Mighty Female Alpha, Fearless of Betrayal Chapter 05
The hex had been meant to swap wolf pups. But itÂ
had bonded to a cat instead.Â
And a cat’s gestation is three months.Â
Vivian was rushed to the pack clinic and labored.Â
through a full day and night.Â
What she delivered was ten kittens.Â
Each one barely a few ounces. Each one wrong.Â
enough to make the attending nurses go pale.Â
I went straight to the shaman after.Â
He confirmed what I already suspected. The strayÂ
cat at his sanctuary had also given birth, toÂ
something that looked disturbinglyÂ
human–shaped.Â
I felt a quiet, heavy ache for that. I hadn’t meant to hurt an innocent life, even if the blood running. through it belonged to Ethan and Vivian.Â
But I’d had no choice. I needed to protect my pup. And if I’d never put on that first charm, they would have noticed something was off. WhateverÂ
backup plan they had ready, I wouldn’t have seen itÂ
coming.Â
I had the shaman bring the creature back to me.Â
That same afternoon, Ethan showed up at my house with Vivian leaning on his arm.Â
She was unrecognizable. Face swollen andÂ
bloodless. She could barely walk on her own.Â
Ethan spoke like he was making a reasonableÂ
request. “Vivian just delivered. She’s weak. AssignÂ
someone from the pack to take care of her for atÂ
while.”Â
I almost laughed. “Why would I do that?”Â
He didn’t know it yet, but I’d already put in a newÂ
pack rule. No pack member could be dispatchedÂ
without direct Alpha authorization. I’d been quietly.Â
pulling back every piece of power I’d handed him.Â
He’d noticed. He just didn’t dare push back, notÂ
while he still needed me to stay calm.Â
Vivian’s eyes went wet on cue. Her voice droppedÂ
to a threadbare whisper. “I know I don’t deserve toÂ
ask. I lost my pups. I’m bad luck. I shouldn’t beÂ
here at all.”Â
“But I can barely stand. Aurora, please. I’m not asking for much. I won’t be any trouble.”Â
Her knees started to buckle. Ethan caught herÂ
fast.Â
And I saw it, just for a flash, the flicker of revulsion in his eyes before his face went carefully neutralÂ
again.Â
“Aurora, she’s genuinely not well. Can you really look at her and feel nothing? Just let her stay here a few days. Someone to help her. That’s notÂ
unreasonable.”Â
I looked between them. Ethan forcing himself to advocate for a woman he could barely stand to look at. Vivian performing helplessness withÂ
practiced precision.Â
Evil really does have a way of finding its match.Â
My phone rang. The shaman.Â
I hit speaker without hesitating.Â
His voice filled the room clearly: “Alpha, that charmÂ
you left with me, the Luna from the RidgecrestÂ
pack saw it and wants to commission a hundred.Â
of them for her wolves. Should I go ahead?”Â
“Go ahead,” I said. “Use your judgment.”Â
Vivian’s head snapped up. Her face drainedÂ
completely.Â
“What charm? Which charm?”Â
I looked at her with mild curiosity. “The one your gave me. I must’ve left it behind during my visit. Apparently his cat got attached to it. She’s beenÂ
wearing it every day.”Â
Vivian went rigid. Then the sound that came out ofÂ
her wasn’t crying. It was a scream.Â
“You gave it to a cat?! You did this to me, you knew, you did this on purpose!”Â
I let the Alpha authority bleed into my voice. “SayÂ
that clearly. What exactly did I do to you?”Â
Ethan grabbed her arm hard and yanked. “Shut up. You’re making it worse.”Â
“My pups!” She was clawing at him, hysterical.Â
“Enough.”Â
He said it like a command. His grip locked her inÂ
place.Â
She broke free anyway. She lunged at me, hands out, going for my face, screaming, “Give themÂ
back! Give me back my babies!”

