Chapter 1
“Hubby, it’s positive. We’re pregnant.”
Ellie walked toward him, bright with joy, and Alpha Geon wrapped him tightly in his arms the moment he held up the test. That second red line stood clear and bright; the very mark of their love.
“You are my Omega, Ellie. And I promise to do everything I can to protect you and our child, and to make you happy.” Alpha Geon said, his fingers brushing gently over Ellie’s cheek.
Ellie leaned in, resting his face against Alpha Geon’s chest, and his husband’s hand traced the bond mark upon his neck. Ellie looked up, straight into his eyes. “I love you, Hubby.”
“I love you too… wifey.” Alpha Geon smiled, his heart full. At last, their love would bear fruit.
In the weeks that followed, Ellie’s belly grew fast. His body softened, his figure rounding, and he carried their child with quiet care. When they visited the healer to share the news, their joy met a heavy warning.
“His pregnancy is highly sensitive,” the healer told them. “The child draws strength straight from him. It feeds on his life force. As the baby grows, he will grow weaker, more delicate, and far more easily unsettled than before. Alpha Geon, you must keep this secret for now to ensure Ellie’s safety.”
They were both filled with worry, so they kept it private. Ellie stayed indoors, safe and hidden in the mansion for months, while Alpha Geon remained fully focused on carrying out his mission on the Midnight Vanguard Pack.
And as Ellie’s bump grew, his strength slowly faded. Even so, he kept steeling himself to be strong.
One morning, Ellie sat before the vanity mirror. His heart felt pricked by a thousand needles as he stared at his own reflection. He hardly recognized himself. His face and body were swollen, and every change fueled a deep, biting insecurity.
That evening, Alpha Geon came home. He stepped forward to embrace him—and Ellie pulled away.
“Why? Is something wrong?” Alpha Geon asked, his voice calm. He tried to draw near again, but Ellie moved back once more.
Tears spilled from his eyes. “You didn’t answer my calls.”
“I’m sorry,” Alpha Geon said, loosening his tie. “The meeting ran late.”
Ellie lifted his head, breathing in the air. “There was another omega there, wasn’t there?”
Alpha Geon’s brows drew together. “What?”
“I can smell it,” Ellie said, his voice trembling. “Another omega’s scent—on you.”
Alpha Geon sighed, his shoulders dropping. “I had to negotiate with clients. We shook hands. That’s all.”
“And you expect me to just believe that?”
“Ellie… I have never given you a reason to doubt me.”
It was true. He had never given him cause. But ever since Ellie became pregnant, ever since he felt his own strength slipping away, every unfamiliar scent felt like betrayal. Every missed call felt like distance. Every delayed reply felt like proof—that Alpha Geon was drifting away, that he was losing his place beside him, that the love they had built was slowly slipping through his fingers.
It began to eat away at them. Misunderstandings happened more and more often, arguments they never would have had before.
“Don’t you love me anymore? Are you looking for someone else to care for?” Ellie asked, his voice fragile, tears welling at the corners of his eyes.
Alpha Geon let out a sharp, heavy sigh and pressed his palm to his forehead in frustration. “Damn it! What kind of man do you take me for? A cheater? All this time, I’ve done everything I can as an Alpha to keep our pack safe, to keep you safe from danger ‘cause we’re receiving death threats from Moonlight Pack. And yet, you still have the nerve to think that way?” he snapped.
He sank onto the couch, cracking his knuckles to hold back his anger.
“I can’t help it!” Ellie cried out. “How can I not overthink things? You never take me out anymore! Are you ashamed of me? Of… of how I look now?”
“There it is again! Your imagination running wild. You’re just being paranoid ‘cause you’re insecure! I’m tired, Ellie. I’m so tired of this,” Alpha Geon said, and turned to walk out of the room.
That was the moment Ellie’s heart shattered completely. It felt like every bit of love and hope inside him had been torn apart, leaving nothing but hollow, aching silence.
He never expected the man he loved more than anything to say those words—words so cold, so dismissive of all his fears and pain. It hurt more than any physical ache, like his very soul was splitting in two. He had only wanted reassurance, and instead, he was made to feel like a burden.
Ellie grabbed the car keys and drove straight to a hotel not far from their home. Down in the underground parking, a strange prickle crawled over his skin—like eyes were boring into his back, like someone was tracking his every move.
He picked up his pace, heart hammering, but before he could even reach the elevator doors, a figure loomed behind him. A strong hand clamped over his mouth, a cloth pressed tight against his face.
His vision blurred fast, his limbs turning heavy until everything went black. The last thing he caught was a glimpse of the man—face hidden behind a black mask.
When he came to, he was tied tight in a cold, windowless room swallowed by shadows. Panic surged; he twisted and fought against his restraints, but they wouldn’t give an inch. He was utterly hopeless. Every struggle was useless.
Then, from the darkness at the back of the room, a man stepped into the faint light. Tall, broad-shouldered, and powerfully built, he moved with a heavy, dominant grace. His neck was coiled in dark, intricate tattoos, and his sharp eyes and cold, hardened features gave him the unmistakable look of a seasoned gangster—dangerous, untouchable, and in total control.
Ellie gasped, shock cutting through his fear. “Y-You?”
A low, knowing hum rumbled in the man’s chest. “That’s right. Alpha Kyro. The new leader of the Moonlight Pack.”
Tears welled and his voice shook as he begged. “What do you want from me? Please… don’t hurt me—don’t kill me. I’m pregnant!”
Alpha Kyro’s lips curled into a slow, arrogant smirk. No warmth, only absolute authority. “Relax. I have no intention of killing you. Because I want you to be my Omega.”