The Alpha's Hidden Pup and His True Luna

Caroline Montgomery’s mate was about to become a father, but the one carrying his child wasn’t her.

On the day of her Come of Age Ceremony, she overheard Memphis Brown speaking to her brother. “We’ll keep this from Caroline for now. If it weren’t for her recklessness, I wouldn’t have had to pretend to be away on a mission to the southern border.”

Her heart shattered. The man she loved, the one who had promised to make her his Luna after returning victorious, had never left the capital. To avoid her affections, he had secluded himself in his pack’s stronghold and gotten his chosen mate pregnant.

From the beginning, Caroline had been the only one kept in the dark.

She wiped her tears and smiled, refusing to fall apart as she had in the past. Instead, she turned and accepted the mate proposal from the southern territory.

Something tainted was no longer worth holding onto.

---

Her brother sighed in relief. “Caroline has always been too stubborn. Keeping this from her is for her own good.”

Memphis nodded, his expression softening. “It’s just a shame Fangruo had to suffer for two years. Now that she’s pregnant, once she gives birth to my child, I’ll make sure she’s given the recognition she deserves.”

“Caroline’s been obsessed with me for years, but I can’t keep indulging her forever.”

Her brother hesitated but eventually agreed.

Behind the screen, Caroline’s legs trembled, and she bit her lip hard to stifle a cry. Hot tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t believe the man she had waited for, the one who had sent her sweet letters every month, had never left the city.

Her chest ached, and her legs nearly gave out. She leaned against the wall, clutching her chest, and sobbed silently.

All these years, she had indeed been stubborn. Her love for Memphis was known throughout the pack. She had clung to him, believing he felt the same.

They had grown up together, and everyone knew the proud Alpha Memphis never spared a glance at anyone else, except for Caroline.

During the annual pack run, if he so much as looked at another female, Caroline would make a scene, demanding he hunt a rare beast to make it up to her.

Memphis had always obliged, venturing into the dangerous forests to bring her the pelt of a rare wolf, which he turned into a cloak for her.

One winter, when he rescued an orphaned girl during a mission, Caroline danced barefoot on the frozen lake.

Memphis had rushed back, his eyes blazing with anger, and pulled her into his arms in front of everyone.

“Caroline, I was wrong,” he had said, his voice trembling. “I’ll send her away tomorrow. Just… don’t hurt yourself again.”

The tenderness in his eyes had fooled her, making her believe he truly cared. She hadn’t noticed the impatience hidden beneath his gaze.

Every time she demanded his attention, he would relent, smiling wryly and saying, “If Caroline asks, I have no choice but to apologize.”

His seemingly endless tolerance had made her complacent. She never imagined he despised her.

Memphis touched the pendant at his neck, smiling as he spoke to her brother. “The one at home made such a fuss, insisting I wear this pendant she crafted. It’s impressive Fangruo could create such delicate wolf symbols, especially while pregnant.”

His expression was filled with affection as he caressed the pendant.

Her brother pointed to another pendant on his belt. “What about that one? It’s so clumsily made. Why are you still wearing it?”

Memphis glanced down at the poorly crafted pendant and chuckled. “Oh, that’s the one Caroline forced me to wear. I forgot to take it off.”

He casually removed it and dropped it to the ground.

“It was just to humor her. Thanks for reminding me. Fangruo would cry if she saw it.”

Her brother hesitated, his voice strained. “Caroline has loved you for five years. Did you never feel anything for her?”

Memphis paused at the door, his hand resting on the handle.

He shrugged indifferently. “What’s gotten into you? I’ve never had romantic feelings for her. She saved my life, but all my patience over the years has repaid that debt.”

“I can’t just mate her and spend my life with someone I don’t love.”