Chapter 1The fancy pack birthing den hit me up, asking how I was "enjoying my stay."
I froze.
Eight months pregnant. Pup still kicking inside. I hadn't checked into jack shit.
I marched straight to my mate - the one who claimed he was "handling everything."
He gave me those stupid puppy eyes. "Little wolf, listen - that place costs eight hundred grand. We're not made of coin. They obviously screwed up the contact info."
"You'll be fine at home! I'll wait on you hand and foot, I swear - "
Yeah, no.
My sister runs that birthing den.
I dialed her up.
"Pull every reservation under Kane Lowell's name. I want to know which homewrecking she-wolf is living it up in my suite."
Time to head there and burn it all down.
Contact mix-up? Right.
My sister locked down the Luna maternity suite the second she caught my scent. Top-shelf everything. Fully paid. Just walk in when the pup comes.
When they called, I confirmed every detail twice.
Someone was in my room.
Hell no.
When I first brought up the den, Kane threw a fit. "Normal wolves give birth at home. Why do you need to be such a princess?"
Because I can, jackass.
I grabbed an Uber.
Twenty minutes later, I walked into a lobby swarming with pregnant she-wolves pricing out packages.
I waited till the receptionist wasn't drowning in brochures, then stepped up.
"Hey. I'm Cecilia Lowell - you called me earlier about a satisfaction survey?"
She squinted.
"Luna Lowell? But you're already upstairs in your suite."
My stomach dropped. My wolf bristled.
"Like, literally just now," she went on. "You came down to tell us how amazing the service was."
Someone checked in as me.
I clenched my jaw, claws pricking my palms. "I'm the actual Cecilia Lowell."
She sized me up like I was trying to return worn shoes.
"Miss. If you can't afford us, don't pull this scam artist routine. The real Luna Lowell came in with her mate. We've been dealing with Alpha Lowell for weeks. So unless you want security involved..."
I just stood there.
My mate. Someone else's mate now.
Before I could fire back, the elevator dinged.
Out walked a she-wolf dripping in my jewelry - the six-hundred-thousand-dollar jade bracelet from my brother, the eight-hundred-thousand pendant from my sister. Even in the den's basic cotton robe, she looked like she'd stepped out of a spa commercial.
I knew exactly who she was. My wolf snarled low in my chest.
Irene. Some bottom-rung intern at Kane's firm.
The receptionist jabbed a finger at her. "There's Luna Lowell. Now beat it before I make calls."
I didn't budge. Locked eyes with Irene.
She saw me. Went sheet-white. Scent soured with panic. She speed-walked over, voice all fluttery.
"Oh my god - Cecilia! What are you doing here? Are you... getting a tour or something?"
Chapter 2
She tried shoving me toward the corner, her scent spiking with panic.
"Come on, let's not make a scene. These wolves are working."
I almost burst out laughing.
Normally she's all over me - "Cecilia, you're the best!" "Cecilia, I owe you everything!" - laying it on thick, her tail practically wagging.
Now that her cover's about to blow? Suddenly I'm just "Cecilia." Flat. Scared. Her pheromones reeked of desperation.
I shook her off and backed up, my wolf bristling. Zero sympathy.
"Irene. Wanna tell everyone why you're lounging in my Luna suite? The one my pack paid for? Using my name - and my mate's?"
I jabbed a finger at her jewelry, claws grazing the air. "Oh, and those? That's my six-hundred-thousand-dollar bracelet. My eight-hundred-thousand pendant. I can still smell my own scent on them. So yeah - why the hell are you wearing my stuff?"
Loud enough for the whole lobby to hear. My voice carried like a growl.
Every head turned. Irene's face went blotchy, her wolf clearly cowering.
Then - boom - waterworks.
"Cecilia, what are you even saying right now? My mate booked this place because he loves me and wants me taken care of. That's literally it."
She flashed her wrist like evidence. "He bought me these. Why would they be yours?"
She gave me this pitying once-over, but her eyes flickered gold - nervous.
"Little wolf... is your mate being awful to you? Because this sounds like prenatal psychosis or something. You're spiraling."
The crowd started whispering. My heightened hearing caught every word.
"Wait, is that what pregnancy madness looks like?"
"I heard Luna Lowell's suite costs eighty grand. Look at that she-wolf's outfit - clearance bin vibes. She probably can't even afford eight hundred bucks."
"Her deadbeat mate probably broke her brain. Or she's just jealous and starting shit."
Okay, I'm in normal maternity wear. Not couture, but not a literal sack.
I ignored the peanut gallery and shot Irene a razor-sharp smile, letting my fangs show just a little.
"Huh. Had no idea you were this good at jacking other wolves' lives."
I whipped around to the receptionist, voice cutting like a blade.
"So when she checked in - you did verify her ID, right? Walk me through how that went down."
The receptionist stammered, her ears flattening.
"Well, um, Luna Lowell said she'd lost her ID. So we... we didn't actually check."
"But Alpha Lowell was right there with her the whole time! There's no way - "
I cocked my head, dripping sarcasm. My wolf paced beneath my skin.
"Oh, so because Alpha Lowell said she's legit, you just rolled with it? What, males can't lie now? That doesn't sound sketchy as hell to you?"
The receptionist's mouth flapped open. Nothing came out.
Irene clutched her chest like I'd stabbed her, but I smelled no real pain - just theatre.
"Cecilia, she's just doing her job. Why are you attacking her like this?"
She sighed, all fake sympathy. "I get it. Coin's tight for you. But tearing others down won't fix that."
Painting me as the unhinged villain.
Then her phone buzzed.
Caller ID: Mate.
Irene went rigid. Her wolf froze.
Oh, I knew exactly who that was.
I grinned - ice-cold and vicious, my canines lengthening.
"Well? Pick up. I'm dying to hear how Kane's gonna bullshit his way outta this one."
Chapter 3
Irene hit speaker phone.
Looked all shaky and nervous - but I caught that smug little spark in her eyes, her wolf practically preening.
She whimpered into the phone like a kicked pup.
"Babe, you gotta get down here. There's this psycho claiming I'm not your mate - that she is."
Her voice went all wobbly. "And she's screaming at everyone, saying the den gave me her room. I don't know what to do..."
Kane's voice came roaring through the speaker, all alpha bluster.
"She did what? She showed up there to mess with you?!"
"Don't move. I'm coming. Right now."
Just like that - crazy bitch stamp, approved.
Everyone stared at me like I'd just pissed on the pack floor.
A couple she-wolves rushed over to comfort Irene, patting her arm. "Don't let that nutjob get to you, sweetheart."
Irene ducked her head, biting her lip all fragile-like, but her scent was smug.
"My mate's so good to me. Dropped eighty grand on this place without even thinking twice."
She glanced my way. "Maybe you should leave before he gets here. This is gonna get messy, and I really don't want you getting hurt."
How sweet of her.
Translation: You already lost, bitch.
My wolf snarled in my skull. I was clenching my jaw so hard my canines ached.
Kane showed up in record time, boots pounding like war drums.
He stormed through those doors, shoved me aside like I was a fucking chair - my pregnant belly nearly took the hit - and pulled Irene into his arms.
"Hey, hey - I got you. You're safe. Nobody's gonna touch you."
I'm eight months along. I nearly ate shit right there on the marble.
I grabbed the reception desk at the last second, claws gouging the wood. If I hadn't -
Rage exploded in my chest like a grenade. My wolf lunged at my ribs, begging to break free.
Irene melted into him, and they started making out. Full-on tongue. Right in front of every wolf in that lobby.
"You're the best, Alpha," she purred, voice dripping honey. "Can you deal with her? I can't get through to her."
Kane finally looked at me.
Zero guilt. Zero shame. His eyes gleamed cold gold.
He let go of Irene, stepped up, and slapped me across the face. Hard.
"Irene Rawlins, are you out of your goddamn mind?! I felt sorry for you 'cause you're knocked up too, so I threw you a bone at work. And you repay me by showing up here to terrorize my mate?"
I cupped my stinging cheek, staring at this male like he'd sprouted a second head. My wolf howled in betrayal.
Because I didn't know him anymore.
Before today, he could at least fake being nice to me.
Now? He just hit me.
His pregnant mate. His Luna.
I replayed everything. Ever since I caught his scent, he'd been snapping at me more and more. Always "stuck at the pack house." Always telling me to "stop being paranoid."
And Irene's name kept popping up.
Of fucking course it did.
How did I mate such a stupid, worthless sack of fur?
Something inside me went ice-cold. My wolf stopped fighting. She just... watched.
"Kane. Say it again."
"Who the hell am I? And who the hell is she?"
His eyes flickered with panic for half a second - I smelled the sour spike. Then he puffed up his chest, baring his fangs in a cheap display.
"What, are you deaf? She's my mate, Cecilia Lowell. You're just some random coworker from the office. Irene Rawlins."
He smirked, showing teeth. "Look, she-wolf - I get it. Your mate's a deadbeat. But just 'cause I'm good to my Luna doesn't mean you get to stalk me like some psycho bitch."
The crowd lapped it up. Low murmurs, judgmental sniffs.
"Moon goddess. She really is insane. Her loser mate fried her brain."
"Yeah, but what did Alpha Lowell even do? Poor guy's getting harassed by a lunatic."
So that's his game. Stick to the lie. Protect his little homewrecker.
He really thought he could gaslight me in front of a pack and walk away clean.
Adorable.
I yanked out my pack ID and slammed it on the counter hard enough to crack the surface, my claws fully extended.
"I'm saying I'm Cecilia Lowell. Here's my fucking ID. Where's hers?"
