My Mate Watched His Mistress Murder Our Unborn Child

The Silverclaw Pack house loomed before me, its stone facade cold and imposing against the darkening sky. I'd returned a day early from visiting my parents, hoping to surprise Charles and perhaps salvage what remained of our crumbling bond. Three months since our Bonding Ceremony, and already I felt like a stranger in my own home.

Something felt wrong as I stepped through the grand entrance. The usual bustle of pack activity was absent, replaced by an eerie silence that made my skin prickle with unease.

"Luna Spencer," a young Delta warrior nodded nervously as he passed, his eyes darting away too quickly. "We weren't expecting you until tomorrow."

"I decided to return early," I replied, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "Is my mate in his office?"

The warrior shifted uncomfortably. "Alpha Charles is... occupied. Perhaps you should rest after your journey."

Before I could press further, he hurried away, leaving me standing alone in the cavernous foyer. A knot tightened in my chest as I noticed the absence of the usual servants. Someone had deliberately cleared the area.

"I'm going to surprise him," I murmured to myself, trying to ignore the growing sense of foreboding. "Things will be better today."

My wolf, Luna, stirred anxiously within me. *Something's wrong, Brooke. Be careful.*

I climbed the curved staircase, following the familiar path to Charles's office. As I approached, two scents hit me simultaneously—Charles's distinctive musk and Sara's cloying vanilla perfume, so heavy it could only mean one thing.

My hand froze on the doorknob. No. It couldn't be.

But Luna knew better. *He betrays us again.*

I pushed the door open without knocking, my heart hammering against my ribs.

The sight before me burned itself into my memory forever. Charles had Sara pressed against his desk, her legs wrapped around his waist, his hands tangled in her hair. Papers scattered across the floor where they'd knocked them in their haste.

"You promised!" Sara's voice was breathless, not distressed. "You said Brooke would never know!"

Charles's response died in his throat as he sensed my presence. He turned slowly, his expression shifting from passion to shock to something colder.

"Brooke—" he began, but I couldn't contain the scream building inside me.

"How could you?" My voice shattered, tears blurring my vision. "Your own brother's mate?"

Sara immediately unwound herself from Charles, her face transforming into a mask of terror. "Don't hurt me!" she cried, shrinking behind him. "I was just comforting Charles. He's been so lonely since you've been gone!"

Charles's eyes hardened as he looked at me, not her. "You're being aggressive, Brooke. Sara lost her mate—my brother. She needs support."

"Support?" I choked on the word. "That's what you call this?"

"I call it compassion," Charles snapped, his Alpha aura flaring around him like a physical force. "Something you clearly lack for my brother's widow."

The weight of his aura pressed against me, making it hard to breathe. I fought against it, refusing to submit. "She's