After My Mate Betrayed Me with My Childhood Enemy

The ballroom of the Hamilton Pack House was suffocating, despite the grand double doors thrown open to the cool night air. Crystal chandeliers dripped light onto the polished floors, illuminating the sea of wolves dressed in their finest silks and suits. They were here to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the alliance between the Hamiltons and the Hunters—and, unofficially, to whisper about the heir growing inside me.

I rested a hand on the swell of my belly, wincing as a sharp kick radiated against my ribs. My ankles were swollen in these ridiculous heels, and my back ached with a dull, persistent throb. But as the Luna of the Hunter Moon Pack and the daughter of Alpha Hamilton, I had a role to play. I had to be the glowing, happy wife.

"Where are you, Lucas?" I murmured, scanning the crowd.

My eyes snagged on my father, Alpha Hamilton, laughing too loudly near the buffet. He held a glass of champagne in one hand, his other resting possessively on the lower back of a woman whose face I couldn't quite see. A shiver of unease crawled up my spine, but I shook it off. My focus was on my mate.

I finally spotted him near the balcony doors. Lucas stood with his back to the party, staring out into the darkness. The moonlight caught the sharp angle of his jaw, making him look more like a statue than a man. My heart gave a traitorous flutter. Even after a year of marriage, his scent—pine and rain—still made my wolf pace with need.

I wove through the crowd, dodging well-wishers and curious stares. "Lucas?"

He didn't turn around immediately. When he did, his expression wasn't the warm look of a mate greeting his pregnant wife. It was the guarded, blank mask of an Alpha addressing a subordinate.

"June," he said, his voice flat. "You should be sitting down."

"I wanted to find you," I said, reaching for his hand. His skin was cold. I guided his palm to my stomach, smiling tentatively. "He's been kicking all night. The little warrior knows his father is near."

For a split second, I saw something flicker in Lucas's eyes—pain? Guilt? But before I could decipher it, he flinched. He pulled his hand away as if my skin burned him.

"Don't," he snapped, too harsh, too loud. A few heads turned nearby.

My smile faltered. "Lucas? What's wrong?"

He adjusted his cufflinks, looking everywhere but at me. "Nothing. The noise is just… a lot. The integration of the border patrols is giving me a headache."

My wolf whined low in my chest. *He is lying,* she whispered. *He is closing the bond.* I could feel the wall slamming down in my mind, blocking me from his emotions. It was a cold, empty sensation.

"I have to take a call," Lucas said abruptly, already stepping away. "Business. Don't wait up."

He left me standing alone by the balcony, the festive music suddenly sounding like a funeral