I stood before the tall mirror in my room, smoothing the soft silk of my emerald green gown. The dress had an open back and a graceful cut. It was elegant and costly.

Tonight was my armor.

Jareth had reserved a private dinner cruise across the harbor.

This was his way of strengthening the illusion. He wanted to prove to himself and to everyone watching that we were still the perfect bonded pair. The devoted Alpha and his Luna. Exactly what his grandfather expected to see.

I walked downstairs.

Jareth was already waiting in the entrance hall, glancing down at his watch. He looked handsome in his black suit, every inch the loyal mate.

“You look stunning,” he said as he lifted his head.

That admiration in his eyes was genuine.

But that only made it sad. He loved the beautiful Luna at his side, not the woman inside.

“Thank you,” I said as I stepped down the last stair. “Shall we leave?”

“The carriage is ready.”

He offered his arm and I placed my hand on it.

Just as we reached the door, the sharp sound of heels echoed through the hallway. We both turned.

Luvena stood there.

Her dress was barely worthy of the name. It was a shining silver slip that barely reached her thighs. The neckline fell dangerously low. Her makeup was dark and smoky, and her lips were painted a deep crimson.

Jareth stiffened beside me. His grip on my arm tightened.

“Where are you going?” he asked sharply.

Luvena smiled lazily as she adjusted the strap of her purse.

“Out. It is Friday night. I am heading to a club.”

“Dressed like that?” Jareth said harshly as he stepped away from me. “You are practically naked. Go upstairs and change.”

Luvena rolled her eyes.

“Why should I? You are not my boyfriend.”

Her words hung in the air with a hidden meaning.

“I am still your boss,” Jareth replied firmly. “And I am your brother’s closest friend. He asked me to look after you while you stayed here. What if something happens to you dressed like that? What message are you sending?”

“I can take care of myself,” Luvena shot back. “Nothing will happen. I am just going to have fun. Maybe I will meet a man. Someone who actually has time for me.”

She shot Jareth a pointed look filled with poison.

I watched them quietly.

This was not protective concern, but jealousy. Pure jealousy.

He could not bear the thought of another man touching what he believed belonged to him.

“You are not leaving dressed like that,” Jareth growled.

“Watch me.”

Luvena turned toward the door.

“Stop.”

Jareth rushed forward and grabbed her arm. His expression looked desperate.

He glanced at me, then back at her, his mind racing for a solution that would keep both of us satisfied.

“Come with us,” he suddenly said.

I blinked.

“Excuse me?”

Jareth turned to me, forcing a strained smile.

“Let her join us on the cruise, Shara.”

“No,” I answered calmly. “Why would she come? This is our evening. A romantic dinner.”

“Come on, honey,” Jareth said anxiously. “You know how she is. She’s still young. If she goes alone to a club she might get into trouble. Her brother would blame me if something happened. It is safer if she stays with us.”

“She’s an adult,” I replied, folding my arms. “She can make her own choices. I do not want a third person on our date.”

“It’s fine,” Luvena said as she pulled her arm away. Her voice sounded full of false hurt. “She clearly does not want me there. I understand. I will just go find entertainment somewhere else.”

She turned again toward the door.

“Enough, Shara,” Jareth snapped suddenly. His calm mask completely vanished. His eyes burned with frustration. “Why are you being so difficult? It’s only dinner. Why can you not be more understanding?”

I looked at him quietly. The nerve of it was unbelievable.

“Why are you angry?” I asked calmly. “You are shouting at your mate simply because she wants to have dinner alone with you. Is that unreasonable?”

I stepped closer to him.

“Choose, Jareth,” I said softly. “Between me and her. Do you want an evening with your mate or do you want to take care of your assistant?”

Jareth looked from one of us to the other.

Luvena waited with a smug smile.

I stood firm.

He knew choosing her would destroy his carefully built image.

His jaw tightened.

“Fine,” he said stiffly. “I choose you. I always choose you, Shara.”

Then he looked at Luvena. “Stay home.”

“Whatever,” Luvena said with a cold laugh.

She turned and stormed up the stairs.

***

The cruise should have been beautiful.

The lights of the city sparkled across the dark water. The food was perfect. A violinist played gentle music nearby.

But Jareth was not truly there.

His body sat across from me at the table, but his mind was somewhere else. He barely touched his drink. His leg bounced nervously under the table.

Every few minutes he checked his crystal communicator, hiding the screen beneath the table.

“Is there something wrong?” I asked while cutting my steak.

“What? No. Everything is fine,” he muttered. “Just work messages.”

I knew exactly who he was talking to.

He was messaging Luvena. Tracking where she went. Begging her to behave. Probably promising her anything she wanted.

Suddenly, his crystal communicator buzzed loudly on the table.

He grabbed it immediately. In seconds, all color vanished from his face.

He stood so quickly that his chair scraped loudly against the floor.

“I need to leave,” he said.

“What?” I set down my fork. “Jareth, we have not even had dessert. What happened?”

“Luvena,” he said quickly. Panic filled his voice. “She went out anyway. She is at a bar in the city. She says some men are bothering her. She’s scared.”

“Just call the pack guards,” I said calmly as I sipped my wine.

“No. I must go myself. She’s terrified.”

He was already moving, pulling on his jacket with shaking hands.

“I am sorry, Shara. I will make it up to you. I promise. Just finish dinner. The driver will take you home.”

He did not wait for my reply. He did not even kiss me goodbye.

He simply turned and rushed off the ship, desperate to rescue his mistress, leaving his Luna alone in the middle of the ocean.

I watched him disappear. But I did not cry at all.

I felt nothing.

Slowly I finished my wine, enjoying the deep flavor. Then I raised my hand to call the waiter.

“The bill please,” I said calmly. “And pack the dessert for me.”

***

When I returned home later, the estate was empty.

They were probably together somewhere. He would be comforting her while she celebrated her victory.

But it did not matter. In two days, I would be gone. And he would receive the greatest anniversary gift of all.

The night before our anniversary, I finished packing the last of my important belongings.

Just as I closed my suitcase, I heard voices. They came from the guest room down the hallway.

Luvena’s room.

They must have believed I was already asleep.

I stepped quietly into the hallway. My crystal communicator was already in my hand with the camera open.

The door to her room was slightly open. A thin line of light stretched across the floor. I did not need to see them to understand what was happening.

The sounds were obvious. Two people moving together with desperate hunger.

Then the noises suddenly stopped. Luvena’s voice cut through the air sharply.

“I hate this,” she snapped. “I saw the box, Jareth. The necklace you bought for her. Real diamonds. Vintage design. You told me you were buying her something cheap.”

“Lower your voice, Luvena,” Jareth whispered quickly. “She might wake up.”

He sounded breathless.

“It’s only for show,” he continued. “Tomorrow is the pack alliance ceremony and our anniversary. The press will be there. I need to look like a loving Alpha mate. If I give her something cheap, the reporters will tear us apart.”

“But I want that necklace!” Luvena complained. “You promised me diamonds.”

“I will buy you ten necklaces,” Jareth said. “Better ones. After everything is finished. Once the old Alpha signs the succession documents.”

I held my crystal communicator steady and pointed the camera through the narrow opening of the door.

I could see them clearly. Jareth sat at the edge of the bed with his shirt off. While Luvena knelt close to him, clutching the sheets.

“I am tired of waiting,” Luvena said. Her voice trembled with anger and desire. “I am tired of being hidden. I want something that binds you to me. Something she cannot take.”

She lifted her face to him. Her eyes looked wild.

“Give me a pup,” she demanded. “Right now. Make me pregnant.”

Jareth paused for a moment.

“Luvena, we already talked about this. The timing is not right.”

“Prove it,” she hissed. “Show me you love me more than her. Give me your pup, Jareth. Make me the mother of your heir.”

Jareth groaned softly. His resistance collapsed under her touch.

“Alright,” he said quietly. “Alright. Anything you want.”

Then he pulled her onto the bed.

I did not look away. I also did not feel sick. Instead, I felt calm. Cold and satisfied.

I pressed the record button and captured everything. Every word. Every promise. Every betrayal.

I let the recording continue for a full minute so their voices were clear and their faces easy to recognize. Then I stopped. I saved the file to my cloud storage. Then into a protected folder. After that, I sent a copy to my lawyer.

***

The following evening, the Grand Ballroom overflowed with nobles, Alphas, and powerful pack leaders. The hall shimmered with elegant suits and expensive gowns. It was the most important social gathering of the season.

I wore the necklace. The diamonds rested heavily against my throat like a chain I was ready to break.

Jareth stood beside me with his hand resting possessively on my back. He performed perfectly. He smiled for the flashing cameras, laughed at the correct moments, and leaned close to whisper sweet words that meant nothing.

“You look beautiful tonight, Shara,” he said as photographers surrounded us.

“Happy Mating Anniversary,” I replied with a bright smile.

Then we moved through the crowd while people offered congratulations.

Luvena was there too. Of course she was.

She wore a bright red dress that clashed with the elegant decorations. She stood near the tall tower of champagne glasses, watching us with sharp eyes like a hunting wolf.

Soon the music softened. A spotlight lit the stage.

Jareth’s grandfather slowly stepped toward the microcrystal communicator.

The Alpha King looked weak, but his eyes remained sharp.

“Tonight,” he said slowly, his voice echoing across the silent hall, “we celebrate more than a new alliance. We celebrate a legacy.”

“A legacy of family. Stability. Loyalty.”

He raised his glass toward us.

“To my grandson, Jareth Warhowl, and his wonderful Luna, Ashara Bloodwyn. Because of her strength and loyalty, I feel confident giving my empire to the next generation. A man who cannot protect his home cannot rule a pack. But Jareth has chosen wisely.”

The hall erupted in applause. Jareth squeezed my waist proudly. He believed he had won. He believed the Alpha throne already belonged to him.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I know,” I replied quietly.

The celebration continued. Guests surrounded us.

For another twenty minutes I played the perfect Luna. Then I felt Jareth’s hand slip away from my back.

“I need to use the restroom,” he muttered as his crystal communicator vibrated in his pocket.

I watched him walk away. He did not go toward the restroom. He walked toward the service elevators.

I glanced toward the bar. Luvena was gone.

They could not stop themselves. Even on the most important night of his life, while his grandfather watched, they still needed their secret moment.

They probably believed they were untouchable.

Perfect.

I did not hesitate.

I did not say goodbye to anyone.

I simply turned and walked toward the main exit. I crossed the lobby, passed the guards, and stepped into the cool night where a black car waited.

“To the skyport,” I told the driver. “Please hurry.”

Later I stood at the boarding gate with my ticket in my hand.

My communicator suddenly vibrated. I looked down.

Jareth.

He must have returned to the ballroom and searched for his perfect Luna to stand beside him for the final toast.

But I was gone.

I let the communicator ring. Then it stopped. Then it rang again.

Messages quickly followed.

Jareth: [Shara, where are you?]

Jareth: [People are asking about you. Grandpa wants to see you.]

Jareth: [Stop joking. This is not funny. Come back to the ballroom.]

Jareth: [Shara, answer me.]

I could almost feel his panic.

Instead of answering, I typed a single message.

To: Jareth

[I am tired, so I went home early. Please come back, too. Your anniversary gift is waiting in our room. Happy Mating Anniversary, Jareth.]

I sent the message. Then I blocked his number.

I placed the communicator inside my bag, picked up my luggage, and walked down the boarding bridge.

I never looked back.