A Gift from the Goddess

“It looks like everyone is here now,” Aleric said, projecting into the crowd. “We are gathered here today to bear witness to the trial of Ariadne Chrysalis, former Luna to the Winter Mist pack.”

His eyes scanned over the faces of everyone around before finally landing on me.

“Do you swear on the Goddess’ name, Ariadne, that you will tell the whole truth during this trial?” Aleric asked.

I met his piercing green eyes, a shiver going down my spine. How those eyes haunted me.

“I do,” I replied loudly and confidently.

“And how do you plead?”

I held my breath, my heart racing in my chest.

“Not guilty.”

“She’s pregnant,” Aleric told me.

I stared at him in shock, my face paling. My destined mate, the love of my life, was telling me that he had gotten a girl pregnant. A girl who was not me.

It was like a kick to the gut. The mate bond made the weight of his words tortuous and my inner wolf howled out in pain. I had given everything to Aleric, suffered everything for him. And yet here he was, standing in front of me, telling me such excruciating news as if he were telling me the time of day.

“Why?” I whispered, tears brimming in my eyes.

“I don’t need to explain myself to you,” Aleric said sharply. “You couldn’t even fulfil all your duties as my mate, as a Luna. Don’t start acting as if this is a surprise. The pack needs an Alpha heir. Something you are incapable of, Ariadne.”

His words stung, twisting deep into my flesh like a knife. We had been officially mated for six years now and it was true… I had failed to bear him a child. It wasn’t as though I hadn’t wanted to though. For months after we had officially found out about the mate bond, I would try everything to be with him as much as possible. But he was never interested in me, I could see that clearly. I knew he was only with me because I was the rightful Luna.

was something else I knew too. Something no mate should

that was that I knew about his mistress;

officially mated and I could plainly see how he doted on her over me. Gave her the love that was rightfully mine, looking at her as if she were his sun. But every part of my being loved him even if he did not love me. And yet, by some

confirmed my worst fears; I was unable to bear children. I didn’t know what to do, how to keep going. This was the one thing that I had pinned all my hopes on for my fate to change, for Aleric to change. The news of my infertility

country and a part of that

in the past, it had always been cold, clinical, as if he were performing a duty rather than enjoying himself. But then everything changed once he learned of my infertility, his visits soon completely stopping. Those short moments he had once indulged me had been everything to me. They were the only times he had ever touched me with intimacy. My skin would send sparks wherever our

curse of

I love you, Aleric,” I said, my

meet his cold green eyes as my legs began to shake. I could feel inside that my wolf was crushed, feeling her pain mixed

It was suffocating.

yourself lucky I’m not removing you of your Luna position for Thea. The Goddess still chose you to be Luna, even

flinched at his

need to inform you that I will be making Thea’s child my rightful heir. The elders have deemed this appropriate given the circumstances.

me, I still relished in him even talking to me. The bond between Luna and Alpha was strong, and

eight. Don’t be late,” he said finally before walking out of the packhouse. He

affection. I was a Luna, his Luna, and a queen in the

being able to stand it any longer, I decided to do the only thing I could do

ran outside into the forest as the cold fresh air hit my face immediately, something I breathed in greedily to help clear my head. It was nice, apart from the wind

She needed to feel free and alive. We were both trapped by our position, our duty, our mate. We had sacrificed everything for our pack, everything for him, and

been for the best that I brought no children into this family. No child would make his feelings for me change;

fact, I knew damn well that Thea would burn this pack to the ground if she became Luna. She hadn’t had any

long to wear my heart on my sleeve for Aleric. He had made a mockery of my love for him and

wolf continued to run as I mulled over my internal debate. She hunted rabbits and sniffed at the different scents, taking it

colder as darkness crept up, and I knew we would need to head back soon. But I didn’t want to subject her to that just yet. For just a little while longer, I

passed and I accepted it was finally time. I gently nudged her in my head to indicate we should head home but she let out a low growl to tell me she wasn’t pleased with this idea. Not