Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Sabrina's POV

The three a.m. Denny's reeked of grease and bleach. I dragged my exhausted body toward the back door, the trash bag heavy in my hands.

November nights in Ohio hit different. The cold wind cut through my uniform. I threw the trash bag into the dumpster. The stench that hit me was nauseating. I covered my nose with my apron, but that just mixed the smell of cheap detergent with the garbage.

"Sabrina, wait."

That voice. My stomach churned.

Mike pushed through the door behind me, wearing that smile that gave me goosebumps. His eyes stared straight at my chest.

"I'm just taking out the trash, Mike." I tried to keep my voice flat. Can't cause trouble tonight.

I had to catch the first bus to Walmart in a few hours. Had to get home to take care of Abigail.

"You know, Sabrina..." Mike moved closer. "We've been talking about this for two months now. It's time to give you that promotion. Maybe I can move you to the day shift..."

"I don't need it." I cut him off. "Night shift is fine."

I was lying.

Who doesn't want the day shift? Day shift meant evenings with my daughter. Day shift meant being a normal mother.

But I knew Mike's game. He wanted me on my knees. Wanted me to service him.

Not happening.

"Don't refuse so quickly, baby." He took another step closer. "I'm trying to help you. Single mothers don't have it easy, I get it."

He reached out to touch my face. I jerked back.

"Don't touch me!"

"Come on, Sabrina." His voice grew more oily. "Don't make this hard on yourself. Let me buy you a drink. We'll get a room at the Hilton. I'll give you a nice massage..."

I hugged my arms tight.

"No! I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Baby, don't be like that." Mike pulled out his wallet, waving cash. "Five hundred dollars. One night. That's it."

"Go to hell! I'm not a prostitute! Say one more word and I'm calling the cops!"

Mike's face twisted.

"Cops? Who do you think you are? You've got a kid, no diploma. You should be grateful I'm even giving you a chance..."

"Stay away from me!" I screamed.

His expression darkened.

"You better think carefully, Sabrina. A single mother with no education, no connections? Where can you go? Who's going to hire you?"

He grabbed my wrist hard. I struggled desperately.

"Let go!"

"You're just unwanted trash! Think you're special? Think you're a princess?"

His face came closer. His breath stank.

I shoved him away with all my strength. The trash bag fell to the ground and split open. Garbage spilled everywhere. Mike stepped on something wet, stumbled backward, and glared at me.

"Fine, Sabrina. You want to play it this way? Then stay on night shift forever!" He kicked the garbage off his shoe. "Remember—this is your choice."

He slammed the back door open. A few seconds later, he stuck his head out again. That smug expression made me want to vomit.

"Five hundred from me now is better than two hundred to truck drivers later!"

"Get out!"

He finally left.

I stood shivering in the cold wind. The garbage at my feet reeked. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I couldn't cry. What good would crying do?

I'm just a single mother. A nobody. Once, I was Luna of a powerful pack. Now I can't even handle a human male who constantly harasses me.

I needed this job too badly.

I had Abigail. I had to hold on.

After cleaning up the garbage, I went back for my coat.

Four-thirty a.m. I stood at the bus stop, stamping my feet, breathing into my hands. The bus wouldn't come until five. That meant I'd get to Walmart at five-forty, home by six-thirty. Abigail woke at seven. I had thirty minutes to shower, change, and make her breakfast.

This was my life. Every minute precisely calculated. Nothing wasted. No room for error.

The bus finally came. I was the only passenger. I found a window seat and set an alarm on my phone. Couldn't risk missing my stop.

I watched the city fly past the window. The streetlights through the fog made everything look soft.

Three years ago, I was someone else.

I was Luna of the Stillwater Pack. Alpha Derek's mate. I had everything—love, status, a future.

I came to the hospital for my regular checkup, a sharp pain spreading from my abdomen as I waited for Dr. Nora to return with the test results.

I'd been feeling this pain frequently lately, and it was starting to scare me. Nora said it was all psychological, that I was putting too much pressure on myself to get pregnant. She was dead wrong.

I gripped the edge of the table, groaning softly, letting the pain wash over me. The thought of receiving another negative result made me feel like the walls were closing in. Derek and I had been trying for months, and I could feel it creating a rift between us. He was becoming colder, more distant. I knew how badly he wanted a son, and the realization that I was failing so miserably at making him happy hurt.

The door burst open and I nearly fell off the table from the sound. Nora gave me a warm smile, rubbed some hand sanitizer on her hands, then sat down in her chair. I could hear my heart pounding against my chest at an abnormal rate, waiting for her to speak.

"Deep breath, Sabrina," she said with a smile, taking slow breaths with me and reaching for my hand. My hand trembled, but I managed to calm down. Her smile deepened.

"Congratulations," she said, placing her hand on my belly. "You're carrying our little alpha." My heart skipped a beat as I processed the news.

I was pregnant! Oh God, I was pregnant! "How... how far along?" I whispered, trying to hold back the sob in my throat, barely able to form the words.

"Well, let's see, shall we?" She smiled, pulling out the ultrasound machine and squeezing cold gel onto my belly. I stared at the screen, butterflies in my stomach, unable to make sense of the images but hoping that somewhere in that black and white chaos, my little alpha would appear.

"Well, from what I can see, I'd estimate about four weeks, which means we need to get you started on prenatal care right away, Sabrina," she said seriously, pulling out several documents from a drawer. "The first trimester is the most critical period. We need to pay special attention to nutrition and rest." She helped me wipe the coupling gel from my abdomen, explained in detail the precautions for each stage of pregnancy, prescribed folic acid and multivitamins for me, and scheduled a complete prenatal checkup calendar.

The entire way home, I kept rubbing my belly, still immersed in the joy this news brought. I couldn't wait to tell Derek. He would be so happy about this.

I checked the time. Derek hated being disturbed at work. But this was different. This was our child. The pack's future.

I practically floated to his office, imagining his expression when he heard the news. He would pick me up and spin me around. He would touch my belly and talk about our future.

At the door, I stopped to fix my hair. Pressed my ear to the door to make sure I wouldn't interrupt important business.

What I heard made my blood freeze.

Derek, breathing heavily. A woman moaning.

"Derek... harder... yes, right there! Fuck me hard! Oh God..."

"Baby, I'm going to come in you!"

"Yes! Fill me up! I want to give you a strong heir!"

That voice. I knew that voice.

Scarlett. My sister.

My hand trembled on the doorknob. I should leave. Walk away. But I couldn't.

I pushed the door open a crack.

Derek had Scarlett pressed against his desk. Both were naked. He kissed her as if she were air and he was drowning.

"I love you, Derek," Scarlett gasped. "More than Sabrina ever could."

"I know, baby." He kissed her neck. "You're more suitable for me than she is. Better genes, perfect for bearing my children."

"When are you going to tell her? I can't wait much longer."

"Soon." Derek pulled back to look at her. "I'll make her leave on her own. Sabrina is my mate, but she has no wolf. A Luna without a wolf? It makes me look weak in front of other alphas. And after all these years, she hasn't gotten pregnant. She's useless. Completely useless."

I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. These were the two people I loved most. Both betraying me.

Suddenly everything made sense. The pain in my chest. The anxiety. Waking up in the middle of the night feeling like something was tearing me apart.

Derek had been cheating. The mate bond had been screaming at me, trying to tell me something was wrong. My hand moved to my belly. If Derek knew I was pregnant, he would never let me go. Not because he loved me. Because alphas need heirs. He would lock me up until I gave birth.

And my child would grow up in a household full of lies. Would watch their father married to their mother but in love with their aunt. Would exist only as a tool for bloodline continuation.

No. I couldn't let that happen.

Mate or not, I would never tolerate infidelity. Never.

I needed Derek to reject me. To let me go. It was the only way for me and my baby to be free.

I took a deep breath. Gathered all my remaining courage.

Then pushed Derek's office door wide open.