My Alpha Forced Me to Carry His Gamma’s Baby

I pressed my ear against the cold wall, the glass tumbler amplifying every word from Caden's office next door. My hands trembled so badly I nearly dropped it, but I couldn't stop myself from listening. I had to know what he was planning.

"The procedure was successful," Dr. Helena's voice came through clearly, clinical and detached. "The Luna is approximately six weeks pregnant."

"Good." Caden's voice sent ice through my veins. "Ashton's genetics are exceptional. The pup should be strong enough to lead when I'm ready to step down."

My breath caught in my throat. Ashton? The baby I carried wasn't Caden's?

"I still think this was unnecessary," Dr. Helena continued, her voice dropping lower. "You could have fathered your own heir with—"

"With a substitute?" Caden's laugh was cruel, cutting. "Elizabeth was never meant to be more than a placeholder. Nina is my true obsession. I won't taint that with a substitute's child."

The glass nearly slipped from my fingers as my knees buckled. I caught myself against the bed, forcing myself to keep listening.

"The filthy necessity of using Ashton..." Caden continued, his voice thick with disgust. "But his wolf is pure Alpha stock. The pup will be powerful enough to secure our bloodline without carrying my direct... contamination."

"Alpha, I must protest," Dr. Helena said, her voice wavering slightly. "What we did to Luna Elizabeth—drugging her during her heat cycles and leaving her with Ashton while she was unconscious—it's ethically reprehensible."

"Ethics?" Caden's voice hardened. "I've ensured the pup carries Ashton's strength while Elizabeth believes she's carrying mine. Once the heir is born, she'll serve her purpose. Then we can dispose of her properly."

Dispose of me? My hand flew to my stomach, protecting the life growing inside me. A life conceived through lies and manipulation.

"And Nina?" Dr. Helena asked quietly.

"Will never know," Caden replied. "Elizabeth's scent is already changing with pregnancy. Soon she'll be too tainted for even a substitute's role. But by then, the heir will be born, and I'll have no further use for her."

I sank to the floor, the glass tumbling from my numb fingers. The room spun around me as pieces clicked into place—every strange blackout during my heat cycles, waking up disoriented in unfamiliar rooms, Ashton's occasional haunted looks when our paths crossed.

A soft knock interrupted my spiral. I scrambled to my feet, wiping tears furiously from my face.

"Luna?" Ashton's deep voice came through the door. "Alpha has ordered me to bring you food."

I froze, staring at the door. The father of my child—the man Caden had used as a breeding tool without my knowledge.

"Leave it," I called, my voice breaking.

"I have orders to ensure you eat," he replied, his tone gentler than I'd ever heard it. "Please, Luna."

Something in his voice made me unlock the door, though I couldn't bear to look at him. When I turned away, he entered silently, setting down a tray on the small table.

"The soup is warm," he said quietly. "You should eat for the pup's sake."

I flinched at his words, finally meeting his eyes. There was no triumph there, no satisfaction—only a deep, haunting regret that mirrored my own pain.

"You know," I whispered.

Ashton's jaw tightened. "Yes."

"How long?" My voice cracked. "How long have you known about Caden's plan?"

"Since the beginning." He stepped closer, and I instinctively backed away. "Elizabeth, I—"

"Don't touch me!" I hissed, wrapping my arms protectively around myself.

He stopped immediately, his hands hovering uncertainly. "I never wanted this. Caden told me my sister was still alive, that he'd found her after our pack was destroyed. He said he'd reveal her location if I... if I participated in his scheme."

The words hung between us, heavy with implications.

"He lied," I said flatly.

Ashton nodded slowly. "I discovered that after the first time. But by then..." His eyes dropped to my stomach. "By then, I couldn't stop what was happening."

When he looked up again, something shifted in the air between us. His hand reached out tentatively, brushing against mine before I could pull away. A spark—no, a resonance—hummed through my chest, so powerful it stole my breath.

"What is that?" I whispered, staring at our touching hands.

Ashton's eyes widened, a flash of gold breaking through his usual gray. "Elizabeth," he breathed, his voice deeper than before. "I think we're—"

I jerked away before he could finish, the truth too overwhelming to accept. Not now. Not when everything else was falling apart.

Ashton stood frozen, his hand still outstretched, the first flicker of a true mate bond dancing between us like a fragile flame.