3 a.m.

A call from the healer’s den shattered the illusion of a six-year mate bond.

When Meadow, the pack healer, handed me the diamond ring and key card taken from my mate outside the ICU, the depths of his betrayal hit me—tainted with blood and deceit.

***

Twenty minutes later, I rushed into the healer’s den, my heart pounding in my chest. Dr. Gregory Perry, the lead pack healer, stood with a somber expression. His alpha tone, though calm, carried the weight of authority. “Luna Kaylee, your mate is in hypovolemic shock. Initial assessment suggests… a foreign object was inserted, causing severe urethral tears and damage to an artery.”

My breath hitched. “What… do you mean?”

My mind spun with confusion, the bond between us flickering faintly in the back of my awareness. My wolf stirred, sensing my distress, but I pushed her down. This wasn’t the time.

Meadow Montgomery stepped forward, her voice steady but laced with concern. She handed me a clear plastic bag. “These were removed from him. Please confirm, Luna.”

I glanced at the bag and immediately recognized his ID, the photo of my mate staring back at me. Beside it was a key card—Hilton Hotel, Room 1708. The two cards were stuck together with some unknown substance.

My chest tightened, and for a moment, the room blurred around me. My wolf whined softly in my mind, but I forced myself to focus.

The nurse, quick on her feet, steadied me. “Luna, are you alright?”

A sharp “ding” snapped me back to reality—the notification tone from a message. The sound came from the belongings bag I held. Inside, alongside the ID and key card, was his phone. The screen lit up with a message notification. After trying the password three times, the phone locked.

I handed it to the nurse, my voice strained. “I’m sorry, Nurse, I need my mate’s fingerprint to unlock it. All our funds are tied to this phone.”

She nodded, understanding the urgency, and returned moments later with the phone unlocked. “Luna, please handle this quickly. The surgical team needs answers.”

I nodded and took the phone, the screen still on the chat interface. At the top was a chat labeled [Freyja].

My hands trembled as I scrolled through the messages, the words cutting deeper than any claw mark—

**Freyja:** *It’s a total disaster. What did you buy me? It was delivered right to the office. I opened it, and it spilled everywhere. Everyone saw it.*

**Anthony:** *Did it arrive that fast? Freyja, I can’t wait until next week. Can you come over tonight and sort it out for me?*

**Freyja:** *Don’t you have to deal with that lifeless lump at home?*

**Anthony:** *Please don’t mention her. It makes me sick. She’s just a shadow in the den, can’t even stand touching her. The difference between you two is night and day. When you’re in bed, you’re a goddess.*

Message sent at 5:30 p.m.

My breath came in shallow gasps, the bond between us twisting painfully. My wolf growled low in my mind, but I silenced her. I couldn’t afford to lose control.

With shaking hands, I pulled out my phone and checked the time. At 5:31 p.m., I had received his message: *Honey, the Alpha suddenly sent me to the Eastern Territory for a pack mission, so I can’t be there for your birthday, but I’ve arranged a gift for you. It’s delayed in shipment, but it will arrive next week. Six years as my mate, I’m grateful you’ve stood by me. Honey, I will always love you.*

I took a deep breath, the ache in my chest sharp and unrelenting. My wolf whimpered, but I ignored her. There was no time for weakness.

With a dull “thud,” the phone slipped from my grasp and hit the floor. The bond between us, once strong and unyielding, now felt like a fragile thread, fraying at the edges.

A voice cut through the tense silence behind me: "The family of Beta Anthony Foster, the operating room is urgently requesting payment."

I took a deep breath, my wolf stirring uneasily in the back of my mind as I turned to face the pack healer. "I think you’ve made a mistake," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. "The wolf in there is not my mate. He’s supposed to be on a pack mission in the Eastern Territory and hasn’t returned."

The healer’s eyes widened. "What? The identification and den address match perfectly. What are you saying?"

I straightened my posture, my Luna aura instinctively rising to the surface. "You should contact his parents. I’ve checked my phone, and I’m certain he’s not my mate."

"This…" the healer stammered, clearly flustered. She quickly grabbed her communicator and rushed to the healer’s station to figure out the next steps.

I found a chair in the corner of the hall and slowly sat down, my mind racing. This was going to be far more complicated than I’d anticipated. My wolf whimpered softly, sensing the weight of the situation. I pushed the sound aside and focused on the present.

So, I waited.

The first to arrive was the Gamma of the Silver Moon Pack, Kylan Shaw. I glanced at my phone. It was already past five, and the operating room light still burned brightly.

Kylan was led to the healer’s station by the healer, both of them speaking in low, urgent tones. I sat at the far end of the hallway, watching everything unfold with a detached calm.

My phone buzzed abruptly. It was a call from Whitney Mason, Anthony’s mother. They’d finally realized their precious son was in trouble.

Just as the call ended, the elevator doors slid open with a soft *ding*. Whitney and Gael Harrison burst out, their distress palpable as they stormed toward the healer’s station.

"Where’s my son? Where’s Beta Anthony?" Whitney’s voice rang out, sharp and panicked.

The healer hurried to steady her, her tone soothing but firm. "Luna Whitney, please try to remain calm. The patient is still undergoing surgery."

Whitney’s legs buckled beneath her, and Gael caught her just in time. He turned to the healer, his voice low and demanding. "What happened? Why is he hemorrhaging?"

The healer shifted uncomfortably. "We don’t have all the details yet. The Gamma called for the pack medics after finding him…"

"Gamma?" Whitney’s voice rose, her eyes scanning the hall until they landed on me. Her expression hardened into a glare. "Luna Kaylee," she spat, her tone accusing, "what have you done? Wasn’t he supposed to be on a mission in the Eastern Territory?"

Yes, I’d like to know that too. What in the Moon Goddess’s name was going on? My wolf growled softly, a low rumble of unease, but I kept my face composed, my Luna mask firmly in place. This was far from over.