.

She knew I would be out this morning, so she arranged for the media to be waiting.

She wanted to completely destroy my reputation among the packs.

I walked into the villa and went straight to the dining room.

I placed a small, dark vial on the table. Inside were the remains of the ritual—the proof that our child was gone.

Next to it, I placed my Luna emblem, the golden wolf head that symbolized my status in the Silver Moon pack.

I took one last look at the villa that had been my prison for three years.

Then, I turned and walked away.

My grandfather's people were already waiting for me at the edge of the city.

It was time to go back to my real home.