Aurora

Three weeks ago, someone drugged me and delivered me like meat to a rogue pack.

I was beaten and interrogated. I barely escaped alive—shifting while half-conscious.

I mind-linked Alpha Dunstan—Help me.

But the bond stayed silent, cold, and empty.

Later, I found out why.

While I fought for my life, he was claiming his so-called childhood friend in the bed we used to share.

My wolf screamed as the mating mark burned off my skin.

I returned to the packhouse and found the pack celebrating a new Luna—while casting sneers and whispers my way. They called me a rogue, a disgrace. The woman who should’ve stayed dead.

But today, I found something worse.

A month ago, my five-year-old pup was dying. She needed a rare blood transfusion only found in pureblood wolf lines. We had a donor lined up.

But Dunstan rerouted the donation to Aubrey, who claimed she had leukemia.

It wasn’t even urgent,” Aubrey said, twirling her hair with a mocking tilt of her head. “I just wanted that mutt gone. Better she died than let that little bloodline stain ours.”

And just like that, my daughter died. Not from illness. But because her own father no longer valued us—not even enough to let her live.

Rage simmered in my blood, hot and sharp, as I prepared for the Moonlight Gala. I was done being the victim, the forgotten, the disposable. I wouldn’t scream or cry. I would make them remember. Every. Single. Piece.

So on the Moonlight Gala, I gifted him a box with three items:

Aubrey’s forged medical report proving her leukemia was a lie.

The finalized divorce papers and the severed mate bond declaration—signed, sealed.

And finally, the wedding invitation bearing my name beside the most feared rogue king in all the territories.

—

I pushed the office doors open with both hands, not caring who was inside. My blood was still boiling.

Dunstan stood behind his desk, speaking to his Beta.

“You need to know something,” I said through a clenched jaw.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped. "Just because you've been around rogues doesn't mean you’ve lost all manners. Can’t you knock first?"

I marched up to the table and slammed both palms onto its surface, my glare locked on his.

"Aubrey confessed. She never had leukemia. She admitted she just wanted my daughter gone."

The Beta stiffened. Dunstan’s glare deepened before he waved his hand. "Leave us."

Once the door shut, his eyes bore into mine. "That’s why you barged into my meeting? We were discussing a security threat, Aurora. Rogues are circling our borders, and you interrupt me with your jealous accusations against my new Luna?"

"I'm not just accusing her," I shouted, stabbing a finger toward the door. "She told me herself! Those words came out of her own damn mouth!"

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of me. His hand wrapped around my throat. My back slammed into the wall.

"Do you think your emotions matter more than the safety of this pack?"

“You want the truth?" I hissed. "Our daughter died not from illness, but from your choices—because your Luna thought her death would be convenient."

His grip tightened.

"You think this is about Aubrey? This is about you and your choices. Your betrayal."

Inside me, my wolf snarled then whimpered, caught between growling in rage and curling up in defeat.

It was unfair! I was the one who had been cheated on, and yet here I was, accused of betrayal.

"This isn’t who you used to be," I croaked. "Ten years ago, you told me you didn’t care about your fated mate. That you wanted me instead. That you chose me."

He stared at me after I said the words, and for a second, he looked confused. Like he couldn’t understand how I, of all people, would say that to him.

Everything changed the moment his so-called childhood friend showed up, crying she was abused in her original pack. Dunstan let her stay as long as she wanted, not even asking for my opinion.

Even though I could notice their unusual stolen gaze and private talks, I let it. But that was my stupidest mistake. I let her crawl into our lives, and into our bed.

He scoffed. "You want to blame me for what you did? None of this would’ve happened if you hadn’t run off with rogues and tapped the information about my pack's resources."

I shouted through the pain. "I didn’t run! I was drugged!"

“Liar!”

The slap knocked the breath out of me. My body hit the wall again. I slid to the floor, tasting blood.

“You’re lucky I haven’t thrown you in the dungeons,” he growled. “Aubrey showed you mercy by letting you stay. She’s Luna now. You should bow to her.”

I met his eyes, blood smeared on my chin. “I will never bow to the woman who murdered my child.”

The second slap split my lip. The third had me spitting red.

The door creaked open. I heard her voice before I saw her.

“Babe, stop! You’re going to kill her!” Aubrey ran in, throwing her arms around him.

Dunstan loomed over me. “She can’t die that easily. She needs to learn.”

Aubrey kissed his shoulder, crooning softly. “Still, she’s not worth it.”

He sneered at me. “See that? Your Luna is kinder than you deserve.”

I couldn’t answer. My vision was blurring, my ribs screaming. But at the same time, my healing kicked in hard. Too fast. Bones resetting. Skin stitching.

His eyes narrowed.

“Even your body refuses to stay broken. Clean the blood off my floor until it shines. Then go clean the bedroom.”

Aubrey giggled. “Oh babe, not the bedroom. It still smells like us... sweat and everything. I don’t want your ex-wife handling that.”

“She’s not my ex yet,” Dunstan replied. “Unfortunately, she’s still my wife.”

I raised my head, barely breathing. “Then divorce me. Let me go. I’ll sign anything. Just let me leave.”

He crouched down. “So you can take half my fortune with you? I don’t think so. You’ll leave when I say. Not before.”

He shoved me aside and walked out, Aubrey clinging to him like a snake she was..

I sprawled on the floor. My sobs racked my chest, shaking my body with every breath I took.

Ten years. I stood beside this man for ten damn years, and now he calls me a liar. Now he’s stripped me down to omega like my veins don't contain alpha blood.

For the nights we stayed up talking about the future, and how we’d build a strong pack together.

The way he used to pull me close after a long day, whispering that he didn’t need fate to tell him I was his.

My hands trembled as I reached into the pocket of my apron and pulled out the phone.

I dialed the number of the man I never expected to reach out.

It rang once.

“Aurora?"

His voice was velvet and steel. And most importantly, forbidden.

"What can I help you with, little wolf?"

I swallowed hard. That 'little wolf' nickname did something to my nerves.

“Um, hello, Dominic,” I whispered. “I’m ready to accept your proposal. Just get me out of this pack.”

Aurora

“I want to assume you’re in your right senses as you say those words,” Dominic mused. “Because last I checked, you said you’d never ask a rogue like me for help.”

I pressed the phone tighter to my ear, swallowing down the shame. “I changed my mind.”

"You sure you're not just calling because you missed me, little wolf?"

"I’m not calling because I missed you... I’m calling because of your promise." My fingers twisted in the hem of my apron as I forced the words out. "Treat it like you handed me a gift certificate six years ago, and I’m just... finally cashing it in. That night you let me live, you gave me a chance. I’m taking it now."

Silence stretched on the other end, tense and unreadable.

My pulse stuttered. "You meant it, didn’t you? That I could call you when I changed my mind?"

Then came a soft, dark chuckle—one that wrapped around my nerves like smoke.

"Now that's more like it," he murmured. "Alright. I’ll fetch you at the Moonlight Gala. Be ready. And wear something scandalous. Wouldn’t want your Alpha to forget what he threw away."

Then the line went dead.

My chest rose and fell in uneven breaths as the memory of our first meeting.

That arrogant rogue. That infuriating, sharp-tongued man who should have left me to die but didn’t. Who haunted me with his promises.

I wasn’t sure if I was making the biggest mistake of my life.

Or finally reclaiming it.

My mind drifted back to the night he first spared my life.

Six years ago, a rogue siege was underway along Riverbank's northern border. I had been sent along with some scouts to the outskirts as a diplomatic envoy, told to negotiate peace with a rogue faction. Dunstan insisted it was safe.

But it was a trap.

I was tied to a tree, beaten, and readied for execution by sunrise. They called it justice for Riverbank's past sins.

That was the first time I saw Dominic.

Out of nowhere, a massive wolf lunged from the shadows of the firelit grove—dark as obsidian. His body slammed into the rogue holding the blade, fangs sinking deep with a sickening crunch.

The others shouted in shock, stepping back as the black wolf shifted mid-motion, bones cracking and reforming into a tall, dangerous man whose wolf aura still shimmered around him like lightning stitched into his veins.

"You kill her and you start a war none of you are prepared to finish."

They called him mad. But no one dared stop him.

Dominic fished into my pocket and pulled out my phone, casually unlocking it like he’d done it a thousand times before. My brows furrowed. Then I gasped as he dialed a number and let it ring once—his own.

“What are you doing?” I asked, stunned.

He handed the phone back, his smirk slow and maddening. “Would you believe me if I said I saved you because I wanted us to be phone pals?”

I stared at him, speechless.

"Don’t mistake this for mercy," he said, now in a serious tone "I just don’t like cowards using women to fight their wars."

I ran, and the forest behind me burned. And after that day, the messages started coming.

[Still pretending he loves you?]

[One day, little wolf, you'll stop lying to yourself.]

[Next time, scream louder. I’ll be closer.]

I never answered. But I kept every message.

---

Aubrey's voice snapped me back to the present.

“Why are you so slow?”

I was in what used to be our bedroom—mine and Dunstan’s.

Now it reeked of sex and satin and betrayal. Lust hung thick in the air, along with bitter traces of her perfume and his sweat.

My hands scrubbed harder.

Aubrey strutted toward the bed, pointing to a deep stain on the desk. “Oh, forgive me for that,” she said sweetly. “Dunstan was working there last night, and I was working on him.” She giggled.

I didn’t look at her. I just kept cleaning, even though my stomach roiled and my throat burned with bile.

She continued talking, describing in crude detail the things they did in every corner of that room—on the rug, against the mirror, in the shower.

Even though I tried to block them out, the pain still seeped in.

Especially as I looked around.

Everything in that room was mine—my dresses, my jewelry, my memories. All handed to her like leftovers.

When Dunstan forced me into the servant quarters, Aubrey handed me a former maid’s torn apron and shoes.

When I finally finished, I straightened and murmured, “Excuse me, Luna. I have other things to do.”

“Wait.”

I paused, spine stiff.

“Anything else?” I asked without turning around.

She walked toward me, her heels clicking sharply against the floor.

“Is this how stupid you are?” she sneered. “Still clinging to a man who sees you as trash? Honestly, I think he values garbage more.”

I turned to her slowly, meeting her gaze.

“If there’s someone stupid between us, it’s not me. Stupid is the one trying to fit herself into something that was never hers to begin with.”

She stiffened. Her wolf flashed in her eyes, but she didn’t attack.

I returned to the servant quarters and took a long, scalding shower. Scrubbing until my skin burned. Until the stench of them was gone. Until I could almost pretend I wasn’t suffocating.

When I stepped out, dripping wet, there were warriors in the room.

My body tensed.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

Aubrey stood in the corner, crying into her hands.

Dunstan barged in. “What happened, babe?”

She sobbed louder. “The bracelet you gave me… it’s gone.”

I blinked. “And what does that have to do with me?”

One of the warriors held something up—gold, glinting. “Luna, is this the one you’re looking for?”

Aubrey gasped. “Yes! That’s it!”

Then she glared at me.

“Why would you steal from me, Aurora? If you wanted jewelry, I could’ve given it to you as a gift.”

My mouth dropped open. “What—? I didn’t—!”

Dunstan’s voice cut through me. “I’m disappointed in you, Aurora. The more I tolerate you, the more disgrace you bring.”

“I didn’t steal it!” I shouted. “You think I would sink that low?”

But he wasn’t listening.

“Throw her into the Dire Oval.”

My blood froze. “No. Not there.”

He slapped me across the face, and I stumbled back, pain flaring.

“You’ll work day and night with the other slaves. Maybe then you’ll learn some respect.”

“Babe,” Aubrey said sweetly, pretending to plead. “Don’t be too cruel. Not that punishment.”

But Dunstan shook his head, jaw tight with mock regret. “Sorry, love. She crossed the line.”

Aubrey smiled like the snake she was as I was dragged out of the room, fists clenched, heart screaming.

But I didn’t fight. Not yet.

Aurora

This place used to be a silver mine, but now it was worse. A prison where they sent wolves to break us.

The silver in the walls burned if we shifted, so we didn’t. We just worked. And bled. And waited for something to change.

I was number 73 now. Not a name. Just a number.

“Move, 73!” a guard yelled, snapping a whip close to my back.

I kept dragging the heavy stones, hands raw and stinging. The others didn’t speak much. We didn’t have the strength.

One girl, young—maybe eighteen—collapsed beside me.

A guard stormed over, his face twisted in irritation, lifting his baton high above his shoulder. "Get up!" he shouted, though the girl hadn’t made a sound.

When she didn’t move, he brought the baton down—not once, but twice—slamming it against the stone just inches from her skull.

She shrieked, curling in on herself.

"She can’t even stand," I said quickly, stepping in front of her. "Her arm’s broken. She needs help."

He shoved me hard. I hit the wall and gasped.

“Don’t tell me how to do my job,” he said. “What, you think you’re still a Luna?”

He looked around at the other prisoners. “Everyone here deserves to be here. Especially you.”

He grabbed the girl and dragged her away. Her cries echoed down the tunnel.

---

At night, we slept on the cold floor. No beds. No blankets. Just dirt and pain.

But the worst pain didn’t come from the work.

It came from the bond.

Every time Dunstan touched Aubrey, I felt the mating bond twisted inside me like a knife. I curled into myself, biting my hand to stay quiet. Some nights, I failed. I screamed until my throat burned.

He didn’t care. He probably wanted me to feel it.

I used to love him. I used to believe him.

Now all I wanted was revenge.

Every night, I sat in my corner, dirty and bruised, planning. I drew lines in the dirt, whispered names under my breath, and begged the Moon Goddess to help me.

I had one hope left.

Dominic.

He said he’d come. He had to.

---

I was barely awake when someone grabbed me the next morning.

One grabbed me by the arm so roughly I thought it might pop from the socket. I clawed at the ground, but another yanked me by the hair. They didn’t care if I was awake or breathing—just that I moved.

“Get up, 73.”

I tried to fight, but I was weak. My body was shaking. I hadn’t eaten. I could barely see.

They dragged me out of the pit and threw me into the mud. My knees hit hard. My hands sunk into the filth.

I looked up and saw Aubrey.

“Bow to your Luna,” the warrior barked.

“I’d rather die,” I spat.

He raised a hand to hit me, but Aubrey stopped him.

“Leave us,” she said.

He stepped away.

“What do you want now?” I asked, voice rough. “Want to film how pathetic I look?”

She laughed. “Oh, you gave me a great idea.”

She pulled out her phone and started recording. “Look at her,” she said in a syrupy tone, stepping slowly around me like a predator circling its prey. “Former Luna, now just a filthy mutt in the mud. Face down like a kicked dog. Isn’t it tragic?”

My fists clenched in the mud. Every part of me wanted to lunge at her, to wipe that smirk off her face with blood and teeth. But I couldn’t—not yet.

She crouched low, angling the phone to catch every inch of dirt on my skin. Then she zoomed in on my bruised face and torn clothes. “This is what happens when you forget your place,” she continued. “Maybe I’ll send this to the council... or better yet, make it go viral in the territory’s network.”

She tilted the phone mockingly. “Smile for the rogues, sweetheart. They love a broken Luna story.”

I looked down at the mud.

Endure it, my wolf whispered. Soon she’ll beg for the same mercy she never gave.

Then I heard a voice I didn’t expect.

“Stop it, Aubrey.”

Dunstan.

Aubrey turned. “Babe?”

He didn’t even look at her.

“Get a maid,” he said. “Clean her up.”

Aubrey stared at him. “Why? She doesn’t deserve it.”

“I need her in the packhouse.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Need her? What, are you making her Luna again?”

He scoffed. “Of course not.”

I stood, shaking. Mud on my face. Fire in my chest.

“Then what?” I asked. “What do you want from me?”

I wanted to spit in his face. But I needed answers more than pride.