I walked through the towering halls of the Poisonwood Packhouse with the healer. I held the iron key to the house I had been preparing as a surprise for my mate, Alpha Trent Holland. The house had been passed down to my family as a symbol of love.

I spent a lot of time wondering whether to tell him about my pregnancy or let the healer confirm it. Then I realized, why not tell him and let the healer confirm my news? So, I am walking through the halls, excitement evident in my veins. But when I reached his office, I heard something I shouldn’t have.

“She must not learn about this, do you understand, David?” Trent growled. “It’s done. We cannot change it anymore.”

I froze. My hand tightened around the door handle. I signaled the healer to leave for now. I have a bad feeling about this. They’re talking about a ‘she.’

Then, David answered, “Alpha, you used her mother’s wolf heart to save Monica Maze’s sister. You lied to Lucy, and her mother died because of it. What do you think she’ll do if she finds out?”

Did we hear him right? My wolf asked, but I couldn’t reply to her. The walls of the Packhouse suddenly felt suffocating.

Hearing the truth already made me feel like I had died. But it was worse knowing that Trent betrayed my trust because of Monica Maze.

Monica Maze. The name burned like silver against my skin, each syllable a jagged reminder of my past. Monica was Trent's first love. He never stopped loving her. She was also the woman my former lover, Henry, had rejected me for.

Why does it always have to be her?

I wanted to leave, but my heart told me to stay. I must see the end of this conversation. I must hear what else Trent was hiding from me. So, I stayed even though the pain was starting to

“I did what I had to do,” Trent said, devoid of guilt. “Monica needed me. Her sister needed me. Lucy’s mother was already fading anyway. I chose a greater good for this.”

“Greater good? So, you killed her?” David snarled.

“I saved Monica’s sister,” Trent said coldly. “And I claimed Lucy as my mate. Isn’t that enough?”

I heard, “You’ve spent five years lying to her. Five years pretending to be the perfect mate. The poor girl loves you!”

“Lucy means nothing to me,” Trent snapped. “I’ve done my duty by marking her, by giving her a position in this pack. But if she ever finds out… then so be it.”

“That is such a cold-hearted line for you, Alpha of Poisonwood. What will happen to Lucy if she ever finds out? Banished her?” David kept asking.

“I’ll remove her from my life if I have to. As long as Monica is happy, nothing else matters.”

My knees gave out, and I fell to the floor. The coldness of it numbed the pain I was feeling, yet the words from Trent’s mouth repeated in my mind. I heard it once, but it was now in my head forever.

I had been a fool. I thought he cherished me, that the way he touched, held, and protected me meant something. But I was nothing more than an obligation. A tool. A convenient choice after his true mate rejected him.

I spun on my heel, yanking the key from my pocket and tossing it into the nearest brazier, watching the fire consume my foolish hopes.

Then I ran.

I barely saw the twisting corridors as I sprinted through the Packhouse, my vision blurred by unshed tears. My wolf howled inside me, clawing at my chest, demanding vengeance.

I stumbled into my car, gripping the steering wheel. I was out of breath because of both anger and pain.

Trent killed my mother. He took her heart and gave it to Monica’s sister. He condemned my family for his first love.

The engine roared to life as I sped down the forest roads, but I couldn’t see past the storm of betrayal in my mind. The impact came too fast. Pain exploded through me as metal twisted and glass shattered.

Then, I called for my wolf to shift and heal both of us, but it was too late.

The scent of antiseptic burned my nose. My limbs felt heavy, my skin raw with pain. I blinked against the harsh hospital lights, my body weak but my mind sharp. And then I saw Trent.

He sat at my bedside, gripping my hand like his lifeline. His golden eyes—eyes I once adored—were red-rimmed, filled with something that almost looked like regret.

“Lucy,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “Why? Why were you driving like that? You could’ve died!”

I stared at him. He kissed my fingers, then my forehead, his touch as gentle as ever, yet it felt like a sharp silver knife piercing my skin.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again. I can’t lose you.”

I almost laughed. He played the part so well.

I forced a weak smile and murmured, “I’m fine.”

Relief flooded his face. He leaned closer, brushing my cheek with his thumb, whispering how much he loved me, how much I meant to him.

And I let him. I let him believe I was still the naive, trusting mate he had marked. But deep down, I was already planning his downfall.

Alpha Trent Holland had taken everything from me—my mother, trust, and love.

Let’s take everything away from him, my wolf, and I said in unison.

“Lucy, I’ll leave for an Alpha meeting with the Northern Packs. It’ll just be a couple of days,” he murmured, brushing his lips against my forehead like the devoted mate he pretended to be. “I’ll miss you.”

I forced a smile, pretending to care. “Safe travels, my Alpha.”

Trent laughed when I called him Alpha. He knew I never called him that unless we were arguing over something, but he didn’t care because I said it in a loving tone, or he didn’t care.

When his black SUV disappeared beyond the tree line, I turned on my heel and got to work.

I had observed his routines for days, watching where he kept his most guarded possessions. Alpha always had secrets. And his? They were locked inside the packhouse vault with an easy code—Monica’s birthday.

When I tried it, it worked. The lock clicked open on my first try. Inside, everything I needed lay in neat, damning stacks.

The first set of documents were medical records—agreements for a ritualistic organ transfer—signed approvals for my mother’s heart to be sacrificed to save Monica’s sister.

I gripped the paper so tightly that my claws nearly shredded it. I never even signed any documents regarding my mother’s life.

Trent had done this. He had stolen my mother’s life, torn out her heart, and gifted it to the woman he truly loved. And then Trent had marked me, claimed me, and pretended I was his destined mate so that I wouldn’t ask questions. He was there when I was drowning in the same sorrows he caused.

I shoved the medical files aside and reached for another pile—financial transactions. At first glance, they appeared to be standard pack business, but I knew better now.

These weren’t simple payments. They were gifts.

Glistening jewelry. Lavish dresses. Luxurious vacations. All these are for Monica.

Then, I found my receipts for the gifts Trent had given me over the years—a necklace here, a ring there—things I had once cherished, thinking they were symbols of his love. But compared to what he had showered Monica with, they were scraps.

A bitter laugh bubbled up in my throat. I had been a convenient mate and a tool for his ambition. My hands trembled as I gathered the evidence, but they refused to break. Not now.

Instead, I pulled out my phone and began photographing everything—the hospital agreements, the transactions, the receipts—every piece of betrayal.

At the bottom of the vault, a thick leather folder labeled ‘Future Assets’ caught my eye. I saw investment plans, property deeds, and insurance policies when I opened it. Trent had mapped out his empire, ensuring Monica always had the best of everything.

I clenched my jaw and snapped pictures of those, too. When I was done, I carefully locked the vault, leaving everything exactly as it had been. Then, without glancing at the home I once believed was mine, I walked out of the packhouse.

The moon was high when I arrived at my first destination: the pack’s Gamma, the wisest and oldest in our pack.

“Luna Lucy,” he greeted, startled by my sudden appearance. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I need a severance ritual,” I said smoothly.

He frowned. “A severance ritual? You do know it is forbidden-”

“Yes! But I need a formal dissolution of my bond to Alpha Trent,” I clarified. “I know you have all the Alpha’s blood stored here for summoning and healing purposes.”

His brows lifted. “Does the Alpha—”

“No,” I cut in, my voice firm. “And I’d like to keep it that way. Now, what do I do?”

He hesitated but then nodded. “Understood. I just need your blood to drop off this vial. Then, I’ll mix it with Alpha Trent’s blood.” He brought the blood, and we started mixing it to perform the severance ritual.

After the ritual, I walked out and headed to my next destination.

The building was small, tucked away on the outskirts of rogue territory. Its sign was faded, nearly unreadable, but I knew what it was—a sanctuary for those who wished to vanish.

I stepped inside, the scent of damp wood and old parchment filling my nose. A man sat behind a desk, his face shadowed beneath a hood. His scent was strange—neutral, untraceable.

“I need your services.”

His eyes gleamed. “What kind of services?”

“I want to disappear,” I said. “Completely.”

A slow smirk spread across his face. “And what makes you think I can help you?”

I reached into my satchel and pulled out a stack of unmarked bills. “Because you’ve done it before.”

His smirk widened. “Now we’re talking.”

He gestured for me to follow him into a back room. Screens lined the walls, displaying blurred faces and falsified identities.

“Here’s how it works,” he said. “We fake your death. A rogue attack, a drowning, whatever you want. Once it’s done, you’ll get new papers and a new pack history. No one will ever find you.”

Lucy, I don’t like this. I want revenge! My wolf said.

The headline caught my eye before I realized what I was looking at.

“Alpha Trent Holland and Monica Maze spotted at exclusive auction—sparks still flying after all these years.”

I sat frozen, staring at my phone screen as if it had betrayed me. There they were—Trent and Monica, dressed to perfection, glowing as if the world revolved around them. They stood close, smiling at each other with an intimacy that turned my stomach.

He told me he was on a pack summit with other Alphas. The auction wasn’t a political engagement, and Monica isn’t an Alpha.

I scrolled further, my hands trembling as I read the article. The words painted a nauseating picture of their chemistry, their “undeniable connection.” Each sentence felt like a claw ripping deeper into my chest.

I dropped my phone onto the couch as my chest tightened, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe.

Then, I placed my hand gently on my stomach, closing my eyes as I took a slow, deep breath. This life growing inside me didn’t deserve to be tainted by my pain. My child was a blessing, a light in the darkness, and I would cherish him no matter what.

I went to the healer to ensure my child’s health. As she glided the enchanted stone over my stomach, the rhythmic flicker of my child’s heartbeat filled the room.

“Everything looks perfect. You’re carrying a strong Alpha.”

Alpha. My child might become Alpha one day or just be a typical werewolf. I don’t want them to grow up in a life of betrayal and disloyalty.

At the same time, relief washed over me, breaking through the layers of hurt. I was welled up with tears, but this was due to happiness. For the first time in weeks, I felt hope other than pain.

After leaving the infirmary, I knew what I had to do next. I went to the Alphas’ estate, which once felt like my home. But now, as I stood before the towering oak doors, I felt like an outsider.

The guards stiffened at my arrival. “Is Alpha Harper in his office?”

“Yes, Luna, but you can’t go in right now,” he said, shifting uneasily.

“Why not? I’m a Luna,” I said firmly, narrowing my eyes.

The warrior averted his gaze. “I’m sorry, Luna. I can’t say.”

My chest tightened, anger simmering beneath my shock. He hadn’t even told me he was back from his so-called summit.

The warrior guarding the door wasn’t moving at all until David arrived. “You’re a warrior of the pack. You shouldn’t defy your Luna.”

The warrior said nothing and just gave way to me. I would have thanked David, but remembering that he was hiding the truth from me, I didn’t care either.

The door was slightly ajar, and I hesitated briefly, my heart pounding. A part of me knew I shouldn’t look, that whatever I saw would only hurt me more. But curiosity and pain pushed me forward.

I peeked inside, and the air was knocked out of me.

Trent stood by his desk, and Monica was in his arms. Their faces were close, far too near. Then, as if on cue, his lips met hers.

That was when it felt like my entire world had collapsed instantly. They kissed, utterly oblivious to the world around them. The way his hand rested on her waist and her smile melted into his—it was as if nothing else mattered.

How dare you!!! My wolf screamed inside me, wanting to shift right there and then. I had to calm her down.

I wanted to storm in, to claw the perfect little bubble they had created for themselves. But I didn’t. This time, I didn’t run either. Instead, I reached for my phone with trembling hands. I snapped a photo, capturing the moment Monica looked up at him with that same sickening smile I’d seen in the auction pictures.

It was perfect.

Then, I walked back to my car. Once inside, I stared at the photo; the image seared into my mind. I opened a dummy account on the pack’s network, uploaded the picture, and sent it directly to Henry, Monica’s mate.

Back home, I packed everything Trent had given me over the past five years and carried the boxes downstairs. I lit the fire and tossed them in individually, watching the flames consume my past.

As the fire roared to life, Monica appeared out of nowhere and, without saying a word, kicked one of the boxes. Embers and ash scattered, some even landing on her, but she only smiled.

I narrowed my eyes. “What are you doing, Monica?”

“Oh, sorry! I just slipped. I didn’t mean to do it.” She acted innocent, her smile unwavering. “Wait, are these things from Trent? Why are you burning them? Did you finally realize how useless you are to him?”

I raised a brow. “Excuse me?”

“I’m just saying... You couldn’t even protect your mother back then. You know, when she died? You were so useless.”

“How could you utter my mother with your filthy mouth?”

A fire hotter than the flames before me ignited in my chest. Without thinking, I slapped her across the face. It wasn’t even that hard, but she fell straight into the fire.