Ava’s POV

Morning came slowly, but not kindly.

I got discharged. Alone. As usual.

Good. I was alive. The child inside me was alive. That was enough. For now.

Weakness clung to me like a second skin. Every step hurt, every breath reminded me of yesterday, the hospital, the peanut butter, Xavier, the wolves. My stomach churned, but I forced myself up. Forced myself out.

The hospital smelled like disinfectant and false cheer. I signed the discharge papers, my hand trembling despite my control.

I paused near a private ward. Laughter, too warm, too familiar, drifted out. It was Liezel. And him. Xavier.

I froze.

Of course. Of course, he’d choose to be here with her. Of course, he hadn’t even bothered to check on me. The one he almost killed, the one he humiliated, the one

carrying his child… and he didn’t look back.

I let out a bitter laugh. Silent. Shaking my head, trying not to cry, trying not to scream.

The doctor spoke, sweet and unaware of the venom in my chest. “Miss Liezel, I could say it a hundred times, and I’d still mean it. I envy you… Having a caring man by your side. Alpha Xavier never left you, not once. He made sure everything was fine. He made sure you could recover quickly.”

Liezel smiled. That honeyed, perfect, practiced smile. Her hand glided over Xavier’s shoulder.

“I get the envy, Doctor,” she said, voice soft but loud enough for me. “What can I say?

Xavier and I… we were always in love. We’re inseparable. They say a good alpha can only be a good one if he treats his mate right, yes?”

Their laughter echoed in my ears like knives. Sharp, precise, intentional.

I swallowed hard and walked on. My steps stiff. My chest is hollow. My stomach is twisting.

Near the hospital exit, a nurse caught up to me. She handed me my phone. A lifeline in

the chaos. I took it silently. Nodded. Didn’t speak.

And then, of course, they emerged. Xavier and Liezel. Hand in hand. Perfect.

Untouchable. Their smiles pristine, their poses rehearsed, the image of a life I would

never have.

Caught, I faked a smile. Small, polite, empty.

And for a second, just a flicker, Xavier’s eyes softened. Guilt? A hint, buried under years of control. A pause. But then it was gone.

He snorted. “Liezel and I have to go somewhere first. You should return to the packhouse. Look after Alexander for a while.”

Like a good little lamb. Like I always had.

I nodded again. Forced. Controlled. Smile fixed.

Once, this treatment, his distance, his command, his silent superiority would have broken me. I would have cried. Blamed myself. Believed I was the problem. Always.

But now… now I knew. Now I knew the truth. Now I knew everything he had done, everything he had hidden, everything he had planned.

And all that remained was a hollow space inside me. A vacuum of rage, fear, and something darker: resolve.

I watched them leave. Every detail. Xavier carefully helped Liezel into the car, adjusting her seatbelt like she was fragile porcelain. Watching him look at her… the way he’d never looked at me.

I kept my mouth shut. I didn’t scream. I didn’t run. I only let the observation sink in.

In the packhouse, I threw myself into my duties, playing the obedient servant Xavier wanted me to be, more omega than Luna of this pack.

Still weak, I chopped vegetables, stirred the soup, and later tended to Alexander. I played

with him, cared for him, and acted like a mother to my husband’s son… even though he belonged to another woman.

I assisted where necessary. But my hands stayed steady, my expression neutral. I

didn’t cry. I didn’t complain. I didn’t let anyone see the storm raging behind my eyes.

Night fell. Exhaustion hit. I collapsed on my bed. Phone in hand, fingers trembling slightly from fatigue and lingering fear.

And then, almost immediately, I saw it. His post. Xavier.

Liezel on his lap. Overlooking the city skyline from an expensive restaurant, I had

begged him to take me to. The one he said would “look cheap on me.”

Liezel smiling. Perfect. Untroubled. Safe. In his arms.

I stared. My stomach knotted. My teeth clenched. My heart, hollow, empty, ached in that familiar way.

The caption? Polished, casual, cruel: “A good alpha makes sure his mate is protected.

Every moment counts.”

I scrolled. Liked it. My thumb hovered, then pressing the screen automatically. A hollow

gesture. A lie to myself. A pretend that I belonged to this world, that I had some control.

I knew it was bitter. Poisonous. I knew what it meant, even if no one else did.

Liezel was safe. Xavier was attentive. And I… I was left with ashes of my pride, the

shadow of my anger, and a life that wasn’t mine to hold.

My fingers shook as I put the phone down. Forced myself to sleep.

Even in darkness, even in exhaustion, even in the quiet, I remembered everything.

Maribel. The peanut butter. The humiliation. The lies. Alexander. The child I carried.

Everything was still mine. If I survived.

And I would.

Because cruelty didn’t just erase people.

It created shadows.

And I was learning how to move in the dark.

AVA’S POV

I woke up before everyone else, or so I thought. I rose slowly, each movement deliberate, testing my body. Weakness still clung to me, but I forced it aside. The day would not wait for me to recover. Alexander needed me. The packhouse would demand me. The world would not slow for anyone.

I was alone, and somehow, that felt worse than being hunted.

The first thing I noticed was the cold. My hands trembled as I pressed them over my

stomach, the life inside me pulsing softly against the rising dread.

I slid out of bed, careful not to disturb the sheets, bare feet whispering against the

marble floor. Every step toward the kitchen made me feel exposed, like the walls themselves were judging me.

Passing Xavier’s old room, the sound of moans froze me mid-step.

My wolf growled low in my chest. Leave, Ava. Don’t look.

But the human part of me, the part that still hoped my alpha might hold even a shred of

respect, led me closer.

The door was slightly ajar. I peeked.

Xavier was in bed. And Liezel, naked, straddling him, moving as if he belonged to her

entirely. My stomach twisted violently. My hands shook, my heart pounded, and yet, I

couldn’t tear my eyes away for just a moment.

Then I turned and ran.

Tears streaked my face as I entered the kitchen. I chopped, stirred, and cleaned, all with

hands that refused to stop trembling. I couldn’t stop seeing it, the way he looked at her,

the careless laughter, the intimacy I would never know.

“Good morning,” Xavier’s voice boomed from the doorway, and I flinched. Shirtless.

Dominant. Expectant.

“Morning,” I whispered, voice tight.

Liezel followed, laughing softly, wearing only the lingerie, my lingerie that Xavier had gifted me on our wedding night. My chest tightened. Every memory of love, of marriage,

of hope, felt like shards of glass pressing against my ribs.

“Prepare my breakfast,” Xavier ordered. “And hers. Get her tea, her favorite. Alexander,

coat on. You’ll take him to the park.”

I nodded, swallowing back bile. “Yes, Alpha,” I murmured, my voice hollow, obedient.

“Alexander, breakfast first,” Xavier said, casually stroking the nape of his neck. Liezel

laughed beside him. “Make sure it’s hot. I like my tea strong, darling.”

I moved mechanically. Chopped eggs. Buttered bread. Carried plates and tea as if my

hands belonged to someone else. My heart ached with every glance Xavier gave Liezel,

every whispered joke I wasn’t part of, every casual touch that belonged to someone

else entirely.

“Here,” I said, placing the tea in front of her. My fingers brushed her hand for a fraction of a second. She smiled. No recognition. No acknowledgment. Nothing.

Xavier’s eyes flicked to me. “Move it,” he said, voice sharp. “Take Alexander out before he loses patience.”

I nodded silently. Alexander tugged at my hand, unaware of the storm swirling inside me.

At the park, the sun was sharp. Children screamed and ran, and Alexander’s laughter rang like bells.

My phone vibrated once in my palm, an unfamiliar comfort. A call. Magnus. My

childhood best friend from the orphanage, the one I hadn’t spoken to since I married

Xavier is now the only heir to the Sharpfang Pack. I didn’t call back. I couldn’t risk it.

But the knowledge that someone who had truly known me long ago still thought to check on me lingered longer than the vibration itself.

I answered cautiously. “Magnus?”

“How are you, Ava?” His voice was steady, gentle, the kind of voice that could untangle

years of fear.

“I’m fine,” I said, voice tight. “I’m… fine.”

He didn’t buy it. “You’re not. What’s wrong?”

I hesitated. The truth would open doors I wasn’t ready to cross. I shook my head.

“Nothing. Really. Just… tired.”

There was silence for a moment, then he said softly, “Ava… I’ve been here. Always. If you ever need me, I’ll help. All you have to do is say it.”

I stared at the phone long after the call ended. His words echoed. Always here… ready

to help… A lifeline I hadn’t realized I still craved.

Back at the house, the memory of Xavier and Liezel clung to me like smoke. I cooked,

served, cleaned, and obeyed, every motion deliberate, silent. Every order followed

without complaint, every ounce of pain swallowed like medicine.

“Tea, Alpha,” I said, setting the cup down carefully.

“Thanks,” Xavier murmured, not looking at me.

Liezel giggled. “You always know exactly how I like it.”

I pressed my lips together. A small, bitter smile. Inside, I burned. Outside, I bowed my

head and served.

Alexander tugged at my hand again. “Auntie Ava, swing!”

“Yes,” I whispered. He ran ahead, and I followed, letting the fresh air wash over me,

trying to purge the suffocating heaviness of the house.

Hours passed. I thought of Magnus’s words. I’m here. Always.

Could I trust him? Could I reach out? Or was it a fantasy, a fleeting hope in a life full of

betrayals?

I sank onto a park bench, hands pressed to my stomach. The life inside me pulsed, warmly, stubbornly.

We exist. We survive.

I whispered it aloud. “We will survive. We will be stronger. We’ll endure.”

And in that quiet, with the wind in my hair and the distant laughter of children, I realized

something.

I didn’t need Xavier’s acknowledgment.

I didn’t need Liezel’s approval.

I had a child.

I had Magnus’s promise.

I had my own will.

And that was enough.

I would survive. Not just for me. Not just for him. Not for anyone else.

But for the life that belonged to no one but me.

Whatever came next, whatever choices I had to make, I would protect that life.

And if Magnus’s hand was offered… perhaps it was time to take it.

The world could try to break me.

It could try to erase me.

But it wouldn’t.

Not anymore.

AVA’S POV

The night air hit me like ice as I stepped out of the packhouse, carrying the last of the boxes filled with my old clothes. My hands trembled slightly, but I didn’t care enough to steady them. Each

box held fragments of a past that no longer belonged here, pieces of a life I was done pretending

still fit. I dragged them toward the rusted trash can near the back gate and threw them in, the

metal ringing with a heavy, final clatter.

I struck a match and tossed it onto the pile. Flames rose instantly, eager and unforgiving,

devouring everything I wanted gone. Fabric curled, memories blackened, and for a brief moment, I felt free, free from the shadows Xavier had cast over me, free from the suffocating gaze of a man who had never truly seen me, no matter how close I stood to him.

Then footsteps stopped me cold.

I didn’t need to turn around. His presence was unmistakable, pressing into the air like a warning.

Alpha Xavier.

Cruel. Powerful. Dangerous. The darkness clung to him like a second skin. I felt his eyes on me before I even faced him, sharp and assessing, as if weighing my worth.

“You,” he said sharply. “What are you doing here?”

I turned slowly, forcing my spine straight, refusing to let fear show. “Throwing away things I no

longer need.”

He stepped closer, the night itself seeming to bend around him, shadows deepening at his feet.

“And what else are you hiding, Ava?”

I stiffened despite myself. Every word I had practiced dissolved. I shook my head once. “I’m not hiding anything.”

He laughed, cold, sharp, humorless. “Don’t lie to me.”

“I’m not,” I said quietly, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “And I don’t owe you anything, Xavier.”

Something in his eyes snapped.

His hand struck my face without warning, fast, brutal. Pain flared across my cheek, bright and

burning, but I didn’t cry out. Rage surged hotter than the sting, swallowing the shock.

“You made me invisible,” I spat. “You chose her over me every single time. And you’ll never understand what it’s like to fight for air in a world where you don’t exist at all.”

“How dare you-” he snarled.

“Don’t,” I hissed, stepping back only an inch. “I owe you nothing. Not now. Not ever.”

Liezel emerged from the shadows like a predator answering a call. She grabbed my hair and

yanked hard, forcing my head back. “You’re only a Luna by title,” she sneered. “Learn your

place. Do not disrespect the Alpha.”

I stumbled, fingers clawing at her grip. Fury surged through me, raw and desperate. With a

violent shove, I tore free and pushed her back. She staggered, sparks leaping dangerously close as my dress brushed the fire. My chest heaved as heat kissed my skin.

Xavier caught her instantly, steadying her as if she were fragile.

“She tried to push me into the fire!” Liezel cried, pointing at me. “She’s

jealous, unstable, dangerous-”

His eyes burned as they locked onto me. I opened my mouth to explain, to speak the truth, but it was already too late.

His hand struck me again, harder this time. Pain exploded across my face, white and blinding, and my knees buckled beneath me.

“Guards!” he roared. “Take her. Now!”

My stomach dropped. The fire. The trash can. I realized too late where they were dragging me.

Panic surged as I clutched my stomach instinctively, terror flooding my veins.

“No!” I screamed, struggling as hands seized me. “Please! I’ve done nothing wrong! Stop please, Alpha Xavier!”

He didn’t even look at me. “You’ve forgotten your place,” he said coldly. “Perhaps this will

remind you.”

“I love you!” I cried, tears spilling freely now. “I’ve loved you! I thought I always would, no matter how much it hurt me!”

The guards shoved me closer. Heat licked my skin. Wolves circled, teeth bared, holding me fast as sparks clung to my dress and smoke curled upward.

“Enough,” Xavier growled. “You’ve defied me long enough.”

“You think yourself clever,” he continued, his voice merciless, “but you are nothing. You will

learn your place.”

Liezel stepped forward, eyes gleaming with cruel delight. “It would be a scandal if the Council found out,” she said sweetly. “Perhaps it’s best if she burns somewhere hidden.”

Xavier smiled. Soft. Terrifying. Final.

“Yes. Turn her around.”

My heart froze solid.

A burning stick was torn from the trash and pressed hard against my back.

Agony exploded, white-hot, blinding, unbearable. My scream ripped free as sparks caught, smoke stinging my eyes and filling my lungs.

“Alpha… please…” I sobbed.

“You’ll remember this,” Xavier said calmly. “This will remind you who you are, and who you serve.”

The fire consumed my dress. Pain wracked my body. Smoke blurred my vision. The night

dissolved into flames, faces, betrayal, until nothing existed but agony.

“I… did nothing… wrong…” I whispered.

Then everything went black.