The Human Luna's Second Chance Mate

Gloria POV "You're pregnant, Luna." Dr. Wilson's voice barely registered over the roar in my ears. I stared at the ultrasound image on the screen—our tiny, barely-there peanut—and something cracked open in my chest. Three years. Countless, painful procedures. More needles and tears and crushed hope than I could count. And finally. "How far along?" My voice sounded distant, even to myself. "Just over three weeks," Dr. Wilson said, her smile bright and genuine. She was one of the few people in this pack who actually gave a damn about me—being the only human in the pack, and their Luna, life had not been easy. "It means you conceived naturally, Gloria. After all those failed IVF attempts... your body finally did it on its own. It's a miracle. It is almost impossible for humans to conceive an Alpha child through natural means." I laughed, but it came out closer to a sob. Natural. After Hunter and I had tried everything—every hormone injection, every invasive procedure, every humiliating test—our baby had simply... happened. Hunter was going to lose his mind. In the best possible way. "Now, go! Share your news with the Alpha," Dr. Wilson added, making me giggle. "Doc? Can you please keep this completely confidential? I do not want Hunter to find out any other way than from me," I said, smiling as I tucked the results into my bag and stepped out. "Of course, Luna. You do not even have to ask," she said in a stern, maternal tone. Before I could even exit the obstetrics floor, a disgusting voice sounded in my ear. “Oh, isn't this our pathetic human Luna?” Charlotte Pope stood by the elevator, designer handbag swinging from her elbow, impeccably dressed as usual in designer brands. She was the Beta's daughter, and an all-around b***h. She never hid her contempt for me because I was human, although she acted as if she liked me whenever Hunter was around. She wanted him, and it pissed her off that he was mated to me. I tried to remain civil for the sake of the pack. I wondered what she was doing on this floor. Maybe she had finally found her mate. The way she was clutching her belly suggested she might be pregnant. Her blood-red lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Hi Gloria, let me guess—another failed attempt?" I straightened my spine. Not today. Not when I finally had good news. "Charlotte. Watch your manners!" "Isn't it?" She closed the distance between us, her expensive perfume overwhelming. "You've been coming here for years, Gloria. How many procedures now? Twenty? Thirty?" She tilted her head, mock sympathy dripping from every word. "It's almost sad, watching you try so hard to be something you'll never be." My hand instinctively went to my belly, still flat, still secret. "I'm actually—" I was about to cut her off to proudly tell her that I had just succeeded, but I bit my tongue. Hunter deserved to know first. "Actually, for what? Pregnant this time?" She laughed, a sharp, brittle sound. "Please. Who do you believe you are? A weak human. We both know your body can't handle an Alpha pup. That's basic biology." Her hand pressed harder against her own stomach, and something cold settled in my gut. "But you know what? I have wonderful news. I'm expecting." The corridor tilted. "Hunter's pup," she added softly, leaning in close enough for me to see the flecks of gold in her brown eyes. "His heir. Conceived the natural way." A pause, heavy with meaning. "Multiple times a day, if you catch my drift." My throat closed. My skin went numb. "You're lying." The words barely made it past my lips. "Am I?" She reached into her purse and pulled out a folded paper. It's a sonogram dated three days ago. "He's been sleeping in my bed for months, Gloria. While you were here getting poked and prodded, he was coming home to me." She tucked the image back, her smile widening. "The pack knows. His family knows. The only person who didn't? You." She stepped back, smoothing her dress. "Oh, and Gloria? I'm being crowned Luna officially next week. Hunter's finally doing the right thing for the pack." She tossed one final grenade."I'd say I'm sorry, but we both know I'm not." "I have everything I need right here. My little ticket to your position and your man," she answered with a malicious smirk, rubbing her flat stomach. My heart rate spiked to a terrifying rhythm. "Hunter will never betray me!" "You heard me, b***h. I am carrying Hunter's pup. I have Hunter and his family's full support, and I will make sure he tosses you out in the cold," she said with a victorious, wicked smirk. No. I refused to believe it. Hunter would never do this to me. I turned away from Charlotte, refusing to hear another word. I would never trust anything that came out of her mouth. She existed only to wound me with her words and actions. I needed to speak to Hunter. Surely she was lying. My legs carried me past Charlotte, past her venomous laughter, past the elevators and through the hospital lobby. The pack members stared, whispering, always whispering, but I didn't care. Not until I reached the car did I let myself shake. Hunter's driver grunted when I slid into the backseat. "Packhouse," I managed, my voice steady despite the earthquake inside me. "Fast." He didn't respond. He never did. Just another pack member who tolerated me because he had to. The twenty-minute drive felt like torture. I kept Charlotte's words on loop. Hunter's pup. Conceived naturally. No, I should have faith in Hunter. He will never betray me. Hunter found me after I graduated from university three years ago, when I started as an intern in the company he runs in the human world. Before I met him, I knew nothing about fated mates or werewolf traditions. But the minute he laid eyes on me, he claimed I was his destined mate. I fell head over heels in love with that man. Hunter Nick… the Alpha of the Grey Wood Pack… my pack, my Alpha. A pack that hated my existence simply because I was a mere human. I worked my fingers to the bone to be the perfect Luna, though my attempts often felt futile. Even after I stabilized the pack's finances using my investment knowledge, they still looked down on me because I lacked a wolf. When I visited the sick and elderly, I was turned away. When I volunteered at the hospital in what little spare time I had, I was met with cold glares. Nothing I did was ever good enough, but I was no quitter. The only thing Hunter truly longed for was an heir, and that had become my dream for us, too. He wanted to join the Alpha Council, but without a pup, he was not eligible. I was bearing his pup now; I was doing well as a perfect luna except for my human blood; there was no reason for him to choose other women. The car barely stopped before I shoved the door open. In my haste, some of the contents spilled onto the floorboard, but I could not give a f**k. I needed to see Hunter. The packhouse smelled like lavender and betrayal. I stormed past the kitchen—ignoring the dropped conversations, the averted eyes, and threw open Hunter's study door without knocking. I'd never knocked before. I was his mate, his Luna. This was my home too. Or so I'd believed. Sylvia, the ex-Luna, sat in Hunter's leather chair, her silver hair pinned in its perfect bun, lips pursed like she'd tasted something sour. Beside her, it was Hunter's sister Annie who picked at her nails, barely looking up. And Charlotte. Charlotte stood by the window, already inside, already comfortable. The driver took the long route. The realization hit like ice water. They'd planned this. All of them. "Gloria." Hunter's voice came from behind the desk. He rose, concern flickering across his handsome face—the face I'd loved since I was twenty-two. "Baby, what's wrong? You look—" "Did you sleep with her?" I went straight with it.