Everyone says I am Alpha Ford Dixon’s cherished mate, his heart’s desire. Yet, with just a single word from his beloved Luna Carmen Robinson, I was branded a shameless plagiarist accused of stealing her song.

To ease Carmen’s mind, he exiled me to a remote village in the Swiss countryside, supposedly to recuperate. Three years passed with no word from him.

I endured broken legs, lost a child, and finally, I surrendered and pleaded, “Please, Alpha. I won’t compete with her for you anymore. Just let me return to my pack.”

But when he saw the scars on my body, the usually composed and dignified Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack lost his mind completely.

* * *

After three years in Little Hollow, Alpha Ford finally remembered me and sent his Beta, Rayden Larson, to bring me back.

When Rayden found me, I was carrying a bucket of scraps to feed the pigs. He covered his nose, frowning in disgust.

“I heard you turned down everything Alpha Ford offered you. So it’s true?” he sneered, his tone laced with disdain. “And now you’re putting on a show because you know he’ll come personally to get you? Hurry up and get changed. You’re filthy and reeking, you pitiful Omega.”

After three years of cruel treatment under the watchful eye of Elouise Perez, the cruel Omega tasked with supervising my exile, I had long since lost my former spirit. I nodded meekly, terrified that any delay in my response would bring the wrath of a shovel aimed straight at me.

Rayden looked puzzled, as if he wanted to say more, but in the end, he kept silent. He opened the car door, and when Alpha Ford saw me, his expression darkened immediately.

“You’re wearing this?” he demanded, incredulity and anger mixed in his voice. “I sent you here for some peace and reflection, and you come back looking like this? After all this time, you still want to play games with me? Where are the things I sent you? Why aren’t you using them? Still holding a grudge against me?”

I was utterly confused, having no idea what he was talking about. In the first year, he had traveled over nine hours to ask me just one question: “Are you going to apologize to Luna Carmen or not? You’re just a musician. How could you have created such a song? It’s clearly plagiarism!” he accused.

I had stubbornly denied it. I had done nothing wrong; it wasn’t me who plagiarized. Why should I apologize to her? He didn’t come in the second year. Instead, he sent someone, and I had groveled at that person’s feet, begging for forgiveness. “Tell Alpha Ford I was wrong. I’ll apologize to her,” I pleaded. “Beg him to let me come back.”

The person had promised, but there was no further response. I had lost all hope by then. Now, I instinctively clutched the thin clothes on my body—the best I had. To prevent me from escaping, I was only allowed to wear undergarments, no other clothing.

I answered cautiously, “Sorry, Alpha. All my other clothes are ruined.”

Alpha Ford clearly didn’t believe me, but he seemed to have exhausted his patience. With closed eyes and irritation in his voice, he said, “Fine, get in.”

My long-unshod feet, now clad in not-so-soft shoes, were raw and bleeding from walking the rugged paths of the village. Dirtied with the mix of mud and blood, the car’s spotless interior clashed with my sullied appearance.

Alpha Ford raised his hand, seemingly to help me, but I recoiled in fear, dropping to my knees, clasping my hands together in supplication. “I’m sorry, Alpha. I didn’t mean to. I won’t do it again. I won’t.”

I even crawled over, trying to wipe the muddy stains off the car mat with my clothing. But it was futile; it only made things worse.

Alpha Ford pressed his lips tightly, his eyes cold as ice. “Enough! You’re just making it worse. If you knew it would come to this, why cause trouble in the first place?”

Frozen in place, my movements halted, even as Alpha Ford tried to pull me upright, I remained unresponsive.

Yes, if only I had known it would come to this, why did I ever let my feelings show? If I had buried my affection deep within me from the start, perhaps I wouldn’t have been hurt so deeply.

My wolf whined softly in the back of my mind, a faint echo of the pain we both felt. But I shut her out, unwilling to let her see the depths of my despair. This was my burden to bear, not hers.

The car had barely moved a few feet when we were forced to stop. Elouise Perez, the Omega who had overseen my exile for the past three years, appeared at the window with a saccharine smile plastered across her face. She knocked lightly, her eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t quite place.

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest as if I’d been struck by a bolt of lightning. My hands clenched the edge of the seat, my nails digging into the leather. My wolf stirred uneasily in the back of my mind, a low growl echoing in my thoughts. *She’s here to remind you,* my wolf whispered, her voice tinged with warning. *Don’t let her see your fear.*

I gestured to Rayden Larson, the Beta of the Silver Moon Pack, to roll down the window. “Auntie,” I said, forcing my voice to remain steady, “what’s up?”

Elouise’s smile widened, though it didn’t reach her eyes. She struggled with her accent as she spoke, “Sunny loves these…”

She held out a plastic bag, and I stared at it, my stomach twisting. Inside were shelled peanuts—innocent enough to anyone else, but to me, they were a cruel reminder of the torment I’d endured. My wolf snarled louder, her presence pressing against my consciousness. *Don’t take it,* she urged. *Don’t let her win.*

But I couldn’t refuse. Not here, not in front of Rayden, who watched the exchange with a cold, dispassionate gaze. I took the bag, my fingers trembling as I forced a smile. “Auntie, that’s very thoughtful of you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

As I clutched the bag, a chill ran down my spine. My wolf let out a whimper, her fear mingling with my own. I could feel the memories rushing back—the countless meals I’d been forced to kneel over a pile of peanuts, the sharp pain that had cut through me with every mistake, every misstep. Elouise’s son, her enforcer, had made sure the punishment left no visible marks, but the pain had been deep, searing, unforgettable.

This was her warning. If I dared to speak out, if I revealed the horrors of my exile, she would make sure I regretted it. Those videotapes—humiliating, degrading, like training a dog—would find their way into my hands, a reminder of her power over me.

My face must have betrayed my emotions because, just before the world blurred and I felt myself slipping into unconsciousness, I saw Elouise’s expression shift. For a moment, it almost looked like concern, but I knew better. How could she care about me? She wanted me gone, far from her, far from the Alpha, so Carmen wouldn’t have to deal with the mess I represented.

As darkness closed in, my wolf’s voice echoed in my mind, a faint whisper of defiance. *We’ll survive this,* she said. *We always do.*