Morning light filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across my chamber floor. I stared at the ceiling, the mark on my neck still tender from Ajax's ritual bite. A mating mark that meant everything and nothing at once.

Voices drifted through my partially open window—hushed, yet deliberately loud enough to reach my ears.

"Poor thing," a female voice said with mock sympathy. "Marked and abandoned on the same night. I've never heard of such humiliation."

"What did she expect?" another replied. "A Delta? A former rogue? Luna material? Please."

Their laughter cut through me like claws. I closed my eyes, channeling the pain into the cold, hard resolve I'd been nurturing for three years. Let them talk. Every whisper was another brick in the foundation of our revenge.

I dressed methodically in my Delta warrior attire—practical, understated, the opposite of what a Luna would wear. The silver pendant Mia had given me remained hidden beneath my shirt, close to my heart. My one concession to sentimentality.

"Justice," I whispered to my reflection. "Not status."

The dining hall fell into a hush when I entered. Dozens of eyes tracked my movement, waiting for signs of a breakdown. I kept my head high, my face impassive, though my wolf howled with rage inside me.

Then I saw her.

Primrose sat at the high table beside Ajax's empty chair, her golden curls arranged artfully over her shoulders. She wore a pale blue dress that highlighted her Omega curves, but it was the jewelry that caught my attention—a diamond necklace that caught the light with every calculated movement of her slender neck, matching earrings that dangled like icicles, and a bracelet that clinked musically as she reached for her tea.

All pieces I'd seen in Ajax's family vault. All pieces that should have gone to Mia.

"Evadne," Primrose called sweetly, her voice carrying across the hall. "Come join us. There's plenty of room."

A trap, designed to showcase my humiliation. I approached slowly, feeling the weight of the pack's scrutiny.

"You look tired," Primrose said, her eyes gleaming with malice as I took a seat several chairs away. "Difficult night?"

Before I could respond, Ajax entered. The pack members rose in respect, heads bowed to their Alpha. He acknowledged them with a nod before taking his place beside Primrose. His eyes slid over me as if I were a stranger.

"You look beautiful this morning," he told Primrose, loud enough for all to hear. His fingers brushed against the diamond necklace. "These suit you."

"Thank you, Alpha," she preened, shooting me a victorious glance. "They're exquisite. Family heirlooms?"

"Yes," Ajax replied. "Meant for a true Luna."

The words landed like physical blows. I focused on my food, tasting nothing, remembering Mia showing me these very pieces years ago.

"My father gave these to my mother," she had told me, her fingers caressing the diamonds. "Someday, they'll belong to the next Windsor Luna."

Now they adorned the neck of her murderer.

After breakfast, I led my Delta warriors to the training grounds. Combat drills had always been my sanctuary—the one place where my rogue upbringing was an asset rather than a liability. My warriors respected me, at least. They'd seen me fight alongside Ajax to reclaim his position.

"Formation three," I ordered, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "Perimeter defense against multiple attackers."

As we moved through the drills, I became aware of a commotion at the edge of the training grounds. Primrose had arrived with her entourage of Omega and Beta females, all dressed inappropriately for the training area in flowing dresses and delicate shoes. They positioned themselves directly in Ajax's line of sight as he observed the warriors.

Primrose's laughter rang out, high and musical, cutting through the sounds of combat. I glanced over to see her twirling playfully, her dress billowing around her legs as she pretended to demonstrate a dance move to her friends. Ajax watched, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Again," I snapped at my warriors, who had also been distracted by the display. "Tighten your formation. A real enemy won't be distracted by pretty dresses."

We continued, sweat beading on my forehead as I pushed my warriors harder, channeling my frustration into every strike and parry. I was vaguely aware of Ajax approaching, his Alpha presence causing my warriors to straighten and bow their heads respectfully.

"Delta Ruther," he said formally, using my rank rather than my name. "Your warriors' technique lacks refinement."

I stiffened. "They're effective, Alpha. We focus on results rather than appearance."

His eyes narrowed slightly—the tiniest break in his facade that only I would notice. A warning to control my emotions.

"Perhaps," he replied coldly, "but grace and proper form reflect discipline and breeding." He turned toward Primrose, who had sauntered closer. "Primrose understands this balance. Even in her movements, you can see generations of noble blood."

Primrose beamed, executing a perfect curtsy that had nothing to do with combat and everything to do with displaying her feminine charms.

"Unlike others," Ajax continued, his gaze sliding dismissively over me, "who rely on brute force to compensate for what they lack in proper upbringing."

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the assembled warriors. The insult was clear and cutting—a public rejection of everything I was.

I swallowed hard, tasting blood where I'd bitten the inside of my cheek. "As you say, Alpha. We can't all be born into privilege."

For a fleeting second, I saw pain flash in Ajax's eyes—the same pain I'd witnessed when he spoke of Mia. Then it was gone, replaced by the cold mask of the Alpha who had discarded me.

"Continue your drills, Delta," he said dismissively before offering his arm to Primrose. "Come, let me show you the renovations to the east wing. I think you'll find it perfect for the Luna's quarters."

As they walked away, Primrose glanced over her shoulder, her smile venomous with triumph. She thought she was winning. She thought she was safe.

She had no idea she was walking into our trap, step by calculated step.

I turned back to my warriors, their faces a mixture of pity and discomfort. "Again," I commanded, my voice hard as steel. "From the beginning."

The evening descended over Windsor territory, painting the sky in deepening shades of purple and blue. I slipped away from the pack house, desperate for a moment of solitude after a day of calculated humiliation. My feet carried me along a familiar path, one I had walked countless times with Mia.

Her garden remained tucked away in a forgotten corner of the pack grounds—a small sanctuary of wildflowers and herbs that had grown somewhat wild in her absence. No one tended it anymore. No one but me remembered that this had been her favorite place.

I knelt beside a cluster of moonflowers that were just beginning to open their pale petals to the evening air. My fingers found the worn leather bracelet on my wrist—simple, unadorned, nothing like the glittering jewels that now adorned Primrose's neck and wrists.

'This belonged to my mother,' Mia had told me as she tied it around my thin wrist years ago. I had been half-starved, still feral from my years alone in the wilderness. 'Now it's yours. A reminder that you're family now.'

Family. The word still ached in my chest.

I touched the delicate petals of a moonflower, remembering how Mia had taught me their names, their properties, their meanings. How patient she had been with the wild, suspicious rogue child I'd been.

'You have her eyes,' a deep voice said from behind me.

I didn't turn. I didn't need to. Ajax's scent—pine and midnight—had already reached me, wrapping around me like a familiar embrace we could no longer share.

'Don't,' I whispered, my voice barely audible even to werewolf ears. We couldn't risk being overheard, not even here.

He remained at the edge of the garden, his expression unreadable in the gathering darkness. For a moment, I glimpsed the weight of our charade in the slump of his shoulders, the tightness around his eyes.

Then he straightened, nodded once, and walked away—the Alpha returning to his chosen Omega, leaving his marked Delta alone among the memories of the dead.

---

The next morning brought fresh torment. Primrose made sure I was present when she moved her belongings into the Luna's suite—the rooms that by pack tradition should have been mine after the marking ceremony.

'Oh, Evadne!' she exclaimed with false surprise when I passed the open door on my way to the training grounds. 'I didn't see you there.'

She stood in the center of the elegant chamber, surrounded by pack members carrying her trunks and boxes. The room had been transformed overnight—plush new bedding in the Windsor colors, fresh flowers on every surface, and Mia's jewelry displayed prominently on the vanity.

'Do you like what I've done with the place?' Primrose asked, her eyes glittering with malice. 'Ajax insisted I move in immediately. He said there was no reason to wait for formalities.'

I kept my face carefully blank, though my wolf snarled and thrashed beneath my skin. 'The Luna's suite suits you,' I said evenly.

'Yes,' she agreed, running her fingers along a silk pillow. 'Though I'll be making more changes. This room has such... outdated energy.'

I knew what she meant. This had been Mia's room before her 'suicide.' Before Primrose and Orion had murdered her and her unborn child.

'I'm sure you'll make it your own,' I replied, my voice steady despite the rage building inside me. 'If you'll excuse me, I have duties to attend to.'

Her laughter followed me down the corridor, high and triumphant. She thought she was winning. She thought she was safe.

---

The weekly pack meeting was an exercise in visual hierarchy. Ajax sat in his Alpha chair at the head of the great hall, Primrose beside him in what everyone recognized as the Luna's position. I stood with the other Deltas along the wall, my rank clear to everyone present.

'As many of you know,' Ajax addressed the assembled pack, his voice carrying effortlessly through the hall, 'the annual Moon Goddess Festival is approaching. Traditionally, this is organized by the Luna.'

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. All eyes darted between Primrose, who sat straighter in anticipation, and me, the marked mate who had been publicly discarded.

'However,' Ajax continued, 'given the... unusual circumstances, I've decided that Delta Ruther will oversee the preparations this year.'

Gasps echoed through the hall. Primrose's smile froze on her face.

'Her experience with the ritual aspects will ensure everything proceeds according to tradition,' Ajax explained smoothly. 'Primrose will, of course, preside over the festivities as my chosen companion.'

I kept my expression neutral, though inside I felt a flicker of satisfaction at Primrose's barely concealed fury. This was part of our plan—keeping me involved in pack ceremonies, maintaining my position close enough to strike when the time came.

After the meeting, whispers followed me through the corridors. Primrose's work, no doubt. I caught fragments as I passed groups of pack members who fell silent at my approach.

'...so desperate...'

'...can't accept that he chose Primrose...'

'...planning to challenge for his attention...'

'...pathetic, really...'

The rumors painted me as jealous, unstable, unable to accept Ajax's rejection. Exactly as we had anticipated. The more Primrose portrayed herself as the victim of my supposed obsession, the more she played into our hands.

---

That evening, the pack gathered for dinner in the great hall. I sat far from the high table where Ajax and Primrose held court, surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the future Luna. I focused on my meal, aware of the pitying glances cast my way.

Primrose's laughter rang out above the din of conversation, drawing all eyes to her as she regaled her audience with some amusing tale. I didn't look up, even when I sensed her approaching my table.

'Evadne,' she said sweetly, 'I wanted to personally thank you for taking on the festival preparations. It's so... appropriate for someone of your station.'

I looked up then, meeting her gaze steadily. 'The Moon Goddess Festival is sacred. I'm honored to preserve its traditions.'

Something in my tone made her smile falter for a fraction of a second. Then she leaned closer, as if to share a confidence, and 'accidentally' knocked over her wine glass. The dark red liquid spread across the table and cascaded into my lap, staining my only formal dress—the one I'd worn when Ajax and I reclaimed his position.

Gasps and murmurs filled the hall. All eyes were on us.

'Oh!' Primrose exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth in mock horror. 'How clumsy of me! I'm so terribly sorry, Evadne.'

I sat perfectly still as the cold wine seeped through the fabric. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ajax watching, his face impassive, making no move to intervene.

'No harm done,' I said quietly, dabbing at the stain with a napkin. 'Red is my color, after all.'

Primrose's smile tightened at my calm response. She'd wanted tears, outrage—anything to paint me as the unstable, jealous ex.

'Let me help,' she insisted, grabbing a napkin and making the stain worse with her aggressive dabbing.

I caught her wrist, stopping her. Our eyes locked in silent combat.

'That's enough,' I said, my voice low but firm. 'You've done enough.'

For a moment, I saw a flicker of the cold calculation behind her Omega mask—the same merciless determination that had led her to help murder a pregnant woman. Then she pulled away, turning to the watching crowd with a perfect expression of remorse.

'I feel just terrible,' she announced. 'Please, let me replace your dress, Evadne. It's the least I can do.'

I rose from my seat, the wine dripping from my ruined dress. 'That won't be necessary,' I replied. 'Some stains can never truly be washed away, can they?'

I left the dining hall with my head high, feeling dozens of eyes on my back. Let them think I meant the wine. Let Primrose believe she had won this round.

Every humiliation brought us one step closer to justice. One step closer to the moment when Mia's murderers would finally pay for their crimes.