I hung up the phone and opened the Instagram app I hadn’t used in ages. “Maia Perry scandal” was still trending at the top.

"Anyone who hasn't seen it yet? $5, DM me!"

"I'm interested!" "Same here!" "Just sent a DM."

"Why'd she get involved with those rogues? Such a disgrace to werewolves everywhere—what Alpha would want her now?"

"Getting tangled with one of them on the street... Who knows which packs she’s betrayed over the years."

Reading through the comments was like experiencing social death. It couldn’t get much worse. Since the incident happened in rogue territory, the perpetrators were impossible to catch. The video of my violation was going viral on major platforms worldwide. “Silver Moon Pack’s Star in the Streets” was a headline that felt both glaring and painful.

The Crimson Fang Pack had already pulled their alliance, and my own Silver Moon Pack had stripped me of my Delta rank, branding me a disgrace. The agency I had always trusted didn’t manage the crisis but allowed the video to spread like wildfire. To make it worse, they sued me for breach of contract, demanding a huge penalty, claiming my scandal severely impacted their business. The contract, signed by Alpha Caleb Medina on my behalf back then, turned out to be his carefully laid trap—he owned the company all along.

I didn’t have the energy to continue my patrols. Exhausted, I dragged myself back to a run-down apartment on the outskirts of the pack territory. On my way, a torrential downpour started. The rain mixed with the sores on my face, stinging painfully. My head was spinning as I reached the door. Before I could open it, I heard unmistakable sounds of a passionate encounter from inside.

“Oh, Alpha Caleb, be gentle! The new lingerie you just got me today is already ripped…”

Caleb’s voice was filled with desire.

“You little tease, you’ve been driving me crazy. I’m going to make sure you’re satisfied today!”

“Stop it! I have a hunt tomorrow. But doing it on Maia’s bed is such a thrill!”

“You’ve kept giving her banned substances to keep her face from healing. Seeing her on patrol today nearly made me sick!”

My heart sank; no wonder my face was always sore and never healed properly. I thought about the so-called herbs Caleb had been giving me every night. It crushed me inside.

An hour passed before the door opened. Indy Morrison stood there, her neck marked with Caleb’s bite. She looked surprised to see me but then smirked.

“Maia, why are you back so late? I heard things are tough for you now, so I came by after the hunt to check on you.”

“Maia, you’re back!” Caleb was sitting on the couch. His pants were wrinkled, and his shirt was on backward. A wet stain marked the sofa beneath him. He got up to greet me, pretending to care.

“Why didn’t you call me when it started raining so hard? I could’ve come to pick you up. It hurts me to see you like this,” he said with feigned concern. Watching him pretend to care while openly cheating on me in my own home was chilling.

“Concern for me? Enough to sleep with my mate? How shameless can you be?” I retorted, glaring at them both.

“Why so harsh, Maia? You’ve got so much debt and a ruined face. How long will it take for you to pay it off doing Omegas’ work?” Indy chimed in, pulling a check from her pocket and tossing it at me.

“I’m just trying to help you. Alpha Caleb’s amazing in bed, makes me really happy! And you get money too. It’s a win-win, but you’re just too ungrateful!”

Noticing my gaze on Indy’s neck, Caleb awkwardly stepped in to block my view.

“Maia, I’m doing this for you! You work so hard to earn just a bit to pay off your debts. Now, just one night with Indy, and we get all this money. You should thank her!”

Their twisted sense of reality and utter shamelessness made me dizzy, as if I had traveled back to a time when rogues ruled the forests. Losing consciousness as I hit the floor, my last thought was, if I could go back six years, I’d never fall for Caleb Medina.

Six years ago, I was just an 18-year-old aspiring actress and a Delta in the Silver Moon Pack, looking for my big break when I met Caleb Medina at a private gathering hosted by the Crimson Fang Pack. The Alpha’s guests, high-ranking wolves with too much arrogance and too little respect, tried to corner me, their leering eyes and sharp words threatening to strip me of more than just my vintage-style dress. Caleb, then a rising Beta in his pack, stepped in, his alpha aura flaring just enough to silence them. He whisked me away from the nightmare, his presence a shield against their malice.

Afterward, he confided that he’d been demoted, stripped of his rank, and cast aside by his pack. He shrugged it off, saying he had nothing to lose as an orphan and could weather anything, but he couldn’t stand to see me treated that way. He said he was a fan of mine, claiming that even in supporting roles, I shone in his eyes. His words, his smile—they captured my heart entirely, and I vowed to become a star, never to be controlled by anyone again. For six years, he was by my side through countless days and nights as I worked tirelessly, taking every acting gig and attending every casting call. Whenever I felt drained and ready to give up, I’d look back and find him standing there, his presence my anchor.

But he was the source of all my nightmares.

When I opened my eyes again, two days had passed. I found myself lying in a hospital hallway, pack members passing by with scornful glances filled with mockery:

“If I were her, I’d rather be dead. Everyone must have seen her by now.”

“Her face is ruined; she looks like a ghost.”

“Goodness, wasn’t she a Delta once? How did she fall to this, unable to afford a room?”

My heart was numb when my phone suddenly rang. On the other end was Caleb’s voice, filled with false concern.

“Maia, I’m so glad you’re awake. I couldn’t get you a hospital room, so you’re in the hallway.”

“I’m working a part-time job right now and can’t visit you. Take care of yourself and ask the nurses for help if needed.”

“Caleb, honey…” came Indy’s sultry voice in the background.

The call abruptly ended.

Shortly after, Caleb sent me a series of apologetic texts.

“Maia, yesterday was my fault. I’m doing this part-time work to help pay off your debt, so you don’t have to struggle. I’m doing it for your own good, so please don’t be childish.”

“You should be grateful for Indy’s kindness. It’s rare to find someone who helps when you need it most.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his messages.

Supposedly helping pay my debt by selling himself to a Delta from his own pack—Caleb’s performance was indeed worthy of tears.

In the past, I might have been moved and felt guilty.

After a while, when I didn’t reply, he sent me a cartoon emoji of a kiss.

I looked at the message, feeling a wave of nausea. This was the person I loved for six years, allowing him to manipulate and hurt me like a fool.

Soon after, Indy sent me a picture of Caleb kissing her, followed by a voice message dripping with provocation:

“Maia, you ugly witch, with a single word from me, everything you have will be mine!”

I ignored it, putting down my phone and preparing to leave the hospital.

Not long after, Indy, unwilling to let it go, sent me a video. I hesitated for a few seconds before opening it.

In the video, Indy moved seductively on Caleb:

“Caleb, do you love Maia?”

Sweating, caught up in his lust, he responded, “Silly girl, Maia is nothing. I’ve only ever loved you.”

“Caleb, you’ve been with her for six years for me, arranged for her to be ruined and scarred. Was it worth it?”

He paused briefly, then answered without hesitation:

“Destroying her to fulfill you was worth everything!”

I stared at the phone screen, tears streaming down as I laughed.

Six years of living in a dream—I should have woken up long ago.

I forwarded Indy’s video to a particular contact.

I quickly received a response marked with a “?”

“I want to see them fall.”

It wasn’t long before a reply came back:

“Okay!”