Recently, the change in my behavior was obvious. Where I used to argue, question, or flash a smirk whenever Kade gave an order, I now simply nodded.

When he commanded me to attend a border patrol review—a task I would have normally jumped at the chance to argue about, snapping, 'Is this really a job for an Omega?'—I just looked at a point somewhere past his shoulder and said, “Yes, Alpha.” No eye roll, no sarcastic comment.

Kade noticed. I saw his brows draw together slightly as I turned to leave without another word. Later that day, I overheard him talking to his Beta near the training grounds. “She's become much more obedient lately,” he remarked. “It doesn't even feel like her anymore.” “Is that a bad thing?” the Beta replied. “Haven't you always wanted her to be more...settled?”

Fine. I was written off as "settled".

In my room, cluttered with possessions I once cherished, many of them gifts Kade had ordered for my quarters, I pulled a simple, sturdy bag I’d woven myself from under my bed, and began to pack my things.

I only took my mother’s wolf-tooth necklace, a few practical sets of clothing, a small pouch of silver coins I’d saved over the years. And of course, the speaking stone and the black credit chip from the South.

And I left everything else. The glittering jewels, the silken gowns, the exquisite custom timepiece—all of it went into a large wooden box. I picked up a particularly garish diamond necklace he’d given me during what I thought was the height of our passion. I could still remember the joy I felt receiving it. Now, it felt more like a payment than an expression of affection.

My wolf, Catherine, surfaced in my mind. "You're taking so little? You used to sleep with that diamond necklace!"

"You grow up and realize what truly matters doesn't take up much space," I replied coolly. "He can give this to his next favorite plaything." I dropped it into the box with the rest of the discarded items without a second glance.

A few days later, I volunteered for the kitchen’s supply run into the nearby town, which gave me a few precious hours of freedom. My basket was soon filled with herbs and roots, a perfect cover.

As I walked through the market streets, my eyes weren't on the stalls but on the best routes leading out of the territory and toward the northern border.

After walking for what felt like ages, I found a secret spot near the designated border area. Then I pulled the speaking stone from my pocket.

“The plan stands,” I said to the stone. “But I need a new condition. A private jet, waiting at the designated spot. On the northern border, due east of the Blackwater Creek, there’s a large, lightning-struck oak tree. Your pilot won’t be able to miss it.”

A deep, gravelly voice echoed back almost immediately. “Consider it done, your highness. All is prepared for your arrival. We are waiting for our Luna.” The title "Luna" used to make my heart flutter with a foolish hope. Now, it just felt like a job description. A better one than "convenient bedmate".

“See that you do,” I replied, cutting the connection immediately. This was a deal, not a reunion.

Back in my room at Frostfang, I went to the small calendar hidden in my drawer. I took a pen and crossed out another day. Five days. No anxiety. No second thoughts.

Perhaps my recent absences were noticeable; Kade often couldn't find me in my usual place. I used to make sure I was constantly seen by kade. That evening, Kade stopped me in the hallway outside his war room. He studied me for a moment. “What have you been busy with lately? I barely see you around.”

“I heard the kitchen was short-handed, so I've been helping out,” I answered smoothly, the lie ready on my lips.

“I didn't know you had an interest in kitchen work. You used to pride yourself on never getting your hands dirty.”

“People change,” I said, holding his gaze steadily.

Kade seemed to find nothing unusual in my answer. After a moment, he said, “There’s a gathering tomorrow night at the Silverwood Estate,” he stated. “The usual important figures. You haven't been to a party in a while. It might be good for you to go. Be ready by seven.”

In the past, I would have lit up at this. A chance to dress up, to be seen on his arm, to play the part I so desperately wanted. Now, I just met his gaze, my expression utterly flat.

“Of course, Alpha,” I said, my voice a agreeable tone. “I will have everything prepared precisely as you require.”

A strand of confusion passed behind his eyes. This wasn’t my pattern. Something about my answer felt off to him. He frowned, but unable to figure out what was wrong, finally just gave a short nod before walking away.

Perfect, I thought. Let him wonder. I turned and walked back to my room. I’d have everything prepared. I was going to give him a final performance he would never forget.

The Silverwood Estate was dazzling, filled with the most influential figures from across the northern territories. The air hummed with polished conversation and the clinking of champagne flutes. I moved through the crowd beside Kade, surprised by the scale of the event.

It didn't take long to realize this was no simple gathering. It was an auction. The main hall was a spectacle of gold leaf and crystal chandeliers, with rows of plush seats facing a raised stage.

As Kade guided me into the VIP section, my eyes immediately landed on Sara, already seated in the front row, smiling as if she owned the place.

Of course, I thought. He brought me here to be part of the audience for his dear Sara.

I was about to turn and leave when Kade thrust a glossy auction catalog into my hands. “You’ve seemed down lately,” he said. “I remember you used to enjoy shopping. Thought this might lift your spirits.”

I was ready to shove the catalog back at him when a single image on one page made my blood boil. Mother’s feather brooch! The delicate silver wing, set with a single, moonstone dewdrop. Her most treasured possession, lost after the massacre.

My fingers clenched around the booklet, crumpling the page.

Item after item was presented: rare artworks, ancient artifacts, glittering jewels. I paid them no mind. Sara, however, bidding enthusiastically on several lots. "Kade must have given her a blank check," my wolf Catherine snarled in my mind. "What terrible taste she has."

Then, the auctioneer unveiled the next lot. The red velvet cloth was pulled away, and there it was. The feather brooch glimmered under the spotlight, a piece of my shattered past.

This was no longer a party. This was a mission. I sat up straight, my entire focus narrowing on that single piece of silver. It was coming home with me.

“You like it that much?” Kade’s low voice murmured near my ear.

I ignored him entirely and raised my paddle. “Six million.” A sweet, familiar voice cut in from our side. “Seven million.” Sara turned and gave me a smile. “I’m so sorry, Lila. I’ve just fallen in love with it. You don’t mind if we bid, do you? ”

My fist clenched tight. “Eight million.” “Nine million.” I did a mental calculation. The money from the South—one hundred million. That was my absolute limit. “One hundred million.” “Two hundred million.” My blood turned to ice. I was tapped out, but Sara continued bidding with effortless grace.

“Two hundred million, going once.” The auctioneer looked directly at me. “Miss Lila, any further bids?”

I swallowed hard. I never thought I’d beg this man for anything. “Yes,” I choked out the word, turning to grasp Kade’s sleeve. “Kade, lend me the money. Please. It’s...it was my mother’s. I need it.”

He stared at me, visibly stunned. He had never seen me, proud Lila, now so pleading. “I’m begging you,” I whispered, my eyes burning with tears.

Kade’s hand moved toward the inner pocket of his jacket, reaching for his black card—“Kade.” Sara’s hand shot out, clutching his arm. Her eyes were wide. “I…I really love this piece. It’s the first thing I’ve truly wanted in so long. Please, don’t help her. Please?”

The air grew heavy. I watched Kade, the man who had fought off entire packs, now caught in a silent war between two women.

After a moment of silence, he looked at Sara and said softly, “It’s yours.”

These words felt like shards of glass piercing my heart. The gavel fell. “Sold! To Miss Sara!”

A cold numbness spread through me. I watched as the brooch was handed to Sara, who shot me a look of pure triumph.

Kade was staring at me. At my red-rimmed, dry eyes. A kind of regret showed on his face.

“Kade…” Sara whimpered, leaning into him weakly. “My cramps are so bad...could you please find me a heated blanket?”

Kade was silent for a beat, then nodded. He stood up and walked away.

I was done. I sat frozen, the auction continuing in a blur of noise around me, my mind filled only with the image of my mother’s smile as she wore that brooch.

The second the event concluded, I marched over to Sara, cutting her off. “Sell me the brooch,” I said, my voice hoarse. “Name your price. Anything.”

Sara gave a light, tinkling laugh. “Anything? Really? What if I told you to get on your knees?”

I began to tremble. I heard my mother’s dying words: “My darling, no matter what, live with dignity.” But now, for a piece of her, I was ready to sacrifice it. “Fine,” I spat the word out.

My eyes filled with furious tears, I started to slowly lower myself— “Stop,” Sara laughed, waving a hand. “Kneeling is pointless.” “That ugly trinket? I had my assistant toss it in the trash the second I won it. I just wanted to see you beg.” She leaned in close, her voice a venomous whisper. “Your mother’s garbage belongs in the dump.”

“Say that again,” I whispered, my voice terrifyingly calm.

Sara smirked. “It’s with the rest of the kitchen waste. Didn’t you hear me?”

Before she could draw another breath, my hand shot out. I grabbed a small fruit knife from a nearby abandoned dessert plate and drove it straight into her shoulder.

A piercing scream ripped through the hall. Blood bloomed across her gown, spattering my dress like flowers.

Chaos erupted. People shrieked. I stood perfectly still. I looked around at the horrified faces, my red lips curling into a cold smile. “My apologies for the spectacle,” my voice cutting through the noise. “My mother died young. She didn’t have time to teach me manners. So I usually believe in settling my debts—”

I yanked the knife out, a fresh wave of blood following it. “—right here, and right now.”

As Sara wailed in pain, I simply dropped the bloody knife on the floor and turned to leave.

A strong hand seized my wrist at the entrance, spinning me around. It was Kade, a blanket draped over his arm, his face covered with fury. “Have you lost your mind?!” he yelled. “You attack someone over a piece of jewelry? What will you do next time she upsets you—kill her?”

I glared up at him, pain extended from my wrist. “Why don’t you ask her what she did? What she said about my mother’s brooch—” “I don’t care if she threw it in the damn ocean!” he roared, cutting me off. “That does not justify this!”

His words were the final blow. Tears streaming down my face. “Well, it’s done. So how does the great Alpha plan to ‘discipline’ me now?”

“It seems I can’t,” he said, his voice sounded like ice. “Guards! Take her to the containment cells. Charge her with deliberate assault. Three days’ solitary confinement.”

My head rose up with disbelief. He was sending me to the pack’s underground prison? For Sara?

I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood, but I refused to say another word. I let two guards take my arms. As they led me away, my last sight was of Kade gently lifting Sara into his arms, said, “I’ve got you. It’s okay.”

The heavy door of the detention block clanged shut behind me, sealing me in darkness.

The three days in the detention block were like nightmare of my life. I was thrown into the dirtiest cell, and my cellmates, clearly acting on orders from above, made it their mission to torture me.

The first day, they held me down, stripped me naked for a search, and doused me with buckets of ice-cold water while laughing at my shivering form.

The second day, I found shards of glass mixed into my meal, leaving me with a painful hunger.

On the final day, the worst came. Several women dragged me into a toilet stall, pinning me against the wall as their fists rained down on my ribs and back.

“Heard you pissed off the wrong person,” the leader sneered, gripping my chin with fingers. “Word is from the top—the Alpha wants you to ‘learn your lesson’.”

I curled into a ball on the wet floor. I refused to believe Kade would order this, but every new bruise, every cut, was a reminder that he could be this cruel, that he would go this far to punish me.

When the guards finally came to release me after seventy-two hours, I could barely stand. I dragged my body out of the cell. I managed only a few stumbling steps before my legs gave way and everything went black.

I woke up in a hospital room. “Did you learn your lesson this time?” Kade’s cold voice came from beside the bed.

I didn’t look at him. I just stared at the ceiling.

My lack of response seemed to irritate him. “Lila, I asked you a—” A nurse hurried in, cutting him off. “Alpha, Miss Sara is asking for you again. She says the pain is unbearable…”

Kade’s attention instantly shifted. “You need to reflect on your actions,” he said to me, already turning to leave. “Stay out of trouble.”

The following hours, Sara took great pleasure in sending me photos of Kade spoon-feeding her, tending to her every need. I ignored them totally.

In the evening, Sara herself paid me a visit. “You’re out in just three days,” she said sweetly, gesturing to her heavily bandaged shoulder. “Do you know how long I have to stay because of your little stunt? If Kade hadn’t spent a fortune flying in specialists, I might have lost the use of my arm.”

“You earned it,” I stated.

Sara’s smile didn’t disappear. “Lila, what are you still acting so proud for? How did it feel to be so desperately in love with him, only to be thrown in a cell by his command?”

I finally turned to look at her. “What is your point?”

“Oh, nothing. I just thought I’d tell you a story,” she said, settling herself on the edge of my bed. “You see, Kade and I go way back. University. Every girl on campus was after him, but he never looked at any of them.” She touched her bandage, her eyes shining with triumph. “Except for me.”

“He remembered I take my coffee black. At student council events, he’d only accept water if I handed it to him. During his big championship speech, his eyes only ever found mine in the crowd. It drove the other girls insane with jealousy, but he only ever smiled for me.”

My fists clenched under the sheets. She leaned in closer. “We were just about to make it official when I got hurt saving him. I had to leave to recover. But we never lost touch all these years.”

She leaned back, a mocking pity on her face. “So you see, you were just a distraction. A plaything. He crooked his finger, and you jumped into his bed. Did you really think it meant anything? I am the one who will be his Luna.” With a final laugh, she stood and left the room.

It was true. It had all been in my head. My love, my hope, my sacrifices—all a pathetic delusion. But from this moment on, the Kade I loved was dead to me. He and Sara could have their perfect fairy tale. It had nothing to do with me anymore.

I had real work to do. I closed my eyes, running through the plan. Tomorrow was the day. Everything was in place.

At first light, I discharged myself and returned to the Frostfang compound. The grounds were still and quiet, the guards at the gate minimal and drowsy. I slipped straight to my room and grabbed the woven bag I’d prepared.

Moving with quiet pace, I used the knowledge of the guard patrol routes I’d observed. I slipped through shadows and melted into the forest surrounding the territory.

I reached the designated spot as the sun began to rise. And there it was a dark private jet, its engines humming. A figure dressed in the deep crimson and black of the Shadowclaw Pack stood at the foot of the steps. He bowed deeply as I approached.

“Your highness,” he said, his voice respectful. “The Alpha awaits your arrival.”

"Don't call me that yet," I said. I didn’t look back at the world I was leaving behind. The jet began to move, carrying me south to a future I had seized for myself.