During my maternity leave, I found myself scrolling through the pack’s online forum to pass the time. That’s when I stumbled upon a post that was rapidly climbing in popularity.

The headline read, "I Don’t Envy His Mate Because He Reserves All His Love for Me."

Curious, I clicked on it. The profile picture was a butterfly—the same butterfly that matched the tattoo on my mate’s arm.

---

Exhaustion from childbirth clung to me like a heavy fog, and the gnawing pain in my back felt like it could snap at any moment. In an attempt to distract myself, I aimlessly scrolled through the pack’s online forum and stumbled upon a post buzzing with activity.

The profile picture was a butterfly, identical to the tattoo on Edison’s arm.

Intrigued, I opened the post, and each word radiated the brazen audacity of an Omega trying to claim what wasn’t hers.

"My mate’s Luna just had his child, and she’s home recovering. I casually mentioned wanting to visit Venice, and he booked a flight immediately. After a candlelit dinner, we checked into a top-notch hotel. When his Luna called, worried because their son had suddenly spiked a fever, he brushed off her concerns and hung up to continue our evening. In matters of love, the one left unloved is the real outsider."

The comment section was engulfed in outrage.

"Have we reached a point where Omegas shamelessly boast about their affairs? Unbelievable."

"His Luna just went through the ordeal of childbirth, and he doesn’t even care about his sick child. And you’re proud of this? Absolutely revolting."

I dove into her account, browsing through previous posts, and found the earliest entry from two years ago, boasting thousands of likes.

"The Alpha I’m smitten with declared his love for me in a five-star hotel suite. He says I’m so magnetic that he can’t escape his longing, and only with me does he feel the spark of passion. His Luna, he claims, is mundane and completely uninteresting, and he’s long since grown tired of her. My friend told me not to get too involved, but I think she’s just envious of what I have. I don’t mind that he’s mated; he’s merely caught in the expectations of the pack. He took a Luna from a prestigious family out of obligation. He spoils me with luxury gifts and jewelry, bought with her money, giving me the life of a socialite. Isn’t this love?"

The comment section erupted.

"Spending his Luna’s money on an Omega—this Alpha’s no prize either."

"A friend who gives solid advice but is dismissed as jealous—she deserves sympathy for dealing with someone so shameless."

Among the flood of criticism, there were also some unsavory remarks from a few individuals.

"How captivating? Share a picture so we can judge for ourselves."

"To captivate an Alpha so completely, you must have some special skills. Care to share?"

Doubt began to emerge as well.

"The blogger is probably making this all up. Just trying to grab attention and followers."

"Maybe she’s so thirsty for fame that she’s using scandalous stories to stir interest. Doesn’t she realize people can see through this?"

Despite the skepticism, the post continued to gain traction.

In an attempt to prove her claims, the blogger posted an intimate photo with the Alpha.

The moment I saw it, my heart plummeted. It was Edison, unmistakably him, his arm around the Omega, her smug smile plastered across her face. The butterfly tattoo on his arm glared back at me, a cruel reminder of the life we were supposed to share.

My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of betrayal echoing in my mind. *He’s a fool,* she whispered, her voice laced with pain. *He’ll regret this.*

But as I stared at the photo, the weight of his betrayal pressed down on me. I was his Luna, the mother of his child, and yet he had chosen to humiliate me in front of the entire pack.

The comments continued to flood in, some expressing sympathy, others outright disgust. But all I could see was the undeniable truth: Edison had made his choice, and it wasn’t me.

I closed the forum, my hands trembling. The pain in my back was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. I had always known the pack hierarchy was strict, but I never imagined it would be used as a weapon against me.

As I sat there, clutching my phone, I realized one thing: I couldn’t let this define me. I was a Gamma, a leader in the pack’s design division, and I had a son who needed me. No matter what Edison had done, I would rise above it.

But for now, the weight of his betrayal was too much to bear. I curled up in bed, my wolf’s presence a small comfort in the storm of my emotions. The bond between us still burned, a reminder of what we had once shared. But as the tears streamed down my face, I knew one thing for certain: Edison had broken something that could never be repaired.

The photo was taken in bed, the light so dim that shadows obscured the man’s face. The hand gently brushing the woman’s lips bore a mate mark, identical to the one I’d given my husband. She was smiling, her jewelry glinting softly. Wrapping around her waist was an arm marked by a butterfly tattoo, just like Edison’s. And on her slender hand, an identical butterfly pattern was visible.

In a heartbeat, my anxiety transformed into raw pain. Once, I’d asked Edison why he got a butterfly tattoo, and he’d casually waved it off: “Just felt like it.” Only now did I see the truth. The butterfly was a symbol of their secret affair.

With trembling fingers, I scrolled further.

“Today, Alpha Edison took me to a private vineyard. We sampled rare wines while listening to classical music and then went to the apartment he rented for me. Being the head chef of the pack’s culinary division, he made me a dessert called ‘Butterfly’s Dream.’ He said I was like a butterfly emerging into his heart, and his love for me fluttered timelessly, like butterflies dancing among flowers. The butterfly is our love’s emblem, a secret just for us, and he loves me as if I were his life.”

My world shattered. The man who once cherished me had changed. His mate fell gravely ill, and he felt compelled to return to his family, to be there for me when I was most vulnerable, fulfilling his duty as an Alpha and a mate. What did that make me? Just a fleeting thrill? A distraction to fill the void of his loneliness? I resolved to let go and leave, to vanish to a place unknown and forget everything about him.

My fingers numbly swiped further down. Her account hadn’t been updated for two years—around the time I was hospitalized with pneumonia, during days when Edison was by my side, caring for me tenderly. Edison and I met through mutual pack connections, and it was mate pairing at first sight. We promptly set a marking ceremony date. After the bond was sealed, he showered me with attention. Every morning, I’d wake to his gentle kiss and find a lovingly prepared breakfast. He remembered every significant date with surprise gifts and sweet words. When I was sick in the hospital, he stayed up all night, feeding me medicine and meals, telling jokes to lift my spirits. He seemed to be the perfect Alpha, and I believed his love was true.

Yet that love, I never imagined, could be a facade.

My heart clenched sharply. The latest post was from five days ago.

A few simple words: “I met him.”

---

The weight of the revelation pressed down on me, the air in the room growing thick with betrayal. My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of pain and anger resonating in my mind. *He’s a fool,* she whispered, her voice trembling with the same hurt I felt. *He doesn’t deserve you.*

I wanted to believe her, but the evidence was undeniable. The butterfly tattoo, the mate mark, the words on the screen—it all pointed to a truth I couldn’t ignore. Edison had built a life with me, but he had also built a secret world with her.

The pack would judge me, of course. As an Alpha’s mate, I was expected to embody strength and grace, to uphold the bond no matter what. But how could I uphold a bond that had already been broken? How could I stand beside a man who had hidden such a betrayal from me?

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I had to confront him. I had to know why—why he had chosen to betray me, why he had allowed this to happen. But even as the thought formed, a part of me recoiled. Did I really want to hear his excuses? Did I want to see the regret in his eyes, knowing it would change nothing?

The sound of footsteps outside the door snapped me out of my thoughts. I froze, my breath catching in my throat. The door creaked open, and there he was—Edison, my mate, my Alpha. His presence still commanded the room, his broad shoulders and piercing gaze as imposing as ever. But now, all I could see was the man who had shattered my trust.

“Priscilla,” he said, his voice calm but tinged with concern. “I’ve been looking for you. Are you okay?”

I stared at him, my heart pounding. How could he act as if nothing had happened? How could he stand there, so composed, while I was falling apart?

“No,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “I’m not okay.”

His brow furrowed, and he took a step toward me. “What’s wrong?”

I held up my phone, the screen still displaying the damning post. His eyes flicked to it, and for a moment, his expression faltered. He reached for the phone, but I pulled it back, my hands trembling.

“Is it true?” I demanded, my voice cracking. “Did you—did you mark her?”

He hesitated, and that was all the confirmation I needed. The room spun, my vision blurring with tears. I backed away from him, my heart breaking with every step.

“Priscilla,” he said again, his voice pleading now. “It’s not what you think. I—I never meant to hurt you.”

“You marked her,” I repeated, my voice rising. “You built a life with her, while I was here, thinking you were mine. How could you do this to me? How could you do this to *us*?”

He reached for me, but I flinched away. His touch, once a source of comfort, now felt like a betrayal. My wolf growled louder, her pain and anger echoing mine. *He’s not our mate anymore,* she snarled. *He’s nothing.*

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice low and desperate. “I never wanted this to happen. But I can’t lose you, Priscilla. You’re my mate. You’re my Luna.”

“No,” I said, my voice steady now, though my heart was shattering. “I’m not your Luna. Not anymore.”

I turned and walked away, my steps firm despite the tears streaming down my face. The bond between us, once unbreakable, now felt like a chain I needed to sever. I would not be his mate, not after this. I would not stand by while he lived a double life.

As I left the room, I felt my wolf’s presence strengthen, her resolve matching mine. We would survive this. We would find a way to move on, to rebuild our lives without him. And one day, we would be free.

My heart felt like it had been plunged into an Arctic winter.

I stared at the phone screen, the words swimming before my eyes.

["I returned because of a job transfer and ran into him at a dinner with colleagues. The feelings I thought were long buried came rushing back with overwhelming force.

After the dinner, he sought me out and led me to a lounge. He confessed that in the two years we’ve been apart, not a day has gone by without him thinking of me. I tried desperately to hold back my tears, but they flowed uncontrollably.

In the dimly lit room, he pulled me into his arms with an intense urgency. His lips met mine with a feverish desperation, each kiss heavy with a longing that was almost too much to bear.

That night, we shared a passionate and unforgettable evening at the hotel."]

I read every detail of my mate and his mistress's encounter, a gut-wrenching wave of nausea and cold dread settling in my stomach. The mate bond between us, once strong and unbreakable, now felt like a frayed thread, threatening to snap under the weight of his betrayal.

After saving screenshots of all the posts, I called Alpha Edison on the mind link. As soon as it connected, a brief look of panic flashed in his eyes.

He hurriedly adjusted the camera angle, but I still caught sight of the disheveled clothes and incriminating items behind him.

"Hey, babe, do you miss me?" he said, trying to sound casual, though his voice lacked the usual commanding Alpha tone he reserved for the pack.

I made an effort to keep my voice steady, though my wolf growled in the back of my mind, urging me to confront him.

"Darling, you seem jumpy. Is there someone there with you?"

He chuckled awkwardly, "Oh, you’re just teasing, love. See, there’s nobody here." He slowly panned the phone around, but the faint scent of another werewolf lingered in the air, detectable even through the screen.

Then, I heard a muffled sound in the background. The image on the screen showed nothing out of the ordinary, but I could vividly imagine the Omega teasing him, her submissive nature only adding to the thrill of their illicit affair.

In her post, she revealed, ["Whenever his Luna calls, he keeps my head down, finding the thrill irresistible."]

Alpha Edison's face reddened as he tried to keep his cool, saying, "I’ve got to wake up early for a training session tomorrow, so let's chat later."

Before I could say anything, he abruptly ended the mind link.

As the screen faded, so did the light in my heart. The mate bond, once a source of strength and connection, now felt like a chain binding me to a man who no longer deserved my loyalty.

My pup's cries came from the crib beside me, echoing my own deep-seated sadness and helplessness. I held Lian tightly, our tears mingling together, my wolf whimpering softly in the back of my mind, urging me to protect our young.

Three days ago, Alpha Edison told me he had a chance to learn something valuable at the pack’s culinary division and needed to travel to the Alps for a few days. Although it annoyed me somewhat, I understood it was essential for his role as a former Alpha, even if he had lost his title.

But the reality was he had left me, his postpartum Luna, to take his mistress out for spiced honey cake, a cruel mockery of the life we had built together.

Now, all of it felt like the most ridiculous lie imaginable, a betrayal that cut deeper than any wound I had ever endured. The pack’s hierarchy, once a source of pride, now felt like a prison, trapping me in a life where I was no longer valued as I once had been.