Caroline Montgomery’s mate was about to become a father, but the one carrying his child wasn’t her.

On the day of her Come of Age Ceremony, she overheard Memphis Brown speaking to her brother. “We’ll keep this from Caroline for now. If it weren’t for her recklessness, I wouldn’t have had to pretend to be away on a mission to the southern border.”

Her heart shattered. The man she loved, the one who had promised to make her his Luna after returning victorious, had never left the capital. To avoid her affections, he had secluded himself in his pack’s stronghold and gotten his chosen mate pregnant.

From the beginning, Caroline had been the only one kept in the dark.

She wiped her tears and smiled, refusing to fall apart as she had in the past. Instead, she turned and accepted the mate proposal from the southern territory.

Something tainted was no longer worth holding onto.

---

Her brother sighed in relief. “Caroline has always been too stubborn. Keeping this from her is for her own good.”

Memphis nodded, his expression softening. “It’s just a shame Fangruo had to suffer for two years. Now that she’s pregnant, once she gives birth to my child, I’ll make sure she’s given the recognition she deserves.”

“Caroline’s been obsessed with me for years, but I can’t keep indulging her forever.”

Her brother hesitated but eventually agreed.

Behind the screen, Caroline’s legs trembled, and she bit her lip hard to stifle a cry. Hot tears streamed down her face. She couldn’t believe the man she had waited for, the one who had sent her sweet letters every month, had never left the city.

Her chest ached, and her legs nearly gave out. She leaned against the wall, clutching her chest, and sobbed silently.

All these years, she had indeed been stubborn. Her love for Memphis was known throughout the pack. She had clung to him, believing he felt the same.

They had grown up together, and everyone knew the proud Alpha Memphis never spared a glance at anyone else, except for Caroline.

During the annual pack run, if he so much as looked at another female, Caroline would make a scene, demanding he hunt a rare beast to make it up to her.

Memphis had always obliged, venturing into the dangerous forests to bring her the pelt of a rare wolf, which he turned into a cloak for her.

One winter, when he rescued an orphaned girl during a mission, Caroline danced barefoot on the frozen lake.

Memphis had rushed back, his eyes blazing with anger, and pulled her into his arms in front of everyone.

“Caroline, I was wrong,” he had said, his voice trembling. “I’ll send her away tomorrow. Just… don’t hurt yourself again.”

The tenderness in his eyes had fooled her, making her believe he truly cared. She hadn’t noticed the impatience hidden beneath his gaze.

Every time she demanded his attention, he would relent, smiling wryly and saying, “If Caroline asks, I have no choice but to apologize.”

His seemingly endless tolerance had made her complacent. She never imagined he despised her.

Memphis touched the pendant at his neck, smiling as he spoke to her brother. “The one at home made such a fuss, insisting I wear this pendant she crafted. It’s impressive Fangruo could create such delicate wolf symbols, especially while pregnant.”

His expression was filled with affection as he caressed the pendant.

Her brother pointed to another pendant on his belt. “What about that one? It’s so clumsily made. Why are you still wearing it?”

Memphis glanced down at the poorly crafted pendant and chuckled. “Oh, that’s the one Caroline forced me to wear. I forgot to take it off.”

He casually removed it and dropped it to the ground.

“It was just to humor her. Thanks for reminding me. Fangruo would cry if she saw it.”

Her brother hesitated, his voice strained. “Caroline has loved you for five years. Did you never feel anything for her?”

Memphis paused at the door, his hand resting on the handle.

He shrugged indifferently. “What’s gotten into you? I’ve never had romantic feelings for her. She saved my life, but all my patience over the years has repaid that debt.”

“I can’t just mate her and spend my life with someone I don’t love.”

The footsteps faded away, and no one noticed Caroline Montgomery standing behind the screen, her eyes red and swollen.

Today was her Come of Age Ceremony, a significant milestone in the werewolf world. She had slipped into her mother’s room to borrow a tube of lipstick, only to overhear a conversation that shattered the fragile illusion she had clung to for years.

The reflection in the mirror showed a young woman with perfectly applied makeup, now ruined by uncontrollable tears that streaked her cheeks.

On her head was the silver necklace Memphis Brown had given her before he left.

Years had passed, and the once-bright silver had tarnished, yet she wore it every day without fail.

When Memphis received the order to lead his pack’s warriors to the northern border—a dangerous mission—Caroline had wept for days. She even knelt outside the Lycan King’s estate, begging for the order to be revoked.

“Your Majesty, if you insist on sending him, I beg you to let me accompany him! Our Mate Ceremony is just days away. How can you…”

Memphis arrived in a rush, his eyes bloodshot.

He wrapped his cloak around her trembling frame and whispered, his voice strained, “Caroline, you’re too delicate. I can’t bear the thought of you suffering in the north.

“How could I focus on my duties if I’m worrying about you? Please, stay here and wait for me. I promise I’ll return safely, alright?”

Through her sobs, she agreed. Determined to protect him, she traveled to the Moon Goddess Temple at the edge of the territory, bowing and praying with each step. There, she received a blessed charm.

The healer told her that to ensure its power in a dangerous land, it needed to be infused with the blood of someone who loved him deeply.

So, Caroline slit her wrist, letting her blood soak the charm for nine days before sewing it into a sachet she crafted herself.

The night before Memphis left, they embraced under the moonlight.

When she tied the sachet around his neck, the wound on her wrist still throbbed, but she felt no regret.

In return, he placed the silver necklace around her neck, his voice soft but firm.

“This journey will be perilous, but this necklace carries my promise. Pure and unchanging, just like my heart.”

His eyes were sincere as he added, “When I return, we’ll hold our Mark Ceremony.”

Two years passed.

Two years of closed doors and silence from Memphis, while whispers of his closeness to his cousin, a rival, spread like wildfire. They were seen together, their bond undeniable, even expecting a child.

Caroline spent her days in the pack’s chapel, kneeling in prayer, trading her vibrant dresses for somber attire. She copied sacred texts, her once-envied status reduced to pity and mockery.

She waited, only to be met with the tarnished necklace and the news of his child.

With trembling hands, she yanked the necklace from her neck, the sharp clasp slicing her palm, leaving a deep, bleeding gash.

But the pain in her hand was nothing compared to the ache in her heart.

Her servant, Byron, returned with her dress, only to find her clutching the necklace, tears streaming down her face.

“Miss Caroline, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice panicked as he noticed the blood.

“That’s the necklace Alpha Memphis gave you. Why are you removing it now?”

Caroline collapsed into his arms, her sobs raw and unrestrained.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally pulled away, wiping her tears with shaky hands.

“Help me redo my makeup,” she said, her voice hoarse but determined. “Something that doesn’t need this necklace.”

When she emerged, dressed in a stunning gown and standing beside her brother, he couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Caroline, you look so different today. So bold, so radiant. It’s not like you, but it suits you.”

She forced a bitter smile, her heart heavy but resolute.