🩸🐺 “Cover that mark. Or this deal is off.” Rebecca Rainhorn’s fingers gripped my chin in front of the entire pack. Her eyes fixed on my mating mark — the one James put on my throat eight years ago. “Is this the rogue warming James’s bed?” My people cheered for her daughter. For the woman carrying my mate’s child. Then Leah said it loud enough for everyone. “Had I not gotten pregnant for a rogue turned Alpha…” The courtyard went still. My hand flew to my belly. Four weeks. Mine. And James? He just stood there. Watching. ******** Chapter 1 The Calm Before the Storm Arya’s POV James came home looking like something had crawled under his skin and stayed there. I felt him before the door even opened. The bond tugged and my focus went straight to him. Ria, my wolf, shifted under my skin like she had been waiting for him. ‘Mate’ she purred. My pen stopped mid-line. I’d been working on the number for an hour now: patrol rotations, food stores, repairs that kept piling up no matter how many hands we had. The pack needed structure. The Union needed proof we weren’t just surviving on stubbornness. But the second he stepped into the room, none of it mattered for a second. Not properly. James didn’t speak. He just looked at me. His hair was damp. There was dirt on his boots. A small scrape on his knuckles. His jaw was set. He had that controlled face on, like he had been polite all day and wanted to bite someone for it. It was obvious. I stood without thinking. “Alpha,” I said softly and delibrate, because I liked the way it hit him. Like a reminder of who he is and how far he had come. His mouth twitched like he wanted to smile but then, he swallowed it back. “Arya,” he murmured, and my name sounded lower than it should have, like he’d been holding it back all day and finally got to say it out loud. He crossed the room in a few long strides. He crossed the room like he’d been holding himself back all day. James was unfairly handsome. He had strong jaw, blue eyes, curls that never behaved and tonight, the way he looked at me made breathing feel optional. His hands framed my face as if he needed to confirm I was still real Then he kissed me, hard and immediate, like he had been holding it for hours and if he didn’t touch me now he will lose it. A sound slipped out of me, half surprise, half need. My hand slid into his hair and held on. He tasted like cold air, grit, and a sharp trace of whiskey. His restraint lasted two breaths, then the bond flared hot, possessive, mine, and Ria surged in approval. “All day,” he muttered against my mouth, voice rough, “I’ve been thinking about this.” “About kissing me?” I managed, breath already uneven. “About coming home,” he corrected. “To you.” The words hit somewhere tender. Because lately home felt… negotiable . Like something men with title could bargain over.. Especially with the Union circling us like a decision waiting to be made, with powerful men offering protection like it was a gift instead of a leash. I didn’t let that thought grow. I kissed him again before fear could get clever. It wasn’t always like this. We weren’t always alpha and Luna. We were rogues once, starving , hunted, surviving on spite and each other. I pulled him out of a silver trap and he gave me a reason to stop running. We built Nightwind with blood, grit, and promises we meant. I once took a hit meant for him, and he carried me after like the world couldn't pry me from his arms. Those were those days. But now all James seemed to care about was safety and joining the union. I couldn’t blame him. We fought enough battles and lost many comrades to last a lifetime. James sighed and lifted me easily, like I weighed nothing, like he’d been built for carrying burdens and decided tonight I was the one thing he wanted to hold. My legs wrapped around his waist without hesitation. He moved us to the bed with that same urgency, controlled, but barely. He laid me down like I was precious, then stripped his jacket off in one impatient yank and came over me, bracing himself on his forearms. His breath brushed my cheek. “Tell me,” he murmured, “you’re still with me.” The question should not have twisted my heart the way it did. I’d never left him. Not when we were two rogues with nothing but bruises and pride. Not when we built this pack out of the unwanted. Not when the nearby Alphas tried to crush us just for refusing to bow. So why was he asking like he needed the answer? Something had happened today. I didn’t answer with a speech. I pulled him down and kissed him until the edge of his control finally cracked. James’s mouth left mine, trailing hot kisses down to my throat. His lips pressed possessively against my skin, each one reverent, like he was worshiping the pulse beating there. His hand slipped under my shirt, his warm palm flattening against my waist, sending a shiver racing through me. His fingers traced up to the mark on my neck, his claim, his claim warm under my skin, the thing everyone saw even when they pretended not to. He kissed the mark slowly , once … twice, until my breath caught and my whole body went tight. “I’m with you,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I’m always with you.” He froze for a second, his forehead pressing against mine, breath mingling hot and ragged. Then his eyes met mine. There was hunger there… yes.. But something else too. Fear. The kind he hated admitting. It, nearly broke me open. “Thank you,” he murmured, low and quiet. “For what?” I breathed. “For staying,” he said, his breath went rough, “ through all the shit, Through me being me… through the parts you didn’t deserve. I know what I have put you through, Arya.” My throat closed up tight. James didn’t bare his soul like this. He charged ahead with iron will, bared his teeth at threats, threw punches when the world closed in. So when he spilled this vulnerability between us, admitting the terror gnawing at him, it cracked the earth under my feet. I traced my fingers over his cheek, feeling the stubble scrape my skin. “You never have to thank me.” “I do,” he growled softly. “Because you’re why we’re not broken yet.” Then he claimed my mouth again, the kiss slower, deeper, pouring devotion into every slide of his tongue against mine.Like he was trying to say something without saying it. Like if he’d stopped he’d have to face whatever happened out there today. The bond between us heated, pulsing like a live wire. I surrendered to it, letting it pull me under. His hands started gentle, exploring my sides, thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts through my shirt. But tenderness ignited into hunger fast. He yanked my shirt up and over my head, tossing it aside. His mouth latched onto my nipple, sucking hard, teeth grazing the peak until I arched into him with a moan. My hands fumbled with his shirt, dragging it off to reveal the hard planes of his chest, scarred from battles we never talked about. Battles we fought together. We stripped each other bare in frantic pulls, my pants shoved down my legs, his belt clinking open, jeans kicked away. His cock sprang free, thick and hard, veins pulsing as he gripped my thigh and hauled me closer on the bed. He pushed me back onto the sheets, his body covering mine, weight pinning me in the best way. His fingers dove between my legs, finding my pussy already slick and aching. He stroked my clit with rough circles, then slid two fingers inside me, pumping deep and curling to hit that spot that made my hips buck. “Fuck, you’re so wet for me,” he groaned against my neck, biting the mark again as he finger-fucked me harder. I clawed at his back, nails digging into muscle. “James... please...” He withdrew his fingers, slick with my arousal, and positioned himself at my entrance. His eyes locked on mine, dark and commanding. “Look at me,” he ordered, voice thick with need. I did, holding his gaze as he thrust in, stretching me wide with his cock. The burn turned to bliss as he filled me completely, bottoming out with a grunt. We both stilled for a beat, breaths syncing, the world narrowing to just this, his body buried in mine, our bond thrumming like a heartbeat. No Union bullshit. No councils scheming. No threats battering our walls. Just James. Just the slick heat of him sliding out slow, then slamming back in, setting a rhythm that built like a storm. His hips snapped against mine, cock dragging over every sensitive inch inside me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, meeting each thrust with my own grind. He gripped my hips, angling me so he could pound harder, the bed creaking under us. Sweat slicked our skin, his mouth devouring mine in messy, desperate kisses. One hand slid up to pinch my nipple, rolling it until I cried out into his mouth. “Mine,” he rasped, teeth nipping my jaw. “All fucking mine.” “Yes,” I gasped, pleasure coiling tight in my core, hot and unrelenting. His cock hit deep, over and over, the friction building friction until I couldn’t hold back. He shifted, one hand dropping to rub my clit in firm strokes while he fucked me relentlessly. The dual assault shattered me, I came hard, pussy clenching around him, waves of ecstasy ripping through me as I screamed his name, fingers bruising his shoulders. James groaned, thrusts turning erratic, chasing his own release. “Fuck... yes...” He buried himself deep one last time, cock pulsing as he spilled inside me, hot cum flooding my core. His body shuddered, collapsing half on top of me, both of us panting like we’d run a war. He rolled to the side, pulling me against his chest, arms wrapping tight like he’d never let go. I pressed my ear to his heartbeat, thundering steady now. It should’ve been pure calm. It should’ve been everything. But I felt it anyway: the carefulness under the afterglow. Something he was holding back, tucked behind his ribs like a blade he didn’t want me to see. Chapter 2 The Calm Before the Storm 2 Arya’s POV I lifted my head and just looked at him properly.. James stared at the ceiling,like he had answers. His jaw was locked. His eyes had that flat distant look like had left part of himself outside. “James,” I said softly. “What happened today?” He didn’t answer at once. He ran his fingers through my hair.. Slow.. absent…like he was trying to calm himself as much as me. Then he turned his head and looked at me. His gaze was steady, but guarded, like he had already decided what I was allowed to know. “I found a way,” he said. My brows lifted. “A way for what?” I asked, my stomach already doing that stupid drop. “For us,” he replied. “For our pack to join the Union.” Relief flickered through me so fast it almost felt like joy. Almost. Because nothing with the Union was simple. Nothing was free. “James…” He cut me off gently, like he didn’t want my doubts yet. “Alpha Marcel Rainhorn has decided to help.” My skin tightened at the name. Rainhorns were old power. Union wolves. The kind who smiled while they counted what you owed them. I searched his face. “Why would he help?” James’s mouth tightened, he gave me a thin little smile that didn’t reach his eyes “ he sees potential in us,” “ Stop!” I said “ That is not an answer,” His eyes flickered, just once. And I knew I wasn’t imagining it. He was hiding something. Ria stirred, uneasy now, pressing against my ribs like she wanted to stand between me and whatever he’d brought home. James kissed my forehead like he could seal my worry shut. “It’s a good thing,” he murmured. “We’re close, Arya. Closer than we’ve ever been. This is what we’ve worked for.” “And what does Marcel want in return?” I asked. The air changed. James exhaled slowly, then pulled me tighter against him, like he could hold me still and keep the truth out of my hands. “Let me handle it,” he said. My stomach dropped, not because he wanted to handle it, but because of the way he said it. James only said, let me handle it, when whatever he picked up was sharp enough to hurt me too. My heart was no longer at ease. My fingers curled in the fabric at his chest. I looked at him and couldn’t tell if he actually believed what he was doing, or if teaming up with Alpha Marcel Rainhorn was just desperation dressed up as strategy. “ And what about our deal with Alpha Maxwell of Dragonclaw pack?” I asked, keeping my voice Steady even though my chest was tight. “He promised to introduce us to someone close to the Alpha of Blackbirth, the man who heads the union. Why not wait for him? I… I don’t trust Marcel’s intentions.” James’ mouth tightened. It wasn’t just discomfort. There was a flicker of anger in it too, like my doubt had hit a nerve. “It’s been a year, Arya” he said , sharper than he meant to be. He exhaled through his nose, trying to rein it in, “ A whole year, and we still haven’t heard anything favourable from Maxwell. What if he is just stringing us along?” I opened my mouth, but he kept going, The words spilling out like he’d been holding them in for too long. “ We can’t keep floating in limbo while other packs keep attacking us, trying to grab land we fought so hard to win” he said. “ I’m trying to make sure we’re recognised faster. I’m trying to make sure we are safe.” I wanted to push until he snapped and told me the truth about his deal with Marcel. I wanted the truth even if it hurt. But he’d come home like a man who’d been afraid he wouldn’t get to. So I swallowed the questions. For now. “Okay,” I said quietly. His shoulders loosened like he’d been bracing for a fight. He kissed my temple, then my cheek. “Thank you.” Again. Gratitude, when it didn’t belong here. Like he was relieved I wasn’t making it harder. Or relieved I didn’t understand what was coming. He fell asleep with his arm around me, breathing finally steady, body finally unclenched. I stayed awake. The room was quiet except for his heartbeat. My mind kept circling one ugly truth: Powerful men didn’t help, not really. They just made sure you owed them.. The next morning, I told myself I was being dramatic. Maybe it was stress. Maybe it was the weight of leadership pressing on my spine. Still, my feet carried me to the healer’s hut before anyone else was fully awake. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going. Healer Lesley looked up the second I stepped in, eyes narrowing like she’d been expecting trouble. “You’re early,” she said. “I didn’t sleep,” I admitted. Her gaze flicked over me once, too sharp, too knowing. “Sit.” I obeyed. Lesley didn’t waste time with soft words. She took my wrist, pressed two fingers to my pulse, and studied my face like it was a page she’d read before. “How long?” she asked. I blinked. “How long what?” She huffed. “Don’t play with me, Arya. Your scent shifted.” Heat rose to my cheeks. “I thought I was just… stressed.” “You are,” she said flatly. “But that’s not all.” She turned, grabbed what she needed, and moved with quick, practised efficiency, checking, calculating, confirming. The kind of routine that meant she already had an answer in her head and was only making sure her hands agreed. The wait felt too long. Too loud. My pulse thudded in my ears. Then Lesley turned back to me, and her expression softened in a way that made my stomach drop. “Arya,” she said gently, “you’re pregnant.” The words didn’t slam into me. They sank. Quiet. Heavy. Final. My hand went to my stomach on instinct, palm flat, like I could protect the truth just by touching it. I couldn’t believe it . This was a miracle. After the hit I took to protect James during battle, the healer had made it clear that conception would be difficult. James and I had decided we’d adopt when the time was right. Knowing that there was a life growing in me right now was nothing short of a miracle. “I…” My voice cracked. I swallowed hard. “Are you sure?” Lesley held my gaze. “Three weeks.” My chest tightened so sharply I had to breathe slow to keep myself from panicking. Three weeks. That meant last month. The night James came back bruised from the border dispute. The night we held each other like the world was trying to peel us apart. The night I whispered we would outlast everything. My eyes burned. Lesley’s hand closed over mine, warm and firm. “You need to rest,” she said immediately. “You need to eat properly. And you need to stop pushing like you’re made of iron.” Fear sliced through me, sudden and sharp. “Don’t,” I whispered. “Don’t say what could happen.” “I’m not trying to scare you,” she said, voice softer. “I’m trying to keep you alive. And the baby.” The word baby did something to me. Hope, dangerous and fragile, rose in my throat like a sob I didn’t want to let out. A child wasn’t just a child. A child was legacy. Proof. Future. A future no one could erase easily. Lesley watched my face carefully. “Will you tell t James?” I shook my head quickly. “No.” “Why not?” Because James had come home last night with something locked behind his eyes. Because he said Marcel Rainhorn was helping and refused to say what it cost. Because if I told him now, he might get distracted and make unwise decisions. I needed him sharp especially now that he was going into a form of partnership with the likes of Marcel Rainhorn k “I don’t want him distracted,” I said, voice low. “Not while this Union thing is still… unfolding.” Lesley’s brows lifted. “Arya…” “I’ll tell him,” I cut in, firmer than I felt. “I will. Just… not yet.” She studied me for a long beat, then sighed like she hated it but understood the kind of world we lived in. “When?” she asked. My hand stayed on my stomach. Our mating anniversary was close. Days away. A day that had always been ours: private, sacred, untouched by politics. A day I wanted to keep clean. “I’ll tell him on our anniversary,” I said softly. Lesley’s mouth tightened, but she nodded once. “Fine. But until then, rest. Eat. And stop trying to carry the entire pack on your back.” A laugh almost escaped me, but it came out like a breath. “That’s not really an option,” I murmured. Lesley leaned in, voice sharp enough to cut. “It is, if you want this child.” The words rooted into my bones. Of course I wanted my child. I nodded. “I’ll be careful.” “Good.” She paused, then her gaze narrowed slightly. “And Arya?” “Yes?” Whatever she saw in my face, it made her tone careful. “Whatever is happening with this Union business,” she said, “don’t let it steal your peace. Not completely.” I forced a small smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “I’ll try.” Lesley didn’t smile back. I left the hut with my cloak pulled tight and a secret burning under my ribs. The packhouse stood ahead, our home, our land, our people moving through morning routines like the world wasn’t about to change. And now… My child. I should’ve felt only joy. But James’s voice echoed in my head, quiet and loaded: ‘Alpha Marcel Rainhorn has decided to help.’ Fear slid under my skin, cold, precise, not for myself, but for the life quietly forming inside me. Because if Marcel Rainhorn’s help came with a price… I had a terrible feeling James was already paying it. And I hadn’t even been asked. Chapter 3 Dagger Behind The Smile Arya By late morning, Marcel Rainhorn arrived with a convoy that didn’t belong here. His security split out first, scanning the yard like they were mapping how to take it if they had to. Then Marcel stepped out, calm as a man walking into a place he;d already decided was his. Gloves on. Because of course. His gaze swept the place once, bored already. Then it landed on me. He dismissed me in a single look like I didn’t matter enough to register twice.. I stepped forward anyway. “Alpha Marcel Rainhorn. Welcome to… ” He cut right through it.. “Where is James Nightwind?” Not your Alpha. Not your mate. Just James, like I was staff, a nobody.. My pulse jumped. “Alpha James is inside preparing, ” “I’ll speak to him directly.” And he just walked, like teh ground belonged to him. I matched his pace.” I’ll escort you.” No,” he said, not even looking at me.” That is unnecessary.” It was clear he didn't care that I was keeping pace. We reached the meeting room and I ushered him in. I stayed in the room. Marcel sat like a king who didn’t need permission. James came in a moment later, straight back, calm face, that controlled confidence he wore when he wanted something. Marcel didn’t bother with greetings. He looked at me once, like I’d tracked mud onto his floor. Like I was intruding on something that didn’t concern me. The maids served the tea and snacks I had asked them to prepare for this meeting and withdrew. I didn’t move. I remained as Luna and part owner of the pack. Then Marcel spoke, flat and cruel. “She shouldn’t be here either.” He gestured at me like I was furniture. My spine went rigid. My mouth went dry. I turned to James. One look. One word. That was all he needed to do. I was hoping he would defend me, put Marcel in his place. Tell him that I was luna and must be part of the meeting. I expected James to give me face. Instead, James gave me a small, polite smile. “Please excuse us, Arya.” For a second, I genuinely thought I’d misheard him. “James?” My voice came out thin. Wrong. “Say that again.” I dared him. He didn’t meet my eyes. His voice slid into my head through the link, low and urgent. Not now, Arya. Please. Please. He begged me, while he pushed me out. My throat tightened until it burned. I got up because I didn’t trust my face if I stayed sitting. I walked out because if I didn’t, I was going to say something that would ruin everything, right there infront of him. The door shut behind me. And the worst part wasn’t Marcel. It was James, watching it happen and pushing me out anyway. Ria became on easy but i wanted totrust his intentions and I hoped it was indeed for the best. I decided I wouldn’t leave. I refused to be in the dark on matters that had to do with a pack I sacrificed and bled for. So instead of leaving, I stayed. I stayed close enough to hear. Marcel’s voice rolled through the door, smooth and satisfied. “I see you’ve built something good here.” James answered, controlled. “Thank you.” I pressed my palm to the wood of the door, steadying myself. “So,” Marcel said, “have you put everything in order?” “Yes.” James didn’t hesitate. “The potential gold mines have been marked. The portion you requested has been preserved for your use.” My stomach dropped. I actually had to swallow because bile climbed up like, no. no way.Gold mines?A portion preserved for him?Our land. Our future. Sold off in neat sentences while I stood outside like a stranger. What about my opinion in the matter. I guess James had already decided on his own, it didn’t matter. “Very well,” Marcel said. “The protection will be granted as promised. I’m aware several packs are mobilising against you. My warriors will stand by your side.” James’s voice stayed even, but I heard the edge under it. “We appreciate it.” Marcel went on, slow and deliberate, like he enjoyed the sound of his own power. “That is the purpose of the Union. To shield our own from random attack and genocide.” I almost laughed. Not the funny kind, the kind that sounds like you’re about to lose your mind. Shield. Sure. Men like Marcel didn’t shield anyone. They just chose who got cut.. Then Marcel’s tone shifted. Sharper. Colder. “What about my daughter’s place?” My breath stopped. Silence stretched. One heartbeat. Two. What did his daughter have to do with our pack joining the union. I felt a pit in my stomach but I refused to give in. I told myself that James knew what he was doing. “In order for this alliance to go through,” Marcel continued, “I expect someone here to represent my interests.” My fingers curled into my palm. James spoke carefully, like he was trying not to step on a trap. “I agreed,” James said carefully. “I just… need time. With Arya.” Need time with me for what?? My skin went cold. Marcel’s voice turned openly contemptuous. “I hope you don’t intend to put my daughter in competition with your rogue.” ‘Rogue.” He said it like it was a stain. My hand went to my belly before I even thought about it. Like my body got there first. Not my child. Not my home. Not like this. James’s voice came again, lower now. A plea. Not to Marcel. To the situation. “Please. Arya and I built this pack together. We’ve been through everything together. Just give me time to bring her in slowly.” Bring me in. Slowly. Like I was a child who couldn’t handle the truth. Or a problem he needed to manage. Marcel’s reply was a knife. “Had my daughter not been so fixated on you, I’d never even consider this. If you fail to deliver, the deal is off. And don’t think I’m sending her here to serve under some no-pedigree rogue bitch.” My breath caught. My eyes stung, not with tears, with pure shock. I waited for James to snap. For him to say one word, One. For him to defend my reputation and honour like he always did. But he didn’t. And that silence hit harder than the insult. He didn't protest, He didn't correct Marcel, he didn’t show anger Just silence. And that silence did more damage than Marcel’s insult. Because it meant James heard and allowed it. t. Marcel’s voice softened into a sneer. “She’ll be here in three days. My daughter better not have a hard time settling in as your Luna. So you better keep your bitch on a leash.” Something in me snapped so clean it felt quiet. Then my body moved. I shoved the door open so hard it slammed into the wall. The sound cracked through the room. Both men turned. Marcel didn’t flinch. James did. James looked like he’d been shot. My voice shook, but it didn’t break. “Rogue bitch?” I repeated, staring straight at James. “And you said nothing?” James’s mouth opened. No words came. He knew I’d heard everything. The insult and the plan to replace me with Marcel’s daughter. I was heart broken that James could agree to this. And it hit me then. It wasn't about the pack’s safety. It was about him. It was about what he wanted and I was the price he was willing to pay. I stepped further in, heat roaring under my skin. “What exactly is his daughter coming here to do?” I demanded. “What did you agree to, James?” Marcel stood as if we were discussing the weather. He brushed at his sleeve, calm, smug, disgusting. “I’ll leave you two to it,” he said, already turning away. “Not so fast, Alpha.” My words cut sharp enough to stop him mid-step. He glanced back over his shoulder. I walked closer, refusing to shrink. “You came into my home, insulted me, and spoke about me like I’m not standing right here.” My chest heaved. “I may have once respected you. But now I see you clearly.” Marcel’s half-smirk didn’t move. “You’re greedy,” I said, voice shaking now. “You hide behind power because it’s the only thing that makes people tolerate you.” I said and chuckled to mock him. He didn't need to see that I was breaking inside “ This is my pack too. I earned my seat with sweat, blood and tears. I am not Luna because I am mated to the alpha. I am Luna because I earned it. And I say you are not welcome here.” He didn’t answer. He just turned and walked out with his men, unbothered, unmoved, as if I was noise that didn’t matter. Fine. Let him go. Let him take my fury with him. The moment the door closed behind him, I turned back to James. He should’ve followed them out. He should’ve played the Alpha for show. He didn’t. He just stood there, caught. The air between us started to bleed.And I looked at him like I didn’t recognise him anymore. Chapter 4: The Door James Closed Arya’s POV The second Marcel was gone, James shut the door. Hard. The sound filled the room like a warning. He turned, and the first thing he did wasn’t apologise. He exhaled like I was the complication he’d been trying to keep under control. “Arya, ” “Don’t.” My voice came out sharp. “Don’t say my name like you didn’t just let him call me a rogue bitch. Like you aren’t to replace me as Luna!” His jaw tightened. He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes flicking anywhere but mine. He wouldn’t look at me. And I hated him for it. “You barged in,” he said. I just stared at him. “That’s what you took from all of that?” “Unbelievable,” I continued, “Why wouldn’t I barge in? I should stay silent while you give away what I earned for a seat at his table? What about me James? Where do I fit in this ‘Union membership’ dream of yours? Where James? Because clearly you’ve already decided my place in all this.”” “Arya, listen to me, ” “No, you listen.” I stepped closer. My hands shook, and I hated that he could see it. “He stood there and said I was a rogue bitch and you sat there and said nothing. Nothing.. Like I wasn’t your mate. Like I wasn’t your Luna.” James’s face hardened. “Lower your voice.” That one sentence did something ugly to me. A laugh came out of me and it wasn’t even a laugh. “You’re worried about my voice?” “This isn’t about pride,” he snapped, then caught himself, forcing his tone down. “This is about survival.” “Survival?” I shot back. “Survival is what we’ve been doing. Every day. without letting someone spit in my face and calling it politics..” He moved closer, palms raised like I was an animal he needed to calm. “There are packs mobilising,” he said tightly. “Packs that want to wipe us out. You know that.” “I know.” “And you know what happens if they attack and we’re not under Union protection.” “We fight,” I said. “Like we always have.” James’s eyes flashed. “How many more fights do you want?” he snapped. “How many bodies before you stop digging your heels in?” I looked at him.I couldn’t recognise the man I was looking at. I stared at him, stunned. “You are trying to imply that I am selfish.” He exhaled sharply, as if I was exhausting him. “Yes, Arya. Selfish. Because you’re making this about you.” I stepped back like he’d struck me. “About me?” My voice cracked. “You’re talking about me when you’re the one who agreed to bring another woman here? You are the one who agreed to replace me with his daughter? All my years of suffering by your side, chasing your dreams, was for nothing. How could you repay me like this James?” I said and held back my tears with all my might because my heart was breaking. I already knew where this was going. “I didn’t want any of this, but I followed you. I followed you and chased your dreams with you. And after everything , now that you have it all, you betray me. You kick me to curb and replace me with another woman simply because her father promised you a seat at the union’s table. Had I not fought, sacrificed and bled, would you even have a pack to begin with, James? Had you died in battle that day when I took the hit for you, will you be here, James? Will you be alive to betray me?.” James’s mouth tightened. “It’s politics.” “It’s betrayal.” I countered calling it exactly what it was. “It’s necessary.” He said more to himself than to convince me. “No,” I said, shaking my head. “Necessary is building patrols. Storing food. Training wolves. Necessary is the things we bled for. This,” I gestured between us, disgust burning through me, “, this is you throwing me under the bus because you want a seat at their table.” His eyes went cold. “Watch your words, Arya” “Or what?” I snapped. “You’ll excuse me again? Tell me to leave the room while men decide my future?” “Arya, ” “You called me emotional,” I said, voice shaking now. “I can hear it in every word. Like my anger is the problem. Like my pain is the threat. Like I’m the reason our pack might die.” James’s face tightened in frustration. “Because you are acting like it,” he said. “You’re not thinking. You’re reacting.” I stared at him. “Reacting. How about the pack replace you James, won’t you react? Oh, Let’s suddenly decide we want a new alpha so we can be a part of the union. Wouldn’t you react? ” He took a breath, trying to sound calm.Trying to talk me down like I was unreasonable. “Marcel’s help is required,” he said. “We need the Union. And we need to play along.” “Play along,” he said. Like I was supposed to put on a smile and swallow it. Like my life was a costume I could put on and take off. I swallowed hard. “Alpha Maxwell promised, ” James cut me off instantly. “Maxwell promised us a year ago,” he said, voice sharp. “One whole year, Arya. And what has he done?” “He said they were observing us,” I fired back. “He said we needed to prove ourselves. He said it woudl take time. That there is a waiting period,” “And how long do you plan to keep waiting?” James demanded. “How long? Another year? Two? While we keep fighting off packs that want our land and our throats? How many more attacks do you think we will survive, Arya?” His voice rose with each word, like he’d been storing this resentment for months and finally found a place to pour it. “You think I enjoy this?” he snapped. “You think I enjoy bending my neck to a Rainhorn?” “You enjoyed it enough to let him call me a bitch,” I said, low and deadly. James flinched, actually flinched, then hardened again. “That was strategy.” “Cowardice,” I said. His eyes darkened. “If my strategy keeps our people alive, then call it whatever you want.” I shook my head, breath ragged. “So this is what I am to you now? A sacrifice you can justify?” “Arya, stop, ” “No.” I stepped in again, forcing him to look at me. “Answer me. Disregarding our bond and mating with another woman, was that the ‘right thing’?” James’s throat bobbed. He looked away for half a second. Then he forced himself to meet my eyes. “It’s transactional,” he said quickly, like he’d rehearsed it. “It’s politics. Marcel wants his daughter placed. He wants influence here. That’s the price.” “The price.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “And I’m what? The inconvenience standing in the way of your price?” “You’re my mate,” he said, frustrated. “You know that.” “Then act like it. Be an alpha, my alpha” I said breaking inside tears threatening to fall. He exhaled, voice turning sharp again. “You want me to risk the pack for your feelings?” My face went still. My heart didn’t. My heart felt like it tore. “My feelings,” I repeated, almost laughing, almost sobbing. “You mean our bond. My place. My life.” “What happens to me?” I asked, voice barely holding. “When she comes. When you play husband to Marcel’s daughter in front of everyone. What happens to me?” James stepped closer, reaching for my hands. I jerked back. “Arya, I won’t neglect you,” he said fast. “I won’t. You’ll still have me. You’ll still be provided for. You’ll still, ” “Provided for,” I echoed. “Like I’m not your wife. Like I’m a problem with a budget.” “That’s not what I meant.” “That’s exactly what you meant.” My eyes burned. “You’re already speaking like I’m something you’ll manage. Something you’ll keep quiet so it doesn’t ruin your plans.” He ran a hand through his hair, anger flashing. “Do you understand what will happen if we don’t join the Union?” he demanded. “Do you understand how quickly the other packs will come when they know we’re unprotected? There will be no consequences. No intervention. They will butcher our people and take this land.” “If the pack finds out that we had a chance to avert the attacks. To protect them and you were the reason we couldn’t get it . What do you think they will do?” he asked trying to drive in his reason. He leaned in, voice low, urgent. “They’ll turn on you,” he said, voice low. “They’ll blame you for it. They’ll say you cost them protection.” My breath caught. He wasn’t warning me. He was threatening me with reality, one he was willing to use. “I took in most of them. I fed and clothed them. Gave them a home and a pack. They wouldn’t have a home if it weren’t for me. You dare threaten to turn them against me?” I asked and he sighed as if I was being unreasonable. He reached for me again, pleading now. “Arya, please,” he said. “Please. Just, play along. Three days. Let her arrive. Let Marcel feel secure. We get the Union. We get protection. We keep our people alive. And then we figure the rest out.” “Figure the rest out,” I echoed, numb. Because the “rest” was me. The “rest” was my dignity. The “rest” was my bond being turned into a bargaining chip. I looked at him, really looked. And it hit me, there was no getting through. His decision was already made. And it hadn’t included me. My voice came out quiet. Too quiet. “Did you ever plan to let me have a say?” James swallowed. “Arya, ” “No,” I said, cutting him off. “Answer me. When you asked me to come with you, when you asked me to chase your dream with you, did you ever plan to share the throne?” His mouth opened. Nothing came. Not one word. Not even a lie. The silence went straight through me. I nodded slowly, like my body was accepting what my heart couldn’t. and I realised, all at once, I didn’t have an exit.. Because I couldn’t just walk away. If I left, I’d be rogue again. And rogues don’t get mercy. Not me. Not a baby. And I saw it in James’s eyes, he knew that too. He knew I had no safe exit. He knew I was cornered. And he was using it. My voice shook, small and wrecked. “So… this is it,” I whispered. “You’ve already decided. And I’m just supposed to survive it.” James stepped forward. “Arya, ” I held up a hand, stopping him. “Don’t touch me,” I said, my words trembling. “Not when your hands are already reaching for someone else.” I stared at him until my vision blurred, until the pain turned sharp enough to breathe. And when I spoke again, it was barely a sound. “Tell me the truth,” I said. “Was I ever your partner…or was I just the thing you used to get here?” He couldn’t answer. Chapter 5 The Bed That Went Cold Arya’s POV James didn’t come back after the argument. Not that night. Not the next. I kept waiting for the door, like an idiot. I didn’t know why but I guess a part of me, the part that had been with him all theses years hoped we could fix it. I slept alone for two days, staring at his pillow, still carrying the faintest trace of him, and feeling my throat tighten every time I breathed. It didn’t feel like comfort anymore. It felt like something tight under my skin, pulling and bruising every time I tried to pretend I was fine. Every time I felt him somewhere in the packhouse, it was distant. Controlled. Like he was keeping space on purpose. And the pack… the pack started acting strange. People stopped meeting my eyes. Voices dropped when I walked by. Like I’d become something they didn’t want to be seen standing beside. Whispers cut off mid-sentence, smiles tightened, bows got stiff. Smiles looked pasted on. Like they were remembering, mid-motion, who they were supposed to be loyal to now. Even the ones who used to laugh with me in the kitchen, who used to bring me reports like I was part of the spine of this place, now they moved around me like I was a problem waiting to explode. I walked past Lisa, the kitchen staff I’d made James take in when she showed up at our gates. Without me, she would’ve died out there. Now she brushed past like I didn’t exist, snickering with another girl when she thought I wasn’t looking. You don’t know how people feel about you until they stop needing you. By the third morning, I woke to noise. Not normal morning noise, cheering, clapping, that forced excitement people put on when they think it’ll keep them safe. . Their voices raised in welcome. My chest went cold so fast it almost hurt. I didn’t need to ask. My body knew before my mind caught up, because the bond went tight and sick, like it was bracing for a blow. I sat up slowly, my hair falling over my shoulders, my body heavy, my mouth dry. The sound outside grew louder, chants, laughter, the kind of excitement that didn’t belong to a pack that had been under threat for weeks. They were welcoming her. The woman who would stand where I used to stand. Close enough to touch him in public. Leah Rainhorn. And my people, were clapping like she was salvation. A knock hit my door. Once. Twice. Controlled. Formal. I stared at it for a beat too long, then forced my legs to move. When I opened it, Gamma Raymond stood there. He didn’t smile. He looked… uncomfortable. Like he’d practised his lines and still didn’t know where to put his eyes. “Luna,” he started, then hesitated like he wasn’t sure he was allowed to say it anymore. I said nothing. His throat bobbed. “Alpha James wants everyone outside. He said no exceptions,” My fingers tightened on the edge of the door. “Everyone.” He nodded once. “To welcome Leah Rainhorn… and Luna Rebecca Rainhorn.” Luna Rebecca. My stomach dropped. What was Marcel’s wife doing here/JMaybe she had come to ensure James followed through on their deal. My mouth went dry. “So he’s already crowned Leah,.” Raymond’s eyes flickered with discomfort. “Arya, ” “Don’t.” My voice cut clean. “Don’t say it softly like it changes what you’re here to tell me.” He took a breath. “The Alpha gave the order.” Of course James did. I stared at Raymond like he was a stranger wearing a familiar face. “He gave the order,” I repeated, slow. “And he didn’t give me an exception.” Raymond’s shoulders tightened. “He said everyone.” A laugh tried to rise in my throat and died there. “Everyone,” I repeated. “Including me. The one he’s pushing aside.” Raymond flinched. “Luna,” he tried again, quieter. “Please. Just, please, come with me.” “No.” The word came out before I could soften it. “I’m not going out there to clap for my own humiliation.” Raymond stepped closer, palms open, voice dropping. “They’re watching you,” he said. “They’re waiting for you to give them a reason. If you don’t show, they’ll twist it into ‘she doesn’t want protection’.” I blinked. “They believe Leah is the key,” he said, faster now, desperate. “They believe she’s their guarantee. The Union recognition. The safety. They think if you refuse to come out, you’re confirming every fear they have.” My jaw clenched. “So now I have to smile to keep them from hating me.” Raymond’s face tightened like it hurt him to admit it. “Yes,” he said. “Yes, Luna. That’s exactly it.” The cheering outside rose again, louder, closer, like the pack was swelling toward the courtyard. Like the moment was happening without me, and every second I stayed in this room was another mark against my name. Raymond swallowed. “Please don’t let them turn you into the villain.” I stared at him, throat burning. “James already handed them the version of me they needed,” I said. “The difficult Luna.” Raymond’s eyes widened slightly. “No. He, ” He stopped himself, choosing his words carefully. “He’s doing what he thinks he must.” “What he thinks he must,” I echoed, numb. Raymond stepped forward again, voice softer now, almost pleading. “You’re still marked,” Raymond said quietly. “He hasn’t… he hasn’t taken that from you.” He swallowed. “This is politics. It’s… supposed to be politics.” I felt my mouth twist, but no sound came out. Because that was the lie, wasn’t it? “Just politics.” Like politics didn’t crawl into your bed and steal your breath. Like politics didn’t take the word Luna out of people’s mouths. That it was “just politics,” while James made sure the pack saw me comply. Raymond held my gaze, desperate. “If you stay inside, they’ll say you’re refusing the Union. They’ll say you’re choosing pride over protection.” His voice cracked slightly. “When people are scared, they get ugly,” he said. “And they’ll pick someone to blame.” I looked past him, toward the sound outside. They were celebrating her. They were welcoming the woman who was coming to take my seat, and they were doing it with the kind of joy they should’ve saved for victory after a war. I swallowed hard. Raymond watched me like he was waiting for me to explode. I didn’t. Because exploding would only give them what they wanted. Proof. A reason. A story they could tell each other when they needed to hate me. My voice came out flat. “Fine.” Raymond exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for days. “Thank you.” I didn’t answer. I stepped back into the room, grabbed my Jacket, and wore it. When I turned back to the door, Raymond was still there, waiting like this was a duty, not a walk. I paused at the threshold. My palm went to my belly without thinking, a protective press, quiet, fierce. I stepped into the corridor. Not because I wanted to. Because James had made sure I didn’t have a choice. And with my hand still on my stomach, I walked out to welcome them. Chapter 6 A New Luna, A Public Funeral Arya’s POV By the time I reached the courtyard, the cheering was too loud to be innocent. Cheering. Praise. Their names getting chanted like the pack had been starving for someone new to worship. Leah Rainhorn. Luna Rebecca Rainhorn. The pack pressed in around them like this was rescue, not a takeover. I stopped at the edge of it, hand still pressed to my belly, my cloak drawn tight, my face blank. The bond tugged toward him anyway, stupid, loyal, humiliating, like my body hadn’t got the message that I’d been replaced. Some people glanced at me and looked away too fast. Others didn’t bother. They stared. It wasn’t pity. It was judgement, open and comfortable, like they’d been waiting for permission. One woman I recognised, one I had personally brought into this pack when her old Alpha cast her out, looked at me like I’d dragged dirt into her life.. How quickly people forget kindness. A man who used to thank me for giving him shelter spat near my feet and didn’t even bother pretending. My throat tightened. I swallowed my pain and tears. They weren't worth it. I kept walking. Because If I reacted, they’d use it. They’d call it proof I wasn’t fit, proof Leah was the answer.A few faces softened when I passed, wolves who remembered. Wolves who somehow chose to remain loyal to me One young warrior’s eyes widened like he wanted to apologise. He didn’t. He just lowered his head, shame flickering across his face. That almost hurt more. I took my place near the steps leading into the packhouse, where I knew they’d pass. I stood straight. Calm. Silent. Like I was standing at my own funeral and expected to be polite about it. Leah approached first, beautiful, composed, dressed like she’d rehearsed this. Like she already knew she’d be standing beside James, close enough to touch him in public. Beside her walked her mother, Luna Rebecca Rainhorn. Older. Cold. A woman who wore power like perfume. And the pack parted for her like she was law. They drew close. Leah’s eyes flicked over me, quick and satisfied. Rebecca didn’t even pretend she didn’t see me. She slowed. Then she looked at the pack members that had come to welcome them like she was inspecting livestock, and when her gaze landed on me, it sharpened. Her mouth twisted. “Gamma,” she said, loud enough to cut through the cheers. “Is this… the rogue warming James’s bed?” The courtyard quieted fast. Not silent, breathing, shuffling, but everyone leaned in. Not fully silent, breathing still existed, but the energy changed. Like everyone leaned in for blood. My fingers curled into fists so tight my nails bit skin. “Rogue warming his bed.” That’s all she made me. Not Luna. Not mate. Not anything I’d bled for, just something disposable. In my own home. Rebecca stepped closer. Too close. Her eyes went straight to my neck. To my mark. Her lips curled with disgust. Then she reached out and touched my chin, fingers cold, invasive,like she was checking a bruise.. My stomach turned. My vision flashed white. I didn’t move. Not yet. Rebecca’s voice carried, crisp and vicious. “Cover that,” she said, eyes on my mark. “Or this deal is off.” She said it loudly. Deliberately. For everyone. And the crowd reacted exactly how she wanted. Whispers. Gasps. Heads turning. Eyes narrowing. Hatred started to spread across faces like fire catching dry wood. I forced my breath out slowly and lifted my chin out of her grip. “I don’t take orders from you,” I said, clear enough to be heard. “James should tell me himself.” Rebecca’s eyes widened slightly, offended, as if a dog had spoken back. “How dare you.” Her hand rose. Fast. She wanted to slap me.. I didn’t think. My hand just moved. I caught her wrist mid-air. It wasn’t a loud sound, but the whole courtyard jolted like it was. Rebecca stared at my hand on her wrist like it was poison. Then her face flushed with fury. “You, ” her voice shook with rage, “you put your hands on me?” I didn’t let go. I didn’t squeeze. I just held her there, firm, controlled, because I refused to be struck like a servant in front of my people. Rebecca’s lips trembled with outrage. She turned her head slightly toward Leah, voice dripping venom. “This is what happens,” she hissed, “when you set your sights too low.” Her eyes cut back to me. “If you hadn’t been reckless enough,” she said to Leah, loud, cruel, “to get pregnant for a rogue turned Alpha, a no-pedigree rogue bitch wouldn’t dare disrespect you like this.” The words landed and my brain just… stopped. Pregnant. Leah. My vision blurred so hard I had to blink fast. For a second, everything in the courtyard blurred, faces, banners, even the ground beneath my feet. My grip loosened. Rebecca yanked her wrist back like she’d been contaminated. I turned my eyes slowly to Leah. Leah didn’t look guilty. She looked… pleased. Like she’d been waiting for this moment. Like this was the reveal she wanted. My mouth opened but o sound came out. My heartbeat crashed in my ears. I couldn’t breathe properly. James had told me it was politics. That it was a transaction. And now they were throwing a baby into it, something that meant nights and bodies and intimacy. Something I used to think belonged to me and him. My hand flew to my belly again, protective, desperate, like I could shield my baby from the violence of that truth. Rebecca leaned in, voice low enough to be intimate but loud enough to still humiliate. “You will learn your place,” she said. “Or you will ruin everything for everyone.” Then she straightened. Leah’s smile never faltered. They walked past me like I was air. Like I was nothing. And that was when I broke. Not quietly. Not gracefully. Just, hot tears I couldn’t stop. Hot, painful tears that spilled before I could stop them, because the shock was too big for pride to hold back. I stood there, trembling, watching them climb the steps into my packhouse, my home, while my people cheered. My people. Cheering. For the woman carrying my mate’s child. My vision swam. I turned away before I fell apart in the open. Gamma Raymond caught my elbow gently. “Luna,” he said quickly, voice strained. “Arya, please. It isn’t what you think.” I stared at him with wet eyes, my chest heaving. “Don’t,” I whispered. “Don’t insult me with that.” He looked panicked. “James will explain. Just, just let him explain.” My laugh broke into something ugly. Explain what? Explain how he betrayed me so deeply the whole pack was clapping for it? I wrenched my arm free and walked. I don’t remember getting back. Just the noise behind me and the salt on my lips. I only remember the sound of cheering behind me and the taste of salt on my lips. By the time I got to my room, my hands were shaking so badly I fumbled the latch. I shut the door. And the second it clicked, I slid down it like my legs had finally given up. My breath came in sharp, broken pieces. My face was wet. My chest felt torn open. I pressed both hands to my belly like I could hold myself together there. I remembered all the promises he made me and realised he never planned to keep any. When the healer had said I might not be able to have children anymore after the hit I took during battle, he had promised we would get through it together, that we would adopt if the need arises. Little did I know the promise was just for that moment, just until something young and better came along, something with a name and a promise of a more secure future. The joke was on me.. James barged in still full of anger, until he saw my face. And it was like something in him dropped. Like the bond yanked him to his knees. “Arya, ” He crossed the room in two strides and dropped to his knees in front of me, hands reaching. “No. No, it isn’t what you think. Please, ” I shoved his hands away. “Don’t touch me.” His eyes were wildHis blue eyes bored into mine, pleading. They used to mesmerise me, but today they only made my heart ache “Listen to me. It’s not, ” “She’s pregnant,” I choked out. “They said she’s pregnant, James. In front of everyone.” His face went pale. “Arya, ” “Don’t,” I snapped, voice breaking. “Don’t say my name like you didn’t do this.” He grabbed my shoulders gently, desperate. “I didn’t,” he said, too fast. “Arya, listen. I didn’t. I’m not…,” I stared at him through tears, shaking my head. “You expect me to believe that?” My voice was raw. “You expect me to believe Leah is carrying a child that isn’t yours, and her mother is using it like a leash around your throat?” James’s jaw clenched. “It’s a lie. The baby isn't mine. I am only covering…”, ” “Stop,” I said, voice breaking. “Just…stop.” He looked like he was drowning. “Arya, please, please. I wouldn’t do that to you.” “You already did,” I said, and it came out like a sob. “You let them walk into our home and call me nothing.” James flinched like I’d slapped him. He reached again, slower this time, as if he was afraid I’d shatter completely. “Arya,” he said, voice trembling now, “I need you to hear me. I didn’t sleep with her. I’m not the father. I have never, ” “Then why does she have a baby?” I screamed suddenly, my voice cracking into the room. “Why does the entire pack believe you’ve replaced me?” James’s mouth opened. No answer came fast enough. And his silence did the rest. It let my mind run wild. I wiped at my cheeks with shaking hands and forced myself upright. “I’m done chasing you for honesty.,” I said, voice low, deadly with pain. James’s eyes widened. “Arya, ” I swallowed hard, hands moving instinctively to my belly again. Then I looked him dead in the face and said the one thing he didn’t see coming. “I’m pregnant,” I said. “Four weeks.” James froze. His entire body went still, like the words had struck him in the chest. “What?” he whispered. “I’m pregnant,” I repeated, voice shaking. “Four weeks.” James stared at me like he’d forgotten how to breathe. Shock drained the anger from his face, leaving him hollow. His mouth parted. No sound came. Of course he would be shocked. Based on my medical history , this wasn’t supposed to be possible 👇👇👇 There are limited chapters to put here, click “learn more” to open App to continue reading (It will automatically jump to the book)
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