Chapter 2
When I woke up, Cassian was already gone.[]
He’d been pulling these vanishing acts for weeks now–slipping out before dawn and crawling back after midnight. The cherry on top? His Beta had been blowing up my phone, asking where the hell their Alpha was. Apparently, he’d been a no–show at the office for days.
I didn’t even have to think exactly where he was.[]
He was with her.]
I scheduled an appointment and hailed a cab to the pack hospital.[]
Ten minutes. That’s all it took to end what I’d once begged the Moon Goddess for.[]
I dressed slowly afterward, still dizzy and aching, then dragged myself out of the procedure room. Each step felt like I was walking through quicksand
And that’s when fate decided to throw one last cruel punch.
There, at the checkout desk, stood Cassian,[]
With Seraphine tucked under his arm.
The moment our eyes met, his face went dark as a storm cloud.[]
“Seriously? You’re stalking me now?“]
I said nothing.
My eyes drifted past him to Seraphine.[]
She went rigid for a split second before her mask slipped back into place. Then she stretched up on her tiptoes, fingers toying with his
earlobe.
“Baby, don’t be mean,” she purred, all sugar and syrup. “Lyra’s not following us. We’re not doing anything wrong, are we? She gets
that.”
What a goddamn Oscar–worthy performance.[]
Just like that, she’d flipped the script and made me the villain.]
I barked out a bitter laugh. “Of course. Just a brother escorting his sister to her prenatal appointment. Why would I give a damn?“]
Cassian’s eyes went nuclear.
The hell is that supposed to mean?” he snarled, and shoved me. Hard. “Seraphine is my sister!“]]
I’d just had surgery. My legs were jelly. The force sent me sprawling, a white hot spike of agony tearing through my gut. I doubled over, gasping, the world spinning
Seraphine was beside me in seconds, tsking at Cassian like he was a naughty child while extending her hand to help me up.
But her eyes? The satisfied little smirk playing at her lips?]
Chapter 2
Ice–cold malice.
I smacked her hand away and tried to haul myself up using the wall.[]
Before I could get my footing, she let out this theatrical shriek and crumpled to the floor, clutching her belly.
“God, it hurts! Cassian, something’s wrong!”
He lost his damn mind, sweeping her up like some romance novel hero.
Then he whirled on me, eyes blazing with fury.[]
“If anything happens to Seraphine’s baby, so help me–I’ll make you pay!“]
I was drenched in cold sweat, my entire body screaming in protest.[]
And I just stood there, watching him carry her away without so much as a backward glance.
Fine. Good riddance.
I’d made the right call. Thank God I didn’t keep that baby.
A man who couldn’t show his own mate basic human decency sure as hell couldn’t love a child.[]
In the cab home, I pulled out my phone and scrolled Wolfgram.]
Top of my feed: Seraphine’s latest post.
A photo of Cassian from behind, his arm draped possessively around her shoulders.[]
The caption read: “When you’ve got protection like this, what’s there to fear?”
The comments were already going wild:[]
“Uh… that doesn’t look like your Luna, dude.“]
“Hold up–is this THE Seraphine? Y’all official now?“]]
“Wait, the surrogate? BRUH. Now I get it.“]
Then Cassian chimed in, trying to play damage control:[]
“Relax. Just looking out for a friend.”
Which only poured gasoline on the fire.[]
“Looking out,‘ sure buddy.“[]
“My guy really said ‘just friends with benefits and a baby.”
“We see you, Alpha. We see you.“[]
But the comment that really gutted me?]
Rurik–Cassian’s ride–or–die best friend who’d never bothered hiding his contempt for me–decided to chime in:]
Chapter 2
“Dude, just dump Lyra already. You’ve been gone for Seraphine since day one. Stop pretending otherwise.”
“You’re finally doing what your wolf’s been howling for. Quit fighting it.“]
Rurik despised me. Always had. Said I wasn’t pretty enough, sweet enough, submissive enough for an Alpha like Cassian. In his world, I wasn’t fit to lick Seraphine’s designer boots.
I used to swallow it for Cassian’s sake.
Used to smile and take it.[]
But now? Our mate bond was barely hanging by a thread. I didn’t owe anyone my silence.[]
So I hit reply: “Didn’t know you cared so much about my marriage, Rurik.“]
Then I posted two photos.
The first: my positive pregnancy test from two months ago.
The second: this morning’s discharge papers.
Caption: “Game over.“[]
