Chapter 1

EMILY'S POV

I sat in the doctor's office, my hands trembling as I waited for him to return with my report. He returned with an unreadable expression, my heart pounding in my chest as I get dizzy with anticipation.

“Congratulations! You're pregnant.” he finally

“Really?” I asked in excitement as the doctor nodded with a curt smile.

He handed the report to me at the desk and as I read it, my smile widened my heart bursting with joy.

‘Finally’ I muttered under my breath. I had been praying for this moment for years. Dreaming about carrying Chris's child. I imagined his delight when I broke the news to him. He would scoop me up in his arms, his eyes filled with love and happiness. I just couldn't wait.

I left his office, feeling like I was in a dream. ‘This is the best day of my life’ I thought as I stepped outside the sun gleaming on my skin.

I looked down as my fingers gently caressed my flat stomach as warmth spread through me. All I could think about was the doctor's announcement and I couldn't stop smiling.

I stared in the mirror of my car, my wide eyes looking back at me as my cheeks flushed red with excitement. I held the pregnancy report tight in my hands unconsciously squeezing it in my tight grip.

As I drove home, an unease churned in my guts, like a shadow over my head as I held on to the good news. I just couldn't wait for Christian to come back home late at night so I decided to go to him with the announcement.

I stepped out of the elevator, clutching my bag in anticipation as I walked past his secretary. I raised my hand to knock on his office door when I heard voices; Christian’s deep familiar baritone voice and another one sweeter and higher pitched.

My heart skipped a beat as it started pounding in my chest. I put my ear to the door, trying to hear their conversation. Although I knew that eavesdropping was wrong, something kept me glued to the spot. And the next words that I heard chilled my blood.

"Christian, this has to stop," a woman's voice filled with despair sounded through the door. "I love you! For so long, I have been loving you! But I can't continue being your mistress, you need to make a choice!"

There was a long pause as I craned my head closer to the door.

“I know Lucy, but it’s very difficult. Emily is my mate. The bond isn’t something I can just move away from. She won’t leave unless she chooses to.”

The woman let out a treacherous laugh that pierced my heart. “You know she’s already hanging on her last thread, Christian. She’s been trying to hold this marriage together for so many years now. She is so close to giving up.”

My hand flew to my mouth as I finally realised why the voice sounded so familiar, that voice belonged to Lucy, my half-sister that has been missing for three years.

“How dare you?!” I shrieked as I flung open the door, tears streaming down my face at the sight in front of me.

They both turned to me in shock, Christian rose, his eyes wide in my presence. While Lucy smiled at me maliciously.

“Chris. H…how could you?.” My voice cracked with emotions as I stared at my mate and my sister, their betrayal stung me like a burn.

My heart broke as Christian scrambled to button his shirt together while my sister stood staring at me abashedly in red lingerie.

I turned away, running away from the office into the elevator, Christian's voice echoed through the hall behind me as he called out for me.

“Emily, I can explain.” He shouted across the hall.

I spun around to face him, my tears blurring my vision as my heart pounded in my chest.

“What do you want to explain Chris?” I asked. “You have been cheating on me with my sister. How could you?” I shouted as I walked into the elevator.

As the doors closed, I stared at the face of the man I loved my heart still shattering.

I held my chest tight as the elevator descended, it felt like my heart was breaking from within.

Christian never loved me, he always wanted Lucy. I deceived myself all these years of our marriage, even when he started pulling away from me, I held onto the marriage for the both of us.

But I was simply a fool- a big fool. Everything was a lie, it was stupid of me to think that my pregnancy was going to help us stay together.

But now there was no denying the truth. The moon goddess has punished me with a mate like Christian who never really loved me. Our marriage was nothing but an obligation to him because of the mate bond we both hadn’t refused. But his heart had always been with Lucy.

I stormed out of the building to the car, my vision blurred with tears, as I tried to stop myself from breaking down.

My wolf stirred inside me, her words calm and comforting ‘Don’t let them break you, Emily. You’re stronger than this. You have our babies to think about now.’

‘Babies’ I repeated as I froze in the car seat, it hit me like a thunderbolt; not just one baby but several lives within me. A wave of maternal protective instincts washed over me. Weakness was an indulgence I could not afford at this point; my children needed their mother to be strong for them and give them the life and love they deserved.

‘I need to leave this place, I can't raise my pup here.’ I muttered. I didn't want them to have a father who didn't care and had eyes for another woman. I rushed home and dragged out my boxes to pack things.

The front door of the apartment flung open as Christian stormed in. He quickly found me in the room, my clothes and other belongings already packed.

He scowled in anger, his face contorted when he realised what I was doing “Where in the world are you going?” he fumed.

I ignored his questions, facing him squarely brushing my hair out of my eyes. “I want a divorce,” I announced, my voice resounding with finality.

“Emily…what do you mean? You can't just end this marriage.” He argued.

My resolve almost broke as I stared into his eyes, but I steeled myself thinking about his betrayal.

“This marriage was a sham, I can't pretend anymore,” I exclaimed, the words broke my heart but it was the truth.

“Emily…” He called out.

“Chris, you betrayed me and you've broken my heart. Please just let me go.” I whispered.

Chris watched as I packed my bags, dragging them behind me as I walked out of the apartment.

I took one last glance at my mate and husband. The man who shattered my heart. I looked down, instinctively rubbing my stomach, these children were all that mattered to me, they were all I had now. I am going to raise them alone.

And as I walked out the door, leaving my only home, I knew one thing for certain: I would never return.

CHRISTIAN'S POV

The door to my office swung open interrupting me from the pile of papers on my desk.

I looked up, expecting to see my assistant but I was faced with the face of my first love, Lucy.

Her name brought back memories that I had tried so hard to bury when I married her half-sister.

She stood frozen in the doorway, looking as beautiful as ever, her brown hair cascading down her shoulders as her green eyes pierced mine.

I had so much to say to her, so many questions I needed answers to but I held back, watching transfixed as she walked towards me, her heels clicking on the marble floors.

“Christian,” she breathed softly. Hearing my name from her lips again, sent shivers down my spine as I gazed down at me.

Lucy had disappeared like a ghost, there were no calls and no notes, nothing. And now here she was standing right in front of me, as I fought the instincts to run to her and hold her.

“What are you doing here Lucy?” I ask my tone a bit hostile.

”I needed to see you,” she replied, her hands trembling slightly.“You have to listen to me Christian, There are so many things I should have told you” I frown at her words, my mind buzzing with questions.

“You left me, Lucy. You disappeared out of my life and now you are back here like nothing happened.” I accused her.

Tears welled up in her eyes at my words as she moved closer to me.

“I never wanted to leave Christian, I loved you and I never stopped,” she confessed, reaching for me.

I melted into her touch, immediately holding myself back. I rolled my eyes leaning back in my chair. “Then why did you leave? You can’t just—”

“Because of my sister!” she exclaimed, her voice trembling. “Because she threatened me. She was going to kill me Christian if I didn't leave you.”

I shook my head at her words. Emily would never do that, she was my mate.

“She is not the person you believe her to be Christian, she… she has been working with a black witch, I witnessed it myself before…the connection you have with her is not real,” Her eyes begged me to believe her words as she looked at me in desperation but I just couldn't, Emily would never do that.

It suddenly felt like the walls were closing in on me as I questioned my connection with Emily. My wolf stirred within me as I tried to make sense of Lucy's words.

“What the hell are you talking about, Lucy?” I roared, my voice barely audible to my ears. “You can't expect me to believe that Emily could do such a thing?”

Lucy broke down into tears, as she nodded in response to my questions. “I didn’t know what to do, Christian. She said she’d curse you and ruin you if I stayed. I thought I was protecting you. But then… I couldn’t bear it anymore.” she muttered.

My heart pounded as I stared at Lucy, her face wet with tears. This was much to bear as I leaned back in my chair, my head in my hands.

Emily. I trusted her, loved her. I can never forgive her for this, I couldn't believe she had been deceiving me this whole time.

Lucy reached for me, her hands pulling my face up towards her. “I love you, Christian, I can't watch you stay with that evil woman. That's why I'm here now” she whispered, placing her body closer to mine.

“ I just can't believe Emily….” I groaned but Lucy stopped my words with her hands on my lips.

“Don't ever say her name again Christian.” She said as she placed her lips on mine.

I froze as she moved closer, sitting in my lap. I remembered what Emily had done and my body started to move in sync with hers.

I moved my hands around her small frame pulling her even closer to my thoughts still on Emily's betrayal.

Days go by and the only thing is that I get more restless. The idea of Emily’s betrayal, poisoning our relationship. I could barely look at her without being overwhelmed with resentment.

I avoided going home to her, staying back in the office with Lucy, the only woman who truly loved me.