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.