Chapter 1- Attacked by my Mate?
"Congratulations, my Luna," our pack doctor, Dr. Louis, exclaimed as he perused my reports. "Your pups are in excellent health. Just remember to take it easy."
A warm smile spread across my face as I lovingly stroked my swollen belly.
"Thank you, Doctor. I'll keep that in mind," I replied eagerly before departing his office.
It had been seven months since I discovered I was pregnant with three beautiful pups. Having triplets during my first pregnancy was initially daunting, but I was fortunate to have a loving and attentive mate by my side.
I had no doubt that my pups would have an extraordinary father to care for them. After all, he was Nicholas Sulliven, the Alpha of the SilverFang Pack.
As I exited the hospital and headed toward my car, my phone vibrated.
Nicholas: Meet me at HarbourView Hotel, room 604 ;)
A smile tugged at my lips the moment I read the message. Butterflies danced in my stomach as I pondered why Nicholas had asked me to meet him at a hotel.
Throughout our year of marriage, it felt like an eternity since we had spent quality time together or even gone on a date. Between my pregnancy and his Alpha responsibilities, finding time for each other had been a challenge.
Perhaps this was finally the moment.
With excitement coursing through me, I asked my driver, "Please, take me to HarbourView."
Whispering in a baby-ish tone to my belly, I added, "We're going to meet Daddy soon."
Upon reaching the hotel room, I made my way to the door and rapped on it a few times.
"Nicholas," I called out with my heart racing, but he didn't respond.
I gave a louder knock this time, only to discover the door slightly ajar.
I felt a momentary puzzlement about the door being left unlocked, but quickly regained my composure, thinking it must have been Nicholas's intention to grant me access to the room.
Blushing at the thought of him possibly waiting for me in bed, I stepped inside, only to find the room unusually dark for the evening.
Flicking the light switch on, I suddenly felt a large pair of hands seize my wrist.
My eyes widened in shock as they landed on the black-hooded man before me.
His eyes gleamed yellow from behind a black ski mask, concealing his entire face from my view.
"Ah! Who are you? Let me go!" I yelled as loudly as I could, but he silenced me with a gloved hand covering my mouth.
"Be quiet, you b*tch!," he commanded before forcefully pressing his lips against mine.
I felt a surge of irritation and disgust as this unknown man's lips made contact with mine. My wolf, Sophie, weakened by my pregnancy, managed to summon some strength to assist me in pushing him away.
I clung to my swollen belly and attempted to escape from the room, but the man swiftly regained his footing and yanked me back by my shoulders.
"Get back here!" I heard his deep voice as he flung me onto the large bed.
I was on the verge of screaming once more when he muffled my cries and began kissing my neck.
I couldn't believe the horrifying situation I found myself in, but I knew I couldn't allow this man to have his way with me. Slowly, I retrieved the pepper spray from my pocket and directed it toward the man's yellow eyes.
He let out a guttural scream of agonizing pain as I emptied the entire contents of the bottle onto his face.
"You b*tch!" he howled in torment, but I felt no pity for him. I wanted to inflict more pain on him for what he had attempted, but I understood my vulnerability in comparison to him.
Despite being the Luna, I was seven months pregnant, and my strength was significantly low. My main concern was protecting not only myself but also my unborn pups.
Before I could react further, the man managed to regain his footing and hastily fled the room. I, too, made a hasty escape from the hotel and promptly reached the safety of the packhouse.
"Nicholas!" I exclaimed with a sigh of relief when I spotted him in the living room alongside Beta Caine and his wife, Ruby.
"Thank goodness you're here. You can't even imagine what I've been through," I said, taking deep breaths as I sought solace in his embrace.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I found security in the arms of my mate. I held onto him a moment longer before he gently disengaged from my grip. I gazed into his piercing blue eyes, my heart racing as I prepared to share the unsettling incident with him.
"Nic, I—" I began to speak, only to be abruptly silenced by a stinging slap across my face.
I gasped in shock, my hand instinctively covering the now-reddened cheek.
"N-Nic, w-why would you do that?" I stammered, my heart pounding with confusion and fear.
Nicholas gazed into my eyes, but this time, it felt very different from usual. His eyes seemed distant and indifferent, lacking the affection and excitement he had usually displayed for me. He stood there in silence, not uttering a word.
"Nic? Are you alright? What's the matter?" I asked, growing increasingly concerned by his unusual behavior.
Then, he raised his hand and slammed a brown folder onto the coffee table beside us.
"You should check that," he said coldly.
"What is this about?" I inquired, feeling completely bewildered. I couldn't understand his actions, and his silence was doing nothing to help me make sense of the situation.
I clung to the chair next to me and lowered myself carefully to inspect the folder. Nicholas took a seat in an opposite chair, puffing on a cigarette. My heart skipped a beat, as I knew he only smoked when he was extremely stressed or angry.
What on earth could have upset him so much? He had never slapped me in the past. It pierced my heart to see him do that to me.
I gulped hard, my throat dry, as I opened the folder and pulled out some papers. As I skimmed through the folder's contents, my eyes widened, and my heart felt as though it had plummeted to the pit of my chest.
I sprang from my chair, my eyes locked onto the photos I held in my trembling hands. It couldn't be real. It was impossible.
In my trembling hands were pictures that depicted me in the hotel room with that unknown man. The straps of my dress were loosened, strongly suggesting an intimate moment with him.
The man didn’t have a ski mask in the photo but his face appeared quite blurry. I couldn’t understand who took these pictures and why they looked like I was willingly being kissed by him.
"Care to explain what the f**k these are?" Nicholas roared, his eyes filled with anger. His jaw was clenched, and his hands were balled into fists. He was furious, while I was left utterly helpless, staring at the incriminating photos again and again.