Alpha's Betrayal, New Bond

I stumbled through the pack house like a ghost, my body moving on autopilot while my mind replayed the scene in that neutral territory lodge over and over. Michael's arms around Sarah. Their lips locked together. The bitter taste of that 'prenatal tonic' still lingered on my tongue three days later, a constant reminder of my shattered world.

Luna, my wolf, had retreated deep within me, her presence a faint whimper of pain rather than the strong, vibrant force she once was. I could feel her curled protectively around the tiny life growing inside me, as if trying to shield our pup from the truth of its father's betrayal.

"Luna Rachel, the Alpha wants the monthly inventory reports by sundown," Beta Marcus said, his voice cutting through my fog. His eyes narrowed slightly as he studied my face. "Are you... well?"

I forced my lips into what I hoped resembled a smile. "Of course. Just tired from the trip."

Marcus nodded, though doubt flickered across his features. "The Alpha returns tomorrow with Dr. Blake. They've been delayed by... additional negotiations."

The way he said it made my stomach twist. Did everyone know? Had I been the only one blind to their affair?

"Thank you, Marcus," I whispered, turning away before he could see the tears threatening to spill.

Nights were the worst. Each time I closed my eyes, I saw them together – Michael's powerful hands on Sarah's waist, her triumphant smile as she pressed that vial to my lips. The hallucinations felt so real that I would wake gasping, my nightgown soaked with sweat, Luna howling in despair within me.

*He never loved us,* she whimpered on the third night. *The bond was never true.*

"No," I argued aloud in the darkness of our bedroom – Michael's scent already fading from the sheets. "He must have loved us once."

But even as I spoke the words, I wondered if they were true. Had I imagined the tenderness in his eyes when we first mated? Had his promises of forever been nothing but carefully crafted lies?

Morning brought waves of nausea that had nothing to do with the pregnancy. I forced myself to eat, knowing our pup needed nourishment, but everything tasted like ash. The pack members I passed in the hallways averted their eyes, their whispers following me like shadows.

"Poor Luna..."

"...not even his..."

"...Dr. Blake said..."

I retreated to my moonpetal garden, the only place that still felt like mine. The delicate silver-blue flowers had been my first project as Luna, planted to bless our union. Now their sweet scent seemed to mock me as I knelt among them, pulling weeds with trembling hands.

The first cramp hit without warning – a searing pain that doubled me over. I clutched my stomach, a cry escaping my lips as Luna thrashed in panic.

*The pup! Our pup!* she howled.

Warm wetness spread between my thighs as I collapsed among the moonpetals. In the fading daylight, I could see the crimson staining my dress – bright and terrible against the pale fabric.

"No," I sobbed, curling around my belly. "Please, Moon Goddess, no."

But the pain only intensified, waves of agony washing over me as Luna's anguished whimpers echoed through my mind. I lay there alone, beneath the rising moon, as our dreams bled out onto the garden soil.

Hours later, hollow and empty, I dragged myself back to the pack house. The infirmary lights blazed, and Sarah's scent – that floral, poisonous scent – wafted from the open door. I pressed myself against the wall, desperate to avoid her.

"The Luna's condition is concerning," I heard her saying to someone inside. "I've examined her medical history, and there are... irregularities. The timing of her pregnancy doesn't align with the Alpha's last rut."

A murmur of shocked voices responded. My blood turned to ice as I realized what she was doing – planting seeds of doubt, turning the pack against me while I was at my most vulnerable.

I slipped through the shadowed hallways, blood still staining my dress, my soul as empty as my womb. Pack members stepped aside as I passed, their eyes averted – not in respect, but in judgment and pity. The whispers followed me like a poisonous cloud.

"Another Alpha's pup..."

"...tried to trick our Alpha..."

"...no wonder he turned to Dr. Blake..."

I reached our bedroom – no, Michael's bedroom now – and collapsed against the door, sliding to the floor as Luna's broken howls echoed through my shattered heart. The moonlight streaming through the window illuminated the fresh sheets on the bed, prepared for his return.

With Sarah.

The realization hit me with brutal clarity: this was never about a mistake or a moment of weakness. This was calculated. Planned. I had lost everything – my mate, my pup, my place in the pack.

And tomorrow, he would return to finish what they had started.