I had been mated to Bennett since our days at the pack’s academy—a total of eight years—and we had been officially marked for two. When I chose him as my mate, despite his status as a Beta with limited resources, I severed ties with my parents, the Alpha and Luna of the Silver Moon Pack. I had declared to them, "I’ll prove you wrong about Bennett." But in just two short years, I was forced to face a harsh reality.

The storm outside raged with thunder and lightning as I spent the night crying on the floor of our den. I couldn’t wrap my head around how Bennett had become this way, or if perhaps he had always been like this and I was just too blind to see it. When did he start his affair with Liv? Had they been sneaking around right under my nose, laughing at how naive I was? Goddess, I was so stupid, never doubting Bennett for a second.

I cried all night, and Bennett didn’t come home. He must have been with Liv, probably celebrating in their shared den. I gently caressed my restless baby bump, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt. *I’m sorry, pup,* I whispered to myself, my wolf whimpering softly in the back of my mind.

By the time I dragged my exhausted body out of the bedroom the next day, it was nearly noon. Bennett walked in as I opened the door, carrying a bag from Jean’s Café, a place known for its lavish brunches. Our eyes met, and he, likely out of guilt, avoided my gaze. He casually placed the pricey pastries on the dining table.

“You’ve always wanted to have brunch from Jean’s, right? I brought some for you today,” he said, his voice calm but distant. Yes, I had always wanted to go, but he always said, “Next time. I’ve been so busy lately.” “Besides, it’s so expensive. What’s the big deal?”

And yet he finally found the time to go, suddenly not concerned about the cost? And he brought me leftovers. Did he think so little of me now?

I sat across from him, glanced at the pastries, and gave him a sarcastic smile. “Congrats! You’ve landed the heiress. You can visit Jean’s whenever you want now.”

Bennett let out a deep sigh. “Stop being so sarcastic. I thought you’d understand after mulling it over all night. Kylie, marking Liv is strictly for the pack’s benefit. She can help my career! I made it very clear over the phone that you’re still the woman I love most. Even without the official bond, I’ll take care of you and the pup.”

He took out the rejection papers and even had a pen ready for me. “Sign it. You don’t have another choice.”

“I don’t have another choice? How do you know I don’t?” Bennett frowned. “The pup is already over four months along. Are you really going to be so heartless as to not bring him into the world?”

“If you keep the pup, it’s been over two years since you worked. The outside world isn’t easy, and you have no pack support. How will you raise the child alone? Kylie, don’t be stubborn. I’ve already planned for you and the pup’s future. I promise I won’t let you down.”

His words cut through me like cold, sharp knives. From Liv’s ultrasound report, it was clear her pregnancy was at least three months along. Bennett had waited until now to confront me so that my pregnancy would be too far along, forcing me to rely on him. Looking at the man I once thought I’d love forever, he seemed like a complete stranger.

If I were truly a helpless she-wolf with no support, I’d indeed have no other choice. But unfortunately for him, he was wrong. I wasn’t just Kylie Reed, the mate of a struggling Beta. I was the daughter of the Alpha and Luna of the Silver Moon Pack, and I had more strength and resources than he could ever imagine.

I forced a grim smile as I picked up the rejection papers and scanned their contents carefully. As expected, he wanted me to walk away with virtually nothing, leaving me with only this three-bedroom apartment in the Silver Moon Pack territory.

"The rejection can go ahead, but I'm not signing this agreement," I said through clenched teeth, my wolf stirring uneasily in the back of my mind. "You're the one who betrayed the mate bond, not me, so why should I be the one left with nothing? You should be leaving empty-handed, not me!"

Bennett, still wearing the faint scent of Liv Henry on his clothes, seemed nonchalant, almost as if he had anticipated my reaction. "I have nothing but debt anyway," he said coolly, his Beta aura flickering with guilt. "Even this apartment is already mortgaged to the pack's treasury."

What was he implying?

How could a Beta of the Silver Moon Pack possibly have only debts and no assets?

I was still reeling from the shock when Bennett's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and answered it in a gentle tone, his voice softening in a way that made my stomach churn. "I'll be there soon, just hang tight."

It was clear that Liv was on the other end, impatiently waiting for him. Her floral scent, so different from my own, seemed to linger in the air.

Bennett hung up and looked at me with irritation, his Beta aura pressing down on me in a way that felt almost suffocating. "Just sign it, don't drag this out any longer."

I seethed with anger, my wolf snarling silently in my mind. "Did you stash our pack assets away?"

He avoided the question, only saying, "Assets aren't important. I'll make sure you and the pup are taken care of."

I gritted my teeth, my wolf pacing restlessly. "The rejection will happen, but I'm not letting this shady asset transfer during our mate bond go unchecked."

My father, Alpha Robert Reed, has influence, but this injustice is unbearable.

How could he treat me like this?

"What are you going to do? Bring it before the pack council and come after me?" Bennett sneered, his Beta aura flaring. "Do you even have the resources to challenge me?"

"What good will it do to fight me tooth and nail for you or the pup?"

Our standoff continued, interrupted by the sharp sound of his phone ringing again.

Bennett clenched his fists, his Beta aura crackling with tension. "Kylie, don't hold it against me!"

He then stood up, grabbed me roughly, and forced my fingerprint onto the rejection papers. During our struggle, my swollen belly slammed painfully into the corner of the table, but Bennett didn't let up. He shoved the pen into my hand, holding my wrist and forcing me to sign despite my agony.

With the agreement in his grip, Bennett immediately picked up Liv's call and walked out, his Beta aura trailing behind him like a shadow.

"Bennett, you bastard!!"

"I hate you!!"

He glanced back at me from the hallway, his expression full of guilt and helplessness. "Kylie, I don't want it to be like this either!"

"You know the sacrifices I've made to climb up. The pack's next round of funding is critical, and without Liv's backing, all my efforts will crumble!"

"I love you, Kylie!! Trust me, this is the only path for you, me, and our pup to have a better life."

With that, he slammed the door shut, the sound echoing through the apartment like a final blow.

The pain in my abdomen was relentless. I looked down to see a streak of blood trailing down my leg.

As anger boiled within me, a torrent of fear crashed over me. My wolf howled silently in my mind, a sound of pure anguish.

I couldn't stand anymore. I collapsed onto the floor, summoning all my remaining strength to reach for the phone on the coffee table to dial the pack's healing center.

An hour later, as I was wheeled down the sterile corridors of the pack’s healing center toward the operating room, I heard a voice call my name. "Kylie?"

Through the haze of pain and exhaustion, I turned my head weakly to see Liv standing there, her hand resting on her swollen belly. Not far behind her, Bennett was approaching with a stack of papers clutched in his hands—rejection papers, no doubt.

Liv turned to him quickly, her voice trembling with feigned distress. "Sweetheart, I suddenly feel so unwell!"

Bennett’s face immediately shifted to concern, his Beta instincts kicking in. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice laced with worry. Without hesitation, he scooped her up into his arms, ignoring the stares of the other pack members in the corridor, and rushed her toward the emergency wing.

I watched in silent agony, my heart shattering as the man who had once vowed to love and protect me forever carried his pregnant mistress away, leaving me alone, bleeding and broken, to face the cold, sterile operating room.

The healer attending to me glanced at me with pity. "Have you contacted anyone from your family?" she asked urgently.

I shook my head weakly. I couldn’t bear to call Bennett. I couldn’t stomach the thought of seeing him after what he’d done. Instead, I gave her my father’s number—Alpha Robert Reed of the Silver Moon Pack.

As the anesthesia took hold, I slipped into unconsciousness, the world fading to black. When I awoke, I found myself in a private room within the healing center. My parents were at my side, their presence a small comfort in the storm of my grief.

"Kylie, you’re awake!" My mother, Luna Esme, reached for my hand, her eyes swollen and red from crying. My father, Alpha Robert, stood beside her, his face etched with worry and sorrow.

"How are you feeling now?" he asked, his voice soft but strained.

"What happened? Where’s Bennett?" I croaked, my throat dry and raw.

But I didn’t wait for their answers. My hand instinctively moved to my abdomen, now frighteningly flat. "Where’s the baby? Mom, Dad, where is the baby?"

My father’s voice cracked as he replied, "The pup... didn’t survive."

A wave of agony washed over me, and I broke down, my tears soaking the pillow beneath me. My child was gone—taken from me before I could even hold them. And it was Bennett’s betrayal that had caused it.

My mother and father held my hands tightly, their grief mirroring mine. "You can still have pups in the future," my mother whispered, though her voice was heavy with sorrow. "We’re just thankful you’re alive."

I learned later that I had lost so much blood during the procedure that I had been unconscious for three days and nights. My parents had been by my side the entire time, their worry and anger palpable.

When they had learned the full extent of what had happened, my father had wanted to confront Bennett immediately, to make him pay for what he’d done. But I stopped him.

That would have been too easy for him.

No, I swore to myself that I would seek justice for my child. I would make Bennett and Liv pay for what they had done. I would make sure they ended up with nothing—no pack, no status, no future. And I would do it on my terms.