Stole My Heir for His Mistress: I Shattered His Pack and Crowned the Rival

"Is he back yet?" I asked, pacing the length of the grand entryway.

Mara, the head housekeeper, paused her dusting and shook her head. "Not yet, Luna. The border patrol reported his vehicle crossing the perimeter five minutes ago. He should be pulling up any second."

I smoothed the edges of the white envelope in my hand. Inside rested a single sheet of paper and a grainy ultrasound photo. Eight weeks.

"He's going to flip," I muttered.

"Alpha Caleb has wanted a pup since the day he took over the pack," Mara said. "He will be thrilled."

"I hope so," I replied, tapping the envelope against my thigh. "We've been trying for two years. He was starting to lose hope."

"The Goddess answers in her own time," Mara offered. She bowed her head briefly, then scurried off toward the kitchens, leaving me alone in the vast, empty hall.

I looked down at the envelope. My thumb traced the seal. All the late nights crying, all the doctor visits, the relentless whispers from the pack elders about my fertility—it was all over. I was finally giving Caleb the family he desperately craved.

The heavy oak doors slammed open.

I stepped forward, holding the envelope out. "Caleb, I have to tell you—"

The words died on my tongue.

Caleb stood in the entryway. His broad shoulders blocked the afternoon sun, but the shadow he cast wasn't alone. His arm was wrapped tight around the waist of a strange female werewolf. She leaned her entire body weight against his side, her fingers tangled in his shirt.

"Who is this?" I asked.

He didn't answer right away. He just stared at me, his jaw set in a hard, uncompromising line.

The stranger didn't even look at me. Instead, she pressed her face deep into the crook of Caleb's neck. She inhaled deeply, dragging her nose along his scent gland. Her eyes slipped shut in a blatant show of ownership.

The warmth in my stomach vanished, replaced by a freezing block of ice.

A sharp sting shot through my chest. The mate bond flared to life, transmitting a rush of intense, burning lust directly into my nervous system. It felt like hot needles piercing my spine.

It wasn't my lust. It was Caleb's.

And it was entirely directed at the woman clinging to him.

My fingers clamped down. The pregnancy confirmation crumpled into a tight ball. My nails dug so hard into my palms that the skin threatened to tear.

"Caleb," I said, louder this time. "Explain this."

He finally met my gaze. His eyes were devoid of the warmth I expected. "Elara. Go upstairs."

"No," I fired back. "Tell me who she is. Right now."

The female pulled her face from his neck and smirked. "You didn't tell her?"

"I just got here, Siena," Caleb muttered. He didn't let go of her waist.

"Siena," I repeated the name, tasting bile in the back of my throat. "Why are you holding her like that?"

"Because she belongs by my side," Caleb stated.

I let out a harsh, unexpected laugh. The sound echoed off the stone walls, hollow and completely devoid of humor. "Belongs by your side? I am your mate. I am the Luna of this pack."

"Things change," Siena chimed in, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder. "You might want to pack your things, honey."

"Shut up," I snapped at her. "I'm talking to my husband."

"He's not just yours anymore," Siena replied, her voice laced with arrogance.

"The Goddess paired us," I reminded him, staring directly into his cold eyes. "You are my fated mate. You can't just bring someone else here."

"Fated mates are a myth for the weak," Caleb scoffed. "A biological trick to ensure breeding. It doesn't mean I have to be chained to you when better options exist."

"Better options?" I echoed, the words tasting like ash. "Is that what I am to you? An option that expired?"

"You are a liability," Caleb corrected. "The neighboring packs are expanding. We need military support, and Siena's family provides it."

"So you sold yourself?" I asked.

Caleb's jaw clenched. "I secured our future."

I fixed my eyes on him. "Tell her to leave. Now."

"She stays," Caleb said. His voice rumbled with an Alpha's command, vibrating across the floorboards. "She is staying in the main suite."

"The main suite is our bedroom," I pointed out, my chest heaving. "Are you out of your mind? You bring a stray into our home and expect me to step aside?"

"She isn't a stray," Caleb said, his eyes narrowing. "Watch your tone, Elara."

"My tone?" I shoved the crumpled ball of paper into my pocket, though the ultrasound photo slipped, fluttering down to the rug. I didn't care. "You walk in here reeking of another woman, radiating desire for her across our bond, and you want me to watch my tone?"

"I said, go to your room," Caleb ordered, stepping forward. Siena moved with him, glued to his hip.

"Or what?" I challenged, planting my feet. "You'll force me out? In front of the entire pack?"

"If I have to," he answered coldly.

"You wouldn't dare," I whispered.

"Try me," Caleb shot back.

"Two years," I said, my voice shaking. "We have been married for two years. We built this pack together. And you're going to throw me out of our bedroom for a woman you just met?"

"I didn't just meet her," Caleb admitted.

The confession hit me like a physical blow. I stumbled back half a step. "What?"

"We've known each other for months," Siena supplied, thoroughly enjoying the devastation on my face. "He visits me every time he goes to the capital for pack council meetings."

I stared at Caleb, searching for a denial. He remained silent.

"Those meetings," I started, trying to keep my voice steady. "The ones that kept you away for weeks at a time. You were with her?"

"Yes," Caleb said. No hesitation. No apology.

"Why?" I demanded. "Why would you do this?"

"Because you are weak, Elara," Caleb stated, his tone flat. "The pack needs a strong Luna. A Luna who can provide an heir. You've failed on both counts."

My hand instinctively hovered over my stomach. The crumpled paper in my pocket felt like a cruel joke.

"You don't know what you're talking about," I shot back.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Caleb said. "Siena comes from a powerful bloodline. She brings alliances we desperately need. And she can give me what you can't."

"A pup," I finished for him.

"Yes," Siena said, stepping out of his embrace just enough to cross her arms. "A true Alpha heir."

I wanted to scream. I wanted to pull the ultrasound photo from the floor and shove it in his face. But the absolute betrayal radiating from him stopped me. He had been sleeping with her for months. He had already replaced me in his heart, long before today.

Siena ran a hand down Caleb's chest, tracing the line of his muscles through his shirt. "Stop arguing with her, Caleb. My feet hurt from the trip, and I want to see our room."

"Our room," I repeated, the ice in my stomach spreading to my limbs. "You aren't setting foot on that staircase."

I stepped into the path leading to the stairs.

Caleb's eyes flashed gold, his Alpha wolf surfacing. "Move, Elara."

"No."

"I am your Alpha," he growled.

"And I am your Luna," I shot back, refusing to submit. "You want to replace me? You'll have to formally reject me first. Break the bond. Let the whole pack feel what you've done."

Caleb let out a harsh breath. "Don't push me. I wanted to handle this quietly."

"Quietly?" I gestured to the open doors. "You walked in here with her plastered to your side. There is no quiet way to do this."

Siena shifted her weight, intentionally bumping her leather duffel bag off her shoulder.

It hit the floor with a heavy thud. The zipper burst open.

"Oops," she murmured, feigning innocence.

"Pick it up," I demanded.

Siena just smiled. "Why don't you get it for me?"

"I will throw you out that door myself," I warned, stepping toward her.

Caleb moved instantly, shielding her with his body. "Don't touch her, Elara. I won't allow it."

The absolute certainty in his voice stopped me dead. He was protecting her. From me. His mate.

"You're throwing us away," I whispered, the reality finally piercing through the shock. "For her."

"I'm doing what is necessary," Caleb said. "You wouldn't understand."

"Make me understand!" I screamed. "Tell me why my husband is dragging another woman into our home!"

Siena kicked her fallen bag. The motion dislodged something from the side pocket.

A silver metal object clattered onto the hardwood floor. It spun in a tight circle, glinting in the overhead light, before rolling directly toward me.

It stopped right at the toe of my shoe.

Right on top of the glossy ultrasound photo I had dropped moments ago.

I stared down.

It was a heavy silver nameplate. Etched into the center was the unmistakable crest of the Royal Pack. And right below the crest, bold letters spelled out a title.

*Royal Mate.*