A million pins pricked my heart as I stared at the abominable sight before me. Alpha Alex, my mate and husband, cupped Linda's face in the most affectionate way as their bodies moved in practiced steps to the rhythm of the song that played in the background.

“Wendy, what's going on here?” I asked with a trembling breath. Wendy, my attending maid servant jerked, quickly turning her frail body to greet me. She genuflected, while tugging the hem of her dress nervously.

“My lady, you're back?” Wendy’s lips twitched. “We organised everything for the party like you instructed, but…”

I tilted my face, a questioning glare lingering and waiting for Wendy's statement. I already knew the answer, it was staring me right in the eyes. I had organised a surprise banquet to celebrate my four-year marriage anniversary with my husband, Alpha Alex, but somehow, I'd ended up being the surprised one.

“Luna, I deserve to be punished,” Wendy let out a shrill cry, throwing her body to the cold floor and prostrating at my feet.

“Stand up, Wendy, this has nothing to do with you,” I whispered as a drop of tears slipped from my face and dropped on Wendy's back.

Prior to this day, Alex had travelled to Warwick Pack for a meeting with the Lycan King, whilst promising to be back in time for our anniversary celebration. Excited, I had decided to add a little surprise to the celebration. I had invited every member of the pack to the palace, and organised a large banquet to celebrate our anniversary.

I had even gone the extra mile of training throughout the day— because according to my husband, he loves my scent when I'm all sweaty.

Everything was going according to the plan, until my husband, Alpha Alex, returned home with a red-haired woman by his side. The face was unmistakable and striking. It was Linda Woodspeck, Alex’s highschool sweetheart and ex-girlfriend.

Five years ago, Alex's parents had died during a rogue attack, and in a bid to start his own family, Alex had proposed to Linda, but she blatantly turned down Alex’s proposal, and instead, she married Alpha Sebastian as her mate. Alex had become a figure of ridicule among the pack members, but everything changed when I inhaled the sweet mate scent from Alex's wolf.

I had the female alpha blood in me and because I loved Alex so much, I united my pack with his, making him the Alpha of both my pack and his. Within a year of our marriage, I helped Alex regain his authority as the Alpha of the Vandi pack, and soon his fame spread across the seven packs in North Wales.

But suddenly, Linda resurfaced and everything changed. I was dressed in a flowing cream-colored silk gown, a diamond encrusted purse in my hand and a ruby stones necklace on my neck, but I felt bare, naked, as I watched my husband twirl Linda's body on the dancefloor. A proud smile etched onto Linda's face as she flipped her hair backwards and collapsed into Alex's arms.

The pack members spoke in hushed tones as I passed by, my heels clicking against the marble tiles, as I made a beeline for where Alex and Linda stood.

“Alex, what's going on here?” I gritted, raising my eyebrows.

Instantly, blood drained from Alex's face, and his towering figure froze in surprise.

“Hey, Camille,” Linda's sultry voice came. “It's been ages since I last saw you!”

“Hush,” I interrupted, raising my hands to stop her endless chatter. “I'm not talking to you Linda, as you can see, I'm talking to my husband.”

Linda's face suddenly crumpled into shock and I turned back to Alex's direction. “Alex, today's our four-year marriage anniversary. Why did you bring her?”

“Camille, don't be dramatic. I was the one who asked her to come. She's my guest and you should treat her as one,” Alpha Alex seethed, causing bile to rise to my throat.

I suddenly felt nauseous. “Are you defending her in front of me?” I blurted out.

A smirk curled up on Linda's face, but she was quick to put up an act. “Alex, I'm sorry if I'm causing a drift between you and Camille. I guess I'll just leave.”

“Yes, you should leave!” I barked in response, but Alex’s hands snaked around Linda's lower back in a possessive manner.

“Camille, you are a Luna and you should carry yourself with grace, instead of throwing tantrums. Linda heard about the anniversary celebration and decided to grace us with her presence. What's so wrong with it?” Alex fired back, jabbing his index finger at me.

“Grace us with her presence? What's so gracious about having your ex around?” I retorted.

Murmur rose among the pack members as the scene unfolded. Shame blanketed over my body and tears stung in my eyes, but I'd never give Linda the privilege of seeing me hurt.

“Instead of starting an unnecessary fight, I think you should go back to your chambers and shower up, you stink like filth, Camille,” Alex spat out, his words slashing through my chest.

My knees buckled and I staggered backwards as I watched Alex pull Linda closer to his arm and headed towards the banquet table where an array of exotic dishes sprawled on the table top. I had prepared all these glamour to celebrate with my husband, but in my stead was another woman.

I watched a wicked smile creep up Linda's face as Alex pulled out a seat for her at the side of the table. Everything suddenly faded to the background and a loud-pitched ringing went off in my ears. With wobbly legs, I ran out of the banquet hall, ignoring the pitiful stares I got from the pack members.

•••••

After I had cried to my heart's content, I groggily rose to my feet and walked to the bathroom. I soaked my tired body into the king-sized bathtub, letting the warm water wash off my tiredness. Tears stung in my eyes as I replayed the scene on loop. Is Alex under some kind of spell? For the past four years, Alpha Alex had been the sweetest man I've ever known. He'd doted on me like a baby, and had never spoken to me harshly— not even when he was angry. Why was he acting like a stranger all of a sudden?

A soft creak of the door jolted me out of my thoughts. Soft footfalls threaded on the wooden floor and I couldn't help but feel warmth glide over my skin. Alex is probably tiptoeing into the room, because he's remorseful for treating me badly.

I quickly rinsed my body and draped a white towel around my bare body, leaving a trail of wetness in my wake as I walked towards the door.

“Alex, I'm not in the mood for any apologies right now—” I rambled on but as soon as I opened the bathroom door, my words dried in my throat.

Standing beside the bed wasn't Alex, instead, Wendy, stood there with neatly folded sheets in her hands. A wave of embarrassment smacked me in the face and I paused in my tracks, water trickling down my body and pooling at my feet.

“My lady,” Wendy said, dropping the sheets on the bed. “Here's the fresh set of sheets you requested in the afternoon.”

I swallowed a lump and nodded. Wendy curtsied and briskly headed towards the door.

“Wendy,” I called out, causing her to halt and turn around. “Where's Alpha Alex?”

“The Alpha will be spending the night at the left chambers of the palace,” Wendy replied.

Horror painted my skin white as the words dawned on me. My husband wasn't coming back to our bed tonight, instead, he was spending the night with Linda.

The neatly folded sheets laid on the bed, as though mocking my miserable situation. I had requested that the sheets be soaked up with a lavender scent, because the sweet scent drove Alex crazy in bed. I wanted to please my husband in so many ways to mark our four-year anniversary, but every single thing I'd planned had somehow turned around to hurt and haunt me.

Fresh wave of pain hit me from behind and I flopped onto the bed, releasing a heart wrenching scream into the thick duvet. By the time I'd wrung my eyes from every drop of tears, my eyes were puffy and my nostrils flared. Anger surged over my body as I picked up my sleeping robe from the nightstand. I wasn't going to let Linda waltz in and steal everything that I've worked hard to build. Not my mate. Not my pack. Not my place as Luna of Vandi pack!

I began heading towards the left chambers of the palace, ignoring the stares I got from the maidservants and guards. Approaching the guest room at the end of the hallway, I saw two stoic-looking guards standing at the two sides of the door.

“Open the door, I want to see the Alpha,” I ordered, but the guards didn't flinch. They acted as if I wasn't even standing there. My eyes darted between the guards, before one of them bowed and spoke. “My lady, Alpha Alex had given strict orders not to let anyone into the chambers tonight. Kindly book an appointment if you want to meet the Alpha.”

A scoff escaped my lips followed by a raucous laughter. “Are you kidding me right now? I, the Luna of the Vandi pack, should book an appointment to meet my husband?”

The expression on the guard's faces still remained unreadable and that was when it sank in— they were just following the Alpha's order.

“As the Luna of your pack, I command you to open this door right now!” My voice shrill, cutting through the quiet night.

“I'm sorry, my lady,” the guard responded robotically. My eyes widened at the audacity. Alex is shutting me out to spend the night with Linda.

Fury burned in my bones and I lurched forward, my fist raised to slam against the door, but just as I was about to hit the door, a female animated voice ripped through the air.

“Ughhh. Yes Alex, harder!” Linda moaned pleasurably. Her moans were accompanied by lewd skin claps, and familiar grunts that poured from Alex’s lips.

My body trembled violently as I backed away from the door. A searing pain coursed through my chest as I felt my mate bond with Alex snap in bits. I didn't know which hurt more— the loud erotic sounds or the knowledge that my bond with Alex was slowly ebbing away.

Unable to take in the mind-numbing pain anymore, I turned on my heels and ran through the hallway and out of the palace gates. There was only one way to deal with the pain tonight, and that is by letting my wolf roam free. Tears cascaded my face as I ran deep into the woods.

As I ran, I started to feel the familiar, tingling sensation in my body. It was as if my cells were shifting, my muscles rearranging themselves. I felt my heart rate slow, my senses heighten, and my body begin to contort. My fingers lengthened, my nails sharpened, and my senses grew more acute.

I could smell the wet earth, the ozone in the air, and the scent of my own body as it transformed. I felt my face stretch, my jaw elongate, and my teeth sharpen. My limbs shortened, my torso elongated, and my skin itched as silvery fur burst forth from my pores, covering my entire body. I transformed into my wolf and began to run wild in the forest.

I let out a loud howl as I ran, but suddenly a sizzling pain zapped through my body, throwing my feet off the damp ground. By the time I landed on the ground, my wolf form had given way to my human form, and I came crashing with so much force that stole air from my lungs. Indescribable pain flushed through my entire body and my sight blurred out till darkness enveloped my consciousness.

•••••

I blinked twice as my consciousness seeped into my body again. The intoxicating smell of disinfectant that assaulted my nose, told me that I was in a hospital. I tried to move, but my entire body was as heavy as lead and I slumped back to the bed.

As if on cue, a doctor walked in, flagged with two nurses by his sides. “Good morning, my lady,” Dr. Froebel greeted.

“Good morning?” I winced at the sunlight pouring into the room. “What happened to me last night?”

“You were found unconscious at the Pack's border this morning,” Dr. Froebel explained. “You were surprisingly fine, except for a few broken ribs and minor cuts.”

“A broken rib?”

Dr. Froebel nodded and I couldn't help but feel a knot form in my stomach. As a trained warrior, I've suffered worse injuries than a broken rib, but it only takes a couple of minutes for my wolf, Coral, to heal the injuries. Why was this taking longer than usual?

“Why haven't my injuries healed?” I blurted out, unable to contain my curiosity.

Dr. Froebel adjusted nervously before clearing his throat to speak. “Well, Luna Camille, you were found in a very bad state, and it seems like your wolf has gone dormant.”

My eyes bulged and a gasp tore from my throat. No! There's no way my wolf is going dormant.

“Coral,” I mind-linked my wolf, but I was greeted with an eerie silence. Every attempt I made to link with my wolf turned futile and without knowing, a tear slipped down my face.

Hastily, I blinked the tears away and turned to Dr. Froebel. “What about Alpha Alex? Is the alpha aware of my condition?”

“Yes, my lady, the alpha was notified as soon as you were found and brought to the hospital.”

“And where is he?” I snapped impatiently, my eyes darting around the room.

“Uhmm… well… my lady, the alpha had other important things to attend to at the palace,” Dr. Froebel stammered. I could see a sheen of sweat coat his forehead as he nervously defended Alpha Alex.

“Right,” I snorted. My husband has totally ignored my existence, just because of Linda and the pain I felt was beyond that of betrayal and hurt.

Two days passed and I was finally discharged from the hospital. I begged Dr. Froebel to keep the information about my dormant wolf as a secret, which he agreed to.

A convoy of black sedans pulled up at the hospital and escorted me back to the palace. Getting into the palace’s great hall, I heard snickers, followed by loud giggling sounds and my stomach churned in anger.

My jaw hung low when I walked in and met Linda seated comfortably on my throne seat, her hands linked with Alex's as they discussed heartily.

“Alex!” I shouted, unable to contain the volcano of rage within me.

“Oh, Camille, you're back?” Alex said casually, ignoring my outburst. “Dr. Froebel told me that you sustained minor scratches. Do you feel better now?”

My face scrunched in disgust at Alex's audacity. “I stayed at the hospital for three days and you didn't care to come visit your wife? Are you really this heartless and shameless? Or has this whore bewitched your thinking that you no longer have a sense of your own!”

“Camille, don't you dare refer to Linda as a whore!” Alex fired back, standing up from the throne, and walking menacingly towards me. “Linda came down with a cold yesterday and I couldn't leave her. She's a guest and should be treated as such!”

“And I am a maid, huh?” I glared at Alex daringly. “And you scheming whore, don't you have an iota of shame? Leaving your husband and pack?”

“Camille, what have I done to you to deserve such harsh words,” Linda sniffed, faking an innocent look and blinking erratically till a drop of tears rolled down her face.

“Linda stop crying,” Alex turned, hugging Linda tightly— a mocking smile suddenly replacing her innocent mask.

“Just reject me, if you're going to be this shameless,” I muttered under my breath as a fresh wave of pain hit my core. Dabbing my reddened eyes, I turned and fled up the flight of stairs.

I was done with putting up with the hurt and betrayal. Alex is never going to love me again now that Linda is back in his life. I have lost everything. My mate. My wolf. My Luna position.

But there's one thing that I can't stand to lose— my pack.

Retrieving my phone from my pocket, I dialed my best friend's number. On the third ring, she picked the call, her familiar voice soothing my frayed nerves.

“Hey, Camille,” Kendra's voice squealed gleefully over the receiver. “It's been like ages since I heard from you, girl.”

“Kendra,” I began, skipping the pleasantries. “Can you set up an appointment with your brother for me? I want to meet with Alpha Kennedy.”

“What?!”

“Are you being serious right now?” Kendra exclaimed. I had to tilt the phone away from my ears to avoid my ear drums bursting open.

“Yes, I want to sever my mate's bond with Alex.” My resolve grew even stronger as I bared my broken heart to my best friend.

“Are you sure about this?” Kendra asked for the umpteenth time.

“Yes. Alpha Kennedy is the Lycan King and the only one powerful enough to save my pack from Alex's grip.”

“Alright, I'll talk to him about it and give you feedback.” Kendra replied and the line went dead.

I knew I was threading on a dangerous path, but desperate situations called for desperate solutions. Alpha Kennedy is the Lycan King of the seven packs in North Wales and he has quite a reputation for being a notorious playboy. He was ruthless and detached, but his delicate and handsome features made up for his terrible personality. He was like a walking god amongst men and most women would kill for a silver of his attention.

If only I could get to have a meeting with him and tell him about my petition to separate the Blood moon pack from Vandi pack, then I can sever the mate bond I have with Alex.

I spent the rest of the day drafting my thoughts into words. Alpha Kennedy is renowned for his terrible temper and I wouldn't want to waste his time, so I decided to write down my petition.

The sun was beginning to sink beneath the horizon when the loud ringing of my phone distracted me from my thoughts. It was Kendra calling.

“Hey, girl, how are you feeling now?” Her warm voice filled my ear.

“Worse,” I mumbled. “Alex hasn't even been to our room ever since Linda showed up. He's not even cared to check up on me ever since I came back from the hospital.”

“That scheming bitch,” Kendra seethed. “She's definitely up to something evil.”

“I don't care anymore,” I sighed, walking towards the window and staring down at the perfectly manicured garden. “I just want my pack and then I can sever the mate bond with Alex.”

“Yes, about that… Alpha Kennedy agreed to meet with you in the next two days.”

My eyes bulged in surprise and my jaw dropped. “No way!”

“I know right,” Kendra chuckled. “I found it surprising too. Well, according to the Lycan King, he'd be visiting Vandi pack for his annual pack tour, so I guess that's your best shot to meet with him.”

“Oh, thank you so much,” I squealed and Kendra hung up. My excitement knew no bounds as I skittered into the bathroom to freshen up.

As soon as I was done, a soft knock rapped on the door. It was Wendy, my maidservant.

“Good evening, my lady, dinner is served in the royal dining,” she curtsied.

“I'm not coming,” I replied flatly, swiping through my social media.

Wendy simply nodded, bowed slightly and walked out of the room. Frustration and hunger gnawed at my intestines, making my stomach growl. The thought of seeing Linda and Alex at the dining table caused a rush of anger to boil in my throat.

After a minute of contemplation, I decided to head down to the dining table and true to my suspicions, Linda sat at the side of the table where I usually sat during meals. Alex was so engrossed with wiping Linda's lips that he didn't register my presence till I coughed.

“Camille, how are you feeling now?” Linda cooed, smiling at me.

I simply eyed her narrowly and took a seat across the table. I promised myself that I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing me hurt.

“She's asking you a question, Camille, don't be so brash on the poor girl,” Alex's voice boomed.

“And am I obligated to answer her?” I fired back. And then turning to Linda, I said, “I am the Luna of Vandi pack and you must address me as such.”

Linda's face scrunched into a scowl and she stabbed the pork rib on her plate with so much force that the sauce splashed recklessly on the dining table.

“Linda, don't mind Camille,” Alex cooed, placing his hand over Linda's in a comforting manner.

Anger spilled over my body, and I bit down hard on the sausage so much that I drew blood from my inner lips.

Turning to me, Alex shot deadly looks at my direction. “Camille, can't you be nice to Linda? Talking harshly is bad for the baby.”

I felt like a punch was thrown to my gut and I choked on my food. My eyes bulged in shock. “What… What baby?”

A smirk plastered across Linda's face as she rubbed her tummy. “Luna Camille,” she began, her voice dripping with mockery. “I am pregnant with the Alpha's pup.”

I scoffed, unbelief tugging in my heart as I dragged my gaze to meet Alex’s, but he seemed to be avoiding my eyes. “That's not true. There's no way you're pregnant for the Alpha overnight.”

Linda let out a voracious laughter, her voice mocking all my feeble attempts to refute her claim. “Don't be naive, Camille. All it takes is one sexual intercourse to get pregnant.”

My eyes rested on Alex's, silent tears pooling in my orbs— begging him to tell me that whatever Linda was spouting was a big lie. But my world crumbled to nothing when Alex simply shrugged and said, “Well, Camille, what Linda said is true. She is pregnant with my pup and you should accord her some respect.”