"Miss Gray, are you sure you want to go through with another cosmetic procedure? This will be your ninety-ninth one. You know, you’re already quite stunning, even more so than..."

"Just do it."

Lyra Hansen, the pack’s healer, hesitated, her tone softening as she tried to reason with Alexia Gray. She had hoped to convince Alexia that her natural beauty was more than enough, that she didn’t need to keep altering herself to fit someone else’s ideal. But Alexia only smiled faintly, her fingers twisting the mate mark on her neck. She understood what Lyra was leaving unsaid. Still, she yearned more than anything to become what Enzo Dixon admired.

A few days later, once her facial wounds had healed, Alexia hurried from the clinic to the Silverfang Pack’s headquarters, her heart racing as she hoped to make it in time for the fourth anniversary of her marking ceremony with Enzo, the Alpha of the pack. She stood outside his office, her hand raised to knock when she overheard voices inside.

Instinctively, she paused, her sharp werewolf hearing catching every word of Enzo’s conversation.

"Alpha Dixon, I heard your stepsister is planning to return after finishing her studies at the Lycan Academy. Has she changed her mind about you?"

Enzo’s voice was calm, almost fond. "I don’t know, but Opal has always been the most important to me. Whether she wants to be with me or not, I respect her choice. Just being close to her is enough."

A chill swept through Alexia, her breath catching in her throat. Enzo’s words became a blur, each syllable cutting deeper than the last.

A packmate chuckled, "Didn’t expect you to be so smitten, Alpha! If Opal hears this, she might just agree to be your Luna. After all, she’s just your stepmother’s daughter; there’s no blood connection."

Enzo said nothing, and another voice chimed in, "Have you heard about Alexia Gray? She’s had all those surgeries to get your attention. She must look quite a bit like Opal by now, huh? Doesn’t that affect you, Alpha?"

Alexia held her breath, her heart pounding as if awaiting a verdict on her fate.

Enzo’s voice was cold and dismissive. "Alexia? No imitation could ever compare to my Opal."

One sentence, like a sledgehammer, shattered Alexia’s heart, leaving her breathless.

The questioner seemed surprised. "Then why do you treat her so kindly? I thought you genuinely cared. Maybe she thinks so too, or why else would she keep altering herself? It sounds painful just to imagine."

Enzo chuckled lightly, his tone dismissive. "You’re overthinking it. She’s just a distraction to fill the void Opal left. If you’re interested, I could introduce you to her."

Laughter erupted in the room, and one of his packmates readily agreed. "That’d be great; I’ve been curious about her for a while."

Outside, Alexia’s face turned pale, her nails digging into her palms. The pain in her chest threatened to erupt, but she forced herself to stay silent.

She had always known her relationship with Enzo was complicated, yet she had agreed to anything for the man she had adored for seven long years. Even abandoning her own dreams to become what he desired was a sacrifice she made willingly.

But she never imagined that, to Enzo, she was just a substitute for his beloved, an expendable distraction. Ridiculously, she had tried for four years without ever truly reaching Enzo’s heart.

Tears brimmed in her eyes, the searing pain spreading through her body as she fled in desperation. Only when she was outside the pack’s headquarters did her shattered heart resume beating, her mind flashing with memories.

Four years ago, during a pack gathering, her old tormentors had shoved her into the river. Though the water was shallow, it drenched her ceremonial dress, ruining her carefully done makeup and leaving her utterly humiliated. All eyes turned to her, the scrutiny feeling like a reliving of her nightmarish past.

Just when humiliation threatened to drown her, Enzo appeared at the riverbank, pulling her out. As before, he draped his jacket over her shoulders.

Being so close, Alexia could feel Enzo’s warm breath on her face. She paused, her heart racing, yet reminding herself not to entertain fantasies. Five years had passed; surely, Enzo had forgotten her.

But as she lifted her gaze, finding him still looking at her with what seemed like delight, he called her name.

"Alexia Gray, your eyes are stunning."

She instinctively reached to adjust her glasses, only to find them missing. Before she could speak, his lips met hers, his hands firmly holding her head, offering no room for refusal.

She only resisted briefly before surrendering. She couldn’t say no to Enzo, the man she’d secretly loved throughout her youth.

Looking back, the signs were there all along, yet she was too engrossed in the euphoria of being marked as his mate to notice. Even later, when Enzo expressed dissatisfaction with her appearance and began to ignore her, she didn’t hesitate to change herself through surgery.

Foolishly, she believed such efforts would earn Enzo’s sincere affection and lasting love. But now, clarity dawned—Enzo had never loved her.

Suppressing the pain pricking her heart like a thousand needles, Alexia picked up the phone and dialed her mentor. "Professor Hudson, you once mentioned an opportunity for further studies at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. Is it still available?"

Professor Cullen Hudson beamed with delight, his Alpha aura radiating warmth despite his age. "Of course I've saved it for you! How could I not reserve this spot for my most outstanding student?"

"Planning on returning to sculpture, are you? You can't imagine how shocked I was when I heard you decided to switch to piano. I almost lost sleep for three nights."

As the elder Alpha carried on, his enthusiasm grew. "Do you have any idea how gifted you are at sculpting? Giving it up is such a waste! Just the other day, I tried to talk you out of it, but you wouldn't listen. What changed your mind today?"

His words, though critical, were filled with genuine concern, reigniting a spark in Alexia Gray's otherwise cold heart. "I'm sorry, Professor."

In the past, she had indeed let him down, choosing to learn piano just to please Alpha Enzo Dixon. She even passed up a chance to study abroad at the Brera Academy in Milan just to stay by her mate's side.

Professor Hudson sighed, "Never mind, it's good that you're back. The semester starts in a month, and you still have time to prepare."

"Thank you, Professor," Alexia said, ending the call as she headed home to her pack's territory.

As she entered the Alpha mansion, what was once familiar now seemed strangely foreign. She realized she had never noticed how the decor completely clashed with her own taste.

Her eyes couldn't tolerate bright light, yet the great hall was lit up as brightly as daytime. She was allergic to wolf fur, but the sofa and coffee table were cluttered with plush toys of various wolf pups.

In hindsight, she realized these were likely all things Opal Castillo, the Omega stepsister, liked.

Not wanting to see any of this anymore, she packed her bags and lost herself in her private sculpture room until the early hours. The scent of clay and stone calmed her wolf, who whined softly in the back of her mind.

Yet when she checked her phone to find an empty message inbox, Alexia couldn't help but feel a pang of pain. Surely Alpha Enzo knew she had been by the pack office today.

Was her value as his Luna diminished simply because Opal had returned?

At 2 a.m., Alexia noticed Alpha Enzo's rare post on the pack's social media, tagged at the airport. It was a picture of two hands entwined, one marked with the fading bite of a rejected mate bond.

There were no faces shown, but she recognized Alpha Enzo immediately, even though he had removed their mating mark, leaving just a faint white scar where his teeth had once claimed her.

The last thread of hope snapped. Alexia forced herself to shut off her phone, striving not to think of Alpha Enzo anymore.

The next day, Alexia reviewed her belongings; most were there except for an heirloom locket she had once given Alpha Enzo. Frowning, she called him without hesitation. Other gifts aside, this locket was a keepsake from her late mother, the former Luna, and something she could never part with.

It was only at the last second that Alpha Enzo answered, his Alpha tone sharp with impatience. "What do you want, Alexia?"

She spoke calmly, "Where did you put my locket? I need it."

"Why bring that up now?" Alpha Enzo paused, "I have it."

Alexia was taken aback. She had given that to him during their marking ceremony, and yet he still had it.

Before she could respond, she heard Opal's voice on the line, "Who is it, brother?"

Alpha Enzo replied to his stepsister, "Nothing important, just someone insignificant."

Alexia heard it, her heart tightening, her grip on the phone instinctively tensing as her wolf growled low in her chest.

The next moment, Opal took the phone from Alpha Enzo. "Alexia? My brother's Luna? You've been mated to him for a while, and I haven't even met you yet. Why don't we have lunch together?"

Alexia frowned, refusing, "No need. Please give the phone back to Alpha Enzo."

Opal ignored her, instead turning back to Alpha Enzo with a playful whine, "Why won't she listen to me? I don't care! Brother, you must make her come. I have to see what she's like."

Alexia thought Alpha Enzo might get angry, at least scold her since he always said he hated being ordered around. But Alpha Enzo didn't, even smiling as he said, "Alright, anything you say, as long as you take your medicine."

Facing Alexia again, Alpha Enzo was curt, "I'll text you the time and place. Don't be late," and hung up before she could agree, as if certain she would comply.

Looking at the restaurant location that popped up on her phone, Alexia told herself, "Just this once."

When she arrived at the upscale restaurant in the heart of pack territory, Alpha Enzo and Opal were already seated at the best table.

Although she was mentally prepared, seeing Opal's face still shocked Alexia to her core. It was a stark reminder of how absurd and laughable her past actions as Luna were.

As she sat down, Alexia thought Opal might be surprised, but instead, Opal merely gave her a disdainful glance before turning to Alpha Enzo, "Brother, I know you love me, but your tastes are so weird, taking a mate who looks just like me. Were you thinking of me when you were with her?"

Alexia's breath hitched. So Opal had known of her brother's inappropriate feelings all along, while she had been clueless.

Alpha Enzo offered no denial, and Opal turned to Alexia, "Or was it that you were plain before? Is that why you wanted surgery to look like me and mate my brother?"

Then she gave a mischievous smile, "But don't worry, I won't take my brother from you. We're just siblings."

With that, Alexia noticed Alpha Enzo's grip on Opal's hand tighten, his lips a thin line, holding back nearly explosive emotions.

Despite her words, Opal was practically lounging in Alpha Enzo's arms.

Alexia lowered her gaze, absently tracing the rim of the steaming coffee cup. "We've met now. Can I have my locket back?"

"Oh, you mean this?" The locket swung from a chain in Opal's hand. "Brother said I could have it. I was going to give it to my puppy. Do you really want it?"

"Give it back. It's mine," Alexia said, furious, standing to grab it.

Opal laughed, pulling back but accidentally elbowed a passing Omega server.

Startled, the server stumbled, the hot soup on his tray tipping over. Alpha Enzo reacted swiftly, reaching to shield Opal, but the scalding soup instead poured over Alexia's hands.

Her hands turned bright red, blistering with the pain nearly toppling her as her wolf howled in shared agony.