“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.

The silence of the morning was suffocating, a heavy blanket pressing down on my chest. My heart ached, the wound fresh and raw, as I lay there in the cold stillness. It was as if everything had stopped. The world outside the window might as well not exist for all I cared.

I couldn’t bear it any longer, dragging myself out of bed, I moved sluggishly. My limbs feel heavy, every movement an effort. I reached for a simple dress, a muted gray that matched the storm raging in my chest and slipped it on without much thought. My fingers trembled as I tied my hair back into a messy bun, the strands refusing to cooperate.

When I looked into the mirror, I flinched. The reflection staring back at me was almost unrecognizable. My eyes were red-rimmed, hollow, devoid of the fire that once burned there. My skin was pale, and my lips pressed into a thin line. I looked like someone who had given too much and received nothing in return.

I stepped out of the room and as I descended into the foyer, something unfamiliar caught my eye…two large suitcases parked neatly by the staircase.

I froze.

“Whose are these?” I asked the maid.

The maid, startled by my sudden appearance, and she hesitated for a moment before answering. “These belong to Miss Lila, ma’am,”

“Lila?” The name hung in the air like a curse.

“Yes, Luna Anya,” she replied. “ Alpha Harlan instructed us to prepare the guest bedroom for her. These are her things.”

I felt the ground shift beneath me. She was here. She was moving in. My breathing grew shallow, my chest tight as I turned on my heel and stormed toward Harlan’s study. The door was slightly ajar, and I pushed it open without bothering to knock.

Harlan sat behind his desk, pen in hand, papers scattered in front of him. His golden eyes flicked up to meet mine.

“Harlan,” I said, my voice trembling with barely contained anger.

“Anya, what’s the matter now?”

“What’s the matter?” I repeated, “I wake up to find Lila’s luggage in the foyer, and I’m being told you’ve arranged a room for her. That’s the matter!”

Harlan sighed, leaning back in his chair as though my outburst were nothing more than a nuisance. “Don’t make this a big deal, Anya.”

“Not a big deal?” I snapped. “You’re moving her into the house…Our house…And you didn’t even think to tell me? Do you realize how humiliating that is?”

“She needed a place to stay,” he said, as if that explained everything. “It’s not like she has anywhere else to go.”

I stared at him, in disbelief. “You can’t be serious,” I whispered. “This is her plan, Harlan. She’s manipulating you, and you’re letting her.”

“Enough, Anya! I won’t stand here and let you insult her. Lila’s been through enough. She’s family, and I’m helping her. That’s the end of it.”

“Family?” I said bitterly, “She’s not your family, Harlan. She’s a parasite, and she’s sinking her claws into you.”

“You’ve changed, Anya,” he said. “You’ve become bitter, jealous, and impossible to reason with. This isn’t the woman I grew up with. This isn’t the woman I chose as my mate.”

I blinked back the tears threatening to spill, my throat tightening with the effort to hold them in.

“You’re right,” I said, “I’ve changed. Because I had to. Because the woman you fell in love with wouldn’t have survived this…survived you.”

“Maybe choosing you was a mistake,” he said, the words like a dagger to my heart.

“If that’s how you feel,” I said, “then maybe you’re right. Maybe this was a mistake.”

Harlan didn’t respond immediately, but when he did, almost resigned. “Maybe it is.”

I stood frozen, my entire world crumbling around me. My heart shattered into pieces as the words hung in the air, and I couldn’t breathe.

I turned, blindly stumbling toward the door, the tears already streaming down my face. But as I stepped into the hall, I stopped cold.

Lila was there. Standing just outside the study, her back pressed against the wall, her expression caught somewhere between amusement and mock concern. Her lips twitched upward, but she tried to hide it, playing the innocent.

She’d been listening.

“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” I said to her and I glared at her.

“Anya,” she said sweetly, “I didn’t mean to overhear. I was just... passing by.”

“Save it,” I snapped, “I know what you’re doing. I know exactly what you are.”

Her smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she regained her composure. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said, “But I’m sorry if I’ve upset you.”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t have the energy. Instead, I turned and walked away, leaving her standing there with that sickly sweet smile plastered on her face.

When I reached my room, I collapsed onto the bed, sobs wracking my body. Lila had won. She had slithered her way into my home, into Harlan’s heart, and no matter how much I fought, he would always choose her over me.I cried until there were no more tears to shed.