Chapter 1
“Father, prepare the council chambers. It’s time for me to come back to my tribe -time to take my rightful place.”
I placed the phone down, taking a deep, steadying breath. My hand drifted instinctively to my belly, where life stirred within me. Lucian doesn’t know yet. He has no idea I’m finally pregnant with the child he’s always wanted–his heir, the future of our pack. But could I tell him now, knowing how distant he’s become? Especially with Vlanche constantly
occupying his time, his attention? His coldness stung more with every passing day, every dismissive glance.
My legs burned from the miles I had run, my body aching from the grueling days spent negotiating peace with rival packs. Every step, every effort had been for him, for the Crimson Moon Pack–for us.
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Pushing open the door to the main hall, I held the pregnancy test tightly in my hand, hoping for even a flicker of
acknowledgment, maybe even relief. But instead, the scene before me sucked the air from my lungs.
Lucian stood there, his tall, commanding figure angled protectively toward her- Vlanche. The she–wolf who had broken him years ago, the one who haunted the shadows of our relationship. His arm rested lightly around her shoulders, a touch that sent an icy chill down my spine.
“What is she doing here?” I asked, my voice surprisingly steady despite the knot tightening in my stomach.
“She needs help,” Lucian replied without looking at me. His tone was calm, almost detached, as though this were nothing out of the ordinary. “Her entire pack is gone. She has nowhere else to go.
Vlanche tilted her head toward him, her soft, trembling voice cutting through the
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tension. “I’ll do anything to stay,
Alpha,” she whispered, her delicate frame shaking as though she might shatter.
“You‘ re the only one I can cling my hope
to.”
Finally, Lucian’s gaze shifted to meet mine, and the hardness in his silver eyes struck deep. “She‘ ll stay in the pack house,” he declared, his tone final.
“She’s harmless, and it’s my decision.”
I straightened, forcing myself to maintain composure. “You‘ re giving her a place here? In our home?” My voice wavered despite my efforts to keep it strong. “Do you even remember what she did to you, Lucian? To us?”
His expression darkened, his tone sharp enough to cut. “What’s the problem, Freya? Do you think you‘ re so far above her that she isn’t worthy of our protection?”
I flinched, the venom in his words slicing
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through me. “That’s not what I meant
“Then don‘ t question me,” he snapped, his voice reverberating through the hall. “She’ll stay, and you‘ 11 treat her with respect. Or is your sense of status more important than my authority as Alpha?”
I swallowed hard, feeling the treaty in my hand crumple under the pressure of my grip. He wasn’t just defending her–he was belittling me, as though I were the intruder in my own life.
“Fine,” I said quietly, my voice barely audible. “But where will she stay?”
Lucian’s lips curled into a mockery of a smile. “She’ll take our quarters,” he said with chilling finality, gesturing toward the small, private home I had spent weeks preparing for us to start our family. “It’s the most comfortable place for her.”
I stood there, rooted to the spot, as he led her toward the door. His hand rested
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lightly on her back, the same way it used to
rest on mine.
That night, as the moon hung high above the forest, I sat at my desk, staring at the treaty I had worked tirelessly to create. Every word I had written, every negotiation I had endured, had been for a future that no longer felt like my own.
A sudden touch on my shoulder made me flinch. I turned, finding Vlanche standing behind me, her expression almost… triumphant.
“Freya,” she said sweetly, her voice as smooth as silk. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m taking your quarter.
“What?” I began, confusion turning to
anger.
She smiled wider, her tone dripping with false innocence. “It’s just that sleeping in his quarters brings back memories of when we used to share a bed… I know you don’t like that but it’s Lucian who
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told me to sleep there so…”
Her words made my fists clench tightly.
“I’m his Luna,” I said, my voice low and trembling with fury. “You-”
“Calm down,” she interrupted, her confidence radiating like poison. “I know you’ve felt threatened ever since I arrived. But you should remember–I’m far more powerful than you. And if you don’t respect his decisions, I can easily take your place.”
