Surprise! My Alpha Mate’s Secret Pups Were Never HIS Chapter 03
Magnus stood up and clapped his hands twice. Wolf servants filed in from the door, each carrying a tray draped in black velvet.
He pulled back the first cloth. A land deed.
“Freya. A den for you and the pups. Over in the woods south of Fenrir territory. You’re staying in the Pack from now on.”
Second tray. A set of keys and a pass holder. “Iron Wolf Off-Road—for getting around.”
Third tray. An untraceable moonstone card. No limit.
I never knew Magnus could be so thoughtful. Claw guards. Grooming brushes. Teething bones for the pups. He’d thought of everything.
A birthday party. He turned it into a handover ceremony.
Then his Beta Vex walked up with a scroll.
“On behalf of Alpha Magnus Nightshade, I present the pack inheritance contract.”
“Forty percent of Nightshade Pack land—to pups Kael Nightshade and Iris Nightshade. Another ten percent—to Freya Grey. This contract has been certified by the wolf Elders. Effective immediately.”
The whole hall went dead quiet.
Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.
I patrolled Nightshade borders for five years. Drank moonbrew until my wolf went weak. He never once offered me even one percent.
But Freya? She hasn’t even Bonded with him yet. And he’s already paved her a golden path.
Turns out, it’s real easy to see who matters and who doesn’t.
Magnus finally spotted me in the corner. He walked over.
“Sigrid. Don’t overthink this. The pack goes to Kael and Iris so they can hold their ground someday. You’re my bonded Luna. Once they’re grown, they’ll respect you the same way they respect me. What would you even do with land of your own?”
Before he could finish, Freya was there. “Magnus, I don’t know some of those elders over there. Will you introduce me?”
She pulled him into the crowd. He didn’t look back at me.
Elara was calling everyone over for a family portrait.
Aldric sat in the center. Freya on his left, holding Iris. Magnus behind her, holding Kael. Elara beside Magnus. All of them. Neat. Whole.
I stepped out.
Magnus found me later. I was slumped against a pillar in the back courtyard, clutching a flask of moonbrew. Already half gone. Face wet.
He dropped down next to me. I caught Freya’s scent on him. Faint. But my wolf caught it.
He brought a bowl of warm water. Dabbed at the corners of my eyes. Then tipped the bowl to my lips. For a second, I was twenty years younger.
Back when Nightshade had nothing left. No territory. No resources. We camped outside some old Alpha’s den, begging for hunting grounds.
He said yes. One cup of moonbrew per stretch of woodland.
I drank a hundred cups that day. By the end, my hands and mouth were shaking. I crawled out and threw up until there was nothing left but bile.
Magnus held me then. Tears falling on my neck. Hands shaking as he wiped my mouth.
He kept saying we should quit. Walk away. Let it all burn.
I grabbed his hands. Pressed my nose to his wet face. “Magnus. I’m going to rebuild Nightshade. And every wolf who crossed you? They’re going to kneel.”
He held me. Pressed his nose into my neck and sobbed. “Sigrid. I’ll never leave you. I just didn’t want you to suffer… but I hurt you anyway.”
Our noses touched. Tears and spit mixed. Nothing sweet about it. Just bitter.
“Magnus. Send Freya back to Veridian. Make her stay there. Please.”
I squeezed his hand.
“You want pups? I’ll go to the healer tomorrow. We’ll have our own pups. Just come back to me. I can take anything.”
His body went stiff. The fur on his spine stood straight up. Then it sank, inch by inch.
My wolf snapped awake.
“Magnus. When you wanted pups—why wasn’t I the first one you came to?”
I slammed my fist into the stone table beside me. A crack split down the middle. Blood dripped from my knuckles onto the ground.
—
The next morning, Magnus brought Kael and Iris to my den.
He nudged them forward. “Kael. Iris. This is Luna Sigrid.”
The two pups stared up at me. Eyes darting.
Magnus crouched down, stroked their backs gently. “You’re staying with Luna Sigrid today. Father has pack business to handle. Be good.”
Kael—sharp little thing—piped up, loud and clear.
“Don’t worry, Father! Me and Iris will listen to Luna. Mother already told us everything.”