"I want you to watch, Laura. Watch with your eyes wide open as I claim Tanya. As I make her moan. As I groan her name when we both come. I want you to hear every slap of our bodies against each other, every gasp, every whisper. Watch as our worlds collide while you remain nothing but an outcast."

Rowan’s voice was laced with cruel amusement as he dragged me by my hair, forcing me toward the hostel room—the very place where we were supposed to spend our honeymoon.

For a fleeting moment, I had been happy.

When he told me we would finally be together, I believed him. I thought he had accepted our fate, that he was ready to embrace me as his wife. I had held onto that small, fragile hope.

I was a fool.

This was his plan all along. To humiliate me. To break me on the very night we were supposed to become one.

"Hon," a sickly sweet voice greeted me.

Tanya.

Rowan’s first love. The woman I thought he had left behind.

She stood by the bed, wrapped in a silk robe that barely covered her body. She smirked as if she had won some twisted game, her eyes filled with triumph.

Tanya had always been someone Rowan’s parents had never approved of. She was beneath him—a disgrace. But now, she stood before me—victorious.

Without hesitation, she stepped forward and kissed Rowan, her hands slipping around his neck, pulling him close. Her lips molded against his like they belonged there, and for a moment, his grip on my hair loosened.

I tried to run.

But Tanya was faster.

Her fingers latched onto my wrist, nails digging into my skin as she yanked me back.

"Where do you think you’re going, little bitch?" she sneered. "You’ll watch us, won’t you?"

She laughed, a sound so sharp it sliced through the air.

"You tried to take what’s rightfully mine."

"I didn’t take anything from you," I choked out. "He’s mine—Ah!"

A sharp tug on my hair silenced me.

"And who gave you the right to speak?" Tanya hissed, her eyes glinting with malice.

Rowan stepped in front of me, his expression void of emotion. He held something in his hand.

A gag.

My stomach dropped.

Before I could protest, he shoved it into my mouth, the bitter taste of leather pressing against my tongue.

"Mmmph!" I tried to cry out, but his fist slammed into my stomach, knocking the air from my lungs.

The pain was immediate—sharp and suffocating. My knees buckled, but Tanya caught me before I could fall.

She grinned.

Rowan stepped behind me, his fingers digging into my arms as he and Tanya dragged me toward the wall. They lifted me, forcing my feet into some kind of restraint.

Then—suddenly—I was upside down.

Hung like an animal.

Tears burned down my cheeks, pooling into my hair as I struggled, but my restraints held firm. My vision blurred, the blood rushing to my head.

And then, they started.

Their hands roamed over each other, their bodies moving in perfect harmony, their moans filling the air.

"Rowan… more. I—I want more," Tanya whimpered, her voice thick with pleasure.

And then she turned to me, her lips curling into a wicked smile.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to tear them apart.

But all I could do was watch as my husband, my mate, bedded another woman in front of me.

And my wolf… my wolf was howling.

Betrayed. Shattered. Consumed by an unbearable agony.

Rowan shifted, positioning Tanya on top of him, making sure I had the perfect view as they joined together.

I bit down on the gag, my entire body trembling.

This was more than just betrayal.

This was cruelty.

"This is what monsters like you should never experience, Laura," Rowan spat, voice cutting through my heart like a blade.

His hands gripped Tanya’s waist as he thrust into her, his expression one of pure satisfaction.

"Lycans? Fuck that! You’re nothing but monsters. Your family is. And because you can’t have someone who will love you, you manipulate people with your money. You buy them—you force them to love you."

Tanya laughed, running her hands over my husband.

Then, she got up and walked toward me.

My breath hitched as she grabbed my hand. I struggled, panic rising in my chest as she yanked my wedding ring off my finger.

No.

No, no!

A hollow, gut-wrenching pain tore through me.

"Tanya, don’t!" I wanted to scream. "That ring—my life is bound to it!"

But no words left my mouth. Only my mind screamed in agony but Rowan couldn’t hear me.

He never would.

Something inside me cracked when Tanya slid my ring onto her own finger, twisting her hand to admire it under the dim light.

She turned back to Rowan, still smirking.

And as their bodies intertwined once more, I shattered completely.

"I love you, Rowan," Tanya whispered, her voice filled with sickening devotion.

Another piece of me broke. I couldn’t breathe.

I silently begged the Moon Goddess for mercy. For anything but this.

For a second chance. A different fate.

But the moment my eyes fluttered open again, I felt it. A sharp, merciless snap. And then—nothing.

Tears burned down my cheeks as Rowan whispered his final words.

"I love you too, Tanya. It’s only you. It has always been you."

My wolf was gone. She gave up. She died.

Three Months Ago

“This is Rowan, my son. You know him, right? Your father said he’s your… your m-mate?”

The older man’s voice wavered, uncertain.

“That’s right, uh… Sir,” I said, smiling.

I turned to Rowan, extending my hand in greeting. “My name is Laura Wilson. It’s nice meeting you, Rowan.”

He hesitated, dark eyes sharp with disdain. If not for his father’s nudge, he wouldn’t have shaken my hand at all.

The corner of my lips twitched in amusement. It fascinated me—how a man could resist a woman he’d just met. He wasn’t like those who smiled too easily, who knew how to charm and flatter.

Rowan wasn’t like that.

And that told me something important: he wasn’t a flirt.

Men of my kind—the wealthy and powerful Lycans—often exploited their status, using strength and influence to claim any woman they desired. But Rowan? He was different.

As a member of the Moonpack, the wealthiest Lycan family, I held power, supporting the Alpha and the Council. Yet my fated mate wasn’t one of us.

He was human. My pack would never approve.

They saw humans as weak, insignificant. Relationships with them were forbidden.

But I didn’t care.

I had spent ten months hiding my identity, living quietly, searching for him. Now that I had found him, I wasn’t going to let him go.

His family was in trouble. His mother was sick. His company was failing.

And I could save them. All I asked in return… was him.

"Our kind values mates," I said gently. "When I learned we were bound, I didn't hesitate."

Rowan's jaw tightened. "You want me to marry you to save my mother and my company?"

I nodded. “Will you? I promise to help you with everything. And I promise to make you love me. Just let me try.”

His father nudged him again. “Rowan, be respectful.”

Rowan let out a sharp breath, arching a brow. “You want us to marry? Just like that?”

I laughed softly. “Not right away. Let’s get to know each other first.”

That was a lie.

I already knew everything about him. I knew about Tanya.

His first love.

A woman he met in a lowly club—a prostitute. He'd been obsessed with her, but his family never approved. Compared to me? She was nothing.

I was his mate.

Fate had chosen me for him. He just needed time to realize it. Mates were bound to fall in love.

I believed that. I truly did. So why?

Why did he find it so impossible to love me?

Present Day

“Let me go…” I pleaded, my voice weak, my throat raw.

Rowan crouched before me, his expression cold as he held a cup of water.

I parted my lips, desperate for relief—only for him to yank it away just as I began to drink.

I choked on the little I managed to swallow, my throat burning.

For five days, they gave me only small sips—just enough to keep me alive.

But the worst part wasn’t the thirst. It was what they made me witness.

Rowan and Tanya, tangled in pleasure, moaning before me—again and again.

And the wolfsbane. They had done their research, knowing exactly how to weaken me, how to kill me slowly without leaving a trace.

They knew my father thought I’d been kidnapped, that he was searching for me while Rowan played the grieving husband, desperate to find his missing wife.

But I was here, hidden away, dying.

Rowan smirked, lifting my chin with two fingers.

“What’s wrong, monster?” he taunted. “Can’t handle a little pain?”

I choked back tears, my body trembling. “W-why…? I saved your mother. I—I was the reason she’s alive.”

His grip tightened.

"You think that makes you innocent?"

He let out a bitter laugh and shoved me back, towering over me.

"You manipulated me," he spat. "Used my company, my mother—my life—just to force me into this marriage."

His voice turned sharp, almost shaking with anger.

"Do you know what I lost the moment you did that?"

I swallowed hard. My vision blurred. My body ached. My head throbbed. But nothing could have prepared me for what he said next.

“Tanya lost our child when my father forced her away,” he growled. “She was pregnant. With my child. And because of you, we lost him.”

The world tilted.

I felt sick.

Rowan seized the cup and forced water down my throat, too fast, too much.

I gasped, choked, sputtered. My lungs burned as water filled my airway. My body jerked, desperate for air, but he didn’t stop.

Not until my body went limp.

I collapsed onto the floor, coughing violently, chest heaving as I gasped for breath.

Above me, Rowan’s voice was cold.

"You deserve this, Laura. Every second of it."

A door creaked open.

"Hon!" Tanya’s voice rang through the room. "You won’t believe what I just found out!"

She skipped toward Rowan, a wicked smile on her lips.

"We can finally get rid of this bitch without getting caught."

Rowan turned to her, intrigued. She grinned down at me, eyes gleaming with triumph.

"We sent a letter to her pack. Told them she married a human."

My blood ran cold.

No.

My pack wouldn’t forgive me for this.

This was betrayal.

They would execute my parents.

I pressed my hands together, my body trembling. “P-please… don’t…”

But Tanya only smirked. She crouched, whispering in my ear, “Too late, bitch. Your parents are dead.”

"Dad!"

My anguished scream tore through the cold night as I ran to the towering post where my father’s lifeless body hung. The rope bit deep into his flesh, his once-proud face bloodied and swollen, his eyes hollow and unseeing.

Beside him, my mother lay crumpled on the ground, her chest torn open a gaping cavity where her heart should have been. Blood soaked her once-elegant garments, pooling beneath her like a crimson offering to the merciless earth.

I wasn’t even given the chance to beg for their forgiveness.

I had chosen the wrong man.

And because of that, my parents were dead.

My knees threatened to buckle, but I forced myself to stand. I had no right to crumble—not when their suffering was because of me. Trembling, I reached for my mother, cradling her lifeless form.

I couldn’t breathe. Grief crushed my chest, drowning me in unbearable guilt.

"I cannot smell her presence," someone in the crowd murmured.

My head snapped toward them, the same people who once sought my parents' guidance. Now, they looked at me with disgust.

They were the first to judge me.

The first to turn their backs.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms as I glared at them. Cowards—feasting on our wealth, accepting our protection, yet now mocking and condemning.

Even the Council, even the Alpha we had supported, discarded us without hesitation.

"They deserved it."

"She lost her wolf—the Moon must have cursed her for betraying our kind."

I swallowed back my sobs, holding my mother closer.

I had no one left. No one to defend me.

I wanted to scream, to tell them how cruel and blind they were—but what was the point? No one would listen.

Instead, I looked up at my father’s body and whispered an apology.

If only I had chosen differently. If only I had obeyed the rules of our kind.

I should have married a Lycan—any other Lycan. If I had, my parents would still be alive, my wolf intact, and I wouldn’t be standing here, abandoned and humiliated.

But I had lost everything.

And now, they were taking my life too.

"This is Laura Wilson," the Alpha’s voice rang out, cold with disdain. "The richest she-wolf in our pack—who threw it all away for a cowardly human. A traitor to her parents and our kind."

I turned to him, meeting his gaze, seeing the anger in his eyes and the sharp curl of his lip as he spat each word.

But I knew the truth.

The only reason why he won’t let this go was because he once asked for my hand—and I refused.

Now, I understand. I understood what I had done.

Slowly, I pushed myself up, forcing my trembling legs to carry me forward.

The moment I knelt before him, the crowd fell into hushed silence.

I clasped my hands together, lowering my head.

"P-please," I sobbed. "Give me another chance. I-I’ll marry you now, give you everything—my wealth, my lands. It’s enough to fund your reign."

Silence.

Then—

Laughter.

Loud, mocking laughter erupted around me.

The Alpha's deep, amused chuckle came first—then the Council, then the entire crowd.

They mocked me, whispering, pointing, smirking as if I were mere entertainment.

"She… she…" the Alpha struggled to speak between fits of laughter. "The woman who once rejected me is now begging. How amusing."

My chest ached from the humiliation.

Tears blurred my vision, but I did not wipe them away.

There was no saving myself now.

"No amount of money will spare your life for this treachery!" one of the Council members spat.

The metallic clank of a weapon hitting the ground echoed in my ears.

The scent of wolfsbane filled my nose—but it no longer affected me.

I had already lost my wolf.

The metal, however, would kill me.

Would they hang me like my father? Would they rip my heart out, as they did to my mother?

Or would they torture me first?

Pain tore through my body as the first lash of the whip struck my back.

A sharp, biting crack. Then another. And another.

I collapsed, gasping as my vision swam. Blood soaked the dirt beneath me, its scent heavy in the air.

"Tell us your husband's name," the Alpha commanded.

Rowan.

His name echoed in my mind.

If I gave them his name, they would hunt him down. They would kill him. But I would not give them the satisfaction. I would take my revenge.

Even if I had to come back as a ghost. As a demon. As a monster of their nightmares.

"Where is he?" the Alpha pressed. "Didn’t he betray you? Did he not sell you out?"

I clenched my jaw, refusing to answer.

Rough hands grabbed me, lifting me from the ground. I was thrown onto a soft mattress.

And then—

My clothes were torn from my body. Bare hands roamed over my skin. Panic surged through me. Terror clawed at my chest.

I whimpered. Cried.

No.

No, no, no.

I thrashed, but I was weak. I fought, but I was powerless.

And when the pain came—when my soul shattered beneath the cruelty of their actions—

Something inside me snapped.

Darkness consumed me. Grief turned to fury. Agony became hunger. A hunger for vengeance. For blood.

A scream tore from my throat, raw and unholy.

"I will come back for revenge." My voice trembled with wrath. "And I will show no mercy."