“Careful!” he barked, rushing to her side, his arm wrapping protectively around her shoulders. His voice softened instantly, dripping with concern. “Are you hurt? You should sit. You shouldn’t be standing for so long in your condition.”
Alice lowered her gaze, feigning fragility. “I’m fine… but thank you, Carson. You always take such good care of me.”
The hall fell silent. Every wolf present saw it—our Alpha abandoning his Luna to dote on another female. On his first love. On the one carrying his pup.
I stood frozen, the world spinning. My breath caught, my heart clawing against my ribs. Slowly, I turned and walked out of the banquet hall. Not a single wolf stopped me.
Outside, the night air bit into my skin. The pup kicked hard, as if urging me forward, away from this humiliation. Tears blurred my vision, but with them came clarity.
That was the final straw. I could endure no more.
Inside, Carson remained with Alice, likely not even noticing my absence. Perhaps he never would.
I pressed a hand against my swollen belly and whispered to my pup, We deserve better. We will leave this pack, leave Carson, leave the lies. From this moment on, we walk our own path.
For the first time in months, I felt something stir in me—not despair, but resolve. I would no longer beg for his love. I would reclaim my dignity.
The banquet, the whispers, Carson’s betrayal—they had all lit the fire I needed. And soon, that fire would carry me away from him forever.