Chapter 3

After that day, Rowan and I lost contact.

He was completely tied up with Tessa and Elder meetings. MIA.

I didn't reach out to him either.

Eventually, the mate bond became a hollow echo. All I could feel from his side was a constant, frantic thrum of anxiety, and none of it was for me.

The Pack Healer had warned me. An Omega carrying such a powerful Alpha pup needs the soothing presence of the father to stabilize it.

Without his calming scent, the pup's raw power would create a backlash, shattering not just my body, but my very wolf's spirit.

But I refused to crawl to him and beg.

Until I was three months pregnant.

I collapsed in the pack house garden due to the complications of the pup draining my life force.

I bumped right into Rowan's mother, the former Luna.

Because the complications got worse, Rowan's lingering Alpha scent on me was almost gone. The scent of my dying wolf covered everything.

She looked down at me and sniffed fiercely. Pure disgust filled her eyes.

"You smell like a dying rat, Gwen," she sneered. "I always said your mutt bloodline wasn't good enough for my son! But now, you're actually carrying a nameless rogue's bastard?"

I frowned. I never thought she'd assume that.

Sweating from the pain, I hurried to explain.

"This pup is Rowan's! I never betrayed him!"

But she just sneered, looking at me like I was trash.

"I can smell it! You're still trying to lie? You don't have a single drop of my son's Alpha scent on you anymore!"

"Were you planning to pin this bastard on Rowan to secure your spot as Luna? Tessa is a true pureblood she-wolf. She's carrying the bloodline I watched grow up. The bloodline Rowan swore a blood oath to!"

I knew she never liked my bloodline.

But I didn't know her hatred went this deep.

She didn't lower her voice at all.

Soon, a crowd of servants gathered around. Many were pointing and whispering at me.

I bit my lower lip until it bled.

Even breathing felt like swallowing razor blades. It hurt so much.

I tried to stand up and leave several times, but I was blocked.

Finally, I stopped, straightened my back, and held onto my Luna dignity. I looked at her in humiliation and choked out,

"What do you want? I told you, this pup is Rowan's!"

"If you don't believe me, mind-link him right now and ask!"

"Shut up!" she snapped.

"You dare betray my son and carry a bastard? Then be ready to face our family's wrath!"

She waved her hand. Several of her personal guards instantly appeared.

Panic rose in my chest. I pulled out my phone to call the pack guards.

But the next second, a hard slap sent me crashing to the ground.

A red mark flared on my face. My phone shattered.

Her face was ruthless, her eyes ice-cold.

"Drag her to the isolation room! When Rowan gets back, I want to see how he deals with this shameless slut!"

The guards dragged me to the cold, isolated room behind the main house.

A moment later, they threw me roughly onto the floor. The footsteps outside faded away.

I knew Tessa was probably sitting in my Luna seat right now, enjoying the servants and my mother-in-law waiting on her.

While I was locked up like a criminal.