Barren Luna's Revenge

Chapter One Ana ​I stared down at the crumpled medical report in my hands. The words printed on the white sheet didn't make sense. My knees buckled, and my balance completely gave way. ​One week pregnant. ​A wave of ice rushed through my veins. I couldn't move. I couldn't even draw a proper breath. The sterile white hospital corridor began to spin and blur around me, shrinking until the walls felt like they were crashing in. ​"Ana? Breathe. Are you okay?" ​Lily's voice broke through the panic. She gently pried the trembling paper from my fingers. I watched her eyes dart across the page, widening in absolute shock as she read the diagnosis. ​Unable to stand any longer, I slid down the cold wall and sat flat on the hospital floor. I pulled my knees to my chest, trying to force air back into my lungs. ​How was this even possible? ​Ever since I was a little girl, the pack elders had made my reality brutally clear. I was born completely without a wolf. In our world, that meant I had no power, no status, and no value. To make matters worse, the pack had declared me cursed—permanently barren, destined to never bear a child. I had accepted that emptiness as my fate. ​Lily crouched down beside me on the floor, wrapping her warm hands around mine. Her grip was tight and grounding, pulling me back to reality. ​"Why do you look so terrified?" Lily asked, her voice soft but urgent. "Desmond is going to be ecstatic. You’ve waited for a miracle like this for years, Ana. Why are you backing down now?" ​I looked up into my friend's reassuring eyes. As the initial shock began to fade, a spark of warmth bloomed in my chest. ​Lily was right. ​Desmond had loved me unconditionally for years. When the elders mocked me, he stood by me. He had promised me over and over that it didn’t matter if I could never give him an heir. He swore his love would never change. He had even chosen me to be his Luna, binding his life to mine, even though he hadn't announced our union publicly to the pack yet. He was just waiting for the right moment to protect me from their judgment. ​I forced myself to stand up, wiping a stray tear from my cheek, and nodded. "You're right," I said, my voice growing steadier. "If I tell Desmond the news, he'll be happy. This changes everything." ​We caught a cab back to the Bloodtron estate. During the entire ride, my mind raced with thoughts of how I would tell him. ​When we arrived, Lily helped me out of the car with extreme care, holding my elbow to make sure I didn't miss a step or trip on the gravel path. The entire estate was buzzing with high energy. Colorful banners hung from the main house, and the lawns were packed with families. Today was the annual awakening ceremony—the day the young pups of the pack attempted to shift into their wolves for the very first time. ​I watched them from a distance, a bittersweet smile touching my lips. I vividly remembered being that age, standing in line with a heart full of desperate hope, praying my wolf would awaken. But my turn never came. I was left standing there in the dirt, completely human, while everyone else ran into the woods. ​I had always been the broken outsider. ​But now, as I gently pressed my palm against my flat stomach, everything felt different. I was pregnant. Soon, my own child would be standing among these young ones, strong and vibrant, taking their very first shift. For the first time in my life, I felt like I truly belonged. ​"Well, look who finally decided to show up." ​The cruel, mocking voice came from a small group of pack women gathered near the patio. I didn't even need to turn around to know who they were. ​"Isn't that the pathetic Luna who constantly clings to the Alpha's sleeve?" the first woman whispered loudly, ensuring her voice carried across the lawn. ​"Yes," a second woman chimed in, laughing softly behind her hand. "I heard she was practically begging to get into his bed the other night. She’s desperate to keep her claws in him." ​"What's the point of her even trying?" a third voice sneered. "Even if she lays with him every single night, a useless, wolfless thing like her can never get pregnant. She's just wasting the Alpha's time." ​A hot, fierce anger burned deep in my chest. A dull ache throbbed in my throat as I swallowed back the humiliation. After all the years I had dedicated to this pack, cooking, cleaning, and caring for the wounded, they still viewed me as nothing more than a parasite. I had earned my place at Desmond’s side through loyalty and devotion, yet they refused to see me as anything but a curse. ​Lily stepped closer to me, her eyes flashing with anger as she glared at the group. "Don't listen to a single word they say," she whispered fiercely in my ear. "They aren't worth your time, Ana. Come on." ​I forced a tight nod and kept my eyes forward, refusing to let them see me cry. I smiled at Lily, drawing strength from the secret growing inside me. I was going to find Desmond right now and give him the good news. Their insults wouldn't matter anymore once he knew. ​But the moment I took a step toward the main pack house, a sharp figure stepped out from the shadow of the porch, completely blocking my path. ​I stopped in my tracks and looked up. ​My breath caught in my throat. It was Ema. ​Ema offered a small, flawless smile, taking a slow, calculated step closer to me. "It's been a long time, Ana," she said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "I honestly didn't expect to see you still hanging around here." ​My fingers instantly curled into tight fists at my sides. I fought with everything I had to keep my expression blank and hold back the sudden wave of rage. ​What on earth was Ema doing back at the Bloodtron estate? ​She had abandoned the pack years ago. Back then, when Desmond was just a struggling warrior, she didn't want him. She had broken his heart, leaving him completely shattered and isolated. I was the one who stayed behind. I was the one who picked up the broken pieces of his soul, comforting him through the darkest nights until he finally rose to become the Alpha. Now that he had power and a crown, she was suddenly standing on our doorstep. ​Ema reached out before I could react, catching my hands in hers. Her touch was uncomfortably tight. "I know I made terrible mistakes in the past," she said, looking directly into my eyes with an expression of deep remorse. "But I'm back now, Ana. I want to make things right with Desmond. I want to make up for all the pain I caused him." ​I felt a chill run down my spine. Slowly but firmly, I pulled my hands out of her grasp. ​Lily stepped in front of me, placing herself directly between us. "Back off, Ema," Lily snapped, her posture tense and defensive. "You have no business being here." ​Ema completely ignored Lily, keeping her sharp, piercing gaze locked entirely on me. "I only came back because I felt so guilty about the past," Ema continued, her voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. "Besides, I’ve actually been staying here in the pack house for a while now. I’m just really surprised Desmond didn't bother to mention it to you." ​She paused for a cruel beat, letting the silence stretch between us. A small, victorious smirk played at the corner of her lips. "Or maybe he just didn't know how to tell you about the child I'm currently carrying for him." ​The words hit me like a physical blow to the chest. The world seemed to stop spinning entirely. "What?" I whispered, my voice cracking as the air left my lungs. ​Before I could process the agonizing weight of her words, the heavy sound of approaching footsteps echoed from the porch. I instinctively turned my head toward the sound. ​Desmond was walking down the steps, his powerful Alpha aura commanding the space as he moved toward us. ​In a split second, Ema lunged forward. She grabbed my hands again, her fingernails digging sharply into my skin with sudden, violent force. Before I could even realize what she was doing, she threw her own body backward, making it look exactly as though I had forcefully shoved her away. ​She let out a loud, piercing scream of terror as she hit the ground. ​Everything happened in a chaotic blur. Before I could even open my mouth to explain, Desmond rushed past me like a storm. He violently shoved me out of his way, his shoulder slamming into mine so hard that I lost my footing. He didn't even glance down to see if I was okay. ​His eyes were filled with pure panic as he dropped to his knees, instantly lifting Ema up into his protective embrace. He gathered her tightly against his chest, cradling her as if she were the most precious, fragile thing in the entire world, and carried her away toward the pack clinic. ​I was left behind, collapsed entirely on the hard ground. ​A sharp, sudden pain bloomed deep within my lower stomach, making me gasp for air. I watched his broad back recede into the distance as he walked away from me, his eyes entirely focused on the woman in his arms. Not once did he look back to see if I was hurt. Not once did he check on me. ​And in that agonizing moment, the truth finally became clear. ​His first love was back. ​Now I meant nothing.