Luna Loses Pup to Betrayal

I stood frozen in the doorway, my hand still resting protectively over my swollen belly. The private dining room was lit by candles that cast dancing shadows across Conrad's face as he leaned toward Kelsey. My mate—my Alpha—had his fangs extended, hovering just above her neck where my brooch glittered like a mocking star.

"Conrad," I whispered, my voice barely audible even to my own ears.

But he heard me. His head snapped up, eyes widening in shock before narrowing with irritation.

"Elouise," he said, straightening quickly. "You shouldn't be here."

Kelsey turned slowly, her perfect lips curving into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She deliberately touched the brooch at her collarbone, her fingers caressing the diamonds that should have been mine alone.

"Well, well," she purred. "If it isn't the Luna herself."

I stepped into the room, my legs trembling but my spine straight. "That's my brooch."

"Is it?" Kelsey's laugh was like breaking glass. "Conrad gave it to me as a symbol of our bond."

"It's the Knight Pack Luna heirloom," I said, my voice steadier now. "Passed down through three generations. It's not yours to wear."

Conrad moved between us, his Alpha aura flaring. "Elouise, this isn't the time—"

"It's exactly the time," I cut him off, my own Luna power rising to meet his. "You stole my mating token and gave it to her."

Kelsey's eyes flashed dangerously. "Your mating token? Conrad and I are true mates. You're just... convenient."

The word hit me like a physical blow. Six months pregnant with his child, and I was convenient?

"You're nothing but a placeholder," she continued, rising from her chair. "A temporary Luna until Conrad realized what he really wanted."

I stepped closer, my hand still protectively cradling my belly. "I carry the future Alpha of Knight Pack."

"Maybe," Kelsey's gaze flicked to my stomach with something like hatred. "Or maybe not."

Something in her tone made my blood run cold. She knew something—or thought she knew something—that I didn't.

"Conrad," I turned to him, searching his face for any trace of the mate I'd loved. "Tell me this isn't true."

His silence was answer enough.

---

"Get out," Kelsey hissed, moving toward me with predatory grace. "You don't belong here."

I stood my ground, though every instinct screamed to protect my unborn pup. "I'm the Luna of Knight Pack. I have every right—"

"You're nothing," she snarled, and suddenly her wolf strength flared around her like a physical force.

I felt it before I saw it—the deliberate shove aimed at my chest, meant to push me away from Conrad. But her aim was true, and her strength was that of a full-grown she-wolf in her prime.

My feet left the ground.

Time slowed as I fell backward. I twisted desperately, trying to protect my belly, but there was nothing to grab onto. The world spun in a blur of candlelight and shadow.

Then came the impact.

My head struck something hard—a marble decorative pillar—with a sickening crack. Pain exploded through my skull. But worse was the sharp agony that tore through my abdomen as my lower back slammed against the edge.

Warmth spread between my legs. I looked down to see crimson blooming across my dress.

"No," I gasped, clutching my stomach. "No, no, no..."

Conrad's face appeared above me, his expression unreadable. Behind him, Kelsey's smile was triumphant.

---

"The pup didn't survive," Dr. Elena Marsh said gently, her hands warm on mine. "I'm so sorry, Elouise."

I stared at the ceiling of the pack medical facility, unable to cry anymore. My body felt hollow, emptied of both tears and life.

"The trauma was too severe," she continued, checking my IV. "The impact caused placental abruption."

I closed my eyes, remembering the blood on my dress, the agony in my womb as our pup—our son—slipped away from me.

"Will you be okay for a while?" Elena asked. "I need to document this for the pack records."

I nodded numbly, not trusting myself to speak.

When she left, I reached for my phone on the bedside table. My fingers trembled as I scrolled through contacts until I found his name.

Dalton.

We hadn't spoken in years, not since the werewolf academy. But he answered on the first ring.

"Elouise?" His voice was warm with surprise. "Is everything okay?"

The simple kindness in his tone broke something loose inside me. "No," I whispered. "Everything is not okay."

I told him everything—the brooch, the affair, Kelsey's attack, my lost pup. The words poured out like blood from a wound.

"I'm coming," he said without hesitation. "Stay where you are."

Three hours later, he walked through the medical facility doors carrying a small bag and a steaming cup of chamomile tea—my favorite, the one he remembered from our academy days.

"You didn't have to come," I said as he set the tea on my bedside table.

"I did," he replied simply, pulling a chair close to my bed. "And I'm staying until you don't need me anymore."

His eyes were kind but determined as he opened the bag and pulled out a small notebook.

"Now," he said, his voice gentle but firm, "let's talk about evidence."