The absurdity of it all was almost laughable.

Yet the fear that gripped my heart was painfully real.

A cold chill crawled up my spine, settling deep in my bones.

I pressed myself against the wall outside the council chamber, forcing my trembling hands to remain still. Every instinct screamed at me to burst through the door and demand answers, but somehow I managed to stay where I was.

Outside, the pack members were still laughing and wagering over the genders of the pups growing inside my womb.

Even hearing Ethan's voice from time to time was enough to make my stomach twist.

Four years.

I had spent four years as his Luna.

Four years sharing his bed, his home, and what I believed was his heart.

Yet standing there, I realized I knew nothing about the man I had devoted my life to.

My hand drifted to my swollen stomach.

The skin was stretched so tightly it almost hurt.

Four pups.

Four tiny lives moved beneath my palm.

One belonged to Olivia Hayes.

One belonged to Chloe Morgan.

What about the other two?

I knew Chloe well.

She and Ethan had grown up together. The entire pack knew she had loved him for years. Even after he rejected her, she never gave up.

Looking at it now, Ethan was truly generous.

He had never given her his heart.

So he had given her a pup instead.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

The sound startled even me.

Before long, tears began streaming down my face.

If Ethan wished to leave behind bloodlines for those females, why had he chosen me?

Why had he made me endure all of this?

How could my mate be so cruel?

I bit down hard on my lip until I tasted blood.

All this time, I had mistaken his concern for love.

The rare healing herbs he personally gathered for me.

The tonics he ordered the pack healers to prepare.

The way he reminded everyone to care for my condition.

I had treasured every gesture.

Now I understood.

None of it had been for me.

The noise outside continued unabated.

"I wager two males and two females."

"All four will be males."

Laughter followed.

Then a sweet female voice floated through the crowd.

"Why does everyone keep choosing males? Females are wonderful. I bet three females and one male."

A familiar unease settled over me.

The voice belonged to Lily Sinclair.

She turned toward Ethan.

"Alpha Ethan, do you prefer sons or daughters?"

Ethan's reply came easily.

"I like both. But sons are easier. Daughters are too delicate."

Ryan Walker immediately laughed.

"Then what are you wagering, Alpha?"

Ethan's tone softened ever so slightly.

"Since Sisi likes daughters, I'll choose three males and one female."

Sisi.

The nickname struck me like a blade.

So it was her.

A bitter smile touched my lips.

Their affair had been happening beneath my nose all along, and I had remained completely blind to it.

Perhaps they had hidden it too well.

Or perhaps I had simply been foolish.

Lily's voice rang out again, playful and spoiled.

"Why are daughters delicate?"

A few moments later, Ethan answered, amusement evident in his voice.

"Not delicate? Who was terrified of the Bloodline Ritual because she feared the pain? You cried several times while preserving your blood essence."

"But it hurt," Lily protested.

Then, as though remembering something, she added casually,

"Although Luna Sophia never seemed to cry. The Bloodline Ritual lasted so long, and she endured every ceremony without shedding a single tear, didn't she?"

Ethan gave a low chuckle.

"Sophia is stubborn. Pain doesn't frighten her. I don't think I've ever seen her cry because of it."

His voice grew gentler.

"Unlike you. You start tearing up from the smallest scratch."

The crowd immediately seized the opportunity to flatter him.

"That's because Sister Sisi has Alpha Ethan protecting her."

"Exactly. When someone cherishes you, you can afford to be delicate."

"If no one cares about you, then you can only endure everything yourself, just like Luna Sophia."

Several people laughed.

"Alpha Ethan only arranged this because he didn't want Sister Sisi ruining her health carrying pups herself."

"Meanwhile Luna Sophia's stomach is enormous. Four pups at once. Who knows what she'll look like after giving birth?"

Another female laughed softly.

"Things are different now. Back then, even if I stood before Alpha Ethan in my finest dress, he wouldn't spare me a second glance. But now..."

Their words grew increasingly shameless, accompanied by crude laughter that made my stomach churn.

I staggered backward, my face drained of all color.

Not afraid of pain because I was strong?

What a ridiculous joke.

Of course I was afraid.

Every she-wolf was afraid.

The Bloodline Rituals had been agonizing. The Moonstone fertility ceremonies had left me weak for days afterward. Carrying four pups at once felt as though my body was being slowly torn apart from the inside.

But whenever the pain became unbearable, I would think of the family Ethan and I had dreamed of building together.

That thought alone had carried me through.

No matter how badly it hurt, I never complained.

Even when my fingernails cracked from gripping the stone altar during the rituals.

Even when I bit through my lip to stop myself from crying out.

Even when the sickness left me curled up on the floor, unable to move.

I endured it all.

And in the end, all I received was a reputation for being stubborn and resilient.

The memory of the day the conception ritual succeeded suddenly surfaced in my mind.

Ethan had held my hand tightly the entire time.

His eyes had been filled with concern.

"You've suffered so much for our pups, Sophia."

He had knelt beside me afterward, resting his palm against my still-flat stomach.

Then he had smiled and spoken to the tiny life inside.

"You'd better behave yourselves. Don't trouble your mother too much."

Whenever I couldn't keep food down, he would personally bring healing broth from the kitchens and sit beside me until I finished every drop.

"You have to eat something," he would say helplessly. "You've already lost weight. When these pups are born, I'm going to settle accounts with every one of them."

Back then, every word had filled my heart with warmth.

Now I understood.

His concern had never been for me.

It had always been for the pups.

I was nothing more than the vessel carrying them.

The realization hurt more than any ritual or pregnancy ever had.

Slowly, I closed my eyes and wiped away the tears on my cheeks.

Then, through the private mindlink reserved for high-ranking pack members, I contacted the chief healer and requested an audience.

A termination ritual.

As soon as possible.

Ethan Carter.

This time, I no longer want you.

And the bloodlines you treasure so dearly...

I will not bring them into this world.

When I finally stepped out, Ryan Walker and the others had already dispersed.

Only Ethan and Lily Sinclair remained in the great hall.

I deliberately made enough noise for them to hear my approach.

If they had anything to hide, this was their chance to compose themselves.

I could not confront them yet.

Not until I had made my preparations.

Lily's cheeks were still faintly flushed as she stood beside Ethan, pretending to deliver a report.

"Alpha Ethan, the council elders have called for an emergency gathering tonight. They require your presence."

Then she turned toward me, wearing the same sweet smile she always showed in public.

"Luna Sophia."

Her gaze lowered to my stomach.

A strange expression flickered across her face.

"Your stomach seems even larger than before. Four pups at once... what a blessing for the pack."

The smile on her lips made my skin crawl.

Looking at her, I suddenly felt exhausted.

I no longer had the strength to maintain polite conversation.

Sensing my indifference, Lily excused herself.

But before crossing the doorway, she glanced back at Ethan.

The look lasted only a second.

Yet it felt far too intimate.

Far too familiar.

A secret exchanged between lovers.

Ethan turned toward me as soon as she disappeared.

His brows drew together slightly.

"When did you return?"

His voice sounded casual, but I could hear the subtle probing beneath it.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

My gaze drifted to his lips.

They still looked damp.

The sight made my eyes sting.

The signs had always been there.

I had simply refused to see them.

Lowering my eyes, I forced a bitter smile.

"I was exhausted when I got back. I fell asleep in one of the guest chambers and only woke up recently."

The tension in his expression visibly eased.

"That's good."

His face returned to normal almost immediately.

"How was today's examination with the healers? I promised I would accompany you, but something came up."

His voice carried just the right amount of guilt.

In the past, I would have believed every word.

I would have reassured him that pack matters were important and that I understood.

But now I knew better.

"The examination went well," I answered calmly. "The healer said the pups are healthy."

Ethan immediately asked several more questions.

Were the pups active?

Had the healers detected any problems?

Was I eating enough?

Only after receiving satisfactory answers did he finally relax.

He had always been like this.

Careful.

Attentive.

Concerned about every detail.

For years, I believed that concern belonged to me.

Today, I finally understood who it was truly meant for.

Ethan crossed the room and knelt beside me, resting his hand on my swollen stomach.

As he always did, he spoke softly to the pups within, his voice low and patient as though they could already understand him.

In the past, scenes like this had filled me with happiness.

I would have watched him with a smile, believing that I was the luckiest she-wolf in the world.

Now, all I felt was pain.

It was as though invisible claws were tearing my heart apart.

I clenched my fists tightly, struggling to keep my composure, but I could not stop the sting gathering behind my eyes.

Ethan noticed nothing.

Or perhaps he simply did not care enough to notice.

"The elders have called an urgent council gathering tonight," he said as he rose to his feet. "I may return late. Stay home and take care of yourself."

I forced a smile onto my face and nodded.

"All right."

After he left, I slowly climbed the staircase.

My stomach had grown so large that I could no longer see my own feet. After the fifth month, the healers had forbidden me from using the upper floor too often, and I had moved into a guest chamber on the ground level for safety.

I had not entered our bedroom for a long time.

The moment I pushed open the door, I froze.

The lingering scent of another female still clung to the room.

The bedsheets were creased in ways that made my stomach twist.

And hanging above the stone hearth was the large portrait from our mating ceremony.

Ethan and I stood side by side in the image, smiling beneath the Moon Goddess's blessing.

The sight was unbearably ironic.

A sharp ache pierced my chest.

Tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them.

For a long moment, I stood there staring at the portrait before finally forcing myself to look away.

I wiped my face and began gathering everything that belonged to me.

Identity documents, inheritance records, pack certificates, the contract that named me Luna.

Anything important.

When I finished, I headed toward the door.

Yet for some reason, I paused beside the window and looked outside.

A carriage stood beneath the moonlight near the edge of the courtyard.

It had not left.

The rhythmic movement coming from within was impossible to misunderstand.

My stomach lurched violently.

I closed my eyes at once.

I could not bear to look any longer.

That night, Ethan returned long after midnight.

The faint scent of Lily Sinclair's moonflower perfume lingered on his clothes.

He approached the bed quietly, believing I was asleep.

Then he rested his hand on my stomach and gently stroked it.

His movements were careful.

Almost reverent.

Yet instead of warmth, all I felt was revulsion.

I kept my eyes closed and pretended to sleep.

Countless memories flooded my mind.

The promises he had made.

The years I had spent loving him.

The dreams I had built around our future.

My tears soaked into my hair unnoticed.

I still could not understand how the mate I loved had become someone so cruel.

But perhaps understanding no longer mattered.

The following morning, I went alone to see the chief healer.

After examining me, the elderly healer frowned deeply.

"Luna Sophia, you are nearly seven moons along. Terminating the pregnancy now carries tremendous risk. We rarely perform such a procedure unless absolutely necessary."

My expression remained calm.

I offered an excuse I had prepared beforehand.

After a lengthy evaluation and several examinations, the healer finally agreed.

The ritual was scheduled three days later.

When I returned home, exhaustion weighed heavily on my body.

Three days.

That was all the time I had left.

Three days to prepare everything.

Three days to leave.

And before I left, I intended to give Ethan Carter a gift he would never forget.

That evening, when Ethan returned, I was sitting in the nursery I had spent months preparing.

Almost everything inside had been chosen by me.

Some items had been selected by Ethan himself.

Four tiny cradles lined one wall.

Small blankets embroidered with different patterns.

Tiny shoes no larger than the palm of my hand.

Little outfits folded neatly in wooden chests.

Every corner of the room reflected the anticipation and love I had poured into it.

For months, I had counted the days until the pups arrived.

Because I believed they were the living proof of my love for Ethan.

Now, looking around the room, it felt as though someone was carving open my chest with a blade.

A sudden kick came from inside my stomach.

Then another.

The pups seemed to sense my emotions.

I lowered my hand to my belly.

Conflicting feelings churned inside me.

Sadness.

Resentment.

Grief.

For a moment, I almost wavered.

Then, slowly, I lowered my hand.

These pups had never truly belonged to me.

"Sophia?"

Ethan's voice sounded from behind.

I quickly wiped away my tears.

He walked into the nursery and frowned when he saw my face.

"Why are you crying?"

I forced a smile.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking that in a few months we'll finally meet them. I got emotional."

His expression immediately softened.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"I'm looking forward to meeting our pups too."

Our pups.

The words nearly made me laugh.

But in the end, I simply lowered my eyes and said nothing.