I spent four years taking care of my mate's niece. Then I found out she wasn't his niece at all. She was his daughter. And now they wanted my kidney.

The sharp smell of disinfectant filled the air as I walked through the glass doors of Mooncrest General Hospital. I had walked these same halls every month for the past four years, so every nurse already knew my name. They smiled the moment they saw me because they knew exactly why I had come.

"Good morning, Luna Lyra," the receptionist greeted with a warm smile as she slid another consent form across the desk.

The title made my fingers pause around the pen. I forced a smile anyway and signed the form. I had never been given a Luna ceremony. Five years had passed since Alpha Kieran Blackwood marked me, yet I was still only his mate. Whenever anyone asked when the ceremony would happen, the elders always smiled and said the timing wasn't right. Kieran always gave me the same answer.

"We're already together. A ceremony won't change how I feel about you."

I believed him.

I folded the form and handed it back before making my way toward the pediatric wing. Iris had finished another treatment that morning, and I wanted to surprise her with the stuffed wolf tucked inside the gift bag swinging gently from my hand.

She was only four years old, with soft brown curls and bright golden eyes that sparkled whenever she laughed. Every time she wrapped her tiny arms around me and called me Aunt Lyra, my heart melted. I had never questioned why I loved her so deeply. She felt like family.

As I reached the consultation rooms, I noticed one of the doors hadn't been fully closed. Voices drifted into the quiet hallway, and I recognized Kieran's voice immediately.

"The blood transfusions aren't enough anymore."

Doctor Evelyn Carter answered in a calm but serious tone. She had been treating Iris since she was born, and I trusted her more than anyone in this hospital.

"I know they aren't, Alpha. Your daughter needs a kidney."

Everything inside me stopped.

The gift bag slipped from my fingers, and the stuffed wolf rolled across the polished floor.

My daughter.

The words echoed through my head so loudly that I wondered if I had imagined them.

My wolf stirred uneasily.

No.

I must have heard wrong.

Before I could convince myself of that lie, another woman spoke. Her voice was smooth and familiar in a way that immediately made my stomach knot.

"I warned you this secret wouldn't stay hidden forever."

Doctor Carter sighed heavily. "Selene, this isn't helping."

Selene.

The name sent a chill down my spine.

Years ago, one of the older wolves had mentioned her by accident before quickly changing the subject. She had been Kieran's first love. I had never met her, and I had only heard her name once because Kieran always refused to speak about his past.

Now she was standing inside that room with him.

"I told you," Selene continued quietly. "Keeping Iris from your mate was never going to last."

The hallway seemed to sway beneath my feet.

Keeping Iris from your mate.

Doctor Carter lowered her voice. "She has donated blood every month for four years. She deserves to know the truth."

"I know she has," Kieran replied without the slightest hint of guilt. "But Lyra doesn't need to know."

My wolf whimpered, and the pain spread through my body until it became difficult to breathe.

Doctor Carter sounded frustrated. "She's your mate, Alpha."

Kieran gave a quiet laugh that made my stomach twist.

"And?"

Doctor Carter was silent for a second before she spoke again. "You don't think she'll feel betrayed?"

"It doesn't matter," Kieran answered. "She'll keep helping Iris because that's who she is."

I pressed my shaking hand against the wall to steady myself.

He wasn't asking whether I would forgive him.

He wasn't worried about losing me.

He wasn't even wondering how much this would hurt.

He already knew what I would do.

Doctor Carter tried once more. "She loves that little girl."

"Exactly," Kieran replied calmly. "She loves Iris too much to walk away."

Every word drove deeper into my chest.

For four years I had celebrated Iris's birthdays. I had held her hand through painful treatments. I had sat beside her hospital bed while she cried herself to sleep. I had kissed her forehead and promised she would always have me.

And all that time...

She had never been his niece.

She had been his daughter.

Doctor Carter let out a slow breath before asking, "Does your mother know?"

"Of course," Kieran answered.

"And the elders?"

"They've known since Iris was born."

The blood drained from my face.

His mother knew.

The elders knew.

The entire pack knew.

Only I didn't.

Selene broke the silence with a quiet laugh. "I still don't understand why you marked Lyra if you never planned to give her the Luna title."

My heart pounded so hard it hurt.

Kieran answered without hesitation.

"It solved a problem."

Doctor Carter sounded genuinely disturbed.

"Alpha..."

"I needed someone the pack would accept," he continued coldly. "Lyra was kind, obedient, respected, and easy to trust. The elders wanted stability after the rogue attacks, and she gave them that."

"So you used her?" Doctor Carter asked quietly.

"I gave the pack what it needed."

There wasn't a trace of regret in his voice.

Not one.

The answer explained everything.

Why five years had passed without a Luna ceremony.

Why every excuse sounded rehearsed.

Why every promise was always pushed to another day.

It had never been delayed.

It had simply never been meant for me.

My vision blurred, and I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood. My wolf curled into herself, letting out soft, broken cries that I could feel deep inside my chest.

Footsteps approached the door.

I quickly bent down, picked up the stuffed wolf, and forced every piece of my face back into place.

The door opened.

Kieran walked into the hallway, and the moment he saw me, he smiled as naturally as if nothing had happened.

"Lyra." He stepped closer and kissed my forehead. "Iris has been asking for you all morning."

I smiled back so easily that even I almost believed it.

"I came as soon as I could."

He reached for my hand and laced his fingers through mine.

"Thank you," he said warmly. "You've always taken such good care of my niece."

The lie slipped from his mouth without effort.

I looked into his eyes, searching desperately for even the smallest sign of guilt.

There was nothing.

Not shame.

Not regret.

Not even discomfort.

Only complete confidence that I would keep believing him.

"I love her," I said softly.

"I know," he replied with a satisfied smile. "That's why I know I can always count on you."

My wolf's cries became weaker until they were barely more than painful whimpers echoing through the bond between us.

I didn't let a single tear fall.

If they had all spent four years lying to me, then they could keep believing I knew nothing.

For now.

Kieran glanced toward the nurses' station before looking back at me.

"Go finish your blood donation," he said. "Then come home. I have something important to tell you.”

The drive back to the pack house was painfully quiet. Kai kept his eyes on the road while soft music played through the speakers, but neither of us spoke. Every now and then, he glanced at me, probably wondering why I had become so quiet after leaving the hospital. I simply looked out the window and watched the trees blur together.

Why?

The question refused to leave me alone.

Why did you do this to me, Kai?

Was I ever really your mate, or was I only the woman who happened to be there while you waited for the one you truly wanted?

My wolf whimpered inside me, her pain flowing through our bond until my chest ached. I pressed my nails into my palm, forcing myself to stay calm. He couldn't know. Not yet. If he had lied to me for four years without feeling guilty, then I could pretend for one more day that I knew nothing.

Kai finally broke the silence.

"You've barely said a word since we left the hospital."

I turned toward him and forced the same gentle smile I had worn for years.

"I'm just worried about Iris. The doctor looked more serious today."

He nodded once.

"So am I. We'll get through this."

We'll.

The word almost made me laugh.

Instead, I lowered my eyes and answered softly, "I hope so."

When we arrived at the Alpha house, the servants welcomed us as they always did. They bowed respectfully before stepping aside to let us pass. I smiled politely at every familiar face, but a painful thought settled into my mind. How many of them already knew the truth? How many had watched me love Iris as my own while knowing she was never Kai's niece? How many had pitied me every time I proudly called myself her aunt?

Kai loosened the cuffs of his shirt as we stepped inside.

"I need to change," he said. "Meet me in my study in a few minutes. We need to talk."

I nodded without hesitation.

"Alright."

He walked upstairs without another word, leaving me alone in the entrance hall. The moment I heard his bedroom door close, my knees almost gave way beneath me. I caught the edge of the hallway table before I could fall, closing my eyes as nausea rolled through my stomach.

No.

I couldn't fall apart now.

Not while he was still watching me.

I forced myself toward the kitchen, hoping a glass of water would settle the burning in my throat. Instead, my eyes landed on a small pink cup sitting neatly beside the sink.

Iris's cup.

The sight of it pulled me back four years in an instant.

I still remembered the afternoon Kai had walked through the front door carrying a tiny baby wrapped in a cream-colored blanket. His clothes had been stained with dirt, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes. Panic rushed through me as I hurried toward him.

"Kai, what happened?"

He looked down at the sleeping baby before answering quietly.

"My brother and his mate were killed during a rogue attack. She survived."

My heart broke for the tiny child in his arms.

"Oh, no..."

I reached out without thinking, and he carefully placed the baby into my arms. She was so small that I was terrified of holding her too tightly. Her little fingers wrapped around mine, and I felt my heart surrender to her before I even realized it.

Kai smiled as he watched us.

"I knew you'd love her."

I looked down at the baby sleeping peacefully against my chest.

"I already do."

He stepped closer, kissed the top of my head, and wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"I knew I could count on you."

At the time, I thought he was thanking me for accepting his orphaned niece without hesitation.

Now I knew the truth.

He had been thanking me for raising his daughter.

The glass slipped from my fingers before I even realized I was holding it.

It shattered across the kitchen floor.

One of the maids rushed inside.

"Luna Lyra, are you alright? Did the glass cut you?"

I looked down at the broken pieces scattered around my feet before shaking my head.

"I'm fine. It just slipped."

The maid quickly knelt to clean the mess.

"I'll take care of this."

"Thank you."

I left before she could notice the tears burning behind my eyes.

Every memory I had treasured over the past four years suddenly felt rotten. Every smile Kai had given me, every quiet thank you, every moment that once made me feel needed now carried a different meaning. He hadn't trusted me with Iris because he loved me.

He trusted me because I was useful.

When I finally reached his study, I stood outside the door for several seconds before raising my hand and knocking.

"Come in," Kai called from inside.

I pushed the door open.

He was standing beside the window with two cups of tea already waiting on the table between the chairs. He looked relaxed, as though the conversation ahead wouldn't destroy my entire world.

He gestured toward the chair across from him.

"Sit down."

I obeyed quietly.

He handed me one of the cups before taking both of my hands into his.

His touch used to make me feel safe.

Now it made my stomach twist.

Kai looked directly into my eyes.

"The doctor wasn't completely honest with you today."

I frowned, pretending I had no idea what he meant.

"What are you talking about?"

He tightened his hold on my hands.

"Iris's condition has become much worse."

Fear spread across my face without any effort because, despite everything I had learned, my love for that little girl had never changed.

"How much worse?"

Kai took a slow breath before answering.

"The blood transfusions aren't working anymore. The doctors have done everything they can, but they all agree on the next step."

My heart pounded painfully.

"What step?"

He didn't look away from me.

"She needs a kidney transplant."

I lowered my eyes and stayed silent.

He mistook my silence for shock.

"You've always loved Iris," he said gently. "You've loved her as if she were your own child, and I know you'll save her."

Not would.

Not could.

He said will.

The decision had already been made.

I swallowed hard before asking quietly, "What if I'm not a match?"

"You are."

His answer came immediately.

"You've always been the best match."

Of course I was.

That was why he had kept asking for my blood every month.

Kai gently rubbed the back of my hand.

"The doctors believe the surgery will have the best chance of success if Iris is emotionally stable beforehand."

I looked at him with practiced confusion.

"What does that have to do with me?"

He held my gaze for several long seconds before finally answering.

"They believe Iris needs both of her parents together before the operation."

The room suddenly felt too small.

I forced my breathing to remain steady.

"Both... parents?"

Kai nodded slowly.

"Yes."

I looked into his eyes, pretending I still didn't understand.

"What are you saying?"

He exhaled quietly and tightened his grip on my hands.

"I've already made a decision. It's the only way to help Iris."

I stared at Kai, waiting for him to explain what he meant.

He never looked away from me as he repeated calmly, "The doctors believe Iris needs both of her parents together before the surgery. She's been asking questions lately, and she's scared, Lyra. They think having a complete family around her will make the surgery easier."

I frowned, unable to stop myself from asking, "I don't understand."

Kai released a slow breath before answering, "Selene is back."

The name settled over the room like a heavy cloud. I lowered my eyes, pretending it was the first time I had heard it in years.

"Selene?" I repeated quietly.

"My former mate," Kai replied.

Former.

Not first love.

Not the woman he still couldn't let go of.

He had chosen his words carefully.

I nodded slowly and said, "I remember hearing her name once."

"She came back a few weeks ago," Kai explained.

A few weeks.

Another lie.

She had been back long enough to stand beside him in the hospital as though she belonged there.

I folded my hands beneath the table so he wouldn't notice they were shaking.

"What does she have to do with Iris?" I asked.

Kai didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked at me with the same calm expression he always wore whenever he had already made a decision for both of us.

"The doctors suggested that Iris needs a mother and father beside her before the surgery," he said.

I forced confusion onto my face and frowned again.

"But... her parents are gone."

"They are," Kai answered without hesitation.

Another lie.

It came so naturally that I wondered whether he even remembered what the truth sounded like.

Before I could ask another question, he continued, "Selene raised Iris for a time after the attack."

My stomach twisted violently.

I almost asked how a dead child's aunt could suddenly become her mother.

Instead, I remained silent.

"Iris already sees her as family," Kai added.

Of course she did.

She was her mother.

He reached across the table and gently took both of my hands into his. The warmth of his touch now made my skin crawl.

"I've thought about every possible solution," he said quietly.

I waited for him to continue.

"There isn't another one."

My heartbeat slowed, not because I was calm, but because every instinct inside me was bracing for another blow.

Kai held my gaze before finally saying, "I'm going to marry Selene."

The room became painfully quiet.

I blinked once.

Then again.

As though I hadn't heard him correctly.

He mistook my silence for confusion.

"It'll only be on paper," he explained patiently. "The ceremony is for Iris. She needs stability before the surgery, and the elders agree it's the best choice."

My throat burned as I struggled to speak.

"So..." I swallowed hard before finishing, "you're going to marry another woman."

"It isn't what you're thinking," Kai replied.

No.

It was exactly what I was thinking.

He tightened his hold on my hands and said gently, "You'll always be my true mate."

I almost laughed.

The sound rose into my throat before dying there.

True mate.

The woman without a title.

The woman who had waited five years for a Luna ceremony that never came.

The woman sitting across from the man who had just asked for permission to marry someone else.

I lowered my eyes before he could see the tears threatening to spill over.

"If that's what Iris needs..." I whispered, my voice softer than I expected. "...then I'll support you."

Kai's shoulders relaxed immediately.

He smiled.

Not because he felt guilty for hurting me.

Because he had gotten the answer he expected.

"I knew you'd understand," he said.

Of course he did.

He believed I knew nothing.

He believed I still thought Iris was an orphan.

He believed I was agreeing because I loved him.

In reality, I was agreeing because I loved Iris. That little girl had done nothing wrong. She hadn't asked to be born into lies, and she hadn't asked to love the wrong people.

Kai stood, walked around the desk, and pulled me into his arms.

"I'm sorry this is asking so much from you," he murmured against my hair. "But you've always been the strongest person I know."

I closed my eyes.

No.

You simply know I'm the easiest person to use.

I wrapped my arms around him because that was what he expected. Nothing more. Nothing less.

After a long moment, he kissed my forehead and said, "I'll speak with the elders tomorrow."

I nodded.

"I'll prepare dinner."

He smiled again.

"I knew I could count on you."

Those words followed me all the way to our bedroom.

The moment I closed the door behind me, my legs finally gave out. I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor, hugging my knees to my chest while my wolf curled into herself, crying so hard that every sob echoed through our bond.

"Why?" she whimpered.

"I don't know," I whispered back, pressing both hands against my face. "I don't know anymore."

Silence filled the room until another memory quietly found me.

It had happened six years earlier, before Kai became my mate, before Mooncrest became my home, and before I believed anyone could ever choose me.

The first snow of winter had covered the mountains when rogues attacked the convoy carrying medicine to my old pack. I still remembered the screams, the flash of silver blades, the blood staining the snow beneath me, and the sharp pain that tore through my side before I collapsed.

Everyone else ran.

No one came back for me.

By the time the fighting ended, I could barely breathe. The cold crept through my body, stealing the feeling from my fingers first and then my feet. I had already accepted that I was going to die as snow continued falling over me until I could barely keep my eyes open.

Then I heard footsteps.

Strong.

Steady.

Someone knelt beside me.

A familiar voice called my name.

"Stay awake."

I tried.

I truly did.

But everything hurt too much.

Warm arms lifted me from the snow.

I remember trying to push him away as I whispered weakly, "You'll die too..."

Kai ignored me completely.

He carried me through the blizzard for hours while my blood soaked through his clothes. Every time I drifted toward unconsciousness, he pulled me closer against his chest to keep me warm.

When we finally reached Mooncrest General Hospital, doctors rushed toward us.

One doctor shouted, "She's lost too much blood."

Another shook his head grimly.

"She won't survive the night."

Kai didn't hesitate.

"Take mine."

The doctor froze.

"Alpha, your blood will weaken you."

"I said take mine."

"But you'll—"

"I don't care."

The memory blurred through my tears.

I still remembered opening my eyes days later and seeing him sitting beside my hospital bed. He looked pale and exhausted, and thick bandages covered one of his arms.

The doctor noticed I was awake and smiled gently.

"The Alpha gave his own blood to keep you alive."

That was the day I decided my life no longer belonged only to me.

It belonged to the man who had saved it.

I wiped away my tears with trembling fingers.

"He gave me one life," I whispered into the empty room, the words catching painfully in my throat. "I can return one."

My wolf cried louder, but I closed my eyes and forced myself to ignore her.

For Iris...

I could do that much.

After that...

Kai and I would owe each other nothing.