After Losing His Luna, My Alpha Regretted Everything

“Why? She is bold enough to sit on your lap before the entire pack, yet she is suddenly too shy to show her shoulders?” “Do not speak nonsense. This she-wolf is merely bashful.” Protected by Cassian’s defense, Sabrina Vale cast me a smug, provocative glance before lightly touching the moonstone necklace around her throat. “Luna Emilia, it is the Winter Moon Feast! The old year must make way for the new, must it not? Old things are replaced by new ones. Surely you understand that better than anyone.” The wolves gathered around us immediately began trying to smooth matters over, some giving me knowing looks while others urged me through the mind-link to give Cassian a chance to save face before his friends. “Luna Emilia, we were only playing truth or dare. The wine has gone to our heads, and things became rather excessive. We shall each drink three cups of moonwine as punishment and make amends. Please, forgive Alpha Cassian.” I said nothing. Cassian, meanwhile, remained remarkably composed, though a faint trace of reproach darkened his expression. “Why did you come here? I told you to remain in our chambers and take care of yourself and the pup.” His words struck me like shards of ice. I could scarcely believe that the same wolf who had once spent hours beside me planning the nursery for our pup, eagerly discussing which moonstone charms should hang above the cradle, could now stand beside another she-wolf and dismiss me as though I were nothing more than an unwelcome stranger. Tears slipped down my cheeks, but I bit my trembling lip and forced my voice to remain steady. “Cassian Blackthorne, you once told me that wolves who betray those who trust them will eventually meet a miserable end.” His expression darkened. “Emilia, mind your tongue. Sabrina and I are merely passing the time. Besides, look at yourself. You have let yourself go so badly during this pregnancy that you have grown as heavy as a winter-fed boar. I have already done you a kindness by enduring the sight of you and continuing to share my bed.” He paused, then gave a cold laugh. “And do not pretend you are some righteous Luna. No Alpha among our kind confines himself to one she-wolf. At least I have enough decency to return to you and the family once you have delivered my heir.” My hand instinctively moved over my belly, where sorrow and fury churned together like a storm beneath dark clouds. After I conceived, my body changed in ways I could not control. My weight increased, and my legs swelled until even walking through the pack hall became difficult. Cramping often woke me in the deepest hours of the night, while the sickness that came with dawn left me exhausted before the day had even begun. The fair, delicate skin I had once taken pride in had become rough and sallow, and the marks left by my growing pup stretched across my belly beneath the soft fur of my ceremonial robes. At first, Cassian had seemed genuinely concerned. He would place his palm over my belly and ask whether our pup had moved, but his patience soon disappeared. He buried himself in pack affairs, remaining away from our chambers until the moon was high and rarely speaking to me unless it concerned the heir. The disgust in his eyes was impossible to miss, especially whenever his gaze fell upon the marks my pregnancy had left across my stomach. For the sake of our pup, I had pretended not to notice. I kept telling myself that once the child was born, everything would return to the way it had been before. Cassian would remember the mate he had once cherished, and I would once again be the she-wolf he wanted beside him. But now I finally understood how foolish I had been. How could he take everything I had sacrificed for our pup and use those sacrifices to humiliate me while I endured every ache and sickness simply to bring his heir into this world? For the first time, I realized I could no longer keep sacrificing my dignity for a wolf who did not even value the child I carried. “Cassian Blackthorne, let us sever our mate bond.” For the first time that night, Cassian’s indifferent expression froze. Yet his confidence quickly returned, and he regarded me as though I had made some childish threat. “Where could you possibly go, carrying my pup and severing your bond with me? Remain peaceful, and you will always keep the title of Luna of the Blackthorne Pack.” Seeing the pain etched across my face, his voice softened, taking on the coaxing tone he used whenever he wanted me to obey him. “Be obedient, Emilia. I promise you that every legitimate heir of the Blackthorne bloodline will come from your womb.” Sabrina immediately twisted against him, her delicate fingers curling around his arm as she spoke in a tone of wounded dissatisfaction. “Max, do not upset Luna Emilia because of me. She is still carrying your pup.” Cassian pinched her slender waist playfully, his lips curling with amusement. “That she-wolf? Pregnant or not, she is simply being dramatic.” Watching them flirt openly before me as though I were not even there became unbearable. The mate bond inside my chest twisted painfully, and another wave of nausea suddenly rose through me. “Ugh—” I barely managed to turn my head before the contents of my stomach spilled out. Cassian and Sabrina were standing closest to me, and both were caught in the mess. Sabrina suffered the worst of it. The beautiful fur cloak Cassian had given her for the Winter Moon Feast was splattered with the sour remnants of my sickness, staining the delicate embroidery and ruining the fabric. She tore it from her shoulders, her eyes instantly reddening with fury. “You wretched bitch! Did you do that deliberately?” Something inside me finally snapped. I stepped forward and struck her hard across the face. “Who are you calling a bitch?” The slap left Sabrina stunned for only a heartbeat before fury overtook her. She shoved me with all her strength. “Max! You have to defend me! My Winter Moon cloak, the one you gave me, is ruined!” One of the servants hurried forward with a warm cloth to clean the stained cloak and the floor, while Cassian’s gaze finally turned toward me. “Emilia, that is enough.”

Thrown off balance by the force of Sabrina’s shove, I fell heavily onto the stone floor. My swollen body made even the simplest attempt to rise painfully slow, and for several heartbeats, I could do nothing but struggle to catch my breath. The chamber erupted in laughter. “Max, does your mate not look like a turtle helplessly overturned on its back?” “A fat turtle, at that! Hahaha!” My eyes burned with unshed tears, and humiliation surged through me, but before I could even gather the strength to answer, a sharp cramp tore through my abdomen. Then I felt it. Warmth spread beneath me, soaking through my robes and pooling across the cold stone. My heart stopped. No… this could not be happening. Panic seized me as I instinctively reached for Cassian through our mate bond. “Cassian, please, take me to the pack healer now!” My voice broke as another wave of pain seized my body. “My waters have broken!” The haze of wine seemed to vanish from Cassian’s eyes. He shot to his feet, and for the first time that night, genuine panic crossed his face. A flicker of regret followed as he stared at the spreading stain beneath me. “Do not be afraid, sweetheart. I will take you to the healer immediately.” But before he could reach me, Sabrina’s mocking voice cut through the sudden tension. “I truly envy Luna Emilia. No matter what story she tells, Alpha Cassian always believes her without question.” Cassian shoved Sabrina’s pale hands away from his waist, his expression turning cold. “Stay away from me. If anything happens to my mate or my pup because of this, you will answer for it.” Sabrina sank onto the fur-covered couch with exaggerated delicacy, as though his harsh words had wounded her deeply. Yet even then, she refused to retreat. One foot wrapped in crimson silk brushed lightly against his calf, a deliberate gesture that made my stomach twist. “Max, surely you can see what is happening. Luna Emilia merely became too excited and lost control of herself. How could her waters have broken when she is only seven moons along? The pup is not due until much later.” At her words, the wolves around us exchanged glances and began clicking their tongues. “I have heard pregnant she-wolves sometimes lose control of their bladders. So that is what this must be.” “She cannot even control her own body. No wonder the Alpha has taken an interest in someone else.” Cassian, who had just begun moving toward me, stopped. The panic that had briefly appeared in his eyes slowly faded, replaced first by relief, then irritation, and finally open disgust. Without saying a word, he seized a nearby cushion and threw it at me. “You will stoop to anything just to win my sympathy, will you not?” “No.” I shook my head desperately. “I am truly going into labor. My stomach hurts so badly…” I curled inward as another contraction seized me, my fingers digging against the stone floor. Cassian stared down at me, his face devoid of warmth. “You are quite the actress. If Sabrina had not made me see through this little performance, I might actually have fallen for it.” Sabrina’s face brightened with triumph. She immediately slipped her arms around Cassian, her voice turning sweet and coy. “Of course I did. I am your clever little secretary, after all. Someone has to keep you from being deceived.” Pain tore through me again, and my vision blurred with tears. “Please… help me. The pup…” I pressed both hands over my belly. “Please save my pup. Someone, send for the pack healer!” Darius scoffed from across the chamber. “Max, your mate will do anything for attention, even create a scene like this during the Winter Moon Feast. All this foolishness will only waste the healer’s time when there are wolves in the pack who genuinely need help.” Sabrina immediately added fuel to his words. “Luna Emilia, if word spreads through the neighboring packs that Alpha Cassian’s mate disgraced herself in front of everyone during the feast, what will that do to his standing? You are carrying his heir, yet you never consider his reputation.” The suffocating smoke from the burning herbs mingled with the bitter scent of wine, but neither was as unbearable as the pain twisting inside my chest. In that moment, I finally understood. There was no one here who would save me. Not my mate. Not his friends. Not a single wolf who had watched me fall. Ignoring the agony ripping through my abdomen, I gritted my teeth and dragged myself across the cold floor toward the small leather pouch I had brought with me. My hands trembled violently as I reached for it. Inside was my moonstone. It was the one thing I could use to send a distress call through the pack’s mind-link, and if Cassian refused to summon the healer, I would reach the healers myself. Their laughter followed me across the chamber, cruel and relentless. “Max, your mate ought to become an actress for the traveling pack. Her performance is almost convincing!” “Go on, Max. Soothe her if you want, but how are we supposed to enjoy the feast while she keeps pretending to lose control of herself?” Sweat soaked through my robes, and damp strands of hair clung to my forehead as another contraction ripped through me. I ignored every cruel word. At last, my trembling fingers closed around the moonstone inside my pouch. But the moment I began pouring my wolf’s power into it, Cassian’s boot came down hard upon my hand. Pain shot through my fingers. The moonstone slipped from my grasp and rolled across the stone floor. Cassian kicked it away before I could reach for it, his voice sharp with anger. “That is enough! Have you lost your mind? Do you truly intend to summon the pack healers over this nonsense and drag them away from the wolves who actually need them, especially on the night of the Winter Moon Feast?”

The pain became unbearable, and I could no longer straighten my back. I curled on the cold stone floor, trembling as another contraction tore through my abdomen. “I am truly going into labor. My pup is only seven moons old; it is far too early, and something could happen to him. This is your child too, Cassian. Please, let me go to the pack healer.” Another vicious wave of pain surged through my belly, and terror seized me as I wondered whether the fall had harmed my unborn pup. For the life growing inside me, I swallowed every last shred of pride I possessed. I reached for Cassian’s trousers and clung to the fabric with trembling fingers. “Please, give me your moonstone. I can send the healer a mind-link myself. Please, Cassian…” “This is your own blood and heir.” Cassian kicked my hand away and stared at the pool of amniotic fluid beneath me with undisguised disgust. The pain had already drained most of my strength, leaving me crumpled on the floor like an abandoned animal. Cassian crouched beside me and seized my chin, his fingers tightening around my jaw as his cold eyes bore into mine. “Why are you still pretending? You are addicted to these little performances, Emilia. If I do not teach you a lesson tonight, you will eventually believe you can trample all over my authority and humiliate me whenever you please.” He straightened and looked toward the servants. “Put her in the privy.” His gaze fell toward the soaked floor, and his expression twisted with revulsion. “Have two servants clean this mess. The stench is disgusting.” Two low-ranking pack servants immediately seized my arms and dragged me toward the privy attached to the chamber. “Help me…” I cried weakly, struggling against their grip. “Please, send for the pack healer. Someone, please…” A young she-wolf who had been serving the moonwine looked troubled as she watched me being dragged away. “Alpha Blackthorne, she truly does not look well. Perhaps you should let her go to the healers. She is carrying your pup, after all.” Darius immediately grabbed the young she-wolf by her hair and struck her across the face. “What business is it of yours? Who gave you the right to question my brother’s decision?” The girl’s face went pale. She lowered her head at once, forcing a frightened smile and no longer daring to speak. Several older she-wolves nearby laughed. “Little one, you are still too inexperienced. These are merely the tricks mates use when they want to control their Alphas. Believe me, if Alpha Blackthorne sends her back to their chambers, she will recover soon enough.” Sabrina, meanwhile, wore the smug expression of a she-wolf who had already claimed victory. “Luna Emilia, Alpha Cassian is doing this for your own good. He only wants you to remain in the privy until you have cleaned yourself up, so you will not disgrace him before the other packs.” She deliberately swayed her graceful waist before settling comfortably onto Cassian’s lap again. Then she looked directly at me, the corners of her lips lifting in a silent, triumphant smile. The meaning in her eyes was unmistakable. You lost. The heavy wooden door closed between us. Beyond it, the Winter Moon Feast continued with music, laughter, and the clinking of goblets, while I was left alone in the darkness, humiliated and forgotten. I sank onto the cold floor with my back against the wall and struck the door with every bit of strength I had left. “Help…” The sound barely escaped my throat before the thick door swallowed it. Pain tore through my body like thousands of iron claws raking through my flesh. I desperately tried to remember everything the pack healer had taught us during the pregnancy lessons, forcing myself to breathe slowly despite the terror threatening to overwhelm me. The contractions were coming closer together now. I had to remain calm. I had to deliver my pup. Calm down, Emilia Whitmore. You can do this. Your pup needs you. Tears mixed with sweat as another scream tore from my throat until my voice became hoarse. The lower part of my abdomen felt as though it were being ripped apart from within, and soon the sharp scent of blood filled the tiny privy. I did not know how long I had been trapped there. Time had become meaningless beneath the endless waves of pain, each contraction more agonizing than the last. It hurt so badly. Something was wrong. My pup could not come out. Panic seized me as my heart hammered against my ribs. I clenched my teeth and looked down to find blood steadily pooling beneath my robes. I could not die here. My pup could not die here. With trembling hands, I reached for the frosted glass panel beside the door and smeared my blood across it, forcing my shaking fingers to form a single desperate message. SOS Then I pressed both bloody palms against the glass, leaving unmistakable handprints where anyone outside might see them. A moment later, a wolf who had just stepped out of the neighboring privy stopped dead. “Cassian!” His frightened voice carried through the chamber. “Something is wrong! There is blood on the privy door. Your mate may truly be giving birth!” When I heard those words, a fragile spark of hope flickered inside my chest. Someone had finally realized that I was not pretending. My pup, please hold on. Mommy will save you. But outside the door, Cassian was still drunk enough to mistake my suffering for another one of my supposed schemes. “What is the meaning of all that blood?” he scoffed. “She must have somehow brought a flask of red wine in there and spilled it. How could a pup only seven moons along possibly be born tonight? She is acting again.” The wolf hesitated, but fear had begun creeping into his voice. “Cassian, at least open the door and look. I am not saying the worst has happened, but you should be certain before it is too late.” Cassian remained silent. Sabrina’s soft voice soon floated through the chamber from the warmth of his arms. “Emilia has pulled this trick before. She once insisted that Cassian banish me from his service because she was jealous. You do not know how she behaves when she feels neglected. She is simply angry that Cassian chose to spend the Winter Moon Feast with us instead of sitting beside her, so now she is creating trouble.” The wolf outside the privy fell silent. No one argued with Cassian again. My fragile hope flickered once, then slowly began to die. Another unbearable contraction ripped through my stomach, dragging me back into the agony I had momentarily forgotten. No. I could not give up. My precious pup, Mommy will save you. I tore off my outer cloak and stared at it for several heartbeats before an idea came to me. If they refused to open the door, I would find another way to make someone see my distress. With trembling fingers, I dipped them into the blood beneath me and began scrawling a desperate message across the pale fabric. HELP. I AM IN LABOR. SEND THE PACK HEALER. I gathered what little strength remained in my body and struggled toward the small ventilation opening high above the privy wall. My legs shook violently as I climbed onto the stone basin, using the wall to steady myself. Somehow, I managed to push open the narrow wooden shutter. I stretched upward and tried to force my bloodstained cloak through the opening, hoping the wind would carry it beyond the chamber and into the sight of another wolf. But the agony in my abdomen made it nearly impossible to straighten my back. The fabric caught against the wooden frame. I bit down hard on my lip, refusing to cry, and pulled with everything I had. At last, the cloak slipped free and disappeared through the opening. Then my foot suddenly lost its footing. My body lurched backward. Bang! I crashed onto the stone floor. The violent noise echoed through the privy and finally jolted the wolves outside into silence. My vision blurred as I struggled to breathe. Through the ringing in my ears, I faintly heard a voice on the other side of the door. For the first time that night, Cassian no longer sounded amused. “Emilia…”