By the time the sun began to set, I had convinced myself to attend the pack gathering. I didn’t want to go not after the argument with Harlan but the weight of my responsibilities as his Chosen Mate left me with little choice. My wolf protested in my mind, “ We shouldn’t have to beg for his attention, she growled. Why do we let him treat us like this?”

But I ignored her. This was my reality. Harlan needed me by his side for the sake of the pack, even if it felt like he barely noticed I existed anymore.

I put on a simple green dress, one that Harlan had once complimented before everything between us became so strained. For a fleeting moment, I wondered if he would notice tonight if he would look at me like he used to.

When Harlan came to fetch me, he barely glanced at me. “Ready?” he asked, his eyes already on the road ahead.

I nodded silently, following him out.

The pack gathering was in full swing when we arrived. Wolves of all ranks milled about, talking, laughing, and enjoying the night. The scent of roasted meat and bonfires filled the air, mingling with the earthy smell of pine and the faint undertone of wolves in their shifted forms patrolling the perimeter.

Harlan led me through the crowd with the ease of an Alpha, his commanding presence parting the sea of pack members like it always did. But while I walked beside him, it was clear to everyone including me that I was merely a shadow at his side.

Lila was already there, waiting for us near the central fire. She was dressed in a flowing red dress that clung to her every curve, her hair styled to perfection. As soon as she saw Harlan, her face lit up, and she hurried toward him like he was the only person in the world.

“Harlan,” she purred, “I was wondering when you’d get here.”

He smiled at her, a warm, genuine smile that I hadn’t seen directed at me in longer than I cared to admit.

Lila stayed glued to him the entire evening, her hand casually resting on his arm, her laughter ringing out whenever he said something. And he let her. No, he encouraged her, leaning down to whisper in her ear, brushing a strand of hair from her face, giving her all the attention I craved but never received.

The pack members noticed. Of course, they did. Their eyes flickered between me and Lila, their expressions a mix of pity and judgment. Some whispered to each other, their words too low for me to hear but loud enough to sting. Others avoided my gaze entirely, as if my humiliation was too uncomfortable for them to witness.

I stood there, silent, smiling when it was expected, nodding when someone addressed me. But inside, I was crumbling. My wolf howled in frustration. This isn’t right, she growled. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be.

I stood in a corner near the refreshments table, nursing a cocktail in my hand. It was fruity, sweet, and far too weak to drown out the ache in my chest as I watched Harlan and Lila across the firepit.

I took another sip of my drink, trying to focus on the sharp tang of citrus instead of the sharp pang in my chest. But no amount of sweet cocktails could make this scene any easier to endure. After downing four drinks, finally Harlan acknowledged me.

“Why are you hiding over here?” He asked me, and I turned to see Harlan standing behind me, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed.

“I’m not hiding,” I said quickly, setting my glass down with more force than necessary.

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over me like he didn’t believe a word I said. “You’ve been standing here all night, Anya. What’s going on?”

“What’s going on,” I repeated, as I gestured toward Lila, “is that you seem to be having a wonderful evening without me. I’m just enjoying the show.”

He stepped closer to me, “Don’t start this here, Anya. You’re overreacting.”

“Overreacting?” I hissed, “You’ve spent the entire night glued to her side, Harlan. You didn’t even notice I was here until now!”

He exhaled sharply, “She’s family. You know that.”

“Family doesn’t cling to you like a lovesick pup,” I snapped.

For a moment, I thought he was going to argue back, but instead, he straightened and glanced around. “We’re not doing this here,” he said.

“Fine,” I shot back. “Let’s not do it at all.”

I grabbed another cocktail from the table and turned away, pretending not to notice the curious glances of the pack members nearby. But even as I walked away, I could feel his eyes on me, heavy.

The ride home was silent, the tension between us so thick it was suffocating. Harlan drove with his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly, his golden eyes fixed on the road ahead. I stared out the window, the night blurring past as I tried to collect my thoughts.

As soon as we stepped into the house, I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Harlan,” I said.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Anya, not now…?”

“No,” I cut him off. “We’re talking about this now.”

He turned to face me, but he didn’t interrupt.

“What are we even doing anymore?” I asked, “Do you even see me, Harlan? Because tonight, it felt like I didn’t exist to you. Like I never do when Lila’s around.”

He groaned, rubbing his temples like I was giving him a headache. “Anya, you’re being ridiculous. Lila’s been through a lot…”

“I know that!” I shouted. “I know she’s grieving, and I know you feel responsible for her. But does that mean I have to stand there and watch you treat her like she’s the one who matters most to you? Like she’s your mate?”

“She’s family, Anya. And I’m trying to keep this pack together. You need to stop taking everything so personally.”

“How can I not?” I shot back, “Do you have any idea what it’s like to stand there and watch everyone pity me? To see the way they look at me like I’m nothing but an afterthought to you?”

“You keep saying she’s family,” I continued, “But what about me, Harlan? What am I to you?”

He didn’t answer right away, and the silence felt like a slap in the face. When he finally spoke,

“You’re my mate,” he said, but there was no warmth in his tone, no conviction.

I laughed bitterly, wiping at the tears that had started to fall. “You don’t act like it.”

“You need to stop letting it bother you.”

“What if I can’t?” I asked him.

“Anya,” he began, “Do you ever stop to think about what you caused?

“My brother…Ronan…is dead because of you.”

“Do you even remember that night?” he continued, “You wandered into enemy territory like it was a walk in the woods. You didn’t think…didn’t care…about the consequences. And because of that, Ronan and I had to risk everything to get you back. He died protecting you.”

I flinched at his words, but before I could respond, he took a step closer, his towering frame radiating fury on me.

“In this pack, Anya, you’re the last person who has the right to question me or Lila. If I choose to protect her, to put her first, it’s because I owe it to Ronan. You don’t get to complain. You owe her, too.”

The memory of that night was as vivid as ever, haunting me like a ghost.

I hadn’t meant to cross the border at least, not truly. But I hadn’t been thinking clearly that evening. The weight of Lila’s cutting remarks had pushed me to the edge.

It had started as a stupid challenge.

FLASHBACK

“Prove your worth, Anya,” Lila had sneered earlier that day, her voice dripping with mockery as she stood surrounded by a few pack members. “You’re all talk and no bite. No wonder the pack doesn’t respect you.”

I’d clenched my fists, trying to stay calm, but her next words struck a nerve. “What kind of Luna will you ever be if you can’t even face a little danger? Honestly, I wouldn’t blame Harlan if he regretted choosing you.”

“Lila, stop,” I’d said through gritted teeth.

She smirked, “Tell you what,” she said, “Prove me wrong. Go into Shadowclaw territory tonight. Bring back a branch, a stone or anything. Show us you’re not as weak as everyone thinks you are.”

My wolf bristled at the challenge, but my human side knew better. Crossing into enemy territory wasn’t just reckless; it was a death sentence. Yet the humiliation burning in my chest, the stares of the others as they waited to see if I’d accept or back down, drowned out my common sense.

“You think I won’t?” I snapped.

“I think you can’t,” Lila shot back.

Harlan wasn’t there. He didn’t know. If he had been, he would’ve shut it down immediately. But Lila had planned it that way, waiting until he was busy with pack matters to sink her claws into me. And so, driven by anger, pride, and the desperate need to prove her wrong, I went.

That night, I slipped into the forest to prove her wrong. The air was cold and heavy, the moonlight barely piercing the canopy above. I didn’t think about the danger. I didn’t think about the consequences.

I crossed the border quickly, my heartbeat roaring in my ears. It was just a line in the dirt, a boundary marked by scent and territory claims. It didn’t feel real until I was standing in Shadowclaw land, the oppressive energy of their pack settling over me like a storm.

I bent down, to grab a jagged stone as proof of my supposed bravery. That’s when I heard a growl low and menacing, the sound reverberating through the forest.

The Shadowclaws had found me.

They emerged from the darkness, their glowing eyes and snarling teeth cutting through the night like blades. Their alpha stepped forward, his massive frame radiating power and malice.

“Trespassing, are we?” he snarled, “The Moonshine pack thinks they can send spies into my territory? Foolish.”

I froze, in fear. “I-I’m not a spy,” I stammered, backing away, but they weren’t interested in explanations.

Their wolves circled me, snapping their jaws, their growls growing louder. My wolf itched to fight, but I knew I stood no chance. My voice broke as I screamed for help, the sound tearing through the mid night.

By the time Harlan and Ronan arrived, it was too late to reason with the Shadowclaws. The moment they saw Moonshine wolves, the situation escalated. Words turned to growls, growls to violence, and the forest erupted into chaos.

I could only watch in horror as Ronan, Harlan’s elder brother and the pack’s second-in-command, fought with unmatched ferocity. His strength was legendary, but even legends had their limits.

One fleeting moment of distraction and the enemy alpha struck, his fangs sinking into Ronan’s neck and dragging him down.

“Harlan!” I screamed, but it was too late. Ronan’s blood pooled beneath him, and his body went still.

Harlan’s anguished roar cut through the night as he tore through the remaining Shadowclaws. By the time it was over, the ground was littered with bodies, and the air was thick with the stench of blood and death.

PRESENT

Harlan’s voice snapped me out of the memory.

“You think I can just forget that?” he demanded, “You think I don’t see his blood on your hands every time I look at you?”

I shook my head, tears streaming down my face. “Harlan, I didn’t mean…”

“Didn’t mean to?” He laughed bitterly. “Intent doesn’t matter, Anya. Ronan is dead because of you. And now, you dare to question why I protect Lila? She lost her mate because of you!”

I opened my mouth to protest, but the words died in my throat. What could I say? That I didn’t mean to cross the border? It was lila who forced me and that I didn’t ask for Ronan to save me? None of it mattered.

To Harlan, I was guilty. And nothing I said would ever change that.

“Anya,” he said, as he stepped closer to me, “you could make this right. If you’d just try. Be understanding. Be... selfless. Help me take care of Lila. Do that, and I promise you’ll always be first in my heart.”

I am doing that but Harlan is blind to not see how much I sacrificed for the action I didn’t even do. Harlan left the house once again leaving me in my misery.

Later that night, my phone buzzed with a message. It was from Lila.

The photo she sent made my stomach turn.

In it, Harlan stood with his back to the camera, cradling Shadow he’d abandoned me for. Beneath the image was a caption that made my blood boil:

“Anya, what do you think? I won again. No matter when I call, Harlan will always come to me. Maybe next time, I’ll let you feel what it’s like to hold him. Or better yet, I’ll show you what you’re missing.”

The phone slipped from my hands as nausea overtook me. I stumbled to the trash can, retching violently.

The phone buzzed again.

“Oh, and about your little crowning ceremony ? Don’t bother. Harlan doesn’t need a Luna. He already has me.”

Something inside me snapped. Tears blurred my vision as I picked up the phone, my fingers trembling with rage.

“You manipulative, conniving bitch!” I screamed, my voice echoing through the empty room.

I tossed my phone onto the table, frustration simmering as I stared at the bandage on my hand. My chest felt tight, but it wasn’t from the sting of the cut. No, it was the weight of three years of insults, provocations, and silent sacrifices…all because of Lila.

For three years, she had played this game, goading me at every opportunity. Every sly comment, every feigned act of kindness, was a dagger she twisted in my side.

And Harlan? He wasn’t blind. He wasn’t stupid. He knew. He knew exactly what Lila was doing. But every single time, he chose to look the other way.

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head as I paced the small room. The cold floorboards creaked beneath my bare feet, and the walls seemed to close in, suffocating me. Maybe I’d been a fool all along. For years, I told myself to endure it. After all, I owed Harlan’s family everything.

The Moonshine alpha and his mate had taken me in when I had no one. My parents had died in a rogue attack when I was barely six. I still remembered the night I was brought to the pack house, clutching the tattered blanket my mother made for me.

It was Harlan’s parents who held me when I cried, who fed me, clothed me, and treated me like one of their own. Harlan and Ronan became my family. They taught me how to fight, how to stand tall, and how to survive.

And now…

I clenched my fists, nails biting into my palms as fresh tears spilled down my cheeks. How could I even think about leaving?

Everything I had, everything I was, I owed to them. Walking away would make me ungrateful, disloyal.

But staying…staying was killing me.

I sank onto the edge of the bed, my shoulders trembling as the tears came harder. I buried my face in my hands, the sobs wracking my body. I cried for the love I had lost, for the bond I thought we shared, for the betrayal that cut deeper than any wound.

I cried for Ronan, who had died trying to save me. For the guilt that suffocated me every time I saw Harlan’s golden eyes filled with blame.

And I cried for myself, for the woman I used to be before this endless cycle of heartbreak turned me into someone I barely recognized.

The storm outside mirrored my anguish, rain pattering against the window like a thousand tiny needles. The wind howled, shaking the house.

I don’t know how long I stayed like that, curled up in a ball on the bed, but eventually, exhaustion pulled me under, my tears soaking the pillow beneath me.

The sound of the front door slamming open jolted me awake. My heart sank.The scent of pine and rain filled the air…Harlan’s scent. But there was something else mixed in…anger.

Before I could fully sit up, the lights flicked on, flooding the room in harsh brightness. Harlan was there in an instant, his golden eyes blazing as he yanked me out of bed.

“Anya,” he growled, “what the hell is wrong with you?”

I blinked, and I was feeling disoriented, “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb.” His grip on my arm tightened, “Why did you call Lila a bitch? Don’t you know what she’s been through? Don’t you know she only has Shadow left to remind her of Ronan?”

Lila appeared in the doorway, cradling the wolf pup in her arms. Shadow’s coat was pure white, with bright amber eyes that mirrored his mother’s. He let out a small, plaintive whimper, trembling as if sensing the tension in the room.

Lila buried her face in the pup’s fur, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. When she looked up, tears clung to her lashes like fragile crystals, her lip trembling as if she’d been utterly devastated by my words.

“Harlan,” she whispered, “please don’t be mad at her. I’m sure she didn’t mean it. I only sent her the photo to reassure her, to let her know there was nothing going on between us.”

She sniffled, clutching Shadow tighter. “Anya, I promise you, I’ll never call Harlan for anything again. Even if I’m dying, I won’t bother him. I swear.”

The sight of her frail, pitiful, made my blood boil. And just like that, Harlan’s rage evaporated.He pulled her into his arms.

“Don’t say that,” he murmured. “I’ll always come when you need me, Lila. Always.”

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails pierced the skin of my palms, drawing blood. This was the man who used to hold me like that. The man who used to whisper those words in my ear. And now, that was reserved for someone else. When he turned back to me, his golden eyes were cold.

“You’ve disappointed me, Anya,” he said. “I’ve told you time and time again not to pick fights with Lila. But you don’t listen. You can’t stand the fact that I care about her, can you? She’s like a sister to me, and you turn it into something ugly. Why?”

I opened my mouth to speak, to defend myself, but he cut me off.

“This isn’t about Lila,” he continued, “This is about your guilt. You know you’re the reason Ronan is dead, and you can’t handle it. So you lash out. But I won’t let you take it out on her. Do you understand me?”

His words hit like a physical blow, and I staggered back, the air knocked out of me…Guilt… He always came back to that.

No matter how many times I tried to explain, no matter how much I begged him to believe me, he refused. In his eyes, Ronan’s death was my fault.

And nothing I did would ever change that.

Desperation clawed at me as I grabbed my phone to show him the messages Lila had sent. But when I opened the app, her messages were gone. She deleted the messages and all that remained was my reply: a single voice note.

“You bitch.”

Harlan’s jaw tightened as he listened to it.

“That’s all I needed to hear,” he said.

Lila stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm. “Harlan, it’s okay. I don’t want to cause any more trouble. Just... don’t be too hard on her, okay?”

She was showing her fake compassion. My rage bubbled to the surface, and I raised my hand, ready to wipe that smug look off her face, but before I could do it, Harlan moved faster than I thought possible. He stop me by catching my wrist in mid-air.

“Don’t,” he growled, and his grip was firm but not painful. Even now, he wouldn’t hurt me not physically. But emotionally? He was a master at that.

He turned to Lila. “Go outside. I’ll handle this.”

She nodded, casting me one last triumphant glance before disappearing behind the door. When Harlan released my wrist, his golden eyes bore into mine.

“I don’t know who you’ve become, Anya,” he said, “But this? This isn’t the woman I have chosen as my mate.”

And then, without another word, he walked away, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence, the weight of his judgment pressing down like a stone on my chest.