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Chapter 3

The morning sun hadn't yet crested the mountains when the sharp knock came at my door. I jolted awake, my wolf instantly alert despite the early hour.

"Luna Emersyn." Beta Marcus's voice was formal, detached. "Alpha Devon requests your presence in the east wing immediately."

I didn't need to ask whose quarters he meant. The east wing housed only one person these days—Raegan.

"What does he want?" I asked, my voice still rough with sleep.

"Breakfast service," Marcus replied, not meeting my eyes. "And the special pregnancy tea you've been preparing."

My stomach twisted. Devon had been escalating his demands, each one more humiliating than the last. My wolf growled softly, but we both knew resistance would only make things worse.

"I'll be there shortly," I said, forcing composure into my voice.

---

Raegan's quarters smelled of lavender and something else—something that made my wolf recoil. The scent of another female claiming what should be mine.

"You're late," she said without looking up from her tablet. She lounged against silk pillows, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders. "The Alpha said you'd be here at six."

I set down the tray I'd prepared—fresh fruit, toasted bread, and the special herbal tea I'd researched for pregnant wolves. The tea that should have been for my child, had Devon been capable.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting," I lied, placing the cup on her bedside table.

She finally looked up, her eyes traveling over me with calculated disdain. "Did you use the chamomile like I asked? I can't have anything too stimulating."

"Everything is exactly as you requested," I said, my voice carefully neutral.

"Good." She smiled, reaching for the tea. "It's important to know your place, Emersyn. Some of us carry the future of the pack." She placed her free hand on her stomach. "Others... well, others serve those who do."

My fingers tightened around the edge of the tray. My wolf pushed against my restraint, demanding release, demanding justice.

"Devon says you've always been good at following instructions," she continued, taking a delicate sip. "Almost as good as you were at designing ceremonies. Though I've improved on those, don't you think?"

The casual cruelty of her words struck like physical blows. I stood frozen, unable to respond without breaking.

"Is there anything else you need?" I finally managed.

"Just clean up when I'm finished." She waved dismissively. "And be quicker tomorrow. A growing baby needs proper nourishment."

---

The pack house was quiet that afternoon, most members occupied with training or patrol duties. I slipped into Devon's study, my heart pounding. This was dangerous—he'd never allowed me access to his private files before.

But I needed proof. Something concrete to show Wilson.

I moved carefully through the room, photographing everything with my phone—the territorial agreements with neighboring packs, financial records, and anything that mentioned my designs.

In the bottom drawer of his desk, I found a folder marked "Personal—Confidential." Inside was a medical report dated two years ago.

"Patient: Devon Andrews, Alpha of Moonstone Pack," it read. "Diagnosis: Male infertility due to genetic condition. Prognosis: Natural conception highly unlikely without medical intervention."

My hands trembled as I read the words again. Two years ago. Before the whispers started. Before he blamed me publicly for our childless state.

"He knew," I whispered, my wolf howling with rage and vindication. "He knew all along."

I quickly photographed the document and replaced it exactly as I'd found it. Evidence. Proof of his lies.

---

That evening, as I walked the perimeter of the pack grounds—one of the few freedoms I still had—a shadow detached itself from the trees.

"Luna Emersyn," a deep voice said quietly.

I spun around, ready to call for guards, but the man raised his hands in a gesture of peace.

"Easy," he said. "I'm Lucas Sterling, Gamma of the Silvermoon Pack."

Wilson's Gamma. Here, on our territory.

"What are you doing here?" I hissed, glancing around for witnesses.

"Alpha Wilson sent me," Lucas replied, his voice low and urgent. "He wants you to know that you're not alone. We've been watching. We know what's happening."

My throat tightened. "Why would he care?"

Lucas's expression softened slightly. "He has his reasons. But he wanted you to have this." He pressed a small device into my palm—a communicator, disguised as a bracelet.

"For emergencies," he explained. "And to send messages when you need help."

"Why would he help me?" I whispered again.

"Because some debts can only be paid in kindness," Lucas said cryptically. "And because some bonds run deeper than we know."

As he melted back into the shadows, leaving me clutching the bracelet, I felt something I hadn't experienced in months—hope.

But as I turned back toward the pack house, a chilling thought occurred to me. If Wilson was watching Devon so closely, what else had he seen? And what did he truly want from me in return?

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