Chapter 1The moment I heard my mate Nolan had a bastard outside... I didn't lose it. I felt fucking RELIEVED.
Kinda guilty, too, if I'm being honest.
Because the pup I'm carrying? Not his. The North's Alpha King heir.
And his wealth and his pack? Huh, they WON'T go to his so-called heir.
Because all of that? It'll be the Alpha King's MATING GIFT to ME.
......
My mate Nolan Hart's whole pack has never liked me.
I've always known it. After all, I could clearly smell the cold, distant scent on them.
His father stays out of pack matters like a lone wolf avoiding a hunt.
His mother Aria looks down on my Nightfall Pack roots.
And Nolan?
His heart was never mine to claim from the start.
Honestly，I'd wanted to leave for years — but we had a six-year-old son.
My Cyrus Hart, he is bright, charming. The kind of pup that makes any parent proud.
And I just couldn't bring myself to leave him behind.
He even started learning the Old Tongue—and picked it up fast.
Now he and Nolan speak it around the estate like it's their own secret language.
At first, I was proud.
A pup I birthed, so clever, making his father proud.
That made me willing to hold on to this hollow Luna seat a little longer — even just one more day.
Until I started secretly studying the Old Tongue myself.
As I slowly came to understand every word they whispered, my heart turned cold as frozen stone.
Turns out my own pup, was learning the Old Tongue not for pack rituals—
But to please Ophelia— Nolan's first love.
Ophelia, the puphood sweetheart who went north to the Arctic territories for advanced studies.
They were inseparable once — Ophelia was supposed to be Nolan's Luna.
But Nolan's deeply traditional, Moon-Goddess-fearing parents rejected her—
Not for who she was, but because an elder who'd turned from priest to advisor told them she was a poor match for the Silverlore Pack's bloodline.
Meanwhile, I—a she-wolf from the small Nightfall Pack—was brought into this largest pack in the West because that same elder said I would bring "stability and prosperity" to the pack.
So I spent the last seven years in a bond built on a prophecy—and completely devoid of real connection.
I was lost in thought when the sharp scrape of Nolan's fork against his plate snapped me back.
He frowned — the same look that crossed his face whenever I lingered too long in my thoughts, his scent thick with displeasure.
"Ophelia's back in the western territories. She's carrying a pup."
"She'll be moving in so we can help care for her."
His eyes locked on mine, a flash of amber warning flickering in his eyes.
"She's carrying a pup now. Don't start any trouble."
I nodded in submission, while my wolf couldn't help but howl inside me.
Yeah. Pregnant she-wolves are delicate.
The funny thing is, when I was pregnant with Cyrus, nobody gave a damn about me.
Back then, only the pup mattered—never me.
Even when I hemorrhaged during labor, even when I almost bled out giving birth, Nolan never came to see me. He only ever asked if his son was alive.
I breathed in deep, swallowing the lump in my throat.
I didn't ask who the pup's father was. I just gave my suggestion calmly:
"I'll move out for a while, give her space to rest"
At my words, Nolan paused. But before he could respond, little Cyrus's eyes lit up with joy:
"If Mother's gone, does that mean I can be with Aunt Ophelia every day?"
Even the smartest cub can't hide how he really feels. His scent was sweet and full of excitement.
Nolan didn't answer him. He just stared into my eyes, and I knew — he was trying to catch my true thoughts through my scent.
I held his gaze without flinching, and somewhere inside me, I almost wanted to laugh.
What kind of emotion was he hoping to find in me? Anger? Jealousy? Sorrow?
Whatever he was hoping for, he would be disappointed.
Once I'd figured out what they'd been whispering in the Old Tongue, I was already dead inside. And when Nolan said Ophelia was coming, my wolf didn't even react.
After confirming that I meant every word, a flicker of satisfaction passed through Nolan's eyes. He softened his voice and said:
"The estate is big. No need to move out. But we have a property out in the western foothills. I'll have it signed over to you. You can go there whenever you want… clear your head."
I understood.
This was my reward for "being mature."
He did despise me. But now, his priority was ensuring that his first love could safely carry their perfect pup.
So he rewarded my compliance — and he was always generous with money.
With one big problem resolved, Nolan's scent was unusually full of pleasure.
It made me wonder — when this pup in my belly is born, will he be even more generous to me? Or will he despise me even more?
After all, this time, I made sure Nolan had nothing to do with this pup.
Chapter 2
Ophelia moved in early one morning, while I was in the garden watering and trimming my moonflowers.
They were the only things in this cold, loveless estate that bloomed because of me.
But Ophelia held her pregnant belly with one hand, covering her nose with the other.
"Don't bother trimming them," she said with a dramatic sigh. "I can't stand the scent. Just get rid of them."
I stood and wiped some dirt off my cheek. My wolf growled low in my chest, but I kept her quiet.
Ophelia squinted at me, then seemed to realize something.
"Oh—sorry, didn't realize it was you, Ella."
"I thought you were the gardener."
She offered a tight smile, her voice laced with feigned difficulty.
"Well, if these flowers are yours, I guess you'd be too sentimental to tear them out."
"I'll just deal with it."
Nolan, standing beside her with a hand on her lower back, frowned. His scent turned sharp with protectiveness.
"You're carrying a pup. You don't have to 'deal with' anything."
"It's just a bunch of flowers. Get rid of them."
I glanced down at the garden and gave a small smile. My wolf was pacing, restless, but I soothed her.
Nolan's face twitched with irritation — he thought I would argue.
Instead, I nodded.
"Sure. I've got something to do soon anyway."
"Just have the groundskeeper take care of it."
Nolan paused, caught off guard by how calmly I agreed. His nostrils flared slightly—he was trying to read my scent.
I saw the confusion in his eyes — and maybe a hint of regret.
Then his scent softened, as if he wanted to soothe me. "I know how much you love those flowers. I'll have them replanted at the house in the foothills."
"Whatever you think is best," I replied.
I did love those flowers. They were one of the few things I had to hold on to in this estate.
But now, it didn't matter anymore.
I checked the position of the sun—my meeting with the tracker was in thirty minutes.
Then I gave them both a polite nod.
"Excuse me."
As I stepped past Nolan, he suddenly grabbed my wrist. His touch sent a jolt through me—not of warmth, but of old habit.
Ophelia looked at him, confused and slightly annoyed. Her scent soured.
Her look made him release his hand immediately.
"Come back early," he said. "There's something I need to talk to you about."
I nodded: "Sure."
The moment I left the estate, I could breathe again. My wolf stretched inside me, grateful for the open air.
I met the tracker at a tavern in neutral territory — the same one I used to go to before the bond.
The owner did a double take when she saw me.
I guess I didn't look like the she-wolf she remembered.
I hadn't set foot here since I bonded with Nolan after all.
I sat down in a chair by the window. The tracker handed me a file.
"Ophelia was about four months pregnant." He said.
"Which... doesn't match Alpha Hart's timeline."
I looked at the results on the file and raised an eyebrow.
So Nolan's miracle pup—wasn't even his.
"If he knew the truth, would he be disgusted?" My wolf stirred with immediate excitement.
I smiled — I could almost smell the betrayal on him already.
I looked up at the tracker.
"If I don't sever the bond, my pup still has inheritance rights, right?"
"Of course," he said without hesitation.
I pressed a hand to my belly. My wolf stirred protectively.
"And what if the pup's not his?"
He blinked, visibly thrown.
"Well... if you're bonded, he's still obligated to support the pup. But—"
I cut him off with a shake of my head.
That was all I needed to hear.
If Nolan expected me to raise his pup with Ophelia...
Then why couldn't I let him raise a pup that wasn't his?
Chapter 3
When I got home, Aria Hart was fussing over Ophelia like she was pack royalty.
They both looked up the moment I walked in.
Their smiles dropped. Aria's nose wrinkled slightly, then pulled a look of disdain — perhaps she had caught a scent that didn't belong to their noble bloodline.
Nolan frowned, his face full of displeasure.
"Didn't I tell you not to come back yet?"
I chuckled.
"You told me to come back early."
"Said you had something to talk about."
Nolan hesitated. His wolf's ears would have flattened if they were visible.
He clearly forgot. He cleared his throat, visibly uncomfortable.
"Doesn't matter now."
"The annual pack gathering—Ophelia's handling it this year."
I didn't expect him to tell me that.
Every year, I handled that gathering. Because I am the Silverlore pack's Luna.
It was my duty. My claim.
Aria nitpicked everything I ever did for those gatherings.
The hunt, the offerings, the lighting of the bonfires—nothing was ever good enough.
But at least it came with the title.
But now that Ophelia was here, even that had been handed to her.
My wolf was quiet — maybe she disapproved, but it didn't change anything.
So I just gave a tight-lipped smile.
"Sure. It's your estate, your call."
Nolan frowned, like he expected me to fight back. He looked unsettled, completely thrown off by the calmness of my scent.
Aria sniffed, pleased. "At least you know your place."
She turned to Ophelia, her voice warm.
"If you run into any trouble, just let me know, sweetheart."
Ophelia gave her a bashful smile, and Nolan melted all over again. I could smell the contentment rolling off him.
They launched into planning, laughing together.
Cyrus sat beside Ophelia, gently patting her belly.
"This gathering's for my baby brother!"
They looked like the perfect little pack family.
And I—
I was just background noise. The shadow no one noticed.
I walked upstairs without another word. My wolf curled up inside me.
For days, I stayed out of sight.
They loved it.
Everyone was busy helping Ophelia plan the big event.
But this wasn't her world. She wasn't born to lead.
She got overwhelmed quickly. Her scent turned sour and stressed.
I overheard her one evening, curled up in Nolan's arms.
"I can't even get a stupid gathering right... I'm useless."
Nolan held her tighter. His scent wrapping around her softly, soothing her.
His voice was gentle:
"No, baby. You're doing great. It's your first time."
The next night, Nolan knocked on my door.
When I opened it, he didn't waste time.
"Ophelia's overwhelmed. She's carrying a pup, and this gathering is a lot. Help her out. "
His words struck me as ironic. I held his gaze and said slowly:
"The first time I hosted a pack gathering, I was already close to giving birth."
He looked surprised, as if he'd only just remembered it.
Back then, I was on my feet every day, planning hunts and offerings, weeks from giving birth.
No one offered to help. No one cared.
And now, when Ophelia hadn't even prepared yet, he was already speaking up for her?
He lowered his head, I could smell the shame on him, but it didn't move my wolf at all.
I cut him off before he could apologize.
"I'll help with the background stuff. Let her handle the main event. She deserves to shine, right?"
Nolan blinked, clearly thrown.
Through the bond, I could feel his wolf let out a confused whimper.
"You're really okay letting her take the spotlight?"
After all, the gathering was always the Luna's stage.
And I was giving it up.
"She is carrying the next Hart heir. This is simply what I ought to do." I said calmly.
Nolan opened his mouth like he wanted to say something else. His scent wavered between guilt and confusion.
But I didn't want to hear any more empty comfort, so I simply closed the door.
I could sense him standing at the door for a long time.
Maybe realizing I wasn't the she-wolf who used to beg for his attention.
Maybe realizing I didn't need him anymore.
