🚫Attention to read in public!👉🏻
The day I found out I was pregnant, I was sitting on a broken chair in a slum clinic, calculating the cost of the cheapest baby formula. A new email came in. From: Alpha Kieran. “Mate bond terminated. Ten million transferred. Move out by the end of the month.” I rested a hand on my still-flat stomach and replied calmly: “Received. No need to wait until the end of the month—I’ll be gone tomorrow.” The red lace itched against my skin. I shifted on the bed, adjusting the lingerie I'd spent three hours picking out at the boutique downtown. The saleswoman had called it "marriage-saving material," and I'd laughed, swiping my card without hesitation. Kieran and I didn't need saving, we just needed a spark to repair the distance that had crept between us these past few months. The candles flickered on the nightstand. I'd cooked his favorite meal, rare venison with rosemary, the way his mother used to make it before she passed. There was wine and tucked in the drawer beside me was a collection of toys I'd never had the courage to buy before. My wolf, Aina, paced restlessly. She has been anxious all week. He'll be home soon, I told her. He promised. But eight o'clock came and went. Nine and ten. I checked my phone again. There were no messages or calls from him, just the same text I'd sent hours ago, still showing as "read" with no reply. Happy anniversary, Kieran. I have a surprise for you. Come home early? The venison had gone cold, the candles had burned down to stubs and my wolf had stopped pacing, curling into a tight ball of dread in my chest. With nothing to do, I went searching. I opened my Instagram and typed his name into the search bar. His account was set to private. It had always been private, Kieran valued his image as Alpha, so he controlled every aspect of his public presence. But tonight, someone had tagged him in a post. @Sophielove: The most magical birthday! Thank you for making my son's dreams come true. 🎂🎇 My thumb hovered over the screen. Don't cli
