The Alpha's Eight-Year Lie

I always knew that shifters lived in this city. They held all the power and controlled all the resources.

But I never expected that Jason, my boyfriend of eight years, was actually a Werewolf Alpha. Even worse, he already had a child. And that child was my student.

It wasn't until that day, when two kids got into a fight in my class, that I found out. I rushed over to pull Jay away, and a sharp pain shot through the back of my hand.

He had bitten me. The bite mark was deep, like a puppy's. Then, the other boy pushed me to the ground. With no other choice, I had to call both of their parents to the school.

Once the two mothers arrived, the argument only escalated. Clutching my aching stomach, I called my boyfriend, asking him to come pick me up.

He hung up almost immediately and sent me a text: In a meeting. Let's talk tonight. Meanwhile, the other boy's mother called her husband. Ten minutes later, her husband arrived.

He pulled her into his arms, comforting her gently. "Don't worry, sweetie. I'll handle this." A second later, he looked up. Our eyes met, and my knees nearly gave out.

This man was Jason. The man I had been with for eight years. Jason stared at me for a few seconds, a flicker of panic crossing his eyes.

I had been too exhausted and in pain to move, but now, shock made me forget the pain entirely.

Jason looked down at the woman in his arms. "What happened?" She quickly explained the situation.

After listening with a frown, Jason called over a man in a suit—likely his assistant. I heard the assistant call Jason "Alpha." The assistant handled everything efficiently.

With just a few words, he got the other parent to take their child and leave. The boy's mother wiped her tears and smiled.

She stood on her tiptoes, cupping Jason's face, and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, babe!

You always drop everything to save me!" Jason wrapped his arm around her waist naturally. "Of course.

You're my mate." The little boy hugged Jason's leg, chanting about how great his daddy was. My lips went pale, and my fingers trembled.

A million questions rushed to my throat, but seeing this happy family of three, I swallowed them all. It felt like swallowing broken glass, cutting me open inside.

Just then, the boy's mother took her son's hand and walked over to me. "I'm so sorry for the trouble, Miss. I think my son bit you earlier.

To make it up to you, my husband and I would love to buy you dinner." I instinctively looked at Jason. He frowned, locking eyes with me, and shook his head slightly.

I stared back at him, my voice tight. "Sure." Jason's brow furrowed deeper, but I looked away.

The mother grabbed my hand with a smile. "I'm still pretty young, so my husband basically treats me like one of the kids.

Whenever anything happens, he's the only one I call." I nodded bitterly.

During our eight years together, I knew he was busy, so I never wanted to bother him with anything, big or small.

When crazy parents cornered me in my office at school, screaming at me, I could only bow and apologize repeatedly.

When my gastritis flared up late at night while I was grading papers, I went to the ER for an IV drip all by myself.

When we moved, I carried all the heavy boxes up to the sixth floor alone, just wanting to decorate our first home together.

Those memories never felt bitter back then, because I thought he was working hard for our future. But now, it all felt like a sick joke.

The mother booked a restaurant and led me to the parking garage. I had never seen Jason drive the car parked in front of us.

Before getting in, she realized she forgot her son's backpack and ran back to grab it. I stood by the car.

My stomach was still cramping badly, so I leaned against the door for support. I looked up to see Jason's anxious face.

He asked urgently, "What's wrong with you?" I pushed him away. At that moment, his son called out, "Daddy!" Jason immediately let go of me. With one last look, he got into the car.

Once we were on the road, the mother introduced herself. "I'm Bella, and this is my husband, Jason." She seemed very curious about me. "Miss, do you have a boyfriend?" I kept my eyes on Jason in the rearview mirror.

Our eyes met. "Yes," I replied. "We've been together for eight years.

He chased me for two years before that." "Wow, a tenyear run!" Bella gasped. "My husband and I have been married for four years, and our son is four, too." "We're fated mates.

I got drunk at a bar, ran into him... and then he marked me." I didn't really understand what she meant.

I figured it was some weird couple's slang, so I didn't press. "I got pregnant right after. Since having the baby, he won't let me go anywhere dangerous.

He spoils me like a child." Jason reached over with one hand and ruffled her hair. "Alright, chatterbox.

You tell this story to everyone we meet." She playfully squeezed his hand. "What? Are you shy?" Every word she said felt like a dagger piercing my heart.

When Jason and I first started dating, the first time we were intimate, he refused to use a condom. He claimed he wanted to "truly feel" me. I let him convince me.

Two weeks later, I found out I was pregnant. Back then, Jason stared at the two pink lines on the pregnancy test, smoking half the night away.

Finally, he knelt before me, his voice raspy. "We have to get rid of it." An abortion clinic was too expensive, so we had to buy the abortion pills.

The pills made me desperately ill, causing agonizing pain.

To make things worse, the doctor told us that because of the complications, it would be very difficult for me to get pregnant again.

When Jason heard this, he slapped himself repeatedly, calling himself a monster. His handsome face was swollen.

He looked at me with those deep, loving eyes and swore, "I, Jason, will only love Grace in this lifetime. I will always protect her.

If I ever break this promise, may I rot in hell." As I recalled this, I looked at the fouryearold boy sitting next to me.

How could someone who betrayed a sacred vow like that not face any karma? ... Bella had booked a table at a private, membersonly restaurant called The Summit.

It was one of the most exclusive places in the city. Supposedly, it only opened for a select group of people, and regular citizens couldn't even get a reservation.

I had walked past it with Jason once. He had glanced at the sign, said it was too expensive, and dragged me away. I believed him back then.

But now, Bella led me through the lobby like she owned the place, heading straight for the private VIP elevator. The receptionist bowed immediately when she saw her. "Mrs.

Blackwood, the penthouse is ready for you." The penthouse. Fewer than fifty people in this city had access to the penthouse of The Summit.

People said they were the real rulers of the city, holding dark, hidden identities. At the time, I thought it was just an urban legend.

Either way, Jason never seemed like a literal wolf. Bella turned to me with a smile. "My husband is a blackcard member here. The penthouse is his personal spot." She sat down.

Jason and their son, Jay, naturally took their spots beside her. Jason kept glancing at me. He looked terrified that I might say something. I thought about our years together.

He had never taken me to a highend restaurant. Our dates were always at corner cafes, cheap diners, or movie theaters.

He told me he was saving up to buy a house, to build a home for us. And I believed him. But everything in front of me screamed one thing: he had been lying to me all along.

Bella added me on Snapchat and chatted warmly. She seemed to be showing off their affection on purpose—asking Jason to feed her, leaning on his shoulder.

Jason played along perfectly, carefully cutting up her steak and putting it on her plate. I remembered him telling me he hated steak because it was too greasy.

I suddenly realized that Jason and I hadn't sat down for a meal like this in a very long time. He was always busy, so busy we barely saw each other.

For the past year or two, he said he had to stay at the office, and we went weeks without living together.

Just then, Bella looked up and asked, "Why haven't you guys gotten married after eight years?" I looked up, meeting Jason's eyes. "He said he wanted to wait until his career stabilized." Those were Jason's exact words.

He had told me he just took over his family's company, that everyone was watching him, and nothing could go wrong.

I understood his pressure and trusted our love, so I never brought up marriage. Who would have thought he had been married to someone else for four years?

Bella looked radiant with happiness. "My husband and I moved so fast. The day after I told him I was pregnant, he threw a ceremony to crown me as his Luna." Luna.

Another word I didn't recognize. It sounded like some special title. Or maybe a word only those legendary shifters used.

I lowered my head and took a sip of water without replying. "That's enough," Jason suddenly interrupted, his voice stiff. "Stop talking." Bella blinked, looking hurt. "You're snapping at me..." Jason sighed and rubbed her hair. "I'm not snapping.

Eat your food." Watching this made my stomach churn. "Excuse me, I need to use the restroom." I stood up, my legs shaking. Bella was still whining and didn't notice my pale face.

Jason's eyes followed me, but I ignored him. The restroom lights were blindingly bright. I gripped the sink, looked down, and froze. There was blood on my pants.

My mind went completely blank. My stomach was still cramping. It had been hurting since school. I thought I had just bumped into a desk, but this looked much worse.

I pulled out my phone and called my best friend. "Nina... are you busy? Can you come pick me up? I think... something is wrong..." Nina panicked instantly. "Send me your location!

I'm coming right now!" I gave her the location, hung up, and leaned heavily against the sink. Everything that happened today had left me physically and emotionally shattered.

Just then, the restroom door pushed open. It was Jason. Guilt and panic flickered across his face. "Grace," he started. I stared at him, silent. He took a step closer.

Seeing no resistance, he reached out to grab my hand. My reflexes kicked in. The next second, I slapped him hard across the face. His head snapped back.

He pressed his lips together and muttered, "I'm sorry. But it's not what you think." My voice was barely a whisper. "Then what is it?" He tried to step closer again.

I backed away, and a look of deep sorrow crossed his face. "Four years ago, I was out for a business dinner and met Bella. I couldn't control myself...

By the time I snapped out of it, it had already happened." "She was only twenty. She was so young. She came to me crying, not knowing what to do.

I couldn't just walk away from my responsibility." I couldn't hold back.

I slapped him again. "Jason, do you remember how old I was when you made me get that abortion?" He went blank for a second.

Tears streamed down my face. "I was nineteen." His eyes turned red instantly.

His voice cracked. "I'm sorry, Grace." "The doctor said back then that it would be hard for you to get pregnant again. That's why I cherished this child... I needed an heir.

The Elders... my family thought so too." "Jason," I cut him off. "Let go of me." He didn't. "Once I'm done with this busy phase, I'll spend more time with you.

Please, stop throwing a fit, okay?"

"What the hell are you doing?!" Bella stood at the doorway of the restroom, her voice shrill and piercing. "Bella, let me explain in a minute." Jason immediately let go of me and turned to soothe her.

But Bella wasn't listening. She charged at me and slapped me right across the face. Smack. The sound echoed in the empty restroom. My face burned.

I was already too weak to stand, and the force of the slap sent me crashing into the wall. "You shameless bitch!" Bella's eyes were red, her voice screeching. "You're a teacher!

How dare you seduce someone else's Alpha? He's my husband! We share a mate bond!

You're just a pathetic human, how dare you try to steal him from me?" "Baby," Jason pulled her back. "Calm down!" Bella looked at him with tearful eyes, burying herself in his chest. "Why were you so close to her?

Did she throw herself at you? Did you betray me?!" I curled up against the wall, looking up at Jason. "It hurts..." I groaned.

The emotional agony and physical pain tore through me. Jason, can't you even help me up? But he only looked at me, then averted his gaze, holding the sobbing Bella tightly. "Shh, I'm yours.

I'll always be yours, no one can steal me. Let's not eat here. We'll take Jay home, okay?" Bella sniffled, turning to glare at me with pure venom.

It took me a long time to slowly crawl up, but my knees buckled again. I saw Jason instinctively turn back, wanting to help me, but Bella grabbed his hand. So, he froze.

But I didn't hit the cold floor. A pair of warm arms caught me. The pain became too much, and I blacked out. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed.

Nina and a familiar face were standing by my side.

It was Nina's older brother, Frank. "Grace, you've been unconscious for a whole day and night," Nina said, her eyes red from crying. "You're pregnant. Twelve weeks.

It's a threatened miscarriage.

The doctor said if you had arrived any later, we would have lost the baby." I didn't notice the way Frank was looking at me because the word "pregnant" completely paralyzed me.

I actually had a baby of my own! Tears flooded my eyes. I instinctively grabbed my phone to call Jason, but my finger hovered over the dial button.

He already had a child and a wife. Did he even need this baby? But he was the father. He had the right to know. I dialed his number anyway.

As the phone rang, a tiny sliver of hope rose in my chest. Finally, he picked up.

Loud, thumping music blasted from his end. "Jason, I have something to tell you." Jason's voice was tense and frantic. "Can it wait?

Bella found out about us, and she ran off to a bar crying.

I need to find her first." It felt like lightning had struck me, but I gripped the phone, sobbing. "But this is really important... I—" "Enough, Grace.

I don't have time for your drama right now. If anything happens to Bella... Just stop throwing a tantrum. I'll call you after I find her." The line went dead.

I held the phone, feeling like the biggest fool in the world. I turned and buried my face in Nina's shoulder, crying my heart out as I told her everything.

She gritted her teeth, wanting to tear him apart, but I shook my head. "It doesn't matter anymore. Right now...

I just want to keep my baby and raise them on my own." Frank looked at me gently, handing me a tissue. "If you need anything, I'm here to help."