My Alpha Wants His Mistress to Bear an HeirChapter 1

Ember's POV

"My love and I are expecting our first pup."

Elara’s post caption burned my heart and each word cut through me like a sharp claw.

Memories of what I had always wanted swirled in my chest, tightening each second. I had dreamt of having pups of my own—tiny paws stumbling towards me, calling me “Mom.”

I’d imagined teaching my daughter to shift for the first time, guiding her through the pain of the change, or watching my son’s first run beneath the full moon. I had wanted our house to be filled with the sound of young wolves, their playful growls echoing in the night.

But Darius? He had always brushed me off. Whenever I’d mentioned having our pup, he’d say the timing wasn’t right, or he wasn’t in the mood. He’d laugh, saying pups were too loud, too much trouble—like they were something to be pushed aside.

It wasn’t just the pups, though. I wanted that life with him, to build something lasting. But the more I tried to get close, the further away he drifted. It felt like I was chasing a dream that was always slipping out of my grasp.

Then things changed.

Darius began staying out late.

I noticed him looking through articles on raising pups—something he never cared about before. My heart leapt. Maybe he was finally ready. Maybe he wanted the future I had longed for, the family we could build together.

But as the days passed, the truth became clearer. Those plans? They weren’t for us. They were for someone else.

For her. Elara.

The thought twisted inside me like a blade.

That night, Darius came home earlier than usual. The door creaked open, and he called out, "Hey, babe!" His voice sounded too cheerful, too fake.

I lay in our house, staring at the ceiling, my heart in pieces. The sound of the shower in the other room barely comforted me. When he finally climbed into bed, his hand brushed mine, as if nothing had changed between us. But I couldn’t reach back.

I wanted to feel something, anything, other than this emptiness. I wanted to believe we could fix it, that we could save what was broken. But all I could feel was the truth—I wasn’t the one he wanted.

Then, like it was the most casual thing in the world, he spoke. His voice was soft, almost tender.

“Ember, Elara wants pups, but she doesn’t want them with someone she doesn’t love. Once the pup is born, I’ll end things with her. I promise.”