Carrying My Mate's Heir For His Betrayer

My legs felt weak, and I reached out to steady myself against his chest.

“Aurelia, you’re carrying a child right now. You shouldn’t be taking lives so carelessly. It could bring unnecessary trouble,” Marcus said, his voice soft, his eyes filled with a concern that seemed genuine.

I almost wanted to applaud his flawless performance.

Sensing my unease, he brushed away the tears at the corner of my eye with his thumb, his fingers gently entwining with mine.

“If something’s bothering you, you should have told me right away. I would have been by your side,” he said, his tone dripping with tenderness.

I forced a smile.

“You’ve been busy lately, and it’s nothing serious. I didn’t want to cause any trouble.”

He seemed to relax, calling for a servant to bring water and a towel. As the maid approached, holding the damp cloth, Marcus’s expression darkened. In an instant, he struck, his claws slamming into the maid’s temple with brutal force.

I froze, unable to react as the maid’s body crumpled to the floor, lifeless. My teeth clenched so hard I could taste blood in my mouth.

Marcus didn’t even flinch. He snapped his fingers, and two warriors stepped forward to drag the body away, as if nothing had happened. He then gently wiped the tears from my face with the still-warm towel.

I stood there, paralyzed, too afraid to make a sound.

“A servant who lets their Luna cry doesn’t deserve to live,” he said, his voice calm, almost pious, though his eyes glinted with a predatory darkness.

My stomach churned with disgust.

Marcus’s tone softened again.

“We’ve been together for ten years, Aurelia. Now that we’re finally expecting a child, we can’t afford any mistakes, understand?”

I took a deep, shaky breath before whispering, “Yes.”

But my heart sank deeper.

As a rare Omega with a silver-white pelt in my wolf form, I was supposed to be fertile, yet every time I carried a child, it ended in tragedy. Over time, the pack began to whisper behind my back, calling me cursed.

It was Marcus who comforted me, saying he didn’t need heirs as long as he had me by his side. But I couldn’t let it go. I pushed my body to the limit, sacrificing my health to give him a child.

I gave him vial after vial of my blood, drained my strength, and endured countless failures. And now, I discovered the child I was carrying wasn’t even his—it was Serena’s.

She had struggled to conceive, and so I had been used as a surrogate, my life force drained to ensure her legacy.

“You look pale. Here, take the new medicine the healer prepared for you,” Marcus urged, holding out a small vial.

“It’s nothing. I’m just tired,” I replied, my voice hollow.

Marcus’s eyes turned crimson, his Alpha aura flaring as he absorbed my pain into himself.

“The pain you’re feeling, I’ll bear it a hundred times over for you,” he said, his voice fierce.

“You’ve been through so much. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the pack’s spring meadow for a run, okay?”

I studied his face, the love in his eyes so intense it almost felt real. How many times had he deceived me with that same look?

If he knew I was considering ending this pregnancy, I’d likely meet the same fate as that maid.

I forced a dry laugh.

“You should go. I think I’ll rest for a while.”

Pulling the blanket over my head, the pain he had taken from me was gone, but I felt as though I’d been pierced by a thousand arrows. Tears soaked my pillow.

After a while, I got up and stared at the key Marcus had given me as a symbol of our bond—the key to his private den.

On a whim, I entered his den, a place I’d never dared to venture before. Pushing open the door to his study, I was greeted by walls covered in portraits of Serena.

Each one was meticulously drawn by his hand, capturing her at different stages of her life. And at the bottom of every portrait was a single phrase: “Marcus loves Serena.”

One portrait showed her holding the pelt of a rogue Alpha, her smile radiant.

Suddenly, I remembered the time Marcus had returned from a battle with rogues, severely injured. He had nearly died, and I had used the only vial of the pack’s most potent healing serum—a gift from my mother—to save him.

But perhaps all of it had been for Serena.

A tear fell onto the portrait, smudging the ink.

I wasn’t heartbroken over Marcus’s years of deceit, but I mourned the loss of my mother’s final gift to me, something I had so carelessly given away.

As I turned to leave, I noticed another portrait of Serena, this one more intimate, her chest partially exposed. And there, on her heart, was a mark identical to mine—a crescent moon symbol.

This mark was unique, a result of my bond with the pack’s sacred moonstone. No one else could have it.

I remembered telling Serena about an encounter I’d had in the forbidden forest, where I’d saved an elder from a rogue attack and formed a bond. I’d begged her to keep it a secret, and after that, she had distanced herself from me.

Soon after, her strength had surged, and Marcus had often mentioned how much he owed her.

But Serena was selfish. She wouldn’t have lifted a finger to help anyone unless it benefited her.

A horrifying thought struck me.

If that was true…

I collapsed to the floor, all strength leaving my body.