Walking down the vast, empty halls of our mansion, I caressed my now rounded stomach, overthinking the words I was going to say to Jason, the Alpha of the Golden State Pack. Today marked my final check-up with the pack healers before the birth of my first child. I needed the Alpha to be there because this child was his—I am his Luna.

Reaching the front door of our room, I took a deep breath and gently knocked. The door was half-open, and since this was our shared space, I decided to enter. Seeing Alpha Jason seated at his desk, a lit cigarette pressed between his lips, I felt a pang of unease in my chest.

It shouldn’t be like this—I know. As his Luna, I should feel comfortable, not nervous around him. But he had conditioned me to his cruelty and coldness, making me feel more like an ordinary pack member than his Luna.

I cleared my throat, but before I could speak, Jason cut me off. "You can mind-link whatever it is you need to say. You don't need to bother showing up here. I'm busy and I don't want to see you."

Biting my lip, I gathered the courage to respond. "But... I need you to go with me. Today’s my last check-up before giving birth to our child. The pack healers have a lot to discuss with us, Alpha."

He stared at me coldly. "Do it alone." Then, he stood up and walked past me.

I froze. I was used to his treatment, but his words cut deeper than usual. It felt as if he was already abandoning me and our unborn child. Without any strength left, I slowly walked back. I guess, even for the last time, I have to see the healers alone.

I love the child inside me, but sometimes, I can't help but wish things were different for us.

At the fourth month of my pregnancy, I began to sense something was wrong. My stomach was larger than how it supposed to be and it was hurting intensely. Back then, Jason still cared, so we sought an emergency check-up with the healers. The news was tragic, especially for me. The healers revealed that the baby in my womb wouldn't be normal. It would be like a beast, explaining why my womb was so big. Worse, the baby would live but its life wouldn’t last long. According to the healers, this phenomenon was rare, and I was either intentionally cursed or the curse had naturally run through my genes since birth.

Hearing everything that day, Alpha Jason began to act differently towards me. I tried to discuss our unborn child’s situation with him, but he always turned me down. Once, he even suggested aborting the baby—an idea I vehemently opposed.

I never understood his reasons for behaving this way. Jason, known as a smart and fair leader, would typically fulfill his responsibilities and treat everyone with fairness, not avoid them.

Sometimes, I can't help but wonder. Maybe if the child were normal, Jason would act like a real father to him.

Opening the front door of our mansion, I noticed numerous horses and cars parked outside. I had nearly forgotten that today was the monthly pack alliance meeting, where Alphas, Lunas, and Betas from the allied packs gathered to discuss important matters to strengthen their bonds. Maybe Alpha Jason was genuinely busy today.

As I walked towards the pack’s infirmary, I caught a familiar scent, a wood-like aroma I could only recognize from one person. I followed the scent and wasn’t surprised to find Beta Piolo from the Rose Gold Pack. He was my childhood friend, someone I knew cared for me.

It wasn't long before our eyes met. In his gaze, I saw an instant hint of excitement and concern. "Luna Alison! It's been a while. How have you been?" As he spoke, he carefully touched my tummy.

I smiled and guided his hands, ensuring he was gentle, as even a slightly harder touch could cause me pain. "I wish we had more time to talk. I have so much to share."

He sighed. "Won't you attend the meeting?"

I nodded and answered yes.

"Don't worry, I'll find time to visit you soon. You can tell me everything then, and as usual, I'll be all ears. For now, be careful where you're heading, alright? I need to go." Gently, he stated.

As I watched him leave, a smile of comfort and the joy of meeting an old friend spread across my lips. Little did I know, a pair of judging, resentful eyes were watching and taking in our entire conversation.

The next day, I woke up early, as usual, to prepare the daily necessities for Alpha Jason. I took care of everything, from the clothes he would wear to the breakfast he would eat, even now, as I was about to give birth. As his Luna, I loved doing these things for him. I never complained—not once. But sometimes, I couldn't help but feel sad and wonder what it would be like to be valued and appreciated by him again, like he used to.

“Alpha, take care,” I mind-linked him, not expecting a response.

While cleaning his dusty wardrobe, I accidentally found a framed picture of us from years ago. In the picture, we looked perfectly happy and in love, like nothing could ever break his affection for me, like I would never cry because of him. Despite the broken frame, I traced our faces in the photograph with my fingertips. A bitter smile escaped my lips as happy memories with him flooded my mind.

When I was eighteen, my late mother and I discovered that Jason Cameron was my fated mate. At that time, his father, Alpha Felix, was still the reigning Alpha, and Jason was in the midst of his intensive training. I never got the chance to know him personally, but according to every pack member, he was the epitome of dominance, intellect, and perfection.

With the whole pack aware that he hadn't yet met his mate, every mateless girl harbored the delusion that they might be his fated one.

Although there were rumors that Jason was secretly dating someone and deeply in love that time, nothing was confirmed.

Six months later, I finally met Jason up close at the pack’s yearly mating ball, following his intensive training. I still vividly recall how he held my hand, kissed the back of it, and spun me around in my huge emerald gown. Our eyes locked, our wolves celebrated with love, as we both said, “Mate.”

Since then, Jason has always found ways to spend time with me, no matter how exhausting his training was. We would always meet at the pack’s Cherry Blossom Park. He even promised that when we had a child in the future, we would still come here—as a happy family.

Despite a few jealous eyes, the whole pack was genuinely happy to see how well their future Alpha and Luna were getting along. Years passed, and everything between us was smooth sailing. Before long, we mated and got married. I became pregnant with our first child, and we took over the roles of the pack’s Alpha and Luna.

Back then, our love was celebrated, and Jason highly respected me as his Luna, his mate, and his wife. However, since learning about the curse affecting our unborn child during the fourth month of my pregnancy, he has changed. Now, in the final month of my pregnancy—the twentieth month—he has only worsened.

As I held the frame, I noticed blood dripping from my fingertips. The broken glass had cut me, jolting me back to the painful reality that Alpha Jason would never be the same loving man I once knew.

I took a deep breath and continued cleaning up his wardrobe. Afterward, I washed myself, dressed formally, and went outside. Despite being unable to attend the alliance meeting yesterday, as the pack’s Luna, it is still my duty to stay informed about the latest happenings around the pack’s vicinity.

I strolled around, greeting every pack member I encountered. Although I knew there was judgment in their eyes due to the abnormal changes in my physical appearance from the pregnancy, I still mustered the composure to flash a bright smile at them. But the next sight quickly wiped the smile from my lips, replacing it with confusion, sadness, and shock.

Near the pack’s town hall, under the huge acacia tree, I saw Alpha Jason hugging someone tightly, caressing the lady’s back, and gently stroking her golden locks.

That hair… I only knew one person with those long golden locks—hair almost identical to mine…

I pursed my lips as I cautiously approached them, doing my best to avoid drawing their attention. When I confirmed the identity of the girl Alpha Jason was hugging, an involuntary gasp escaped my lips, making them turn to look at me.

They saw me.

“Luna Alison, what are you doing here?” Alpha Jason asked, completely unbothered, as if I hadn't just witnessed his intimacy with someone else.

I couldn't utter a single word. In fact, I couldn't even hold back my tears. Resentment slowly engulfed me as I stared at the woman next to him.

She then looked me up and down, judging my physical appearance. "My dear sister, Alison. It's been such a long time since we last saw each other. I see you're the pack’s Luna now. But you look... older and worn out. Honestly, you resemble a rogue more than a Luna."

She smirked before continuing, "By the way, I've returned to this pack to reclaim what originally belongs to me." As she spoke, she seductively caressed Alpha Jason’ arm.

What does she mean? What is she taking back? Could it be that the rumors are true and she's Alpha Jason’ secret lover from years back?

A flood of questions overwhelmed my mind, but as her sister who once cared for her and cried when she went missing, the only question I could muster was, “Where have you been all these years, Naomi?”

True to her usual mean and rude demeanor, she responded curtly, “It's none of your business.”

Immediately, her eyes, once filled with envy, softened to a look of adoration as she turned to Alpha Jason. “Alpha, I have to go. I need to take care of my things, clean the house, and maybe get some rest. I'll see you around, alright? And oh—thank you for welcoming me back to your pack.”

Jason flashed her a gentle smile, one I hadn't seen in a long time. Then he nodded at her, “I’ll escort you with some maids to help you clean your house.”

Throughout the entire exchange, I just stood there watching them, genuinely confused. The way they acted, it was as if they were really close and had missed each other deeply. But why would they act that way? Why would they miss each other?

Once Naomi was out of sight, I composed myself and faced Jason. “Alpha, I never knew that you were close with my sister.”

He smirked. “Luna Alison, sometimes, some things are better left unknown.” Then, like in our usual conversations, he turned his back on me.

I sat on a nearby bench, thinking about everything that had just happened. It didn't make sense. Or maybe, there was really something I never knew about them. Still sitting on the bench, I recalled events from years ago, trying to connect the dots.

The night before my eighteenth birthday, Naomi barged into the house, crying and looking utterly devastated. My mother, who was always very caring, asked Naomi why she was acting that way. Naomi confessed that she and her boyfriend had been forced to break up. It was the first time we found out she had a boyfriend. Despite admitting her heartbreak, she never told us who the guy was.

The next day, during my eighteenth birthday celebration, right after discovering that Jason was my mate, Naomi slapped me hard—without any warning or explanation. She started crying and uttering words of hatred towards me. I tried to ask her why she was acting that way, but she never gave me an answer.

The following day, we woke up to find her gone. We did everything we could to find her but found no clues or traces. It was only now that I saw my elder sister again, and I must admit, she looked more beautiful and dazzling than before.

Realizing how events from the past were somehow aligning, I felt goosebumps on my skin. The stress overwhelmed me, and I noticed blood and water running down between my hips.

The next thing I knew, I was at the pack’s infirmary, surrounded by the pack healers. I heard a quiet growl and cry nearby, and it wasn't long before the head healer approached me, holding something warmly wrapped in a white cloth.

Immediately, my heart beat faster than usual. The head healer was holding my newborn child. I was officially a mother!

Seeing my son for the first time, despite his beastly appearance, I felt nothing but love. With his long nails, hairy face, and furry arms, he looked like a wonderfully, harmless child.

“I’ll name him Ryan. Ryan Cameron… Oh, by the way, does Alpha Jason know that I’ve given birth to our child already?” I smiled at the healers. They exchanged looks of hesitation with each other before one of them finally spoke.

“Ryan is such a great name, Luna Alison. Regarding your question, Alpha Jason actually has something to say to you…”

“Tell me, what is it?” I didn't realize it, but my voice was tinged with excitement. Maybe up until this very moment, I still hoped that Jason would break the coldness and accept his child.

The head healer cleared her throat. “Luna… He said he never wants to see the baby. He told us to inform you that he would live in another mansion. I'm sorry, Luna Alison.”

And just like that, my whole world crumbled.