When My Mate’s Betrayal Killed Our Unborn Pup

I stood in the grand hall of the pack house, my hands trembling slightly as I adjusted the silver table settings for the third time. The New Year's Pack Run was a sacred tradition, one I had overseen flawlessly for seven years as Luna. Tonight should have been no different, except that my heart felt like a hollow echo in my chest, and the secret hope of new life within me was still too fragile to share. The pack house buzzed with activity around me, wolves preparing for the midnight run that would cleanse the old year and welcome the new. I should have been filled with purpose, with pride. Instead, I felt like a ghost haunting my own home.

'Lina, the wine glasses need to be moved further apart.' Collin's mother appeared beside me, her voice carrying that familiar note of disapproval disguised as helpfulness. She didn't wait for my response before turning to the Omega server beside her. 'Mira, dear, could you help with these? Your touch is so much warmer than...' She glanced at me, letting the implication hang in the air.

I straightened my spine, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me flinch. 'The arrangements were deliberate, Elder Ferguson. The spacing allows for better flow during the toast.'

'Hmm.' She hummed noncommittally, then raised her voice just enough to carry to the nearby elders. 'I suppose some things are better left to those with a natural warmth. Mira has such a gift for making people feel welcome. So different from our... cool approach.'

The words stung more than they should have. I was the Luna of this pack, yet I was being publicly criticized in my own home. Worse, I was being compared unfavorably to a woman who had been in our pack for mere months.

'Of course, Elder Ferguson,' I replied, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest. 'I'll take your suggestions under advisement.'

As she walked away, I caught Mira's eye briefly. She offered a small, sympathetic smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. I turned away, focusing instead on checking the ceremonial goblets for the Alpha and Luna.

The midnight hour approached, and with it the traditional New Year's Pack Run. I moved to the front entrance, where I would stand beside Collin as we led our pack into the winter night. This was one of my few remaining moments of genuine connection with him—the annual run where we would shift together, leading our family through the sacred paths of our territory.

But as the pack gathered in the courtyard, I saw Collin approaching from the direction of the guest quarters. And he wasn't alone.

'My pack,' he called out, his Alpha voice carrying across the assembled wolves. 'Tonight we honor tradition and look to the future.'

I stepped forward, expecting to take my place at his side as Luna. Instead, he extended his arm—not to me, but to the woman beside him.

'I'd like to introduce Mira Rivera as my protected guest for tonight's run,' he announced, his voice warm with an affection I hadn't heard directed at me in months.

A collective murmur rippled through the pack. I stood frozen, my hand halfway extended, as Collin's Alpha aura unfurled around Mira like a protective cloak. The golden warmth of it enveloped her completely, shielding her from the biting winter cold while leaving me exposed to the elements—and to the stares of my pack.

I felt the weight of every gaze, the silent questions in their eyes. Where was their Alpha's loyalty? Why was their Luna standing alone while another woman received the protection that should have been hers?

'Lina,' Collin said, finally acknowledging me with a nod that felt more like dismissal than recognition. 'You understand, of course. Mira needs special protection tonight.'

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to maintain my composure. 'Of course, Alpha,' I replied, the formal title tasting like ash on my tongue.

The run began, and I fell into step behind them, watching as Collin and Mira moved in perfect synchronization. They shared a private mind-link, their laughter bubbling through the pack bond in a way that excluded me completely. I struggled to keep pace, the early fatigue of pregnancy making each step heavier than the last.

Beta Derek Shaw dropped back to run beside me, his expression troubled. 'Luna,' he began hesitantly, his eyes darting between me and the pair ahead. 'Perhaps I should...' He trailed off, glancing nervously at the pack around us.

'Everything is as it should be, Beta Shaw,' I said quietly, though we both knew it was a lie. His shoulders slumped slightly before he nodded and moved away, choosing pack order over defending his Luna.

As we ran deeper into the forest, the gap between us widened. I watched Collin's protective aura glow around Mira in the darkness, illuminating her face with a light that should have been mine. And in that moment, I realized that no matter how hard I tried to hold onto the fragments of our bond, some things—once broken—could never be repaired.