Ashley's POV

"Do you want me, Ashley?" My hands gripped the edge of the bed tightly. My husband held onto my waist as he thrust deeper, a tingling sensation shooting through my entire body like an electric current.

I parted my lips, moaning with satisfaction. "Amazing."

"Baby... hold on for me." Brian chuckled softly, quickening his movements. My strength completely left me, leaving me at his mercy as he drove into me.

I had no idea how much time had passed before Brian let out a growl of satisfaction. His muscular body collapsed onto mine, our bodies still intimately connected.

I reached up, running my fingers across his features—handsome to the point of perfection, as if crafted by a divine artist. Every angle of his face was flawless, that square jaw especially making him look like a living David statue. I couldn't believe I had such a perfect man.

He was handsome, powerful, righteous, and the Alpha of one of the most formidable wolf packs on the East Coast—the Blackwood Pack. Meanwhile, I was just an Omega without a pack to call my own. Our marriage hadn't been built on love, but every time we made love, it was undeniably intense.

Yet the pack members had started to openly question my legitimacy as Luna after three years of being unable to conceive. Even Brian's grandmother, who had always been kind to me, wasn't hiding her doubts anymore.

After tonight, everything would change. I gently rested a hand on my flat stomach—there, a tiny life was growing.

Today marked our third wedding anniversary, and I had chosen this special night to share my secret with him. I was betting everything on this moment, certain it would erase the shadows over our marriage.

"Brian," I called softly, my voice still rough from pleasure.

"Ashley, we need to talk." He cut me off, pulling away as a sudden emptiness washed over me.

"What's wrong?" I asked, forcing a smile and trying to ignore the chilling tension that seemed to freeze the air around us.

Brian sat up, grabbing the robe from the floor and tossing it over his shoulders. "We should get a divorce," he said, his tone devoid of emotion.

It felt like the air had been stolen from the room, a sharp ringing filling my ears. I fought to steady myself. "Is this some kind of joke? Today's our anniversary, not April Fool's Day."

"Silvia's back." His deep voice struck like a hammer.

The name hit me with brutal precision, shattering any faint hope I had. Silvia—his fated mate, the daughter of his former Beta. They were meant to have a mating ceremony, destined to be together.

But tragedy had struck instead. Silvia, trying to shield Brian from a rogue wolf's deadly attack, had taken a grave wound to her heart. Even after that, Brian hadn't abandoned the idea of mating with her. And yet, she had disappeared without a trace. I heard about this later from the gossip of the Omegas in the pack. At the time, I was terrified, but with Silvia gone for three years with no news, I'd practically forgotten she even existed.

I bit my lip hard, trying to hide the trembling.

Brian glanced at me briefly before continuing, "Her wolf spirit was severely damaged in that attack, so she went into hiding to heal. But the healer told her..." His eyes filled with guilt. "She only has six months left to live."

I froze. A damaged wolf spirit wasn't just about losing strength—it was like a slow death sentence for a werewolf.

"I'm so sorry," I said sincerely, "We can take care of her together, find the best healers, herbalists—"

"No need!" Brian cut me off harshly, his tone sharp and impatient. "She only has one last wish." He paused, his hesitance showing in that small moment. Then, with a determined look, he continued, "She wants to spend her last six months as my wife."

"What?" My tears spilled over as I looked at Brian's cold, unyielding expression. "This is insane... Brian, I'm your mate. And besides, I—"

"Ashley, the title of Luna always belonged to Silvia to begin with." Brian didn't let me finish. His tone was icy, stabbing right through me. "I can make the announcement right now, but you know me. I'd rather have your agreement. I really hope you'll support me on this."

"Are you really going through with this?" I asked, my hand gently resting on my stomach, trying one last time to change his mind. I couldn't bear the thought of my child being born without a father.

In the pack, children born out of wedlock were always looked down on.

Brian's gaze grew colder. "You're such a disappointment, Ashley! I know exactly what you're worried about—you're scared of losing the pack's protection, worried you'll lose your cushy lifestyle? Here, I'll solve that problem for you: I'll give you a limitless credit card right now. If you can't even show a shred of compassion, then you're beyond saving. You're cold, selfish, unreasonable. You don't deserve love."

As if his words weren't enough to rip me apart, he grabbed my arm, scowling in disgust. "And this is exactly why your father died—because he had a weak, useless, and self-centered daughter like you. You couldn't protect him, so he had to face those rogue wolves alone."

My mind went blank. How could he say that? My father was killed by rogue wolves. He knew that after my father's death, I was on the verge of breaking down. He was the one who found me, pulled me out of that darkness, and brought me into the Blackwood Pack.

Back then, he picked me up in his arms and said, "You'll be my Luna, the Luna of Blackwood Pack, one of the strongest packs on the East Coast. No one will ever hurt you again."

I stared at his sharp profile, his chiseled jawline. For a moment, back then, I had thought I'd found a reason to keep going.

The same face, but now the words coming out of his mouth were sharp as knives, completely cutting down my worth. I felt like all the air in my lungs had been sucked out.

"I agree to the divorce." My voice sounded, eerily calm. "No, I'll refuse your mark." Only by doing that, rejecting the mark, could we truly separate as wolves.

Brian's eyes flared with sudden anger. "God, Ashley, you are unbearable! You think rejecting the mark will guilt-trip me? Not a chance—it's final."

Right then, a phone left on the bedside table buzzed—it was Brian's, with that particular ringtone. Silvia's.

He grabbed it immediately. The harsh expression on his face softened in an instant, his features glowing with a tenderness I'd never once seen from him.

When the call ended, his face turned stone cold again. "Silvia says you can stay in the guest room at the Alpha Manor after the divorce. She won't kick you out once she moves in, and I won't bring her to the master bedroom. See? You'll never come close to being someone like her."

He stormed out. The room still carried the remnants of our earlier passion, and it hit me—hit me hard—like I'd been nothing more than a plaything. Now that his true love was back, I was being tossed aside like garbage.

I slid down the front of the icy wardrobe, collapsing onto the floor.

My hand instinctively pressed against my stomach, where a tiny life had quietly begun.

I remembered what my friend said at the hospital: "Ashley, without a wolf spirit, your emotions will affect the baby's safety."

I had to stay strong, for my baby. Wiping away my tears, I reminded myself—I couldn't afford to break down. I made up my mind not to tell Brian anything about the child. Since he was set on divorcing me, he wouldn't care about the baby anyway. He'd probably see it as nothing but a burden.

After my father passed away, I had no blood relatives left. This child would be my only family.

I would have the baby and raise it on my own. But where could I go? My father's pack had been taken over by my uncle, and if I stayed in the Blackwood Pack, Brian would eventually notice I was pregnant with his baby.

Sure, I had plenty of skills and could handle a lot of jobs in the human world, but in the werewolf society, strength and lineage were everything. Who in their right mind would take in a pregnant woman without a wolf spirit, someone who couldn't even shift? Even if I earned enough to get by, how could I defend myself and my child against rogue wolves or hostility from other packs? Being a lone wolf almost always ended in death.

Brian probably assumed I couldn't fight back, and that's why he made this decision.

My phone buzzed.

The screen lit up with a message from Silvia.

The photo showed Brian driving, his profile soft and gentle—a patience he never once showed me.

[Silvia: Brian said he already talked to you. Don't worry, dear Ashley. I'll look after you like a little sister. Even though you're just a pitiful decoration, I'll convince Brian to delay kicking you out of the Alpha Manor. After all, I want you to witness my happiness.]

Even through the screen, I could feel that sickening malice.

A decoration?

I let out a cold laugh, my fingers flying across the screen.

[Ashley: You can't hide your true colors forever, Silvia. Watch your step, or you'll trip over your own tail.]

Just after I sent it, my phone buzzed again.

"9 a.m. tomorrow. Be at the Pack Council Hall to finalize the divorce." — A message from Brian.