Fianna's POV

On the sixth anniversary of our mating bond, I went to the Alpha pack hall with a gift, hoping to surprise my Alpha mate.

My mate, Alpha Bastien Ashbourne, had been obsessed with a rare Moonfang Shadowrunner, a legendary wolf-drawn royal carriage crafted by the finest artisans in the Alpha Kingdom. I used every connection I had and finally secured it for him. The enchanted moonstone token that proved ownership rested inside a black velvet box.

In my other hand was a pregnancy crystal glowing with two silver lines because I also wanted to share the joyful news that he would become a father once again.

A bright smile stretched across my face as I stepped into his office without knocking.

I almost wished I hadn't.

Because what I saw shattered my entire world.

He wasn't alone.

He was with my best friend, Valeska Firemane.

Valeska sat on Bastien's desk as though she ruled the place. Her blouse hung open, and her lips were swollen. She trailed her fingers across his shoulder while he stood between her knees, his ceremonial Alpha jacket unfastened and his hand gripping her thigh.

My heart slammed against my chest.

My best friend.

My mate.

I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

For a long moment, I couldn't move or breathe. I simply couldn't believe what I was seeing. My mind refused to accept it, trying to convince me it was nothing more than a cruel illusion.

Because it couldn't be real.

Valeska, who had stood beside me under the Moon Goddess's blessing when my daughter, Danica, was born.

Valeska, who had become Danica's moon guardian.

And now she sat there, moaning against my mate's lips.

The betrayal cut through me like silver blades.

My chest tightened. Tears filled my eyes as I stared at them.

I wanted to scream.

I wanted to cross the room and drag her away from him.

But my body refused to obey.

I remained frozen in the doorway, the gifts trembling in my hands.

Just when I thought nothing could hurt more than this, Bastien's crystal communicator began to glow.

He growled in annoyance and pulled away from Valeska before answering it. His hand never left her thigh.

"What do you want now?" he snapped. His voice was cold and irritated. "I already paid you to stay silent. Don't push your luck."

Valeska pouted and brushed her fingers across his chest.

"I already gave you a fortune in gold for the heart transfer ritual," Bastien hissed. "You know how much I've spent to bury this."

The words struck me like a blow.

Heart transfer ritual?

What ritual?

My ears rang, but I forced myself to listen.

I couldn't hear the healer on the other side, but Bastien's answer came sharp and furious.

"I already paid you to give the heart to Valeska, not Danica. Danica is dead now, so why are you threatening me?"

The ground seemed to shift beneath my feet.

My daughter's heart? Given to my best friend, Valeska?

None of it made sense.

I couldn't understand what I was hearing. My mind refused to process it.

Meanwhile, Bastien's voice turned icy.

"Don't contact me again, Healer. If this secret gets out, I'll destroy you."

After ending the call, Valeska smiled softly and ran her hand across his chest.

"I still can't believe you really did all that for me," she murmured, loud enough for me to hear. "You truly gave me her heart."

Bastien pressed a gentle kiss against her wrist, admiration shining in his eyes.

"I told you, Valeska. I'd do anything for you. Fianna was too foolish to notice. She signed the ritual approval herself. I told her it was a trade agreement between packs, and she didn't bother reading it."

A sharp gasp escaped me before I could stop it, but Valeska's laughter drowned out the sound.

My chest collapsed inward. My knees nearly gave way as his words echoed through my mind.

Two months ago, a suitable heart became available. It had felt like a miracle.

Our daughter, Danica, had been waiting for a heart blessing for three winters.

At last, after all the pain, all the prayers beneath the moonlight, and all the sleepless nights beside her healing chamber, there had been hope.

I still remembered the day the healers summoned us.

"We have found a perfect match, Luna Fianna," the healer had said with a warm smile.

That day, I fell to my knees and cried with happiness because my little girl was finally going to live.

But two days later, Danica died during the ritual.

Bastien told me there had been complications. He even blamed the healers.

And I believed him.

But the fact just came out that he was the one murdered our daughter for Valeska. Even he used my signature to make it happen.

Valeska only had a minor heart weakness from birth. Moon herbs and healing potions could have treated it. Yet Bastien used my signature to give Danica's heart to Valeska, someone who never truly needed it.

That was probably why she never attended Danica's funeral pyre beneath the sacred moon.

My best friend… turned out to be my mate's mistress.

Danica's moon guardian… also her murderer.

I trusted her with my life.

And all the while, she held me as I cried for my daughter, even as my baby's heart beat inside her chest.

Fianna's POV

Valeska moved closer to Bastien, lowering her voice.

"But Bastien... what if Fianna discovers the truth? Aren't you afraid of what she might do?"

Bastien let out a cold laugh.

"Fianna? You're joking. Without me, she's nothing. She abandoned her clan and turned her back on her family for me. Now she has no one. She has no power. If she causes trouble, I'll throw her out of my territory and leave her with nothing."

Valeska laughed softly.

The velvet gift box slipped from my fingers and landed on the floor.

Neither of them noticed. They were too lost in each other.

Valeska had been there the night Danica suffered her first heart failure. She even stayed beside me in the Moon Healers' Hall.

She also brought me food when I forgot to eat and told me Danica was the brightest light in her life.

A bitter laugh rose in my throat as I remembered her words.

"Danica will always live inside me."

She hadn't lied.

Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled backward, struggling to breathe.

My entire world had broken apart in a single moment.

I picked up the gift from the floor, tears streaming down my face as I quietly walked away.

By the time I reached the living chamber, my legs gave out.

I collapsed onto the couch and burst into tears.

The sobs wouldn't stop.

My chest ached. My throat burned.

Then my crystal communicator vibrated.

It was a picture Valeska had posted on MoonGram.

In the photo, she stood smiling beside a man while his hand rested gently on her stomach.

That man’s face wasn't visible, but I recognized the watch immediately.

That was the same watch I had given it to Bastien during our last mating anniversary.

In the picture, he was kissing her belly.

"Only a few more weeks until we meet our little blessing."

A heart symbol followed the message.

I stared at the image until everything became blurry.

Yeah… that was my mate…

And that was my daughter's heart beating inside my best friend's chest.

My mate's mistress.

I hurled the gift box against the wall and screamed until my throat felt raw.

My stomach churned.

I rushed to the bathroom and vomited until my throat stung.

I wanted to tear my own skin apart.

I sank onto the cold stone floor, trembling as tears rolled down my cheeks.

This was my fault.

I should have read the agreement. I should have checked what I was signing. But I had trusted Bastien completely.

Bastien called me a nobody. He believed I had no one left.

But he couldn't be more wrong.

I grabbed my crystal communicator and called a number I had sworn never to use again.

"Father, I'm ready to accept whatever mating alliance you choose for me. Come get me in five days, after I complete my bond severance."

I tried to keep my voice steady.

"Bond severance? I thought you were madly devoted to Alpha Bastien Ashbourne. Why have you changed your mind?"

"He murdered my daughter," I said. "And I want him to suffer for it."

My father's voice instantly turned sharp.

"I had always warned you. Bastien was never worthy of you. He even isn't fit to stand in your shadow."

A bitter laugh escaped me.

"I know that now. Soon enough, he'll understand it too."

My father's voice grew colder.

"Then return home, Fianna. Your brothers have been waiting for you. And Bastien will learn the price of making enemies of the Wolfhart Clan."

A tear slipped down my cheek as I thought of my seven brothers.

They were protective, loud, and quick to fight.

But they had always loved me.

And I had thrown them away for Bastien.

Every one of them warned me. All seven.

They told me Bastien was trash. But I shouted at them to stay out of my life.

The day I chose Bastien, I slammed the gates in my father's face.

"Tell them I'm coming home," I whispered.

I ended the call and looked around the pack house one final time.

In five days, I would be gone.

But before that, Bastien would pay.

He stole my daughter's heart to save his mistress. Now I would destroy everything he cared about, piece by piece.

It wasn't merely a threat. It was a mother's oath.

Bastien would finally learn what happened when someone crossed a Wolfhart.

Because my father wasn't just any Alpha.

He was Jorge Wolfhart, High Alpha of the Wolfhart Pack, ruler of the strongest wolf kingdom in the western territories.

Fianna's POV

I didn't hesitate.

The moment I ended the call with my father, I grabbed the first suitcase I saw and dragged it into the bedroom. My hands trembled, but I forced myself to stay focused.

There was no time to think. If I stopped for even a moment, the truth I had just learned would crush me.

I pulled open drawers, grabbed clothes without care, and threw them into the suitcases.

While folding a dress, my hands suddenly stopped.

It was the one Danica loved.

"Mommy, you look like a Moon Princess in this."

My chest tightened. I swallowed hard. Tears filled my eyes, but I forced them back.

Not now.

I shoved another shirt into the suitcase.

Then the bedroom door opened.

"Fianna?" Bastien called from behind me. "What are you doing?"

I closed the suitcase and turned around with a fake smile.

"Just sorting out my wardrobe."

His eyes narrowed as he looked around the messy room.

He opened his mouth to speak, but another voice interrupted him.

"Hello, Fianna."

I froze.

My stomach twisted.

Valeska.

I hadn't realized she had entered with Bastien.

Before I could stop myself, my eyes dropped to her chest. To the place where my daughter's heart beat.

A violent urge rose inside me.

I wanted to tear it out with my own claws. I clenched my fists so hard my nails cut into my palms.

My daughter's heart was inside her. Yet she stood in my bedroom smiling at me.

But I only said nothing. Because if I spoke, I would scream.

Then I noticed the luggage. Two expensive suitcases stood behind Bastien.

My brows furrowed.

Bastien followed my gaze. Before I could ask, he smiled as if bringing wonderful news.

"Valeska will be staying with us for a while."

I blinked. "What?"

Before Bastien could continue, Valeska stepped forward with a cheerful laugh.

"Didn't Bastien tell you? I'm carrying a pup."

Her hand rested on her stomach, a bright smile on her face, as if she expected me to gasp, congratulate her, and pull her into a hug.

Instead, I raised an eyebrow. "And?"

Her smile wavered.

For a brief second, her mask slipped. Shock flashed across her face at my cold reaction.

Then she quickly recovered. Her lower lip trembled as she tried to look hurt.

"I thought you'd be happy for me, Fianna. After everything we've shared."

Happy?

The word burned through me.

What exactly was I supposed to celebrate? The fact that she had stolen everything from me?

Before I could answer, Bastien cut in sharply.

"Fianna, what’s wrong with you? She's your closest friend. You should be happy for her. Instead, you're acting resentful and jealous."

I slowly turned to him, a mocking smile on my lips.

Jealous? Resentful?

"Jealous?" I repeated coldly. "Why would I be jealous?"

His eyes flashed. "Because she's having a pup, and you..."

He stopped.

But it was too late. The wound had already been opened.

Because I lost mine.

Because he murdered mine.

I drew a slow breath, fighting to stay calm. "Then explain something to me, Bastien."

I pointed at Valeska.

"Why is she moving into this pack house? Why does she suddenly need to live here?"

Bastien’s jaw tightened as he stepped closer.

"Because she shouldn't be alone right now. She needs support. She needs protection. That pup needs people around it."

"People?" I asked quietly.

"Yes," Valeska added softly, trying to sound helpless. "Only until things calm down. I thought you'd understand better than anyone."

Bastien nodded.

"Exactly. She needs us. She's our family too, Fianna."

A sarcastic laugh escaped me. "She's not my family."

Valeska flinched. Bastien frowned.

"Why can't you be happy for her, Fianna? Instead of celebrating, you're acting like this." He pointed at me with clear disgust. "Listen to yourself. It's embarrassing."

Embarrassing?

The word cut deep. But I refused to react.

I tilted my head and looked between them with a bitter smile.

"The way you're acting makes me curious, Bastien."

My voice remained calm.

"Is the pup yours?"

Silence filled the room.

Bastien's jaw twitched, while Valeska widened her eyes in fake shock.

"Don't be absurd," Bastien snapped. "Of course it isn't mine."

"Really?"

I raised a brow. "Then why is she moving in with us? Why are you defending her so fiercely?"

"She's alone, Fianna!" Bastien barked. "She has nobody else, and she's carrying a pup. What kind of monster would turn her away?"

What kind of monster sacrifices his own daughter?

The question echoed inside my mind.

But I kept it to myself.

Instead, I turned back to the suitcase and pulled the zipper closed.

"If you'll excuse me, I'd like to finish organizing my things."

Bastien muttered something to Valeska. Then the two of them left the room together.

The second the door closed behind them, my smile disappeared.

My hands shook as I gripped the suitcase.