Callen’s driver, Langston, dropped him off late that night, his usually composed demeanor replaced by a slight unease. As a Delta, Langston had always been discreet, but tonight, his eyes flickered with something unspoken.

“Luna,” he began, addressing me with the respect my title demanded, “Alpha Callen had quite a bit to drink while standing in for me. I’d appreciate it if you could look after him.”

Beside him stood Sophie, Callen’s newly promoted Beta—or, as I’d come to learn, Gamma. She was draped in Callen’s custom-tailored jacket, her eyes bold and unflinching as she met my gaze. The audacity was almost admirable, if it weren’t so insulting.

“Luna,” she said, her voice sweet but laced with a challenge, “Alpha Callen can get a bit clingy and throws minor tantrums when he’s drunk. Please don’t hold it against him.”

Callen leaned heavily against her, his broad frame unsteady, the faint scent of alcohol and something floral—Sophie’s perfume—clinging to him. The lipstick stain on his white shirt was faint but unmistakable, a mark that screamed of carelessness and disrespect.

Suddenly, it hit me. I was the one who had sponsored his rise to Alpha of the Yorin Pack, the one who had taught him how to navigate the treacherous waters of pack politics. It seemed I hadn’t yet taught him how to handle a fall.

---

I woke up in the middle of the night, surprised that Callen still hadn’t returned to our den. In the three years we’d been mated, this had never happened before. The bond between us, once strong and unyielding, now felt frayed, like a thread on the verge of snapping.

I reached for my phone and called him. It rang and rang until the call ended automatically, unanswered. My wolf stirred in the back of my mind, a low growl of frustration echoing in my thoughts. I ignored it.

Instead, I called Langston again. The Delta’s voice was apologetic. “Luna, Alpha Callen told me to head home around six in the evening. He said he had a social engagement and would drive himself.”

Unable to sleep, I wrapped myself in a robe and went downstairs to the living room, where I busied myself with the quarterly financial report for Robertson Enterprises. The numbers were a welcome distraction, a reminder of the empire I had built and the power I still held.

As the clock crept toward 2 AM, I heard noises at the front door. A sweet voice pierced the silence, carrying with it a tone that was both coy and possessive.

“Alpha Callen, not so tight. You’re squeezing the breath out of me.”

I turned to see two figures tangled together, their silhouettes outlined by the dim light of the hallway. Callen, his tall and muscular frame unmistakable, was drunkenly leaning on Sophie, most of his weight resting on her shoulders. Her cheeks were flushed, her skin fresh and youthful, her expression a mix of feigned innocence and bold ambition.

When she spotted me, she quickly straightened up, but her hand remained possessively around Callen’s waist. Her gaze met mine, unflinching, and for a moment, I saw the challenge in her eyes.

“Luna,” she said, her voice sweet but laced with something sharper. “I’m Sophie, Alpha Callen’s Gamma. He took me to an event tonight and drank too much while standing up for me. I hope you can look after him.”

I crossed my arms, examining her closely. Barely in her twenties, her face bore the innocence of youth, but her eyes revealed unmasked ambition. Callen’s designer jacket hung on her shoulders, failing to hide the white department store dress she wore beneath, cheap and ill-fitting.

Her gaze was provocative, clear, fearless—naive. I almost found it amusing.

Then I looked at Callen. His white shirt bore a lipstick mark on the chest, unmistakably the same color Sophie wore. The sight of it hardened my expression, my wolf growling louder in my mind, but I pushed it down.

“Alpha Callen,” I said, my voice cold and devoid of emotion. “Welcome home.”

Callen looked up at me, his hand instinctively reaching out. “Luna, my head’s pounding…”

I stepped back, and he nearly stumbled, his balance faltering. Sophie, ever quick, stepped forward and caught him. She shot me a disapproving look, her tone laced with thinly veiled insolence. “Luna, you live in luxury, spending freely, and enjoy the privileges of being his mate. How can you not understand the Alpha’s burdens? Would you have this life without him? I truly feel for him.”

I stared at her, my expression cold and unreadable. She took a hesitant step back, still clutching Callen’s arm. “Sophie, isn’t it? On what authority do you feel entitled to pity my mate?”

Her cheeks flushed, and she faltered, her words catching in her throat. I turned to Otis, my trusted Delta, who had been standing at a respectful distance. “Otis, the Alpha has overindulged tonight. Fetch some cold water to sober him up.”

Without hesitation, Otis moved forward, his presence calm and commanding. He gently pried Callen away from Sophie’s grasp, his touch firm but respectful. A servant appeared with a basin of cold water, and Otis poured it over Callen’s head and face. Sophie let out a small shriek, but Callen’s composure slowly returned. He staggered, trying to steady himself, his gaze fixed on me with a mix of anxiety and desperation.

“Luna, please, let me explain,” he said, his voice shaky.

He took a step closer but stopped, mindful of the water dripping from his hair and clothes. “Emma, I didn’t do anything to betray our bond.”

I laughed, the sound sharp and cutting. “Didn’t do anything? Or simply didn’t get the chance?”

Sophie, ever the opportunist, wedged herself between us, her face flushed and tears streaming down her cheeks. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “Alpha, tonight when the client pressured me to drink, you promised me a promotion tomorrow. Do you need to seek your mate’s approval first?”

Callen’s expression turned icy, his Alpha aura flaring momentarily. Sophie’s tears fell like shattered pearls, and she sank to her knees, her voice breaking. “Alpha, I’m sorry. I know I’ve overstepped. But I just want to prove myself in this pack.”

Callen hesitated, and I could see the conflict in his eyes. He was likely remembering his own struggles, his rise to power from nothing. As I expected, he reached out and patted her head gently, his tone softening. “This is a minor matter. I’ll handle it. Go home, and I’ll arrange your promotion tomorrow.”

Sophie smiled through her tears, her gaze flickering to me with a hint of defiance as she rose and headed toward the door. I called out to her, my voice calm but laced with authority. “Sophie, isn’t it? Let me offer you some advice. The Alpha’s white shirt can only be stained by my lipstick or the blood of his enemies. Choose your next steps wisely.”

Sophie left, and Otis ensured the pack members cleared out. Just moments ago, the den had been filled with the hum of activity, but now it was just Callen and me.

I settled back onto the couch, expressionless, as I picked up the pack’s financial report. The scent of cedar and pine lingered in the air, a reminder of the territory we had built together.

Callen rubbed his forehead, his frustration palpable. His broad shoulders tensed, and the faint scent of whiskey clung to him, mingling with his usual Alpha musk. "Luna," he began, his voice rough, "you’re reading too much into this. Sophie is just my Beta. Our relationship is strictly professional."

I continued to ignore him, my eyes scanning the numbers on the page.

Callen knelt down in front of me, his Alpha aura dimming as he lowered himself to my level. "Emma," he said, dropping the formal title, "I’ll never forget. Without you, I might never have escaped that small pack. You sponsored my rise, taught me about leadership, and helped me ascend to Alpha of the Yorin Pack. How could I ever betray you? I would never do that."

I placed the report aside and silently regarded him. Callen was the wolf I had chosen. I had supported him, and when he showed potential, I brought him along, patiently teaching him everything my mother, the former Luna of the Robertson Pack, had imparted to me.

As the heir to one of the most powerful werewolf lineages, the strength of my pack was my primary concern, yet I had devoted extraordinary patience to Callen.

Now, with his hair slick and drenched, having embraced another wolf in front of me, he still insisted he would never betray me. He maintained his position as Alpha, a role where any misstep could lead to disaster. I hoped he was shrewd enough to weigh the consequences.

"Callen," I said, my voice cool and steady, "I taught you that lies and deceit have no place in our pack."

The clock showed three in the morning as I rose and headed upstairs. The scent of the forest outside seeped through the windows, grounding me in the territory I had fought so hard to protect.

Callen’s voice followed me, his tone pleading. "Emma, don’t you even want to hear my side of the story?"

I paused on the staircase, my back to him. The weight of his words pressed against me, but I refused to let it show.

"Callen," I said, my voice firm, "Sophie’s performance doesn’t meet the standards for a Beta. I oppose her promotion. I suggest excluding her from the pack’s inner circle. She can’t be trusted."

Perhaps emboldened by the whiskey, Callen snapped. His Alpha aura flared, a sudden burst of dominance that made the air feel heavier.

He shouted, "Emma, ever since I met you, you’ve always been so confident, as if everything’s under control. You’re perpetually composed, always able to detach from your emotions to manage everything. Have you ever been shaken? Have you ever felt fear? Have you ever truly opened your heart? I even wonder if, when I die, you’ll weigh the gains and losses before you mourn me!"

I stood on the stairs for a long time, long enough for Callen to collapse onto the floor, mumbling to himself, "I knew it, I knew it. In your heart, I’ll never surpass the importance of the pack."

I turned back and looked down at him, my gaze steady despite the storm raging inside me.

"If it weren’t for the pack," I said, my voice cutting through the tension, "how would I have pulled you out of that small territory? You can’t bite the hand that feeds you."

The silence that followed was heavy, the weight of his betrayal and my words hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break.