After My Alpha Chose Victoria Over Me

The sacred healing springs shimmered in the pale dawn light as I knelt before them, my knees aching against the smooth stones. Steam rose from the crystal-clear waters, carrying the scent of minerals and ancient magic that had blessed countless generations of the Sterling Moon Pack. This was my twenty-seventh fertility ritual in five years – I'd counted every single one.

"Please, Moon Goddess," I whispered, my voice breaking as I sprinkled the mixture of herbs Healer Elara had prepared into the bubbling spring. "Grant me the strength to bear an heir for the Sterling Pack."

My wolf, Luna, whimpered inside me, exhausted from years of these rituals. *We've tried so hard*, she mourned. *So many moons, so many prayers.*

I felt the weight of disapproving gazes boring into my back. Elder Margaret's scent – pine needles tinged with disappointment – was unmistakable, as was the cold vanilla and cedar that belonged to my mother-in-law, the former Luna. They'd come to observe, as they always did, their silent judgment more painful than any words.

"The water must fully absorb the essence," Elder Margaret instructed, her voice clipped. "You rushed last time."

I bit my tongue to keep from reminding her I'd been performing this ritual monthly for years. Instead, I nodded and closed my eyes, trying to ignore the whispers behind me.

"Five years and still no pup," my mother-in-law murmured, not bothering to lower her voice. "Victoria would have given William three by now."

The name stung like a physical blow. Victoria Sterling, William's adopted sister, childhood sweetheart, and the woman everyone wished wore my Luna mark instead of me. The pack's not-so-secret favorite who'd been studying ancient werewolf lore in Europe and was due to return any day.

I completed the ritual with practiced movements, though my heart wasn't in it anymore. What was the point? No matter how many herbs I scattered, prayers I whispered, or tears I shed, my womb remained empty month after month, year after year.

*Something feels wrong*, Luna suddenly growled, becoming alert. *This isn't working because something is wrong.*

I dismissed her concerns as I had so many times before. My wolf had grown increasingly agitated lately, sensing something I couldn't – or wouldn't – see.

---

Sleep eluded me that night. William hadn't returned to our quarters, claiming pack business kept him away. It wasn't unusual; he rarely shared my bed anymore. I tossed and turned, Luna pacing restlessly within me.

*Follow*, she urged as dawn approached. *We need to follow.*

I gave in to her instincts, slipping from our bed and pulling on a simple dress. Luna guided me through the forest, away from the pack house and deeper into Sterling territory than I usually ventured alone. The morning dew soaked through my thin shoes, but I barely noticed, driven by my wolf's urgency.

The scent hit me first – William's pine and leather, mixed with the medicinal herbs of Healer Elara's den. I slowed my pace, confused. William never visited the healer. He prided himself on his Alpha strength and perfect health.

I crept closer to the small stone cottage nestled between ancient oaks, my heart pounding. Through a partially open window, voices drifted out clearly in the still morning air.

"The fertility suppression will be completely reversed now," Elara was saying, her tone professional. "Since Victoria has returned, the timing is perfect. Your virility should return within the next moon cycle."

My blood turned to ice. Fertility suppression? Victoria's return? The pieces clicked into place with devastating clarity.

"Good," William's deep voice replied. "It's been difficult maintaining this deception for five years. Isabella's constant fertility rituals have become tiresome."

"She never suspected?" Elara asked.

William's laugh was cold, dismissive. "Of course not. She believes her wolf is too weak to conceive. The elders have been most helpful in reinforcing that belief."

I pressed my hand against my mouth to stifle the sob building in my throat. Luna howled in anguish inside me.

*Betrayed. All this time, betrayed.*

With shaking fingers, I opened our mate bond, the mental link that connected us since our mating ceremony.

*William?* I projected, my mental voice trembling. *Is it true? Did you suppress your fertility?*

I felt his shock ripple through our bond, followed quickly by cold calculation.

*Isabella. You weren't meant to know.*

*Why?* I demanded, tears streaming down my face. *Five years of rituals, of blame, of feeling like I failed you and the pack...*

His response came without remorse: *You were never meant to bear my pups; you're a political placeholder. Our mating was arranged for territory, nothing more. Victoria is my true mate – she always has been.*

Luna retreated deep within me, her pain too great to bear. As our bond filled with William's cold indifference, I felt something inside me break – my trust, my love, and the last of my hope shattering like glass against stone.