As the heir to the Bennett Pack, Alpha Musa Bennett was a wolf admired by many for his strength and leadership. After a hunting accident left him with injured legs, I, Azaria Matthews, devoted myself entirely to his recovery. As his Luna, I stood by his side, tending to his wounds, even when the pack murmured about my unworthiness. During his convalescence, he often whispered promises of a marking ceremony once he could walk again, his voice soft and reassuring in the quiet of our shared den.

But when he regained his strength, everything changed. A single word from Sloan White, a cunning Omega who had clawed her way into his favor, led him to shatter my legs, even though I was three months pregnant with his heir. He locked me in a metal box, intending to drown me at sea, his alpha tone cold and unyielding. "Azaria, today I'm giving Sloan and her unborn pup justice by making you feel the pain you deserve," he sneered, his dominance pressing down on me like a suffocating weight.

"If it weren’t for your vicious schemes drugging her all those years ago, Sloan and I wouldn’t have been torn apart and left with regret."

I was curled up inside the blood-soaked box, my wolf whimpering in the back of my mind, as he hammered the lid shut. By the time Colin Jacobs, a rogue fisherman, rescued me, I was barely alive, and my pup was gone. I pleaded with Colin, my voice choked with tears, "Alpha Bennett, the five-year promise is up. Please help me leave the territory to fulfill my parents’ wishes."

Mohammad Bennett, the former Alpha of the Bennett Pack, stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of his study, leaning on his cane. When he turned, shock gripped his features. "Azaria, what on earth happened to you?" His aura, though faded with age, still carried the weight of his former rank.

He hadn’t anticipated the change in me after just a few days. "Quick, Darwin! Fetch Dr. Pierce at once!" he commanded, his voice sharp with concern.

Darwin Morales, a loyal Delta, nodded and rushed off. Some of the pack’s Omegas helped me onto the couch, and I spoke in a daze, "Thank you, Alpha Bennett, for supporting my education. Now that Musa’s legs are healed, I beg you to help me leave the territory."

Mohammad sat down slowly, his expression complex. "I hoped that once Musa recovered, you two would solidify your mate bond. But as soon as Sloan appeared, it was as if he was bewitched, treating you with such cruelty."

"I feel deeply guilty, Azaria. I was the one who sent you with the herbs for Sloan. I didn’t think Musa would hold that against you..."

I shook my head, "It’s all in the past. There’s no need to strain your relationship with your grandson over this."

Just then, Musa’s towering figure materialized in the doorway, his alpha aura filling the room. His smile was disarming, but his words were like frost. "I hear you went straight to my grandfather to whine as soon as you got back. How shameless!"

"Do you plan to exploit his sympathy for more secretive schemes?"

His gaze swept over me, full of disdain and contempt. Mohammad pounded his cane on the ground. "Musa, how could you speak to your Luna like that?"

Musa sneered, "She’s no longer my Luna, Grandfather. This deceitful she-wolf isn’t as innocent as she seems!"

At that moment, Darwin returned with Dr. Boaz Pierce, the pack’s Healer. Mohammad directed, "Dr. Pierce, please look after Azaria. Her injuries are severe."

As Dr. Pierce moved closer, Musa stepped in. "Look after what? Just a minor injury. All she does is act like a victim to gain sympathy. Come with me."

He grabbed my arm roughly, his alpha tone sharp, causing me to collapse in pain. Mohammad frowned and reprimanded, "Stop this nonsense. Let the Healer assess her injuries. You should go home. Once Dr. Pierce is finished, I’ll send Azaria back."

Musa wanted to argue, but Mohammad’s stern gaze silenced him. With suppressed anger, Musa issued one last warning, "Azaria, you must be home by nine tonight! Sloan’s health is fragile, and she can’t sleep without the calming tea you prepare. If you mess this up, don’t expect mercy from me."

Without another word, he turned and left, his dominance lingering in the air. "Ungrateful pup!" Mohammad exclaimed, dropping his cane to the floor in frustration, his hands still trembling.

I observed everything like a puppet, numb and tinged with pain. Dr. Pierce administered a sedative, and I drifted into a deep sleep.

When I awoke, night had fallen. I was dressed in clean clothes, and the evidence of my ordeal had been washed away. Giselle Washington, a kind-hearted Omega, came to offer me soup and went to summon Mohammad.

"Azaria, I know everything. Musa, that ungrateful grandson, not only hurt you but also didn’t spare your pup," Mohammad said, his voice heavy with sorrow.

He sighed, looking at my abdomen with regret. "Since our five-year agreement has ended, it’s time I fulfill my promise to help you leave."

"However, before you go, there’s one last thing I need from you."

"What is it?" I asked, looking up at him.

He handed me a sleek, black recording pen. "I need you to expose Sloan’s true nature within three days. Once done, I’ll ensure you can leave."

I knew the real reason Musa and Sloan were separated back then. Sloan, an Omega from a modest pack, was transparent to *Alpha* Mohammad Bennett in a way his grandson couldn’t see. After investigating her history, *Alpha* Mohammad offered her a significant sum to leave. But Sloan took the money and refused to go, claiming she was pregnant and demanding to be mated to Musa.

The Bennett Pack, one of the most powerful in New York, could never allow someone like her to join. *Alpha* Mohammad, considering the pup, was willing to let Musa keep her separate from the pack. But Musa wouldn’t accept that; he was ready to cut ties with his family to mate her.

While planning to elope, a hunting accident left Musa with a severely injured leg. When Sloan found out, she showed no concern for his condition; instead, she approached *Alpha* Mohammad to negotiate. She told him that, for a price, she would abort the pup and disappear. *Alpha* Mohammad knew someone like her carrying the Bennett heir would be disastrous. Ultimately, I was tasked with giving her a pill personally before she got her money.

Sloan left, and *Alpha* Mohammad knew that the double blow of losing his mate and becoming disabled was too much for Musa, so he lied, telling him that Sloan was sent to another pack to study. Meanwhile, I was responsible for treating Musa’s injuries.

Having trained as a Healer under my grandfather’s guidance, a pack tragedy left me orphaned in my teenage years, but it was *Alpha* Mohammad’s sponsorship that allowed me to continue my studies. I spent five years repaying that debt.

When Musa woke up, he showed no sign of missing Sloan. Instead, as I treated him, our feelings for each other grew. He eagerly cooperated with his treatment. I dedicated myself to his care, attending every therapy session, preparing every herbal remedy, and giving every massage.

As emotions intensified, he would kiss me until I was breathless and say, “I can’t wait to heal and give you a grand marking ceremony.” At that moment, I truly believed he had moved on from Sloan, and we would spend our lives together as mates.

But once he was able to walk, he sneaked out to see Sloan. After that, everything changed. It didn’t matter that I was carrying his pup or that I had healed his injuries and repaid five years of gratitude. None of it mattered compared to the hold his “first mate” had over him.

Recently, he brought Sloan back despite *Alpha* Mohammad’s objections. The humiliation he inflicted on me increased. He forced me to witness their intimacy and listen to their sounds of pleasure. It was only when Sloan insulted me, saying I was a curse to my late parents, that I snapped and retorted. This led to me being thrown into the ocean with a broken leg, resulting in the loss of my pup.

I was exhausted, soul-weary. Had I known loving Musa would cut so deeply, I would have locked my heart away and lived in solitude.

My thoughts returned to the present as I gripped the voice recorder in my hand, tears welling up. “Yes, I’ll do my best!” I replied firmly.

*Alpha* Mohammad nodded, arranging for a Delta to take me back to the pack estate. As soon as we arrived, the guard approached with a regretful look. “*Alpha* Musa said you can’t enter in a wheelchair. And he also said…”

“If you haven’t made the calming tea by nine, Buddy will be thrown from the third floor.”

Buddy was my cherished wolf pup. Numb from the pain, I climbed off the wheelchair and crawled step by painstaking step through the agony.

When I finally reached the packhouse’s entrance, my clothes were drenched in sweat, and my arms scraped raw from dragging myself. Musa appeared with Sloan in his arms.

From his lofty position, he gazed down at me. “Decided to come back? You ran to *Alpha* Mohammad, and now you need to apologize to Sloan. Once done, get to brewing the tea. Miss the deadline, and you’ll face the consequences!”

Bearing the pain and humiliation, I swallowed my pride. “I’m sorry, *Miss White*.”

Seeing my capitulation, Musa smiled as if satisfied by my defeat. Turning to Sloan, he kissed her lightly, “Are you satisfied, my dear?”

“Hmm, I won’t hold it against her this time,” Sloan replied with a seductive smirk, only to “accidentally” crush my fingers under her high heel. The sharp pain nearly made me faint.

Sloan feigned ignorance and continued, “Musa, she’s lingering around. Clearly, she’s trying to keep me up all night.”

Musa coldly tossed a crutch at me. “Stop dawdling and go make the tea!”

I staggered up, leaning heavily on the crutch, and slowly made my way to the kitchen. Each step felt like walking on blades, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the ache in my heart.

Barely managing to finish the calming tea before the deadline, I was just about to deliver it when a dull thud interrupted me. My heart sank, a dreadful premonition seizing me. Ignoring the pain in my leg, I hobbled towards the sound’s origin as quickly as I could.

What I saw in the garden was horrifying...

Not far away, Buddy lay helplessly in a pool of blood, his small body twitching slightly. My heart tore itself apart as I watched him fight for his last breaths.

"Buddy!"

Tears streamed down my face as I rushed toward him, desperation clawing at my chest. My crutch had slipped away, and I collapsed to the ground, but the pain didn’t register. All that mattered was reaching him. I’d already lost my pup—I couldn’t bear to lose him too.

With trembling hands, I gently stroked his fur. Buddy struggled to open his eyes and looked at me, his gaze filled with a loyalty that shattered what was left of my heart.

"Someone, call the Healer..." I cried out, my voice breaking, but the pack members stood around, their faces indifferent, their loyalty to the Alpha binding them to silence.

My hands shook as I reached for my phone to call for help, only for it to be knocked from my grasp by Alpha Musa Bennett.

He stood tall, his broad frame casting a shadow over me, his expression cold and mocking. "It’s just a mutt," he said, his deep voice dripping with disdain. "Why the drama?"

My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of anguish that I barely managed to suppress. "You’re the real monster—your entire bloodline is!" I yelled, clutching Buddy as tears poured down my face.

The next moment, a sharp pain stung my cheek. Sloan White, the Omega who had clawed her way into Musa’s graces, had slapped me with all her might. She brought her reddened hand to Musa’s face, pouting like a spoiled pup. "Alpha, her face is as hard as stone. Look, my hand’s sore. Blow on it for me."

Musa obliged, his lips brushing her palm with a tenderness that felt like a knife to my heart. As they turned to leave, he tossed over his shoulder, "Her crying is grating on my nerves. Lock her in the shed."

The pack members moved swiftly, their hands rough as they grabbed me and dragged me toward the shed. I struggled, but their strength was overwhelming, their obedience to the Alpha absolute. Meanwhile, Buddy’s body lay still, his life extinguished, his loyalty repaid with cruelty.

My heart shattered with his.

Curled up in the dark, musty shed, I drifted in and out of restless sleep. My dreams took me back to the day I’d learned I was carrying Musa’s heir. I’d shown him the pregnancy test, my heart bursting with joy. He’d embraced me, his strong arms wrapping around me, his lips pressing against mine in a kiss that had felt like a promise. He’d been so proud, so full of hope for our future.

Why…

Why had he changed? Why had he allowed another’s whispered lies to twist his heart, to lead him to indirectly cause the death of our unborn pup?

Even Buddy, my loyal companion, hadn’t been spared from their cruelty.

Hatred burned within me, a fire that threatened to consume everything in its path.

In the past, when I’d faced injustice, I’d cried, pleaded, naively hoping that Musa would see reason, that he’d return to me. But now, I knew better.

Counting on a wolf’s loyalty and conscience is the most foolish gamble.

A she-wolf must rely on herself in this world.

The sound of the shed door unlocking jolted me from my restless sleep. The door creaked open, and Sloan stepped inside, carrying a steaming bowl, her smile sweet and venomous.

"Oh my, I just can’t sleep without your calming presence," she said mockingly, her voice like honey laced with poison. "So I had the kitchen whip up something special. You should try it."

The savory aroma of meat stew filled the air, but I didn’t trust her intentions. I remained silent, my gaze fixed on the ground.

With a smug grin, she taunted, "Not hungry? Well, that’s too bad. It’s Buddy stew. I guess I’ll have to give it to the dogs."

Her words struck like a whip, tearing open the wounds she’d already inflicted. My wolf snarled within me, a sound of pure anguish and fury, but I bit my tongue, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break.

Not again. Never again.