Betrayed by the Alpha, Claimed by His Rival

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Today was my prenatal checkup.

Just as I was about to leave, my husband, Ocean Pack's Alpha Kael, received a call from his Beta.

Alpha Kael, Lila is standing on the outside of the harbor railing, saying if you don't come see her one last time, she'll jump.

He fell silent for a few seconds, then turned to look at me.

"Elara, something happened to Lila. I might need to go check on her."

I looked into his eyes and spoke calmly:

"Does it have to be you? What about me and the baby if you leave?"

Kael's voice trembled, unable to meet my gaze:

"The Beta already called the police, but she won't let anyone near her."

He gripped my hand tightly, so hard that his knuckles made faint cracking sounds.

"Elara, that's a human life. I promise, once she's safe, I'll send her away immediately."

"When I get back, I'll go with you to the prenatal checkup."

With that, he grabbed the car keys and left without looking back.

After he left, I collapsed to the floor clutching my abdomen as blood trickled down my thighs.

The housekeeper rushed over when he saw me and carried me to the car, taking me to the hospital.

The doctor shook his head at me in the emergency room, his voice full of regret: "Luna Elara, we couldn't save the baby."

I closed my eyes and nodded gently.

The baby was gone. Kael, our fate together has ended as well.

In the third winter of my marriage to Kael, he brought back a young Omega named Lila from the border during a hunting trip.

Lila curled up in his cloak, lifting her head to glance at me timidly.

Kael said she was being hunted by rogues with nowhere to go, and he wanted to take her in as an assistant. He promised she wouldn't overstep.

But I clearly saw the tenderness in Kael's eyes when he said this, looking at Lila.

I wanted to refuse, but that day, Kael lost his temper with me for the first time.

"How can you be so heartless? Where else can Lila go if she doesn't stay here?"

"As Luna, don't you have any grace at all?"

That day, I knew that Kael had crossed the line with this Omega.

I watched his figure disappear at the end of the hallway and suddenly laughed.

A tearing pain shot through my abdomen as warm blood soaked through my dress.

This child that Kael and I had hoped for over three years ultimately couldn't be saved.

After the D&C procedure, I returned to the villa I shared with Kael, my face deathly pale.

The old housekeeper drove very slowly, asking nothing the entire way.

The car stopped in front of the villa. I was clutching my aching abdomen and had just pushed open the car door when headlights lit up from behind.

Kael saw me holding my stomach with my pale face and froze for a moment.

Then he took two strides over and scooped me up in his arms.

"Elara, what's wrong? Is your stomach bothering you?"

His voice carried panic as his arms tightened, holding me against him.

When he lowered his head, a cheap perfume smell wafted over.

My gaze swept across his neck, where a fresh red mark was imprinted.

After entering the house, I pushed away his arms and stepped back, looking at him with disgust:

"Kael, let's get divorced."

Kael froze in place, then his expression turned irritated and impatient:

"Elara! How long are you going to keep this up?

I already told you I'll send her away. Why can't you be more understanding?"

I looked at the man before me, my memories somewhat hazy.

In every wolf's eyes, Kael loved me deeply.

He would fight the Rogue King for precious supplies for my sake.

He would brawl with the elders who opposed our engagement for my sake.

These things once made me believe I was the happiest Luna in the world.

Until Lila appeared.

The struggle and pain on Kael's face were just like when he knelt before me begging for forgiveness.

The first time I caught Kael and Lila having sex in our marriage bed, he swore to the heavens that he would drive Lila out of Ocean Pack and never see her again.

That proud Alpha knelt at my feet in front of both packs.

He said he was just confused for a moment, that the one he loved had always been me.

At that time, I touched the barely formed child in my womb, softened my heart, and decided to give him one more chance.

But now I know this man isn't worth it.

Kael grabbed my hand and opened his mouth with what he thought was devotion:

"Elara, I told you this is the last time I'll see her.

Didn't we agree to make things work? Please stop fighting with me, okay?"

Looking at him, I only found the man before me utterly disgusting.

I was too lazy to keep arguing with him. I directly called the housekeeper to take me to my room without even glancing at him.

The sound of Kael smashing things rang out behind me. I couldn't care less.

I settled into the lakeside healing cabin in White Moon Pack.

I sat by the window wrapped in a thick blanket, my hand unconsciously resting on my abdomen.

The old housekeeper brought medicine and meals every day, never mentioning Kael or what was happening at the villa.

I was content with the peace, wanting only to completely distance myself from that place full of lies and betrayal.

On the third afternoon, the wooden door was shoved open violently.

Kael walked in with a chill, carrying several exquisite gift boxes.

"Elara, I've been looking for you for three days. So you've been hiding here."

I didn't turn around, still looking out the window: "I'm not hiding. I just don't want to see you."

He walked to my side, reaching out to touch my hair, but I dodged by tilting my head.

His hand froze in mid-air, his tone carrying a hint of grievance:

"I know you're still angry. I've already sent Lila to the European branch. I'll never let her appear before you again for the rest of my life.

I've already done this much. What more do you want?"

I finally turned my head to look at him.

His reddened eyes looked affectionate and pathetic, but I only felt extreme disgust.

Thinking about how he had held Lila with these hands, spoken sweet words to Lila with this mouth, made me nauseous.

"Kael, I don't want anything." My voice was calm. "I just want to divorce you."

The ingratiating expression on his face instantly vanished.

"Divorce? Elara, are you insane? Just because of one insignificant Omega?

I already sent her away! Are you still going to hold onto this?"

I looked into Kael's eyes and suddenly remembered long ago, when I first met him.

Back then, I met Kael at a bar and fell in love with him at first sight. I believed he was my mate, wanting to spend my life with him.

But when I learned he was Ocean Pack's Alpha, I hesitated.

Powerful Alphas always had all kinds of temptations around them. I didn't know if Kael truly loved me.

My parents respected my opinion greatly.

They said if I was unwilling, I didn't need to worry about the century-old alliance. I could take my time finding an Alpha I liked.

It was Kael who knelt before White Moon Pack's altar, swearing to the Moon Goddess.

"Elara, I, Kael, will never betray you in this lifetime."

"There will only ever be you as my partner."

"I will protect you and White Moon Pack with my life."

The vows in my ears seemed like yesterday, yet had long become the biggest joke.

"Insignificant?" I laughed. "When she was having sex with you in our marriage bed, did you think that too?

When you knelt at my feet swearing before both packs, did you think that too?"

"That's all in the past!" He slammed the table, the gift boxes tumbling to the floor from the impact.

"I told you I was just confused for a moment! The one I love has always been you!

Can't you be more magnanimous? As Ocean Pack's Luna, you should have a Luna's grace!"

"I don't have that kind of grace." I stood up, took the divorce agreement from the drawer, and threw it in front of him.

"Sign it. Let's make a clean break."

Kael's face instantly turned pale. He picked up the agreement, his fingers trembling uncontrollably:

"You had this prepared all along? You've wanted to divorce me all along, haven't you?"

"You forced me to." I looked at him, my eyes devoid of any warmth.

"From the day you betrayed me, things between us were finished."

"I don't agree!" He violently tore the agreement to shreds, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at me.

"The two packs' alliance has been bound for a century. You think you can just divorce me?

Do you want White Moon Pack and Ocean Pack to go to war?"

"That's your problem." I walked around him toward the door.

"I have countless backup copies of the agreement. In three days, I'll formally submit the divorce application. If you don't agree, we'll see each other in court."

"Elara!" He rushed over to grab me, but I dodged to the side.

"Get lost. Don't let me see you again. You disgust me."

Kael looked at my resolute eyes and finally understood I wasn't just throwing a tantrum.

He clenched his fists tightly, nails digging into his palms. Finally, he glared at me fiercely and slammed the door as he left.

The snow outside fell heavier. I leaned against the doorframe, slowly sliding to sit on the floor.

Tears finally flowed uncontrollably.

I moved back to White Moon Pack's ancestral home.

Mom didn't ask much, just brought the medicine she'd prepared into my room.

At dinner, I put down my spoon and spoke:

"Dad, Mom, the baby is gone. I want to divorce Kael."

I cried as I told them everything.

Mom's soup bowl crashed onto the table. Her hand trembled as she touched my flat abdomen.

"My poor child, how could you bear all this alone for so long?"

Dad's face turned ashen. After a long silence, he slammed the table hard:

"You must divorce that animal!

No century-old alliance is worth more than a single hair on your head!"

I leaned into Mom's embrace as the grievances I'd accumulated for days finally broke through.

I stayed at the ancestral home.

I thought the divorce process would proceed smoothly, but when Dad returned from the territory council hall, he was shaking with rage:

"That animal Kael! He's forcing all the processing plants on the West Coast to break their contracts with us, cutting off our fishery sales!"

I shot to my feet, blood rushing to my head.

How dare he? How could he have the nerve?

I grabbed the car keys and rushed out. I had to ask him if he had even a shred of conscience left.

I pushed open the door to Kael's villa. Kael was half-reclined on the sofa.

Lila was wearing my silk nightgown, the moonstone necklace my father gave me for my eighteenth birthday around her neck.

She nestled in his arms, feeding him grapes.

My treasured white porcelain tea set was now being used by her to brew cheap fruit tea.

Hearing the commotion, Kael's head snapped up, his expression instantly darkening.

Lila shrank back, burrowing deeper into his embrace.

"Who let you in?" His voice was ice-cold, without a trace of guilt. "Aren't you the one clamoring for a divorce?"

I pointed at the necklace around Lila's neck, my voice trembling:

"Kael, this is my villa. Your little Omega is wearing my things."

"What's yours and mine?" He frowned, his face full of impatience.

"Lila likes it, so what if she wears it for now? As Ocean Pack's Luna, how can you be so petty and mean?"

"I'm petty? You're working with outsiders to cut off White Moon Pack's livelihood, and you have the nerve to call me petty?"

"You brought this on yourself!" Alpha Kael shot to his feet, shielding Lila firmly behind him.

"You insisted on forcing me to send Lila away, then sent rogues to intercept and kill her on the road!

If I hadn't arrived in time, she'd already be dead! I'm doing this to teach you a lesson!"

I looked at Kael, finding it utterly absurd:

"Kael, she's not worth my effort to deal with. I find it beneath me."

Kael demanded sharply:

"If not you, then who? Besides you, who else would dare hire assassins on my territory?"

Lila peeked out from behind him, sobbing softly:

"Luna Elara, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I'll leave right now. I'll never disturb you two again."

As she spoke, she started to get up, but Kael pressed her back down.

"Don't go!" he shouted. "With me here, no one can bully you!"

Watching Lila and Kael's coordinated performance made me nauseous. I wanted to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.

Kael turned to look at me, deliberately softening his tone as he reached for my wrist:

"Elara, stop this. I've already arranged it. Next week I'll send Lila to the Antarctic research station. I'll never let her come back for the rest of her life.

Let's forget about all this and live well together, okay?"

Looking at his hypocritical face, the last trace of attachment in my heart turned completely to ash.

I pulled my hand back, a shallow smile appearing on my face: "Okay."

Kael froze, clearly not expecting me to agree so easily. The joy in his eyes was impossible to hide:

"Elara, I knew you still had feelings for me!"

I withdrew my wrist and spoke calmly:

"However, next week is the renewal ceremony for the two packs' alliance. After the ceremony ends, I'll move back."

He nodded repeatedly, so excited he could barely speak: "Yes, yes, yes! Whatever you say!"

I said nothing more and turned to leave the villa.

The moment I closed the door, the smile vanished from my face.

Kael. Lila.

What you owe me, what you owe my unborn child.

I'll claim it all back, principal and interest, at next week's renewal ceremony.