She paused by the mirror to scrutinize her reflection. Her mauve eyes were usually bright with confidence but now, they reflected her sadness and anxiety. Then, she checked her long and blonde hair because she didn't want to appear less beautiful in front of Alpha Marcus.

Nadine had always been proud of her strength. As the daughter of an Alpha, she was no stranger to challenges. But this was different. The man she loved, the one who had once been her everything, was slipping away from her. The whispers of his infidelity had reached her ears, and though she had initially dismissed them as malicious rumors, she could no longer ignore it.

Back in her home at Lunar Crest, several young women considered Nadine Smith the luckiest one. Beauty, brains, and money; she had it all, and the perfect blend of the three made her stand out. It wasn’t just about the external charm; it was also about the undeniable self-assurance that flowed through her being. As an Alpha’s daughter, she was a woman at ease with herself.

Then, Nadine became the Luna of Marcus Caldwell, the Alpha of White Pride. Marcus was her first love, and he was also her mate. Even though her wolf hadn’t awakened yet, he had no problem with it.

She believed that first love never dies, but after marrying her husband, she realized those words were merely a nostalgic whisper of a bygone era. When she married the man who captivated her heart with promises of eternal love, she believed she was living in a fairytale. But everything was just a lie.

In the beginning, Marcus personified everything she had ever dreamed of, and she found him to be perfect. Aside from his lovable personality, he was also gorgeous. With a commanding presence befitting the future leader of a pack, his appearance exuded self-assurance and his facial features were impeccably sculpted; from his chiseled jawline to his tantalizing eyes. He was just so perfect.

That night, when he slipped the ring on her finger, she believed they would be happy forever, but fairytales have a way of unraveling into a reality starkly different from the dreams she nurtured. The man who once whispered sweet nothings began to scream at her. The gentle caresses were replaced by harsh gusts of words that cut deeper than any blade. The man she married, who was meant to be the guardian of her heart, had transformed into a total stranger and he was mean to her.

Nadine couldn't bring herself to knock on the door. Marcus, the Alpha of the White Pride Pack, was inside. They had a big fight earlier, which made her nervous. But she couldn't wait any longer. She needed to have a serious talk with her husband. Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the door after knocking three times.

Then, the creaking sound of the door intensified her nervousness, yet she knew she had no choice but to proceed. As she stepped into the room, darkness enveloped her, and her hands fumbled as she reached for the light switch. She had just been released from being imprisoned in the dungeon and wanted to speak with him very badly.

As the light flickered to life, her eyes widened in shock to see Marcus in bed, but he had company. It was a woman, and the pitiful mistress panicked as she tried to hide her face. She grabbed a blanket before leaving through the connecting door, and Nadine frowned because her back view seemed familiar.

“Why are you here, Nadine? Didn’t the guard tell you to stay inside your room?” he screamed, but as a dutiful Luna, she tried to ignore his outbursts, but he just brushed her off with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“We need to talk,” she demanded. “I don’t understand why you are like this, Marcus. You used to be sweet and kind, but now, you don’t even care about me! You flaunted your mistress without considering my feelings!”

"Just leave."

"What's wrong with you, Marcus?" Nadine asked, but he just glared at her. As his loyal partner, she moved closer to him, but he waved her away with his hand.

"Stop pretending to care about me, Nadine," he said.

His outburst shocked her. Why was he so angry? It wasn't like him to slump in a chair with a bottle of whiskey. As the Alpha of the White Pride Pack, he should be strong and in control.

"Can you tell me what's bothering you, Marcus?" Nadine asked.

"Please, just leave. We'll talk tomorrow," he said without looking at her.

"Are you sure? It makes me nervous that-" she started, but he interrupted her.

“And what about you? Did you care for my feelings when you slept with another man? Did you consider my reputation before you let him fuck you?” he shouted once more.

His manner of speech took her aback, and she frowned at his accusation. When did she let anyone sleep with her? When did she let another man touch her body? “I don’t understand what you are talking about, Marcus. I didn’t sleep with someone else, and you are aware of how much I love you!”

“Shut the fuck up, Nadine!”

Once again, she was shocked by his sudden outburst and planned to retreat for the time being but realized there was no other time to talk to him about their situation. “Look, if you are no longer happy with me, Marcus, then let’s break up,” she suggested, and he furrowed his brows while glaring at her.

“You want a divorce,” he mumbled in a barely audible voice. “Are you certain?”

“I don’t want to, but you are no longer happy with me, Marcus. You are no longer the man who used to love me, and I believe it’s unfair for both of us to remain in this union,” she stated a fact, then added, “Do you even remember the last time we made love?”

“Did you really expect me to sleep with you after having another man in your bed?” he asked, and since it wasn’t the first time he implied she had another man, she narrowed her eyes on him.

“I already told you! I didn’t invite your friend into my room. I didn’t even let him in. I was indisposed at that time and when I woke up, I didn’t expect to see Zander beside me,” she explained for the nth time, but he refused to listen. “You should have asked your friend who misled him into my room that night when there were a lot of vacant quarters in this place!”

“I gave you enough time to own up to your mistake, Nadine. I waited for you to come clean, but until now, you still deny it!”

“Because I didn’t let anyone else touch me!”

“Liar!” he shouted before he punched her in the stomach.

For a moment, she was completely overwhelmed by pain, and tears streamed down her cheeks. The forceful blow to her stomach caught her off guard, and the impact caused her to gasp for air.

She clutched her stomach as she endured the pain, and when she looked up, Marcus was already gone. He stormed outside and left her alone in pain. She tried to get up but a sharp pain persisted. After what felt like an eternity, she managed to hoist herself up. Then, she saw blood running down her legs and let out a blood-curdling scream of terror.

Once she grasped what was happening to her, she couldn’t hold back her tears. The physical pain from his punch paled in comparison to the overwhelming anguish at the thought of losing their baby because of a misunderstanding.

Then, Marcus returned and was taken aback to find her bleeding. For a few seconds, he kept staring at the blood running down her legs, and realized what had happened. She thought he would hurry up in taking her to the hospital, but he suddenly grabbed her shoulders and shook her body while continuously slapping her face.

“Are you pregnant?” he asked in disbelief, and when she couldn’t respond right away, he lost control and lashed out at her. “Luna, I asked you a question. Are you pregnant?”

She nodded in response and said, “Indeed, Alpha. I am pregnant with your baby.”

Alpha Marcus chuckled at her response and slapped her again. “I can forgive you for sleeping with my friend, Nadine, but I can’t allow his bastard to become my heir!”

Then, his anger consumed him before he unleashed a deadly punch on her. She winced in pain as he kept punching her stomach as if he wanted the baby to die inside. With tears in her eyes, she begged him to stop, but he kept attacking her.

“Don’t kill our child!” she shouted at him when he refused to stop hurting her. “Do you think you will be safe from the Moon Goddess after killing your own baby and your mate?” she asked, but he just snorted as he delivered the last blow.