I was organizing pack documents in Roman's office, my fingers tracing over the embossed Moonstone Pack emblem on each folder. Seven years as Luna had taught me to keep everything in perfect order—a skill Roman had once praised but now seemed to take for granted. The afternoon sun slanted through the windows, casting long shadows across his mahogany desk as I sorted through the papers for tomorrow's Alpha succession ceremony.

My Luna pendant felt heavy against my chest, a gift from Roman on our first anniversary. "To my eternal mate," he'd whispered then, his eyes holding mine with such intensity I'd believed those words with my whole heart.

I reached for another stack of documents when a sudden voice echoed in my mind.

*"I can't wait until tomorrow, my love. After the ceremony, you'll finally be free of her."*

I froze, my fingers still clutching a folder. The voice was Roman's, but not directed at me. His mind-link had somehow connected to me instead of—

*"Just a few more hours, Skye. Then I'll make you my Luna like I promised."*

My breath caught in my throat. Skye Williams. The young she-wolf who'd joined our pack six months ago. The one who always seemed to find reasons to be near Roman.

*"What about Marina?"* Skye's voice purred through the link. *"She'll cause a scene when you reject her."*

*"Let her,"* Roman replied, his mental voice dismissive. *"The pack will understand. A true Alpha needs a Luna who brings excitement to his life, not just... domesticity."*

Domesticity. Seven years of devotion reduced to a single, insulting word.

*"Besides,"* Roman continued, *"I've already moved most of her Luna privileges to you. The pack finances show it—that diamond bracelet you wanted is on its way. Consider it an early celebration gift."*

My hands trembled as I set down the folder. Pack finances. The discrepancies Beta Marcus had mentioned last week suddenly made terrible sense.

*"After tomorrow,"* Roman's voice grew husky, *"you'll be carrying my pup, and Marina will be nothing but a forgotten chapter."*

I pressed my palm against my mouth to stifle a gasp. A pup? They were trying for a pup?

*"Hurry up, Roman. I'm waiting at our spot."*

The mind-link faded, leaving me standing in the silent office, my world shattered into a thousand pieces.

I needed proof. Not just words through an accidental link.

Following Roman's scent was second nature after seven years. I slipped out of the pack house, my heart pounding as I tracked him through the forest. The familiar pine and earth smell of him was now tainted with Skye's artificial sweetness.

The trail led me to a small clearing near our territory borders—a place Roman had once brought me when we were newly mated. The irony wasn't lost on me as I crouched behind a thick oak, my Luna instincts keeping me hidden despite my emotional turmoil.

They were already there. Roman had Skye pressed against a tree, his hands tangled in her hair as he kissed her neck.

"Tomorrow," he murmured against her skin, "after the ceremony, I'll mark you properly in front of everyone."

"When will you tell her?" Skye asked, her fingers tracing patterns on his chest.

"After the marking. The rejection has to be official first."

"And then?"

"And then you'll be my Luna, and she'll be nothing."

I watched, frozen in horror, as Roman's teeth sank into Skye's neck, leaving a fresh mark that glowed faintly in the afternoon light. A mating mark—given while he still wore mine.

"I want that emerald necklace to match," Skye said, her voice smug as she examined the mark in a small compact mirror. "The one from the jeweler in town."

"You'll have it," Roman promised. "Anything for my future Luna."

"Good," she purred, "because Marina never gave you what I can. She's too boring, too predictable. You need excitement, Roman. You need me."

I'd heard enough. My legs carried me back toward home automatically, my mind racing faster than my feet.

Margaret would be in the garden this time of day, playing with her stuffed wolf under the apple trees. My daughter—our daughter—who had no idea her world was about to collapse.

As I approached our home, I saw her there, her dark curls catching the sunlight as she arranged wildflowers in a small circle.

"Mommy!" she called when she spotted me. "Look what I made!"

I forced a smile as I knelt beside her, my hands shaking as they brushed her hair from her face.

"It's beautiful, sweetheart."

Her innocent smile pierced my heart. In her eyes, we were still the perfect Alpha family. She didn't know about rejection ceremonies or pack politics or fathers who could discard their families for younger models.

"She's too boring, too predictable," Skye's words echoed in my mind.

I touched my Luna pendant, feeling its weight like never before. Roman thought I was boring. Predictable.

He was about to learn how wrong he was.

Because if there was one thing I'd learned in seven years as Luna, it was how to fight for what was mine.

And Margaret was mine to protect.

I couldn't sleep that night. Roman's words kept echoing in my mind: "domesticity," "boring," "predictable." Each syllable cut deeper than the last. After checking on Margaret—her small form curled around Guardian, her stuffed wolf—I slipped into Roman's office while he was out on a "border patrol" that I now knew was a lie.

The pack finances were kept in a locked drawer of his desk, but after seven years as Luna, I knew where he hid the key. My fingers trembled as I opened the drawer and pulled out the leather-bound ledger.

"Let's see how predictable I am," I whispered to myself, flipping through the pages.

The discrepancies were worse than I'd imagined. Large withdrawals marked as "pack improvements" had no corresponding receipts. Monthly payments to a luxury apartment complex in the neighboring territory. Jewelry purchases from the most exclusive boutiques.

I photographed each page with my phone, my Luna instincts keeping me alert to any sound in the house. When I heard the front door open, I quickly locked the drawer and slipped out, my heart hammering against my ribs.

The next morning, I created a new social media account under a false name. Skye was notoriously active online, posting constantly about her lavish lifestyle. It didn't take long to find her profile—her name was practically screaming for attention.

"There you are," I murmured, scrolling through her posts.

The evidence was damning. A diamond bracelet identical to one listed in the pack finances as "Luna ceremonial jewelry." A designer handbag with the price tag still visible—more than three months of my Luna allowance. And most damning of all, photos of her in a luxury apartment with Roman's jacket draped over a chair in the background.

"Living the dream with my Alpha," the caption read. "#BlessedByTheMoonGoddess"

I saved the screenshots, my hands steadier now as anger replaced shock. My wolf paced inside me, growling with each new discovery.

"Marina?" Beta Marcus's voice startled me as I was exiting Skye's profile.

I quickly closed my phone. "Marcus. What can I do for you?"

He shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting to the door as if checking who might overhear. "I need to speak with you. Privately."

We moved to the small garden behind the pack house. Margaret was at school, and the other wolves were busy with their duties.

"I don't know how to say this," Marcus began, straightening his tie—a nervous habit I'd noticed over the years. "There are... irregularities in the pack finances."

"Irregularities?" I kept my voice neutral, though my heart skipped.

"Large sums transferred without proper documentation. Expenditures that don't match our budget allocations." He hesitated. "Roman approved them all personally."

"Show me," I said simply.

Marcus glanced around before pulling out a tablet and opening a financial app. "Here. And here." His finger pointed to entries I recognized from Roman's ledger. "And this one—twenty thousand for 'special accommodations.' Whatever that means."

I nodded, filing away the information. "Thank you, Marcus. Is there anything else?"

He looked at me carefully. "Marina, I've served this pack faithfully for fifteen years. I've followed Roman's lead because I believed in his vision." His voice dropped lower. "But lately... his decisions have been concerning. The pack is noticing."

"What kind of decisions?"

"He's been absent during crucial meetings. Making promises to neighboring packs we can't keep. And..." Marcus hesitated again. "His scent has changed."

My wolf stirred at his words. A mate's scent changing was significant—it meant their emotional state was shifting dramatically.

"I've said too much," Marcus concluded, closing the tablet. "But as Beta, I need to protect the pack's interests. And that includes you, Luna."

After he left, I moved through the pack grounds with new purpose. As Luna, I had built relationships with every member of the Moonstone Pack. If Roman thought I was just a decorative title, he was about to learn how wrong he was.

I visited Healer Sarah first, who had been with the pack since before Roman and I were mated.

"Luna Marina," she greeted me warmly. "How can I help you today?"

"I need your discretion, Sarah," I said quietly. "And your honesty."

Her eyes widened slightly, but she nodded.

"Has Roman been coming to the healing center recently?"

"Not for healing," she said carefully. "But he's been asking for certain... products. For personal use."

"What kind of products?"

Sarah hesitated before reaching under her counter and producing a small box. "This. A scent masker. Used for hunting sometimes, but..."

"But also to hide another wolf's scent," I finished for her.

"Yes, Luna."

By sunset, I had spoken with a dozen pack members. Each conversation revealed another piece of the puzzle—Roman's frequent absences, his changed behavior, the way his eyes lingered on Skye during pack gatherings.

As I walked back toward the pack house, my phone buzzed with a notification. Skye had posted again—a selfie with Roman's mark fresh on her neck, her smile triumphant.

"Can't wait for tomorrow," the caption read.

Neither could I.

I was in the kitchen preparing Margaret's favorite breakfast when I felt it—a sudden tension in the air, like the moment before lightning strikes. Roman stood in the doorway, his face pale as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Roman?" I set down the spoon I'd been using to stir oatmeal. "What's wrong?"

He didn't answer immediately. His eyes were distant, unfocused—the way they looked when he was receiving a mind-link. I watched as his expression shifted from shock to something like panic.

"Skye," he whispered, so softly I almost didn't hear it.

My wolf stirred inside me, instantly alert. I kept my face neutral, though my heart hammered against my ribs. "What about Skye?"

Roman shook his head, as if trying to clear it. "Nothing. Just... pack business."

But I knew better. I'd seen that look before—when something significant happened with his mistress. And the way his hand trembled slightly as he reached for his coffee mug told me everything I needed to know.

"I need to make a call," he said abruptly, already pulling out his phone.

I nodded, turning back to Margaret's breakfast as if nothing unusual had happened. But as soon as Roman stepped outside, I followed, keeping my distance as my Luna instincts guided me to stay hidden.

I couldn't hear his words, but I could see his gestures—agitated, urgent. And then his face transformed with a mixture of shock and something that looked disturbingly like joy.

"She's sure?" I heard him say, his voice carrying on the morning breeze. "How far along?"

My blood turned to ice. A pup. Skye was claiming to be carrying Roman's pup.

"I'll handle it," Roman continued, pacing now. "The ceremony is tomorrow anyway. I'll reject Marina then, as planned. But now we need to make it official immediately after."

I pressed my back against the wall, my fingers finding my Luna pendant and clutching it tightly. Tomorrow. They were moving up their timeline.

Which meant I needed to accelerate mine.

---

"I need to speak with you privately, Elder Lydia," I said, finding the oldest member of our pack council in her garden, pruning roses with gnarled but steady hands.

Lydia Blackthorn had been with the Moonstone Pack for over sixty years. Her silver hair was pulled back in a severe bun, and her eyes—still sharp despite her age—studied me carefully.

"Luna Marina," she replied, setting down her shears. "What brings you to an old woman's garden?"

"I need your counsel. And your support."

I followed her into her cottage, where the scent of dried herbs and old books permeated the air. We sat at her worn kitchen table, and I placed my phone between us.

"Elder Lydia," I began, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. "I've discovered something that affects the future of our pack."

I showed her everything—the financial records, Skye's social media posts, the evidence of Roman's betrayal. With each image, Lydia's expression grew graver.

"These are serious accusations, Luna," she finally said. "And tomorrow is the Alpha succession ceremony."

"I know." I met her gaze directly. "That's why I need your support when I expose him."

She didn't flinch at my words. Instead, she studied me with new respect. "You intend to challenge your Alpha publicly."

It wasn't a question, but I answered anyway. "Yes."

"And what of your daughter?"

The mention of Margaret made my resolve harden. "I'm protecting my daughter's future. Roman has betrayed not just me, but our entire pack."

Lydia nodded slowly, her weathered hands folding in her lap. "The pack laws are clear. A Luna wronged has the right to demand justice." She paused. "And I have noticed changes in our Alpha lately."

"Will you stand with me?"

She reached across the table and covered my hand with hers. "I will stand for what is right, Luna Marina. And if what you say is true..."

"Every word is true," I assured her.

---

By afternoon, I could feel the undercurrent of whispers throughout the pack grounds. Young wolves huddled in groups, their eyes following me with newfound curiosity—or was it pity?

"Heard Luna Marina's too old-fashioned," a young she-wolf named Cassie was saying to her friend as I passed. "Skye says the pack needs new energy."

I kept walking, my head high, though my wolf growled within me.

"Skye says the Alpha needs a Luna who can keep up with him," another voice added. "Not someone who just organizes pack dinners and flower arrangements."

I turned sharply, catching three young pack members exchanging glances.

"Is there something you'd like to share with me directly?" I asked, my Luna aura flaring slightly.

They scattered like startled birds, but the damage was done. Skye had been busy poisoning the younger generation against me.

As I walked toward the pack house, I saw her across the grounds—Skye Williams, with her perfect smile and calculating eyes. She was surrounded by a group of young males, all hanging on her every word.

Our eyes met across the distance, and she smiled—a smile that said she'd already won.

But she had no idea what was coming.

Tomorrow wasn't just Roman's succession ceremony.

It was going to be his downfall.