My Alpha Forced Me to Carry His Gamma’s Baby

Caden's teeth grazed Nina's neck, poised to mark her as his Luna. I watched from the shadows of his mind—a lingering connection I couldn't fully sever—as his body tensed. Then, violently, he recoiled.

"No!" he snarled, stumbling backward. "Something's wrong."

Nina's eyes flashed with humiliation. "What is it, darling?"

Caden's hands trembled as he wiped his mouth. "My wolf... he's rejecting you."

"You're being ridiculous," Nina hissed, reaching for him. "We've waited years for this moment."

But Caden's wolf was howling—a sound of rage and loss that echoed through our fractured bond. I felt it like a physical ache in my chest, hundreds of miles away in our northern sanctuary.

"She's not dead," Caden whispered, his eyes widening with realization. "Elizabeth... I can still feel her."

---

The witch's fingers traced intricate patterns in the salt circle. Black candles flickered around us, casting grotesque shadows across Caden's face.

"Her essence remains," the witch confirmed, her voice raspy with power. "The bond is stretched, not severed."

Caden paced the ritual room like a caged animal. "Find her."

The witch's eyes rolled back, showing only whites. "North... mountains... water..."

"Where in the north?" Caden demanded.

"Blood River territory," she murmured. "She carries your heir."

A lie—my child was Ashton's. But Caden didn't know that. His face contorted with possessive fury.

"Beta Marcus!" he barked.

Marcus appeared instantly. "Alpha?"

"Assemble the Death Squad," Caden ordered. "We have a traitor to hunt."

---

The forest blurred past as we raced through the trees. Ashton's hand gripped mine, pulling me forward.

"They're coming," he growled. "Caden's trackers."

I pressed my free hand to my swollen belly. "How did he find us?"

"The bond," Ashton said grimly. "It's weaker but still there."

We'd been careful—herbs to mask my scent, constant movement to avoid tracking. But Caden's obsession had found us anyway.

---

The abandoned lumber mill loomed before us, its windows dark and broken. Elder Samuel Grey from the Lycan Council was supposed to meet us here, to receive Caden's evidence.

"Something's wrong," I whispered, tugging Ashton's arm. "The area's too quiet."

Ashton's eyes flashed gold. "Ambush."

Too late. Figures emerged from the shadows—Caden's Death Squad, their expressions merciless.

"Run!" Ashton shoved me behind him.

I stumbled backward, then froze as a familiar scent hit me—vanilla and rosemary. Nina stepped from the darkness.

"Hello, Elizabeth," she purred. "Surprised to see me?"

Ashton roared, his partial shift rippling through him. "Get away from her!"

"Nina," I said calmly, "you don't want to do this."

"Oh, but I do." Her smile was venomous. "Caden may want you back, but I just want you dead."

The first attacker lunged at Ashton. He caught the wolf mid-leap, using his momentum to slam him into another attacker. I dodged a third, my pregnancy slowing me but not stopping me.

"Here!" I shouted, drawing two attackers toward me before spinning and kicking one in the knee. "Come get me!"

Ashton caught my strategy instantly. He feinted left, then right, drawing fire before charging toward me. Together, we fought our way to the edge of the clearing.

---

"Elizabeth!" Ashton called from the ridge above. "This way!"

I scrambled up the rocky slope, my lungs burning. Below us, the Death Squad regrouped.

"We need to split up," I gasped. "They're tracking my scent."

Ashton shook his head violently. "No. We stay together."

A whistle pierced the air—three short bursts, our prearranged signal. Elder Samuel?

Ashton hesitated, then nodded. "Follow me."

We ran through the forest until ruins appeared before us—crumbling stone buildings overgrown with vines.

"Silver Claw territory," Ashton explained, leading me through a hidden passage.

Inside a cavernous hall, dozens of eyes watched us warily. Ashton stepped forward.

"I am Ashton Pierce, Alpha heir of Silver Claw," he announced. "This is Elizabeth Morrison, Luna of our future."

A murmur rippled through the gathered wolves—survivors of the pack massacre years ago.

"We have Caden's evidence," I added, my voice stronger than I expected. "But he's hunting us."

An older she-wolf stepped forward. "Why should we help you?"

I straightened my spine, one hand on my belly. "Because justice isn't just for the powerful. Because your Alpha has returned. And because together, we can reclaim what was stolen from us all."

The silence that followed was deafening. Then, one by one, the survivors knelt.

"Silver Claw stands with you," the old she-wolf declared.

Ashton's hand found mine, our fingers intertwining. For the first time since fleeing Blood River, I felt something other than fear—hope, and the first stirrings of power.