My knees buckled, a metallic tang rising in my throat.

"Zaiden," I choked out, my voice trembling, "I’ve lost a pup too. How could you believe I’d harm hers?"

The day I miscarried, I had been brutalized by rogues for hours. When Zaiden finally arrived, I was barely conscious, lying in a pool of my own blood. I cradled the tiny, lifeless form in my arms, whispering through tears, "My sweet pup, why won’t you answer me?" I clung to the cold, silent bundle, shivering uncontrollably. Zaiden’s claws retracted, his face pale as he stared at the scene before him.

After three days of unconsciousness, the Healer delivered the devastating news: my injuries were too severe. I would never carry another pup.

Zaiden flinched under my gaze, his expression flickering with something akin to guilt. His hand, reaching out to steady Scarlett, froze mid-air.

"Scarlett is pregnant," he said after a long pause, his voice strained. "How could she harm her own pup?"

I let out a bitter laugh. "When you’re determined to accuse me, what does the truth matter?"

At that moment, Scarlett let out a sharp cry, clutching her stomach as a faint stain of blood appeared on her dress. She wailed, her voice piercing the air, "Luna, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have been so attached to the necklace Zaiden gave me! I won’t complain anymore, just please, don’t hurt my pup!"

Zaiden’s face darkened instantly. Two burly pack warriors stepped forward, pinning me down with ease. They quickly produced a pair of silver necklaces from my person, holding them up as damning evidence.

"Jolene," Zaiden roared, his Alpha tone cutting through the room like a whip, "with witnesses and evidence against you, what else do you have to say? Take her out and make her kneel. No one is to approach her without my command."

Zaiden swept Scarlett into his arms, his concern for her overriding all else, and rushed out of the room.

I was forced to the ground, my back exposed as Rosalie, Scarlett’s loyal Omega servant, raised a whip. The first strike landed with a sickening crack, leaving a searing trail of pain across my skin.

"You were once the daughter of a prominent pack, weren’t you?" Rosalie sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. "If it weren’t for those rogues ruining your reputation all those years ago, you might’ve found a decent mate somewhere else."

She yanked my hair, forcing me to look up at her. Her smile was cruel, her words deliberate.

"Tell me, Jolene," she whispered, her tone venomous, "why do you think Alpha Zaiden took two hours to come to your aid that day? He knew. He always knew."

The words hit me like a physical blow, and I clenched my teeth against the pain, both from the lashes and the betrayal that cut deeper than any whip could.

Bone-deep cold seeped into my core, and I pressed a hand to my chest, swallowing back the bitter ache rising in my throat. But the memory of that child’s suffering broke through, and I couldn’t hold back the tears.

“Because at that time, the Alpha was in my mate’s bed, lost in their passion!”

A sharp pain ripped through my scalp as she yanked my hair, forcing my head into a barrel of icy water. I screamed, thrashing against the hands that pinned me down—Scarlett’s loyal Omegas, all of them. They had betrayed me for her.

My strength faltered as the water flooded my nose, burning my lungs like fire. The pain tore through me, and I stopped fighting, letting the darkness creep in.

“You’ve stolen my mate’s place for years! Just die already—ahhh!”

Her scream pierced my ears, and then a strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me from the water. I collapsed into a warm embrace, my vision blurring as I saw Zaiden’s tear-streaked face.

“Jolene, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry…” His voice broke as my world faded.

---

When I woke, it was deep into the night. Zaiden lay beside me, clutching my icy hands and pressing them to his chest, trying to warm them. His eyes lit up when he saw me stir.

“Jolene, you’re awake!”

But his relief was short-lived. His hands trembled as they traced the scars on my wrists, then moved to the jagged mark on my abdomen. His tears fell freely as he choked out, “These… these are because of me, aren’t they? Jolene, what have I done to you?”

The ache in my chest deepened, and I let out a hoarse laugh. “He did this, not you.”

Just then, a flicker of light caught my eye through the window. Zaiden sat up, his face lighting with excitement. “He remembers! He promised to release candles for you every year on your birthday.”

Not wanting to dampen his mood, I let him help me to the courtyard. The candles glowed brightly, their light cutting through the damp, oppressive air of the yard. For a moment, the numbness in my heart softened.

This was our tradition. My mother had passed early, and my father had never cared. Every year, I spent my birthday alone—until Zaiden climbed over the wall, took my hand, and led me to the river to release candles.

“Jolene, they say if you make a wish under the moonlight, the Moon Goddess will grant it,” he had told me once, his eyes sparkling.

I’d leaned in, curious. “What did you wish for?”

But he’d hidden the candle, grinning. “If I tell you, it won’t come true!”

The memory brought a tear to my eye. “Zaiden, what did you wish for every year when we released the candles?”

He paused, his eyes filling with tears. “I wished, ‘May I be with Jolene, year after year.’”

He grabbed my hand, pulling me toward the candles. “Jolene, you have to believe me! He’s releasing the candles to apologize. Please, go see him. Give him one more chance.”

His desperation broke through my resolve. Though I held no hope, I let him lead me, my heart torn between the past and the fragile possibility of forgiveness.