They warned me, back when I first chose Daniel. An Alpha she-wolf, they said, couldn’t possibly pair with another Alpha. Too dominant, too stubborn, too unwilling to bend. “You’ll break before you ever bond,” the elders had told me. But I ignored their warnings.
Daniel wasn’t my moon-given mate; he was my choice. The one I thought I could trust. And when I learned how difficult it would be for an Alpha she-wolf to bear children, he swore it didn’t matter. “The pack comes first,” he had said. “You and I, together, are the strength they need.”
That strength shattered the day I lost our pup.
The rogues came like shadows in the night, ripping through the den while I howled for him. Daniel never came. I fought alone, and by the time reinforcements arrived, the damage was done. My body bore the scars, but my soul carried the greater wound.
Now, as I stumbled through the forest, bleeding and broken, I realized that wound had never healed.
The Biting Betrayal
The wind howled through the dense pine forest, carrying the scent of blood and rain. I clutched my side, where claws had raked deep, each step sending shocks of pain through my body. Behind me, the rogues’ howls echoed, but they were growing faint. For now, I had outrun them.
I pressed a hand to my wound, summoning what strength I had left. I tilted my head to the sky and howled—a desperate, raw sound. A call for my mate.
But instead of the pull of his bond, I felt something else.
A different tug. A sickening, sexual sensation.
My breath caught as the connection between us burned alive in my mind. Daniel. With her. Sex. I could feel it, my mate was betraying our bond.
I stumbled, falling against a tree. The sharp scent of cedar mixed with the iron tang of my blood. My vision blurred, but I couldn’t escape the images. The bond betrayed me, showing me what I didn’t want to see: Daniel’s hands on Suki, his low growl of pleasure as she whispered his name.
It wasn’t just physical—it was deliberate. The pack’s healer, the omega who was always at his side, now took the place that was meant for me.
A guttural growl escaped my throat as rage fought through the pain.
I staggered forward, determined to make it back to the cabin. If he wouldn’t come to me, then I would face him myself.
The Cabin
By the time I reached the cabin, my vision was swimming. The heavy wooden door creaked as I pushed it open, the scent of cinnamon and cloves hitting me like a punch to the gut.
Her scent.
I barely made it to the couch before collapsing, blood smearing the worn leather, my legs were leaking with blood, I knew I should be worried but I wasn’t just any Luna, I was a natural born Alpha-female, a little blood did nothing to scare me. My hand trembled as I reached for the first-aid kit, but the sound of footsteps stopped me.
“Luna,” a voice chirped. Suki. She stood at the base of the staircase, her dark hair mussed, her lips still swollen. “You’re back.”
I didn’t respond, my eyes flicking up to see Daniel descending the stairs behind her. His golden eyes met mine briefly before darting away. His shirt was untucked, his hair disheveled.
“What are you doing here, London?” he asked, his tone cold.
I raised my arm, showing him the gashes carved into my flesh. The sigil burned into my skin still pulsed, a cruel mark left by the rogues. “What does it look like? I was attacked.”
“And you survived,” he said flatly, pouring himself a glass of whiskey. As if that was the end of it.
Suki perched herself on the armrest of the couch, her hand brushing his shoulder. “You’re so strong, Luna. It’s inspiring, really,” she said with a coy smile, her tone dripping with false sweetness.
I clenched my fists, my claws threatening to extend. “They left a message, Daniel. They’ll keep coming until the Silver Ridge Pack answers for its crimes.”
He smirked, swirling the whiskey in his glass. “Let them try. They’re no threat to us.”
“No threat?” I shot to my feet, ignoring the searing pain in my side. “They nearly killed me! They tore through our lands and marked me as a target.” I pointed to the sigil, my voice shaking with fury.
For a moment, his expression faltered. But then he shrugged, his gaze cold. “You’re still standing, aren’t you? What more do you want from me?”
I stared at him, disbelief tightening my chest. “What more do I want? How about a mate who doesn’t turn his back on his pack? On me?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, Suki laughed softly. “You’re overreacting, London. Daniel’s right; you’re strong. You’ll heal.”
London. An omega healer has called her Luna just by her name, and Daniel as always didn’t do anything to correct her. Of course he didn’t, he never does.
Why would he? I had felt it while fighting for my life… Daniel was having sex with Suki Lazlow.
Something inside me broke.
“Get out,” I said quietly, my voice laced with an Alpha’s command.
Suki froze, her smirk fading.
“I said, get out,” I growled, my claws extending. The room filled with the weight of my power, the amber glow of my wolf’s eyes flashing in the dim light.
Suki looked to Daniel, but he merely sighed, waving her away. She grabbed her scarf and hurried out, the door slamming shut behind her.
Silence hung in the air as Daniel leaned against the wall, sipping his whiskey.
“You’ve changed,” he said finally, his tone almost amused.
“Maybe I have,” I replied, my voice cold.
He chuckled, low and bitter. “Calm down, London, you’ve always been one to overreact”
I turned to face him, my heart heavy but steady. “Maybe you’re right.”
I didn’t wait for his response. The cold night air greeted me as I stepped outside, the howls of the rogues in the distance.
Out there, I knew who my enemies were. Inside, the real monster was the one who wore my mate’s face.
Just as I stepped outside I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen. Something was terribly wrong. I needed to go see a healer now.
•••
The healer’s clinic was a modest structure on the edge of the pack’s territory, its weathered wooden walls illuminated by faulty a bulb. It was quiet now, the hum of the pack’s bustling activity reduced to the occasional distant howl or rustle of the wind.
I stepped inside, my boots dragging against the polished floor, leaving faint streaks of dirt and blood in my wake. The sharp tang of medicinal herbs filled the air, mingling with the lingering scent of lavender.
Mina, the healer, looked up from her workbench, her face softening the moment she saw me. “Luna,” she said, hurrying over. “You’re hurt.”
I didn’t have the energy to respond. I simply sank into the nearest chair, clutching my side.
“Let me take a look,” Mina said, her hands warm and steady as she carefully examined the gashes on my arm and the sigil carved into my skin. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her brow furrowing with concern.
“The rogues did this?” she asked.
I nodded numbly, my mind elsewhere.
“They didn’t just attack,” I whispered finally, my voice hollow. “They tore through the boundaries. They… left a message.”
Mina’s hands stilled for a moment before she resumed cleaning the wound. She didn’t press me for details. Instead, her voice was calm and measured. “You’re lucky they didn’t do worse. These wounds will heal, but…”
She hesitated, and something in her tone made my stomach clench.
“But what?” I demanded, my voice sharper than I intended.
Mina’s hands fell to her sides, her shoulders sagging as she avoided my gaze. “Luna,” she began softly, “the trauma you endured during the attack… it was too much. The bleeding from the legs, the sharp pain, I’m afraid your body couldn’t accept it, you lost it Luna.”
Lost… Lost it? No.
Mina’s hands fell to her sides, her shoulders sagging as she avoided my gaze. “Luna,” she began softly, “the trauma you endured during the attack… it was too much. The bleeding from the legs, the sharp pain, I’m afraid your body couldn’t accept it, you lost it Luna.”
Lost… Lost it? No.
Lost it. These words weren’t new to me. I had lost a child once, a miscarriage from an attack. Now… Goddess I lost my precious pup before I even knew I had it.
I didn’t even know I was pregnant.
“You lost–”
Her words broke off, but I didn’t need her to finish.
“The pup,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Mina nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Luna. There was nothing I could do.”
For a moment, I couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. The world tilted, a roaring sound filling my ears.
“Leave,” I said abruptly, my voice cracking.
“Luna, please let me—”
“Leave!” I snarled, the force of my command shaking the room.
Mina flinched but obeyed, gathering her things and slipping out the door without another word. The moment the door closed behind her, the weight I had been holding in crashed down on me.
I buried my face in my hands, the first sob tearing free like a howl.
I cried for the pup that could have been ours. For the life that never had a chance to begin.
I cried for the mate who wasn’t there when I needed him most, whose betrayal burned deeper than the wounds on my skin.
The image of him with Suki, the bond that had betrayed me by showing me his pleasure while I bled and howled for him, filled my mind.
I cried for the years I had wasted, for the love I had poured into someone who didn’t deserve it.
My sobs echoed in the small clinic, raw and unrestrained, until I had no tears left to shed.
Finally, when the pain became too much to bear, I curled into myself, clutching my knees to my chest. The moonlight streamed through the small window, cold and indifferent, a cruel display of the world that kept moving even as mine shattered.
And for the first time in years, I felt truly alone.
••••
“No need,” I replied flatly to Daniel’s offer.
“Suit yourself,” he muttered, swirling the amber liquid in his glass before downing the last sip.
A buzz interrupted the silence. His phone lit up on the counter, and I saw the faintest hint of a smile tug at his lips as he read the name on the screen. It was a smile I hadn’t seen in years.
I left the room, but my enhanced hearing betrayed me. From the guest room, his voice was low, his words dripping with warmth.
“Don’t worry, Suki. I’ll handle it. Just focus on yourself. I’ll make time tomorrow.”
Suki. Again.
His tone was soft, the kind of tone I never got. When he spoke to me, it was all clipped words and weary sighs, as if my presence drained him. But with her, there was warmth. Care.
I clenched my fists and left without another word.
The next morning, I prepared breakfast for one.
The cabin felt suffocating, not because of its small size but because of the emptiness it harbored. I plated a simple meal—eggs and toast—and poured a steaming cup of coffee for myself.
Daniel walked in moments later, his steps deliberate, his gaze sharp. He paused by the table, his eyes landing on the empty spot where his breakfast would’ve been.
“Nothing for me?” he asked, his voice laced with mock surprise.
Before I could answer, the front door opened, and a figure strode in. It was Rhea, one of the pack’s enforcers. Her short, jet-black hair framed a face marked by a deep scar across her left cheek. Her icy blue eyes were intense, almost predatory, as they flicked from me to Daniel.
“Alpha,” Rhea greeted, her voice steady but tinged with urgency. She was one of the few enforcers who refused to bow her head when addressing him. “We’ve confirmed it was rogues from the Bloodfang Pack that attacked Luna London yesterday.”
Daniel’s casual demeanor disappeared in an instant. His expression darkened, his jaw tightening. “Bloodfang,” he said quietly, but there was a deadly weight to his tone. “Did they leave a message?”
Rhea’s gaze flicked to me briefly before returning to him. “They marked her, Alpha. The western border’s lined with claw sigils. They’re sending a challenge.”
Daniel’s lips curled into a cold smile, one that sent a shiver down my spine. “Good. Let them think they can test us. Find their beta and bring him to me. Alive. Tonight.”
Rhea hesitated, her piercing gaze settling on me for a long moment before she spoke again. “Alpha, with all due respect, I think we should focus on shoring up our defenses first. Their attack on Luna wasn’t random. They wanted her. Maybe to bait you.”
His expression remained unreadable as he glanced at me. “You knew they were Bloodfang. Why didn’t you tell me?”
I met his gaze head-on, refusing to cower. “Because you were busy, Daniel. I didn’t think you’d care.”
Rhea crossed her arms, the tension in the room growing palpable. “Maybe the Luna didn’t think it was her responsibility to cover for you Alpha.” Her voice was cool, calm, yet the words were piercing.
Daniel’s eyes narrowed at her, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he turned back to me. “You think I don’t care?” he asked, his voice low, almost dangerous. “Do you know what would’ve happened if they’d taken you? Do you know the chaos it would cause this pack?”
“This pack,” I said bitterly, yet calmly, the words tasting like ash on my tongue. “Not me. You’re not angry because I was hurt—you’re angry because it makes you look weak. Isn’t that right, Daniel?”
Silence fell between us, heavy and suffocating. Rhea’s sharp gaze darted between the two of us, her expression unreadable.
Finally, Daniel shifted his focus back to the table. “Where’s my breakfast?” he asked, as if nothing had happened.
I forced a bitter laugh, picking up my coffee cup. “I figured you wouldn’t want eggs and toast.”
His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Rhea smirked faintly, the tension in the air shifting as she straightened. “Alpha, I’ll prepare the patrols and update you by noon.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned and left, leaving us alone in the cabin.
Daniel’s piercing gaze locked onto mine. “You want to keep testing me, London? Fine. But don’t think for a second I’ll keep saving you if you won’t help yourself.”
I stepped closer, my thoughts wanted to break free and come out but I left them as thoughts. I don’t need saving, Daniel. Certainly not from you.
The faint howls of the Bloodfang rogues came from the distance, but they didn’t scare me.
What scared me was how little there was left to salvage between us.
They always said an Alpha she-wolf couldn’t be loved—not truly.
I heard it my whole life. “You’re too strong-willed.” “Too dominant.” “No Alpha would ever want someone who challenges them.”
When I chose Daniel as my mate, the whispers grew louder. He wasn’t my moon-given mate, but he was powerful, cunning, and everything I thought I needed. Our union made sense—two Alphas, uniting to strengthen the Crimson Hollow Pack. I thought we’d defy tradition, prove them all wrong.
But the doubts were always there, lurking beneath the surface. They told me it wouldn’t last, that Daniel would resent me, that my strength would become a threat.
And when they weren’t warning me about my bond, they reminded me of my body. “Alpha she-wolves rarely conceive,” they’d say. “Your dominance will make it hard.” “The goddess may have given you leadership, but she won’t give you pups.”
For years, I convinced myself I didn’t care. The pack was my legacy—my family. Until the day I felt the life growing inside me.
For the first time, I allowed myself hope. Daniel and I could have something more than power and duty. We could have a future, a pup to unite us in ways the pack could never understand.
But it didn’t last.
The rogues took that from me. Those wretched, savage wolves who ambushed me on the outskirts of the territory. Their claws and teeth tore at my flesh, but it was the loss of our pup that shattered me.
Daniel had avenged me, but it wasn’t enough. Nothing could fill the void. The whispers came back, cruel and sharp. They didn’t need to say it—I saw it in their eyes. An Alpha she-wolf can’t even keep her pup alive.
Daniel’s coldness only deepened the wound. I’d thought the loss would bring us closer, that he’d understand the pain that consumed me. Instead, it drove us further apart.
Now, five years into this bond, I wasn’t sure what held us together anymore. Certainly not love. Perhaps not even respect.
Then I conceived again, a miracle, and I thought I could guard this one with my life yet the moon goddess allowed my precious pup to be snatched away from me again.
This time Daniel didn’t care, didn’t know, not when he had his little omega advisor snuggled up
With him.
Something inside me broke when I lost my pup again. I was growing tired. Exhausted of all of this.
I didn’t wait for his approval as I stepped out of the cabin into the brisk, pine-scented air.
From behind, Daniel’s deep voice reached me. “You’re walking? Take someone from the patrol unit.”
I ignored him, letting the door slam shut behind me. A low growl escaped the Alpha’s throat, but I dismissed it. He wouldn’t follow; Daniel only offered safety when it benefited him.
We’d been mates for five years, but our bond felt more like a broken pact—a formality upheld for the sake of the pack. Once, we had been equals, but now? Now, I was nothing more than an accessory to the Alpha of the Crimson Hollow Pack.
The Packhouse
The Crimson Hollow Pack’s headquarters wasn’t just a sprawling log mansion; it was the beating heart of our territory. Wolves bustled around, their laughter and chatter filling the air.
I made my way toward the training yard, keeping my head high despite the whispers.
“Did you see Suki and the Alpha earlier?” a young she-wolf murmured to her friend. “She was practically glued to his side.”
“Of course,” the other replied with a smirk. “She’s his ‘advisor,’ isn’t she? And much better suited for him than…” Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of me.
I shot her a pointed look. She froze, muttering something to her companion before they both scurried off.
Suki.
The pack’s resident “advisor” and the bane of my existence. She was cunning, beautiful, and knew how to play her cards. She stayed close to Daniel in ways I hadn’t for years—offering him counsel, sharing meals, and whispering in his ear during strategy meetings.
She was everything a Luna was supposed to be, and the pack was beginning to notice.
But I refused to give them a spectacle.
By the time I reached the Alpha’s office, my anger simmered just beneath the surface.
