Two weeks had passed since I was discharged from the hospital. Two weeks of silence so loud it threatened to shatter me. I had spent every moment trapped in this wheelchair, staring out the grand windows of our mansion, wondering when the next blow would fall.

It came that evening.

The pack gathering was supposed to be a chance to strengthen bonds, to remind everyone of unity in times of crisis. For me, it felt like a trial—one where I already knew the verdict.

I sat in my wheelchair beside Xavier. My husband, my mate, didn’t so much as glance at me. Instead, his attention was focused on the person seated beside him—my sister, Celeste.

Her laughter rang out as she leaned closer to Xavier, whispering something in his ear. He smirked, nodding slightly, as if they were the only two people in the room.

I clenched my fists in my lap, willing myself to stay composed. But the murmurs around the room were getting harder to ignore.

“It’s such a shame,” someone whispered behind me. “The Luna can’t even walk anymore. How can she lead us?”

“And no heir,” another voice added. “The Alpha deserves better. Tsk.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, refusing to let their words break me. But the final blow came when Xavier’s mother, Evelyn, stood up and called for silence.

“Thank you all for coming,” she began, her sharp eyes scanning the room. “As you know, our pack is facing an uncertain future. Without an heir, the Nightshade lineage is at risk. It is our duty to ensure the strength of our bloodline and the stability of our pack. With Lyra unable to bear children,” Evelyn continued, her voice unwavering, “it is only logical for Xavier to take another mate. Someone who can give him the heir this pack so desperately needs.”

The room erupted in murmurs of agreement.

Evelyn stepped forward, her eyes landing on Celeste. “Thankfully, the solution is already in front of us. Celeste has graciously offered to fulfill this role.”

My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. I turned to Celeste, hoping for some sign of guilt, of hesitation—but there was none.

She smiled, her face glowing with pride. “It’s for the pack, Lyra,” she said sweetly, as if her betrayal was a noble sacrifice.

“You should be grateful,” someone from the crowd called out. “Your sister is saving your mate and your family’s legacy!”

“Grateful?” I said, my voice trembling. “You expect me to be grateful that my sister is taking my husband?”

“Don’t be dramatic, Lyra,” Xavier snapped, his tone colder than I had ever heard. “This isn’t about you. It’s about the pack.”

His words cut deeper than I thought possible. “About the pack?” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “You mean it’s about you, Xavier. About what’s convenient for you.”

“Stop embarrassing yourself,” he said sharply. “You’ve done enough damage as it is.”

Laughter rippled through the room, cruel and mocking.

“Don’t act so surprised,” Celeste added, her tone light and cheerful. “You knew this was coming. After all, you can’t give Xavier what he needs anymore.”

The words were like a knife to my chest. I wanted to scream, to lash out, but I knew it would only make things worse.

“F-fine,” I said finally, my voice steady despite the tears threatening to fall. “Do what you want. Take her. Take the heir. Take everything. But don’t expect me to stand here and pretend to be happy about it.”

Xavier’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond. Evelyn stepped forward, her expression triumphant.

“You’re making the right decision, Lyra,” she said, her tone laced with condescension. “This is for the good of the pack.”

I couldn’t bear another second in that room. The humiliation, the judgmental eyes, the laughter—it was suffocating. Then Xavier ordered one of the warrior to accompany me home. I smiled bitterly.

The ride home was silent except for the rattling of my chair against the floor of the car. I refused to cry. Not here. Not where anyone could see me.

When we reached the mansion, the maid helped me out and pushed me to my room. I wanted to scream at her to leave, but I didn’t have the energy. She tucked a blanket over my lap before leaving.

Still, Xavier didn’t come.

As soon as the door clicked shut, the tears came. Silent, aching sobs that wracked my body as I sat there, staring at the cold, empty room.

I clutched the armrests of my chair, my mind racing back to the Xavier I once knew.

I remembered the first time he confessed his love to me. It was raining, and I was standing under an old oak tree, my umbrella broken and useless. He had come running, drenched to the bone, holding a bouquet of flowers so large I could barely see his face behind them.

“Lyra!” he shouted while his voice was desperate. “I don’t care what anyone says! I want you, and only you. Please, be mine.”

I’d laughed through my tears, shaking my head at how ridiculous he looked. But I had said yes. How could I not? He had looked at me like I was the only thing that mattered in the world.

And then there was the time he flew across the ocean just to see me. I had been studying abroad, and we had a fight over the phone. I thought it was over. But the next day, there he was, standing outside my dorm with another ridiculous bouquet of flowers.

“I can’t do this without you, Lyra,” he had said, his voice breaking. “Marry me. Please.”

I’d thrown myself into his arms, laughing and crying at the same time.

Now, those memories felt like they belonged to someone else.

The Xavier I knew back then would’ve never let me leave the pack gathering alone. He would’ve been the one pushing my wheelchair, whispering reassurances into my ear.

But that man was gone.

Ever since Celeste came back, it was like I had disappeared.

She had been gone for ten years, off studying medicine abroad, and when she returned, she was... perfect. Beautiful, accomplished, and full of charm.

Xavier had been polite at first, but then his focus shifted. Slowly, subtly, but enough for me to notice.

“Celeste is so thoughtful,” he'd said one night after dinner. “Did you know she’s planning to open a free clinic for the pack? Incredible.”

I’d smiled tightly, pretending it didn’t bother me. But it was always Celeste this, Celeste that.

And then the excuses started. He was too busy to have dinner with me, but he had time to take Celeste on a tour of the territory. He was too tired to talk to me, but he stayed up late helping Celeste with her late night “projects.”

The shift was slow, but it was undeniable. I wasn’t his priority anymore.

Now, sitting alone in my room, I felt like a fool. How had I not seen it coming?

“Lyra,” I whispered to myself, my voice trembling. “You’re nothing to him now. Just a burden.”

The tears wouldn’t stop. My chest ached, my head throbbed, but the pain in my heart was the worst.

I had given him everything—my love, my trust, my future. And he had given it all to Celeste.

Celeste moved into the mansion not long after the pack gathering. The house that used to be a place of comfort for me now felt suffocating, like a cage I couldn’t escape from. Every room, every hallway, was a reminder of how things had changed, how everything I thought was mine was slipping away.

At first, I tried to ignore it, tried to pretend that everything was fine. I put on a brave face, smiling through my discomfort whenever Xavier or Celeste would come near. But deep down, I was breaking. I could feel it with every breath.

The worst part? Xavier was all about Celeste now. He couldn’t look at me without that cold indifference, but whenever he saw her, his eyes lit up. And it wasn’t just the way he looked at her. It was how he acted around her, the way he made her the center of attention.

And then, just a few weeks after Celeste moved in, the news came that shattered whatever small semblance of hope I had left.

Celeste was pregnant.

The pack was ecstatic.

There were celebrations, toasts, and congratulations. Everyone cheered for Xavier and Celeste, and I was expected to smile and clap along. I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw the glass of wine they’d handed me in their faces, but instead, I just stood there, a fake smile plastered on my face, feeling the weight of my failure like a thousand pounds on my chest.

"Isn't it just amazing?" Celeste said, her voice dripping with sweetness as she placed her hand on her stomach. "Xavier and I are going to give the pack the future it deserves."

I could barely swallow the bile that rose in my throat. The future they deserved? What about the future I was promised? What about the dreams I’d built with Xavier? The ones that didn’t include my sister taking everything from me?

I forced myself to stay calm, but as the days passed, it became harder and harder. Celeste would flaunt her pregnancy in front of me like it was some kind of victory. She’d walk around in dresses that showed off her growing belly, constantly touching it and reminding everyone, including me, of what I’d lost.

"How’s your therapy going, Lyra?" she’d ask, her tone feigned concern, but her eyes full of smug satisfaction. “I hope you’re getting better. Wouldn’t want you to miss the baby shower.”

I gritted my teeth and smiled through the pain. "It’s going fine, thank you."

But the truth was, it wasn’t going fine. I was pushing myself harder than I ever had before, in secret. I’d started physical therapy, working on my legs every day when no one was around. The pain was unbearable, but I couldn’t stop. I had to get better, I had to walk again, if only for myself.

I wasn’t going to let Celeste have everything. She could have Xavier’s attention, she could have his child, but I was going to prove that I wasn’t just some broken woman in a wheelchair. I wasn’t useless.

But it was hard. Every time I looked at Xavier, I saw the man who used to be mine—who used to love me—and I knew deep down that those days were gone.

One evening, after dinner, when the house was quiet and I was alone in the living room, I overheard Xavier and Celeste talking in the hallway. Their voices were muffled, but I could still hear the conversation clearly.

“Xavier, I know you’re doing this for the pack, but I want more,” Celeste’s voice was low, but it had that determined edge to it I had heard too many times before.

“I know,” Xavier’s voice came back, distant, almost bored. “We’ve been through this, Celeste.”

“I want to be Luna. I want to be your true mate,” she said, and my heart stopped. “It’s not just about the heir, Xavier. It’s about us, about what we can build together. You need to make me your permanent mate. I’ll be the one standing beside you, leading the pack.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. Was she really asking him that? To make her Luna, to replace me completely? But then again, why was I surprised? I was just the broken wife in a wheelchair.

But then, as if he knew my thoughts, I heard Xavier’s response. "Celeste… Once the baby is born, we'll announce it. You’ll be the new Luna. I’ll make you my official mate."

I froze.

The words hit me harder than anything had before. Official mate. He was planning on marrying her.

I froze. The words hit me harder than anything had before. Official mate. He was planning on marrying her. He was planning to replace me—make her the Luna.

The tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced them back. I couldn’t let them see how much this hurt. But as the conversation continued, the crushing reality settled in.

I wanted to scream, to confront him, but I couldn’t. What could I say? The truth was, he had already made his decision. He had already moved on.

I pushed my wheelchair toward the window, looking out at the pack house where I had once felt so at home, so loved. Now, it was just a reminder of everything I was losing.

This was it.

The door to my room opened slowly, and I turned, half-expecting Xavier. But instead, it was Celeste standing there, a smug grin on her face.

“You heard everything, didn’t you?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. What was there to say?

Her smile widened. “Don’t worry, Lyra. You’ll always be remembered as the one who helped us get here. But now, it’s my time. Get used to it.”

With that, she walked out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

That evening, Xavier and Celeste dressed to the nines, preparing for some fancy family dinner I wasn’t invited to. Of course, why would I be? I was just the discarded Luna now, left to sit in my wheelchair like an afterthought.

As they walked out the door, Xavier didn’t even glance back at me. Celeste, on the other hand, threw me a sweet smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Don’t wait up, Lyra,” her voice laced with mockery.

The house was quiet once they were gone, I sat alone in the living room, staring at the flickering flames in the fireplace.

That night, I must have dozed off in the living room while drinking my tea. When I opened my eyes, I was startled to find myself at the top of the grand staircase, still in my wheelchair.

My heart raced as I tried to process how I’d gotten there. I didn’t remember anyone moving me.

That’s when I noticed her—a maid I didn’t recognize, standing just behind me. She was young, with a blank expression that sent a chill down my spine.

“Did you bring me here?” I asked, my voice unsteady.

She didn’t respond, just tilted her head slightly, as if amused by my confusion. Suddenly, her lips curved into a small, cold smile. “It’s time, Miss Lyra.”

Before I could react, she stepped behind me and shoved the wheelchair forward.

“Wait—no!” I screamed, my hands fumbling for the wheels, trying desperately to stop.

But it was too late.

The world spun as the chair tipped forward, and I was thrown down the stairs. Each step slammed into me, pain exploding across my body. I hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of my lungs. Everything was a blur—pain, fear, and the deafening sound of my heartbeat pounding in my ears.

I lay there, motionless, convinced this was the end. But then, as I stared at the ceiling, something strange happened. A warmth spread through me, starting in my chest and flowing outward. It wasn’t just comforting—it was powerful.

The pain faded almost instantly, replaced by a strange tingling sensation. I blinked in disbelief as I lifted my hand, watching it move effortlessly. Slowly, I sat up. My body felt... different. Stronger. I pushed myself up, fully expecting my legs to buckle beneath me.

But they didn’t.

I stood, my heart racing as I stared down at my perfectly steady legs. For a moment, I just stood there, overwhelmed by the impossible reality.

The sound of hurried footsteps snapped me out of my shock. I quickly dropped to my knees, pretending to struggle. The maid appeared at the top of the stairs, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“You’re... still alive?” she whispered, her voice shaking.

I groaned, clutching my side and pretending to be in pain. “Help me,” I rasped, playing the part of the injured woman she expected to see.

She didn’t move. Instead, she backed away, her face pale with fear. I watched as she disappeared down the hall, clearly panicked.

The next morning, I overheard Celeste in the study, her voice sharp and furious. I wheeled myself closer, staying just outside the door, listening.

“You were supposed to finish her!” Celeste snapped. “How does someone survive a fall like that? You said you’d take care of it.”

The maid’s voice trembled as she replied, “I don’t know what happened, Miss Celeste. I swear, she should’ve been—”

“Enough!” Celeste hissed. “Get out of my sight. You’re done here.”

A moment later, I heard the maid scurry out, her sobs echoing down the hall. I sat there, frozen, as the reality of it all sank in. Celeste had planned this. She had hired someone to kill me, and she wasn’t even trying to hide it.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. I wanted to burst into that room, to scream at her, to tell her I knew everything. But I didn’t. Not yet. Instead, I turned my wheelchair and quietly left, keeping my expression neutral when I passed the staff.

Let her think I was still weak, still broken. Let her believe she had the upper hand. Because now, I had something she didn’t: the element of surprise.