He Didn't Know I Was the Alpha King's Daughter

When Damian missed our family day again, I didn't call to confront him. On the calendar on the living room wall, every day he'd promised to spend with us was marked with a red line. Every time he left, it was for Chloe. His dead brother James's widow, and the former Luna. Half a year ago, he inherited the Alpha position, and with it, the responsibility of caring for Chloe. He held my hand and promised me. "The pack needs a pureblood heir." "Once Chloe gets pregnant and has the child, they'll never stand in our way again." "When that happens, I'll hold the Mark ceremony with you in broad daylight. I'll bring you and Leo home." But when I finally got the news that Chloe was pregnant, the pack also announced they would hold a Mark ceremony for the two of them. Our son Leo was still clutching the wolf-tooth pendant Damian had given him before bed. "Mom, is Dad coming home to be with us?" "No." I put the pendant in a drawer and zipped the suitcase I'd already packed. Damian always thought I was just a woman with nowhere to go. He didn't know. I was the Alpha King's only daughter. In three days, my father would personally come to welcome Leo and me back to the capital. Chapter 1 My father's message was still on the screen. [In three days, I will personally come to welcome you and Leo back to the capital.] I replied "Okay" and set the phone on the nightstand. On the living room wall, every promised family day was crossed out in red. Downstairs, dinner still sat on the table. Several candles had burned to the end. Wax had dripped onto the tablecloth and hardened into small white marks. Damian always had a reason for breaking his promises. Chloe had a nightmare and needed him. Chloe's wolf was out of control. As Alpha, he couldn't abandon a pack member. Every time he left, I would call and urge him to come back. This time, I didn't. When he first held my hand and swore, he said that once Chloe successfully conceived an heir, he would end his duty to his dead brother's widow and hold the Mark ceremony with me. "Once she's pregnant, we can put this whole thing behind us." He kissed my forehead then, his tone certain. "After that, I'll only be your Mate." I believed him. Now Chloe was pregnant. And Damian was at the Moon Temple with her, praying. Before bed, he had called once. On the other end, the elders' prayers rose in waves. Not a single word about what day it was. In the gaps between prayers, I heard elders quietly discussing the Mark ceremony preparations for Damian and Chloe after the full moon ritual. Damian's voice was low. "Don't wait for me. Go to sleep." Then the call ended. Just before dawn, I heard a car engine downstairs. I looked out the window. Damian had come in alone. His suit jacket was draped over his arm. His collar carried the scent of roses. Chloe's favorite perfume. His eyes landed on the suitcase in the living room. "Where are you going with that?" I didn't answer. He walked over and reached for me the way he always did. I stepped away. "Still upset about last night?" he asked. "Didn't I have gifts sent over? Your necklace. And the toy for Leo. I picked them out myself." "We were waiting for you." The smile on Damian's face faded a little. "I know. Chloe wasn't feeling well last night, and the elders were at the Moon Temple. I couldn't leave her there alone." "She's already pregnant." "That's exactly why I need to be more careful." He looked at me, his tone softening. "Mia, don't read too much into this. I promised you. Once she safely has the child, I'll hold the Mark ceremony with you and bring you and Leo into the pack properly." Damian took my hand. "Chloe is my brother's wife. I can't just abandon her the moment she's confirmed pregnant." He was still saying "wait." I pulled my hand back. Seven years ago, I left the capital and was attacked by rogue wolves in a blizzard. Damian saved me. He was patrolling the border with his people. He lifted me out of the snow, wrapped me in his own coat, and stayed with me all night. When I woke, he was sitting by the fire. Blood was still wet on his brow. But the first thing he did was ask if I was cold. The moment our eyes met, we both felt it. We were fated mates. So we fell in love. Naturally. I willingly hid my name for him. Tucked my father's token into the bottom of a chest. Gave him Leo. Then Chloe's husband died, and he had to look after his brother's widow. He told me that once Chloe conceived an heir, everything would be over... Leo and I waited for him. Again and again. Now Chloe was pregnant. And he still wanted us to wait. Upstairs, I heard Leo cough. Damian turned. "Is he awake?" "Not yet." "I'll go check on him." "No need." Damian didn't catch the refusal. He was already heading for the stairs. "We can have family day anytime. I'll make it up to you both." He said, "I'll book the best restaurant in town. Take Leo to watch pack training." I stood there and didn't tell him. Leo remembered the empty chair. And he remembered that when the candles burned out, Dad wasn't there. Damian reached the stairs and looked back at me. "Come to the pack tonight. My mother wants to see you. The elders will be there too. I'll explain the Mark ceremony." "Okay." He seemed surprised I agreed. His brow moved slightly. His phone rang. Chloe's name on the screen. Damian answered immediately, his voice softening. "What's wrong? I'm coming." He grabbed his coat and hurried out. After the door closed, the coughing upstairs started again. I went into Leo's room and tucked his blanket around him. He wasn't asleep yet. His fingers were clutching the wolf-fang pendant Damian gave him. "Mommy," he whispered, "will Daddy come back to stay with us?" "No." He didn't cry. Didn't ask again. Just held the pendant tighter and slowly closed his eyes. I sat by the bed and waited until he was deeply asleep. "Daddy..." He called out in his dream. I leaned down, kissed his forehead, and gently took the pendant from his hand. I placed it in the drawer. The drawer closed with a soft click. Downstairs, I zipped up the suitcase I'd already packed. Damian thought we would always wait for him. But in three days, I would take Leo back to the capital and leave him forever. Chapter 2 That night. The pack hall was full. Damian's mother. The pack elders. Several important pack members. Chloe sat beside Damian, a light shawl around her shoulders. One hand rested on her belly. Her expression was gentle, as if the whole room should make way for the child inside her. Damian pulled out her chair and handed her a glass of warm water. When I walked in with Leo, no one stood. "Sit over there." Damian's mother pointed to a seat against the wall. "Today we're discussing pack arrangements." I sat down with Leo. Damian's mother cleared her throat. "Chloe has conceived the heir. The elders have discussed it. Before the child is born, Damian will continue to care for her, until the birth." I looked at Damian. Half a year ago, he said Chloe successfully conceiving was their endpoint. Chloe was pregnant. But he hadn't come to fulfill his promise. Instead, he'd pushed the new deadline to "after the child is born." An elder picked up the thread. "Now that we have an heir, the Luna's position should be settled. Damian and Chloe will hold the Mark ceremony." Leo looked up at me. I held his hand and said nothing. Damian's mother looked at me. "Mia, you can stay in the pack. We'll tell outsiders you're a stray wolf the family took in. You can take care of the child and stay in this house." Someone laughed. "She doesn't even have a Mark. What kind of mate is she?" "The child isn't a recognized heir either. Once Chloe's child is born, the family assets should go to the real bloodline." Leo clutched my sleeve. His fingers were cold. I was about to speak when Damian frowned first. "Mother, there's no need to be so harsh." "Then do you have a better solution?" His mother countered. "The pack needs a pureblood heir. Your Mark ceremony with Chloe is the best way to stabilize the pack." Chloe lowered her eyes and gently touched her belly. "If I'm in Mia's way, I can step aside. It's just that the child hasn't been born yet. I can't guarantee I can take care of him alone." Damian immediately took her hand. "No one is asking you to step aside." Chloe leaned against him and said nothing more. The elders looked at Damian, waiting for his decision. He was silent for a moment, then spoke. "We'll do as the elders arranged. We'll set the ceremony date later." Leo's hand slipped out of mine. "From today on, Leo has nothing to do with any of you," I said. Damian looked at me. "Mia, don't make a scene." "I'm not." "Didn't I say that once the child is born, I'll hold the ceremony with you? That hasn't changed." He lowered his voice. "Chloe is carrying my heir. She needs the pack's recognition. Wait a little longer. After the ceremony, I'll make it up to you." I stared at him. "You're going to hold a ceremony with her." "That's just to appease the elders." "But you promised me." He didn't answer. Then Chloe raised her hand and pointed at the ring on my finger. "Since Damian is going to hold the Mark ceremony with me, the family ring should come to me. It's the Luna's token." I looked at Damian. He didn't look at me. "It's just a ring," he said. "Give it to Chloe first. After the ceremony, I'll buy you another one." I pulled off the ring I'd worn for seven years and placed it on the table. I pushed it toward Chloe. "You really are more suited for it than I am." Chloe's hand stopped midair. Damian froze too. I took Leo's hand and walked toward the door. "Wait." Damian caught up. "Where are you going?" "Home." "We still need to discuss the ceremony arrangements." "You discuss them." I didn't look back. Leo put his hand in mine and held on tight. This time, I didn't let him go. Chapter 3 Tomorrow was Leo's birthday. I had wanted to buy him a gift on my own. But standing in front of the shop window, his eyes were fixed on a happy family of three. His gaze was full of envy. I crouched down and straightened his collar. "Do you want Daddy to celebrate your birthday with us?" "Yes." He said quietly, "I want Daddy to blow out the candles with me. Just once." I nodded. "Okay. On your birthday, we'll wait one more time." My son hugged me, his face buried in my shoulder. I didn't tell him that what I was waiting for wasn't whether Damian would show up. I just wanted the child to see clearly for himself. On the afternoon of his birthday, I put the cake in the center of the dining table. My son picked out blue candles and placed a small fork at Damian's usual seat. The sky darkened. Damian still hadn't appeared. I dialed his number. First ring, no answer. Second ring, declined. Third ring, finally connected. The other end was loud. People talking. Glasses clinking. Elders reciting prayers. "When are you coming back?" I asked. Damian seemed to have stepped somewhere quieter. "Chloe's blessing ceremony was moved up. She's not feeling well. I can't leave her alone at the Moon Temple." "Today is your son's birthday." "I know. You two eat first. I'll make it up to him tomorrow." I looked at my son. He sat at the table, holding the unlit candle, his eyes fixed on me. "You promised him." "I said I'd make it up tomorrow." Damian's tone was impatient. "Mia, don't blow this out of proportion. The elders and Chloe are waiting for me." I hung up. My son didn't cry. He picked up the small fork, cut a piece of cake, and placed it on Damian's empty plate. "Will Daddy be hungry if he can't eat?" I walked over and held him. "No." He leaned against me. After a while, he asked, "Are we still waiting for tomorrow?" "No more waiting." I lit the candles for him. He closed his eyes, made a wish, and blew them out. He only said one thing. "I hope Mommy can be with me every day." The next morning, Damian sent a message. [Bring the child to the pack hall. There's an important ceremony today.] I thought he finally remembered what he'd promised. When my son saw the message, light returned to his eyes. "Is Daddy going to make up my birthday?" When we arrived at the hall, it was already full of pack members. Chloe stood by the altar. The necklace symbolizing the Luna lay on a tray. Damian wore his Alpha formal attire. He was adjusting the cape on her shoulders. My son broke free from my hand and ran to hug him. "Daddy!" Damian was pushed back a step. When he looked down and saw it was our son, his face darkened. "Why are you here?" My son's arms were still around his waist. "You said you'd celebrate my birthday today." Damian pushed him away. My son fell to the ground. His palm scraped against the stone floor and turned red immediately. "Today is Chloe's Mark ceremony." Damian said, "Don't make a scene here." Chloe looked at my son and let out a light laugh. "The ceremony hasn't even started. How did this kind of child get in here?" "He is your son." I walked over and helped my son up. "He is not a pack-recognized heir." She said, "And he shouldn't call Damian Daddy anymore." My son grabbed my sleeve, his eyes red. "Mommy, since we're not welcome here, let's go." I took his hand and walked toward the door. But Chloe signaled the soldiers on either side to block us. "You broke the pack's rules. You think you can just leave?" As she spoke, someone beside her shoved me. I hit the stone pillar. My back burned with pain. My son rushed forward and stood in front of me. "Alpha Damian, please don't let them hurt my mommy." Damian looked at him, shocked. "What did you call me?" But seeing how pitifully my son was crying, he finally snapped, "Enough. Let them go." My son looked up at him. "Thank you, Alpha Damian." He didn't call him Daddy again. As he turned to leave, he gripped my hand tightly and said: "Mommy, let's leave now. We don't need Daddy anymore." "Okay." I took my son and left the hall. No one followed. Damian's message arrived quickly. [Don't be angry. After the ceremony, I'll come home. We'll talk properly.] I glanced at it and didn't reply. There were still a few of my son's clothes at home. I packed his little jacket, picture books, and the old stuffed animal by his bed into the suitcase. He stood at the door, holding the box of leftover birthday cake. "Mommy, are we taking everything?" "Only your things." "What about what Daddy gave me?" "Do you want to bring them?" He shook his head and took the wolf-fang pendant from his pocket. He placed it on the table. "Not this one either." I didn't try to persuade him. I closed the suitcase and took out the lighter I'd prepared. I burned the old photos with our names, the birthday cards, and the letters Damian had sent, one by one... My son sat beside me and watched quietly. Before dark, we left with only our luggage. The moment we stepped out of pack territory, my father was already waiting with an army. "Welcome home, my princess. My heir to the capital."