Chapter 1

On the eve of my wedding, I caught my fiancé, Caleb, and my bridesmaid, Serena, tearing each other's clothes off.

The two of them didn't even look guilty.

Caleb looked me straight in the eye and said, "I don't love you, Lyra. I only proposed to get my hands on your father's throne as the leader of the Goldvein Pack."

I ripped up our marriage contract on the spot and told them both to get the hell out of my sight.

As soon as the sun rose, I packed my bags.

I swore I would never set foot in the Bramblefall Pack's territory again.

But just as my convoy crossed the border, we were blocked.

Kian, the Alpha of the Ashford Pack, was standing right in the middle of the road with his men.

This was the Wolf King—notorious for being cold, ruthless, and completely uninterested in women. He looked at me, his deep voice sending shivers down my spine.

"Lyra, I've loved you from afar for years. I don't want to take advantage of your pain, but I want to give you a marriage with dignity and all the respect you deserve. Marry me. Be the Luna of the Ashford Pack."

Heartbroken and exhausted, I nodded.

Our alliance shook the entire North American werewolf community. Everyone said we were a match made in heaven.

Kian was incredibly attentive. He gave me everything I could ever ask for.

But after three years of marriage, I still wasn't pregnant.

Kian told me that because of his powerful Alpha lineage, conceiving was naturally difficult. He told me not to rush.

To have a baby of our own, I drank bitter herbal medicine every single day for three years. Even when I was throwing up so hard I could barely stand, I never complained.

Finally, in our third year, I got a positive pregnancy test.

The whole pack celebrated. Kian treated me like I was made of glass. I genuinely thought I had stepped out of the shadows of my past and found real happiness.

Until my eighth month of pregnancy.

I went to the clinic for a routine checkup and overheard Kian talking to the doctor in the private consulting room.

"Alpha Kian, the fetus is developing perfectly. The due date is in two weeks."

"But I still don't understand... Luna Lyra is your true mate. Why did you insist on transferring your and Serena's embryo into her womb?"