Ethan's car stopped in front of our house, but he made no move to get out. I turned to him, confused. He awkwardly rubbed his nose and cleared his throat.

"So, um, Scarlett has her graduation prom coming up," he began, not quite meeting my eyes. "She was wondering if she could borrow your sapphire necklace—the one I gave you when I first proposed."

That necklace was my most treasured possession. When Ethan had first asked me to be his mate, he'd placed it around my neck.

He'd told me then that sapphires represented loyalty and faithfulness.

I studied his face—the hopeful, pleading expression.

"I don't need to loan it to her," I said evenly. "She can have it."

His eyes widened in surprise, then crinkled with joy. "Really? You'd do that? I promise I'll buy you something even better in the future. Something worthy of the Alpha's mate."

"It's fine," I said, my voice hollow. "It's just a necklace."

Ethan leaped across the center console to embrace me, his arms wrapping around my shoulders. "You're amazing, Emma. This means so much to Scarlett."

I carefully shifted away from his attempted kiss.

"If it's urgent, why don't you take it to her now?" I suggested.

His eyes lit up again. "Great idea! "

Before leaving, he ran back to me.

"Once all this graduation stuff with Scarlett is over, we're having our ceremony," he promised fervently. "This time, I swear nothing will stop us."

I smiled without responding, because I knew our mating ceremony would never happen.

After Ethan left, I sat alone, gently touching my stomach.

"Baby," I whispered, "Mommy is so sorry. I promised to give you happiness, but it seems I'll have to break that promise. Please don't hate me."

On my way to the hospital, I spotted a familiar figure in the maternity ward corridor. Scarlett, my sapphire necklace already gleaming at her throat, with Ethan's arm around her waist and his other hand protectively cradling her stomach.

My hand trembled on my own belly. I couldn't tell if they had seen me.

A moment later, my phone vibrated with multiple notifications.

I opened it to find a series of explicit videos. I immediately recognized Ethan and Scarlett.

They were tangled together in bed, Ethan's muscular body glistening in the dim light, while the woman beneath him matched his wild thrusts with breathy moans. It was the kind of stimulating scene that would make anyone blush.

Anyone except me.

My wolf had been dormant since the pregnancy began, which was why I couldn't sense my mate's condition or feelings.

Although I had suspected Ethan and Scarlett were sleeping together, I had never been certain.

Until now.

Even with my suspicions, having the truth displayed so blatantly before me still caused a sharp pain in my chest.

I hurriedly wiped away my tears. When I looked up, I caught Scarlett's gaze from across the corridor. She gave me a challenging look, her hand deliberately caressing my sapphire necklace—now around her throat.

I finally understood. All the photos and videos sent to my phone—they were all from Scarlett.

If she wanted my position that badly, she could have it.

I stepped out of the hospital entrance, my body still weak from the procedure.

"Well, well. Look who's finally done killing their puppy." Scarlett's voice cut through the air.

She stood leaning against a sleek black car.

"How does it feel?" I tried to walk past her but she persisted, stepping directly into my path. "How does it feel to lose a baby? Probably for the best, don't you think? Better to abort it now than to give birth and have the puppy discover its father doesn't love it."

My hands clenched into fists. "Move, Scarlett."

"Or what?" She cocked her head, smirking.

The rage building inside me threatened to boil over. I raised my hand, intending to move her aside.

Before I could touch her, Scarlett's eyes widened dramatically. She clutched her stomach and let out a blood-curdling scream, dropping to the ground in one fluid motion.

"My baby!" she wailed, curling into a ball. "Oh god, my stomach! The baby! "

A deep, feral growl erupted behind me.

I turned to see Ethan, his eyes already glowing Alpha red, his body vibrating with rage.

"Ethan, I never touched her—"

I never finished my sentence. In an instant, he shifted into his massive silver wolf form, lunging at me with supernatural speed.

His jaws didn't clamp down, but his body slammed me against the hospital wall. Pain exploded through my already weakened frame. My stitches tore open, warm blood seeping through my hospital gown.

"She came to see you," he snarled, spit flying from his lips. "Scarlett knew you were in the hospital and came out of kindness, and this is how you repay her? "

Without another word, he turned around, picked up Scarlett, and called for the healer.

I slid down the wall, leaving a trail of blood, I looked up at the man I had once loved with all my heart.

This was the 105th time he had betrayed me.

And it would be the last.

I sat in the sterile hospital room, lifting my phone to call my father.

"I'll accept Grayson Blackwood's mating contract," I said simply.

Less than ten minutes later, my parents rushed into my hospital room.

"You should have agreed to mate with the Alpha King from the beginning," my father said, unable to hide his excitement. "I always knew Ethan Stone couldn't be trusted."

I stared at him silently.

Grayson Blackwood was the most powerful wolf in our entire werewolf world. Years ago, he had expressed his desire to make me his Queen, but my wolf had already recognized Ethan as my mate, so I rejected the Alpha King's pursuit.

Now that I was willing to choose Grayson Blackwood, my parents didn't hesitate to throw Ethan aside.

After all, this was the Alpha King we were talking about.

"But... you're pregnant," my mother said hesitantly. "This could complicate things."

"I've already had an abortion," My heart ached as I said this.

"That's perfect! I can arrange the contract signing with Alpha King today," my father said eagerly.

Watching my father's eagerness to practically gift-wrap and deliver me to the Alpha King, I gave him a cold stare without responding.

My mother pulled on his sleeve. "Emma's leg is injured. Let her rest for a couple of days first."

My father nodded reluctantly. "Alright, in a couple of days then. Emma, your mother is right—it's for your own good. The further along you get, the more complicated the things become."

I turned my head away and closed my eyes, no longer wanting to engage with him. When I first told him about my pregnancy, he had been delighted, encouraging me to use the baby to tie Ethan permanently to me, ensuring more resources from his pack for our family.

Now, the same baby had become an obstacle to my mating with the Alpha King.

Three days later, I was discharged from the hospital.

As I limped toward home, I encountered Ethan and Scarlett on the sidewalk. Scarlett was nestled intimately in Ethan's arms, the two of them looking like lovers in the throes of passion.

When Ethan spotted me, he instinctively started to approach, but Scarlett grabbed his arm, holding him back.

"Sister-in-law, where have you been these past few days? Brother has been worried sick," Scarlett said as she approached me, her eyes flashing with malice. "Brother says he's taking me to the Maldives to celebrate my graduation from the Healing Academy."

Maldives. That was the honeymoon destination Ethan and I had planned for after our mating ceremony.

He hadn't just canceled our ceremony—he was taking Scarlett to our honeymoon spot.

Scarlett watched me eagerly, clearly anticipating my breakdown, but I was beyond caring.

"Oh, well, have a pleasant trip," I replied calmly.

Ethan looked surprised by my reaction. He nervously stepped forward.

"Sweetheart, I'll be back in a week," he explained. "I've prepared an even grander mating ceremony for you, I promise. You'll be my most precious mate."

I stepped away from his outstretched hand, keeping my voice steady. "It's fine. You go ahead. I'll be waiting at home."

Relief washed over his face. I was still the understanding, generous woman he thought he knew.

"I'll bring you back a gift, little wolf," he said, his tone softening. "Be good and wait for me."

With that, he wrapped his arm around Scarlett and hurried away.

I turned back toward what had once been our home, tears silently streaming down my face.

This den where Ethan and I had lived together for five years suddenly felt foreign to me. I realized I couldn't find many things that belonged to me here anymore.

The walls were covered with large portraits of Scarlett, along with intimate photos of her and Ethan. The only picture of Ethan and me also featured Scarlett standing between us, pressed tightly against him. I looked like an intruder who had accidentally wandered into the frame.

I twisted my lips into a bitter smile. None of this mattered anymore.

Thirty minutes later, the Beta of Alpha King Grayson Blackwood arrived with a helicopter to collect me.

The news of my impending mating with the Alpha King spread throughout the entire werewolf world.

When Ethan learned of this, he immediately raced back from the airport to find me. But he was too late. From my seat in the ascending helicopter, I watched him running frantically on the ground below, leaping and howling, desperately trying to reach me.

It was futile. Everything between us, like the wind rushing past my ears, had already scattered and disappeared.