DAHLIA

I settled on the bed, my laptop open in front of me as I tried to book a flight to New Orleans.

But every airline I checked had no available tickets from my location.

I let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed my temples. Why was this happening now, of all times?

I was going to have to wait a few days before I could even book a flight, and that sucked real bad.

I thought about booking a flight somewhere else, but my heart wasn't in it.

New Orleans had always been my dream destination, the place I had always wanted to visit. I couldn't settle for anywhere else.

Closing my laptop, I hugged myself, feeling empty and hollow inside.

It all made sense now—the reason why Tristan had never marked me as his true mate, the way he had always made excuses and put it off.

He had never seen me as his Luna, his rightful partner. In his eyes, Kaylee was the one who deserved that honor.

Of course it had to be her. She was a strong she-wolf, bold and beautiful.

And she was the legitimate daughter of our father, whereas I was just the illegitimate child born by a maid.

My father had never extended his love to me, even though he knew of my existence.

But when he found out about my healing abilities, he welcomed me with open arms.

Kaylee and her mother, however, had made my life a living hell, especially after my mother died of a rare cancer.

And now, to add insult to injury, Tristan had chosen Kaylee over me, his own mate.

As the day wore on, I couldn't help but torture myself by scrolling through Kaylee's social media.

There were videos of her enjoying the beach in the Maldives, wearing a bikini and flaunting her diamond ring.

She posted a picture of a man's hand on her waist, holding her while she showed off her ring.

The picture was cropped, but I could recognize the arms of Tristan even in my dreams.

The comments flooded in, congratulating her on her engagement.

"Wow, your engagement ring must cost my entire house and all my properties!" one person gushed.

"It glitters just like you!" another exclaimed.

"Did you just get engaged, Kaylee? Wow! Who is the lucky man? Congratulations! Is it Alpha Tristan? It has to be since you both are so close!"

I felt sick to my stomach knowing that the engagement ring was the same one Tristan had given me, but mine was a lower quality.

It wasn't anything special after all, and neither was I. I was just a fool, taken in by Tristan's lies and deception.

Three days flew by quickly, and Tristan had the decency to finally come home.

I stood in the living room, my arms crossed as I watched him walk in with Kaylee trailing behind him, carrying a small suitcase.

I raised an eyebrow, my mind racing with questions.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to sound calm. "What's Kaylee doing here with a bag?"

Tristan cleared his throat, casting a sideways glance at Kaylee. "Oh, I hope you don't mind, but Kaylee's house is undergoing renovations right now, and she needed a place to stay for the next few days. I hope she can crash here."

I scoffed in disbelief. "What happened to Dad’s house, Kaylee? Couldn't you go there?"

She whined, her voice grating on my nerves. "You are not even married to Tristan yet, and you're so stingy with him. It's Tristan's house, and if he says I'm welcome, then I am."

I rolled my eyes, my patience wearing thin. "You haven't answered the question. Why couldn’t you stay at Dad’s house?"

She gave a dismissive shrug of her shoulders, inspecting her brightly red-colored nails. "Dad and my mom are out of town right now, and there's no way I could stay in that big house all by myself. I need company."

I raised an eyebrow, not willing to let her off the hook. "What happened to hotels? You could find a small room."

Tristan stepped in, his voice firm. "Why are you being difficult, Dahlia? She's your sister, and you should learn to make sacrifices and accommodate her."

I felt a surge of anger, but I bit back my retort. "Fine. Whatever."

Tristan nodded, his expression satisfied. "Good. There's a pack celebration tonight, and you need to get ready to be present."

I had just booked my flight to New Orleans, and the last thing I wanted was to be stuck at some packed event, pretending to be the perfect mate while my heart was shattering into a million pieces.

"I'm not really in the mood to go," I said with a slight frown.

Tristan's expression turned stern. "As future Luna, you have to be present, and you have to be on time. It's your duty."

Begrudgingly, I agreed, knowing I had no other choice. When I finally got glammed up and came downstairs, I caught Tristan gazing at Kaylee, his eyes filled with a tenderness that I had never seen directed at me.

I heard him tell her how breathtaking she looked.

He cleared his throat when he saw me, his expression awkward. "You look good too, Dahlia."

I muttered my thanks, feeling out of place as we all went outside.

But just as I settled into the front seat of the car, Kaylee's phone vibrated, and her face fell.

She started pouting like a stupid fish, her lower lip jutting out in a pathetic way.

"What's wrong?" Tristan asked, his brows creasing in concern.

"I have an appointment," she groaned. "They need me for my dress fitting as one of the bridesmaids for the wedding. It’s important, and I really have to go, like, right now."

Tristan looked between us, his expression indecisive. "Okay, the best way to solve this is for me to drop Kaylee off first since it’s in a different location. Then I’ll come to the meeting with her afterwards."

He turned to me calmly. "Dahlia, why don't you step down from the car and take a cab instead? You can make it to the meeting on time and represent me."

DAHLIA

A cab? Just for that? I felt a sting of hurt and shock, but I managed a weak smile.

"Okay, sure," I said, trying not to let my emotions show.

I opened the door and stepped out of the passenger seat, watching as Tristan and Kaylee drove away.

I thought about not going to the pack meeting, but something inside me pushed me to attend. It was my last time seeing everyone, after all.

As I entered the hall, I was immediately struck by the buzz of conversation and laughter. Scanning the room, I spotted an empty chair at the front.

But it was hard to ignore the whispers and glances from the other pack members. Where was Alpha Tristan? Why wasn't he with his mate?

Just as I was starting to feel like I couldn't take it anymore, Tristan walked in, Kaylee by his side. The room fell silent, and all eyes turned to them.

The pack gala began, and we went through the usual motions – food, drinks, and small talk.

But as the night wore on, the conversation turned to the recent poisonings that had been plaguing our pack.

Tristan stood at the front of the room, addressing the gathered werewolves.

"We need to work together to find the culprit and put an end to these attacks,"

Kaylee stood up and approached Tristan with a confident smile.

"Alpha Tristan, may I?" she asked.

Tristan nodded, and she launched into a passionate speech about a new initiative to protect the pack's territory from rival clans.

Her words sounded familiar, too familiar. And then it hit me that she was presenting my idea. The one I had shared with Tristan in private just a few days ago!

My eyes widened as I listened to Kaylee outline the details of "Moonlight Guardians," a task force to protect our territory from external threats.

As Kaylee finished her speech, everyone started cheering and applauding.

Tristan smiled proudly at her.

He never looked at me like that. I felt like I was going to be sick.

As the applause died down, Kaylee turned to me with a smirk. "And, future Luna, what do you have to contribute to the pack?"

I felt my face burning with anger but I said nothing. Everyone started whispering.

But as Kaylee took her seat back, still smirking at me, I couldn't help myself. "Why the hell did you just do that?" I hissed, my voice low and furious.

She just shrugged, her smile growing wider. "It's not my fault you're dumb and can’t come up with wise ideas,"

That was it. I lost control and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her out of her seat.

But before I could do any real damage, she let out an exaggerated yelp, drawing the attention of everyone in the room.

"Dahlia attacked me!" she cried in a shrill voice.

The room turned into chaos, with everyone rushing to intervene.

But before anyone could reach us, an electrical explosion happened right behind us, sending sparks flying everywhere.

I felt a sharp pain in my thigh as my clothes caught fire. Stumbling backwards, I desperately tried to put out the flames.

Someone rushed forward with a fire extinguisher, quickly dousing the fire.

But I already suffered severe burns on my thigh. Kaylee, on the other hand, suffered minor burns on her arm.

As I gasped in pain, Tristan rushed to our side.

But instead of helping me, he demanded that I use my healing powers to save Kaylee.

I was shocked and outraged. "I'm hurt too!" I protested, my voice shaking with pain and anger. "I don't know if I can heal anyone right now!"

But Tristan just glared at me. "You have to try. After all you hurt her in the first place."

I was too weak to resist, and with great effort, I managed to tap into my powers, healing Kaylee's wounds.

But it left my own injuries unattended, and I felt exhausted.

Tristan didn't seem to care, relieved that Kaylee was safe.

Luckily, Naya, my best friend who just arrived rushed to my side.

She helped me to my feet.

"Let's get you out of here," she said in a soft voice.

As we made our way out of the hall, I caught a glimpse of Tristan hugging Kaylee, comforting her.

But I pushed it aside, focusing on my escape.

On our way to the hospital, something inside of me snapped. I turned to Naya, who was driving, and a plan formed in my mind.

"I need your help. I'm going to fake my own death," I said in a determined voice.

Naya’s eyes grew wide as saucers.

"What? Are you serious?" she asked, darting a glance at me.

"Yes, dead ass. I'll compensate you for a brand new car if you drive this one to a cliff and make it look like an accident."

"Dahlia, I don't think that's a good idea!" she exclaimed.

I just smiled, my mind made up. "That's the point. Everyone will think I'm dead, and I'll be free to start a new life."

She looked at me, unsure, but I was her best friend after all.

"Okay, Dahlia," she said finally. "But you have to promise me you'll be careful."

I nodded, and smiled my thanks.

As we reached the cliff, we stepped out. Naya put the car in gear and drove it off the cliff.

I watched as the car exploded in a ball of flames, feeling free.

Naya pulled me into the woods where her old family house was. We needed a place to hide for the mean time.

It was an old, cozy cabin, surrounded by trees and a small stream.

She helped me inside, where we tended to my wounds. Then I was finally strong enough to heal myself.

After two days, we went to the airport, where I had a flight waiting to take me to Paris.

I gave Naya a tight goodbye hug and was ready to start my new life, free from Tristan and Kaylee. I wore a disguise, a wig and sunglasses, and made my way to the plane.

TRISTAN

I paced back and forth in my living room, my mind racing with thoughts of Dahlia.

We were supposed to get married in two days, and yet she was nowhere to be found. I had been searching for her since the pack gala.

I had thought she had gone to the hospital by herself after I saved Kaylee, but now I realized I was wrong. She had vanished into thin air, leaving me with so much unease.

Just then, Kaylee walked into the room, carrying a tray with a steaming cup of hot tea.

"I made it just the way you like it," she said, setting the tray down on the coffee table.

I shook my head, my frustration boiling over. "I'm not in the mood for tea right now, Kaylee. My wedding is in two days, and Dahlia is still missing. Do you understand the complications of her disappearance?"

She frowned. "What are you going to do about it? You've already sent the pack members and your best warriors to search for her in the woods. Isn't that enough?"

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. But before I could respond, my beta Nicholas mind-linked me. "Alpha Tristan, I've found Naya, Dahlia's best friend, at the hospital. She's been there for a while, and her leg is severely bandaged. It's really serious... and Kaylee's body is already in..."

I felt a chill run down my spine as Nicholas's words trailed off.

I immediately rose to my feet, my heart racing with fear. "Continue," I demanded.

Nicholas hesitated before responding. "She's already in the morgue, Alpha Tristan."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Dahlia, my fiancée, was… dead?

I asked Nicholas for the details of the hospital, my mind racing with thoughts of what could have happened.

As soon as he responded, I grabbed my car keys and headed for the door.

Kaylee looked at me in confusion. "Tristan, what's wrong? You can't just leave like that."

But I didn't have time to explain. I hastily told her that I had to go, that Dahlia was in trouble, and I needed to reach her fast.

On second thought, I decided to change into my wolf form. I let out a swift transformation, my body shifting into that of a wolf.

My fur was a brilliant shade of gray, almost white, and my eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity.

I bolted out the door, ignoring Kaylee's cries as she called after me.

I didn't have time to worry about her right now. I had to find out what had happened to Dahlia.

As a werewolf hospital, the building was designed to accommodate our kind.

I navigated the corridors with ease, my wolf senses guiding me through the maze of rooms and hallways.

Finally, I arrived at the room where Naya was being kept.

I changed back into my human form and grabbed a hospital gown, putting it on to blend in with the hospital staff.

Just then, the nurse walked in, and I asked her where Dahlia was.

The nurse looked at me with a sympathetic expression.

I stood frozen, my eyes locked on the nurse as she shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Tristan. Her body is already in the morgue."

Nicholas wasn’t kidding about her death after all. "What happened to her?" I asked, hardly hearing my own voice.

The nurse hesitated before responding. "She was burnt beyond recognition after the car explosion."

I felt a wave of nausea wash over me as Nicholas walked into the room. "Alpha Tristan, I just got the report from the scene," he said, his expression grim. "Naya's car was found over a cliff, caught up in flames."

I looked at the nurse, my mind crazy with questions. "How come Naya is alive? And only suffered a leg injury?"

"Naya was able to crawl out of the car. A hiker saw her and dragged her out, saving her life. He was going for...for the other passenger, but before he could reach her, the car suddenly exploded."

I shook my head in disbelief. "Where is the hiker?"

She hesitated before responding. "I don't know. He didn't leave his contact information, and we haven't been able to reach him."

I felt a surge of frustration and anger."Take me to the morgue,"

The nurse nodded, and Nicholas fell into step beside me as we made our way to the morgue. Nothing could have prepared me for the horror that awaited me.

The body on the table was burnt beyond recognition, the skin charred and blackened.

I felt like I was going to throw up as I approached the table, my eyes scanning the body for any sign of Dahlia.

But there was nothing. No distinguishing features, no scent, nothing.

I felt even more defeated as I realized that I couldn't even recognize her.

I looked at Nicholas, my eyes searching for answers. "Is this really her?" I asked, in a sad weak tone.

Nicholas nodded with a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Alpha Tristan. It's her."

Was she really gone? Was she so burnt that I couldn't even catch her scent?