After surviving a close call, I returned to the Blue Moon Pack’s territory and found my mom knitting a scarf for me in the living room of our family home. Thankfully, she wasn’t a figment of my imagination—she was truly alive, her hands moving steadily as she worked.

I rushed to her, hugging her tightly, fighting back tears. "Mom, how about we visit the neighboring pack by the seaside? I’ve heard their trade markets are thriving, and it might be good for us to get away for a while."

She sensed the turmoil in my voice and looked up, her sharp eyes filled with concern. "Alpha Austin and you… I’ve always said he wasn’t the right mate for you. The way he’s treated you, especially with Rose Walker always by his side… it’s not right. I’ll join you for a change of scenery."

"Great," I said, forcing a smile. "Let’s aim for three days from now."

I spent the rest of the day with her, cherishing the calm before I returned to the Alpha’s mansion—the home I shared with Austin. When I stepped inside, I found him standing in the living room, a portrait of my mother hanging on the wall. He turned to me with a grin, his Alpha aura filling the room. "Sweetheart, I’ve placed your mom’s picture here. Whenever you miss her, you can come and see her."

He seemed to expect praise, his tone dripping with self-satisfaction. "I pulled some strings to get this printed. I’ve done a lot for your mom, haven’t I?" I laughed dryly; the pack’s Gamma had a photo printer in his office. It wasn’t anything special, yet Austin tried to impress me with it.

I walked over, picked up the portrait, and tossed it into the trash bin, my voice cool and detached. "Is the mate rejection paperwork ready?"

His eyebrows shot up, his expression darkening. "You actually meant it? It was just a heated argument. We’ve been mates for nearly ten years. How can we split over something so trivial?"

I didn’t bother reminding him of the countless times he threatened to reject me over something Rose Walker said. In his eyes, the death of my closest family was a minor issue, but Rose’s whims were monumental.

He stepped closer, his Alpha tone softening in an attempt to placate me. "Alright, don’t be upset. How about I organize a grand memorial for your mom? It would be my way of making amends, okay?"

I kept my face impassive. "No need."

He gripped my hand tighter, his voice coaxing. "After the memorial, I’ll take time off and we can go on a trip. Just the two of us."

"But…" he hesitated, his tone shifting, "could you tell everyone at the memorial that your mom’s passing had nothing to do with Rose? The Gamma spread rumors, and it upset her greatly."

So all those sweet words led up to this. I replied with icy sarcasm, "Rose got someone killed, and you want me to clear her name? Alpha Austin, I didn’t think you condoned such schemes."

His face turned sour, and he released my hand, his Alpha tone sharpening. "She was just helping me! What if your mom’s alleged bribery affected the pack’s reputation?"

"Whether you help or not, you have to help!" he snapped, his dominance pressing down on me.

I smiled faintly and suddenly changed my tune, "Fine, I’ll help, but on one condition."

His expression brightened, and he agreed without hesitation, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. "Sweetheart, you’re so understanding! Mating you is my biggest blessing!"

I said nothing, nor did I tell him that my condition was the mate rejection.

He then walked over to the cabinet and took out the most valuable item in the house—the silver pocket watch he had given me during our marking ceremony. "Rose was really shaken up that day, can’t sleep at night. She said the ticking helps her, so I’ll give it to her. You don’t like it anyway."

That pocket watch was his marking gift to me. We had no grand ceremony—just that watch. Back then, he hadn’t fully established himself as Alpha, barely earning enough, but he spent a significant amount on it because I liked it. I only wore it twice to pack gatherings, keeping it safe in the cabinet.

He knew I was afraid of damaging it and didn’t wear it out of caution, but now it didn’t matter anymore. Everything he gave me, including himself, I no longer wanted.

Before leaving, he turned to me, his tone casual but with an underlying edge. "Where’s my mom been the past couple of days? She left without saying goodbye. Sweetheart, let me know when you see her back."

I smiled, my voice sweet but empty. "Sure, I will."

He’d see her soon enough—just at the memorial.

The funeral was undeniably a grand event, with the entire Blue Moon Pack and members of neighboring packs in attendance. Alpha Austin seemed intent on using this moment to vindicate Beta Rose in front of everyone, trying to curb any further whispers that had been circulating. Rose was sobbing inconsolably, nestled in his arms, her delicate frame trembling as if she were the one who had suffered the greatest loss.

"Sierra, do you really not hold me responsible? Alpha, you’ll stand by me and not let her harass me, right?" she whimpered, her voice trembling with practiced fragility.

Austin’s arms tightened around her, his Alpha tone low and commanding. "Don’t worry. She wouldn’t dare. Everything will be sorted out."

It was almost absurd—the person who had orchestrated the tragedy now playing the victim so convincingly. My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of frustration that I quickly suppressed. Now wasn’t the time.

I moved forward to light a candle for Natasha, Austin’s mother and the former Luna of the Blue Moon Pack. Despite how she had treated me—her demands, her dismissiveness—she was gone now, and clinging to past grievances felt pointless. The flickering flame cast a soft glow over her portrait, her regal features frozen in time.

Rose approached the casket, her steps slow and deliberate, and suddenly tossed a pile of documents onto the floor. She sighed, her expression tinged with an insincere reluctance that made my stomach churn.

"Sierra, I know we should let things go once someone has passed, but my life has been impacted by all this," she said, her voice carrying just enough weight to draw the attention of everyone in the room.

"Some matters need to be clarified in front of everyone."

I bent down to pick up the papers, my hands trembling as I scanned the accusations of embezzlement and bribery levied against my mother. My wolf growled again, louder this time, but I forced her back. Throwing the papers to the ground, I glared at Rose.

"That day, Natasha simply gave my mom a slice of cake, and you call that a fifty-dollar bribe? None of these accusations are true!"

The sound of papers hitting the marble floor echoed through the hall, and Rose shrank back, her eyes wide with feigned fear. Austin immediately stepped in, his Alpha aura flaring as he moved to shield her.

"Why are you throwing those? You’re scaring her! Rose gathered this information herself! Are you saying it’s fake?"

"Don’t think I don’t know your mother was using my name to con people out of money everywhere!" he added, his voice rising with each word.

Rose, still teary-eyed, clung to Austin’s arm. "Alpha, maybe you shouldn’t say anything more. We should let the deceased rest in peace."

"If you’ve brought it up, stop pretending," I snapped, my voice sharp enough to cut through her façade.

Austin’s eyes darkened, his Alpha tone now laced with barely restrained anger. "I brought it up because I want everyone to know the truth! Your mom got what was coming to her, and this has nothing to do with Rose!"

Whispers rippled through the crowd, the pack members exchanging glances, their loyalty swaying with every word Austin spoke.

"I’ve seen Sierra’s mom at the pack market regularly. If that wasn’t bribery, then what was?"

"Exactly. After Sierra became Luna, their family suddenly had a refrigerator and a radio. There’s no way they didn’t take bribes!"

I clenched my fists, my wolf’s growl now a low rumble in my chest. "Those are things I bought for my mom! She never took a dime!"

Rose shot me a smug look, her lips curling into a barely concealed smirk as she poured gasoline on the fire. "Sierra, with your allowance as Luna, could you really afford a refrigerator and a radio? You know deep down where that money came from."

Austin scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Not long ago, a crowd showed up at the packhouse wanting to see me. I bet your mom pocketed money from them to leverage my influence."

They had the upper hand, the pack’s loyalty swaying with every accusation. Rose, emboldened by Austin’s support, suddenly proposed, "Since she took bribes, shouldn’t the money be confiscated? Let’s go to her house and collect it!"

The murmurs of agreement from the crowd were like a knife twisting in my chest. My wolf snarled, but I held her back, refusing to let them see how deeply their words cut. I would not break—not here, not in front of them.