Lies and Betrayal

***Marcella***

Four Years Ago.

A fresh surge of jagged pain ripped across my lower abdomen. I squeezed my eyes shut, gripping the edge of the crinkly examination table until my knuckles turned stark white. Cold sweat gathered at the nape of my neck. I waited in the sterile, quiet room for Doctor Greta to return with my test results. I had been getting these sharp, twisting pains a lot over the past few weeks. They spiked without warning, stealing the breath right out of my lungs, and frankly, they were starting to freak me out.

Doctor Greta told me time and time again that the pain existed only in my head. She insisted I was simply putting far too much pressure on myself to get pregnant. The pack needed an heir, and as a human Luna, the expectations weighed on my shoulders like anvils.

She could not have been more wrong.

I hunched forward, whimpering to myself as I let the intense wave of agony roll through my body on its own. It peaked, then receded, leaving me gasping for air. The stark white walls of the pack clinic felt as though they were closing in on me. The mere thought of receiving yet another negative pregnancy test result made my chest tighten with anxiety. Cassian and I had been trying to conceive for several months now. The failure hung over us, heavy and toxic, driving a solid wedge right down the center of our marriage. He grew colder by the day. Distant. Unreachable. I knew exactly how much he wanted a son, and it carved a deep hole in my heart to know I was failing so miserably to make my mate happy.

The heavy wooden door swung open with a sharp creak. I gasped, nearly falling off the high exam table from the sudden fright. Doctor Greta stepped into the room, offering me a warm, practiced smile. She pumped a dollop of clear hand sanitizer onto her palms, rubbing her hands together briskly as she settled down onto her rolling stool. The silence stretched. I could hear my own heart pounding against my ribcage at an unnatural, frantic speed. I waited for her to speak, bracing myself for the pitying look I had come to know so well.

"Just breathe, Luna," Doctor Greta smiled. She reached forward, grasping my hands in hers. She inhaled slowly, guiding my breathing.

My hands trembled under her touch, but I forced myself to follow her rhythm. I managed to calm the erratic beating in my chest. Doctor Greta's smile deepened, reaching the corners of her eyes.

"Congratulations, Luna," she said softly. She moved one hand and placed her palm flat against my lower tummy. "You're carrying our little Alpha right in there."

The world stopped spinning. My heart skipped a sudden beat as my brain scrambled to process the news.

I was pregnant. I was actually pregnant.

"H-how far along?" I whispered, my voice cracking. I could barely string the short sentence together. A massive sob of pure joy built up in the back of my throat, threatening to break free.

"Well, let's find out, shall we?" she smiled. She spun around on her stool, pulling the ultrasound machine closer to the table. She grabbed a plastic bottle and squirted a generous mound of freezing cold gel straight onto my bare belly.

A million butterflies danced in my stomach. I leaned back and stared at the glowing monitor, unable to make sense of the grainy, shifting images. Still, I hoped that somewhere in that confusing black and white mess, my little Alpha would show up bright and strong.

"Well, I'd say from the looks of it, you are about four weeks along. That means we have to start your prep immediately, Luna," Doctor Greta said. Her tone shifted, becoming stern and authoritative. She reached into a folder and handed me a thick stack of medical documents. "A werewolf pregnancy is very dangerous for a human body. The pup's strength can tax your system. We'll have to take extra precautions to ensure both you and the baby survive the term."

She grabbed a paper towel, wiping the sticky gel off my stomach with efficient strokes. For the next twenty minutes, she gave me a rapid crash course on what to expect. She laid out the dietary changes, the warning signs, and prescribed a full, aggressive regime of prenatal care tailored specifically for a human carrying wolf blood.

I rubbed my belly the entire car ride home. My mind floated on cloud nine, soaring high above the trees of our pack lands. I could not wait to tell Cassian. He was going to be so thrilled. He would finally look at me with that fiery warmth I had been missing for months.

As I pulled my car up to the front of the massive pack house, the familiar abdominal pain returned with a vengeance. I slammed on the brakes, shifted the car into park, and sat still in the driver's seat. I waited for the sharp spike to pass, clenching my teeth tight together to keep from screaming out loud. My fingernails dug into the leather steering wheel.

Slowly, the flare faded. I dragged my exhausted body out of the car, pushing the heavy front door open. Usually, I was met by several eager omegas rushing forward to take my bags and coat. Today, the foyer sat eerily quiet. The house felt empty, hollowed out.

I had no time to question the strange absence. A sudden, scorching sensation spread right across my chest. It felt like hot coals resting over my lungs, making every breath I took unbearable. I clutched my shirt, unable to scream even if I wanted to. My airways felt like they were on fire.

I stumbled toward the grand staircase, dragging myself up to the second floor. I just wanted to lie down in my bed and rest. With every step I climbed, the physical exertion grew more difficult. The pain intensified, morphing into a thousand tiny, heated needles piercing straight through my stomach lining.

I reached the top of the stairs, leaning against the banister for support. Down the carpeted hallway, I noticed the heavy oak door to my bedroom was slightly cracked open. A strange, rhythmic, muffled sound drifted out from within the gap.

I pushed off the banister, inching closer down the hall.

An unmistakable scene unfolded right before my eyes. The blood in my veins boiled hot and fast at the sight.

Peeking through the crack in the door, I saw my own sister, Sabrina. She was riding my husband. A look of sheer, unadulterated delight twisted the contorted features of her face.

"Ah! Ah! Ah! Cassian!" She moaned loudly, eagerly bouncing up and down his shaft.

Cassian said nothing. He just lay back, palming her bare breasts in his hand as he moved her up and down his cock.

"Fuck!" she whimpers, bouncing frantically. "Please!" she begs, her voice shrill and desperate. "I'll give you the pup you deserve. I'll be your Luna."

Hot tears burned the back of my eyes. I froze, paralyzed by the horror playing out on my marital bed. I watched Cassian grab Sabrina by the hips and flip her over in one swift motion. He forced her up on her knees so that her ass was on full display for him. He gives her cheeks a good spanking before railing into her from behind.

My heart shattered into a million jagged pieces as I heard Cassian's deep, guttural reply.

"Give. Me. A. Pup." he pants between hard, driving thrusts. Sabrina's moans grew louder and sharper as she orgasms.

My physical pain reached a deafening crescendo as I watch him empty his seed inside her. I clamped my hand tight over my own mouth, biting down on my palm to keep myself dead quiet.

"And I'll make you my Luna," he whispers into her ear, sealing the foul promise.

I did not need to see another second of this grotesque encounter. I slowly backed away from the bedroom door, taking blind, careful steps. I turned and tiptoed down the stairs as fast as my trembling legs would allow, the wet, slapping sounds of their climax still ringing loud and clear in my ears.

I bolted for the front door, practically sprinting out of the house. I still clutched the printed pregnancy documents in my right hand as I yanked my car door open and threw myself into the driver's seat. I had no idea where I was going. I shoved the keys in the ignition, slammed the gear into drive, and sped off down the dirt driveway, kicking up a massive cloud of dust behind me.

Everything made so much horrifying sense now.

All the physical pain, the chest-crushing anguish I felt over the past few weeks. It was never just stress. It was the mate bond. It was Cassian betraying our sacred connection, tearing our bond to shreds every time he touched her.

Everyone knew. My mate, my gamma Gideon, Doctor Greta, the other she-wolves, and the submissive omegas. Every single one of them had looked me dead in the eye and told me the pain was all in my head. They told me I needed to relax, take an aspirin, take a nap.

It was all a calculated lie. They knew exactly what I was feeling was my mate's infidelity tearing at my human soul, and yet they kept it hidden. They kept the secret to mock me, to laugh behind my back for being so absolutely, pathetically clueless. I had been stupid enough to believe any of these wolves actually cared about me. Wolves only care about wolves. No matter what fancy Luna title I held, I remained nothing but a weak, disposable human to them. An outsider meant to be used and discarded.

To make the wound even deeper, the final knife in my back came from my own sister. My own flesh and blood. I brought Sabrina to the pack after Cassian marked me. She knew Cassian before I did. She was the one who introduced us in the first place. When our parents passed away, I wanted to keep her close. She was the only family I had left in the world. Cassian had zero objections to her moving into the pack house.

Now I knew exactly why.

She was family once. After today, we were absolutely nothing.

I drove for miles, tearing down the winding dirt roads deep through the dense pine forest. The pain flared up all over again, sharper this time. A horrid, nauseating sensation burned across my torso. I slammed the brakes, pulling the car onto the shoulder. I shoved the door open and stumbled out into the dirt, falling to my knees to empty the contents of my stomach onto the grass.

I crouched there, coughing and spitting sour bile. I was a truly pitiful sight. A sudden wave of gratitude washed over me that Gideon, my Gamma and personal guard, was busy leading a combat training session on the other side of the territory today. I needed to be alone. If Gideon saw me out here hacking my guts out, he would attach himself to my hip. Gammas were bred to be overly protective, and Gideon played the role perfectly.

Alone, angry, humiliated, and pregnant, I pushed myself off the ground. I climbed back into the driver's seat, pulling my sleeve down over my hand to aggressively wipe the wet tears off my face.

I served as Luna for over two years. I was just a human, but I did every single thing they asked of me. I played the calm, rational anchor to Cassian's explosive anger. I acted as the warm mother figure everyone turned to in times of pack crisis. I held the community together running budgets, settling disputes, and organizing patrols whenever Cassian and his Beta, Soren, traveled for Alpha summits. I had been a damn good Luna.

I did not deserve this pain.

"Come on, Marcy," I scolded myself out loud, slapping my palms hard against the steering wheel. "No more tears. Not for them. Never for them."

I reached for the ignition again, ready to start the engine. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of the glossy clinic paperwork I had tossed onto the passenger seat. I looked down at my flat stomach. A cold, hard realization settled over me.

No one besides Doctor Greta and I knew I was pregnant.

And it was going to stay exactly that way.

Mate or not, I would never tolerate infidelity. I would not share my husband, and I would certainly not step aside to watch my sister raise my child. But I knew Cassian's ruthless nature. He would lock me in the pack house dungeon and chain me to a bed before he ever let me walk away carrying his precious heir. He needed a son too much.

My heartbreak vanished, replaced by a cold, calculated determination. I started the car and steered it back toward the human town just outside the pack borders.

I pulled into the parking lot of the town library. I walked inside, found an empty computer terminal in the back corner, and spent the next two straight hours formulating my escape plan. I scoured the web, searching for official medical fertility test formats. Using a simple text editor, I meticulously recreated my own fake version of Doctor Greta's letterhead. I crafted a document designed to trick Cassian.

If Cassian believed my body was broken, if he thought I was completely barren and incapable of ever giving him a child, he would seek to break our mate bond without hesitation. That was exactly what I wanted. He wanted an heir. Sabrina promised him one. I would give them both exactly what they deserved.

Mate bonds, once solidified through a physical marking, were notoriously hard to break. Hard, but not impossible. The wolf lore dictated two ways out. First, find a Spirit Witch powerful enough to sever our tethered souls. Second, get the formal approval of the pack elders and hold a public rejection ceremony. Being stripped of the Luna title in front of the entire pack would be humiliating, but enduring a few minutes of shame was far better than remaining chained to a cheating bastard.

Pleased with my forgery, I hit print. I collected the warm pages from the library printer. Then, I pulled the real pregnancy documents from my bag and fed them straight into the library's heavy-duty paper shredder. I watched the truth turn into thin, useless strips of paper. I could leave no evidence behind. Doctor Greta would eventually check up on me, which meant I had to act fast. I needed Cassian to reject me tonight.

By the time I pulled my car back into the pack house driveway, the sun dipped below the tree line. Tears threatened to pool in my eyes again as I stared at the grand structure. I took a slow, deep breath, locking my emotions down into a tight box in my chest. I grabbed my purse and marched through the front door.

The omegas had returned from their errands. Several rushed forward to take my keys and coat. It took every ounce of self-control in my body not to scream in their faces for lying to me. Instead, I forced a tight, polite smile, clutching my purse against my ribs as I walked straight past them toward the grand dining room.

My sister and my husband were already seated at the long mahogany table. They chattered away, completely absorbed in each other while the omegas scrambled around them serving roasted meat and potatoes. Lost in their little world, neither of them noticed my arrival. I stopped in the doorway and stared. Sabrina playfully placed her manicured hand flat on Cassian's muscular forearm, giggling loudly at a joke he just made.

I stared at the lingering touch. How did I never notice it? How did I miss the stolen glances and the casual intimacy?

Gideon and Soren, seated further down the table, noticed me standing there. Both men immediately pushed their chairs back and stood up to greet me, adhering to pack protocol. I offered them a small, tight smile, shoving my sheer disgust for my sister and husband down into my gut.

Gideon stepped over and pulled my heavy chair out for me. A deep look of concern swam in his crystal blue eyes as I approached.

"You okay?" Gideon whispered down to me as I sat down.

I reminded myself that it was the pack bond he actually cared about. He felt my distress through the link. He did not care about my actual well-being. He was Cassian's closest friend. He definitely knew about the affair. He swore an oath to protect me as Luna, but his ultimate loyalty belonged to the Alpha. He had probably stood guard outside the door countless times while Cassian fucked my sister.

"I'm fine," I smiled innocently up at him. I gave him a dismissive wave so he could return to his seat and leave me alone.

I could tell by the hard set of his jaw he was not convinced. I did not care. I focused my attention on the ceramic plate in front of me.

Cassian and Sabrina finally snapped out of their bubble and realized I was sitting right across from them. Cassian leaned over and reached out, grabbing my hand. He lifted my knuckles to his lips to press a kiss against my skin.

I flinched, jerking my hand back before his lips made contact.

Cassian paused, dropping his hand back to the table. He gave me a puzzled, slightly annoyed look.

"You okay, babe?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. The curiosity in his voice sounded mild, forced.

"It's just the pain," I smiled, picking up my silver fork and pushing a piece of meat around my plate. "It was worse today. It hurts."

"This again?" Cassian sighed in blatant distaste. He dropped his knife. The heavy silverware clinked loudly against his plate. "Goddess, Mar, you're always complaining lately. How many times do we have to tell you, it's all in your head? Take some aspirin and quit nagging. It's getting on my nerves."

His cold reaction did not surprise me in the slightest. Cassian was a warrior. He was never the nurturing type and viewed comforting sick people as a pointless, tedious task. I twirled the metal fork between my fingers and forced another bright smile at him. I hid the crushing sadness that only grew stronger by the second.

"Right," I muttered, stabbing a piece of broccoli.

A thick, awkward silence settled over the dining room as the five of us tried to eat. I ignored the heavy meat, focusing only on the steamed vegetables. I forced myself to chew and swallow. I had to keep my strength up. I had a tiny life growing inside me to protect now.

"So what did the doctor say?" Sabrina smirked, her high-pitched voice shattering the silence. "Any luck with a baby?" She tilted her head innocently to the side, playing the supportive sister role flawlessly.

I tightened my iron grip on the fork. I stared at the metal prongs and counted slowly to ten inside my head to stop my hands from shaking.

"Judging by the dark look on your face, I'll take that as a straight no," Sabrina laughed. She took a sip of her wine. "Shocker."

I bit down hard on my inner cheek, tasting a faint hint of copper. I kept my eyes locked on the vegetables. It took everything I had to keep from vaulting across the table and driving the fork straight into her lying throat.

Gently setting my silverware down, I pushed my chair back and rose to my feet. I pasted on a flawless, polite smile. "I think I'll go to bed now. Goodnight."

"Mar, don't do this," Cassian groaned, rolling his eyes at the ceiling. "Don't be a drama queen."

"I'm not," I shrugged, holding the fake smile steady. "I'm simply tired. Goodnight."

I simply cannot stomach your vile presence, is what I desperately wanted to scream. I held my tongue. I did not need Cassian unleashing his Alpha command and forcing me to stay seated. There would be plenty of time for anger later.

I excused myself from the room and marched up the grand staircase. Pure fury boiled in the pit of my stomach as I pushed open the door to our master bedroom. I stood in the doorway, staring blankly at the massive king-sized bed.

No trace of their dirty betrayal remained. The omegas had already stripped the mattress, changed the sheets, and sprayed the fresh linen with the calming lavender perfume that used to bring me peace. We had shared hundreds of intimate moments on that exact mattress. Late nights, lazy Sunday mornings.

He ruined every single one of those memories. He tarnished this room with Sabrina's moans. Looking at the neatly tucked corners, all I saw was a physical monument of broken promises.

I turned my back on the bed and walked straight into the massive walk-in closet. I bypassed the racks of expensive silk dresses and designer coats Cassian had bought for me over the years. I dug into the very back corner, sifting through the hangers until I found the simple, worn-out sweaters and jeans I had originally arrived with two years ago. I pulled a small canvas duffel bag down from the top shelf and shoved my old clothes inside. I refused to take a single item Cassian had gifted me.

A sudden, sharp knock at the bedroom door made my heart leap up into my throat. I panicked, quickly shoving the duffel bag behind a row of winter coats. I rushed out of the closet and opened the bedroom door.

Gideon stood in the dim hallway. He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly down at me.

"What is it?" I asked, keeping my body positioned to block his view of the room. "You've caught me changing."

Gideon blushed slightly. He averted his eyes, turning his gaze toward the hallway carpet.

"Oh, sorry," he muttered awkwardly. "I just came up to see how you were doing, Luna. You seemed really distracted down at dinner." He shrugged his broad shoulders, still looking at his boots. "Is everything okay?"

I wanted to scream the truth right in his face. I wanted to ask him how many times he stood guard while his Alpha defiled my sister. Instead, I forced a tight, polite smile and shook my head.

"I'm fine, I promise," I sighed, rubbing my temples as if I had a migraine. "My head just hurts from all the pain I've been feeling in my stomach."

He looked back up at me, a flash of genuine worry crossing his blue eyes. "Have you taken your aspirin today?" He asked softly. "It'll lessen the pain."

A tiny, foolish part of my heart held onto the naive hope that Gideon might finally break. That he might look at me and finally tell the truth about the mate bond pain.

Of course, he didn't. He played the script perfectly.

So I just smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I have. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get ready for bed," I said. I gave a small wave of my hand, formally dismissing him.

He eyed me suspiciously, clearly sensing the emotional shift in my scent, but he did not question his Luna any further. He gave a stiff nod, turned on his heel, and walked down the hall.

I closed the heavy bedroom door until it clicked shut. I leaned my back against the wood, fighting the urge to slide down to the floor and burst into tears. It gutted me to realize that even my closest friend in this pack had never truly been my friend at all. He was a liar, just like the rest of the wolves.

I have no time to cry, I reminded myself firmly. Get moving, Marcy. We have work to do.

I marched back into the closet, grabbed my packed canvas bag, and snuck it down the hall to hide it under the bed in the spare guest room. I returned to the master bedroom, pulling the freshly printed fake fertility test out of my purse.

Refusing to sit on the tainted mattress, I pulled a rigid wooden armchair out from the corner. I sat down facing the door, staring intently down at the forged document resting in my lap. I went over the plan in my head one last time.

My heart nearly stopped beating when I heard the brass doorknob turn. The door clicked open, and my mate walked into the room, a deep, annoyed frown etched across his handsome face.

I took a slow, deep breath, pulling my shoulders back.

Here goes nothing.