I followed the directions from Jrue’s Beta and arrived at the packhouse bar. Before I even pushed open the door to the private lounge, I could hear laughter and chatter inside.

“Lilian, what brings you back from overseas? Are you here because you couldn’t resist Alpha Jrue?”

“Come on, guys, we’re just friends now. Besides, Alpha Jrue has a mate, doesn’t he?”

The flirtatious voice slipped through the crack in the door, freezing me in place.

Lilian Perry. That name from Jrue’s journal, his obsession abroad.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and opened the door. As soon as I appeared, silence fell over the room. My gaze settled on the man huddled in the corner, looking somewhat pitiable.

Jrue, the Alpha of the Shadow Moon Pack, was slumped on the corner sofa, his tall, muscular frame appearing dejected. Beside him sat a woman with flowing waves of hair, radiating magnetic charm. As soon as she noticed me, her lips curled into an amused, almost mocking smile. I recognized that face from Jrue’s phone wallpaper.

Back then, I asked him whose face it was and why he used that picture. He brushed it off as just a random image from the internet.

Turns out, he was deceiving me all along.

“I’m here to take the Alpha home,” I said, my voice trembling, pointing to the man on the sofa. Jrue instinctively glanced at Lilian, then shot me a look full of irritation, as though I had interrupted their moment.

“Alpha Jrue, is this your…?”

“My Beta. She’s just my Beta.”

With Jrue’s words, all eyes landed on me—some filled with pity, others with ridicule, each gaze cutting painfully into my chest.

“Alpha Jrue…” His Beta, who had called me, stood up, uncertainty written on his face, as if he wanted to say something, but I cut him off.

“Yes, I’m the Alpha’s Beta, here to take him home.”

Jrue rubbed his forehead, casually tossing his coat to me, then walked over to Lilian with a concerned look.

“Let me take you home. It’s late, and I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”

My grip on the coat tightened. So he understood the dangers for a woman out alone at night, yet always had me pick him up and drop him off. Only Lilian’s safety seemed to matter. What about mine?

“No need, remember we’re in a safer place now than back in the States.”

“I know what happened a couple of years ago when I was attacked abroad left a scar, but don’t worry. I can handle myself now.”

I noticed Lilian sneak a glance at me, her eyes filled with challenge.

All these years, Jrue had been keeping track of Lilian’s life, even knowing about her troubles overseas. The thought made me laugh at myself.

“You’re the Alpha’s Beta, right? He’s pretty drunk, so take it easy on your way home.”

“When Alpha Jrue drinks too much, he can be a handful at night. You’d better stay at his place tonight to keep an eye on him.”

Lilian spoke with a commanding tone, and the others exchanged knowing looks. Lilian might be oblivious to my true identity, but everyone else knew. Many of them had attended our marking ceremony.

I clenched my fists, wanting to speak up, but Jrue grabbed my arm.

“We’ll head out now. Lilian, if you need anything, call me. It’s still the same number.”

With that, he pulled me away.

Watching his retreating figure, I felt a chill sweep over me, my mind teetering on the brink, my body numb and cold.

I’ve been Luna of the Shadow Moon Pack for years, and I know Jrue can be difficult when drunk. But tonight, he was unusually quiet, going straight to the bedroom without a word once we got home.

If he’d just looked at me a little longer, he would notice how pale I am, my lips devoid of color. But he couldn’t spare me even a glance.

Normally, I would rush after him to care for him, but today I couldn’t find the strength. Seeing him only reminded me of that heartbreaking journal, suffocating me with its memories.

Jrue’s phone lay abandoned on the couch, buzzing incessantly. He hadn’t taken it with him to the bedroom, and the noise was grating on my nerves. After what felt like an eternity, I finally picked it up. I tried several passwords—our anniversary, the date of our marking ceremony, even his Alpha coronation day—but none worked. Then I remembered Lilian’s birthday, scribbled in his diary years ago. I hesitated for a moment before entering it. The screen unlocked instantly. I let out a quiet, bitter laugh. Of course. Even after all this time, Lilian still held that kind of power over him. Her birthday was his password, a constant reminder of the woman he truly wanted.

The messages in their group chat kept pinging, tagging Jrue repeatedly. My fingers trembled as I scrolled through their past conversations. My mind went blank, my chest tightening as my heart pounded violently.

"I originally thought that by marking Melanie, Lilian would get jealous and come back to me. But when she didn’t, I went ahead and marked her anyway."

"Lilian can't have pups, but she really wants one. I need to make that dream come true for her because a pup would be the only thing connecting us."

The words hit me like a physical blow, and I felt my wolf whimper faintly in the back of my mind, a low, pained sound. My heart turned to ice.

"But this is unfair to Melanie. After all, the pup would be hers, born through her own effort and pain."

"Melanie is healthy; we'll have more pups. But Lilian will never have any in her lifetime. She can be expected to stay quiet about it."

I glanced toward the bedroom, where Jrue’s soft snores drifted down. My fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms, drawing blood. Tears streamed down my face, and my chest heaved with the effort of holding back a scream. My lips trembled uncontrollably.

No wonder Jrue had suddenly started talking about wanting a pup. I’d been naive enough to believe that my years of loyalty and devotion had finally softened him, that he’d seen me as more than just his Luna, his mate. But now it was clear—this was all about Lilian. She couldn’t have pups, so he’d decided to use me to give her one. The bitterness of it all twisted my stomach, and the hatred in my eyes felt like it could burn through the walls.

Their plan was meticulous, but how could they possibly think I’d let my pup call another woman ‘Mother’? The thought alone made my wolf snarl, a low, guttural sound that echoed in my mind. I wasn’t just a pawn in their twisted game, and I wouldn’t let them turn my child into one either.

Early in the morning, I arrived at the hospital to check in for my stay. Having the pack healers nearby meant I had someone to look after me; at home, I could only rely on myself.

As I made my way upstairs to my room, I ran into two familiar faces—Alpha Jrue and Lilian. Jrue was wearing a tailored black shirt, the one I had given him not long ago. His face was etched with concern as he carefully supported Lilian in his arms.

We crossed paths on the stairs. Jrue's eyes widened with surprise when he saw me, and he instinctively turned to Lilian.

"Must be pack business," he said, his alpha tone sharp and dismissive. "You should head to your room first. I'll come by once I handle this."

With that, he grabbed my wrist and led me towards the stairway, not even giving me a moment to regain my balance before he brusquely pushed me aside.

"I'm just here with her for a check-up, and you tracked us to the hospital?" he said with a sneer. "How did you know we were here? Been stalking my pack members again? Can't bear to be without me, can you?"

His words cut deep. I forced a smile, steadying myself against the railing. "I'm just feeling unwell and came for a check-up. Running into you both is purely coincidental; you're overthinking it."

At my explanation, Jrue laughed coldly. "Come on, you couldn't have come up with a more convenient excuse. I've seen your medical reports; you're perfectly fine. Why play the fragile act in front of me, Luna? Why all the theatrics? Wouldn’t it be more sensible to stay home and rest than trail me?"

I opened my mouth to defend myself when a pack healer, Lakelyn, hurried over. "Your mate fainted, Alpha. You need to come quickly."

I realized that when she said "mate," she must have meant Lilian. Jrue didn’t correct her. Anxiety creased his face as he shot me a look, shaking off my hand to leave.

"Are you happy now? I've had enough of you, Luna. Go home. I'll return once I'm done. Stop bothering Lilian; she's unwell."

With that, he hurried after Lakelyn. I watched him go, rubbing my wrist, which was red from his grip. "You won't have to endure this anymore," I whispered to myself, the bond between us flickering weakly in my chest, a painful reminder of what once was.