Elara had imagined this moment so many times that she knew exactly how Cassian would react.

He would walk through the doors after weeks at the northern border, still carrying the mountains' cold on his clothes, and she would wait for him with the dinner she had spent the entire afternoon preparing. She would pretend everything was ordinary until he noticed the small silver gift box beside his plate.

Then she would watch his face when he opened it.

For five years, she had waited for the day she could tell her mate that they were finally going to have a child.

Tonight, that day had come.

Elara stood in the dining hall of the Nightfang Pack’s residence, carefully adjusting the last candle before stepping back to inspect the table. Mushroom stew simmered over a low flame, roasted venison had been seasoned with the herbs Cassian preferred, and spiced potatoes filled the center of the table.

She had even worn the green dress he always complimented.

Her fingers brushed the small gift box resting near Cassian’s chair, and a smile touched her lips despite the nervous flutter in her chest.

Inside was a positive pregnancy test.

Four weeks of secretly waking before dawn to place her hand over her stomach and wonder whether the tiny life growing inside her would finally give the Nightfang Pack what its elders had demanded for years.

An heir.

The thought should have frightened her.

Instead, it had filled her with a happiness so powerful that she had almost forgotten every cruel word she had endured.

She was wolf-less.

That fact had followed her from childhood like a sentence.

Among werewolves, a wolf was more than an animal living inside the body. It was a connection to strength, instinct, healing, and the pack itself. Elara had been born without one, making her an Omega in a society where rank mattered almost as much as blood.

Yet Cassian had chosen her.

He had marked her and made her his Luna.

For years, that had been enough to silence anyone who questioned her place beside him.

But the elders had never stopped reminding her that a Luna who could not produce an heir was eventually going to become a problem.

Tonight, she had planned to end that conversation forever.

A sound came from outside.

Howls.

Then the heavy opening of the main gates.

Elara’s heart jumped.

Cassian was home.

She hurried toward the entrance, her smile widening as she heard boots crossing the stone courtyard. Several warriors entered first, covered in travel dust and dried mud from the northern border. Behind them came the pack’s Beta and a few senior guards.

Then Cassian appeared.

He looked exactly as she remembered him.

Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dark hair slightly disheveled from battle. His black Alpha coat hung heavily around his frame, and the faint scent of pine and cold air followed him into the hall.

Elara’s eyes immediately searched his face.

He wasn’t smiling and that was strange.

Then she noticed the woman walking beside him.

Her smile disappeared.

There was Seraphina.

The Beta’s daughter.

Cassian’s childhood companion.

A skilled warrior who had fought beside him for years and, according to the pack gossip Elara had learned to ignore, had always wanted more from him than friendship.

Seraphina’s hand rested protectively over her stomach.

Elara stared at it.

The room seemed to shrink around her.

Seraphina was pregnant.

Cassian stopped several feet away, his expression unusually serious. He glanced toward the elders gathering behind him before returning his attention to Elara.

“Elara, I need you to remain calm while I explain something,” Cassian said, his jaw tightening as though he already knew the words would hurt her.

Her gaze remained fixed on Seraphina’s stomach.

“What happened?” Elara asked, forcing herself to keep her voice steady.

Cassian drew a slow breath.

“Seraphina is carrying my child,” he said, his expression heavy with guilt.

The words struck harder than any physical blow.

Elara didn’t move.

For several seconds, she could hear nothing except the pounding of her own heart.

Then a small object slipped from the gift box in her hand.

The pregnancy test landed silently on the carpet behind her.

Nobody noticed except Elara.

Her eyes dropped to it.

The two lines, her child and her prepared announcement.

Her carefully planned happiness lay on the floor while another woman’s pregnancy was being announced to the entire pack.

“Elara,” Cassian said, stepping toward her with concern written across his face, “say something.”

She slowly raised her eyes to him.

“How?”

One word.

That was all she could manage to say.

Cassian’s shoulders stiffened.

“I was at the northern border,” he replied, his expression tightening. “After the battle, the warriors celebrated. I drank more than I should have. I woke up beside Seraphina.”

A murmur spread through the room.

Elara’s fingers curled against her palm.

“You slept with her because you were drunk?” she asked, staring at him in disbelief.

Cassian looked away for a moment before meeting her eyes again.

“I don’t remember everything that happened that night, but the healer confirmed the child is mine.”

Seraphina lowered her gaze, one hand still resting over her stomach.

“I never intended to come between you and Cassian,” she said softly, her expression carefully sorrowful.

Elara’s attention snapped toward her.

Seraphina’s eyes glistened.

“But I won’t pretend this child doesn’t exist.”

Several elders exchanged glances.

Then Elder Rowan stepped forward, his face stern.

“This changes everything,” he said, folding his hands behind his back.

Elara looked at him.

“What exactly does it change?”

The elder’s expression hardened.

“For five years, the Nightfang Pack has waited for an heir from its Luna. Now Alpha Cassian has a child on the way.”

Elara felt the familiar judgment settle over the room.

Another elder shook his head.

“We cannot ignore succession simply because the child’s mother is not the Luna.”

Cassian’s eyes narrowed.

“That is enough,” he said, his voice carrying the authority of the Alpha.

The room immediately fell silent.

He turned toward Elara.

“She remains my mate and Luna. No one will remove her from that position.”

Elara stared at him.

There it was again.

The title.

The position.

The protection of her status.

But not the protection she desperately needed.

Cassian had brought another woman into their home carrying his child, and somehow everyone was already discussing that child as though it belonged to the future of the pack.

Her hand drifted instinctively toward her stomach.

She wanted to tell him

Cassian was about to become a father twice.

He simply didn’t know it yet.

“Elara,” Cassian said quietly, approaching her, “we need to talk somewhere private.”

She looked at him for several seconds.

Then she glanced toward Seraphina.

Something about the woman’s expression bothered her.

Seraphina wasn’t looking at Cassian anymore.

She was looking at Elara.

And there was no sadness in her eyes.

Only triumph.

Elara’s stomach tightened.

She turned away before anyone could see her reaction.

“Give me a moment,” she said, her voice controlled.

Cassian nodded.

Elara walked toward the corridor, but she stopped when she reached the edge of the dining hall.

Her gaze returned to the pregnancy test on the carpet.

She couldn’t leave it there.

Not because she was afraid someone would discover it.

Because she suddenly wasn’t sure she wanted Cassian to be the first person who knew.

She bent down, picked it up, and slipped it into the pocket of her dress.

Then she straightened.

For five years, she had fought to prove that being wolf-less did not make her unworthy of being Luna.

Tonight, she had discovered that she was carrying the heir everyone had demanded from her.

But instead of feeling victorious, she felt something much more dangerous.

Suspicion.

Because Cassian’s story explained what had happened between him and Seraphina.

It did not explain why Seraphina looked so pleased.

And Elara had learned long ago that in the Nightfang Pack, the most dangerous things were rarely the ones people said aloud.

Elara did not tell Cassian she was pregnant that night.

Every step toward her bedroom made the words rise in her throat, but each time she remembered the way the elders had looked at Seraphina’s stomach, as though the child already belonged to the pack more than it belonged to the woman carrying it.

She needed answers before she gave Cassian another piece of herself.

By the time she reached the corridor, the sounds of the celebration had returned behind her. Warriors were congratulating one another on the Alpha’s safe return while servants hurried between the dining hall and the kitchens, carrying empty plates and fresh wine.

No one came after Elara and that surprised her.

She closed her bedroom door and leaned against it, staring at the pregnancy test in her hand. Four weeks pregnant. Her thumb brushed over the two lines as her mind returned to everything that had happened that evening.

She had spent five years dreaming about this moment.

Yet now that it had arrived, she couldn’t stop wondering whether bringing her child into the open would make things better—or put a target on the baby’s back.

A knock sounded.

Elara quickly slipped the test into the drawer beside her bed before turning toward the door.

“Come in,” she said, smoothing her expression even though her thoughts were still racing.

An elderly maid entered with her head bowed, her hands clasped respectfully in front of her.

“Luna, Alpha Cassian asked that you rest tonight,” the maid said carefully, keeping her eyes lowered.

Elara studied the woman’s face, searching for some indication that she knew more than she was saying.

“Did he say why?” she asked, her brows drawing together.

The maid hesitated before answering, clearly uncomfortable beneath the Luna’s questioning gaze.

“He said there will be changes to the household tomorrow,” she replied, lowering her voice as though the walls might be listening.

“What kind of changes?” Elara asked, straightening from the door as suspicion sharpened her gaze.

“I wasn’t told,” the maid admitted, shaking her head.

Elara’s eyes narrowed, but she could see the woman’s discomfort and didn’t press her further.

“Forgive me, Luna,” the maid murmured, dipping her head.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Elara replied, her expression softening. “You can go.”

After the woman left, Elara crossed the room and opened the curtains.

The moon hung above the pack grounds, bathing the training fields in pale light. She had always loved the Nightfang Pack. Even when the pack had whispered about her lack of a wolf, she had convinced herself that belonging beside Cassian was enough.

Tonight, she wasn’t so sure.

A faint ache pulled through her abdomen.

Elara placed her palm over it, her expression becoming gentler as she thought of the child growing inside her.

“I won’t let anyone decide your place before you even arrive,” she whispered, her eyes lowering toward her stomach.

She had barely finished speaking when voices sounded outside.

She stepped closer to the door.

“Move the furniture carefully,” Cassian instructed from the corridor, his voice firm with authority.

Elara opened the door.

Two servants stood in the hallway with several pack workers behind them. They were carrying the small wooden crib she had ordered months ago.

Her heart stopped.

“What are you doing?” she asked, staring at the crib in disbelief.

One of the servants froze, his eyes darting nervously toward the floor.

Before anyone could answer, Cassian appeared at the end of the corridor.

His expression changed when he saw her.

“Elara,” he said, slowing his steps as concern briefly crossed his face.

She stepped into the hallway, her gaze fixed on him.

“Why are they taking the crib?” she demanded, pointing toward the nursery with a restrained anger that made her voice tremble.

Cassian approached slowly, his shoulders tense beneath his dark coat.

“Seraphina needs a room closer to the healer’s wing,” he explained, his expression serious.

Elara looked toward the nursery before turning back to him.

“And you chose my nursery?” she asked, disbelief evident in her eyes.

“It is the safest room in this part of the residence,” Cassian explained, his jaw tightening as though he knew she would not accept the answer easily.

Her gaze hardened.

“You could have chosen another room,” she said, folding her arms across her chest.

“I could have,” Cassian admitted, his expression conflicted, “but Seraphina’s condition makes this the safest option.”

Elara looked at the servants again before returning her attention to him.

“What condition?” she asked, her suspicion becoming impossible to hide.

Cassian’s expression grew guarded.

“She experienced severe abdominal pain after we arrived,” he replied, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to make her understand the seriousness of his decision.

Seraphina’s pain had interrupted her attempt to tell Cassian about her pregnancy.

Now that same pregnancy was being given the room she had prepared for her own child.

Elara’s lips pressed into a thin line.

“How convenient,” she murmured, the bitterness in her voice impossible to conceal.

Cassian’s brows drew together.

“What does that mean?” he asked, his expression hardening as he studied her.

“It means every time something important is about to be said, Seraphina suddenly needs you,” Elara replied, holding his gaze despite the anger burning behind her eyes.

“Elara, don’t accuse her of pretending to be sick,” Cassian warned, his voice low as his jaw tightened.

“Then don’t give me reasons to question it,” she shot back, her eyes flashing with hurt and frustration.

His expression hardened.

“You’re angry with me, and you have every right to be,” Cassian said, his voice controlled as he fought to keep his temper in check. “But Seraphina is carrying my child. I won’t gamble with the baby’s safety to spare your feelings.”

The words struck her.

Elara looked toward the nursery.

Inside were the things she had chosen herself over the years: a small wooden crib, cream-colored curtains, shelves filled with children’s books, and a stuffed wolf she had bought long before she ever knew she would become a mother.

Her fingers curled at her sides.

“You know how long I waited to prepare that room,” she said, her voice quieter now as she looked at him with wounded disbelief.

Cassian’s expression flickered.

“I know,” he replied, his eyes lingering on the nursery.

“Then you know what you’re taking from me,” Elara said, her voice trembling slightly as she forced herself to meet his gaze.

His eyes remained on her.

“I am not taking your place,” he said, his expression strained.

“No,” Elara replied, holding his gaze as hurt hardened into quiet anger. “You’re taking the future I built inside this house and giving it to another woman.”

Silence settled between them.

Cassian looked away first.

Then footsteps sounded from behind him.

Seraphina appeared.

She wore a loose ivory robe, one hand resting over her stomach. Her face was pale, but the moment she saw Elara standing outside the nursery, her expression changed.

“Elara,” Seraphina said softly, approaching with cautious steps and an apologetic look carefully arranged across her face. “I didn’t ask them to remove your things.”

Elara looked at her, studying the woman she had once considered a trusted member of the pack.

“But you’re accepting the room,” she replied, her expression guarded.

Seraphina’s lips parted as she lowered her eyes.

“I need to be close to the healer,” she said, placing one hand protectively over her stomach.

“You need to be close to Cassian,” Elara answered, her voice quiet but cutting as she watched Seraphina’s reaction.

Seraphina’s eyes lowered further, and Cassian immediately stepped between them.

“Enough,” he said sharply, his expression warning both women to stop.

Elara stared at him.

“Is that what you will say every time I object?” she asked, her brows lifting as frustration flashed across her face.

Cassian’s expression tightened.

“I am asking you to understand the situation,” he replied, his hands falling stiffly to his sides.

“No,” Elara said firmly, turning fully toward him. “You’re asking me to surrender quietly.”

Before Cassian could respond, an unfamiliar voice came from the staircase.

“Perhaps surrender isn’t the right word,” the man said, his calm tone drawing everyone’s attention.

Everyone turned.

Elder Rowan stood there with two members of the council, his expression solemn as he surveyed the tense scene.

“The Luna has a right to understand what is happening,” he said, looking directly at Cassian before turning his attention to Elara.

Cassian’s shoulders stiffened.

“Elder,” he warned, his expression becoming guarded.

Rowan ignored the warning in his voice.

“With two potential heirs now involved, the succession council will need to review the old law,” he explained, his hands folding behind his back.

Elara’s attention sharpened.

“Two heirs?” she asked, her eyes moving between Rowan and Cassian.

The elder nodded.

“The Alpha’s first recognized biological heir traditionally receives priority in succession,” Rowan explained, his expression grave.

Seraphina’s expression brightened slightly.

Elara noticed.

“But I’m still the Luna,” Elara said, lifting her chin as she held herself with renewed confidence.

“You are,” Rowan replied, giving her a solemn nod. “And that distinction matters.”

“Then explain it,” Elara demanded, her gaze remaining fixed on him.

Cassian stepped forward, his expression tense.

“That discussion can wait,” he said, his voice carrying a clear warning.

“No,” Elara said, turning toward him with a firmness that surprised even Cassian. “It cannot.”

Cassian stared at her, his brows drawing together.

She had spent years allowing him to shield her from pack politics.

She wouldn’t do that anymore.

Elder Rowan cleared his throat.

“The law does not automatically make the child of the Luna the heir,” he explained, his tone measured. “The council recognizes blood, legitimacy, and the order in which the Alpha’s children are born. However, the Luna’s position carries certain protections.”

Elara’s eyes narrowed.

“What protections?” she asked, her voice steady despite the unease building inside her.

Rowan hesitated.

“A Luna cannot be stripped of her title simply because another woman bears the Alpha’s child,” he said, his expression solemn.

Elara released a slow breath, some of the tension leaving her shoulders.

That was something.

Then Rowan continued.

“But the child born outside the Luna’s union may still be considered for succession if the Alpha formally recognizes that child,” he added, his gaze shifting toward Cassian.

Elara looked at Cassian.

“You intend to recognize Seraphina’s child,” she said, her voice quiet as she searched his face for an answer.

Cassian didn’t answer immediately.

His silence told her enough.

“Yes,” he finally said, his expression conflicted. “The child is mine.”

Elara’s hand instinctively moved toward her stomach.

Nobody noticed.

Not even Cassian.

She looked at the nursery again.

Suddenly, the crib no longer looked like furniture.

It looked like a warning.

If Seraphina’s child was born first and Cassian formally recognized it, that child could stand ahead of hers in the succession.

And if her own child remained hidden, no one could protect what they didn’t know existed.

Elara’s mind raced.

She had thought keeping the pregnancy secret would give her time.

Now she realized secrecy could cost her child everything.

Cassian moved closer, his expression softening as he tried to draw her attention back to him.

“Elara, we will discuss this privately,” he said, his voice quieter.

She met his eyes.

“No,” she replied, her expression firm.

His brows furrowed.

“No?” he repeated, clearly surprised by her refusal.

“I want to speak with the healer,” Elara said, holding his gaze with a determination he hadn’t seen from her before.

Cassian’s expression changed.

“Why?” he asked, studying her face.

“Because if my child is going to be born into this pack, I need to understand exactly what I’m bringing into the world,” she replied, her voice steady despite the secret she continued to carry.

He stared at her, clearly surprised by the firmness in her voice.

Then Seraphina suddenly winced.

Her hand pressed against her abdomen.

Cassian immediately turned toward her.

“Seraphina?” he asked, his expression filling with concern as he moved toward her.

She breathed through the discomfort, lowering her head.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured him, forcing a faint smile.

Cassian reached for her arm.

“Let’s get you checked,” he said, his concern evident in the way his fingers tightened gently around her arm.

Elara watched them.

This time, she didn’t feel abandoned.

She noticed how quickly Seraphina recovered when Cassian turned away from her.

She noticed the tiny curve at the corner of Seraphina’s mouth.

And she noticed something else.

The pain had disappeared almost as quickly as it had arrived.

Elara’s suspicion deepened.

She stepped into the nursery before the servants could finish removing her belongings.

Her fingers closed around the stuffed wolf sitting on the small bed.

For years, she had kept it there because she had wanted her child to grow up seeing something she had never been allowed to have—a wolf of their own.

She hugged it against her chest, then looked at the empty crib.

Her eyes hardened.

If the pack intended to turn her unborn child into a political battle, she needed to learn the rules before the battle began.

And she knew exactly where she would start.

The healer.

Tomorrow morning, she would find out whether there was something about her pregnancy that Cassian and the elders had failed to consider.

She placed the stuffed wolf carefully inside the crib.

Then she walked out of the nursery without looking back.

Elara barely slept.

She remained beside the nursery window long after the servants had left, her fingers resting protectively over the secret hidden beneath her nightgown. The house had grown quiet, but the silence did nothing to calm the thoughts racing through her mind. Cassian had brought Seraphina into their home, moved her belongings into the nursery Elara had spent months preparing, and openly acknowledged that the child growing inside another woman belonged to him.

Yet beneath all of that was something Elara could not ignore.

The succession law.

If Seraphina’s child was recognized before hers, the child could stand ahead of hers in the line of succession. Her baby would enter a world where its position had already been decided by a woman who had been given the room Elara had built for it.

She could no longer afford to remain silent.

By dawn, Elara had made her decision.

She would tell Cassian.

But she would not tell him as the frightened woman who had once believed her pregnancy would save their marriage. She would tell him because her child had a right to be protected, and because she needed to know exactly what he intended to do with that right.

She had barely finished dressing when the bedroom door opened.

Cassian stepped inside alone.

His expression was tired, his dark hair still slightly disheveled from the night, but there was something guarded in his eyes that made Elara straighten immediately.

He closed the door behind him and studied her for several seconds before speaking.

“Are you still angry with me?” Cassian asked, his jaw tightening as he watched her guarded expression.

Elara gave a quiet, humorless smile and folded her arms across her chest.

“You moved another woman into the nursery I built for my child, told the elders her baby may inherit this pack, and expected me to sleep peacefully beside you,” she replied, her eyes steady despite the ache beneath them. “What answer were you expecting?”

Cassian’s expression hardened, but he did not immediately argue.

“I expected you to be hurt,” he admitted, lowering his gaze briefly before meeting hers again. “I did not expect you to understand overnight.”

“You’re right,” Elara said, her voice controlled as she stepped closer. “I don’t understand. I don’t understand how you can stand there and tell me that I am still your Luna while everything that should have belonged to my family is being handed to someone else.”

Cassian drew a slow breath, his shoulders tense.

“Seraphina is carrying my child, Elara. Whatever happened between us, I cannot pretend that child does not exist,” he explained, his expression solemn as he held her gaze.

“And what about mine?” Elara demanded, her voice breaking through the restraint she had fought to maintain.

The question left her mouth before she could soften it.

Cassian froze.

Elara reached into the drawer beside the bed and pulled out the pregnancy test she had hidden there the night before. Her fingers tightened around it as she held it between them.

“I am carrying your child too,” she said, her voice trembling despite her effort to remain composed. “Four weeks.”

For several heartbeats, Cassian did not move.

His eyes dropped to the test.

Then slowly returned to her face.

“Elara…” he whispered, the shock in his voice unmistakable as his eyes widened.

She watched as the meaning settled over him. His rigid posture broke, his lips parted, and something almost painfully human crossed his face.

“You’re pregnant?” Cassian asked, staring at her with stunned disbelief as his eyes dropped instinctively toward her stomach.

Elara nodded, her eyes glistening.

“Yes,” she confirmed softly, lowering her gaze as her hand moved protectively over her abdomen.

Cassian crossed the space between them so quickly that she instinctively stepped back, but he stopped himself before touching her. His eyes remained fixed on her stomach as if he could somehow see the tiny life growing there.

“Five years,” he murmured, his voice rough with emotion as he shook his head in disbelief. “We waited five years.”

Elara’s chest tightened.

For a brief moment, she saw the man she had loved before everything had become complicated. The man who had once promised her that their child would be the strongest heir Nightfang had ever known. The man who had held her through every failed attempt and told her that being wolf-less did not make her less worthy of his love.

But the moment passed.

Cassian’s expression changed as the reality of the situation caught up with him.

“You should have told me immediately,” he said, his brows drawing together as he looked at her with restrained frustration.

Elara stared at him in disbelief.

“I wanted to,” she answered, her lips pressing together as hurt flickered across her face. “But yesterday you told me another woman’s child was yours, and before I could tell you about mine, you left with her.”

Cassian’s face tightened with guilt.

“I didn’t know,” he replied quietly, lowering his eyes as remorse crossed his features.

“No,” Elara said, shaking her head slowly as tears gathered in her eyes. “You didn’t, I was about to inform you.”

Silence settled between them.

Then Cassian moved closer, his expression conflicted.

“Does anyone else know?” he asked, his gaze sharpening as he studied her face.

“No,” Elara answered firmly, her fingers tightening around the pregnancy test.

“Not even the healer?” Cassian asked, his brows furrowing with concern.

“No,” she replied, shaking her head.

Cassian looked toward the door, thinking.

Elara noticed the change immediately.

“You’re already thinking about the council,” she said, her expression falling as she watched his attention shift away from her.

His eyes returned to hers.

“I have to,” Cassian answered, his face tense with the weight of the decision.

The answer hurt more than she expected.

“You just found out that I’m carrying the child we’ve waited five years for, and your first thought is the council?” Elara asked, her voice trembling as disbelief and disappointment battled across her face.

Cassian’s face softened, but his voice remained firm.

“Because I am Alpha before I am anything else. If I make a decision based only on what I feel, I could put the entire succession at risk,” he explained, his expression troubled as he tried to make her understand.

“And if you make every decision based on the pack, what am I supposed to be?” Elara asked, her brows drawing together as she fought back tears. “Your Luna when it is convenient? Your mate when you need loyalty? Or the woman you expect to step aside while another woman gives you the heir everyone wants?”

Cassian’s jaw clenched.

“You are my mate and my Luna,” he replied firmly, his eyes holding hers as though he expected those words to settle the matter.

“Then prove it,” Elara demanded, her chin lifting as she refused to look away.

He looked at her silently.

Elara took another step toward him.

“Send Seraphina away,” she said, her voice steady despite the pain in her eyes.

Cassian’s expression immediately changed.

“No,” he answered, his face hardening as he shook his head.

The single word landed heavily between them.

Elara stared at him.

“You didn’t even think about it,” she said, her voice cracking as disappointment flashed across her face.

“I don’t need to think about whether I will abandon my child,” Cassian replied, his voice firm as he shook his head. “I won’t.”

“I didn’t ask you to abandon the child,” Elara said, her eyes burning with restrained anger as she stepped closer. “I asked you to stop treating its mother like she belongs in the center of our marriage.”

“Seraphina is carrying my child. She has protection under pack law,” Cassian explained, his expression becoming guarded as he tried to hold his ground.

“And I am carrying yours,” Elara shot back, her hand pressing against her stomach as her voice trembled.

“I know,” Cassian replied, his expression pained as he looked toward her abdomen.

“Then why isn’t that enough?” Elara asked, tears finally gathering in her eyes.

Cassian looked at her for a long moment before answering.

“Because it changes nothing about the fact that both children are mine,” he said, his voice low and conflicted as he watched the hurt spread across her face.

Elara felt something inside her sink.

There it was.

The answer she had been afraid of.

Her pregnancy had not erased Seraphina.

It had only created two heirs.

And suddenly, she understood why the succession law mattered so much.

“If both children survive,” she said quietly, her brows tightening as she searched his face, “what happens?”

Cassian’s expression became guarded.

“The council will determine succession according to pack law,” he answered, his shoulders stiffening.

“And the first recognized heir gets priority,” Elara said, her voice growing quieter as realization settled over her.

Cassian did not answer immediately.

That silence was enough.

Elara’s hand moved instinctively toward her stomach.

“So my child could be born into this world already second,” she whispered, her face paling.

Cassian’s face tightened.

“That is not what I want,” he said, his expression pained as he took a cautious step toward her.

“But it is what the law allows,” Elara replied, her eyes filling with tears as she looked at him.

He stepped toward her, his voice softening.

“Elara, listen to me. I will not allow anyone to strip you of your position,” Cassian promised, his gaze steady as he tried to reassure her.

“You keep talking about my position,” she said, her eyes shining with tears. “I am talking about my child.”

Cassian reached for her hand.

This time, she pulled it away.

His expression fell.

“You’re afraid,” he said quietly, watching her with concern as his hand slowly dropped back to his side.

“Yes,” Elara admitted, her voice barely above a whisper as she pressed a hand over her stomach. “Because I finally have something precious enough to lose.”

Cassian’s eyes lingered on her face.

“I won’t let them hurt you,” he promised, his expression filled with determination.

Elara gave a bitter smile.

“You already did,” she whispered, turning her face away as a tear slipped down her cheek.

He flinched.

Before he could respond, a sharp knock sounded against the door.

Cassian turned toward it.

A guard stood outside when the door opened, his posture rigid.

“Alpha, the Beta is waiting in the council chamber,” the guard reported, keeping his eyes lowered respectfully. “He wants to discuss Seraphina and the succession issue before the council gathers.”

Cassian’s expression hardened.

“I’ll be there,” he replied, his jaw tightening as he glanced back at Elara.

He turned toward her.

“I need you to remain here until I return,” Cassian said, his expression troubled as he tried to keep his voice calm.

Elara’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re ordering me to stay?” she asked, her arms folding across her chest as suspicion replaced the sadness in her expression.

“I am asking you to stay,” Cassian replied, his brows drawn together as he fought to keep his voice gentle. “The council will need to know about your pregnancy, and I need time to decide how to present this without turning the pack against you.”

“You mean without letting them know that your Luna is carrying the heir you spent five years waiting for,” Elara said, her voice edged with bitterness as she stared at him.

Cassian’s mouth tightened.

“That isn’t what I meant,” he answered, his expression troubled as he shook his head.

“Then what did you mean?” Elara demanded, her eyes fixed on him.

He had no answer that could satisfy her.

Elara turned away from him.

“Go,” she said quietly, her face hardening as she refused to meet his eyes.

Cassian remained still for another moment, clearly reluctant to leave.

Then he walked toward the door.

“Elara,” he said, pausing with his hand on the handle, his expression troubled as he looked back at her. “Whatever happens in that council chamber, you are still my mate.”

She turned to face him, her eyes cold with disappointment.

“Then stop using the bond as a reason to keep me trapped in a life I no longer recognize,” she replied, her voice steady despite the pain in her expression.

Cassian’s expression tightened.

He left without answering.

The door closed.

A second later, Elara heard the unmistakable sound of the lock sliding into place.

Her heart dropped.

She crossed the room and tried the handle.

It did not move.

“Cassian,” she called, her voice rising as she stared at the locked door. “Open this door.”

No answer came.

She knocked again, harder this time.

“Alpha!” Elara shouted, her palm striking the wooden door as anger and fear tightened her voice.

A guard finally spoke from the other side.

“Forgive me, Luna, but Alpha ordered that you remain inside until the council session is over,” the guard said, his voice uncomfortable as he shifted outside the door.

Elara’s fingers curled around the handle.

“I am your Luna. You are not supposed to imprison me,” she said, her breathing becoming heavier as she fought to keep her composure.

“You are not being imprisoned,” the guard replied uneasily, his voice hesitant as he remained outside. “You are being kept here under the Alpha’s direct order until the succession matter is settled.”

The distinction meant nothing to her.

Elara stepped away from the door, her anger giving way to exhaustion. She had eaten almost nothing since the previous evening, and the stress of the past two days had left her body trembling.

She pressed a hand against her stomach.

“Please,” she whispered, closing her eyes as her other hand rested protectively over her abdomen. “Just stay with me.”

A wave of dizziness suddenly swept over her.

She grabbed the edge of the table.

The room tilted.

Elara tried to steady herself, but her knees weakened beneath her.

She reached for the door.

“Guard…” she called weakly, her voice barely carrying through the room.

Outside, the guard shifted closer.

“Luna?” he asked, his expression tightening with concern as he listened to her weakened voice.

“I need water,” Elara whispered, her breathing becoming shallow. “And something to eat.”

There was a pause.

“I’ll see what I can do,” the guard answered, his voice uncertain as he moved away from the door.

Elara tried to remain standing.

But she failed.

Her shoulder struck the edge of the table before she crumpled onto the floor, one hand instinctively covering her stomach.

The last thing she heard before darkness swallowed her was the guard shouting for someone to summon the healer.

And somewhere beyond the locked door, the future of Nightfang Pack was already being decided without her.