Chapter 2

Seraphina POV

The bathroom door clicked open, spilling a sliver of pale light across the dark bedroom before plunging us back into shadows. I kept my eyes squeezed shut, my breathing shallow and measured, pretending to be asleep.

The mattress dipped heavily behind me. Kain's massive frame settled onto the bed, radiating a blistering heat that I usually craved. Tonight, however, that heat felt like a threat.

A heavy, calloused hand slid over my hip, his long fingers splaying across my waist. Even through the silk of my nightgown, his touch sent a violent jolt of electricity straight to my core. His inner wolf, Rage, was restless. I could feel the subtle tremor in Kain's hand, a silent plea for comfort. My own scent-*Night-blooming Cereus*-was naturally drawing his wolf in, trying to soothe the frayed edges of his drunken exhaustion.

But as he leaned closer, his face burying into the crook of my neck, the suffocating stench of tuberose hit me again. It was woven into his skin, masking his natural pine scent.

My stomach violently heaved. The mate-bond flared with a sickening, agonizing sting. He was touching me with hands that had just been on *her*.

Instinct took over. A fierce, protective urge for the tiny life growing inside my womb surged through my veins. I couldn't let this toxic energy near my baby. I couldn't let him touch me while reeking of another she-wolf's claim.

I violently shoved his hand away, jerking my body forward and curling into a tight, defensive ball at the very edge of the mattress.

Kain froze. The silence in the room became absolute, heavy with unspoken words. For a agonizing second, I waited for him to ask what was wrong, to explain the scent, to fight for us.

Instead, a low, guttural growl vibrated in his chest-a sound caught somewhere between deep frustration and wounded pride. He didn't try to touch me again. The mattress shifted as he rolled over, turning his broad back to me.

The fragile thread connecting us snapped in the dark. I pressed a trembling hand over my mouth to muffle my sobs, mourning the secret I had planned to share.

*

The next morning, the sprawling living room felt more like a sterile corporate lobby than a home. The monochromatic gray and white decor offered no comfort.

Kain was already sitting on the massive white leather sofa when I came downstairs. He was dressed in a crisp, tailored suit, his jaw clenched, his eyes devoid of the vulnerability from the night before. He looked every inch the ruthless Alpha of the Blackwood Pack.

I paused at the bottom of the stairs, my hand subconsciously resting over my flat stomach. *This is it,* I told myself. *The baby will change everything. He just needs to know he's going to be a father.*

Taking a deep breath, I walked over to him.

"Kain, I have something wonderful to tell you," I said, my voice trembling slightly with a desperate, fragile hope.

He didn't even blink. His icy gaze met mine, shutting me down instantly. "I have something to say first."

He reached into his briefcase and pulled out a thick stack of papers, sliding them across the glass coffee table toward me. The bold, black letters at the top of the page made my blood run cold.

*Dissolution of Union Agreement.*

"What is this?" I whispered, the air leaving my lungs.

"It's over, Sera," Kain said, his voice entirely stripped of emotion. "I'm initiating the Rejection. My pack lawyers have already drafted the terms. You will be well compensated."

The room started to spin. The words echoed in my head, tearing at the mate-bond until I felt physically sick. He was throwing me away. He was throwing *us* away.

"But... we are mates..." I choked out, tears finally spilling over my lashes. I desperately wanted to scream that I was carrying his heir, that we were a family.

Before the secret could leave my lips, Kain delivered the final, fatal blow.

"Galilea's returned."

The name struck me like a silver bullet to the chest. My jaw snapped shut. The baby secret died instantly on my tongue, turning to ash.

It wasn't about our arranged mating. It wasn't about my lack of a wolf. It was about *her*. She was the tuberose scent. She was the reason he was willing to defy the Moon Goddess and tear our souls apart.

My wonderful news suddenly felt like a cruel, twisted joke. Numbness washed over me, freezing the tears on my cheeks. With a hollow chest and a shattered soul, I slowly reached out and picked up the cold, heavy document.