It took me two hours to walk back from the pack’s meeting hall. The crisp night air carried the faint scent of pine and damp earth, a reminder of the forest that bordered our territory. As I neared my house, I noticed a figure lurking near the entrance, his posture tense and furtive. One glance was all it took to recognize him—Benicio Rice, the Delta who had once been tangled in Kolton Ferguson’s web of deceit.

What was he doing here, skulking around my home like a rogue? What could he possibly want?

Memories of my past life surged forward, unbidden. I’d often seen Benicio sneaking around at night with Marceline Hart, the Omega who had wrapped Kolton around her finger. At one point, I’d even suspected that the pup Marceline carried was Benicio’s. I’d tried to warn Kolton, but he’d dismissed my concerns with a cold laugh, brushing me aside as though I were nothing more than a nuisance.

Later, after Marceline had lost the pup and bled out, Benicio had come to me, his eyes blazing with fury. He’d sworn a blood debt against me, accusing me of orchestrating her death. Not long after, Kolton and Benicio had framed me, staging a scene that made it look as though I’d been caught in a compromising position. They’d plotted together to avenge Marceline’s death, and I’d been their pawn.

It was almost laughable, the way they’d both been so blind to Marceline’s manipulations. Did they even realize they’d been played? Did they know how deeply she’d entangled them in her schemes?

A cold smile tugged at my lips. If Kolton and Benicio ever discovered the truth—that they’d both been mere pawns in Marceline’s game—I’d give anything to see the look on their faces.

As I approached, Benicio straightened, plastering a sycophantic grin across his face. “Alaina,” he called, his voice overly cheerful. “What brings you out so late?”

I raised an eyebrow, my expression icy. “What do you think? I’ve just come from the meeting hall. I’ve rejected the mate bond with Kolton.”

His eyes flicked to the papers in my hand, and his grin widened. “You actually did it?”

“Of course I did,” I said, my voice sharp. “Kolton’s too busy playing nursemaid to Marceline’s unborn pup to care about me. He thinks I don’t see what he’s doing, but I know exactly what’s going on.”

Benicio’s grin faltered, replaced by a look of confusion. “What do you mean?”

“What do you think I mean?” I laughed, the sound brittle and humorless. “Kolton and that Omega, Marceline, are carrying on like fools. But Marceline isn’t just fooling around with Kolton—she’s got her claws in half the males in the pack. The warriors, the hunters, even the laborers—she’s juggling them all.”

I counted them off on my fingers, watching as Benicio’s expression darkened. “That woman’s got more nerve than sense. She’s got at least seven or eight males wrapped around her finger, and who knows whose pup she’s carrying.”

The look on Benicio’s face was almost comical. He’d always thought he was Marceline’s one and only, that the pup she carried was his. But Benicio was a Delta, with little to his name and even less ambition. When Marceline had gotten pregnant, he hadn’t been able to support her. So, they’d hatched a plan to have Kolton raise the pup, believing him too blind to see the truth.

Now, realizing that Marceline had been playing him just as she’d played Kolton, Benicio must have been reeling.

In my past life, Benicio and Kolton had blamed me for Marceline’s death and plotted against me. But in this life, I’d let these wretched souls tear each other apart. I’d watch as their schemes unraveled and their lives crumbled around them.

“You should be careful, Benicio,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. “Marceline’s not the woman you think she is. And Kolton—well, he’s not the Alpha he pretends to be.”

With that, I turned and walked into my house, leaving Benicio standing in the shadows, his expression a mix of anger and confusion. Let them destroy each other. I had a new life to build—one where I was no longer their pawn.

Benicio stormed off in a huff, leaving me smirking as I stepped back into the house. Now that the mate bond rejection with Kolton was finalized, it was time to think about my future. I needed to deal with the pregnancy soon; keeping the Alpha’s pup wasn’t part of my plan. Kolton and Marceline were nothing but treacherous villains, heartless to the core. I had to plan ahead to prevent history from repeating itself.

I went into the bedroom and opened the box where I kept my savings. Taking out the few hundred dollars I'd managed to save, I carefully stitched the bills into the lining of my jacket. Just as I finished, Kolton returned with Marceline draped over him like she couldn’t stand on her own. She clung to him, her voice sickeningly sweet as she noticed me coming out. “I can’t walk any further. You have to carry me to the bedroom!”

Kolton, the Alpha, had completely abandoned any shred of dignity. Right there in front of me, he scooped Marceline up and carried her off to the bedroom. Soon, the room was filled with her giggling, which went on for quite a while. Eventually, Kolton emerged, shamelessly asking me, “Marceline’s anemic and needs something nourishing. Go buy a turkey and make her some soup.”

Throughout our mate bond, I hadn’t spent a dime of Kolton’s money. Everything he earned went to his mother and brother, and I foolishly thought he was just being a good son. Little did I know it was because he didn’t care for me at all, treating me like free labor for his family. In what felt like a previous lifetime, I realized Kolton’s cruelty only on my deathbed. Not this time. He wouldn’t take advantage of me again.

“Alright,” I said calmly, extending my hand. “Give me the money, and I’ll get a turkey to nourish Marceline.”

Kolton was used to barking orders and never paying a cent for what he demanded. My request for money took him by surprise, his expression souring. “Can’t you pay and I’ll reimburse you later?”

“I don’t have any money,” I replied.

“What about your salary?”

“I’ve spent it all. We’ve been mated for three years without me seeing a penny from you. Do you think I don’t need to eat or drink? Besides, your mother constantly demands money and food from me. I’m not a magician.”

I leveled my gaze at Kolton, reminding him slowly, “You promised me five hundred dollars for the mate bond rejection to support me and the pup. Give me the money now.”

Kolton’s face darkened. “I don’t have that much right now.”

“Are you trying to back out? Alpha, I’ve been more than generous by letting you take care of Marceline, but you have to be fair. I’m carrying your pup, so you have to pay up, or else…”

I let the sentence hang, knowing Kolton was fully aware of the consequences. If news got out about his affair with Marceline, it wouldn’t bode well for his position as Alpha or his reputation. To keep his comforts, he needed to keep me quiet.

Reluctantly, Kolton handed me five hundred dollars, his jaw clenched as he decided to buy the turkey himself. Once Marceline heard about Kolton giving me the money to silence me, she was livid. She dropped her weak act and stormed over to confront me, “Alaina, what makes you think you have the right to the Alpha’s money?”

"Why should you pretend you don't know?" I sneered at Marceline Hart, my voice low and dangerous. As an Omega, she should have been trembling under the weight of my Alpha aura, but her arrogance only seemed to grow. "Kolton owes me, and if he doesn't want his secret out, he better pay for my silence."

Marceline hadn't expected me to breach this forbidden topic, and she was briefly taken aback before letting out a dismissive laugh. "Oh, so you've found out, have you? Well, since you're in the loop now, there's no point in playing coy."

She leaned closer, her voice dripping with malice. "Kolton adores me, you know. I'm not ashamed to admit I spent my wedding night with Jayceon beside him."

"Disgusting!" I spat, my wolf snarling in the back of my mind. The thought of their betrayal made my stomach churn.

My fury only seemed to delight Marceline further, and she went on to spill more details about her illicit relationship with Kolton Ferguson. "Jayceon was passed out drunk, so I was done with waiting around. His mom, Liliana, called Kolton over to help, and right there next to Jayceon, Kolton and I hooked up..."

No wonder Kolton was so adamant about breaking the mate bond to give Marceline and her unborn pup a home. He'd been involved with her all along, probably thinking he was Marceline’s one and only. His dedication ran so deep that even when I told him Marceline was also mixed up with Benicio Rice, a Delta, and some shady characters, he didn't believe me.

I hoped that in this lifetime, he could realize his dreams and be eternally tied to Marceline.

As these thoughts flitted through my mind, Marceline's gaze zeroed in on my belly. "Alaina Harvey, since everything's out in the open now, stop fantasizing about getting back with Kolton and get rid of the pup," she ordered, her tone sharp and commanding.

"And why would I do that?" I locked eyes coldly with Marceline, my Alpha aura flaring. "Kolton said he would remate me. Why would I terminate the pregnancy?"

"So you're still holding onto that fantasy of having the pup?" Marceline laughed scornfully. "Listen, Alaina, Kolton has already told me he won't let your pup be born. In three days, he'll make sure your pup never sees the light of day."

I believed Marceline's threat, recalling how Kolton had shown no mercy to me or my unborn pup before. If he planned to repeat his ruthless behavior, I wouldn't back down either. Old scores and grievances needed settling, and I'd repay them with interest.

Kolton came home with a whole chicken and brought his mother, Liliana Vargas, the pack's Gamma. While he prepped the roast in the kitchen, Liliana waltzed into my room, casting a sideways glance with her beady eyes.

"I’m not well and need to go to the city for treatment—give me five hundred dollars right now," she demanded, her voice sharp.

Ever since I mated with Kolton, Liliana Vargas never showed me any kindness. She felt I was too plain and unworthy of her son. No amount of money I gave her or meals I treated her to changed that; she always saw me as an inconvenience.

Liliana adored Marceline, who buttered her up without handing over a single cent or lifting a finger for chores. Marceline had a way with words, calling Liliana 'Mom' in a sugary tone and massaging her shoulders, and Liliana would bask in pride, singing praises of Marceline's supposed filial devotion.

Liliana still thought she could bully me, that I'd be the same naïve Alaina Harvey who allowed herself to be exploited.

I replied icily, "Mrs. Vargas, ask your son Kolton for money, or your daughter-in-law Marceline. Now that Kolton and I are no longer mates, your demands have nothing to do with me. I owe you nothing!"

Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing, turning on her heel and storming out of the room. My wolf growled softly, a reminder of the strength I now carried. This time, I wouldn’t let them break me.