The Wrong Seed

Luna Freya's POV

The sharp scent of bleach and rubbing alcohol hung thick in the sterile air of the pack’s medical facility. I sat perched on the edge of the examination table, the crinkling paper beneath me sounding loud in the quiet, clinical room. My fingers gripped the edge of the vinyl cushion, my knuckles turning white as I stared unblinking at Doctor Soren. He stood by the steel counter, clutching a thin manila folder as if it held the secrets of the universe.

"Congratulations, Luna. You are exactly one month pregnant," Soren announced.

A profound wave of joy washed over me, crashing through the heavy walls of anxiety I had built up over the past few weeks. My chest expanded as I drew in a ragged, shaking breath of relief. Those were the exact words I had prayed to hear. My hand instinctively dropped from the edge of the table to cover my flat stomach. A life. A real, beating life grew inside me.

This was my ultimate goal realized. I was finally going to produce a blood heir. For years, the cunning pack elders circled me like vultures, whispering in the shadows, constantly questioning my ability to rule the pack alone. They believed a Luna without an Alpha was inherently flawed, an anomaly that needed correcting. Male Alphas could rule solo without a second glance from their subordinates, but the double standards of our kind meant she-wolves were always scrutinized, always deemed weaker.

Not anymore. With an heir, my bloodline would be cemented. My position as the solitary Luna would become untouchable. The elders’ relentless murmurs would be silenced for good. I pressed my palm firmer against my belly, a fierce, maternal protectiveness roaring to life in my veins.

Getting to this point had cost me pieces of my soul. I stared at the tiled floor, remembering the bitter path that led me to choose artificial insemination. Three times I had tried to play the game of love. Three times I had let men into my life, hoping for a partner to stand by my side. And three times, my heart was left shattered on the ground. They were manipulative scumbags. None of them wanted me for me. They lusted after my supreme authority. They wanted the Alpha title, the power, the unquestioned control over my pack. They smiled to my face while eyeing the other she-wolves in the territory, waiting for the moment I would hand over the reins.

I swore off men after the third betrayal. I slammed the door on romance. The traditional path of finding a fated mate was a door that had been locked and burned long ago. During a brutal war that claimed my father’s life, my late mother made a desperate choice. She sacrificed my mate bond to the Moon Goddess in a dark, ancient ritual just to keep me alive. She traded my future happiness for my physical survival.

I was left an orphan at thirteen, thrust into the leadership of a grieving pack. I learned to be ruthless. I learned to outsmart the old foxes who thought they could manipulate a teenage girl. I built this pack into a fortress. I did not need a man to validate my rule.

Now, feeling the tiny spark of life in my womb, I knew I was ready to face whatever came next. I could raise this pup, focus on the prosperity of my people, and never have to compromise my throne for a deceitful male again.

"But there is a problem, Luna."

Soren’s voice dropped, shattering the serene atmosphere of the clinic. The joy drained from the room, replaced by a suffocating chill. I snapped my gaze up. Soren refused to meet my eyes. His shoulders slumped, and a distinct tremor rattled the folder in his hands.

My heart slammed against my ribs. A sharp flash of panic seized my throat. "Problem?" I demanded, my voice turning into a low, dangerous growl. "Is there anything wrong with my pup?"

I wrapped both arms around my waist. The Goddess knew the torment I had endured to get here. I would tear this hospital apart brick by brick if something threatened this child.

Soren flinched at my tone. He offered a strained, forced smile. "The fetus is fine, Luna Freya. The pregnancy is progressing perfectly."

The breath I had been holding rushed out of my lungs. If the pup was healthy, nothing else mattered. I forced my frayed nerves into steady submission. I smoothed my features into the calm, authoritative mask I wore for the council.

"I'm sorry, Luna," Soren continued, swallowing hard. "But a catastrophic mistake occurred regarding the specific semen used during your insemination process."

I blinked, processing the words. A mistake with the donor? My mind raced toward the most logical, business-like conclusion. Money. "Is that all?" I asked, a confident edge returning to my voice. "Does the unknown donor want more compensation? I will pay double. Tell him to name his price. This pup means everything to me, Soren. We possess the wealth to keep this quiet and keep this child. Just write the check and make the problem vanish."

Soren shook his head. Visible terror took over his features. Sweat beaded on his forehead. "You don't understand, Luna. The semen mistakenly used... it belongs to Alpha Zaire."

The physical test results I had just taken from him slipped from my shaking fingers. The papers fluttered to the sterile floor, landing with a soft, mocking thud.

"Alpha what?" My lips trembled. The room spun.

Alpha Zaire. The name alone struck fear into the hearts of the strongest warriors across the continent. He was a notoriously cold, heartless, and overwhelming force of dominance. I had spent my entire reign dodging any diplomatic alliances with his territory. Alpha Zaire never compromised. He swallowed packs whole. He bent every treaty, every arrangement, to his iron will, taking the greatest shares and leaving his allies with scraps. He was ruthless.

And to make the nightmare infinitely worse, Zaire was already publicly engaged. The whole werewolf world knew of his impending marriage to Veda, a high-profile, immensely profitable alliance forged with the Alpha of the North. Their union would create an unstoppable empire.

My joyful smile dissolved into a deep, distressed frown. "How?" I stood up, my knees shaking before locking into place. "How did his genetic material end up in our local lab? He wasn't on the cleared donor list!"

Soren backed away a step, utterly defeated. "We... the medical team was conducting secret experiments. The donors you vetted, their samples showed strange genetic anomalies during the final screening. We had Zaire's highly classified samples in the vault for an unrelated research project. An oblivious laboratory assistant grabbed the wrong vial. Because of the strict secrecy protocols, the labels were codified. They didn't know whose sample they were handling."

I felt deflated, as if the air had been sucked from the room. My child—the pup I was already fiercely determined to protect—carried the blood of the most dangerous Alpha alive.

But I refused to lose this baby. I stood taller, burning with an unwavering determination. I would not let some lab mix-up destroy my future. I grasped at the only rational solution left.

"Alright," I said, my voice hardening into a command. "You will negotiate with him. I will simply purchase the semen."

Soren gaped at me. "Luna—"

"Think about it, Soren. He is about to have a high-profile marriage. He is engaged to Veda. The last thing a cold, calculating businessman like Alpha Zaire wants is the scandalous complication of an unexpected pup with a rival Luna. He will want this swept under the rug just as much as I do. Offer him a fortune. Frame it as a mutual benefit."

Soren wiped his brow, letting out a ragged sigh. "I will make the call. But you need to rest, Luna. Early pregnancy is extremely fragile, especially with artificial insemination. You must avoid stress and heavy physical activity."

"Just make the call," I ordered, turning on my heel.

I retreated to the solitary sanctuary of my bedroom. The grand, heavy oak doors shut behind me, isolating me from the bustling packhouse, but peace evaded my troubled mind. I paced the length of my thick rugs, my hands returning to my stomach over and over.

The heavy tension shattered when my bedroom door burst open. Sloane, my fiercely loyal best friend and sister to my Beta, Darius, marched in.

"When were you going to tell me?" Sloane practically vibrated with thrilling excitement, her voice echoing off the high ceilings. "I'm going to be an aunt! I can't wait to see the looks on those stupid elders' faces! We are going to rub this monumental success right in their ugly mugs!"

Usually, Sloane’s vibrant energy provided immense comfort. She was the only person who treated me like Freya, not just the Luna. But today, her joyous blabbering felt like a hammer striking my skull.

"Sloane, stop," I said, my tone brutal and grave.

She paused mid-stride, her smile faltering. "What's wrong?"

"An announcement is impossible," I confessed, the weight of the nightmare pressing down on my chest. "There is a massive problem."

I watched her face as I told her the horrifying truth. I explained the lab assistant, the mix-up, and the true identity of the donor. The vibrant excitement drained from Sloane's features, leaving behind a pale mask of dread.

We sat on the edge of my bed, encased in a heavy, suffocating shock. The grim reality settled over us like a shroud. Alpha Zaire’s blood was growing inside me.

Before Sloane could utter a single word of comfort, a sharp, piercing pain erupted in my skull. It was a frantic mindlink from Soren, tearing through the silence of my mind.

*Luna,* Soren’s voice trembled with sheer terror through the mental bond. *Alpha Zaire is not taking the news kindly. He’s demanding to have a meeting with you.*