ARIADNE'S POV

After years of traveling across the continent, I returned to the Snowfang Pack, where my son, Carsten, now ruled as Alpha. His engagement to Harper, the daughter of the powerful River Howl Pack’s Alpha, had drawn me back. On the night of my arrival, Carsten took me to a quaint restaurant near the pack's territory. We laughed and shared stories, and he posted a photo of us with the caption, "The most important woman in my life. Thank you for always being by my side."

Little did I know, this simple gesture would ignite a storm. Harper, consumed by jealousy and paranoia, mistook me for Carsten’s mistress. From the moment I arrived, I sensed her disdain. She had never wanted me there, seeing me as a threat to her future.

The day I arrived at the pack house, Harper, along with a group of her friends, cornered me in a secluded hallway. Her voice dripped with venom. "You shameless woman! How dare you seduce Alpha Carsten?"

Determined to eliminate what she believed to be a threat, Harper orchestrated my abduction, her madness driving her to cruel lengths.

But just as Harper reveled in her triumph, Carsten burst into the place. His words, raw with emotion, echoed through the hall. "I will never marry you!"

***

I had heard the news just a few days ago: my son, Carsten, was finally about to get engaged to his mate, the woman he had been dating for two years. The thought of it filled me with overwhelming joy. The Snowfang Pack would soon have a Luna, and I couldn’t wait to see my son finally settling down. Without a second thought, I canceled all my commitments in Centreville, the bustling city on the continent where the royals lived, and I booked the earliest flight I could find. I rushed back to Snowfang Pack overnight.

That night, Carsten met me at one of the most renowned restaurants in town. The moment we saw each other, it felt as if the years had melted away. We laughed and reminisced, and for a few precious hours, I could pretend that everything was as it used to be before grief had driven me away and my son had been forced to shoulder the burden of leadership alone.

Carsten had always been strong, but seeing the man he had become filled me with both pride and a deep, lingering sorrow. He had taken on the role of Alpha after his father’s untimely death, a weight that no young man should have to bear alone. I had tried to cope with my own grief by traveling across the continent, settling in Centreville where I could lose myself in the demands of the royals. But no amount of distance or distraction could erase the pain of losing my mate, the former Alpha, or the guilt of leaving my son behind to deal with everything on his own.

That night, Carsten posted a photo of us on social media, capturing the moment we were finally reunited. His caption read, “Thank you, the most important woman in my life.” In the picture, I was kissing his cheek and hugging him.

It warmed my heart, but little did I know that those words would set off a chain of events that would turn everything upside down.

The next morning, I awoke feeling a mix of excitement. Carsten’s engagement banquet was approaching fast, and I wanted everything to be perfect. I had taken great care in preparing for this moment, even going so far as to purchase a villa worth 18 million dollars as a gift for Harper, Carsten’s soon-to-be Luna. I wanted to make sure she knew that she was welcomed into our family, and I hoped to put any worries she might have to rest.

However, as the morning sun streamed through the windows of the pack house, something felt off. I had been wandering through the familiar hallways, lost in memories of my mate, former Alpha Ares, and the life we had built together here.

Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. Turning around, I was met with an unexpected sight: Harper, standing there with a group of her friends. Her face was twisted in anger, and before I could even greet her, she stormed toward me, her eyes filled with fury.

“Harper?” I began, but my words were cut off as she slapped me across the face. The force of it made my head spin, and a sharp, stinging pain spread across my cheek. I stumbled back, shocked and disoriented.

The hallway was empty except for us. No omegas, no guards, no one to witness the scene that was unfolding. Harper's friends, all from the River Howl Pack, stood behind her, sneering as she grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me closer.

“You bitch!” Harper spat, her voice dripping with venom. “Did you really think you could hide here, right under my nose?”

I yelped in pain, struggling to understand what was happening. “Harper, what are you talking about? I’m not—”

“Don’t you dare lie to me!” she screamed, her grip tightening. “I know exactly who you are, you filthy mistress! You’ve been sneaking around behind my back, trying to steal Alpha Carsten from me!”

ARIADNE'S POV

“Harper, please, you’ve got it all wrong—” I tried to explain, but my words were drowned out by her fury.

“No! Don’t lie to me!” She snapped, her grip tightening on my hair, yanking it painfully. “I saw the photo. You think you can fool me? Kissing him, holding him like that—you’re nothing but a homewrecking slut!”

My heart ached at her words, but I couldn’t find the strength to fight back even if I could. How could I? Harper was just a young she-wolf, misled by her emotions and the circumstances. She didn’t know. She couldn’t know.

When she finally let go, I staggered back, breathing heavily. Harper and her friends stormed off, leaving me alone in the hallway, the tension still thick in the air. I stood there for a moment, trying to compose myself, but the tears were already welling up in my eyes.

I made my way back to my room, each step feeling heavier than the last. As soon as I shut the door behind me, I leaned against it, my breath coming in shallow gasps. My reflection caught my eye—a woman who, despite her age, still looked as though she could be in her mid-twenties. My long dark hair, flawless skin, and youthful face—traits inherited from my vampire lineage—stared back at me, mocking the situation I found myself in.

“Fae, what should I do?” I whispered, sinking onto the edge of my bed.

My wolf, Fae, was simmering with anger. “She dared to lay a hand on us! On our pack’s former Luna! We should have ripped her apart!” Fae snarled in my mind, her voice full of rage.

"Calm down, Fae,” I replied gently, though I could feel her fury pulsing through me. “She didn’t know. How could she? It was all a misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding or not, no one treats us this way. Especially not some naive girl who doesn’t even know who she’s talking to!” Fae growled, pacing within me, her fur bristling with agitation.

I sighed, rubbing my temples as I tried to soothe the throbbing headache that was forming. “She saw the photo, Fae. She saw us with Carsten, and she assumed… well, you know what she assumed.”

I turned to the mirror again, studying my appearance. It was true that my vampire blood gave me a youthful look, but I never thought it would lead to something like this. I had been gone from the Snowfang Pack for so long, wandering the continent, trying to bury the grief of losing my mate, that I hadn’t realized how much things had changed.

“She doesn’t know who I am,” I murmured, almost to myself. “Harper must have thought I was some young mistress trying to steal her mate. She doesn’t recognize me.”

“And why should that matter?” Fae retorted. “We don’t owe her any explanations. She should have asked before attacking us. We should have put her in her place!”

“She’s Carsten’s mate, Fae,” I reminded her softly. “And she’s young. This isn’t just about us; it’s about Carsten too. We can’t make things worse for him.”

Fae huffed but didn’t argue further. I could feel her frustration simmering, but she held back, allowing me to think clearly. It was true, Harper was unfamiliar with the history of the Snowfang Pack. She probably had no idea who I was or what I meant to Carsten.

As the realization settled in, so did the sadness. I had been away for too long. Even my son’s mate didn’t know me. She didn’t recognize the woman in that photo as Carsten’s mother but as a threat. And to think she had come here with her mind filled with such thoughts, ready to confront her rival.

I sighed heavily, wiping the tears that had spilled over. “We’ll need to fix this, Fae,” I said, my voice firmer now. “Carsten needs us to clear this up. I won’t let this misunderstanding ruin his engagement.”

“You’re too soft, Ariadne,” Fae grumbled, but I could feel her slowly calming down. “But I suppose you’re right. For Carsten’s sake, we need to make this right. But if she steps out of line again…”

“I know,” I whispered, running a hand through my hair.

ARIADNE'S POV

The morning light filtered through the curtains of my room, casting soft shadows on the walls. I stared at the ceiling, replaying the events of the previous night in my mind. Harper’s rage, her accusations, the slap that still echoed in my ears. I couldn't believe, at this age, I was worrying about such things.

I sighed in disbelief.

But then, I had to find Harper. I needed to clear up this misunderstanding before things spiraled further out of control. With a deep breath, I pushed myself out of bed, determined to make things right. After all, Carsten deserved a future free of unnecessary conflict, especially with the woman he was supposed to spend his life with.

My wolf, Fae, was restless, pacing within me, her anger from last night simmering just below the surface.

“Are you really going to let her get away with what she did, Ari?” Fae growled, her voice laced with frustration. “She attacked us, disrespected us in front of her friends, and now she’s nowhere to be found. This isn’t right!”

“I know, Fae,” I replied softly, trying to keep my emotions in check. “But I can’t make things worse for Carsten. We have to understand that Harper acted out of misunderstanding, not malice.”

“You’re too forgiving,” Fae huffed, but I could feel her trying to hold back her anger. “She should have asked questions before jumping to conclusions. You know how serious it is for wolves to accuse someone of having a mistress.”

I nodded, knowing Fae was right. In our world, loyalty is everything. To accuse an Alpha of infidelity was a grave offense, one that could shatter bonds and destroy trust. Harper’s mistake wasn’t a small one, but I couldn’t let it ruin my son’s future. He had already lost so much, and I wouldn’t let this be another loss he had to endure.

I searched the pack house, hoping to find Harper or one of her friends, but they were nowhere to be seen. As time passed, the sense of urgency grew. Finally, I decided to seek out Carsten in his Alpha office. He had to know where she was.

When I reached his office, I found him hunched over his desk, papers scattered around him. The tension in his shoulders was evident, and the dark circles under his eyes spoke of sleepless nights.

“Carsten,” I called out gently as I entered the room.

He looked up, surprised to see me. “Mother,” he greeted, attempting a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “What brings you here?”

“I’ve been looking for Harper,” I explained, trying to sound calm. “But I can’t find her anywhere. Is everything okay?”

Carsten’s expression tightened, and he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “There’s been… a lot going on, Mother. Harper and I… we’ve had our share of misunderstandings, and it’s been stressful for both of us.”

I walked over to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Tell me. You can lean on me."

Carsten hesitated, as if unsure whether to burden me with his troubles. But I was his mother.

“It’s like she doesn’t trust me anymore,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “She keeps bringing up this idea that I’m hiding something, that I’m seeing someone else. But I’m not, Mother. I swear.”

“I believe you, okay?” I said firmly, squeezing his shoulder. Deep inside, I felt really guilty because I was the cause of it! God, why, of all people, did Harper think that I was my son's mistress? Ridiculous.

"But where is she right now?" I asked.

He sighed. “Beta Elijah saw them off. They’re back at the River Howl Pack now.”

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. It seemed like it became bigger than anticipated. From what I heard, they were supposed to stay here until the engagement banquet. Fae growled within me, frustrated by the turn of events.

“I don't know with you, Ari. But I didn't like that woman, not one bit," Fae told me honestly.