Chapter 1

My Omega stepsister, Rebecca, suddenly got pregnant, but no one knew who the father was.

I was furious and about to send people to investigate, but my father, Alpha Arthur Hayes, stopped me.

"Ava, this is your child too!"

My Mate, Jason Miller, the Alpha of the Stoneclaw Pack, stood silently beside my father, tacitly agreeing with his words.

I understood.

Rebecca's child was Jason's.

Seeing my silence, Jason defended himself:

"You don't want to have children anyway. Rebecca is your sister, just an Omega. Her having a child won't threaten your position as the Luna of the Stoneclaw Pack."

In their eyes, I never said no to them.

But they didn't know I had already fulfilled my promise to my mother.

Now, I was returning to my grandfather, the Alpha King.

Jason's hand was still resting on Rebecca's swollen belly.

The sight stung my eyes.

"Ava, don't be mad at Jason."

Rebecca lay on the bed, a harmless smile on her face.

"The doctor said I'm not well. Alpha Jason was just afraid something might happen to me and the baby, which is why he kept it from you."

"We're both doing this for your own good. You've been Luna for so many years without a child; many people are already unhappy about it."

She said this, then intimately patted the back of my hand.

"When the baby is born, you can be his stepmother and let him call you Mom, okay?"

My father, Alpha Arthur Hayes, cleared his throat, adopting the stern, authoritarian posture expected of Silverfang's Alpha.

"Ava! Once this child is born, we'll merge the two Packs! He'll be our heir! Your sister is unwell, yet she's helping you and your Mate. Aren't you grateful? Why the sour face?"

Jason finally took his hand off Rebecca's stomach and walked towards me.

He tried to take my hand, but I pulled away.

His arm froze in mid-air.

"Ava, after all these years as Mates, don't you understand me? Everything I'm doing is for you, for our two Packs. I can't let others say you're a Luna who can't bear children. And I certainly can't let our two Packs be without an heir."

I looked at him, unable to say a word.

When I considered the current situation of both Packs, I had once suggested merging them.

But they both disagreed.

Alpha Arthur Hayes said that since I was already the Luna of the Stoneclaw Pack, I shouldn't be greedy for the Silverfang Pack.

And Jason said he was responsible for revitalizing the Stoneclaw Pack and couldn't merge.

So, I handled the affairs of both Packs by myself.

Those two Alphas, however, only cared about indulging in parties and leisure, and spending time with Rebecca.

Now that Rebecca was pregnant, they suddenly agreed to merge the Packs. It turned out there was no other reason from beginning to end; it was simply because I was an outsider.

Seeing I was unmoved, Jason's patience wore thin, and he tugged impatiently at his tie.

"Alright, stop this. I've already had David Lee prepare dinner to celebrate. As Luna, you should at least make an appearance."

He turned to help Rebecca, his movements more gentle than I had ever seen him with me.

"Becca, what do you want to eat? I'll have the kitchen make it for you."

Rebecca leaned weakly into his embrace, whining, "I want caviar, and I want you to feed it to me yourself."

"Okay, anything for you."

Before, they had kept their secret relationship from me because they were worried about Rebecca.

Now that Rebecca was pregnant, they no longer cared about my feelings.

The pain of my Mate's infidelity made it hard for me to stand. I leaned against the sofa, watching them flirt openly, as if I weren't even there.

Just then, the Pack doctor walked in, carrying his medical bag.

He smiled broadly and pulled a check-up report from his bag.

"Alpha Jason, Alpha Arthur, good news!"

He handed the report to Jason, his voice booming.

"Miss Rebecca's fetus is very stable. The examination shows it perfectly inherited the powerful Alpha bloodline! Congratulations, Alpha Jason, you have an heir!"

Jason kissed Rebecca hard.

Alpha Arthur Hayes was also flushed with excitement.

The doctor turned to me, a hint of pity in his smile.

"You shouldn't be too sad. Since you can't get pregnant, having Miss Rebecca help you have one is the same. After all, she also has Silverfang Pack blood."

The room filled with laughter, like sharp needles, piercing my ears again and again.

I clutched my phone, my nails digging into my flesh.

Jason held up the report and walked towards me.

"Ava, look how adorable he is. From now on, he'll be our child."

Alpha Arthur Hayes quickly added, "But Ava, even though the child will be registered under your name, he'll still call Becca 'Mom.' We can't forget the birth mother."

They were as persistent as ever, believing I would agree to all their requests.

Just like soon after my mother's funeral, my father brought home a stepsister who was only half a year younger than me.

He said she was the daughter of a deceased friend, but her face was ninety-nine percent like his—I later found out she was the daughter of his Omega mistress.

Just like when Jason said he wanted a child, I tried countless methods.

Even though I had told him before we Mated that it would be difficult for me to have children.

This was because seven years ago, I had made a solemn vow at my mother's deathbed.

I swore to help my weak father support the Silverfang Pack and to pave the way for the declining Jason.

At that time, our two Packs had just formed an alliance. My mother hoped that my Mate Bond with Jason would solidify the fragile alliance and bring prosperity to both families.

For my mother, my father was her love, and Jason's father had saved her life.

But for me, my father never treated me like his daughter, and Jason disliked my strong-willed nature.

They desperately wanted a new heir.

A powerful Alpha bloodline that had nothing to do with me.

Especially my father, Alpha Arthur Hayes. He thought my powerful strength came from his bloodline.

But he forgot that my mother was the Alpha King's daughter.

Now, the seven-year agreement was up, and it was time for me to leave.