When I finally looked up, an Omega was hurrying over. “What happened, Luna?” she asked, noticing the broken glass and spilled water.

Before I could say anything, Hugh’s face appeared and he wasn’t happy. “What’s going on here, Lacey? Are you out of your mind?” he said, hands on his hips.

I shot him a look and stormed off to my room. “You’re a mad woman!” I heard him yell after me.

I collapsed onto my bed, buried my face in the pillow and let the tears come. All I could think about was my sweet, smart baby who I couldn’t save. I wished I could’ve taken away his pain, but there was only so much I could do.

I exhausted myself by crying my heart out and I finally fell asleep. A knock on the door woke me up. “Luna Lacey, it’s lunchtime. You skipped breakfast. Please eat this,” I heard the Omega say, but I couldn’t bring myself to move.

“Please, Luna. Alpha will be upset if you don’t eat and get sick,” she pleaded.

Not wanting to cause more trouble, I dragged myself to the door and opened it. On the tray was a plate of steak and a glass of water. She set them down and left. I asked if Hugh was still around and she said he had gone out shortly after I shut myself in, only coming back to grab a few things.

I nodded and she left. I barely touched the food and went back to bed. For the next few days, all I did was cry, sleep, eat a little and go to the bathroom. I didn’t bother with washing up or taking care of myself.

I felt like there was no point in living anymore. Just as I was sinking deeper into that despair, someone knocked on the door again. “I already ate, leave me alone!” I shouted, my voice cracking. I was so tired that I might’ve just starved myself if I could.

“Lacey, it’s me, Wanda.”

I hesitated for a moment before finally opening the door. Wanda rushed in and enveloped me in a tight hug, her own tears soaking into my shoulder. We’d been best friends since we were kids and even though she was a Beta and I was an Alpha, our friendship had always been strong. We’d been there for each other through everything.

I cried too, but this time it was a mix of sadness and a bit of relief. It felt good to know that someone still truly cared about me. “Lacey, I’m so sorry, I just heard about Drew,” Wanda said, her voice trembling as she rubbed my back.

After we both calmed down, we started talking. Wanda explained that she hadn’t been able to reach me on the phone for days. When she tried to visit, the Omegas told her I was too sick to see anyone. Wanda sensed something was wrong and kept pushing for answers. They were too scared to tell her anything—I'd made it clear not to mention Drew’s death to anyone, including Hugh.

Eventually, Wanda ran into Rafael. He was the one who helped with the ceremony and had been staying here to keep an eye on me while Hugh was off doing his thing. Wanda and Rafael had a past together, so Rafael finally filled her in on what happened, but made her promise not to tell anyone else.

Listening to my story again, Wanda’s eyes filled with tears. She cursed Hugh and Kathleen under her breath. “Don’t worry, we’ll make them pay. I’m going to help you, I swear.”

She told me to hang in there and promised she’d come up with a plan for me. We ended up talking for over an hour—time really flew by with her here, compared to when I was alone. She even brought some of our favorite snacks: donuts and chocolates.

Seeing that I was starting to feel a bit better, Wanda insisted I take a shower. “Lacey, you smell awful! I’m sure Drew wouldn’t want his mom to stink,” she teased. Her playful jabs made me laugh for the first time in days. I threw a pillow at her and headed to the bathroom. A fresh shower was exactly what I needed.

As the water washed over me, it felt like I was shedding my sadness and heartache. With each drop, I felt a new sense of determination. Drew might be gone, but I was going to make Hugh and Kathleen pay for what they’d done.

When I emerged, I felt like a new person. “Finally, you don’t look like a wreck!” Wanda said with a grin. Despite her bluntness, Wanda had always been kind and had a way of making me laugh. After I changed into clean clothes, we went downstairs. The maids had prepared a feast and they seemed relieved to see me eating again. I dug into everything—chicken drumsticks, pastas and various meats. Wanda laughed and said, “Slow down, Lacey! You’ll choke yourself!”

About ten minutes later, our plates were cleared and our stomachs were full. I walked Wanda to the gate, feeling a lot better. “Thanks for everything, Wanda. I’d still be in bed if it weren’t for you.”

“No need to thank me. I’d do the same for you, just like you did for me last year,” she replied, smiling. Wanda had lost a baby last year and I stayed with her to help her through that tough time.

“I’ll come back tomorrow,” she promised. As we hugged goodbye, a car suddenly pulled up in front of us.

“This bastard—” Wanda began, her tone shifting.

I squeezed Wanda’s hand and gave her a look that said we needed to stay calm. She nodded, keeping her anger in check.

Hugh rolled down the car window and said, “What’s going on here? I hope you’re not up to anything sneaky.”

I tightened my grip on my fists and jaw. “None of your business.” That’s when I noticed Kathleen sitting in the backseat. My patience was wearing thin.

“Hey, Lacey,” Kathleen said with a saccharine sweetness that made my skin crawl. “Frankie’s been crying all day. He’s sick and wants a robot toy. Hugh mentioned Drew had one, so I thought I could borrow it.”

“No way. You’re not touching Drew’s stuff!” I snapped, not backing down.

“Lacey, don’t be so dramatic. It’s just a toy. Drew would love to share,” Hugh said, rolling his eyes.

“Shut up! You don’t get to decide that!” I shot back.

Kathleen then tried to play the sympathy card. “Lacey, I get it, you’re not thrilled about Hugh and me, but Frankie is really sick.” I had to hold myself back from losing it.

Hugh sighed and said, “Alright, I knew you’d be unreasonable. We’ll just get a new one, Kath, don’t worry.”

“But… it’s a limited edition and it’s pretty expensive,” Kathleen said, batting her eyes.

“I’ll handle it,” Hugh said, looking at her with that annoying reassured smile.

Seeing them so cozy together felt like a knife to the heart, so I snapped, “Hugh, who’s really your son here—Frankie or Drew? It’s getting confusing.”

“Lacey, stop making a scene. I’m not dealing with this right now,” Hugh said, rolling up the window. The car pulled away and I yelled after it, “You’ll regret this, Hugh! I swear you will!”

Wanda stayed close, soothing me as I shouted until my voice was almost gone. Eventually, some Omegas who’d heard the noise helped me back to my room.

The next morning, I felt a bit better. I had cried all I could and now it was time to take action. I picked out my best dress, did my hair and put on makeup. Today, I was determined to find the best lawyer to discuss divorce and figure out how to come out on top.

It was tough to think about splitting up, especially since werewolves are supposed to have only one true mate for life. What if the Moon Goddess cursed me? But honestly, Hugh and I never had that deep mate bond—it was more about infatuation and duty from the start.

I first met Hugh when we were pups. He was found alone in the forest near our pack house, looking lost and battered. His pack had been attacked and most of his family was killed. His parents told him to run while they stayed behind to fight. Exhausted, Hugh collapsed under a tree and Kathleen and I found him.

I ran back to the house, gasping for breath and begged my dad, the old Alpha, to help him.

After some pack members checked on Hugh, they brought him to the infirmary. At first, he was on high alert, refusing to let anyone near and even trying to lash out. But when my dad stepped in, Hugh recognized him as the Alpha of the allied pack.

Hugh opened up about everything and my dad quickly got some of our strongest members together to check out Hugh’s pack, hoping to rescue anyone who might have survived. At the same time, he stationed another group at our base to keep us safe.

A few days later, my dad returned with grim news. There were no survivors and everything was reduced to ashes. It was a brutal ambush and my dad had to work with other Alphas to track down the culprits.

Physically, Hugh recovered quickly, but mentally, he was a mess. The shock of losing his entire pack in a single night was overwhelming.

While my dad was busy coordinating with other Alphas, I spent a lot of time with Hugh, trying to help him recover. My mom and I took turns caring for him. I felt deeply for him and wanted to support him as much as I could. But I later realized that my constant presence was actually overwhelming him. Hugh had always been a lone wolf and despite my good intentions, my attempts to include him in our pack’s activities only made things worse.

Over time, Hugh really started to shine. He got faster, stronger and smarter—where most werewolves took 10 seconds to sprint around the field, Hugh nailed it in 5. His stamina was incredible; he could keep going for days, like when he escaped that ambush. And he was sharp too, always coming up with solid strategies in our battle simulations.

After months of planning and negotiating, my dad finally got support from six nearby packs to go after the Boldtail Pack, which were responsible for the attack. Hugh was determined to join in, even though my dad was worried about his age. But Hugh was adamant.

One dark night, with only the moon lighting their way, they set off for battle. I was scared to death and didn’t want to see anyone get hurt, but I knew Hugh had to fight for his pack.

I ran up to the highest hill, watching them leave and I prayed to the Moon Goddess. “Moon Goddess, please protect my pack and everyone going into battle, especially my dad and Hugh. I’d give anything for their safety,” I prayed, my eyes squeezed shut. I kept praying until I felt like I’d done enough. Then, the moon started to shine brighter, so bright I had to close my eyes again.

Is that a sign from the Moon Goddess, or am I just seeing things?

It felt like my prayers were answered because, a week later, everyone came back, victorious and in high spirits. There were some injured soldiers, but everyone was alive. To celebrate, we threw a huge feast in the great hall. There was so much meat and delicious wine that it felt like the entire pack was enjoying the party for days. Everyone who had fought in the battle was hailed as a hero, including Hugh.

“Hear, hear!” My dad suddenly called out and the room fell silent. “In honor of our victory, all the warriors will be rewarded…”

“Auugh!!” The crowd erupted with happy howls before he could finish.

“And… for his bravery and resilience, I’m naming Hugh David, our newest pack member, as the new Alpha. He’ll be working with me to lead the pack for a few years before I officially hand over the position to him,” he added.

The room went quiet, especially among the male Gamma. Some looked displeased and others shot glares filled with hatred. Becoming Alpha is a big deal and many werewolves vie for that top spot. Normally, the Alpha was chosen from the family’s bloodline, but since my parents only had two daughters, there was always some tension about who would succeed. There were other strong candidates, but nobody expected a new member to come in and steal the spotlight.

Hugh remained expressionless. It was hard to tell if he was thrilled, nervous, or just indifferent. The looks and cheers from the pack didn’t seem to affect him much.

After that, my dad told everyone to keep the party going and the awkwardness faded as the crowd’s cheers and joy returned.

From that point on, Hugh slowly took over as the new Alpha. It wasn’t smooth sailing—he had to deal with a few challenges from other werewolves who wanted his spot. But he managed to fend them off and cement his position.

My parents treated him like family. Before my mom passed away, she asked Hugh to marry me, her eldest daughter. He agreed and I was over the moon, thinking he might like me too. I’d had a crush on him from the first day he showed up, which was why I always tried to be close to him. Sadly, he didn’t feel the same way. A few months after we got married, he told me he actually had feelings for my younger sister, Kathleen. But she was about to mate with another Alpha and move to his pack.

So that was how I ended up in this loveless marriage. I felt terrible for my son, Drew. He didn’t ask for any of this and I felt like I’d dragged him into a bad situation.

I shook off those old feelings as I walked into the consultant’s office. What’s past is past—I needed to focus on what’s next and plan for the future.

Talking to the consultant about everything—Drew’s death, Hugh’s affair with Kathleen and the neglect—made me feel a bit lighter, like a huge weight had been lifted. He gave me some advice and reassurance, saying that if I took this to court, I would probably win.

In our court system, divorce wasn’t common because marriage was considered sacred. But if one partner cheated and neglected their kids, it was almost guaranteed that the jury would grant the divorce and punish the guilty party.

I handed over a hefty fee for the consultant’s time. It was a lot for just an hour, but he was top-notch and I knew the payoff from winning the case would be worth it.

I glanced at my phone—it was still noon and I had the whole day ahead. To pass the time, I opened Instagram. Kathleen’s story popped up right away; she’d posted just 15 minutes ago. I sighed and clicked on it, seeing a gorgeous view from a hill. She’d captioned it, [So beautiful! Thanks for taking us for a picnic here, H.]

I felt a surge of anger. That jerk had broken his promise to Drew and was now taking Kathleen and her kid to the same spot. My wolf was itching to lash out, but I forced myself to stay calm. “Let me just tear him apart!” my wolf raged. “No, we need to be smart. Calm down and let me handle it,” I said, taking a deep breath.

I wondered how Hugh would react if he knew Drew was gone for good. I wanted to hit him where it hurt the most, so I needed to plan this out carefully.

I reached out to some Omegas and Betas to set up a big party. We would invite everyone in the pack and even the neighboring packs.

Then I called Hugh and he picked up right away. “I’m throwing a party for Drew and inviting a lot of people. I hope you can make it,” I said.

“Yeah, sure. Just let me know the date,” he replied.

“Don’t bail on me this time. I’m inviting other Alphas too, so your reputation’s on the line.”

Once I had his commitment, I moved on to the next task. “Rafael, can you collect some of Drew’s burial soil and put it in a jar? And make sure no one finds out where he’s buried,” I said in another call.

“Got it, Luna,” Rafael responded without asking questions, then hung up.