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.

I blinked, startled by the unexpected movement. Before I could even process what was happening, someone sprinted forward and slammed into me, forcing me to the ground. At the same time, he caught Janine in his embrace, shielding her.

Just when I thought my heart couldn’t possibly endure more heartbreak, it crumbled further—especially when Jonathan spun toward me, his expression twisted in rage.

“What the hell is the matter with you, Natasha?” he growled, his golden irises shadowed with fury, lips pulled back just enough to reveal the tips of his fangs. “Janine just came here to greet you, and you pounced on her like some deranged rogue?”

I slowly stood up, brushing the dust from my clothes. My eyes never left his. “She insulted my mother,” I said through clenched teeth. “Do you really think I’d stand there and stay silent? And you...” I exhaled, trying to keep control of the storm inside me. “You never told me the full story of what happened to her. All you ever said was that the healers failed. That’s it?”

His face faltered for a heartbeat—his eyes wide, just briefly, before he schooled his expression into something colder, more distant. “We already talked about this, Natasha. Her injuries were too severe. The healers did all they could, but it wasn’t enough to save her.”

He was lying. I could sense it in the subtle shift of his scent, in the faint skip of his heartbeat. But now wasn’t the time to expose him. No, I needed to plan carefully—vengeance wasn’t something to waste in a burst of emotion.

Before I could challenge him further, Janine took the opportunity to insert herself into the moment. She laid a soft, dainty hand on his chest, leaning into him with practiced vulnerability. “It’s alright, Jonathan,” she murmured, voice dripping with false compassion. “I suppose Natasha’s still hurting over the fact that Tim chose me, dissolving their bond. Maybe I had that slap coming. Let’s just consider it settled—I was only trying to make peace.”

She gave me a look that was meant to be sympathetic but came off as smug. Turning away, she took his arm. As they walked down the path together, she sighed dramatically. “If seeing me causes her this much pain, maybe we should just stop meeting altogether. I hate being the reason for tension between us, Jonathan.”

That was it. The last straw. The final crack in an already shattered heart. I was done with Jonathan Marsh.

I said nothing more. Instead, I resumed burning everything that symbolized our relationship—all the memories, the empty promises, the gifts he once gave me. I watched it all go up in flames. A few minutes later, my phone buzzed with a message.

I’m sorry, love. I know it hurt when I asked you to apologize. Janine is leading negotiations for the Crescent Moon alliance, and I didn’t want to risk any conflict. Once this deal is secured, I’ll make it up to you. I even got you a present. Please don’t be mad.

I didn’t bother to respond. I had finally understood the truth—Jonathan didn’t love me. He never did. I had merely been a stand-in, a convenient figure beside him.

I packed a small bag and left the packhouse without looking back. The guest lodge I retreated to was tucked away in a quiet part of the territory, far from prying eyes and lies. I hadn’t even unpacked when my phone rang. It was one of the secretaries from the pack’s administrative office.

“Luna, will you not be joining today’s meeting with the elder council?”

I was about to say no when a voice in the background halted me—Jonathan’s. He was giving instructions with urgency.

“Get the top healers. Spare no cost—I want Janine recovered as soon as possible.”

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. Just one minor wound, and he was willing to burn through pack funds to fix her up. Meanwhile, when my own mother bled out in agony, he hadn’t lifted a finger to help.

“I won’t be attending,” I replied flatly, and ended the call.

Soon after, Jonathan’s name lit up my screen. I ignored the first few attempts, but eventually curiosity won out. I picked up but said nothing. On the other end, he was still speaking to someone in his office, unaware I had answered.

“Alpha, revising the Crescent Moon treaty is going to cost a substantial amount. Are you sure you want to proceed?”

“There’s no need to second-guess. Just move forward. This is something Janine wants—and if she wants it, she’ll get it.”

My grip tightened around the phone. A few seconds later, he must’ve noticed I was on the line.

“Natasha? I just heard you missed the elders’ council today. Are you alright?”

“I’m not feeling well.”

“Oh, okay. I’ll cancel the rest of my schedule and head home. Get some rest, alright?”

My wolf howled inside me, furious at the audacity of his words. Home? As if that place was still ours. He could keep it. He’d already made his choice.

I spent the next hour scrolling through social media feeds, trying to distract myself with meaningless content, when a live video from the city center stopped me cold. In the background, I spotted them—Jonathan and Janine. He was holding up a dress against her body, laughing, smiling, gently touching her hands. Their body language made it clear—this wasn’t business. This was intimacy.

It was time.

I contacted my lawyer immediately and had the documents sent straight to Jonathan’s office. After that, I called the agency to finalize the final stage of my escape.

Not long after, chaos erupted at the estate. His secretary burst into the room, breathless and wide-eyed.

“Alpha, we have a situation. The Gamma just confirmed it—Luna Natasha performed the severance ritual. And...” she hesitated, voice shaking, “she knows the truth about what happened to her mother.”

I watched it all unfold through the live security feed from my hidden location. The expression on his face was a blend of disbelief and dread, but before he could form a response, another pack staff member came running in, pale and trembling.

“Alpha! There’s... there’s more. Luna Natasha… she’s gone.”

The room froze.

“She took her own life,” the staff member said, barely able to get the words out. “She couldn’t handle knowing what you did to her mother.”