Chapter 1
Grace’s POV
As I left the hospital, the doctor’s words echoed in my mind. “Grace, I’ve got great news. Alpha Lukas will be thrilled when he finds out. Congratulations, you’re pregnant!” I glanced down at the test results in my hand once more.
“Excuse me!” I stepped aside to let someone pass.
Instinctively, I shielded my stomach, my heart rate spiking, before hurrying to the waiting car.
The driver opened the door for me.
“Thanks.” I settled gracefully into the vehicle.
“Where to, Luna Grace?” he asked after sliding into the driver’s seat.
“Home,” I replied, my excitement barely contained.
It had finally happened.
For five years, I’d yearned for a child, and now, my dream was coming true—I was pregnant.
I wanted to climb to the rooftops and shout the news to the world—I’m carrying the heir of the pack!
But I contained my excitement, determined to share the news with Lukas first.
Lukas, the Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack, had always sought his destined mate, as all shifters did.
When I realized he was my mate, it felt like a dream come true, and we married soon after.
He’d always wanted an heir, as any Alpha would.
Back at the Packhouse, I strode into the kitchen, the sound of my heels clicking against the wooden floor.
I planned to make his favorite pancakes and hide the test results under the plate.
Upon arriving at our mansion, I said to Omega Ivy, “You can take the night off and relax. I’ll handle the cooking tonight.”
[$]
“Oh, thank you, Luna Grace!” she replied, setting down her rag. “Alpha Lukas will be so pleased!”
Her words made me smile.
My joy was infectious, filling the room with a warm atmosphere.
I began preparing everything, hoping it would all come together perfectly by the time he returned.
Hours passed, and everything was ready.
I changed into something nice and set the table with candles and food.
“It’s almost nine...” He’d be back soon.
Due to border issues and family matters, Lukas often worked late.
But he usually tried to be home by half past nine, or at least return to continue working from home if necessary.
I sat in a chair, watching the clock tick—the sound was extremely clear in the quiet room.
Again, I looked down at my stomach, a gentle smile on my face as I waited for my mate’s return.
Time moved slowly. Soon, eleven o’clock came and went, but he still wasn’t back. Undeterred, I thought maybe I could just reheat the food...
I had just set the reheated meal on the table when I suddenly heard footsteps. The unexpected sound made my heart leap.
I looked toward the door excitedly.
He was finally back!
The front door closed, and I caught the familiar yet faint scent of my mate.
I glanced at the wall clock in passing, surprised to see it was past midnight.
I rushed into the hall, my excitement building as I finally got to tell him the good news.
There he was, still as handsome as ever in the dimly lit hallway.
Three and a half years had passed, yet every time I saw him, my heart raced uncontrollably.
“Alpha Lukas!” I ran to him, throwing my arms around his neck.
He caught me with one hand, but there was no warmth in his touch. A strong smell of alcohol hit me, making my nose wrinkle.
“Lilian...” His raspy voice, laced with the scent of whiskey, fell on my hair like a red-hot coal searing into my skin.
I stiffened, my fingers subconsciously tightening their grip on the collar of his neck.
His body heat radiated through my palm, yet it couldn’t dispel the chill brought by his murmured words.
“Lukas?” I tilted my head back, looking at his taut jawline and the Adam’s apple rolling beneath his stubble. “What did you call me?”
“Lilian...” His tongue stumbled over his teeth, his chin bumping roughly against the top of my head. “Why have you changed your clothes? Weren’t you wearing that iris-patterned dress today?”
“What?” I heard my own voice trembling. “You said... Lilian? Did you meet her today?”
He looked down at me, his blue eyes clouded with drunkenness, yet seeming to clear slightly as they met mine.
The wooden floor creaked under his unsteady steps as he shook off my hand and stumbled toward the sofa.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
“I was waiting for you. I wanted to have dinner with you.” I stared at the unfamiliar pheromones on his shirt—a cool scent with a hint of cedarwood. “And I have something to tell you.”
He leaned back on the sofa, staring at the swaying crystal light fixture on the ceiling, his knuckles unconsciously tapping the armrest. “Lilian’s back.”
His eyes closed, his Adam’s apple bobbing heavily. “At the council meeting this afternoon, she returned with the Crescent Pack’s mark, saying she wanted to rejoin us.”
His muttering grew slurred as I realized he was slipping back into drunkenness.
Before he fell completely asleep, I heard him say, “Father said when he broke us up that destined mates were the foundation of the pack’s continuation—but what about him? Mother wasn’t his mate, yet she bore me, didn’t she?”
