They betrayed me.

While I was doing everything I could to find my kidnapped sister, and while I searched tirelessly for the tonic that would restore my husband’s strength, they betrayed me—stabbing me in the back while I fought for them. They sank their teeth into my trust and feasted on my foolishness.

"I love you, Daniel," I heard my sister whisper.

The sound of their lips clashing in a hungry battle for dominance filled the room. Clothes lay discarded on the floor, and the dim glow from the lamp spoke of intimacy—not salvation. They weren’t in need of rescue but were lost in the ecstasy of their betrayal, mocking my love and my sacrifices.

“She’s pregnant, Daniel. What if she finds out I’m not really kidnapped and only hiding here in Mommy's secret hideout? She’d go mad."

I clenched my teeth, eyes squeezed shut, as my world cracked beneath my feet. For a month, I had searched for my adopted sister, Karina, believing I had to be the strong one now that our parents were dead. My husband had returned from war two weeks later, weakened after slaughtering a rival pack to protect his rule over the city of Versales.

I did everything I could—while carrying his babies—to save them both. And this is how they repay me?

“Don’t worry about that. Once she loses the baby, I’ll use it as my excuse to leave her,” Daniel said, his voice dripping with greed and cruelty.

None of them knows I am carrying twins.

How could Karina, the sister I would have died for, become this deceitful, bloodthirsty leech? How could Izaac, the man I loved with every fiber of my soul, so desperately crave freedom from me?

“You know I’m pregnant too,” Karina whispered. “It’s your brother’s. What are we going to do, Daniel? I can’t kill him like you’re planning to kill Karylle.”

I staggered back from the door, my breath caught in my throat. I almost screamed when I saw someone standing in the shadows, dark and brooding, eyes flickering gold as sharp fangs glinted in the dim light.

I raised my trembling hands. “Devon…”

He didn’t move. His heavy footsteps made no sound as he drew closer.

“Devon, don’t do this,” I hissed. "We can't retaliate now!”

I reached for him to stop him, but my weakened body betrayed me. He was a towering force, unyielding, unhearing.

He moved toward the room where his brother—my husband—lay with my sister. Devon had heard everything!

I had to stop him. They couldn’t fight here. Both were powerful. Devon had relinquished his title of Alpha to my husband, but that did not make him weak. If they clashed, the entire pack would crumble, and there’d be no chance to make them suffer hard.

“Devon…” I hurled.

A low, savage growl rumbled from his chest.

If they died here tonight, it would be too merciful. They didn’t deserve a swift death. They deserved to suffer.

“I will kill them,” Devon seethed.

I pity him too. He had been ready to marry Karina, build a future, and protect her after saving her from the enemies who murdered our parents. He had fought beside me to find her after she was supposedly kidnapped. Now, after discovering her lies, his fury was justified.

Devon was loyal to a fault—but a ruthless enemy.

He took a step closer. My mind raced. We couldn’t let it end this easily.

I lunged for him again, panicking, but before I could speak, we heard Karina.

“We have to kill her before she finds out the truth about what really happened to our parents. If Karylle doesn’t die, we’re both dead.”

Does that mean she knows the reason behind their death?

I felt my soul tear apart. Every bond that had tied me to Karina—shattered.

Devon shifted into his wolf form, muscles rippling with the promise of slaughter. Desperate, I forced my body between him and the door.

"Move—"

He didn’t finish. I had no choice. I would burn my world to the ground before letting them escape the agony they deserved.

I summoned all my wolf strength, gripped him, and dragged him outside. Behind us, the sound of Daniel’s furious roar shook the walls of the secret house, a clear sign he had discovered our presence.

I didn’t stop running until we were deep in the forest, far enough that my legs trembled with exhaustion. My breath came in ragged gasps as I finally released Devon.

Finally, I released him. He shifted back, human again, his breathing ragged.

Then I heard the pounding footsteps.

Daniel.

If he realized their affair had been exposed, he’d twist the truth. His power over the pack would remain unbroken. He had to believe something else for the plan to work in my favor.

There was no other way.

I shoved Devon to the ground, my hands trembling but resolute. I straddled him, my heart hammering as I crushed my lips to his.

Now, we were the ones betraying.

The moment Daniel reached us, his eyes burned with rage.

And that’s when everything became even more gruesome.

Because despite everything—their betrayal, their lies—my husband and my sister had the audacity to growl what I had in mind earlier:

“You’re cheating on us?!”

"Come here! I’m going to kill you for your betrayal, Karylle!" he snarled.

He dragged me with force, and with his strength, it didn’t take long before we reached the edge of the forest.

Maybe it was the shock of their audacity, the weight of what I had done to Devon, and the searing pain of their betrayal. All the strength I had seemed to vanish.

"You’re damn well going to pay for what you did!"

His fist collided with me, and the impact left me stunned. Was he really going to hurt me? After everything they did, after all the schemes they plotted against me, he had the nerve to strike me?

"You’re the one who’s cheating," I thought bitterly, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it aloud.

I dropped to my knees, knowing I still had to pretend I was ignorant of everything. I had to stay with him until I gave birth, and so did Karina. I would take her child and set Devon against Daniel. Their hatred would destroy them, and Karina would come to despise him just as much.

"P-please… don’t do this. I’m sorry. Lock me up, strip me of my freedom, but don’t hurt me or our child," I pleaded.

Hold on, Karylle. Just one more month of suffering, and it will lead you to lifelong satisfaction because I’ll leave with my twins and Karina’s son. They won’t have a chance but to marry when I’m gone, while Karina is in despair because I’ll make her believe Daniel killed her baby.

She’ll regret ever attracting Daniel. They’ll both regret it for the rest of their lives.

“P-please…”

He huffed, grabbed my hair, and yanked me to my feet. Pain flared in my scalp, but I stayed silent. I wanted to hear what he had to say.

"You’ll be my whore in this house, and that’s all you’ll ever be. You’re not leaving. You’re grounded for life. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes. I’ll do it. Just don’t hurt our baby," I whispered.

His gaze dropped to my stomach, and a grin spread across his face. Anger and doubt gleamed in his eyes.

"My baby… or my brother’s?"

My lips trembled with rage. He was the one who strayed. He was the unfaithful one, not me. And yet he dared to question my child’s paternity. These daughters will strip all your wealth once we’re back, Daniel. My wealth that you inherited because of marriage.

"Y-yours…"

He must have wanted me or the babies dead, because without hesitation, he threw me against a tree. The force of the impact ripped a groan from my lips, and my wolf stirred, desperate to break free.

"Daniel!" my sister’s voice called out.

She reached me first, delivering two sharp slaps to my face before running to him.

"Don’t leave me!" she cried. "I hate that slut!" She pointed at me. "She covets my fiancé and I hate your brother!"

The absurdity of their performance nearly made me laugh. How could they act as if they weren’t lovers? As if I hadn’t caught them kissing—or worse? Now they were playing the victims. What’s next? Would they claim their affair was born from spite?

It was entirely possible.

Later, I descended the stairs, my teeth grinding as I watched them enter the house hand in hand. The servants whispered in alarm, but I kept walking, my fists clenched at my sides.

Daniel turned to face me.

"Karina is moving in. She’ll live here with me. Get your things and move into another room," he ordered coldly.

I locked eyes with my sister, who had her head bowed but was grinning triumphantly.

"You’re going to sleep with her?"

"Yes!" he shouted. "I’ll share my bed with her, have sex with her—because you cheated on me! You deserve this punishment!"

Blinded by rage, I charged toward them, ready to strike, but they moved quickly, disappearing into the room downstairs. I pounded on the door, pouring all my wolf strength into the blows. I was ready to tear it down when it suddenly opened.

My eyes widened at the sight before me.

Daniel wasted no time. He returned to the bed, climbing on top of Karina.

"You want to disturb us?" he sneered as he positioned himself over her.

My heart shattered, even though I knew the truth about their affair.

They both smirked as they turned to me, moaning louder for effect.

"Be our audience, Karylle," my sister mocked, pulling him closer.

"Watch us. Don’t blink. This is your punishment for cheating on us," Daniel growled.

I turned away, but something hot struck my leg, and I collapsed.

Wolfbane.

It wasn’t potent enough to kill me, but it drained my strength.

"Leave now, and your baby will die," Daniel warned.

I had no choice but to endure their nightly torture. Everything would be worth it once I leave this place and start my revenge.

He abandoned me for her.

As I lay on the brink of childbirth, I overheard his final command to the midwife.

"Kill her once the baby is born. I’m offering her child to our rival pack as a gift."

What?!

I can’t die yet. I can’t close my eyes and sleep knowing that my babies will be delivered into the hands of someone else. They might kill them or turn them into slaves for another pack. A gift.

"Push..." the midwife urged, her eyes signaling something to the man behind me.

I gripped the bed and let out a low groan, my body aching.

"If you do anything to harm me or my child, you will all die. I’ve already arranged for someone to kill your family once we can’t leave this place alive," I threatened.

The midwife and the man froze at my words. I cried out in pain, but I used every ounce of my strength to push my babies into the world.

“Twins…” she muttered.

"Ahhh!" I shouted in agony with the final push.

I gasped for air as I heard the first cries of my child. The midwife held him up, handing him to me, clearly shaken by my earlier threat.

She was about to leave, but I stopped her.

"I need you to do something for me. Once you’re done, I’ll give you enough gold to feed your family," I said, despite the pain. "Someone will assist you. If you don’t cooperate, both you and your families will die."

They had no choice but to agree. I explained my plan. I had arranged to purchase two babies from the black market—one dead, one alive. I knew Karina; she was easily fooled when there was someone else by her side.

The dead baby would be presented to her after I had ordered the milk to be laced with wolfsbane—just enough for her to believe the baby had died of natural causes. The important thing was that Daniel had prepared it, so Karina would blame him for her loss.

The live one would serve as the gift to the pact, just as Daniel wanted.

I instructed one of my loyal servants, a trusted friend, to take my babies and hide them. I placed the bought child beside me. I allowed myself a moment of rest before swallowing a fake poison, one that would stop my breath for thirty minutes.

"Lady Karylle, it’s time to return to your house," Greg, my loyal servant, whispered, waking me up.

I was still weak, and part of me wanted to escape, to leave it all behind. But I had to see how this would unfold—how Devon and Daniel would fight, how my sister would come to loathe my husband for stealing her.

"Y-you killed my child?" I heard Karina ask, holding the dead baby in her arms.

My husband was stunned. He didn’t expect this.

"I didn’t," his voice shaking.

Karina grabbed the glass of milk he had given her to drink before she gave birth.

"There’s wolfsbane in this! It killed my baby! You killed my baby! Why?!" she cried, devastated by the loss.

Just then, Devon arrived, his growls echoing as he searched for his child. He stopped in his wolf form, sniffing the air before turning his attention to Karina, who was kneeling and holding the dead baby.

"My baby…" she sobbed.

I was hidden behind a window outside, watching.

"Who killed my child?!" Devon roared.

Karina, stunned and furious, pointed at my husband in grief.

"H-he killed him!" she shouted.

Devon lunged at Daniel, and my husband had no choice but to shift into his wolf form to defend himself. But he was no match for Devon. They were both strong, but Devon had experience in prolonged pain, a masochist by nature who had changed for Karina. He was used to hurting himself just to feel alive.

I watched as my sister, now out of control, left with the lifeless child in her arms. I glanced at the carriage where the three live babies waited.

Devon was on the verge of killing my husband when a few of his men and some council members arrived to stop him.

"Give me that bastard! I’ll kill him! He killed my child with Karina! He fucking covets my fiancée!" Devon seethed.

They ignored him and focused on Daniel, who was now the alpha of the pack and needed to be kept alive. They left Devon alone, and all he wanted was to find Karina.

That was when I appeared.

"He’s not dead," I told him.

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face me. Slowly, he shifted back into his human form, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

I smiled bitterly, knowing how this all seemed.

"Your child is with me. Alive."

I approached him eagerly.

"Help me with my revenge. Let’s plan wisely. We’ll raise our children and return here when they are old enough to claim what’s rightfully theirs."

"For what?" he spat.

I smiled at him.

"He can’t have a successor for all the wealth but my daughters. No one is allowed to be alpha except your son. He can't produce another child. You know that. Let’s return here and take our revenge when the time is right."

His brow furrowed, but after a moment, he pulled me closer. His teeth gritting.

"Then fake a name. Marry me, Karylle. In that way, I’ll show Daniel that I’m taking what’s his, just as he took what’s mine."