My mate used his military achievements to sever our bond, and the entire pack watched my humiliation unfold.

But the very next day, Carson Duncan, my childhood friend and the Beta of the Duncan Pack, came to propose.

For seven years, he treated me like a treasure, silencing the whispers of the pack.

Until the pack gathering, where my half-sister Bellamy and I fell into the lake.

Without hesitation, he saved her, leaving me to nearly drown in the icy water.

I smiled bitterly, then made my decision. I swallowed the potion that would make me appear dead.

In seven days, the bond between us would be severed, and I would be free.

---

"Miss Jaliyah, are you sure about this? Besides this incident, the Beta has always been good to you," Layne, my loyal maid and an Omega in the Duncan Pack, asked with deep concern in her voice.

Layne had been with me since my mother’s passing, witnessing every hardship I’d endured and knowing how much I loved Carson.

But the memory of the pack gathering yesterday was like a knife twisting in my heart.

The mate who had been by my side for seven years, who had sworn to protect me, had instinctively rushed to save Bellamy instead.

And as I nearly drowned, he didn’t even spare me a glance.

I forced a bitter smile and nodded without hesitation.

"Hand it to me. If I stay, I fear I’ll end up like my mother, forever buried in this pack’s cruelty."

Layne wiped her tears and handed me the potion she’d prepared.

"Miss Jaliyah, we don’t know how your body will react to this. If the pain becomes unbearable, you can bite me."

Her selfless offer warmed my heart.

At least in this world, there was still someone who cared for me.

I took the potion and drank it without hesitation.

The liquid was bitter, so bitter, but compared to my current reality, it was nothing.

Within moments, a sharp pain tore through my abdomen, as if countless ants were gnawing at my flesh.

Just as I was on the verge of passing out from the agony, the door burst open.

Carson stood there, his hair disheveled, as if he’d run all the way here.

Seeing the sweat drenching my forehead, he rushed to the bed and pulled me into his arms.

"Jaliyah, Jaliyah, don’t be afraid. I’m here," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion.

The sincerity in his eyes was almost convincing, as if he truly loved me deeply.

But the faint scent of rosemary clinging to him was a cruel reminder—he had come from Bellamy’s side.

My heart sank further.

I stared at him, tears streaming down my cheeks.

In seven days, I would disappear from his world forever.

No matter how much he called for me, I would not return.

The next morning, the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Carson’s weary gaze. He seemed to have been sitting by my bed, watching over me the entire night.

“Jaliyah, you’re awake,” he said softly, his voice tinged with relief. “You scared me last night.”

I blinked, confused, sensing that there was something unusual about him today. Layne, standing nearby, spoke cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Miss, the healer said… you’re one month pregnant.”

At her words, I bolted upright in bed, my eyes widening in shock. “What? How could I…?”

For seven years, I had longed for a pup. I never imagined it would come at a time like this.

Carson’s expression seemed joyful, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. When he saw my genuine surprise, he let out a small, relieved breath.

“Seeing you happy, Jaliyah, is a blessing for this pup,” he said, his tone oddly measured.

His words felt strange. In the past, I might have questioned him, demanding an explanation. But now, I just listened numbly. It was as if all the energy to respond had drained from me.

“Jaliyah, about yesterday…” I knew he wanted to explain why he hadn’t saved me. But my mind was a chaotic mess, my head pounding. I didn’t have the strength to deal with his lies.

“I’m not feeling well,” I interrupted. “Beta, please stay in your study for the next few days.”

“Jaliyah…”

Before he could protest, Layne had already ushered him out of the room. Even as he was pushed out, he called back, “If you feel unwell, Jaliyah, you must call for me.”

I sat on the bed, staring at my still-flat stomach, lost in thought. Tears welled up in my eyes again, the ones I thought had dried up long ago. My wolf stirred within me, her presence a quiet comfort amidst the turmoil.

“We’re going to have a pup,” she whispered softly in my mind, her voice filled with both joy and sorrow.

I nodded silently, unable to find the words to respond. The bond between Carson and me felt strained, but the life growing inside me was a reminder of the mate bond we once shared. I could only hope that this pup would bring us back together, even if the road ahead was uncertain.

The child came at the worst possible time.

Just like me, born into a world that had no place for them.

My mother, Wynter Brooks, hailed from the distant Northern lands. She was the savior of the Lycan Queen, Kehlani Gardner. In gratitude, the Queen granted my mother the honor of being the only chosen mate of Alpha King Duncan. It was a rare privilege, but it came at a cost. My mother died from complications after giving birth to me, leaving me alone in a world that had no use for an Omega like me.

The Lycan Queen, perhaps out of guilt or obligation, arranged for me to be mated to her nephew, Caiden Gilbert, the Alpha of the Gilbert Pack. But Caiden’s heart belonged to my half-sister, Bellamy Turner. He spent years building his military achievements, not for the pack, but to secure his mate bond with her.

The day of their marking ceremony, the entire capital was buzzing with whispers, waiting to see how I, the unwanted Omega, would react. It was Carson Duncan, the Beta of the Duncan Pack and my childhood friend, who saved me from humiliation. Against his parents’ wishes, he stepped forward and proposed to me, binding us as mates.

For seven years, he treated me like a treasure, a Luna cherished by her Alpha. Even with the constant challenges from his mother, Yasmin Scott, the Alpha Female of the Duncan Pack, I endured. I believed in him, in us.

But then the rumors started.

“Beta Carson’s heart has always belonged to Bellamy Turner,” they said.

“He only mated Jaliyah to keep the peace in the packs.”

“Otherwise, that Omega with her mother’s legacy would have caused chaos.”

I dismissed the gossip as baseless. After all, Carson had always been kind, protective, and devoted.

But reality had a way of shattering illusions.

One evening, during a pack gathering, a rogue attack sent the entire area into chaos. In the midst of the turmoil, Carson had to make a choice. He could save me, his mate, or Bellamy, the woman he supposedly loved.

He chose her.

I watched as he carried her to safety, his eyes filled with concern, his aura radiating protectiveness—not for me, but for her. The bond between us, once unshakable, now felt like a fragile thread, ready to snap.

The whispers grew louder, more vicious.

“Beta Carson’s true mate was always Bellamy.”

“Jaliyah was just a placeholder, a way to keep the packs stable.”

I wanted to confront him, to demand the truth. But the pain in my chest, the bond screaming its agony, told me everything I needed to know.

I wasn’t enough.

My wolf, Seraphina, whimpered in the back of my mind, a quiet, broken sound.

*He’s a fool,* she said, though her voice lacked conviction. *He’ll regret this.*

But I wasn’t so sure.

The child growing inside me, a product of our bond, felt like a cruel joke. A reminder of everything I had lost, everything I would never have.

I stood there, surrounded by the pack, feeling the weight of their pity and scorn. My legs trembled, but I forced myself to stay upright. I wouldn’t let them see me break.

Carson’s eyes met mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw regret. But it was fleeting, replaced by the cold, detached expression of a Beta who had already moved on.

“Jaliyah,” he said, his voice calm, almost clinical. “We need to talk.”

I nodded, though my heart screamed in protest.

The child was coming, but it was already too late.

Just like me, it was never meant to be.