“She doesn’t know,” he murmured, his voice cold and steady. “And she doesn’t need to. Her emotions have been unstable lately. Hormones. Stress. I don’t want her troubling you.”
Troubling you.
That’s how he described me—the mate who carried his heir. The woman who stood by his side through wars, through grief, through responsibilities he once said he couldn’t shoulder alone.
Trouble.
Alice lowered her eyes with feigned guilt. “But we can’t keep sneaking around like this. Brianna… she’s about to give birth. If she finds out, I’m afraid she’ll—”
“Afraid of what?” Carson cut her off sharply. “This pup is mine too. I have a responsibility to you, Alice. If Brianna dares to make a fuss, I’ll sever our mate bond.”
The world tilted.
I felt it physically—like the ground had cracked under my feet. The words rang in my ears, echoing, shredding the last fragile threads of hope I had clung to.
Sever.
Abandon.
Replace.
The prenatal report trembled violently in my hands. My vision blurred, but I forced myself to stay silent, invisible. They had no idea I was there. They were too wrapped up in each other—too wrapped up in their betrayal.
A hot tear slid down my cheek. I wiped it quickly, angrily, as if erasing evidence of my own weakness.
If Carson had already chosen to discard me, then I would not wait around to be thrown away.
I would act first.
My fingers shook as I pulled out my phone and dialed my father.
“Dad,” I whispered, my voice cracking like dry leaves. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m leaving Carson. I’ll bring the pup back to Silverfang pack to live with you.”
There was a heartbeat of silence, and then his voice came through—warm, steady, unshakable.
“My brave girl,” he said softly. “Stormclaw pack may have wealth, but our Silverfang pack has pride. Don’t waste your life on a mate who dishonors you. Raise your pup where you are cherished.”
Cherished.