I remember the first time I saw Derek like it was yesterday. It was something I could never forget, not in this life, It was during a pack gathering, a rare moment when the crescent moon pack opened up it's borders to allies from other packs. I was standing by the bonfire, it's flames casting flickering shadows everywhere. The smell of roasted meat and pine filled the air, everyone was either discussing and meeting new people, some were even dancing, it was a festive period. I barely even noticed it, I was all alone in my own little shell.

Until my wolf stilled within me, her attention sharp and on edge, like she was waiting for something or someone.

I didn't kno what or why….. until I saw him.

Derek.

He moved through the crowd with a commanding presence that only he could muster, his golden eyes scanning the gathering until they fell on me. It felt like the world fell away, leaving just the two of us, my wolf whispered one word.

Mate.

He approached me, his gaze intense but warm. “Hi, I'm Derek,” he said, his voice rich and deep.

“Leila,” I squeaked, my heart pounding.

I couldn't believe my eyes…. My mate was standing in front of me and he was an Alpha too, everyone could see that.

From that day onwards, our bond grew swiftly as if we had always been meant to be together. He was everything I'd ever dreamed of in a mate, strong protective and kind. We spent hours talking under the stars, learning each other secret and fears. He told me about the weight of being on Alpha, the sacrifice he had to make for the pack. I told him about my longing to be more than just an Omega, to find a purpose beyond the limit placed on me.

We were inseparable, the pack was happy about our union. He made me feel, cherished as though I was the only one who mattered to him.

I thought I was too.

But that was before Vivienne came in.

Vivienne, the thorn in my flesh.

The daughter of an influential family in the pack, her beauty and cunningness made her a favorite among many, and she was his beta too.

Right from the time we were children, Vivienne thrived on competition and guess who her favorite target was….. me.

Whether it was a pack training or social events, she was always looking for way to outshine me or make me feel like I didn't belong.

When Derek and I became mates, her bitterness deepened.

She was polite in public, but never missed an opportunity to remind me of my shortcomings.

“I'm surprised the Alpha chose you, Leila,” she'd said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

“I mean you're lovely in your own way but an Alpha needs someone better ….more formidable by his side, I just can't see it being you, prehaps you may have charmed him or something.”

I ignored her, unwilling to let her venom ruin my happiness, but her resentment didn't fade…. It grew.

Everything started changing, although subtly.

I saw the signs but I refused to believe my eyes. Derek, always the dutiful Alpha, began consulting Vivienne more often, she was sharp and politically savvy, a trait that made her a valuable ally. At first I understood, pack matter required collaboration and Vivienne’s family held significant influence.

Then the lines blurred.

Pack meetings turned into late night strategy sessions, shared laughter and private jokes between them became more frequent.

Slowly I found myself on the outside looking in.

I confronted him once, unable to keep my suspicions bottled up any longer.

“Derek,” I said, standing in the doorway of his meeting grounds, since he wasn't always at home. “Can we talk?”

He looked up from his desk, his expression unreadable. “Of course, what's on your mind, Leila?”

“I feel like..” I hesitated, my chest tightening.

“I feel like you're drifting away from me, you spend more time with Vivienne than you do with me, you own mate,”

His brow furrowed, “That's not fair, Leila, Vivienne is helping me with important pack matters, you know how much responsibility I carry on my shoulders,”

“I know that, and I support you,” I said, my voice trembling, “but it feels like you're shutting me out, do you have any idea how humiliating it is to hear the pack gossiping about you two?”

His jaw tightened, I thought he'd listened to me, that he finally saw how much his actions hurt me.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I don't have time for this right now, Leila, I need you to trust me.”

Trust.

The word stung, I wanted to trust him, but how could I, when he seemed so blind to what his actions were doing to me, how it was hurting me.

Vivienne, of course didn't miss the chance to exploit the situation, she connered me at every given opportunity, the recent one was a pack event. she sauntered over to my side, her smile as sharp as a blade and fake.

“Leila, you look so tense,” she said, her voice dripping with mock concern, “is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine, infact it could never had been better.” I lied through my teeth.

“I noticed Derek's been distracted lately, I hope it's nothing serious,” she

I clenched my fists, my wolf snarling beside me.

“It's nothing, I'm sure it's because he's been occupied with the pack and meeting its needs.”

She knew fully well what she was doing, wrecking my marriage, that's what.

what a hypocrite.

“Well a little birdie told me, he doesn't seem to spend as much time as he used, to with you, being that you're his mate and everything.” She taunted.

“Well then, your little birdie must have heard it wrong,” I said.

She leaned in, her voice low enough that only I could hear.

“For your sake, I sure hope not, we wouldn't want a situation where our Alpha gets another mate or worse still reject you as his Luna, I heard a rumor about that.” she said sinisterly, like she knew something i didn't.

I walked away from her, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing that her words cut deep, of seeing me break.

My heart was heavy knowing fully that the pack was watching, judging.

The following weeks after the confrontation felt like a blur of pain and humiliation, I could still see the way Derek had stood between me and Vivienne, his words sharper than any blade, it wasn't just the betrayal that broke me, it was the public nature of it.

The once bright connection Derek and I had was now so fragile that sometimes I thought maybe I'd imagined it being there in the first place. The nights were the worst, he would return to our shared quarters, his faced lines with exhaustion, his words cold and distant.

“Long day?” I would ask, hoping to spark even the smallest connection.

“Yes,” he replied curtly. Sometimes not even looking up from the documents he carried.

The scent of her, Vivienne still lingered on his clothes, so unbearable.

“Derek, can we talk?” I asked one evening.

He barely glanced at me, his tone clipped.

“Not now, Leila , I'm busy,”

“You're always busy, when will you make time for us, for me?”

He sighed, his expression one of exasperation.

“Don't start this again, I have responsibilities to the pack.”

“What about your responsibilities to me?” I shot back, my wolf bristling at his dismissive tone.

“I am your mate, Derek or have you forgotten that? I need to understand what's happening between us, why does it feel like I'm losing you?”

“You're not losing me,”he said, but his voice lacked conviction.

“It feels like you've chosen Vivienne over me?” My voice cracked despite my efforts to stay calm and strong.

“She's helping me with the pack, you don't understand the pressure I'm under, she's a valuable asset Leila, that's all,” he replied.

“An asset!” I spat, the word bitter on my tongue.

“Do you even hear yourself? The pack's starting to talk, they see what's happening, even if you refuse to, she's always by your side, laughing with you, supporting you. Where does that leave me?

He ran a hand through his hair, his jaw tightening. “You're my mate and that hasn't changed.”

“Then prove it,” I whispered, tears blurring my vision. “Because I'm starting to feel like I don't matter how to you any more.”

He didn't respond, instead he left without another word slamming the door behind him.

That night, I sat alone in our quarters staring at the empty space where Derek use to lie beside me. My wolf whimpered softly, mourning the mate we both loved but no longer recognized.

“I don't know how much more of this I can take,” I whispered into the darkness.

The bond between us felt like a thin thread stretched to its limits. Derek wasn't just breaking my heart, he was breaking my spirit too.

The pack noticed everything, wolves who had once respected and admired our bond were now now whispering behind my backs. The pity in their eyes burned more than their words.

There was division among the pack, they’d all witnessed the altercation and there was no surviving my dignity from the ashes. Some wolves mostly the older ones, expressed their shock in hushed tone, lamenting how the bond between mates could crumble so easily. Others particularly the younger wolves were indifferent, more fascinated by the drama than the heartbreak behind it.

“She's lost control of him,” I overheard one day, “An Alpha's mate should be stronger.”

The whispers grew more louder, more brazen.

“Vivienne's always by his side unlike her,” one said.

“It's like Leila doesn't even exist anymore,” said another.

“She should have been stronger.”

“She's the Alpha's mate, if she can't hold his attention, that's on her.”

“She has no place here anymore, Vivienne's practically running the show now.”

They opened praised her dedication and loyalty to Derek.

The irony was sickening.

I stormed away before they could see the tears welling up.

Their words cut deep but the real agony came from the silence of those who had once been my allies.

Annabelle tried to console me, but even she seemed uncertain of how to navigate the storm.

“You need to eat.” She urged one evening, placing a tray of food on the table before me.

“You're wasting away Leila, the pack… they're watching, they need to see that you're still strong.”

I stared at the tray, my appetite long gone. “What's the point, Annabelle? Derek doesn't even see me anymore, it's like I'm invisible.

“I don't know what's going on with Derek, but you need to fight for him Leila, don't let her win.”

“I shouldn't have to fight for my own mate,” I replied bitterly, my voice barely above a whisper.

This wasn't the life I envisioned when Derek and I first found each other. Still yet I clinged to the memories of when things were better, simpler, when Derek gaze held nothing but love and admiration.

There was a time he'd bring me wild flowers, he'd picked up during his patrols, tucking them behind my ear with a grin. We'd spend hour in the forest running together in wolf form, the wind rushing through our fur as we reveled in the pure joy of being one.

“I'll always protect you,” he promised me one night as we lay beneath the stars, his arms wrapped around me.

Only now, it felt like I was the one who needed protection from… him and the hurt he unknowingly inflicted.

The humiliation never stopped.

Every day brought a new wound, a fresh reminder of the betrayal that now defined my existence. Vivienne wasn’t content with just taking Derek from me—she wanted to crush me entirely, to grind what little dignity I had left into the dirt.

I woke one morning to laughter echoing outside our quarters. When I stepped out, I found Vivienne surrounded by a group of younger wolves. She held a delicate, silver pendant in her hands—my pendant. The one Derek had given me on our first anniversary.

“Look at this,” she sneered, holding it up for all to see. “Can you believe he thought this was worth giving someone? So cheap. I’d expect better from an Alpha.”

My breath hitched, fury and despair warring within me. That pendant had once been a symbol of our love, and now she was holding it as if it were trash.

“Give that back,” I demanded, my voice trembling but firm.

She turned to me, her smile icy. “Oh, Leila, I didn’t realize you were still… lurking. Don’t worry. I’m sure Derek will get me something far more beautiful. This? It’s not really my style.”

The wolves around her laughed, their mockery cutting deeper than any blade.

She didn’t just target me in private—she made sure the entire pack saw my misery. She clung to Derek ’s arm at every gathering, her smug smile daring me to say something.

The final straw came during the pack’s annual celebration. It was supposed to be a night of unity, a chance for us to come together as one. Vivienne saw it as another opportunity to humiliate me.

At the pack meeting, she sauntered in late, draped in a crimson gown that screamed authority. She sat beside Derek, leaning close to whisper in his ear. He smiled—an expression I hadn’t seen in weeks. My wolf growled, the bond between us aching like an open wound.

“I thought this was a meeting for Alphas and their mates,” Annabelle whispered beside me, her eyes narrowing.

“So did I,” I muttered, my hands clenched into fists.

But Derek said nothing, his silence louder than any words. The pack watched as Vivienne took my place, her presence a blatant challenge to my position.

I tried to hold my head high, but the weight of their judgment was suffocating. When the meeting ended, she approached me, a glass of wine in hand with a saccharine smile pasted on her face. “Oh, Leila, you should try and wear something more flattering next time. It’s important to keep up appearances, don’t you think?” Her gaze flicked over my simple dress, the disdain in her eyes unmistakable.

“Vivienne,” I replied, forcing a tight smile.

She leaned closer, her voice low enough that only I could hear. “Or better still, you can just step aside. Derek doesn’t want you anymore. Everyone can see it. You’re only just embarrassing yourself.”

My wolf snarled, I bit back my retort, unwilling to give her the satisfaction of seeing me break.

Derek was no better. He didn’t just ignore my pain—he added to it.

I caught him and Vivienne in the courtyard, laughing like they didn’t have a care in the world. She rested her hand on his chest, her eyes sparkling with a confidence that burned me to my core.

“Derek,” I called, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

He turned, his smile fading into indifference. “What is it, Leila?”

“We need to talk,” I said, forcing myself to meet his gaze.

Vivienne stepped closer to him, her smirk widening. “Oh, Derek, don’t keep her waiting. It must be important.”

He sighed, as if the mere act of acknowledging me was a chore. “Later, Leila, I’m busy.”

“Busy with her,” I snapped, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

For a moment, his eyes flickered with something—guilt, maybe—but it was gone just as quickly. “Don’t do this,” he said, his tone cold.

And then he turned back to her, their conversation resuming as if I didn’t exist.

That night, I stood alone at the edge of the celebration, watching as Derek and Vivienne danced. They moved together effortlessly, their smiles bright, their laughter carefree.

I felt like an intruder in my own life, a shadow of the woman I once was. The pain was overwhelming, but beneath it all, a fire burned.

They thought they had broken me, but I wasn’t done yet. Somewhere inside, my wolf howled, a fierce reminder that I was stronger than this.

They would regret underestimating me.

One day, I would make them pay.

Or so I thought, no knowing that fate has another miserable event planned for me.