Chapter 1

The day of my twenty-fifth birthday should’ve been sacred, my first celebration since becoming Alpha Damien's Luna. I had spent five years as Luna by name, raising a boy that wasn’t mine and sleeping beside a man who still whispered my sister’s name in his sleep.

Five-year-old Nathan handed me a cup of ice cream through a girl I barely recognized. I didn’t think much of it. Just a gesture. He watched me from a distance, his expression unreadable. I took a bite, it was cold and comforting.

By the third spoonful, the pain hit sharp, curling in my gut like a blade. My body stiffened and my knees buckled. I clutched at a bench nearby, gasping for air.

Despite my cries, Nathan just stared—emotionless, like his father. No concern, no fear in his eyes. Just a smile of satisfaction.

I begged him to call the doctor but he didn’t move.

"All you want is to replace my mother," he spat. "Don’t think the pack will respect you just because you wear her title."

Then, his tone turned colder. "When I become Alpha, I’ll kick you out of this pack."

My stomach clenched—not just from the poison, but from the words. I tried to reach the doorknob. My body was too weak.

“It—it was you who poisoned the juices. You packed cockroaches in the gifts last year,” I gasped.

Nathan smirked. “You’re just figuring it out? No one wants you here.”

I listened, my heart tearing apart. I’d raised him, loved him and sacrificed for him.

Perhaps it was time to let go. It's clear that I'm not wanted here.

But after I left, they came crawling back—Damien, Nathan, even the pack members.

********

"Luna Alice, are you sure you want to step down as Luna?" Beta Zane asked gently as we sat in the pack’s garden. "Nathan is still young. He needs you."

I met his gaze, my voice calm, “You pleaded with me once. I only accepted this because I owed my sister my life. He’s grown up now. Nathan doesn’t need me.”

I had promised to step down when Nathan turned five. Throughout the five years, I played the perfect Luna—tending to the pack, caring for Nathan, serving Damien. But it would end on the next full moon.

When I walked into the pack house, I didn’t realize my clothes had caught fire. How it happened, I have no idea.

The servants walked past, laughing under their breath. No one warned me. I only noticed the burning when the heat licked my skin. I screamed for water yet none came. I beat at the flames myself, finally putting them out—but not before my leg burned.

Nathan approached me, his arms crossed and his eyes full of disdain.

“Told Beta Zane about me again? Guess that lesson wasn’t enough. I should’ve added more fuel so you’d know what my mother felt.”

I was stunned by his words and the memories of an hour ago came flooding back.

Earlier, I had visited the orphanage for my birthday.

I never celebrated them with cakes or fancy stuff. It wasn’t my kind of celebration. I chose to carry on my sister's legacy like she does and that always enraged Nathan.

I brought over fifty gifts, carefully packed. I forgot my jade necklace, so I ran back to retrieve it. When I returned, the carriage was already loaded.

At Lovely Pup Orphaned Home, the attendants were wary, as always. But Sister Miriam smiled. “The children are grateful, Luna Alice.”

I smiled back at her, feeling relieved that what happened last year didn't stop them from accepting the gifts and singing me a birthday song.

Just as I was about to leave, I heard loud screams and cries from inside.

The children were vomiting and clutching their stomachs as they were being rushed to the hospital.

“That witch,” I heard someone hiss. “Last year it was cockroaches. Now poison?”

At the hospital, the doctor confirmed the drinks had been drugged. Fortunately, the children were stable now.

Damien arrived with Nathan by his side.

“It’s good you're here,” I said, relief washing through me. “The children are safe.”

Damien didn’t smile. “What have you done, Alice?” he growled.

I looked around. Eyes were watching us from every corner of the hospital. We had agreed to maintain the image of a perfect Alpha and Luna in public and continue our indifference behind closed doors. Damien was supposed to play along, smile even if it was forced.

“What do you mean, Damien?” I tried to smile. “The kids getting drugged wasn’t my fault. I didn’t mean to harm anyone.”

Damien looked ready to snap again, but got interrupted by the doctor's call.

While I waited for him to return, a young girl approached me with a cup of ice cream.

“Luna, this is for you,” she said. “Someone asked me to give it to you.”

I smiled at her and took it without question.

The sweetness numbed me and the cold calmed me. But pain followed, my tummy twisting.

That’s when I saw him.

Nathan. Watching from a distance and Just smiling.

I should’ve known better, he was behind the poison in the juices.

Chapter 2

I stumbled toward the bathroom and vomited. For nearly an hour, I was on the floor, curled in agony, rolling from side to side.

“Do you really think you can replace her?” Nathan’s voice came through the door, too calm for what he’d just done. “Sending gifts like she used to. Smiling like she did. They’ll never love you. It should have been you who burnt in the fire that day. I swear when I become Alpha, the first thing I’ll do is kick you out of this pack.”

Every word sank into me like venom, twisting my stomach tighter than any poison.

“I’m going to make sure they all hate you. Because you’ll never be my mother. Never.”

I clawed at the tiles, gasping, whispering his name, begging him to call for help.

“It’s better if you rot in there. At least I won’t have to pretend to love you anymore. You’re pathetic,” he spat, and then I heard his footsteps retreat.

A cleaner had found me and the doctor was called and quickly prescribed something before I lost myself.

*********

The fire in my skin wasn’t just from the burns—it was everything I’d held in for five years.

I walked to the store inside the pack compound to treat my wound, and Nathan followed me in. He was angry that I didn’t react.

I didn’t yell, I didn’t cry—I just walked in. And Nathan was not satisfied.

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have a broken family. You’re petty and ugly, that’s why my father will never accept someone like you. You should just leave. Your presence makes me sick.”

I looked at the child I gave all my love, time, and energy to—and felt my heart sink. “You don’t have to worry,” I said calmly. “I’ll be leaving tomorrow.”

I walked to the shelf to take the first aid kit and began to tend to my burnt skin when I heard the shattering of glass.

I ran to my room to find Nathan striking my jade necklace repeatedly with a stone.

“Nathan, stop!” I screamed, my voice cracking.

But he didn’t stop. He raised the stone again and smashed it down with all his strength.

I hadn’t cried when the pack laughed at me. I never cried when Nathan publicly humiliated me with the fire. I never cried when Damien treated me like a stand-in for my sister, using me to uplift the pack. But now, staring at the broken necklace my mother left me—I broke.

That necklace was the last thing I had from someone who truly loved me and cared about me.

Nathan stood watching me, then he smirked. “Hurts, doesn’t it? To watch what you love destroyed? You should’ve refused my mother when she chose to save you and burnt instead.”

That’s when I lost it. I looked at him—my voice hollow. “Pick the pieces up and put them back together. Now.”

Nathan stood up defiantly and kicked the shattered bits across the floor.

“How dare you?” I grabbed him by the arm and dragged him forward. “Pick the pieces up. Now.”

Shock flashed in his face—probably because he had never seen me in such a state. I had tolerated so much. But this—I couldn’t take it.

Damien rushed in and shoved me hard, sending me back to the ground. “Why are you yelling at him?” Damien glared at me. “All this over a pendant? He’s just a kid, Alice.”

I sat on the floor, stunned, staring at the man I gave my heart to despite knowing he didn’t deserve it. To him, it was just a piece of jewelry. But to me, it was a treasure—something nothing could ever replace.

Fifteen years ago, we were attacked by rogues. My mother fought against them, knowing she couldn’t win—just so I could escape. I lost her that day.

I ran to meet my sister, and that was how I ended up here.

Damien must’ve realized he’d gone too far. He asked Nathan to leave the room and came over, lifted me from the floor, and laid me on the bed.

His voice softened, as if flipping a switch. “You shouldn’t let little things like this get to you. Nathan’s just a kid. You are more mature than this.” He said, gently brushing away my tears. “You made him terrified. You should apologize to Nathan.”

He trailed his finger along my face. “Since it’s your birthday, I forgive you for the incident at the orphanage. But you need to get dressed. We’re attending a function. I can’t go without my mate and you know I can't loose this prize.”

I inhaled sharply and pushed his hand away.

I looked up at him. The ache in my chest had settled into something still and final.

“Damien, I’m leaving the pack."

Chapter 3

Damien’s jaw tightened as he glared at me, his patience fraying. “Why are you really leaving, Alice?” His voice was steady, but the anger was clear. “Is it because of Nathan? He’s just a child.”

I felt my hands tighten at my sides, my fingers trembling slightly as I held myself back from shouting. The words weren’t enough. They never were.

Damien’s expression shifted, anger flaring as he took a step forward. “So you’re willing to throw everything away? For a child’s tantrum?”

He exhaled sharply, the breath rattling with frustration. “You’ll lose your title. You’ll lose everything. Is that what you want?” His voice dropped to a low growl. “Look, I don't have time for this. I still need to find someone suitable to attend the function with me tonight.”

Damien spun on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door with a force that rattled the walls.

I didn’t bother watching him leave. I didn’t have the energy for another argument.

I sat back down on the bed, staring at the shattered pieces of my jade necklace. It lay in front of me, broken in the way my life had been for years. I tried to glue it back together, my hands shaking as I fumbled with the tiny fragments. The glue stuck to my fingers, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make it whole again. The pieces wouldn’t fit.

********

I was leaving today, but before that, having my sister's memorial ceremony.

She died today, five years ago. I wasn’t sure what hurt more: the fact that she was gone, or that I was still here, a ghost of the life she’d left behind.

The table was set with fresh flowers, a single candle burning low. I stood at the memorial, staring at the picture of her — a woman I had once looked up to, someone who had been taken from all of us too soon. The day was meant to be a reminder of her sacrifice, the legacy she left behind.

Beta Zane entered quietly, standing beside me.

“Have you really made your decision? About leaving?” he asked, his voice gentle.

“Yes,” I said softly. “I’ve made up my mind. There’s nothing here for me anymore.”

Beta Zane gave me a long, thoughtful look. “You’ve done a lot for this pack, Luna Alice. A lot more than anyone gives you credit for.” He hesitated. “Do you really want to leave them all behind? We can give Nathan a little time. As he grows up, he will learn.”

Nathan will only grow to hate me more. I have given everything I had to keep the pack running and stand out among other packs. I raised Nathan into the golden pup everyone admired. I even took on Alpha Damien’s emotional mess, trying to make life easier for him.

But no matter what I did, it never earned me a bit of their love.

To Damien, I was nothing more than a brain box and a workaholic to carry out every task concerning the pack and at the same time satisfy him every night. The rest of the time, I might as well have been invisible.

As for Nathan, he hated me. Because of a few words from outsiders gossiping about me, he hated me with every fiber of his being. Every time he looked at me, it was like he was willing me to die.

How could that situation ever be called a family?

Beta Zane eventually gave up trying to talk me out of leaving. Instead, he agreed to inform the elders because I wasn't sure I could face them all.

********

Later that day, I went to the store to get new candles because the one on her memorial plaque had burnt completely.

I was just about to turn when I heard his voice.

“You’re still here.” Nathan’s tone was sharp, filled with contempt.

I turned to face him, my heart tightening at the sight of the boy I had once loved as my own. “I’m just looking for something,” I said quietly, not bothering to hide the tiredness in my voice.

Nathan stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. “You should have died that day. She should still be here. It should have been your memorial, not hers.”

The words hit like a slap to the face. My breath caught in my throat, but I didn’t say anything. There was no point. Not anymore.

I turned back to the shelf, pretending not to hear him.

But Nathan didn’t stop. “You ruined everything. She was my mother, and you took her place. You’re nothing but a stand-in, a replacement. You’ll never be her.”

His words stung, each one landing harder than the last. I clenched my jaw, willing myself not to react, not to show him how much it hurt. The candle fell, and I bent down to pick it up.

As I did, I heard the click of a lighter. My stomach twisted as I turned, seeing Nathan standing in front of the door, the flame flickering to life in his hand.

He held up a bottle — half-full, the scent of gasoline unmistakable. My breath caught.

“Nathan,” I whispered, slowly standing. “What are you doing?”

His eyes glinted, wild with pain and fury. “She’s gone because of you. And you’re still here, pretending this is your home.”

He tilted the bottle slightly, letting a line of fuel splash across the wooden floor, trailing it between us.

My heart pounded, dread knotting in my chest. “Nathan, stop this. You don’t want to do this.”

But his hand tightened around the lighter, the small flame casting eerie shadows across his face.

He dropped the lighter and the fire caught instantly, a wave of heat and smoke rising as the flames leapt up between us.