Forsaken Luna, Hidden Heir: Too Late, My Alpha

Lianne's POV:

"Ma'am, congratulations. You're pregnant."

The doctor's words echoed in my ears as I, Lianne Riley, stood there, frozen. My hands tightened around the thin sheet of paper, and I stared at it, unable to process what I had just heard.

Ever since that accident years ago, I'd lost my wolf, my body had weakened, and the possibility of conceiving had seemed almost impossible.

Could I really be carrying a child?

"But your condition is fragile," the doctor continued, his tone turning more serious. "If you intend to keep the baby, you need complete rest. Any stress could put both you and the child at risk."

"I understand," I replied with quiet determination.

By the time I left the hospital, evening had already settled over the city.

Without thinking, I placed a hand over my abdomen. It was still flat, yet there was already a life growing inside.

Ethan Voss, my husband, was the Alpha of the Thorn Pack. As his destined mate, I had always felt a sense of guilt for not being able to give him an heir.

But now, everything had changed. At last, I could tell him that we were going to have a child.

To mark the moment, I prepared dinner myself, cooking all his favorite dishes and setting them out carefully on the table.

The unrest at the border, caused by rogue wolves, had lasted for a week, and as Alpha, Ethan had been overseeing the situation himself.

I was certain he would return tonight. After all, it was the anniversary of our bond.

Time dragged on as the clock moved past ten and edged closer to eleven.

The beef bourguignon had long gone cold, a thin layer of fat forming on top. It sat untouched, just like the warmth in my chest that had slowly faded.

Without my wolf, I had no way to reach him through the mind-link. In the end, I picked up my phone and called his private number.

The line rang again and again before someone finally answered.

"Hello?"

The voice wasn't Ethan's. It was a woman.

Her tone carried a soft, lazy sweetness. "Ethan's taking a shower right now. Do you want me to pass along a message?"

Everything in my mind went still. My fingers loosened, and the phone slipped from my hand, hitting the table with a dull sound.

At this hour, another woman answered his private phone and told me he was in the shower.

I reached for the phone again, but the call had already been cut off.

Fear crept in, stopping me from dialing again. All I could do was stare at the dark screen.

Was Ethan seeing someone else behind my back? The thought settled in my chest, heavy and suffocating, as unease and dread spread through me.

Sleep came without me noticing, pulling me under as I lay on the couch, still lost in my thoughts.

At some point, the sound of firm footsteps reached the entrance, though I couldn't