My Alpha Brought His Pregnant Ex Home, So I Brought Mine

My mate, an Alpha named Jack, brought his pregnant ex-girlfriend Lily back to our packhouse. All because she got knocked up and her deadbeat boyfriend dumped her. Heartbroken, I went out for some fresh air. That was when a strange, potent Alpha scent blocked my path. "Emma, long time no see." The man I’d secretly loved for years stood there, leaning heavily on a pair of crutches. He looked battered and worn, but his eyes were still as gentle as I remembered. He told me his legs were badly injured, and his wolf was terribly weak. Tears instantly stung my eyes. At that exact moment, I suddenly understood how Jack felt. Unable to stop myself, I grabbed the man’s hand. "Come home with me. I’ll take care of you." In my haze, I completely forgot that he had never told me why he got kicked out of his pack in the first place. "Why are you only coming home now? Get inside, quick. Don't let the cold wind blow in—Lily catches colds easily." "Also, Lily has terrible morning sickness. Her diet has to be strictly monitored. I'm making special nutritional meals for her, so you can't eat those greasy..." Jack, wearing an apron, froze in his tracks. I didn't have time for him. I gently supported Tom. "Careful. I'll have someone replace this door tomorrow. The steps are way too high." Tom didn't move. He let out a heavy sigh. "Emma, I appreciate it, really. But it’s not right for me to stay in your place." "I can manage on my own..." Before he could finish, his left leg trembled violently. I quickly pulled his weight onto me, my heart aching. "How can you manage on your own?" "Look at your legs! How could I possibly let you leave?" Tom stubbornly remained at the doorway, refusing to step inside. He kept his head down, moving cautiously. Where was the radiant, untouchable Alpha from my past? Seeing him broken like this made it hard for me to breathe. I followed his gaze and looked up. Jack's voice was dangerously low. "You want a stray Alpha to move into our house?" "Did you even think to ask me first?" Tom’s legs gave out slightly, leaning heavier against me. A sharp pain twisted in my chest. Anger flared up. "What's wrong with him staying here?" "Look at him! What could he possibly do to you?" "He's crippled and suffering. Don't you have a shred of empathy?" Jack let out a cold laugh. "What does his misery have to do with me?" "If word gets out that my mate brought another Alpha into my territory to live under my roof—the entire pack will laugh at me!" "No way. I don't approve!" Just as I opened my mouth to snap back, a delicate, whiny voice drifted from the hallway. "Jack? Where did you go? My stomach hurts so much... come here, please!" Relief washed over me, instantly replaced by sheer mockery. "Oh? And what if the pack finds out that my Alpha brought a pregnant female from another pack into our home? Won't they gossip about you, too?" Jack glared at me, his eyes blazing. "How dare you? How dare you slander Lily like that?" I fired back without hesitation, "Why wouldn't I dare?" Inside, the woman started sobbing softly. Panic crossed Jack's face. He ground his teeth. "Don't upset Lily." With that, he turned and rushed into the back room. I knew that was his surrender. For Lily's sake, he let it slide. I helped Tom inside. His legs were barely holding him up anymore. Once in the living room, I guided him onto the plush sofa. He whispered softly, "Emma... I really shouldn't have barged into your life." "I just wanted to see you from afar, but... it's all my fault." "I shouldn't drag you down with me." A sneer echoed from the kitchen. "If you know you're intruding, why the fake act?" Ignoring Jack completely, I set Tom’s crutches against the wall and spoke gently. "Ignore him. That's just how he is." "Just stay here and recover in peace." I didn't ask Tom how he got injured. He was already pitiful enough, and I didn't want to trigger him. Besides, it didn't matter. In this city, rogue shifters fought all the time. We kept our lives hidden from humans, and the local human authorities turned a blind eye to our skirmishes. We maintained a silent, fragile balance.I picked up Tom's duffel bag and headed straight for the guest bedroom. Jack barked, "Stop right there!" "You're actually putting another Alpha in that room?" "Letting him through the front door was already my biggest compromise. Now you're pushing it?" "Absolutely not!" I didn't stop. I kept pulling the luggage toward the door. Jack didn't even wash the dish soap off his hands. He stormed over and grabbed my wrist, demanding: "Have you lost your mind?" I ripped my hand away, giving him a flat look. "Lily said she wasn't feeling well and could only sleep comfortably on a king-sized mattress." "I already gave up the master bedroom for her. Didn't you tell me I could do whatever I wanted with the guest room?" There were only two proper bedrooms in this house. Lily had cried and thrown a tantrum until she took over the master bedroom. She even complained about my clothes and makeup, saying there was too much clutter and it suffocated her. So, I had been kicked out, forced to move all my belongings into the guest room. Jack paused. Remembering that incident, his tone softened a bit, though his brow stayed furrowed. "This isn't about doing whatever you want." "Then what is it about?" I asked coolly. "Tom has mobility issues and his legs are still broken. If he doesn't sleep in this bedroom, where else is he supposed to go?" Jack’s temper flared again. "He’s an Alpha! He’s a strange male!" Watching Jack’s face turn bright red, it hit me—weren’t these the exact same lines I threw at him days ago? I sighed. We really needed to have this talk. "Jack, I was wrong." Jack instantly lowered his defensive posture. "Good. As long as you understand." I looked him in the eyes, my voice eerily calm. "I mean, I finally understand how you feel." "Lily is the one in your heart. Seeing her suffer breaks you inside." "Seeing Tom today made me feel the exact same way. I can't just abandon him either." "How about this? You take care of Lily, and I'll take care of Tom. We can coexist peacefully." "You make up for your past regrets, and I fulfill mine. Everyone wins." Jack stared at me, dumbfounded, before blurting out: "That's ridiculous!" "That is utterly insane!" I frowned in confusion. "Isn't it fair? You were the one who brought Lily in first. If anyone started this insanity, it was you!" Jack stood frozen, tongue-tied. His neck was flushed red, but he clearly couldn't process it. Just then, Lily made noise in the master bathroom again. "Jack! Hurry, come here!" Surprisingly, Jack didn't dash in right away like he used to. He remained where he was, studying me in silence. "Emma, are you doing all this just to spite me?" Inside, Lily's cries grew louder. I didn't want to waste any more breath on him, so I shoved his shoulder. "Spite you? Go on, get inside. Lily is pregnant. What if something happens to her?" Reluctantly, Jack turned and left. I let out a breath and hurried back to unpack. Tom was sensitive. I needed to go check on him.Early the next morning, I stepped out of the kitchen with a freshly prepared breakfast tray, only to run into Jack coming out of the master bedroom. He stammered, looking uncomfortable. "Lily was having nightmares. I stayed up watching over her for the second half of the night." I gave him a weird look. Hadn't that been his daily routine lately? Why was he suddenly explaining himself to me? I gave a nonchalant nod and tried to walk past him. The moment I took a step, Jack's voice lifted with sudden delight. "Emma, I knew it. Deep down, you still care about me most." "These stuffed breakfast rolls are my absolute favorite." I slapped his hand away as he reached for the plate. "What are you doing?" "This is for Tom." Without another glance, I walked past him toward the living room. Ever since Lily moved in, the kitchen hadn't felt like mine. Claiming she needed peace and quiet for the baby, she monopolized the entire first floor. If I wanted a late-night snack, I had to walk on eggshells—she would clutch her belly and complain that the cooking smell made her nauseous, and Jack would immediately tell me to "be understanding." Yet multiple times in the middle of the night, I had caught her sitting alone in the kitchen, happily munching on beef jerky she bought online, scrolling TikTok and laughing her ass off. When I brought it up, Jack just brushed it off: "She’s pregnant. Why are you picking fights with her?" I shook my head, clearing those bitter memories away. When I walked into the living room, Tom, who had been waiting for me with a bright smile, instantly shrank back into a timid, cautious posture. I turned around and realized Jack had followed me like a shadow. "Emma, you've worked so hard!" Tom said, his voice laced with guilt. "I'm so useless. If only my legs weren't broken!" "You watched over me all night, and now you're making me breakfast... I really don't deserve this..." Seeing his self-blame, I quickly comforted him. "Don't say that. I did it because I wanted to." "Besides, you only got injured protecting your pack members, and those bastards actually kicked you out—" Before I could finish, Jack exploded behind me. "Didn't we agree that I'd take the couch so you could have the home office?" "Emma, you stayed in the guest room watching over him all night?!" At Jack's roar, Tom immediately hung his head. My temper flared instantly. "Jack, his legs were killing him. Of course I had to watch him." "Isn't that the exact same thing as you watching over Lily?" Jack choked, instinctively arguing, "That's not the same..." "How is it any different?" I cut him off cold. "I don't care that you care about Lily, so don't you dare meddle with me caring about Tom." Jack froze, completely speechless. He stood there, stunned, his thoughts churning. I didn't have time for his nonsense. I handed the plate to Tom. "Tom, this is from that bakery you used to love. I bought the exact spice blend. It’s going to taste amazing." A wide smile finally broke across Tom's face. "Thank you, Emma." Suddenly, Jack snatched the plate away. "Emma this, Emma that! Who gave you permission to call her Emma?" "Why the hell are you eating food my wife bought?" "Her name is Emma Davis! You don't get to call her Emma!" Tom murmured softly, "But... she's my Emma..." I looked at Jack, totally exasperated. "Have you lost your damn mind?" Lily's voice drifted out again, calling for him. Yet Jack didn't budge. He glared at me intensely, looking like he was ready to brawl. Right as the tension reached its breaking point, Lily shuffled out with red-rimmed eyes."Jack, did you not hear me calling you?" "Or... do you think I'm a burden, too?" "Maybe I should just leave. I'm only causing trouble for you anyway." If this had happened before, I would have rolled my eyes so hard they’d fall out. But now, surprisingly, I actually felt a twinge of pity for her. Jack panicked and rushed to deny it. "Lily, how could you be a burden?" "I just didn't hear you over the noise. Wait here, I'll fix you breakfast right now." Jack scrambled toward the kitchen in a hurry. Watching him leave for Lily, I breathed a sigh of relief. Lily's timing was immaculate. After breakfast, a new problem arose. I had to go to work, but I wasn't comfortable leaving Tom alone in the house with the two of them. Tom seemed to sense my worry and said gently: "Emma, go to work. Don't worry about me." "It's not like I haven't lived alone before. You know me, I can manage basic stuff by myself." I glanced toward the kitchen. Jack happened to step out, offering a cold sneer. "What do you take me for?" "Do you honestly think I’d lay a finger on a cripple?" I offered a tense smile. Was I seriously suspecting my own mate's character? Even though Jack had been emotionally volatile lately, he was a true Alpha. I chose to mate with him precisely because of his strong sense of responsibility. That was just how city wolves were. I had once wondered if I should hold out for my fated mate, but everyone told me the Moon Goddess's blessing was rare. I might wait my entire life and never meet him. So, you know... I settled on Jack. He took great care of his packmates, respected the elders, and before Lily showed up, we had a genuinely happy mated life. In pack business, he was fair, decisive, and deeply respected. I really shouldn't be doubting his morals. Reassured, I finally headed out for work. At the office, though, my mind kept drifting. A few coworkers noticed I was distracted and asked if everything was okay. I watched the clock until the second my shift ended, then bolted straight back to the house. The moment I pushed the door open, I saw Tom sprawled on the hardwood floor, looking bruised and battered. I rushed over, frantically checking on him. Tom gritted his teeth, holding back tears. "Emma, I'm fine... really." Jack scoffed from the hallway. "Of course he's fine. He's totally faking it." "Emma, don't let this pathetic act fool you." Tom lowered his gaze, his lips trembling, eyes glistening with tears. "Emma, I really am a burden. I only bring misery to this house... You should just let me go." That line sounded oddly familiar, though I couldn't remember where I had heard it before. Without skipping a beat, Jack piped up in agreement. "I think he's right. Having him here is way too much trouble. Emma, let him pack his bags." A wave of rage surged through my chest. I opened my mouth to tear into him, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught the redness rimming Tom's eyes. Almost instantly, a strange calm washed over me. When I really thought about it, the mate bond between Jack and me was already dead in all but name. Breaking it was probably for the best. Tom’s legs were shattered. If he stayed in this house, who knew what other misery he'd suffer when I wasn't around? Leaving was the cleanest choice for everyone. I nodded quietly. "Fine." Jack grinned, visibly relieved. "Emma, I'm glad you finally came to your senses." I looked him dead in the eye, perfectly serious. "Given the state of things, we really should separate." "Jack, let's break our mate bond." Jack stared at me in pure disbelief. "Emma, what are you saying? You want to reject our mate bond over some crippled Alpha?"