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.