My Alpha Risked Our Pup for His Mistress

I stood at the window of our bedroom, watching the moonlight filter through the trees. My hand rested on my stomach, feeling the slight swell that only I could notice. Inside me, our pup grew stronger each day, but something else was weakening—the bond that had once tied me to Cole.

"I can't feel him anymore," I whispered to the darkness.

Not just his physical presence, which had been absent for nights now, but his emotions. The warmth that once flowed between us like a river had dried to a trickle, then to nothing. Where once I could sense his joy, his anger, even his desire from across the territory, now there was only a cold wall of ambition.

My wolf remained silent within me. Since discovering my pregnancy, she had retreated deeper than ever before, conserving her energy to protect our pup. Without her strength, I felt hollow, vulnerable in a way I hadn't experienced since childhood.

"I need to leave," I realized suddenly. "For the pup's sake."

I moved silently to the closet, pulling out a small duffel bag from the back. My hands trembled as I carefully selected essential items—clothes, a few precious photos, the small vial of healing herbs Elena had given me. Nothing that would immediately be missed.

"Just until things settle down," I told myself, though we both knew that was a lie.

The pack house had become toxic since Sloan's arrival three weeks ago. Her influence spread like poison, changing Cole into someone I no longer recognized. The way he looked at her, the way he dismissed me—it was as if our years together meant nothing.

I tucked a small teddy bear into the bag, one I'd bought when I first suspected I was pregnant. "We'll be okay," I promised my unborn child. "I'll keep you safe."

The floorboard creaked behind me.

"What are you doing?"

I froze, my heart hammering against my ribs. Cole stood in the doorway, his massive frame blocking any escape. His eyes, once warm amber, now glowed with cold fury as they fixed on the half-packed bag in my hands.

"I—" My voice caught in my throat.

"Planning to leave me?" He stepped closer, each movement predatory. "To make me look weak in front of my pack?"

"It's not like that," I whispered, backing away. "I just need some time—"

"You're MY Luna!" His voice exploded through the room, the Alpha command hitting me like a physical blow. "You don't get to decide when you come and go!"

I dropped the bag, clutching my stomach protectively as I sank to my knees. "Cole, please—"

"I FORBID YOU FROM LEAVING THE TERRITORY!" The words reverberated through my bones, sealing my fate.

He knelt beside me, gripping my chin roughly. "You belong to me, Isla. To this pack. Whatever Sloan says about strengthening our position—you will support it. Do you understand?"

Tears streamed down my face as I nodded, unable to speak through the weight of his command.

---

The pack meeting hall buzzed with tension as I took my seat beside Cole's empty chair. He'd deliberately arrived late, another small humiliation designed to undermine my position.

Sloan stood at the front, her sleek figure commanding attention as she addressed the gathered pack members. "Silver Creek has always been known for its strength," she announced, her voice carrying easily through the room. "But strength can always be improved."

I straightened in my chair, feeling a responsibility to speak up. "Our pack has maintained its territory and protected its members for generations," I said. "Perhaps we should focus on preserving our traditions rather than radical changes."

Sloan's smile didn't reach her eyes. "With all due respect to our... domestic Luna," she said, the pause dripping with contempt, "traditions that weaken us must be abandoned."

She gestured to a group of young wolves at the back of the room. "I've developed a new training regimen that will double our warriors' effectiveness in combat."

The details that followed made my blood run cold—extended periods in wolf form, forced fights between pack members, punishment runs that would last for days.

"This is excessive," I protested, looking to the elders for support. "Some of these methods border on cruel."

Cole chose that moment to enter, sliding into his seat beside me. "I've reviewed Sloan's proposals," he announced, "and I'm implementing them effective immediately."

The room fell silent as every eye turned to me, waiting for my reaction.

"Luna Isla," Sloan said sweetly, "perhaps you'd like to lead the first training session tomorrow? Show the pack your... commitment to our strength."

Cole's hand closed around mine, squeezing painfully. "My Luna will support whatever decisions I make," he said firmly. "Won't you, Isla?"

The public challenge hung in the air between us. I felt the weight of every stare, the judgment and pity mixing in equal measure.

"Yes, Alpha," I managed to whisper, the words tasting like ash in my mouth.

As the meeting continued around me, I realized with growing horror that I was no longer just a Luna in name—I was becoming a prisoner in my own home.