The scent of antiseptic hit me first. My eyelids were heavy, limbs weighed down by pain. The sterile hospital lights pierced through my grogginess, and when my eyes adjusted, I saw him—Alpha Jonathan Marsh. His hand clutched mine as if it could anchor me back to life.

“Natasha…” he murmured, voice rough with emotion. “Why were you driving like that? You could’ve died.”

He pressed a kiss to my fingers, then my forehead. Once, that would have comforted me. Now, it burned.

“I’m fine,” I whispered, lips curving into a smile that didn’t touch my heart.

He relaxed, relief washing over his features. He whispered he loved me, that I meant everything to him. I let him say it. I let him believe I was still the same girl who trusted him. But I wasn't.

I had already died once—back there, in that office, where the truth bled from his lips.

---

Hours earlier, I had been walking through the grand halls of the Redwood Packhouse, clutching an iron key—one that belonged to a home I’d been preparing in secret. A surprise for my mate. A legacy of love passed down through generations.

I was bubbling with excitement, barely able to contain the news of my pregnancy. I had debated for days whether to tell Jonathan myself or let the healer confirm it. Eventually, I decided to do both.

But fate intervened.

Just as I neared his office, voices filtered through the door.

“She must never find out, Billy,” Jonathan’s voice growled. “It’s done. We can’t undo it now.”

My grip on the doorknob tightened. My heart raced. I gave the healer a subtle nod to leave me. Something felt wrong.

“Alpha, you used her mother’s wolf heart to save Janine Golden’s sister,” Billy said flatly. “You lied to Natasha. Her mother died for this. What do you think she’ll do if she discovers the truth?”

My entire body went numb.

Did he just say what I think he said? my wolf asked, her voice trembling inside me.

But I couldn’t answer.

The world tilted.

Janine Golden. Of course, it was her. The name scraped against my bones like silver. Jonathan’s first love. The same woman my ex, Tim, had left me for. It was always her.

Why was it always her?

I should have walked away. But I stayed. I had to hear it all.

“I did what had to be done,” Jonathan said coldly. “Janine needed me. Her sister needed me. Natasha’s mother was already dying.”

Billy’s voice cracked like a whip. “You call that a justification? You killed her.”

“I saved Janine’s sister,” Jonathan replied with chilling finality. “And I took Natasha as my mate. That should be enough.”

“Five years, Alpha. Five years of lies. That girl adores you.”

“She means nothing,” Jonathan snapped. “I marked her. Gave her status. But if she ever finds out… then I’ll remove her.”

I couldn’t breathe.

“Banished her?” Billy asked in disbelief.

“If I must,” Jonathan said. “As long as Janine’s happy, nothing else matters.”

That was it. My legs gave out. The world blurred.

I had believed in him—in his touches, his words, the way he shielded me. I thought I mattered. But I was a placeholder. An obligation. A piece in his tragic love story.

I stood up, pulled the key from my pocket, and tossed it into the brazier. Flames devoured the future I once envisioned.

Then, I ran.

My wolf howled, furious and broken as I tore through the halls. The Packhouse warped around me, corridors twisting in my vision.

I stumbled into my car, hands shaking, tears blurring the world. The engine roared, and I sped away—faster, faster. But no speed could outpace betrayal.

Jonathan had killed my mother to save Janine’s sister. He destroyed my family for his past.

The crash came like a scream in the night. Metal shrieked, glass exploded. Pain lanced through me.

Shift, I begged my wolf. Heal us.

But it was too late.

---

Now, in the hospital, I lie beside the man who destroyed me. He weeps like he’s lost something precious.

He hasn't lost me yet.

But he will.

Jonathan Marsh stole my mother, my peace, my love.

So I will take everything from him.

My wolf and I, united in pain and fury, vowed together: He will fall.

“Natasha, I’ll be away for a few days. There’s an Alpha council with the Northern Packs,” Jonathan said gently, placing a lingering kiss on my forehead as though he were the devoted mate he pretended to be. “I’ll think about you the whole time.”

I gave him a tight, practiced smile. “Safe travels… my Alpha.”

His laugh was soft but knowing. He recognized the rare formality in my tone. I never called him “Alpha” unless we were fighting—he always used to tease me about that. But maybe he didn’t mind this time. Maybe he thought I’d finally softened.

As soon as his SUV disappeared between the dense evergreens, I turned away and began my real mission.

I had spent the last few days carefully studying his habits, identifying where he kept the things he didn’t want anyone to see. Alpha Jonathan Marsh was a master of secrets—and the biggest ones were locked away in the vault beneath the Packhouse. A place only he frequented. The code? Janine’s birthday. A name that had haunted my past and poisoned my present.

I typed it in with a steady hand. A soft click rewarded my guess.

Inside lay neat, damning piles—proof that would rip open everything he had built.

The first file was the worst: medical contracts. Official documents outlining the sacrifice of my mother’s heart… for Janine’s sister. Signed forms approving a forbidden organ ritual—none of which bore my signature. I wasn’t consulted. I was robbed.

My claws nearly pierced through the paper, my vision darkening. Jonathan had arranged this. He had condemned my mother and gifted her very heart to another woman. Then he had marked me, masked himself as my mate, and stood by me during the grief he orchestrated.

Pushing the medical documents aside, I picked up another bundle: financial records. At first glance, they seemed like standard expenses—pack-related costs—but I saw through them now. They weren’t investments. They were offerings.

Exquisite jewelry. High-end gowns. Lavish resort bills.

All of it... for Janine.

Then came a folder filled with receipts tied to me—simple things: a charm bracelet, a modest ring, a bouquet here and there. I'd once clung to them as tokens of love. But now they looked like hush gifts. Cheap covers for a bigger lie.

A bitter laugh clawed its way up my throat. I had been the stand-in. The convenient mate. The political pawn.

But I didn’t crumble. My fingers shook with fury, not fear. I pulled out my phone and took photos—evidence of every betrayal, every lie he hoped would stay buried.

One final folder lay at the bottom—heavy and thick, labeled “Future Assets.” Inside were deeds, financial plans, and insurance policies... all aligned to ensure Janine’s future was secure. Not mine. Not ours.

I snapped pictures of that too, then quietly closed the vault, ensuring everything looked untouched. I didn’t even glance back at the place I once believed was my home. I was already gone in spirit.

The moon hung low in the sky when I arrived at the home of the Gamma—the oldest, most respected member of our pack.

“Luna Natasha?” he said, clearly surprised. “This is… unexpected.”

“I need your help with something rare,” I said. “A severance ritual.”

His expression turned grave. “Severance? That ritual hasn’t been performed in decades. It’s strictly—”

“I know it’s forbidden,” I interrupted, my tone unwavering. “But I want my bond with Alpha Jonathan severed. I know you store the Alpha’s blood for healing rites. I need it—for this.”

He stared at me for a moment, searching my eyes. Then he nodded. “If you’re sure, then all I need is your blood mixed with his. It’s a powerful ritual—permanent.”

He brought the vials, and I let my blood drip into the vessel. The mixture shimmered briefly, then darkened. The bond—what was once the tie between our souls—was being broken.

When it was done, I thanked him and left, my resolve colder than ever.

My next stop was a little-known structure hidden near rogue territory. It had no sign, barely any lighting, and looked abandoned. But I knew better.

Inside, the air smelled like damp stone and burnt sage. A man sat behind a desk, his features hidden beneath a hood. His scent was peculiar—muted and hard to place.

“I need a clean break,” I told him. “A full disappearance.”

His lips curved into a slow, intrigued grin. “You’re not the first to come here with that request. Why should I help you?”

I dropped a bundle of cash onto the table. Thick, unmarked bills.

He chuckled. “Now we’re speaking the same language.”

He beckoned for me to follow him. Behind a curtain, a room full of glowing screens showed identities wiped clean, faces blurred beyond recognition.

“This is how it works,” he explained. “We fake a death—yours. Rogue attack, drowning, your call. After that, we issue you a new identity and place you somewhere even the strongest trackers can’t find.”

My wolf stirred inside me, agitated and fierce.

Natasha, this isn't right. I don’t want to hide. I want retribution.

I didn’t answer her. Not yet.

The headline drew my attention before I even fully registered what I was looking at.

“Alpha Jonathan Marsh and Janine Golden Seen Together at High-Profile Auction—Old Flames Reignite,” it read.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. I stared at my phone screen as if it had turned into a knife in my hand. And there they were—Jonathan and Janine, impeccably dressed, glowing like the world was theirs to command. They stood inches apart, smiling in that infuriatingly familiar way that spoke of years of history and far too much affection.

Jonathan had said he was going to a summit with other Alphas, supposedly a serious and essential meeting. The auction clearly wasn’t any kind of political gathering, and Janine—well, she wasn’t even part of any Alpha council.

I scrolled down, my fingers trembling. The article went on to describe them in sickening detail—their natural chemistry, the “timeless connection” between them. Every sentence slashed deeper into my chest like sharpened claws.

I let my phone slide from my hand onto the sofa, my chest aching as tightness wrapped around my ribs. I couldn’t draw a full breath.

But then, slowly, I rested my palm on my abdomen and inhaled deeply, eyes closing. The life growing within me deserved peace—not pain, not betrayal. My baby was a miracle in the chaos, a flicker of light I was determined to protect and love no matter what happened.

I made my way to the healer's clinic. As she glided a glowing stone gently across my belly, the soft, steady beat of my baby’s heart filled the quiet room.

“You’re carrying a strong Alpha pup,” she said with a gentle smile.

Alpha. My child might rise to lead one day—or maybe they'd simply live a life of freedom, without titles. But what I knew for sure was I didn’t want them growing up in a world full of lies and wounds like mine.

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt something that wasn’t pain: hope. My tears came, but they came from joy this time. Relief wrapped itself around me like a long-lost friend.

As I left the clinic, one thing became very clear—I had unfinished business. I made my way to the estate that used to feel like home, the Alpha’s residence. But as I stood in front of its grand oak doors, I felt more like a stranger than ever.

The guards stiffened when they saw me. “Is Alpha Harper in his office?” I asked.

“Yes, Luna. But you aren’t allowed in at the moment,” one of them replied, clearly nervous.

I tilted my head, my voice cool. “Why not? I am still your Luna, am I not?”

He avoided my gaze. “I apologize, Luna. I’m not permitted to say.”

The breath caught in my lungs. Jonathan hadn’t even told me he was back from his supposed summit. My disbelief burned into fury.

The guards didn’t budge, not until Billy came over. “As a warrior, your loyalty is to the Luna. You have no right to bar her way.”

The guard stayed silent but finally stepped aside. I didn’t thank Billy. He was just as complicit in the lies, and I owed him nothing now.

The door was cracked open. I paused, my heart hammering. Part of me knew I should turn around. Whatever was on the other side would only deepen the wound—but curiosity and grief drove me forward.

Peering inside, I felt the air rush from my lungs.

Jonathan stood beside his desk, and Janine was in his embrace. Their faces far too close, too familiar. Then, just as if on cue, he leaned in—and kissed her.

Everything inside me collapsed in that instant. They were lost in each other, his hand resting on her waist, her smile melting into his lips, like the rest of the world didn’t exist.

How dare you! my wolf howled inside, ready to tear them both apart. I had to breathe, had to stop her from taking control.

I wanted to storm in, to rip apart the illusion they were so wrapped in. But I didn’t. And for once, I didn’t flee either. Instead, I reached into my pocket, hands shaking, and took a photo. The perfect shot—Janine looking at him with that exact nauseating smile from the auction images.

Then, I quietly turned and walked away. Back in my car, I stared at the image on my phone. I created a dummy account within the pack’s internal network, uploaded the photo, and sent it directly to Tim—Janine’s mate.

Back at my place, I started gathering every gift Jonathan had ever given me during the last five years. Jewelry. Letters. Trinkets. All of it went into boxes. I brought them downstairs, one by one, and lit a fire in the hearth. One after the other, I fed the past to the flames, watching each piece blacken and curl into ash.

Just as the last box began to catch, Janine appeared—uninvited. Without saying anything, she kicked one of the boxes, scattering burning embers and ash everywhere. Some landed on her, but she didn’t even flinch. She just smiled.

I narrowed my eyes. “What exactly do you think you’re doing, Janine?”

“Oh! My bad,” she said with feigned innocence. “I must’ve tripped. Didn’t mean to. Wait—are these from Jonathan? Why are you burning them? Did it finally hit you how irrelevant you’ve always been to him?”

My jaw tensed. “Come again?”

“I mean, it’s kind of obvious, isn’t it? You couldn’t even keep your mother safe. She died because you were too weak to stop it.”

My breath caught. “Don’t you dare speak about my mother with that filthy mouth.”

A fury hotter than the fire before us ignited inside me. Before I could even think about it, my hand moved on its own—I slapped her. Not hard, but just enough.

She stumbled—and fell straight into the fire.