When Alex, the Alpha of our pack, brought Brynn, a young pack member, back to our den, I quickly decided to let them have the bed. The storm outside was fierce, the kind that made even the strongest wolves wary.

In my past life, a similar storm had raged when he brought Brynn back late one night. He had told me to sleep on the floor with our daughter, Nevaeh, leaving the bed to them. Enraged, I had argued with him and yelled at Brynn, who had run out crying and accidentally fallen into a ditch, drowning. Alex had said nothing. Later, during another storm, he had opened the storm drain and shoved me and our child in, saying, "Brynn was my mentor’s daughter, and I don’t know how to face him now that she’s gone. You can go down there and apologize to him for me!" Before Nevaeh and I could even cry out for help, the icy, foul water had filled our lungs.

After our deaths, I had learned that Brynn hadn’t died at all; it had been a malicious prank to punish me for insulting her. Our bodies hadn’t even had a chance to cool before my mate had joyously brought Brynn back to live with him.

Now, as I opened my eyes, thunder rumbled outside the door, and Alex walked in with Brynn by his side. He hurried her through the entrance, his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. Both of them were soaked from the rain, and Brynn was trembling, her pale skin almost ghostly in the dim light.

“What are you doing standing there? Get us some dry towels!” Alex barked at me, his Alpha tone sharp and commanding, snapping me out of my shocked daze.

The familiarity of the scene and his voice hit me—had I really been given another chance at life? Instinctively, I held my daughter close, tears streaming down my face.

Alex shouted at me again, “What are you crying for? Keep it to yourself, will you? Did you hear me?”

I choked back my fear, wiped my tears, and got up to fetch some dry towels for them. Ignoring his own drenched clothes, Alex fussed over Brynn, drying her hair carefully. Yet, Brynn started to cry softly.

“Alpha Matthews, does Luna Russell hate me? Maybe I should leave,” she said weakly, her voice trembling.

“It’s dangerous to go out in this storm. Stay here tonight,” Alex replied, his tone softening slightly as he looked at her.

In my past life, witnessing their closeness had bottled up resentment within me, and I couldn’t help but ask, “What were you two doing out so late, just the two of you? Why isn’t she in her quarters?”

Brynn blinked her large, teary eyes and explained, “Today’s my birthday, and Alpha Matthews took me to a restaurant, but then the storm hit. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I can leave if you want.”

Alex grew anxious as she spoke of leaving and held onto her hand. With eyes blazing with anger, he turned to me. “I didn’t bring you and the pup to the city so you could interrogate us. Just do what you’re supposed to!”

A wave of sadness washed over me. I had mated him young, older by three years, and I had raised him, cooked for him—even funded his education with my hard-earned savings. I had worked various jobs, cared for his mother, and handled the den all while he studied.

Now, after nearly three months in the city, he hadn’t once taken me out for a meal, yet he could afford to treat Brynn to a fancy dinner. How could I not feel bitter?

“Alpha Matthews, you said we couldn’t afford to take Nevaeh to the healer when she had a fever and suggested herbal remedies would suffice. But you’ve got money to take someone else out?”

Brynn looked at Alex apologetically and said, “I didn’t know it was so hard for you, Alpha Matthews. I’ll find a way to pay you back for the dinner.”

Embarrassed, Alex snapped at me. “I managed with just herbs when I was sick as a pup. Why’s our daughter so sensitive? Luna Russell, watch your mouth!”

“Enough. It’s late, and Brynn’s tired. She should have the bed while we take the floor.”

Brynn instantly protested, tugging on his shirt. “Alpha Matthews, you have an early meeting tomorrow. You can’t rest properly on the floor. I’ll take the floor.”

“No, you’ve been drenched. You need proper rest, or you’ll fall ill.”

“I insist. You take the bed; I’ll sleep here.”

They went back and forth in front of me until Alex finally conceded. “Fine, fine. We’ll both sleep in the bed. Come on, lie down.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Alpha Matthews! I’m right here, and you’re sharing a bed with another female. What do you take me for?”

He waved his hand dismissively. “What can we do in front of you, anyway? Stop letting your old-fashioned mindset question the bond between an Alpha and his pack member!”

I pointed at them, my wolf snarling in my chest as I shouted, "What a disgraceful scandal for an Alpha and a pack member! You’re both frauds! Maybe I should take this to the Lycan King and see if all the Alphas in his realm are sharing dens with their Omegas!"

Brynn covered her face and began to sob. "Luna Kaylani, if you bring this to the Lycan King, my reputation will be ruined. I shouldn’t have troubled you. I’m leaving."

With that, she rushed out of the den, her scent lingering in the air.

Alex, my mate, moved to follow her, but I stood in the doorway with our pup, Nevaeh, blocking his path. "Let me through! She could be in danger!"

"The territory is safe, Alex. What danger could she possibly be in?"

In his rage, he struck me across the face, the sting of his Alpha power burning through the mark on my neck. Nevaeh began to cry, her small whimpers echoing through the night.

Our pack members, including Aunt Madelyn, gathered to see what was happening. "Alpha Alex, can’t this wait until morning? We all need rest."

In the end, Alex stayed inside, his Alpha aura flickering with frustration but subdued by the pack’s presence.

Early the next morning, there was an urgent knock on our den. Kellen, a young pack member, stood there, his eyes wide with distress. "Alpha Alex, last night Brynn fell into the river near the border… she’s gone."

I expected Alex to bolt out, to confirm the news himself, but he remained eerily calm. "Understood. You should return to your duties. Don’t let this distract you."

After Kellen left, Alex continued his morning routine without a word, washing up, dressing in his Alpha attire, and picking up his patrol plans before leaving.

Guilt gnawed at me. If I hadn’t lashed out the night before, Brynn might not have fled, and this wouldn’t have happened.

That evening, when Alex returned from his patrol, I quietly set the table for dinner. I wanted to apologize, but he spoke first, his tone casual. "Where do we keep our gold?"

I pointed to the chest beside the bed. "There’s a small lockbox in there with our valuables."

"Good. Take some and get yourself and Nevaeh new attire from the pack’s market."

His tone was calm, but there was something unsettling in his gaze. I didn’t dare question him further. After dinner, I took Nevaeh out to the market.

I picked out the simplest outfits I could find and bought Alex a new cloak. The merchant said it was crafted by the finest weavers in the Lycan Kingdom.

As soon as I returned to our den, the pack members preparing their meals in the communal area greeted me. "New attire? Alpha Alex spoils you, Luna Kaylani."

"Indeed, we’re all a bit envious. Alpha Alex is such a strong and honorable leader."

Their words made me blush, a mix of pride and unease stirring within me.

That evening, a storm rolled in, the rain pounding against the den. Alex put on the new cloak I bought him and urged me and Nevaeh to wear our new attire. Then he grabbed an umbrella and smiled at us. "Come, let’s go out for dinner tonight."

"It’s not safe to go out in this storm. Let’s wait until tomorrow."

But he said nothing, simply taking Nevaeh’s small hand and leading her out into the rain. I hesitated but followed, the weight of his Alpha command pulling me along.

The rain hammered down as I followed Alex into the narrow alley, the scent of wet pavement and his anger thick in the air. He stopped abruptly, and when he turned to face me, his Alpha aura was suffocating, his eyes burning with a rage that made my wolf whimper in the back of my mind.

"Kaylani," he growled, his voice low and dangerous, the kind of tone that made even the strongest warriors flinch. "You knew it wasn’t safe out here. How could you let Brynn, a young pack member, run out into this storm? What kind of Luna are you?"

His words were a knife to my chest, but it was the disgust in his eyes that twisted the blade deeper. "How did I end up with a mate like you?" he spat. "Cold, heartless. You’re the one who deserves to be damned, not her."

Before I could respond, he grabbed me by the shoulders and shoved me hard. My back hit the edge of the open sewer grate, and I barely managed to catch myself, my fingers scrabbling against the slick metal. Nevaeh’s small voice cried out, "Mommy!" She reached for me, her tiny hands trembling as she tried to pull me back up.

"And you," Alex snarled, turning on her with a viciousness that made my blood run cold. "You little pest. If you hadn’t cried so loudly that night, if you hadn’t alerted the pack, I wouldn’t have lost you both!"

In one swift motion, he kicked Nevaeh square in the back. The force of it sent her small body crashing into me, and my grip slipped. We tumbled into the dark, icy water below, the rancid stench filling my lungs before I could even scream.

The cold was unbearable, the filth clinging to us as we sank. I tried to fight, to pull Nevaeh closer, but the current was too strong, the water too deep. My wolf howled in my mind, a sound of pure anguish, but there was nothing I could do.

When I woke, the despair clung to me like a second skin. My body was numb, but the memory of Alex’s cruelty burned hotter than ever. This time, I didn’t cry out. I didn’t even speak. I simply held Nevaeh’s hand, her tiny fingers limp in mine, and watched silently as Alex and Brynn flaunted their bond in front of us, their laughter cutting through the air like a blade.

The rain continued to fall, but it couldn’t wash away the pain. Not this time.