The Alpha King’s Heir Rejected His Chosen Luna and Chose My Womb

After years without an heir, the ruthless Alpha King finally had a pup on the way, and the entire Blackthorn Pack nearly wept with joy. But at the celebration feast, his favored Chosen Luna, Selene Vale, announced in front of everyone that she was going to end the pregnancy. “I won’t spend my prime years breeding heirs for this Pack. I was meant for more than lying down and carrying an Alpha’s bloodline.” “My fate is mine alone. Not the Moon Goddess’s. Not Kael’s. No woman should be chained to her womb and called useful.” She rested a hand on her belly, her face full of pride. “So, Alpha King, give me a bowl of moonbane.” Kael Blackthorn crushed the cup in his hand. Elder Luna Mara’s face went white with rage. I shrank into the corner, wishing I could crawl under the table and disappear. Then a soft babyish voice suddenly rang inside my head. [Is she stupid?] [The Moon Goddess gave her this kind of blessing, and she wants to throw it away? Does she really think I want to stay in her belly?] I froze. The voice had not come from the hall. It was inside my head. A mind-link. But I was Ivy Reed, the lowest Omega servant in the Pack. I had no wolf. No scent. I should not have been able to hear any mind-link at all. The little voice went on, furious. [I’m the Moon-blessed pup. If she doesn’t want me, plenty of people do.] My head went hot. Before I could stop myself, I whispered, “I do.” The whole hall turned to look at me. Selene narrowed her eyes. “What did you say?” Kael looked over too. His wolf growled. The force of his Alpha pressure hit me so hard my knees went weak. I dropped to the floor, my forehead almost touching the ground. “I didn’t mean to speak out.” My voice shook. But if I said nothing, I might die tonight. So I forced the words out. “I only meant... I’m willing to ease the Alpha King’s burden.” “If someone doesn’t want to bear his heir, I’m willing.” Pack Hall went silent. Then Selene laughed. “You?” She walked toward me, her voice full of contempt. “Ivy Reed, a wolfless Omega servant. You think you’re worthy?” I kept my head down and said nothing. But the little voice in my head exploded. [She’s the one who isn’t worthy!] [Her whole family isn’t worthy!] [How did I end up in this stupid woman’s belly?] I bit my tongue hard to keep from reacting. Kael stepped in front of me. “An Omega servant dares to say something like that?” My palms were slick with sweat. “I just want to live.” His gaze paused. Mara suddenly spoke. “Ivy, lift your head.” I slowly raised my face. She studied me for a moment. “You know herbs?” “A little.” “You know how to care for a pregnant Omega?” “Yes.” Mara looked at Kael, her voice low and firm. “If someone is willing to bear your heir, that’s better than letting someone threaten the entire Pack with a pup.” She paused. “Tonight, go to Ivy.” Selene’s face changed at once. “Elder Luna, what do you mean?” Mara looked at her coldly. “You don’t want to give birth. Someone else does.” Selene’s fingers clenched. Her eyes landed on me like blades. I stayed on my knees, my heart pounding so hard it hurt. I knew there was no going back now.

That night, Selene smashed half her room. I sat in my small room, listening to the sound of things shattering in the distance. My palms would not stop sweating. The little voice in my head sounded very pleased. [Serves her right. That’s what she gets for not knowing what she has.] I whispered, “Stop talking.” [Don’t be scared, Mommy.] My heart jumped. “Don’t call me that.” [You can hear me. That means we’re connected.] “What are you?” [The Moon-blessed pup. The Moon Goddess’s blessed pup. But I haven’t decided whether I want you as my mommy yet.] I almost laughed from anger. I was about to lose my life, and it was still busy choosing. Footsteps sounded outside the door. I stood at once. Kael came in. The room was small. The moment he entered, the air turned heavy. I lowered my head. “Alpha King.” He glanced at the herbs on the table. “You really know how to care for a pregnant Omega?” “Yes.” “You’re really willing to bear my heir?” My throat tightened. If I said yes, I would be throwing myself into the center of the storm. If I said no, I would be lying to the Alpha King. I said softly, “If the Moon Goddess allows it, I am willing.” Kael stared at me. “Are you afraid of me?” I did not dare lie. “Yes.” “You were bold enough in Pack Hall.” “I was only trying to survive.” He fell silent for a moment, then gripped my chin and forced me to look up. “An Omega without a wolf wants to bear my heir?” The little voice in my head immediately shouted. [Don’t back down. Say you can do it!] I looked at Kael and said quietly, “I’ll do my best.” That night, he stayed in my small room. There was no tenderness. No unnecessary words. I knew very well this was not affection. Selene had pushed too hard, and I had become another path. By the next day, the entire Blackthorn Pack knew. The people in the herb room looked at me differently. “She really dared to crawl into the Alpha King’s bed.” “A wolf-less waste thinks she can bear an heir?” “Selene is worth more than a hundred of her.” I acted as if I had not heard and continued sorting the herbs. At noon, Mara summoned me. Selene was there too. Selene looked furious, but she still stood straight, as if everyone in the room should be kneeling at her feet. Mara asked coldly, “Selene, are you still going to use the pup to threaten Kael?” Selene smiled. “I’m only asking for what I deserve.” She turned to Kael and said each word clearly. “Luna authority. A Council seat. An heir’s wolf oath. If even one is missing, I won’t give birth.” Mara snapped, “The pup in your womb is the Pack’s hope.” “And my bargaining chip.” Pack Hall fell dead silent again. I lowered my head, trying to make myself invisible. But Selene looked straight at me, her eyes poisonous. “As for Ivy?” She gave a soft laugh. “An Omega without even a wolf thinks one night with you means she can replace me?” She looked at Kael with absolute certainty. “You can favor her if you want, but you can’t live without me. Without me, you’ll have no heir.” The little voice in my head snorted coldly. [Where does she get all that confidence? Her belly is just a temporary place to stay. It’s not my home.] Kael stood, his face dark. Everyone thought he would lose his temper. But he only said coldly, “If you don’t want to give birth, then don’t concern yourself with who I choose to bear my child.” With that, he turned and left. When he passed me, he stopped. “Ivy, come with me.” I froze, then had no choice but to follow. Behind me, Selene’s voice dropped very low. “Ivy Reed, you’ll regret this.” I knew. She was not speaking to Kael. She was speaking to me.

For the next few days, I became the joke of the entire Blackthorn Pack. They said I had seduced Alpha King Kael. They said I had no shame. They said an Omega without a wolf could never bear an heir, and even if I did, the child would be a monster. Selene did not sit idle either. She sent word to the outside Packs. Soon, everyone was saying she was the poor Chosen Luna being forced to give birth. They said Kael and Elder Luna Mara had humiliated her for the sake of an heir. They said I had crawled into Kael’s bed to steal her place. I heard those rumors while sorting herbs in the herb room. The dried leaves in my hand crumbled under my fingers. The little voice in my head gave a cold snort. [Don’t be mad. The bigger she makes this, the harder she’ll fall later.] I whispered, “Can you really leave her?” The voice went quiet for a moment. [I never belonged to her. A Moon-blessed pup can only form a bond with the mother accepted by the Moon Goddess. She can’t carry me.] “Then why were you in her womb?” [Someone cheated the Moon Goddess’s ritual.] I wanted to ask more, but the voice went silent. That evening, Mara sent someone to bring me supplements. Her housekeeper looked at me with a little more respect than before. “Elder Luna said your body is weak. You need to build your strength.” I accepted the things from her. “Please thank her for me.” The housekeeper lowered her voice. “Don’t be afraid of rumors. In the end, a Pack doesn’t judge by gossip. It judges by results.” I nodded. But I knew the result would not come easily. Selene would not let me wait for that day in peace. That night, she barged into Kael’s study. When Mara summoned me over, Selene was already standing in the center of the room. A maid stood beside her, holding a bowl of black herbal medicine. The moment I smelled it, my face changed. Moonbane. That herb could harm a pup. In severe cases, it could end a pregnancy. Mara snapped, “Have you lost your mind?” Selene touched her stomach and smiled coldly. “I’m perfectly clearheaded.” She looked at Kael. “I’ll give you one month. One month from now, at the full moon gathering, if you still haven’t sworn the wolf oath and given me Luna authority and a Council seat, I’ll drink this moonbane in front of every Pack.” Kael’s eyes turned vicious. “You wouldn’t dare.” “You can gamble on that.” Selene turned to me. “You can also gamble on whether this useless Omega can give you an heir.” I lowered my head. Selene walked closer. Her voice was not loud, but every word cut. “You think a few glances from Alpha King Kael mean you can rise above your place? People like you were born to kneel. Even if you climb into his bed, you’re still the lowest Omega in the Pack.” My nails dug into my palms. I said nothing. The little voice in my head shook with anger. [She’ll have nothing soon.] Kael said coldly, “Enough.” Selene lifted the bowl of moonbane, then set it down again. “One month. That’s all I’ll wait.” After she left, the study was cold enough to freeze the air. Mara looked at Kael. “We can’t let her keep doing this.” Kael did not answer. He only looked at me. “For this month, don’t go anywhere alone. My guards will stay with you.” I froze. “Why?” “She’s already watching you.” I lowered my head, a chill running down my back. Only then did I understand. I was no longer a bystander. If Selene wanted to win, she had to destroy me first.