Chapter 3

I left the office in a hurry and headed straight to the hospital. After everything I went through yesterday, I needed to check on my pup's health.

My best friend, Vicki, slammed her glittery diamond-encrusted iPad onto her desk with a loud thud.

"These brainless idiots," she cursed, her white coat flying behind her as she moved sharply. "They have no clue what's really going on."

I picked up the iPad, but the glare from the screen made my eyes sting.

Social media was flooded with posts about "Alpha Brian's noble sacrifice." The top headline featured a photo of Brian pushing Silvia's wheelchair as they left the office. In the picture, he was gazing at Silvia with such tenderness, his expression full of warmth and care. And as for me? I only got a tiny footnote-"the ex-wife with no wolf spirit finally knows her place and steps aside."

The comment section? Utterly brutal.

"God bless Silvia, she's the true Luna. Poor thing, after all she's been through."

"That Ashley? She should've been gone ages ago. She hogged the Luna title for three years and brought nothing to the pack. I mean, she can't even have kids."

"I heard she dragged out the divorce to grab more money? What a greedy leech."

"Alpha still hasn't stripped Ashley of her Luna title, probably because Silvia's too fragile. I bet he had no other choice."

Every word hit me like a slap, stinging deep.

"Stop looking at it." Vicki snatched the tablet from my hands and turned off the screen. "These keyboard warriors just love spouting garbage online."

I leaned back on the examination table, staring at the fluorescent light on the ceiling. The comments kept echoing in my mind, like venomous snakes slowly gnawing away at the last bit of my pride.

"It's fine, Vicki," I said, my voice oddly calm. "I don't care what those people say. They're irrelevant to me."

But even I knew I was lying. When the whole world points fingers at you, it's nearly impossible not to care.

Vicki studied my expression carefully-she knew me too well. "Ashley, listen. Even though Silvia might become Brian's wife, technically she's not yet. And think about it-Brian still hasn't officially removed you as Luna. Maybe if you told him the truth, told him about the baby, things could turn out differently. Plus, Brian's grandmother always adored you."

I thought of her warm smile, her gentle words that used to comfort me: "Ashley, you are the kindest soul I've ever met. Brian needs a Luna like you."

But that was all in the past now.

"No," I cut Vicki off, the denial escaping my lips almost instinctively. "We're divorced now. His mind is all about Silvia. I don't want my child growing up in a toxic family."

I couldn't stop the memory of Brian's words from resurfacing-"Even when I was making love to Ashley, it was your name I was whispering in my heart."

That sentence, like a dagger, was still lodged deep in my heart.

"Brian said he doesn't love me, Vicki. He even said..." My throat tightened, and my voice trembled slightly. "He said that even in bed, he wasn't thinking of me."

Vicki's face turned dark with anger. "That bastard!"

"If he finds out about this baby, he'll either see it as a burden or fight me for custody, only to dump the baby on some nanny. This child is mine. Only mine."

Vicki stayed silent for a moment, then asked softly, "So, are you going to leave?"

I had wrestled with this question all night. Leaving would mean cutting ties with everything here-my carefully decorated room, the orphanage I poured my heart into, even the people I once thought were friends. But staying? Staying meant enduring endless humiliation and rejection.

"I have to leave." I nodded firmly. "For my pup's sake, I need to stay as far away from Brian as possible."

"Where will you go? Your uncle's territory?" Vicki frowned. "Ashley, your uncle doesn't seem like someone you can trust. And with the Silvermoon Pack practically under his control now, going back might just be even more dangerous."

I stayed quiet. Vicki was right. My uncle never liked me. If it weren't for my father's reputation back when he was alive, I'd have been kicked out of the Silvermoon Pack long ago. Now that I've lost everything, going back would only make me an easy target.

Right then, the image of that man-as dangerous and feral as a beast-flashed through my mind again.

No. No matter what, I would never step foot into another Alpha's territory again. I had a second option. As soon as I moved out of the Alpha Commissioner's residence, I would start re-mapping my future.

"It's okay, Vicki. You know me," I said, offering her a small, reassuring smile. "I always find a way to get back on my feet."

Vicki let out a deep sigh and grabbed the ultrasound machine, squeezing a generous amount of cold gel onto the probe.

"Alright, lie down. Let's see how your little one is doing."

Smiling softly, I lay back on the exam table, though I flinched at the sudden chill of the gel as the probe moved across my belly.

A blurry black-and-white image flickered onto the monitor, accompanied by the steady, rapid thumping of a heartbeat that filled the room.

Thump, thump, thump.

It was the most beautiful sound I'd ever heard.

Vicki's eyes stayed fixed on the monitor, and her brows relaxed as she gave me a small, professional smile.

"Look here, Ashley." She pointed at a small glowing dot on the screen. "Your pup is developing perfectly. And..."

She paused momentarily, then turned up the volume slightly.

"Can you hear that? This heartbeat is much faster and stronger than a human baby's. You've got one healthy little wolf pup in there. Even though you don't have wolf traits yourself, Brian's Alpha genes are seriously overpowering."

I stared at the tiny life on the screen, my eyes stinging with warmth.

This is my child, my blood. My family.

No matter where I end up or what I decide, this little life will be my driving force.

Vicki set down the probe and handed me a few tissues to wipe my stomach.

"Ashley, you need to think this through," she said seriously, her gaze steady. "You don't have a wolf spirit, and your body is just that of an ordinary human. Carrying a werewolf baby will be really tough on you. It's going to drain so much from you. And raising a little wolf pup as a single mom... you can't even imagine the challenges."

"I can do it." I sat up, crumpling the tissue in my hand. "Vicki, I may not have a wolf, but that doesn't mean I'm weak."

Vicki held my gaze for a moment, then finally nodded.

"Alright, if that's your decision. As your friend and doctor, I'll support you. But there's one condition-you have to come for regular check-ups. And if your body can't handle it, you have to listen to me, no arguing. You know there's that nasty flu going around-"

"Deal."

After the exam, we talked a bit more about what I should keep in mind during pregnancy. Vicki prescribed me some vitamins and reminded me to get plenty of rest and stay calm as much as possible.

Walking out of the hospital, I felt a little lighter inside. At least the baby was healthy, and that gave me the strength to keep going.

On the drive back to the Alpha Manor, a plan began to take shape. I could move into the apartment near the orphanage-they were short-staffed due to a recent flu outbreak and desperately needed help.

It was where I had lived before the marriage. I had exactly one month to arrange everything: to find a new pack and to slip away quietly, before Brian could even realize I was gone.

As I parked the car in the driveway, I took a deep breath. This could very well be one of the last times I returned as the lady of this house. The thought was bittersweet, but I'd already made peace with it.

But as I stepped into the Alpha Manor, the scene in front of me froze me in place.

The staff were tossing my things out of the master bedroom. Brian had told me Silvia wouldn't take over my room.

But now, my clothes, my books, and the hair clip Brian had once bought me were tossed out like trash, scattered across the lawn.

I stared at the clip. It was snapped in two, crushed under an old sweater as if it had never been worth a thing. Brian had merely picked it up on a whim after an Alpha conference; it was a mere afterthought to him. But that day, I had cradled it in my hands for so long, believing it was the first time he'd truly thought of me. To me, it was more precious than any luxury.

Now, seeing it splintered in the dirt, it felt like a reflection of myself-discarded.

"What were you doing at the hospital?" Brian suddenly lunged forward, his grip tightening around my arm. There was no concern in his eyes, only suspicion.

I tried to shake him off, but his strength was overwhelming. "We just signed the divorce papers, Brian," I replied coldly. "You should worry about your future wife, not an Omega who will be out of your life soon enough."

"Oh my, Ashley, you're back." Silvia rolled her wheelchair toward us, her eyes glancing over my belongings strewn on the grass. She wore a mask of fake guilt. "I'm so sorry, Ashley. Brian insisted I needed a room with better ventilation for my recovery. You know how stubborn he can be."

She sounded as if she were already the true Luna.

A wave of nausea surged from my stomach to my throat. I waved a dismissive hand, finally shoving Brian away. "Don't bother," I said icily. "I don't plan on staying in the Alpha Residence anymore."

I turned to leave, but Brian didn't let me go. He slammed me into a guest room, pinning me against the wall. His gaze was feral, filled with a rage that looked ready to tear me apart.

A violent shudder ran through me-