Her Vow of Winter

I found out I was pregnant.

It should have been the perfect start to a new chapter in the mate bond between my Alpha husband, Vaughn, and me.

However, Vaughn’s adopted sister, Rosalie, was also pregnant.

To protect Rosalie's "cursed" child from being executed by the Council of Elders, my husband publicly claimed the child as his own.

And our child?

He told me our pup’s identity could only be claimed after Rosalie’s was born.

I demanded to know why.

His answer was cold and firm. "It's the only way to protect the pack's honor. I won't let anything happen to her or her pup."

In that moment, looking at the Alpha I had been bonded to for ten years, my faith in him shattered.

Shortly after, my adoptive family condemned me for carrying a "child of impure blood" and demanded I undergo a purification ritual.

Meanwhile, my husband was in another city, settling the woman he was protecting into a secret sanctuary for her pregnancy.

By the time he returned, I was gone.

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1

Elara's POV

I found my husband this afternoon by the pack’s sacred spring, performing a blessing ceremony for his pregnant adopted sister, Rosalie.

That blessing should have been mine.

Through a gap in the ancient trees, I watched a gentle smile spread across Vaughn’s face. Rosalie's hand rested on her own belly, and Vaughn's hand covered hers as he nodded, his gaze soft.

If I didn't know that Alpha was my mate—the father of the pup in my womb—I would have mistaken them for a pair of fated mates.

"Elara Thorne? The Elder has summoned you," a young werewolf announced from the path.

Vaughn whirled around, his face pale, his eyes scanning the forest. He must have heard my name.

When his gaze fell on me, his mouth opened, but no words came out.

We’d been bonded for nearly a decade. This year, I’d finally conceived his pup. He knew, better than anyone, how much I needed this—how much we needed an heir. How could he do this to me?

I strode toward him, my heart a storm of fury that made my power flare, causing the sacred stones around the spring to crack.

"Is this why you couldn't join my meditation today?" I fought to keep my voice steady, but my untamed power made the very air around us shimmer.

A surge of rage ripped through me. I unleashed my power, and the stones shattered into dust.

It was the first time I had ever shown such anger toward him. Yet, even under the force of my power, he stood there, silent, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Your silence isn't helping, Vaughn. You owe me an explanation."

Vaughn didn't move, but Rosalie—who had been cowering behind him—stepped forward, positioning herself between us.

"Elara, right?" Her voice trembled. "Blame me. Vaughn has done nothing wrong."

"It's my fault, Elara. I'm carrying a child I shouldn't have."

"Blame you?" I scoffed, my voice laced with bitterness.

Despite my strength, tears streamed down my cheeks.

My tears seemed to break through his stupor. Vaughn finally moved around Rosalie and pulled me into his arms.

"Don't cry, Elara. The child isn't mine," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

I froze. What?

But then Rosalie spoke, blinking her wide, innocent eyes at Vaughn. "Vaughn, didn't you promise to protect my child with the Blood Oath Ritual? Why are you telling her now?"

Protect her child? What was happening?

I broke free from Vaughn’s embrace and stared at him. "Vaughn, what is she talking about? What is going on?"

"Vaughn!" Rosalie cried out, a clear warning in her tone.

But Vaughn didn't hesitate. "Elara is my mate. She has a right to know."

"Fine," Rosalie’s tear-filled eyes locked onto mine. "If you really want to know, Elara... Vaughn has decided to claim my child. That means he might not be able to claim yours."

Vaughn's face was ashen, but he remained silent, offering no defense.

"But don't worry," Rosalie continued, her tone sickeningly sweet as she reached for my hand. "Vaughn said that even if he can't acknowledge your pup for now, it can be born as a 'shadow child'—no name, no inheritance."

"My pup will be the first heir, bearing the Blackwood name," she added, her voice dripping with false sympathy.