My Mate Chose the Fake Luna Who Hurt Our Baby

A deafening screech of tires. The sickening crunch of metal. Then-nothing but darkness.

When I woke, the sterile bite of antiseptic burned my nose, and blinding hospital lights stabbed at my vision.

"Olivia. Thank the Moon." James-my foster brother and the pack's head healer-let out a shaky breath as I blinked up at him.

I tried to sit, but my body screamed in protest, every muscle throbbing as if I'd been trampled by the entire pack.

"Easy." His hand pressed my shoulder down. "You're lucky. Just bruises and a concussion."

My mind clawed through the fog. I had been driving to the supermarket to do my weekly grocery shopping for the pack when, suddenly, a truck lost control and veered straight toward me. The impact had sent my world spinning.

"I'm sorry," I murmured bitterly. "Another burden on the pack."

"Don't say that, Olivia," James's jaw tightened. "You're the Luna of the Blackwood Pack."

Then, his voice softened: "There's more. You're pregnant, Liv. Six weeks."

My breath vanished.

Five years. Five years of hollow pity and whispered rumors that I'd never give Dominic an heir. Five years of watching my mate's eyes grow colder with every failed fertility test.

Yet now. My fingers trembled against my stomach. "Are you sure?"

His smile was the first warmth I'd felt in months. "Positive. And don't forget-top of my class at Johns Hopkins." He ruffled my hair with familiar ease. "Now rest. I've got an emergency surgery, but I'll check on you after."

As the door shut, hope fluttered in my chest like a trapped bird. Maybe this was the Moon Goddess's mercy-a child to finally make Dominic see me as more than the thief who stole his future.

Then the hallway whispers slithered under the door:

"-that Omega fraud's back in the hospital-"

"Olivia stole everything from Evelyn-"

"She never deserved the title of Luna-"

My grip twisted the sheets. I wanted to find some words to deny them. But they weren't wrong. If it weren't for the prophecy, I'd have no right to be Dominic's Luna.

Ten years ago, Elder Alyosha's prophecy declared only the true Blackwood Luna would bear the Phoenix mark-a sacred omen of power that could lead the Blackwood Pack to glory.

Everyone believed Dominic's beloved girlfriend, Evelyn, was destined for the honor. Their love story was well-known. The pack waited breathlessly for the sacred flames to claim her...

Until the fire chose me instead.

An Omega.

An outcast.

The most hated she-wolf in Blackwood history.

No one accepted it. Not the pack. Not Evelyn. Certainly not Dominic. But prophecies don't bend for broken hearts. Officially, I became Luna.

But in most people's eyes? I was just a usurper who shackled Dominic to a bond he never wanted.

Now, fate had handed me a chance to change everything.

I couldn't miss it.

I reached for my phone and dialed Dominic's number. My wolf had died in an attack that left me mMindlink-mute at eighteen. Thank the goddess, my device had survived the crash.

One ring and. Ttwo . vVoicemails.

It was the norm. Dominic rarely answered my calls. I understood-an Alpha always had the pack's emergencies first. I never pushed. But today...today was different.

Today, I needed him to hear me.

To know about our baby. To pretend, just for one second, that I mattered.

The phone rang endlessly. No answer.

Dread coiled in my stomach. Had something happened? Dominic was powerful, but enemies lurked everywhere. Lately, he'd been distant, buried in work he refused to share. I knew there must have been something. But I didn't dare ask.

The Phoenix mark on my neck made me Luna in name only-the pack still saw me as just another Omega, fit only for grocery runs and chores.

My trembling fingers redialed. Moon Goddess, protect him-my mate, the father of the baby we'd waited so long for.

As if answering my prayer, a commotion erupted from the hospital hallway. Clinging to the wall, I forced myself toward the doorway.

The sound of hurried footsteps shattered the silence as doctors rushed toward the entrance. I tried to look up, but a powerful force knocked me to the ground.

"Ah!" I screamed as I fell, pain lancing through my hips-the baby-and looked up.

Into the eyes of my husband.

Dominic stood over me, his sculpted face twisted with a hatred so raw that it stole my breath. His glare cut deeper than claws, his massive frame vibrating with revulsion. Why? What had happened? What made him look at me like that...when I carried his heir?

"DOCTOR!" His roar shook the walls.

Then I saw her.

The woman cradled against his chest like something precious.

My throat sealed shut.

Evelyn.

The Luna he'd always wanted.

She'd vanished five years ago. I'd almost let myself believe she was gone for good.

But here she was, limp in his arms, her porcelain skin marred by gashes-while Dominic looked at her like the world would end if she faded.

A look he'd never given me.

"Move!" He kicked my leg aside like trash and charged toward the ER.

The pack's laughter surged around me, a riptide dragging me under.

Every insecurity I'd fought since taking the Luna title erupted like a wound ripped fresh. The prophecy, the baby-none of it mattered. His heart had always been hers.

And now she was back to claim it. Could my baby and I survive?

OLIVIA'S POV

I watched his back as he left, and he didn't glance back even once.

I pressed a hand to my still-flat stomach. Our child. His heir. But the words lodged in my throat like broken glass.

I wanted to tell him, but how could I start when Dominic had just carried Evelyn through those doors as if she were the only woman who mattered?

My phone, which had clattered to the floor, buzzed again.

Luna Grace flashed on the screen-Dominic's mother and the only person who despised me more than my mate did.

"Where are you?" Her voice was a whip-crack. "How long does it take to buy groceries?"

"There was an accident," I managed. "I can't return yet."

Grace's laugh was razor-edged. "Useless. Can't even handle a simple task. Hurry back-I've got more work for you."

The call ended. My fingers trembled around the phone, but my gaze was drawn back to the ER doors. To them.

Was this the Moon Goddess's idea of a joke? Dangle hope in front of me-a baby, a future-then snatch it away the moment Evelyn reappeared?

The taxi ride home was a blur. Cold leather. Colder silence.

"Miss, are you alright?" The driver's kindness almost shattered me.

I forced a smile. "Just an accident."

But the real wreckage was inside me. For five years, I'd clung to the delusion that time might soften Dominic's hatred. That the prophecy binding us meant something.

Now Evelyn was back, and I was exactly what he'd always called me: an impostor.

Blackwood Packaging Factory loomed ahead-the pack's financial heart, its plain concrete walls a stark contrast to the opulent pack house. The rogues had attacked here five years ago. The night Evelyn vanished and my wolf died.

That's why Dominic tried to kill me.

"You planned this!" His hands were around my throat, his voice raw with fury. "You murdered her! You jealous, scheming-"

Tears blurred my vision as I desperately shook my head, the bandages James had carefully applied coming loose as I struggled. The wounds reopened, but nothing hurt as much as the look in Dominic's eyes.

I wanted to tell him the truth that I'd only just gotten my wolf before the attack, that I'd never even had the chance to greet her before the rogues struck. That if not for James, I would have bled to death in the dirt.

But the truth meant nothing to a man who had already decided I was guilty.

"I won't defy the prophecy," Dominic snarled, his grip tightening. "You'll remain Luna of Blackwood-but I swear, you'll rot in that role alone. You will never have my heart."

The words cut deeper than any blade. I had always known he hadn't married me for love. But knowing and hearing his words were two very different things.

The pack had already branded me a murderer. If not for the Phoenix mark on my neck-and Elder Alyosha's intervention-I would have been exiled. Or worse.

For years, we all believed Evelyn was dead.

For years, they hated me for it.

But no one stopped to consider that I might be the one who wanted her back the most.

Because if Evelyn was alive...

Then maybe-just maybe-I could finally prove my innocence.

"What are you standing there for?" snapped a cold voice, jerking me from my thoughts. Luna Grace stood by the staircase, glaring at me with evident disdain.

"Madam, I-"

"Don't call me madam," she sneered. "You aren't fit to be Luna of this pack. An Omega with no wolf, unable even to buy groceries without crashing."

My teeth sank into my lip as I swallowed the truth about my pregnancy once more. Grace had always despised me-if not for the Phoenix mark branding my neck, she wouldn't even tolerate sharing the same roof with me. Her affection had always been reserved for Evelyn, the she-wolf she'd chosen to bear Dominic's heir.

I couldn't risk my child's safety. Not yet.

"What are you gawking at?" Grace flicked a hand toward the west wing. "Clean it. Spotless."

The west wing? That was for honored guests. For-

My stomach lurched. Evelyn.

Grace's smile was a knife. "Now. Or you'll starve tonight."

My palm pressed to my belly-protect the pup, survive the storm-as I grabbed the mop.

By dusk, my body screamed with exhaustion, but the real agony came later.

Footsteps. Familiar. His.

And he wasn't alone.

Dominic strode into the common room, Evelyn cradled against his chest like something fragile. Precious. Loved. The pack gathered, murmuring.

"Evelyn stays as our honored guest," he announced, his voice brooking no argument. Then his eyes-golden, glacial-found mine. "Olivia will tend to her."

Shock widened my eyes, quickly replaced by a glimmer of hope. Evelyn must have told Dominic the truth. Why else would he trust me with her care?

My hesitation was misunderstood.

Evelyn's lips curved in a plea. "Liv... you're my best friend. You'd never refuse me, right?"

Grace snorted. "You should be on your knees thanking her for this mercy."

Dominic's fingers dug into my arm, bone-deep. "If she suffers even once," he growled, "I'll kill you. No matter what the prophecy says."

I stared at his hand-the same hand that had controlled me, despised me for years-then a cramp twisted low in my belly. The baby.

A fierce protectiveness surged through me, hotter than any fear.

"I'll do it," I answered coldly, wrenching free.

"Dominic," Evelyn took his hand intimately, her eyes full of pleading, "Don't be so hard on her. The last thing I want is you two fighting..."

My breath caught. Was that... guilt in her voice? Later, when I brought her a meal, I'd find out.

I turned toward the kitchen. If Evelyn cleared my name, this nightmare might finally end.

My fingers brushed my abdomen.

Hold on, little wolf. Mama will make them see you.

OLIVIA'S POV

Evelyn's words had given me hope.

If she cleared my name, my pup might be accepted-even if I had to watch her live in my home, sleep in my bed, and love my mate.

I would endure this.

"For the pack's prosperity," Elder Alyosha had whispered to me five years ago, holding me as I wept. "You must be strong."

And I had been. For five years. Without Dominic's love, without a wolf, without even the pack's respect. But now? Now I had my child. I had James. I had my adoptive father, the Beta.

That was enough.

It had to be.

The kitchen timer chimed. Herbal steam curled from the pot as I poured Evelyn's medicine, the bitter scent clinging to my skin.

I pushed open her bedroom door-

And froze.

Dominic cradled her against his chest, his hands-those cruel, beautiful hands-stroking her hair like she was made of moonlight.

"I was so scared that I'd never see you again," Evelyn sobbed.

"Shh." He kissed her tears away. "Your love kept me alive, too."

The bowl nearly slipped from my grip.

Dominic's head snapped up. Gold eyes locked onto mine, all tenderness vanishing. "Stop gawking. Bring it here."

I moved mechanically, handing Evelyn the medicine. Every cell in my body screamed to run.

But Evelyn caught my wrist. "Thank you, Liv." Her fingers were ice. "After everything. you're still here for me."

I wished I could say something. Yet there I stood-watching another woman curled against my husband's chest as if she belonged there, while I remained on the sidelines like some unwanted servant. The sight tore through me sharper than any claw.

I had no right to jealousy.

The prophecy had bound Dominic to me, ripping apart his happiness with Evelyn-even if I never wanted it that way.

But gods, I hadn't expected it to hurt this much.

Dominic snatched the bowl. "Drink. Then sleep." His voice softened only for her.

"Dominic..." Evelyn batted her lashes. "Can I talk to Olivia alone? Just ten minutes?"

"No." His glare sliced through me. "She's done enough damage."

The words shouldn't have hurt anymore. They did.

Evelyn pouted, tugging his sleeve. "Please? Girl secrets?"

A beat. Then-

Dominic smiled. A real one, warm and reluctant. "Ten minutes." He ruffled her hair like she was a pup before striding out.

The door clicked shut.

Evelyn's sweetness melted like sugar in fire.

"Thank you, Olivia." Her whisper was a serpent's tongue. "For making this so easy."

My pulse stuttered. "What?"

"I'll take everything." Her nails dug into my arm. "Just like I should've had from the start."

"I never wanted-"

"SHUT UP!" Spittle hit my cheek. "Because of you, I lost five years with him!"

"That's not what happened-"

"Don't play innocent!" She glared at me. "This all should have ended five years ago. Now I'm back, and don't try to stop me."

"Evelyn-"

"GET OUT." She pointed at the door, face twisted.

I stumbled into the hallway, my heart a lead weight.

It didn't matter what the truth was.

To Evelyn, I would always be the thief who stole her life.

I couldn't sleep well all night. I didn't know what Evelyn was planning, but it felt like my life would continue to be a living hell, perhaps even worse.

Dawn came so soon. My door exploded inward. Two warriors hauled me from bed, their grips bruising.

"What's happening?!" I thrashed, but they dragged me down the hall-past gawking pack members, through the grand archway-

Into the judgment hall.

Dominic stood at the center, jaw set. The elders flanked him. And there-Evelyn, her eyes red-rimmed, playing the victim perfectly.

My stomach dropped.

"Evelyn," Dominic commanded. "Tell them."

The hall fell deathly silent as every gaze locked onto her. Tears glistened in her eyes-perfectly timed-as she began her tale.

"Five years ago, rogues attacked me." Her voice broke on cue. "I was taken. Forced into hiding. Barely surviving. But I remember..." A dramatic pause. "I remember who orchestrated it all."

Then she turned to me, her face a masterpiece of practiced anguish.

"Olivia."

A collective gasp ripped through the room.

My breath vanished. What?

Even I could hardly believe the audacity of her lie. As if I could ever-

"She was jealous," Evelyn continued, her voice cracking like shattered ice. "Hated how close Dominic and I were. Hired those rogues to eliminate me. The Moon Goddess spared me for one purpose-to expose her true nature."

My head shook violently. This wasn't happening.

"No!" The word tore from me. "Evelyn, why are you-"

CRACK.

Grace's palm split across my cheek before I could finish. Pain exploded as I staggered back.

"You wretched girl!" she spat, eyes blazing. "I knew you were unworthy of my son-but this? This is unforgivable!"

I whirled toward Dominic, searching his face for doubt, for hesitation-

Nothing.

Only glacial indifference.

"Dominic, you know this isn't true," I choked out, my voice raw with desperation. "You know I would never-"

"Enough." His command cut through the air like a blade-final, absolute. "Take her away."

My world shattered.

Everything was going exactly as Evelyn had planned. No one cared about the truth. Just like five years ago, I was being forced to pay for crimes I didn't commit.

Back then, without evidence, my life had become a living hell.

Now, with Evelyn's return, her lies had cemented my guilt. What fresh torment awaited me this time?

I wanted to rush to Dominic, to beg for mercy. But the warriors didn't hesitate, their grip iron-tight as they dragged me away.

Through my tear-blurred vision, I caught Evelyn's face-her pitiful mask slipping, replaced by a smirk of triumph.

I wanted to scream. To fight. To demand justice.

But what was the point?

No one would believe me. Dominic had never believed me. A few pretty words from Evelyn were all it took to destroy everything.

As they hauled me through the pack grounds, the whispers followed like a death march:

"Murderer."

"She never deserved to be Luna. That prophecy was a lie..."

"Five years ago we just spat at her. Today, we throw stones."

THUD.

A rock struck my forehead. Blood trickled into my eye, but I barely felt it-I was already numb.

The confinement room swallowed me whole, its darkness thick and suffocating. My knees hit the stone floor, pain radiating through my battered body.

Then-

A sharp twinge in my abdomen.

My trembling hand flew to my stomach. No. Not my pup.

Dominic might hate me, but our child was innocent. He needed to know.

"I DEMAND TO SEE THE ALPHA!" My voice cracked, but didn't waver. This was my last card. And I hoped I could win this time.