Chapter 2_The Gathering

The small bathroom of the little house was quiet. I sat on the closed toilet lid, holding a tiny plastic stick in my trembling fingers. My heart was beating so loud I thought the whole world could hear it.

Two lines.

Two bright pink lines.

I blinked once, twice, rubbing my eyes to make sure I wasn't dreaming. But the lines stayed right there. I was pregnant. A shaky breath left my mouth, and hot tears spilled over my eyelashes.

"Oh, Moon Goddess..." I whispered, pressing both hands against my mouth.

I was going to have a baby. Not just any baby—Alpha Xavier’s baby.

For two full years, Xavier and I had been mates. From the very first day our eyes met across the pack grounds, I knew my life belonged to him. He was tall, strong, and handsome, with dark hair and golden eyes that could melt my heart with a single look. People in the Crescent Moon Pack always whispered that I wasn’t good enough for him. They said I was too quiet, too soft, too ordinary to be the mate of a powerful Alpha. But Xavier always held my hand. He looked at me with so much warmth and told me that my kindness was his favorite thing about me. He told me I was his peace.

Because of those words, I believed in us. I believed we would be together forever.

And tonight, at the annual pack gathering, everything was going to change for the better. This was the perfect time to tell him the news. When he found out he was going to be a father, I knew his face would light up with that rare, handsome smile he only ever showed me. Maybe he would pick me up and spin me around in circles. Maybe he would kiss my forehead and promise to protect us both.

The thought made my chest ache with happiness.

I carefully placed the test into my small handbag and stood up. I walked over to the closet and pulled out a simple light blue dress. It wasn’t fancy, but Xavier always said the color matched my silver eyes. I brushed my long dark hair, making sure I looked neat, and took one last look in the mirror.

I took a deep, steadying breath. Tonight was going to be the happiest night of my life. Or at least, that is what I kept telling myself.

When I stepped outside, the evening air was cool against my skin. Down the path, the main gathering hall was lit up with bright golden lanterns. Music drifted through the trees, mixed with the sound of happy laughter and talking. Children ran past me, chasing each other in the dark, their giggles echoing in the night.

Everything felt normal. Everything felt safe.

But the moment I pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the hall, a strange feeling hit me right in the chest. The music was still playing, but the mood in the room was entirely wrong. It wasn’t warm or welcoming. It was heavy, quiet, and tense.

Hundreds of people were standing in groups, but almost everyone went quiet as soon as I walked through the door.

I froze. Dozens of eyes turned to look at me. People quickly looked away, whispering behind their hands to the person next to them.

"Is that Lyra?" a woman near the front whispered.

"Yes... poor girl. She has no idea."

My stomach dropped. A cold shiver ran down my arms. What did they mean? What was going on?

I ignored the stares and forced my legs to move. I stepped further into the large room, pushing past a few pack members who refused to make eye contact with me. My heart began to beat faster, hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird.

I looked toward the front of the hall, where the raised stage stood for the pack leaders. That was where Xavier should be.

And he was.

My mate stood tall and proud in the center of the stage. The golden lights caught the sharp angles of his face. He looked powerful, untouchable, and completely breathtaking.

But my breath caught in my throat, and the world seemed to tilt sideways, because he was not alone.