The morning after Mazie's arrival, Isaac summoned me to his study. The room felt colder than usual, the air thick with tension as he sat behind his desk, a stack of papers before him.

"Charlotte," he began, his voice carrying that formal tone he rarely used with me. "I've prepared a schedule for you."

I remained standing, my wolf bristling inside me. "A schedule?"

"For Mazie's care." He slid the papers across the desk. "Her recovery requires specific attention."

I took the documents with trembling hands. The detailed daily schedule outlined everything from meal preparation to laundry duties—all tasks typically assigned to Omegas, not Lunas.

"Six a.m.: Prepare Mazie's breakfast. Seven a.m.: Wash her bedding. Eight a.m.: Assist with the pup's feeding." I read aloud, my voice growing tighter with each line. "Isaac, these are Omega duties."

"Needs are more important than titles right now," he replied dismissively. "Mazie needs a wolf dedicated to her recovery."

"And what will you be doing while I'm washing her sheets?"

His eyes narrowed. "Important pack training. The northern border patrols have reported rogue activity."

My wolf snorted. *Lies.*

"Is that all?" I asked, folding the papers.

"Charlotte." His voice dropped to that Alpha tone that made my skin crawl. "This isn't a request. As your Alpha, I'm ordering you to follow this schedule exactly."

The command settled over me like a heavy cloak. I felt my wolf retreat deeper inside, her silence more disturbing than her earlier protests.

"As you wish," I murmured, turning to leave.

"Oh, and Charlotte?" Isaac added. "Make sure Mazie's clothes are washed separately. She's sensitive to common detergents."

---

Three nights later, I woke to the sound of a door closing. The digital clock on my nightstand read 2:17 AM.

My wolf stirred. *Follow him.*

I slipped from bed, my bare feet silent on the cold floor. Through our bedroom wall, I could hear movement in the hallway—Isaac's familiar footsteps moving toward the east wing.

Toward Mazie's room.

I followed, my heart pounding against my ribs. The corridor was dark, but my wolf's enhanced vision guided me easily. I pressed myself against the wall outside Mazie's door, my breath caught in my throat.

"I never forgot our bond," Isaac's voice drifted through the thin wood, intimate and tender in a way he hadn't spoken to me in months. "All those years you were gone..."

"Mazie..." His voice broke slightly. "I wish I had fought harder for you before you left. Maybe then—"

"Maybe then what?" Mazie's voice was soft, inviting.

"Maybe then we wouldn't have wasted all these years apart."

I stood frozen, my nails digging crescents into my palms. My wolf, who had been so vocal in her protests before, now went deadly quiet.

*He's betraying us,* she whispered finally. *Not just our position. Us.*

Inside the room, I heard the soft rustle of fabric, the creak of a bed. My stomach twisted into knots.

"Charlotte doesn't understand what we have," Isaac murmured. "She never has."

I backed away from the door, my legs unsteady beneath me. The truth crashed over me like ice water—this wasn't just about pack politics or Mazie's recovery. This was about a bond that predated mine, one Isaac had never truly severed.

---

The next morning, while Isaac attended a pack council meeting, I slipped into the laundry room with a small vial from my personal collection.

Wolfsbane extract—diluted to just the right concentration.

My hands worked methodically as I sprinkled the clear liquid onto Mazie's freshly laundered clothes. Just enough to cause mild irritation, not enough to raise serious concerns.

"Just a little discomfort," I whispered to myself, carefully folding each garment. "Nothing permanent."

I moved to her bedding next, applying the extract to the sheets and pillowcases with precision.

"Perfect timing," I murmured as I heard the front door open—Isaac returning from his meeting.

I quickly finished, tucking the empty vial into my pocket before gathering the laundry basket.

"Mazie will be so pleased with how fresh everything smells," I called out, my voice steady despite the storm brewing inside me.

My wolf watched silently as I carried the basket to the Luna suite—my former suite—and placed it on the bed.

"Your laundry, as requested," I told Mazie, who was nursing her pup.

She smiled up at me, oblivious to what I'd done. "You're so thoughtful, Charlotte. Isaac always said you were."

I returned her smile, my wolf finally stirring with a sense of grim satisfaction.

"Yes," I agreed softly. "I'm full of surprises."

The first sign came three days after I'd treated Mazie's laundry. I was preparing breakfast in the kitchen when I heard her shriek from upstairs.

"Isaac! ISAAC!"

I set down the knife I'd been using to slice fruit, my wolf stirring with interest inside me. *Finally.*

Isaac appeared in the doorway, his hair disheveled from sleep. "What happened?"

"Mazie," I said quietly. "She's calling for you."

He brushed past me without a second glance, taking the stairs two at a time. I followed at a distance, my heart pounding with anticipation.

When I reached the Luna suite—my former suite—I found Mazie sitting on the edge of the bed, her arms outstretched to show Isaac her skin. Angry red welts covered her forearms and neck.

"Look what's happening to me," she sobbed, her voice breaking perfectly. "It started as a tingling sensation yesterday, and now..."

Isaac examined the rash, his face darkening with concern. "This is a reaction. Did you come into contact with anything new?"

"The laundry," Mazie whispered, her eyes lifting to meet mine as I stood in the doorway. "It was the only thing different."

My wolf smirked. *Let her suspect. Let her prove it.*

"I washed everything according to your instructions," I said calmly.

Isaac's gaze hardened as he looked at me. "You must have used something different. Something that irritated her skin."

"I didn't," I insisted, maintaining my composure.

Mazie whimpered, clutching her pup closer. "The baby's skin is so delicate. What if this is somehow affecting him too?"

That night, Isaac didn't return to our room. Instead, he set up a cot outside Mazie's door, declaring he would personally guard them against whatever threat lurked in our pack.

---

The weekly pack gathering fell on a crisp autumn evening. Members filled the great hall, their voices creating a low hum of conversation as they awaited Isaac's address.

I sat in my designated Luna chair, feeling the weight of stares. Eleanor had positioned herself prominently at the front of the hall, her silver hair gleaming in the firelight.

Isaac stood before the assembly, his voice strong as he discussed border patrols and hunting rotations. I watched him, searching for any sign that he still considered me his mate.

"And now," he concluded, "my mother has some announcements regarding pack welfare."

Eleanor stepped forward, her smile sharp as a blade. "Thank you, my son."

She moved to the center of the hall, her eyes sweeping over the gathered wolves before landing on me.

"As we consider the future of our pack," she began, her voice carrying to every corner of the room, "we must reflect on the Moon Goddess's gifts—and sometimes, her warnings."

My wolf tensed. *Here it comes.*

"Some wolves," Eleanor continued, "are blessed with the ability to continue strong bloodlines. Others..." She paused, her gaze fixed on my abdomen. "Perhaps the Moon Goddess is showing us that some wolves are not meant to bear the next generation of leaders."

The silence that followed was deafening. I felt heat rise to my cheeks as dozens of eyes turned toward me.

"Charlotte has been Luna for three years now," Eleanor said, her voice dripping with false concern. "Yet her womb remains empty. Perhaps we should consider what this means for our pack's future."

My fingers curled into fists as I fought to maintain my dignity. My wolf snarled, no longer quiet but enraged.

*We are Alpha blood,* she reminded me. *We could bear stronger pups than any of them deserve.*

---

Later that night, unable to sleep in our empty bed, I wandered the silent corridors. A soft light spilled from beneath Mazie's door, along with the murmur of voices.

I moved closer, my wolf guiding me to press my ear against the wood.

"I never wanted to hurt you," Isaac was saying, his voice low and intimate. "Mating with Charlotte was a duty—to strengthen pack alliances. My heart never left you, Mazie."

I held my breath, my hand pressed against the wall to steady myself.

"Then why did you mate with her?" Mazie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Pack politics," Isaac replied. "My father insisted on the alliance with Charlotte's family. But I never loved her the way I loved you."

"And now?"

"Now you're back," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "And I can't pretend anymore."

I heard the rustle of fabric, the soft sound of a hand touching another hand.

"I came back for you," Mazie said softly. "Despite knowing about your mate bond. Despite everything."

My wolf, who had been so quiet in the face of betrayal, suddenly roared to life inside me.

*Enough,* she growled. *ENOUGH.*

I stepped back from the door, my heart pounding not with hurt but with a rage so pure it nearly blinded me.

Three years of devotion. Three years of enduring Eleanor's barbs and Isaac's indifference. Three years of suppressing my true nature.

No more.

My wolf stretched within me, her power flowing through my veins like liquid fire.

*It's time,* she whispered. *Time to show them who we really are.*