Chapter 3

The fever had broken by the time Marcus knocked on my door, but the weakness lingered like a persistent shadow. Three days had passed since my brother's arrival sent shockwaves through the pack, and while Alexander maintained his public facade, I could sense his growing unease through our deteriorating bond.

"Luna," Marcus said quietly, glancing over his shoulder before stepping into my room. "We need to talk."

I struggled to sit up against the pillows, my body still protesting every movement. "What is it, Marcus?"

His weathered face was grave, the lines around his eyes deeper than usual. "I've been investigating something... unusual. Energy signatures around the pack that don't belong."

My wolf stirred with interest, her golden eyes sharpening despite our physical weakness. "What kind of energy?"

"Dark magic," he said bluntly, his Beta training evident in his direct approach. "Specifically, mate bond manipulation. Someone has been using supernatural means to interfere with natural breeding processes."

The words hit me like ice water. "What are you saying?"

Marcus pulled out a small device that hummed with supernatural energy, its readings spiking as he moved it closer to me. "Your pregnancy, Helena. The complications, the unusual symptoms... it wasn't natural. Someone forced your body to accept another's essence during conception."

My hands flew to my stomach, phantom pain echoing through the scars left by my difficult labor. "That's impossible. Alexander and I... we're mates."

"Yes, but the energy signatures show a third presence during the conception period. Someone else's wolf essence was woven into the process." His voice gentled with sympathy. "I'm sorry, Luna. You were deceived on the most fundamental level."

Savanna. The name burned through my mind like acid. She hadn't just stolen my mate's heart—she'd stolen my very motherhood, forcing me to carry their biological child while believing it was mine through the sacred bond.

"How?" I whispered.

"Ancient magic, probably passed down through bloodlines. It requires intimate knowledge of both wolves involved and access during the most vulnerable moments of the mate bond." Marcus's jaw clenched. "This is a violation of everything sacred in our world."

Rage built in my chest, hot and pure. They hadn't just betrayed me—they'd used dark magic to turn my own body against me, to make me an unwitting surrogate for their forbidden union.

Two days later, I forced myself from bed despite Dr. Morrison's protests. My body was healing, but more importantly, my resolve had crystallized into something unbreakable. I needed evidence, and I needed to see their deception with my own eyes.

The pack's jewelry store sat on Main Street, its windows gleaming with traditional mating bands and ceremonial pieces. I parked across the street, my enhanced vision allowing me to see clearly through the large front windows.

There they were—Alexander and Savanna, standing intimately close as they examined a display case of mating rings. Her hand rested on his arm with casual ownership while he pointed to various designs, their heads bent together in conspiratorial whispers.

I activated my phone's recording function and enhanced my supernatural hearing, their conversation becoming crystal clear despite the distance.

"The emerald cut would complement your eyes beautifully," Alexander murmured, his voice tender in a way that made my heart clench. "For our official ceremony."

Savanna's laugh was musical, delighted. "I can't believe it's finally happening. After all these years of pretending to be just friends..."

"Soon everyone will know you're my true choice," he said, lifting her hand to examine how a ring would look. "The pack already respects your guidance more than hers."

"And with our pup as proof of our bond," Savanna added, her voice dropping to an intimate whisper, "no one can question my right to be Luna. The child legitimizes everything."

Our pup. She called him their pup, and Alexander didn't correct her. Because it was true—through their dark magic and deception, the child I'd nearly died bringing into this world was biologically theirs.

"The venue needs to be perfect," Alexander continued, moving to examine ceremony bands. "The old oak grove where we first... where our real bond began."

Where they first betrayed our mate bond. I kept recording, documenting every casual dismissal of our marriage, every plan to replace me, every detail of their upcoming chosen mate ceremony.

That evening, the weekly pack gathering provided the perfect opportunity for the final piece of evidence I needed. While Alexander conducted pack business from the front of the community hall, I positioned myself near the back, my royal Lycan abilities allowing me to tap into the mind-link frequencies most wolves couldn't access.

Savanna sat with her mother Diana in the third row, their heads tilted together in what appeared to be casual conversation. But through the supernatural channels, their mental communication blazed with truth.

*"Mother, the ceremony date is set,"* Savanna's mental voice was triumphant. *"Three weeks from now, Alexander will officially take me as his chosen Luna."*

*"And the mate bond manipulation?"* Diana's response carried years of careful planning. *"No one suspects?"*

*"Helena is too weak to figure it out. The ritual worked perfectly—her body accepted our combined essence without question. She carried our biological child thinking it was hers through the sacred bond."*

I recorded every mental exchange, my royal bloodline granting me access to frequencies beyond normal werewolf capabilities. The evidence was damning, undeniable, and exactly what I needed.

*"You've planned this brilliantly, daughter. Soon you'll have everything that should have been yours from the beginning."*

*"Alexander never deserved someone as pathetic as Helena anyway. A true Alpha needs a strong Luna, not some weakling who hides her past."*

If only they knew exactly what I was hiding. My fingers tightened around my phone as I saved the recordings, each piece of evidence another nail in their coffins.

They thought they'd won. They thought I was broken, defeated, ready to fade away quietly.

They had no idea that a Lycan Princess was about to remind them why royal bloodlines ruled over common wolves.