Melissa

I did not cry.

Not when Alpha Warren introduced Arabella as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Not when the pack members looked at her with admiration and me with something close to pity.

I did not cry.

Instead, I moved like a ghost inside the packhouse I had once believed would be my home forever.

Five years. Five years of loving him without reservation. Five years of enduring the elders’ cold glances, the warriors’ silent judgment, the maids’ whispers. I swallowed every insult because I thought love was worth it. I convinced myself that status did not matter, that being born a maid did not define my future.

He chose me, I used to tell myself.

But now I understood. He never chose me. He mistook me for her.

And when he realized I was not Arabella, he kept me anyway. Not because he loved me for who I was, but because I resembled the ghost he could not let go of.

Who was I to Alpha Warren? Not his Luna. Not his equal. Just a replacement.

Arabella and Hunter were heirs of Evergreen Pack in the south. Everyone spoke about it with admiration. Evergreen was powerful, wealthy, respected among allied packs. Their visit was called a “vacation,” but I knew better. Alphas did not simply vacation inside another Alpha’s territory without purpose.

Perhaps… engagements to restore.

The morning after their arrival, I searched for Alpha Warren. I needed to speak to him. I needed to hear something from him, even if it was a lie. Anything would be better than this silence swallowing me whole.

I stopped one of the maids near the kitchen.

“Have you seen the Alpha?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.

She avoided my eyes. “He’s probably busy, Miss Melissa.”

Probably.

“He usually informs me when he has meetings.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “He’s with important guests.”

Important guests. I nodded slowly and stepped back. The air felt heavier than usual. Before, whenever he left the packhouse, he would tell me first. Even if it was something trivial. A patrol. A council meeting. A hunting trip.

Now, I had to ask like an outsider.

I walked toward his office anyway.

The door was slightly ajar. I could hear voices inside. Hers.

I pushed the door open gently. Alpha Warren stood near his desk, sleeves rolled up, expression serious. Arabella sat on the sofa, legs crossed elegantly, flipping through some documents as if she already belonged there.

Both of them looked up when I entered. For a second, his eyes softened out of habit. Then his expression darkened.

“Melissa,” he said, his tone clipped. “Don’t disturb me. I’m busy.”

The words hit harder than I expected.

I glanced at Arabella. She held my gaze calmly, almost sweetly, as if she had every right to be there.

Warren noticed where I was looking.

“I need Arabella here,” he added quickly. “She’s from Evergreen Pack. We’re discussing matters between our territories.”

Of course. Political matters. Important matters.

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. What was I supposed to say? Why didn’t you tell me she’s been back for two years?

Why didn’t you tell me you were seeing her? Why did you let me believe I was your future?

None of those questions could pass my lips.

“I see,” I murmured instead.

I stepped back and closed the door quietly behind me. The corridor felt suffocating.

As I walked away, I heard whispers. Soft at first. Then clearer.

“Did she really think Alpha Warren loved her?”

A small giggle followed.

“She didn’t even know he’s been head over heels for Miss Arabella ever since she came back two years ago.”

Two years. Two. The number echoed inside my skull. Arabella had returned two years ago.

And that was exactly when Warren postponed our wedding indefinitely. When he became distant. When he stopped looking at me the way he used to.

Everyone knew. The warriors who bowed to her with respect. The elders who suddenly approved of “alliances.” The maids who looked at me like I was something fragile and foolish.

Everyone knew. And no one told me.

Not a single person warned me to run. Not a single soul pulled me aside and said, “You deserve better.”

They watched me prepare for a wedding that would never happen. They watched me smile at a man who was already falling for someone else.

They let me remain stupid. Oblivious. Pathetic.

I forced myself to keep walking, even though my legs felt weak. At the turn of the corridor, I nearly collided with someone.

Hunter. He leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, eyes roaming over me slowly. Not respectfully. Not politely.

Slowly. From my hair down to my waist. Then lower. He let out a low whistle.

“Well,” he drawled. “Aren’t too attractive for a maid?”

My skin crawled.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I replied stiffly, stepping aside.

He smirked. “You look like my sister. It must have been convenient for Warren.”

The way he said it made my stomach twist.

His gaze lingered on my chest before sliding back to my face. “If things don’t work out for you here, Melissa, Evergreen Pack welcomes pretty things.”

I walked away immediately, heart pounding. His presence felt wrong. Predatory. My wolf bristled, but even she seemed weakened lately, as if my emotional turmoil had dulled her instincts.

By afternoon, I tried to distract myself with work.

Old habits were hard to break. Before Warren chose me, I had been nothing more than a maid. Cleaning, cooking, scrubbing floors until my fingers cracked in winter.

So I cleaned.

I carried a bucket of water into the garden and began wiping down the stone benches. The sky was clear. The air was warm. Everything looked peaceful.

Too peaceful. My head throbbed from lack of sleep, but I ignored it.

I bent down to scrub a stain near the fountain.

And then—

Something heavy struck the back of my head.

The world exploded into white.

Pain shot through my skull as I fell forward onto the stone path. I tasted blood immediately.

For a moment, I couldn’t hear anything but ringing.

My vision blurred, but I forced myself to look up. Above me, from the second-floor balcony of the Alpha’s wing, stood Arabella.

She was looking down. Our eyes met. Her expression was unreadable.

Then everything went dark.

When I woke up, the scent of antiseptic filled my nose.

I was in one of the guest rooms, lying on a bed. My head was bandaged tightly. The dull ache had settled into a persistent throb.

Voices echoed nearby.

“She didn’t mean it,” Warren was saying urgently. “Calm down, Arabella.”

I turned my head slightly. Alpha Warren stood near the window, holding Arabella’s shoulders as she cried into her hands.

The moment she noticed I was awake, she rushed toward me.

“Melissa!” she sobbed, grabbing my hand. “I’m so sorry! The pot slipped from my hands. I didn’t know you were below. I swear I didn’t mean to hit you.”

Her tears fell onto the blanket.

I stared at her silently.

A pot. My memory flashed back. There were no plants along the balcony railings. The Alpha’s wing was kept minimal and clean. Decorative, yes, but not cluttered.

No flower pots were displayed there. Unless someone carried one up.

“You caused me serious injury,” I said quietly.

The words felt strange coming from my mouth.

Absurd.

That was what this entire situation was.

Warren stepped forward immediately, his expression hardening.

“Can’t you just forgive her?” he snapped. “She didn’t mean to do it. Don’t make things hard, Melissa.”

I blinked at him. “But—”

“No buts.” His voice was sharp enough to slice through skin. “I didn’t know you were this ungrateful.”

Ungrateful. The word struck deeper than the pot had. Knives seemed to pierce my chest all at once.

This was the man I loved. The man who once held my face gently and said I saved him. Now he looked at me as if I were an inconvenience.

Arabella leaned forward suddenly and wrapped her arms around me.

“I’m really sorry, Melissa!” she wailed loudly. “I won’t do it again!”

Her body trembled against mine. Then her crying stopped. Her lips brushed near my ear. Her voice dropped into a whisper only I could hear.

“It could have been something heavier,” she murmured softly. “But I only saw a pot.”

A pause.

“Too bad, maid.”

My blood ran cold. She pulled back instantly, tears streaming down her face again as if nothing had changed.

I stared at her, shock freezing me in place.

Warren rubbed her back soothingly. “It’s okay. She understands.”

Melissa

The bandages around my head felt tighter at night.

Maybe it was not the cloth itself, but the thoughts pressing against my skull, refusing to let me rest.

Since Arabella and Hunter arrived, Alpha Warren had not slept in our shared room.

Our room. I almost laughed at the word.

He came in once during the afternoon to retrieve some clothes. He did not look at me. He did not ask if my head still hurt. He simply opened the wardrobe, gathered his shirts, and left as if I were nothing more than a piece of furniture occupying the corner.

Five years of sharing a bed, and now there was only cold space beside me.

I sat up slowly, wincing at the dull ache in my head. Moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting pale shadows across the floor. That was when I noticed something near the cabinet.

A phone.

It lay facedown on the wooden floor, partially hidden by the edge of the rug.

My breath caught. Alpha Warren must have dropped it earlier when he took his clothes.

For a long moment, I simply stared at it.

Then I stood up and picked it up with trembling fingers. His scent lingered faintly on the case.

I hesitated only a second before pressing the power button.

Locked. Of course.

I swallowed and typed his birthday. Wrong password. I tried mine next, though I did not know why I bothered. Wrong again.

A bitter smile curved my lips.

Why would he use my birthday?

Then a thought crept into my mind like a snake slithering through grass.

Arabella. My hands felt colder as I reached for my own phone and opened social media. It did not take long to find her account. Elegant photos. Smiling selfies. Comments filled with admiration from pack members.

I scrolled until I found a birthday post from two years ago.

July 17.

My fingers hovered over the screen before I typed the numbers into his phone.

The screen unlocked instantly. For a moment, I could not breathe.

Her birthday. He used her birthday. Not mine. Not our anniversary. Hers.

My chest tightened painfully, but I forced myself to open his messages.

Arabella’s name was at the top. Of course it was.

I opened the thread. The most recent message from him read: I promised, this week I will break up with her. Just give me time.

My vision blurred.

Break up with her. With me.

Arabella:

I don’t understand why it’s taking you so long. You told me you just saw me in her. Because we look similar. But it’s been two years since we met again, and she’s still with you. I’m running out of patience, Alpha.

Two years. They had reconnected two years ago. Two years of him touching me while thinking of someone else.

My hands trembled as I continued reading.

Alpha Warren:

You know about Fallendawn Pack, right? They’ve been bothering me, sending emails and damn letters every day to get that maid. They’re my nemesis. I don’t know what’s with Melissa, but I can’t let my nemesis get her.

Fallendawn. My stomach dropped.

Arabella:

I know you hate Fallendawn, but is she really worth keeping? What if she just had debts from them? We won’t know, Alpha.

Alpha Warren:

I promise I’ll do it this week. The plan. We can’t let them have her. I’d rather keep her away from Fallendawn.

I stopped reading. My head pounded harder than before.

Fallendawn Pack. I knew the name. Everyone did. They were Nightfall’s long-standing enemy, rival alphas clashing over territory for decades.

But why would they want me? I was nothing. Just a maid.

Why would two powerful packs fight over someone like me? The sound of footsteps approaching the door snapped me out of my daze.

Panic surged through me. I quickly locked the phone and placed it back on the cabinet where I found it, stepping away just as the door opened.

Alpha Warren entered, his brows slightly furrowed.

“Have you seen my phone?” he asked.

I forced myself to meet his eyes calmly and picked it up from the cabinet. “You dropped it earlier.”

He took it from my hand, his fingers brushing mine briefly. For a split second, I wondered if he could feel my heart racing.

“Be more careful,” I said quietly. “It might break.”

He nodded absentmindedly, already checking the screen. “I will.”

No suspicion crossed his face. He left without another word.

I sat back down slowly on the edge of the bed.

The plan. They had a plan. And it involved me.

The realization settled heavily in my chest. I was not being kept out of love. I was being kept out of strategy.

And whatever this plan was, it was dangerous.

The next day, I spent hours searching for information about Fallendawn Pack. Old archives. Pack records. Gossip forums. Anything.

There was plenty about their strength, their wealth, their dominance in the western territories. But nothing about their Alpha. No name. No photograph. No details. It was as if he did not exist publicly.

The more I searched, the more frustrated I became.

Why did they want me? What was so special about me that two rival packs would fight over my existence?

A knock sounded at my door. I froze.

Warren never knocked. He simply entered as if everything inside the room belonged to him.

My pulse quickened.

“Who is it?” I called out cautiously.

“It’s me.” It was Hunter, Arabella’s brother.

My stomach twisted.

I should not open the door. But if I did not, he might cause a scene outside. Slowly, I approached and opened it just slightly.

He stood there with a lazy smile, hands in his pockets.

“You didn’t come down for lunch,” he said, eyes roaming over me again.

“I wasn’t hungry.”

He leaned closer, pressing one hand against the door to push it wider.

“I wanted to check on you. After the accident.”

His tone made the word accident sound filthy.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, trying to close the door.

But he pushed harder, forcing his way inside.

“Hunter, leave.”

He shut the door behind him. The air in the room felt suffocating instantly.

“You know,” he murmured, stepping closer, “you look even prettier up close.”

My back hit the wall. “Stop.”

He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from my face. His touch made my skin crawl.

“I’ve been thinking,” he continued, voice lowering, “if my sister doesn’t want you around, maybe I can keep you instead.”

Fear shot through me.

“I’m engaged to Alpha Warren.”

He laughed softly. “For now.”

His hand slid down my arm, gripping tighter than necessary.

“Let go of me.”

“Don’t pretend you don’t see the way I look at you,” he whispered, pressing his body closer. “You’re wasted here.”

His fingers tugged at my dress.

I shoved him, but he was stronger.

“Hunter!” I screamed.

He covered my mouth briefly, pushing me against the bed.

“Stop fighting,” he muttered. “You’ll enjoy it.”

He kissed me torridly and tried touching my body. Terror flooded my veins.

I bit his lips as hard as I could.

He cursed loudly. That was when the door burst open.

Alpha Warren stood at the entrance. His eyes widened at the sight before him.

Hunter stepped back immediately.

I scrambled away, clutching my torn dress, shaking uncontrollably.

For a moment, no one spoke. Alpha Warren looked from me to Hunter.

“What is going on?” he demanded.

Hunter lifted his hands casually. “Nothing. She misunderstood.”

Misunderstood? I stared at Alpha Warren desperately, waiting for him to defend me. To attack Hunter. To show even a fraction of the rage he once showed when someone insulted me.

Instead, he stood there. Frozen. Calculating.

The commotion had stopped simply because he arrived. Not because he did anything.

I began to cry. I cried like something inside me had finally shattered.

Alpha Warren finally stepped forward. “Hunter, leave.”

Hunter smirked faintly and walked out as if nothing had happened. The door closed behind him.

Alpha Warren looked at me, eyes conflicted.

“Melissa…”

I backed away. “Don’t,” I whispered.

He did not touch me. He did not apologize. He did not promise to punish Hunter.

That was when I understood something painfully clear.

I was alone in this pack. Completely alone.

That very day, with the remaining money I had saved secretly over the years, I filed a formal complaint against Hunter through the regional pack council.

It was risky. It was dangerous. But I refused to stay silent.

If they were planning something behind my back, then I would start protecting myself.

Because no one else would.

Melissa

I used to believe that no pain could ever surpass betrayal. I was wrong.

There is something far worse than betrayal.

It is standing in a courtroom, trembling, recounting how a man forced himself on you… only to see the person you loved step forward and defend him.

Hunter had nearly stripped me of more than dignity that day. His hands had been everywhere. His breath had been steady. Calculated. There was no scent of alcohol on him. No slurred words. No imbalance.

He had known exactly what he was doing.

And yet, when I stood before the regional pack court, hands shaking but voice steady, I could not believe who rose from the witness bench.

Alpha Warren. My Alpha. My fiancé. The man who once told me I saved him.

“I was present when the commotion occurred,” he said evenly, his posture straight, voice calm. “Hunter did not force her. It was a misunderstanding.”

My ears rang. A misunderstanding.

“He was helping her when she panicked,” Alpha Warren continued. “There was no assault.”

I stared at him as if I did not recognize the man speaking.

The council members exchanged looks. Hunter stood a few steps away, head lowered in fake remorse.

Arabella sat behind him, hands clasped, eyes shimmering with fabricated concern.

I felt like I was floating outside my own body.

“Hunter Evergreen is a reputable heir,” one council member said carefully. “With Alpha Warren as witness, the accusation lacks sufficient ground.”

My case was dismissed before the sun reached its peak. Just like that.

Five years of loyalty. Gone in a single testimony.

Outside the courthouse, I stood alone near the steps. My hands would not stop trembling.

Footsteps approached.

I did not need to turn to know it was them.

“Melissa,” Alpha Warren’s voice came first, controlled but irritated. “You should have forgiven Hunter instead of filing a case. He was drunk.”

I turned slowly.

“I didn’t smell alcohol,” I replied quietly.

Hunter had smelled of cologne. Of arrogance. Of control. Not alcohol.

Arabella stepped forward gently. “He’s a good person,” she said softly. “It was just one mistake.”

My chest tightened violently. A mistake was spilling wine. A mistake was misplacing a document. Forcing yourself on someone was not a mistake. It was a choice.

I looked at Alpha Warren. He did not meet my eyes.

“You’ve embarrassed both packs,” he added. “This could affect our alliances.”

Our alliances. That mattered more than me. More than my safety. More than my dignity.

I let out a small, hollow laugh.

“You’re worried about alliances?” I asked. “Not about what he did?”

His jaw tightened. “Don’t exaggerate what happened.”

I felt something inside me finally snap. Without another word, I walked away from them.

If I stayed another second, I might have screamed until my throat bled.

That night, as I sat alone in the room we once shared, something became painfully clear.

Five years meant nothing. He did not love me. He saw another woman in me.

Even now, I could see the difference in how he treated us. With me, he allowed me to serve him. I cooked. I cleaned. I adjusted my schedule to match his. I waited in bed for him like an obedient mate.

With Arabella, he bowed. He listened. He adjusted his time for her. He bought her new gowns. Expensive jewelry.

For him, a maid was still a maid. Even if he called her fiancée.

The realization was almost laughable. I had wanted to break down. Instead, I felt empty.

That evening, I began packing.

I folded my simple dresses and tucked them into an old suitcase. I sold some of the expensive clothes he had gifted me through a discreet merchant in town. I needed money.

If I was going to leave, I would not crawl back. I hid the luggage beneath the bed before nightfall.

As if fate enjoyed testing me, Alpha Warren entered the room shortly after.

I stiffened but kept my face neutral.

“I need you to attend the Alpha Gathering tomorrow,” he said.

I looked up.

“The allied packs know you’re my fiancée. It would be suspicious if you’re absent.”

I nodded slowly. “Of course.”

If Fallendawn Pack truly wanted me, then the gathering would be the perfect place to learn why.

The next evening, we arrived at the grand hall where the gathering was held.

Crystal chandeliers reflected warm golden light across marble floors. Alphas and heirs from different territories filled the space, dressed in formal attire, wolves barely contained beneath polished exteriors.

I wore a simple gown. Not new. Not extravagant. Just something I had worn before.

Arabella, however, wore a stunning silver dress that hugged her perfectly. The fabric shimmered with every step she took.

I recognized the designer. Alpha Warren had gifted it to her.

Hunter stood beside her, looking perfectly composed, as if he had never cornered me in my room.

My skin crawled at the sight of him.

As we moved through the crowd, I realized something humiliating. I was not standing beside Warren. Arabella was.

He guided her by the waist. Not me.

At one point, a foreign Alpha approached them with a wide smile.

“So this must be your fiancée,” he said, gesturing toward Arabella.

Alpha Warren did not correct him immediately. In fact, for a second, he looked pleased.

Arabella smiled demurely.

I waited. Waited for him to say something. Anything.

Finally, the Alpha glanced at me. “And this is?”

Warren’s voice was casual. “A maid.”

The word sliced through me more brutally than any blade.

The other Alpha laughed lightly. “How generous of you to let a maid join the gathering.”

Heat rushed to my face. My lungs felt tight. I could not stand there any longer.

I turned and walked away before anyone could see the tears threatening to spill.

I moved toward the quieter edge of the hall, near the balcony doors. The cool air brushed against my overheated skin. I stared out into the dark night, trying to steady my breathing.

That was when someone extended a wine glass toward me.

“Careful,” a deep voice said. “You look like you might faint.”

I turned.

He stood tall. Broad shoulders. Neat black suit tailored perfectly to his build. His dark eyes were sharp and unreadable, observing me with unsettling precision.

There was something powerful about him. Something restrained.

“I’m fine,” I said cautiously.

He studied me for another second. “You’re Melissa from Nightfall Pack.”

It was not a question.

I nodded slowly. “And you are?”

His lips curved slightly, but there was no warmth in it.

“I am the Alpha of Fallendawn Pack.”

The world seemed to pause. Fallendawn.

My pulse quickened. So this was him.

The nameless Alpha no records spoke about. The one Alpha Warren considered his nemesis.

His gaze shifted briefly toward the center of the hall where Alpha Warren stood laughing with Arabella.

“Seeing your Alpha merry with another she-wolf,” he said evenly, “why don’t you come with me instead of being stuck with that mutt?”

My breath caught. There was no mockery in his tone. Only calm certainty.

I looked back at Alpha Warren. He had not noticed my absence. He had not looked for me.

I turned back to the Alpha before me. I did not know him.

He could be dangerous. He could be worse. But staying here was no longer an option.

“Will you help me avenge myself?” I asked quietly.

His eyes darkened slightly.

“More than that,” he replied.