Isabella's POV

A sudden coldness hit me when I learned what Alpha Jaxon had done. Warm tears threatened to spill from my eyes.

“Thank you, Elder Drake, for telling me,” I said, forcing a smile, not wanting one of the elders of the pack to see how hurt I truly was.

“I’m just doing my job, Luna,” Elder Drake replied before leaving me alone in the drawing room.

Once the door closed, I couldn’t hold back any longer. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

My heart squeezed painfully as I tried to process the news that Alpha Jaxon had become a sperm donor for the first woman he ever loved, Rose Steele, who had married her mate five years ago.

My phone rang. It was Alpha Jaxon. I didn’t answer. He must have realized I knew, but how long was he going to keep this from me? Surely, he thought I’d remain blindly unaware.

He sent me a message: “Answer my call, Isabella. It’s nothing serious; I’m just helping Luna Rose. Please understand.”

Understand? How long was I supposed to keep making excuses for him? His actions were hurting me, and I’d had enough. Enough of this foolishness of loving someone who couldn’t even love me back. I'm his mate, his Luna, but why wasn’t I enough? Why couldn’t he love me back after all those years together?

Enough was enough!

It was time to end everything now and divorce him.

I wiped my tears and sighed heavily, caressing my womb. I knew it wasn’t good for me to be emotional right now; it would affect my little one.

I opened my mouth to speak, to say something to my little one, but I choked on my sobbed. No matter what I did, the pain was overwhelming. It felt like my heart was being ripped apart, and the despair was too much to bear. My plans hadn’t gone the way I wanted.

I wanted to surprise Alpha Jaxon, my mate, with the news of my pregnancy, but instead, it turned into this. He would rather have Rose carry his baby than mine, and his actions slapped me in the face, waking me up to the harsh reality that Alpha Jaxon didn’t want this child.

That idea sliced my heart into tiny pieces, and the pain was unbearable.

I had been keeping my pregnancy to myself for two months, and have waited an ages to have this baby because Alpha Jaxon didn’t want to be intimate with me. He hated the idea of having kids, convinced they were noisy and unbearable to manage.

Last month, I thought he was finally ready to have a baby when I caught him looking at baby stuff in the store. He had even made a list for expectant moms and newborns. I was over the moon, thinking Alpha Jaxon wanted to be a father. I planned to tell him about my pregnancy on his birthday, expecting he'd be just as thrilled as I was.

I laughed bitterly at how stupid I had been.

That night, I was surprised when Jaxon came home way earlier than usual, well before dawn. He usually made up excuses about being busy with pack business. I heard him call my name, but I stayed quiet, lying in bed. His footsteps got closer, but instead of calling my name again, he headed to the bathroom. A moment later, the shower turned on.

When he finished, he dried off and slipped into bed beside me.

I felt the warmth of his body against my back as his arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me close. He snuggled into my neck, inhaling the scent of his shower soap. It was his way of trying to coax me.

“Oh, my Luna, my mate,” he murmured softly, “nothing happened between us. I just donated my sperm for Luna Rose's kids, and you know that. Don’t worry; once the baby is born, I won’t get in touch with her again. Do you understand me, Isabella?”

I didn’t say anything. I pushed his hand away and moved farther from him. My wolf was furious with him, and I knew that displeased him. His wolf was angry too.

“What else do you want, Isabella?” he complained, annoyance creeping into his voice. “I’m being nice here, and this is how you repay me? What happened to you? You used to tell me when I did something unintentionally.” He mimicked my voice, “I don’t care about your ex; what matters is that you’re mine now.”

He sighed heavily. “Cut the act, Isabella. Stop being a jealous Luna. I could’ve kept this from you, but I didn’t want you to be upset. That’s what a husband is supposed to do—be transparent. But now you’re giving me the silent treatment.”

Alpha Jaxon let out all his frustration, then added, “Look, I know you want a child, and here I am, trying to give you what you desire. But you’re rejecting me. I guess it’s better if I just sleep on the couch tonight.”

He stood up, his face hard, and slammed the door behind him. I flinched at the sound, and a laugh escaped me—how messed up my marriage was, and how clueless I felt about it all.

I knew the pack had heard the door slam, and they’d be gossiping about it tomorrow. But I didn’t care; gone was the old me who always tried to please him and win his attention. Bitterness bubbled inside me. My alpha used the word “sorry” to get me to forgive him or as some sort of simple gesture he’d give when I was ridiculously jealous. It was my fault too, after all; he knew I’d always forgive him because I loved him so much. And now I was paying the price for it.

Isabella's POV

Waking up, I headed straight to the bathroom to wash up. Alpha Jaxon was gone; his scent had faded from our pack manor, leaving only the servants bustling about at this hour.

I hadn’t slept well, my mind racing with everything going on. Last night, I had decided on one thing for today. I steeled myself, even though my wolf was breaking inside me, desperately trying to change my mind.

As I descended the stairs, I spotted Jack Durand, the pack beta and one of Alpha Jaxon’s right-hand men, coming toward me with a troubled expression.

He bowed his head. “Luna, do you know where Alpha Jaxon is?”

“Am I supposed to keep tabs on where the Alpha is?” I shot back coldly, making Jack lower his gaze.

“I apologize, Luna, but there’s trouble in the northern territory. Alpha Jaxon is needed,” he explained.

“I’ll handle it when I get back. Your Alpha is busy with his baby,” I replied, bitterness lacing my words. Jack knew about Alpha Jaxon’s affair with Luna Rose and still didn’t dare tell me the truth about what Alpha Jaxon was up to.

What a loyal dog he was. “You can leave now,” I ordered.

“Yes, Luna.” He stood and left.

I knew Alpha Jaxon was with Luna Rose in Obgayn, eagerly preparing for their child. It was funny; I felt nothing. My heart was numb.

After calling to set up an appointment, I drove thirty minutes to the hospital near the Werewolf City. It was hard, and part of me wanted to turn back, but I knew Alpha Jaxon wouldn’t love this baby, and I didn’t want any connection to him anymore.

It was a painful process for me and my wolf to abort my baby, but I knew it was the best way to start fresh.

I still felt weak after the procedure, but I needed to get out of there. I couldn’t let the memories of what I’d done linger, especially with the trouble in the north waiting for me. I knew Alpha Jaxon wouldn’t handle it since Luna Rose and their baby were his main priority now.

With a heavy sigh, I went to pay the bill but halted as I caught the familiar scents of Alpha Jaxon and Luna Rose nearby. My eyes landed on the two of them as they approached.

Alpha Jaxon shot me an accusing glare. “Isabella? What the hell are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’re stalking me.”

I turned my gaze to Luna Rose, who avoided eye contact and focused on my husband. “Alpha Jaxon, please don’t say that to Luna Isabella. She wouldn’t be stalking us, especially knowing why we’re here. I know your Luna understands, right, Luna Isabella?” Rose smiled at me like an innocent angel.

I forced a smile and laughed. “You’re right, Luna Rose. You’re here for your check-up, and it’s just a coincidence that I’m here for an important appointment. Why would I need to stalk you two?”

Alpha Jaxon mistook my tone for defensiveness and shoved me, seething. “For goodness’ sake, Isabella, stop imagining things. Rose is like a sister to me now.”

I hit the cold floor hard, a jolt of pain shooting through me. My body was still weak from the procedure, and my wolf was in agony. I gritted my teeth against the sudden pain.

Luna Rose rushed over to scold Alpha Jaxon for his actions, her mocking smile aimed at me. She reached to help me up, but I pushed her away, forcing myself to stand. I refused to let her touch me, feeling disgusted by her fake concern and bitter about her mockery.

She acted like I had shoved her so hard, like she was about to fall. Right away, Alpha Jaxon rushed to her rescue. There they were, Rose and her werewolf savior, and I stared at them with disgust, watching how much he cared for her.

“My belly hurts, Alpha Jaxon,” Rose lied, which only annoyed me further. She was so good at pretending, just to make him feel pity for her.

I clenched my fists, trying to hold back my anger.

Alpha Jaxon shot me a death glare and yelled, “If anything happens to Luna Rose or the baby, Isabella, I swear you’ll regret this!”

I ignored the pain coursing through me, cold sweat forming on my forehead as I turned and walked away. I didn’t care about his threats as he called me to come back and apologize to Rose.

I would never apologize again. I’d had enough of their bullshit and just wanted to get away from them. I felt sick—sick of seeing the two of them together.

Deep down, I knew I had made the right decision about not keeping the baby. A werewolf who couldn’t love his own mate wouldn’t love his kid either.

Isabella's POV

Despite my weakness and pain, I made my way to the north territory to handle the issue. After settling the dispute between the two beta families of the pack, I headed straight back to the pack manor.

As I entered the hall, I saw the three elders standing there, their faces grim. One of them stepped forward and slapped me across the face.

My ears rang from the impact. So, they knew what I had done. My left cheek burned with pain.

“How could you do that? That was our soon-to-be Alpha! Why did you abort the child?” Elder Nixon, the one with piercing blue eyes, accused me. He was the oldest in the pack at 120 years old.

I stared at them blankly, holding my head high, my voice void of emotion. “I have the right to do whatever I want with my body. I may be the Luna, but I’m not stupid enough to ignore my rights. I know what’s best for that unborn baby, and honestly, your Alpha didn’t deserve it. You all know what he’s done, yet you act like it’s nothing.”

Elder Nixon's jaw clenched, and he nodded. “Alpha Jaxon’s actions aren’t what we condone. But since he’s the Alpha, we can’t openly disagree with him.”

I wanted to laugh at his reasoning but stopped myself. Whenever I made mistakes, I was punished. But Alpha Jaxon? No, he never faced any consequences. It was my fault for always begging the council not to punish him. I guess I deserved it, and now they wouldn’t say a word about his actions.

“Whatever. By the way, I’m divorcing that Alpha. My mind is made up, and my decision won’t change, no matter what,” I shot back coldly, striding past them with whatever dignity I had left.

“What will Alpha Jaxon’s parents say when they find out, Luna Isabella?” Elder Nixon called after me, but I ignored him. I was exhausted and needed to heal.

I wandered into the garden, but when I turned in another direction, I sensed two of Alpha Jaxon’s friends—Jacob, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Whitefang pack, and Beta Mike of the Haxon pack. So, Alpha Jaxon was here.

His two friends wouldn’t visit the pack without an invitation from him.

“I’m glad Alpha Jaxon decided to donate his sperm to Luna Rose,” Beta Mike remarked, sipping his wine. “It’s the best choice, considering Alpha Dominic is weak and incapable of giving her a child.”

I’d never met Alpha Dominic, but it seemed he was Rose’s husband. Did he know what his Luna was up to?

“Right? Alpha Jaxon should just divorce his wife. Luna Isabella is weak and cringes over him, not realizing he doesn’t want her. What a fool!” Alpha Jacob added mockingly. “She’s not worth it, man.”

Alpha Jacob had a point about me being madly in love with my husband, and yeah, that cringed me. But I didn’t appreciate him calling me weak.

“Stop talking about my Luna like that,” Alpha Jaxon’s voice cut in. “You know I’m doing this out of pity for Luna Rose.”

Alpha Jacob chuckled. “Pity? Come on, man! You’re still in love with Luna Rose. Who wouldn’t be? She’s beautiful, caring, and innocent.”

Jacob had been a childhood friend of Alpha Jaxon and Rose, and he clearly disliked me. He wanted Alpha Jaxon and Rose together because they were the perfect couple. I felt like I was nothing compared to Rose—strong, beautiful, and kind. I simply didn’t measure up in his eyes.

“You should just divorce her,” Alpha Jacob continued. “You’re having a child with Luna Rose. Just ask her to leave her husband. She loves you and would do it if you asked.”

Before I could hear Alpha Jaxon’s response, I stepped out, catching the three of them by surprise. It felt like I’d walked in on something I shouldn’t have.

Alpha Jaxon stood up and came toward me. “How long have you been there?” he asked, there was panic in his eyes realizing that I heard so much. “Don’t mind what they’re saying, wife.”

Before he could touch my arm, I pulled away from him, treating him like he was something disgusting.

I looked at Alpha Jacob and said, “Don’t worry, what you want is about to happen soon.”

I could see Alpha Jacob’s face go pale, probably because Alpha Jaxon was glaring at him, warning him to keep his mouth shut.

I turned to walk away, but Alpha Jaxon followed me. “What are you talking about, Wife? Alpha Jacob was just joking. Don’t take it seriously.”

“Leave me alone, Alpha Jaxon. Whatever you say, I don’t care,” I shot back, freezing him in his tracks.

I walked away, leaving him there. Did he really think I was the same as before, begging him and letting his friends’ words get to me?

You’re wrong, Jaxon!

Annoyance bubbled inside me, but then a wave of dizziness hit. My wolf was still weak, and hanging around here wouldn’t help me heal.

As I stepped into the manor, I noticed some pack members outside, staring at me with wide eyes and whispering judgments.

Suddenly, a firm hand grabbed my arm, dragging me back from the front door. I looked up to see Jessa, Alpha Jaxon’s mother and the former Luna, wearing an angry expression.