Chapter 4

Verena

The world seems to stop as I hear what she said. I am... pregnant?

"What?" I gasp.

The woman nods, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "Yes, Luna. I ran an ultrasound, and it shows that you are pregnant."

Dory shrieks, "Oh my God! That''s amazing news!" She grins at me and hugs Drake, who''s caught off guard by his sister''s excitement.

The doctor sees my confused expression and asks, "Is everything okay?"

I stare down at my lap. How can I be pregnant? Drake picks up on my confusion and turns to the doctor. "Can we have some time alone with her? We''ll call you if we need anything. Thanks for the news, doc."

"Um, sure," she says hesitantly, giving me one last look before walking out of the room.

Dory senses the shift in mood and asks me, "What''s wrong, Luna?"

"I think I know why she''s confused," Drake answers, and Dory looks at him. "We all know that Luna doesn''t have a wolf."

Dory''s eyebrows shoot up in realization. "Oh my God, that''s right. Then how?" She looks at me, all the excitement completely drained from her face.

A she-wolf who never shifted can''t bear another male wolf''s child, especially not an Alpha''s child. Our genetics work like a normal human''s, and we''re not compatible with carrying a shifter''s child. So how can I be pregnant?

"We should get the report double-checked or have them run another test on you. The report could be wrong," Drake says calmly. He''s always cool-headed in situations like this and looks at every problem logically.

Following Drake''s advice, I get another ultrasound to confirm whether the report is accurate or not. Dory insists I get some rest, so I head back to the packhouse after the test is done. She promises to bring me the test results, so I wait anxiously in one of my spare rooms.

When the second test report arrives, my eyes stay glued to the file, my hands shaking.

Test result—positive.

Happy tears blur my vision. I can''t believe this. I''m really pregnant.

"It''s really true, Luna. You''re having a baby," Dory says with a huge smile on her face.

My hand goes to my belly. There''s a life growing inside me. When I hadn''t shifted after my eighteenth birthday, I''d lost all hope of ever getting pregnant. Elijah was disappointed about me being barren, and it was another reason for him to act cold toward me in the early days of our marriage. An Alpha needs an heir, and I couldn''t give him one.

"But how is this possible? I never shifted," I mumble.

"I have a theory," Dory says as she stands in front of me with her arms crossed. I look up from the file, and a thoughtful expression crosses her face. "There have been a few cases where shifters didn''t transform at the right age because their wolf was still developing."

I raise an eyebrow. "Still developing?"

She nods. "Most wolves start developing in our bodies from birth. The typical age for any healthy transformation is eighteen to nineteen. Usually, after that time, no shifter ever transforms, meaning their wolf couldn''t develop properly because the person''s body wasn''t strong enough. But there was this one case study in the Moonlight Pack where the Alpha got his wolf at twenty-six. Word is that his ancestors also got their wolves late."

"So it runs in families?" I ask, rubbing my belly. "Isn''t the Moonlight Pack Alpha supposed to be really powerful? Like, with magical powers?"

She nods. "That''s what everyone says. But lately, no one''s seen the Alpha around, and some people think it''s just rumors. If he really had magical powers, he would''ve shown them by now, but there''s been no proof. He''s been a mystery for the last ten years."

I nod in agreement. It''s hard to know what my situation really is, but I don''t care. If Elijah finds out about this, I''m sure he''ll call off the divorce. He can''t reject me after knowing I''m having his baby. It would put the child''s life at risk.

I need to tell him. He has to change his mind after this. He can''t leave me if he knows I''m carrying his future heir.

I get up from the bed and tell Dory, "I''m going to show this to the Alpha." Without wasting another second, I''m rushing out of the guest room.

Thank the Moon Goddess! She''s blessed me with a child. She knows that Elijah and I are meant to be together. A smile spreads across my lips.

The moment I reach his office, I knock twice on the door, excitement bubbling through me.

I hear his deep voice through the door. "Come in."

I step inside, feeling a little nervous as I see him sitting at his desk, wearing blue-light glasses with white frames. They highlight his dark eyes that study me carefully. He looks so handsome in them.

But then I notice Nixie, whose arm is resting on his shoulder. She''s way too close to him, and she frowns when she sees me. It''s not hard to see the hostile look in her eyes. Once I work things out with Elijah, I''ll make sure she never gets a chance to come near him again.

"What brings you here, Rena?" Elijah asks, shifting his gaze to his computer screen. I''m about to answer when he continues, "I hope it''s not ''nothing'' like last time. You should know I''m a busy person, and my time is valuable." He speaks with an icy tone that feels like winter.

"I''m pregnant, Elijah," I say, hoping the news will shock him. He''s always wanted an heir. Now his wish has come true.