Andre frowned as he looked at me, his Alpha aura pressing down on me in the way it always did when he was displeased. “Cora, are you feeling unwell? You look… off.”

Yasmin, who had been about to step into the room, paused at his words. She glanced at the basin of water I was holding and wrinkled her nose in exaggerated disgust. “Oh, Luna, really! You should’ve prepared better for this. Look at the mess you’ve made—ruining the sheets like this. How careless.”

Andre’s nose twitched slightly, as if he, too, could sense the faint metallic tang in the air. His expression shifted to one of mild irritation. “Cora, clean this up quickly. It’s embarrassing for the pack to see you like this.”

My steps felt heavy as I walked over to the waste bin and poured the water out. My hands trembled, but I forced myself to keep them steady.

Yasmin let out a soft, mocking laugh before turning back to Andre. Her voice was sugary sweet, dripping with false concern. “Alpha, since the Luna’s sheets are… compromised, why don’t you stay in my room tonight? You need your rest for tomorrow’s pack meeting, after all.”

Andre’s ears turned pink, and he cleared his throat, nodding almost imperceptibly. “Fine. Just for tonight.”

My chest tightened. They had always flirted behind my back, but now they didn’t even bother to hide it. They were shameless, and it made my stomach churn.

Just then, Quinton walked out of his room, his backpack in hand. “Mom, the strap on my bag broke. My packmates are laughing at me. Can you fix it?”

Yasmin immediately reached out, her smile sickeningly sweet. “Quinton, darling, your mother looks exhausted. Let me handle it for you.”

I met her gaze coldly, my voice calm but firm. “Yasmin, your sewing skills are hardly something Quinton’s packmates would admire. I’ll handle it.”

Her smile faltered, but Quinton spoke up before she could respond. “No! Aunt Yasmin shouldn’t have to do this kind of thing. Mom, you’ve been home all day—just fix my bag, okay?”

I stared at him, my heart sinking. This was the child I’d carried for nine months, raised with so much love, and yet he was siding with her. With her. The betrayal burned like a brand.

With a loud crash, I slammed the basin onto the floor. “Tonight, I’m not lifting a finger for anyone!”

I turned on my heel and marched into my room, leaving them all stunned. Quinton stood frozen, his mouth hanging open, while Andre looked momentarily speechless.

In the seven years I’d been mated to Andre, I’d never raised my voice, never lost my composure. But tonight, I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Andre followed me into the room, his voice softer now, almost placating. “Cora, what’s gotten into you? There’s no need to take it out on Quinton. Come on, I’ll stay here with you tonight. Let’s just forget about this.”

I didn’t respond, focusing instead on straightening the sheets on the bed. He sighed and sat down on the edge of the mattress, his presence heavy and suffocating.

Later, when the lights were off, a sharp, feminine gasp came from the room next door. Within moments, Yasmin’s voice floated through the wall, high-pitched and trembling. “Alpha, I think there’s a… a mouse in my room. Could you come check? I’m so scared…”

Andre was up in an instant, pulling on his shirt. “Cora, I’ll just deal with this and come right back. Get some rest.”

But he didn’t come back. Not that night.

Hours passed, and then, faintly, I heard it—a soft, breathy moan from the room next door. My heart twisted, and I gripped the blanket tightly, my claws digging into the fabric. Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Instead, I lay there, silent and still, as the weight of betrayal settled over me like a suffocating fog.

The morning sun filtered through the curtains as Yasmin sauntered out of her room, her neckline deliberately low, revealing the faint marks of a mate’s bite. I clenched my jaw, gripping the basin in my hands tighter as I turned to head inside, but her voice stopped me in my tracks.

“Cora,” Yasmin called, her tone dripping with faux sweetness. She crossed her arms, a smirk playing on her lips. “Since you’re the pack’s healer, maybe you could pick up some herbal remedy for the Alpha when you’re in town. Last night… well, he’s exhausted.”

Andre stepped out of the room at that moment, his shirt still half-buttoned. He paused, clearly caught off guard by her words. “It was just… a long night,” he mumbled, his voice trailing off.

I tightened my grip on the basin, my knuckles turning white. “If he’s that weak, he’d better be careful,” I snapped, my voice icy. “He might not handle the remedy well.”

Andre’s face darkened, his jaw tightening as he glared at me. Yasmin, however, didn’t miss a beat. She disappeared back into her room for a moment, returning with a sleek, shiny box in her hands.

“Oh, and Cora,” she said, her tone sickeningly sweet, “I noticed you don’t have a phone. It’s such a shame. Yesterday was my birthday, and the Alpha got me the latest model. I don’t need my old one anymore, so I thought I’d give it to you. You know, as a gift.”

My hands clenched into fists at my sides. Yesterday, I’d been in so much pain I could barely stand, yet I’d dragged myself home to call the Alpha from the landline. And what did he do? He’d gone out and bought Yasmin the newest phone, leaving me with nothing but her cast-off.

I shoved the box back into her hands, my voice trembling with suppressed anger. “Keep it. I don’t need your charity.”

But before I could turn away, Yasmin let out a dramatic cry, collapsing to the ground. She clutched her stomach, her face contorted in fake pain. “Cora, you didn’t have to push me! Alpha, what’s happening? My stomach… it hurts so much!”

Andre’s eyes widened in panic, and he rushed to her side, scooping her up into his arms. “What the hell is wrong with you, Cora?” he shouted, his voice sharp with accusation. He carried her into the house, leaving me standing there, my heart pounding in my chest.

Moments later, Rylan, the pack’s Delta and a part-time healer, arrived. He knelt beside Yasmin, his fingers pressing lightly to her wrist as he checked her pulse. After a moment, he looked up, his expression grave. “Alpha,” he said, his voice low and serious, “she’s pregnant.”

The room fell silent, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. I felt my knees buckle slightly, but I forced myself to stand tall, even as the world seemed to tilt around me.

Watching my mate, Andre, trying to suppress his joy in front of me, I couldn’t help but think of the pup I had lost. The pain of that memory was still raw, a wound that refused to heal. Needing to escape the suffocating atmosphere, I walked out to the shore, staring at the horizon where the full moon would rise in two days, my mind adrift in a sea of regret and sorrow.

Behind me, a voice, sickly sweet and dripping with false concern, broke the silence. “Cora, you still love the moonlit nights, don’t you?”

It was Yasmin, cradling her belly with a smug expression as she approached. “Oh, this pup came at just the right time. I wonder if it’s a boy or a girl. But no matter what, Andre will be thrilled. You saw him yesterday, didn’t you? He was so excited he nearly tripped over the doorstep laughing!”

I snorted, my voice cold. “Yes, I wonder if he’d still be so happy if this news reached the pack. Imagine the scandal.”

Yasmin’s smile faltered, her eyes narrowing. She knew what I meant. The pack’s hierarchy was strict, and rumors of an Alpha fathering a pup with his brother’s widow could destroy his reputation.

She recovered quickly, her lips curling into a sneer. “There’s always a solution. Andre could just reject you and make me his Luna. He’s already tired of your plain, lifeless scent. Did you know he’s told me more than once that your scent is like dead leaves? That the smell of you makes him want to vomit?”

My hands trembled with rage. “Shut up!”

Yasmin’s smile widened, relishing my anger. She stepped closer, her voice a venomous whisper. “Cora, did you know you lost a pup recently?”

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. How did she know?

She chuckled, low and cruel. “You haven’t bought any supplies in months. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? But don’t be sad. It’s better this way. Andre despises you now. He’d never love a pup of yours. And with a mother as weak and foolish as you, the pup would’ve been an Omega anyway.”

I grabbed her shoulders, my claws digging into her skin. “You vicious woman! Don’t you dare speak about my pup like that!”

Yasmin didn’t struggle. Instead, she glanced over my shoulder, a calculating glint in her eyes. Then, with a deliberate movement, she threw herself backward, tumbling into the rocky shore.

“Yasmin!”

Andre and our son, Quinton, appeared out of nowhere, their faces filled with panic. Without hesitation, Andre shifted into his wolf form, his powerful frame cutting through the rocks. He was an excellent hunter, and within moments, he had Yasmin in his jaws, carrying her back to safety.

“Are you okay, Yasmin?” Quinton’s voice was frantic, his young face twisted with worry.

Yasmin clung to Andre, her body trembling as she sobbed. “Andre, it was Cora. She pushed me into the rocks. She said I was shameless for trying to steal you from her. She said she wanted me and my pup dead. Please, Andre, you have to protect us!”

Andre’s eyes burned with fury as he turned to me. “Cora, how could you be so cruel? You know how fragile Yasmin is right now! How could you do something like this? You’re disgusting!”

Quinton glared at me, his small hands clenched into fists. “Yasmin’s always been kind to me, and you tried to kill her! You’re the worst mother in the pack! You should be the one in the rogue lands!”

Andre carried Yasmin away without a backward glance, his back stiff with anger. Quinton lingered for a moment, picking up a sharp stone from the ground and hurling it at me. It struck my cheek, leaving a thin line of blood.

But I barely felt it. I stood there, tears streaming down my face, the weight of their accusations crushing me. The wind howled in my ears, its gusts a harsh reminder of the loneliness that now consumed me.

At least, I thought bitterly, tomorrow I would leave this place—this pack, this life, this pain. But even as the thought crossed my mind, I knew the scars would never fully heal.