Chapter II

Having said my piece, I turned and headed to the bedroom to pack, ignoring their reactions.

Since I had resolved to leave this territory for good, I wanted to scrub every trace of my scent from this place.

The sound of laughter and joy from the living room seeped through the door. My hands froze as I folded my tactical gear.

"Daisy, I want the child to have your last name. That way, even if he calls someone else 'Mom,' he'll always know that *you* are his real mother."

I didn't need to look to imagine the expression of utter devotion on Lucas's face.

My heart, already shattered by his betrayal, gave another agonizing lurch.

My mind drifted back to last month. I had rushed home from the border markets, travel-worn but clutching the rare curse-breaking herbs I’d hand-picked for Lucas.

But at the doorstep, I found Lucas and Daisy hand-in-hand, returning from a stroll in the woods.

While Lucas looked as if he’d seen a ghost, Daisy merely eyed me with confusion, asking if I had the wrong house.

I stood silent, my gaze locked on the distinct swell of Daisy’s abdomen.

, playing the hostess and welcoming me into my own home.

As we brushed past each other, she whispered in a frequency only a wolf could catch:

"Heard you’re a big shot at the border. Since you’re too busy to breed, I’m doing it for you. You really ought toEleven months apart, and my husband had impregnated another woman.

Much as I wanted to lie to myself, there was no denying the paternity.

Lucas scrambled to shield Daisy, introducing me.

"This is my wife, Ella White."

I expected Daisy to show some shame. Instead, she turned the tables thank me for carrying on Lucas’s bloodline, *sister*."

My blood boiled, the beast within roaring to the surface. I lost all control. My fist flew out, connecting solidly with her face.

I snapped. The yearning and loneliness of those eleven months curdled into a blinding rage.

If I’d had a silver knife within reach, I probably would have gutted them both right then and there.

It wasn't until the patrol unit heard the commotion and hauled us to the Enforcement Hall that the violence stopped. But since it was a "domestic dispute" involving an Alpha family, the Elders refused to intervene, simply sending us home.

The moment I stepped through the door, my in-laws, having caught wind of the incident, launched into a tirade without asking for my side of the story.

They accused me of causing a scene the second I returned, turning the family into the laughingstock of the pack.

They questioned where my years of training as a Healer had gone, appalled that I would resort to violence. They even threatened that if I had damaged the Alpha’s reputation, there would be hell to pay.

It turned out they had known about Lucas and Daisy all along—had even encouraged it.

In just one year, Daisy had become a martyr in their eyes, a hero sacrificing herself for the sake of the pack’s lineage.

I was the only one kept in the dark.

A bitter taste filled my mouth; my heart felt barren.

Lucas approached me tentatively, reaching for my hand to explain.

"I never meant to betray you. Daisy has been struck by a Blood Curse. The High Shaman says she has six months to live, at most. Her dying wish was to leave a child behind... I couldn't bear to let her leave this world with that regret!"

"I wanted to discuss it with you, but you were so far away at the border. I didn't want to distract you or compromise your mission, so I planned to tell you when you got back."

He paused, looking hopeful. "If you're willing... could we raise this child together?"

He spoke of bringing a life into the world as if it were a trivial matter.

I had just jammed my last blade into my suitcase when my mother-in-law barged in.

Spotting the luggage at my feet, she wore a look that said *At least you know your place.*

"Since you’ve been gone so long," she said, "I put Daisy in your room. It’s easier to look after her there. The study has been converted into a nursery. You’ll have to make do with the sofa tonight, or you can go stay at a hotel if you prefer."

I was physically and emotionally drained; I didn't have the energy to hunt for a hotel.

I nodded, resigning myself to a night on the couch.

In the dead of night, however, the incessant crying of a pup drifted from the master bedroom.

I rolled over, about to dampen my hearing, when Daisy’s whining voice cut through.

"Can’t you quiet him down? He hasn't stopped crying."

"Aren't *you* my baby? You're the only one I need to take care of. Let the little pup cry; it’s good for his lungs."

Daisy giggled. "You're so bad."

Moments later, the rhythmic creaking of the bedsprings began.

I pulled the fur throw over my head, desperate to block out the nauseating sounds.

But as I squeezed my eyes shut, the image of Lucas proposing to me under the Moon God Tree flooded my mind.

Back then, he had been fierce and loyal, his eyes filled with nothing but me.

But that Lucas was gone. He didn't belong to me anymore.