Love and Betrayal: Who is My Fated Alpha?

The white envelope in my hand felt heavier than it looked. I pressed it against my stomach, feeling the slight tremor in my fingers. After years of being the "wolf-less" girl in a pack of predators, I finally had something that belonged only to me.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered to the empty hallway of the pack house.

The words felt like a prayer. I had just come from the clinic, the doctor’s confirmation still ringing in my ears. I was 23, a Beta’s adopted daughter, and I was carrying the child of the Alpha. My fated mate.

"Vivian? Where have you been?"

I jumped, shoving the envelope into my coat pocket. My adoptive father, Beta Marcus, stood at the top of the stairs. He didn't look at me with affection. He never did. To him, I was a debt he’d paid to a dead friend, a human-shaped burden in a world of wolves.

"I was at the doctor," I said, my voice small. "Is Joseph home?"

"Alpha Joseph is preparing for the banquet," Marcus snapped, adjusting his cufflinks. "Stop loitering. Put on something that doesn't make you look like a beggar. Tonight is a monumental night for the Blood Moon Pack."

"I have something to tell him, Dad. It’s important."

"Whatever it is, it can wait until after the toast," he said, turning his back on me. "Don't be late. And for heaven’s sake, try to act like you belong here."

I hurried to my room, my heart racing. I chose a simple cream dress, the fabric soft against my skin. I would tell him tonight. Joseph would be thrilled. He had been so distant lately, buried in pack business, but this would change everything. A baby. Our baby. An heir for the Blood Moon.

The banquet hall was a sea of gold and black. The scent of pine and expensive bourbon filled the air, the signature smells of our pack’s elite. I scanned the room and found Joseph standing on the raised dais. He looked magnificent in his charcoal suit, his dark hair swept back, his jaw set in that firm, commanding line I loved.

I started toward him, my hand instinctively drifting to my midsection. I wanted to catch his eye, to see that spark of recognition that always ignited when we were close.

"Joseph!" I called out as I reached the edge of the platform.

He glanced down. His eyes met mine for a fraction of a second, but there was no spark. Instead, he looked through me, his expression tight and unreadable. He didn't reach for my hand. He didn't even nod.

"Not now, Vivian," he said, his voice clipped.

He turned to the microphone. The room fell into a sudden, expectant silence.

"Pack members, friends, family," Joseph began, his voice booming through the rafters. "Tonight, we gather to celebrate the strength and the future of Blood Moon. For months, there has been speculation about the succession of my line."

I felt a surge of pride.