The Alpha Betrayed His Moon-Blessed Mate

I stared in horror, my vision blurring as the scene before me unfolded.

Just two weeks ago, the pack healer had confirmed that my mother, Luna Adley Simmons, was three months pregnant. She had been overjoyed, already preparing for the new arrival. She’d stroked my hair, her eyes shining with happiness as she said, “You’re going to have a little brother or sister soon. Aren’t you excited?”

“Don’t tell your father or your uncle yet,” she’d added softly. “They’ve been so busy with pack affairs. Let’s wait a couple of weeks before we surprise them.”

Her joy had been so genuine, so full of life. Now, that memory cut through me like a knife.

Blood pooled endlessly around her as she curled up in the corner, trembling with pain, her dignity stripped away.

Zaria Morales, the rogue who had somehow wormed her way into my father and uncle’s favor, let out a shrill cry. “Ugh, why does she have to bleed like that? It’s disgusting! I hate the sight of blood—it’s going to give me nightmares!”

My father, Alpha Derrick Rivera, stood there, his face cold and unreadable as he glanced at the crimson stain. “Didn’t you hear her?” he snapped, his Alpha tone cutting through the room. “Zaria’s terrified of blood. Clean it up with boiling water. Now.”

My uncle, Beta Zen Cruz, stepped forward, a cruel smirk twisting his lips. “Boiling water? That won’t do. The best way to clean it is to let the blood drain completely. I’ve got just the thing.”

He pulled out a small golden box, and my heart froze. Inside were the venomous creatures he’d been cultivating for years—horrifying parasites that fed on blood and flesh, their claws laced with toxins. Once they latched onto a victim, death was inevitable within days.

As he opened the box and approached my mother, I screamed, tears mixing with the blood streaming down my face. “That’s her! That’s the woman you swore to protect!”

My voice woke the sleeping wolf within me, and it snarled, its presence surging through my veins. Pain ripped through me, and I doubled over, my legs giving out as blood soaked through my clothes.

I prayed, desperately, that my uncle would recognize her.

But he didn’t.

With a sickening smile, he placed the first creature on her abdomen. “The blood’s coming from here, right? Let’s start here. Let’s see if she dares to bleed and scare Zaria again.”

The creature burrowed into her skin, its claws tearing through flesh as it greedily drank her blood. The more it fed, the more vicious it became, tearing deeper into her body.

My mother’s body convulsed, her legs twitching as she tried to fight, but she was too weak. She collapsed, her face twisted in agony.

On the platform, Zaria clapped her hands, her voice shrill with excitement. “This is amazing! I’ve never seen anything like it! More! I want to see more!”

My father didn’t hesitate. “Bring out more of them. Let Zaria enjoy the show.”

My uncle complied, pulling out more boxes of the creatures. His eyes lingered on the scar on my mother’s ankle—a scar she’d gotten years ago when she’d fought tirelessly to clear his name after he’d been framed by a rival pack.

She’d spent days pleading with the Lycan King, running herself ragged until she’d collapsed. When he’d finally been released, he’d carried her home in his arms, summoning every healer in the pack to tend to her.

“My foolish sister,” he’d said, his voice choked with emotion. “I swore I’d protect you. I’ll never let you get hurt again.”

Now, as I watched him place the creatures on her wounds, my hands clasped together in desperate prayer, I begged silently for him to remember that promise.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. “A woman who can’t even protect her own body? She must have been reckless, careless. This scar? Probably from some reckless affair.”

His words shattered me. My mother, the woman who had given everything for this pack, for her family, was being reduced to nothing—a victim of their cruelty and betrayal.