The Alpha's Secret Heir and the Vanished Luna

I was pregnant with the Alpha’s heir, yet Michael refused to Mark me, calling my concerns "hormonal" while he paraded another woman, Serena, as his future Luna.

The betrayal cut deep, but the breaking point came at the pack celebration.

Serena slapped me across the face in front of everyone, and instead of defending his pregnant mate, Michael looked bored and ordered me to stop making a scene.

That night, I didn't just leave; I ripped the mate bond out of my own mind.

The pain was blinding, but necessary.

With my mother's help, I faked my death—and the death of our unborn child—to escape his toxic hold.

For four years, I raised my son, Finn, on a hidden island, safe from the politics that nearly destroyed me.

I thought I was free, until a ragged, broken man washed up on my shore.

It was Michael.

He wasn't the arrogant King anymore; he was a beggar who had spent years mourning a ghost.

When he saw Finn, he fell to his knees, weeping at the sight of the boy who had his golden eyes.

"Is he mine?" he begged.

"He is mine," I told him coldly. "You lost him the day you chose her."

I prepared to send him away, but then the alarms rang.

Serena had found us, leading a rogue army to slaughter my son for dark magic.

Michael looked at me, his eyes clearing for the first time in years.

"I will be your shield," he vowed.

He ran straight into the silver blades, taking the death blow meant for our child.

As he died in my arms, I finally forgave him.

Now, I stand over his grave not as a victim, but as the Alpha Luna who will rule the world he left behind.

Chapter 1

Liv POV

The morning sun washed over the silk sheets of the Alpha’s bed, yet it offered no warmth. It felt distinctively cold.

I sat up, my hand instinctively drifting to my stomach. There was a flutter there, a tiny ripple of life. My baby.

Closing my eyes, I reached into the depths of my consciousness. I wanted to feel the baby’s *Inner Wolf*. In our world, a strong Alpha bloodline usually manifests a spirit early. But I found nothing. Just a silent, hollow void.

"You're awake," a voice said beside me.

Michael sat up. He was beautiful, in that sharp, dangerous way that had ensnared me years ago. His blond hair was messy, his blue eyes piercing.

*Good morning, my love,* his voice echoed in my head through the *Mind-Link*.

The connection hummed between us—the telepathic bond shared between pack members, strongest between mates. Or, at least, people who pretended to be mates.

"Michael," I whispered. "I still can't feel the baby's wolf. Is that normal?"

Michael sighed. He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture of impatience I knew too well.

"Liv, please. Not this again."

"But—"

"You are hormonal," he said, his voice smooth yet cutting. "You overthink everything. It makes you weak."

I flinched. Weak. That word was a weapon he wielded with practiced ease.

"I just want us to be ready," I said softly. "When are you going to Mark me, Michael? The pack needs a Luna. A real, marked Luna."

The Mark—the claiming bite an Alpha places on his mate’s neck—seals the bond and shares the power. Without it, I was merely a girlfriend with a title.

"The Thorn Pack is fragile right now," Michael said, standing up and pulling on his trousers. "If I Mark you now, the enemies will target you. I am protecting you, Liv. Why can't you see that?"

He leaned down and kissed my forehead. It felt patronizing, like a parent dismissing a child.

*Trust me,* he sent through the link. But beneath the words, I felt the crushing weight of a command. A physical pressure building in my skull.

It was the *Alpha's Command*. The absolute authority an Alpha has over his pack. He was using it to silence me.

I nodded, feeling small. "Okay."

Later that day, I sat in the back of the council room. Michael sat at the head of the table, looking like a king. I remembered when he was just a Beta. It was my father’s influence, the vast resources of the Hayes Pack, that I had used to build him up. I had carved him into an Alpha.

"The border skirmishes are increasing," a warrior said. "We need to reinforce the northern wall."

"No," a female voice cut in. "We should attack. Preemptive strike."

The doors opened, and Serena walked in.

She was the daughter of a visiting Gamma. She was petite, with dark hair and wide, innocent eyes. But her gait betrayed her; it was not innocent. It was predatory.

She walked right up to Michael and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Michael knows that strength is the only language they speak," she purred.

Michael didn't shake her off. Instead, he leaned into her touch.

"Serena is right," Michael said, addressing the council. "We attack at dawn."

I stood up abruptly. "That's reckless! Our warriors are tired. We need defense, not—"

Michael turned his eyes on me. They flashed gold, the color of his wolf.

*Sit down, Liv. Do not embarrass me.*

The command hit me like a physical slap. My knees buckled, and I fell back into my chair. My throat closed up. I couldn't speak.

Serena looked at me and smiled. It was a cruel, thin thing.

Then, the smell hit me.

It was faint at first—like synthetic roses masking the stench of rot. But underneath, there was something else. A scent that mimicked the *Mate Scent*—that unique perfume the Moon Goddess gives to soulmates.

But it was wrong. It smelled... chemical.

"Michael," I tried to push through the command. "She... she smells..."

*Silence!*

The word exploded in my brain. Pain shot through my temples. I gasped, clutching my stomach.

My *Inner Wolf*, usually so quiet lately, shifted in the back of my mind. She felt exhausted. Buried.

That night, I received a *Mind-Link* from my mother, Elizabeth. She was the Luna Dowager of the Hayes Pack.

*Liv,* her voice was laced with worry. *I had a dream. The moon was bleeding. You must open your eyes, child. An Alpha's nature is to take. Ensure he is not taking your soul.*

*I'm fine, Mom,* I lied. *He loves me.*

I found Michael in the garden later. He was staring at the moon.

"Michael," I said, approaching him. "I feel... unsettled. The baby is restless."

He turned to me. His face was a mask of annoyance.

"You are hysterical, Liv. It's the pregnancy."

"It's Serena," I blurted out. "She's too close to you. It's disrespectful."

Michael stepped closer. He towered over me.

"She is useful. She has ideas. Unlike you, who only has fears."

He placed a hand on my shoulder. It wasn't a caress. It was a weight.

"Go to bed, Liv. Rest. Stop thinking."

He used the Command again. My body obeyed, turning around to walk away, even as my heart screamed in protest.

I walked alone in the dark corridors, rubbing the swell of my belly.

"I will protect you," I whispered to the silent baby. "Even if your father won't."

I went to sleep, and the nightmare came.

In the dream, I saw a white wolf. A magnificent, glowing creature. But it was chained. Heavy, black iron chains wrapped around its muzzle and paws. It was howling, throwing its head back in agony, but no sound came out.

Then, darkness swallowed it.

I woke up with a gasp. My heart was hammering against my ribs. A cramp seized my abdomen.

Pain.

I looked at the clock. It was morning. The day of the Pack Gathering.

On the bedside table, there was an invitation card. Cream paper, gold lettering.

*The Thorn Pack welcomes you to the Alpha's Celebration.*

*Hosted by Alpha Michael and his future Luna, Serena.*

*Introducing their adopted pup, Mickey.*

The air left my lungs.

Future Luna.

Serena.