Five years ago, my former mate rejected me in front of the entire pack.

He chose his childhood sweetheart—even though she was carrying another man's pup.

Now, I'm back. And he just happens to be the one sent to pick me up from the airport.

He glanced at the bracelet on my wrist and scoffed. "Still so desperate for attention, wearing a cheap imitation like this."

"Your little charade is over. It's time to come back and take care of her pup."

My fingers brushed over the cool moonstone.

The idiot had no idea. This bracelet was a gift from my current Alpha mate.

And this was just the most modest of his gifts.

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1

As I stepped into the arrivals hall, I immediately spotted someone holding a sign that read, "Mrs. Devereaux."

I took a step toward it, then froze.

It was Julian Callahan, my ex—the man I hadn't seen in five years.

Five dead years. Not a single call. Not a single text. Not a word of explanation or apology.

And now, here he was, his arm draped casually over Brooke Langley's shoulder. Behind them, a pack of fawning werewolves clustered around them.

One of them spotted me, a smug, wicked grin spreading across his face. "Well, well, Julian... look who it is. Isn't that your pathetic little shadow? What was her name again? Ava something?"

A flash of surprise crossed Julian's eyes, but the arrogant mask quickly slipped back into place. A slow, mocking smile curved his lips. "I told you. She was bound to come crawling back with her tail between her legs sooner or later."

The group erupted in a wave of snickers. "Ava Hawthorne vanishes without a word, and now that Julian's the Beta of the Red River pack, she comes crawling back. Bet she cries herself to sleep every night."

Another voice chimed in. "But Ava, if you're going to play the 'chance encounter' card, at least dress the part. What's with that linen getup? My grandmother wouldn't be caught dead in that."

"Don't tell me you've been so broke since leaving Julian that you can't even afford a decent outfit. How pathetic."

None of them knew that this seemingly plain outfit was custom-tailored for my pregnancy by a master artisan, every thread woven for ultimate comfort.

After getting pregnant, I had grown accustomed to going without makeup. But in their eyes, I was still the same pathetic girl who caked on lipstick just to get Julian's attention.

Five years ago, I left him.

I bonded with a Lycan who truly cherished me, who desired me. He loved me for who I was, not for the status I could bring him. That Lycan was Ronan Devereaux, the Supreme Alpha of the Lycan Council. The "Mrs. Devereaux" on that sign? That was me. But not a single one of them had a clue.

Seeing my silence, a wolf I vaguely recognized tried to play peacemaker. "Ava, it's good to see you back. Julian's been looking for you all these years, you know."

In an instant, Julian's smile froze.

He shrugged dismissively, hiding his embarrassment. "Brooke's pup is starting school. You'll be handling his school runs."

He was just as arrogant, just as entitled as I remembered. But I was no longer his puppet.

Looking at him now, all I felt was a bone-deep disgust.

I was about to reveal my identity when Brooke cut in.

"Ava, don't be mad at Julian. He's just thinking of you. You vanished for five years; who knows what kind of menial jobs you've been scraping by with?"

"Look at the state of you... you're an embarrassment. He couldn't even keep you as a mistress. But don't worry. As long as you take good care of my son, you'll have a place here."

Five years had passed, and Brooke was as smug as ever.

I simply raised an eyebrow, my hands protectively cradling my slightly rounded belly. I said nothing. I wanted to see just how deep their delusion ran.

However, Julian misinterpreted my silence. He thought I was heartbroken, jealous.

His low, mocking laughter confirmed it.

"Oh, come on. She obviously came crawling back because she couldn't make it on her own. She should be grateful I'm even offering her a job."

"Take care of the kid and don't cause trouble. Know your place."

"Don't worry, I'll let you stay by my side, just like you always wanted. The servants' quarters in the pack house are empty. You can live there."

The moment he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in malicious peals of laughter.

"Ava, see how good Julian is to you? He was worried you were suffering out there and even found a place for you to live."

"So what if he asks you to take care of Brooke's pup? Compared to the miserable life you were living, this is a blessing, isn't it? You should kneel and thank him."

Brooke touched her diamond earrings and added in a sickly sweet, condescending tone, "If my son acts up, I'll handle him. You won't have to worry about a thing."

Julian glanced at me, a cold smile on his face. "What does she have to complain about? She ran off over a little thing. Now that she's crawled back, she deserves to suffer a bit."

My brow furrowed. A 'little thing'? He called his public rejection of me a little thing?

So, the Julian who had once loved me… was truly dead.

The Julian who had carried me, bleeding, across half the territory was dead. The Julian who had nothing but swore he'd give me the world was dead.

Now, all I saw was an empty shell.

But none of that mattered anymore. I was carrying my second pup.

I shook off the thoughts. Arguing with these idiots was a waste of breath.

I turned to Julian, deliberately playing along. "Aren't you here to pick someone up? Then let's go."

The air froze for a second before the entire hall burst into harsh, mocking laughter.

Brooke let out a piercing scoff and said coldly, "Pick you up? In your dreams."

She pointed at the sign. "Look closely. We're here for a very important guest. Do you have any idea who that is?"

My mate is the Supreme Alpha. Did she really think I wouldn't know who they were waiting for? Please.

"We're waiting for the Supreme Alpha's mate, Mrs. Devereaux. Alpha Ronan is famously ruthless, but he’s utterly devoted to his Luna. It's said he remained celibate for years just to win her heart."

"Everyone knows the fastest way to gain Alpha Ronan's favor is through his Luna. She's his only weakness, the center of his world."

Listening to their chatter, a soft, contented smile touched my lips.

In the five years since our bonding ceremony, Ronan had led the Obsidian Crown pack to unprecedented power, and his fierce devotion to me had never wavered.

Brooke was always desperate to one-up me.

Thus, she never missed a chance to show off. "I heard that Alpha Ronan once paid an astronomical price at an auction for a masterpiece by a legendary artisan, just to make his mate smile."

"It was a 'Moon Soul Bracelet,' a symbol of eternal love and loyalty. That gift made his mate the envy of females in every pack."

She stopped mid-sentence. Then her voice rose sharply as she pointed at my wrist. "Wait. That's it!"

Everyone fell silent. They held their breath, their gazes fixed on me.

Julian suddenly grabbed my hand, examining the bracelet rudely. He sneered, "Not a bad imitation. Which wannabe rich boy gave you this?"

I pulled my hand back, a faint smile on my lips as I stroked the bracelet. It was a gift from Ronan on our first anniversary; though it wasn't the most expensive piece he owned, it was incredibly meaningful.

To me, it meant love.

In their eyes, however, I was completely unworthy of owning the real thing.

Seeing my lack of panic, Julian's pupils constricted. Without warning, he lunged forward and roughly ripped the bracelet from my wrist.

The delicate chain bit into my skin, leaving a burning red mark.

Brooke stepped forward, taking the bracelet from Julian and turning it over in her fingers. "This is much more refined than the fakes I've seen online."

"But I know my place. I wouldn't dare parade around in a knockoff and let people laugh at me."

"Or... are you trying to say you're the important guest, Ava? The Supreme Alpha's legendary mate?"

Instantly, the others burst into even louder laughter. To them, the idea was absurd.

Ronan was a legend. A ruthless leader.

And I was the pathetic ex-girlfriend Julian had dumped five years ago—the fool who had once begged him for a scrap of affection.

In their view, there was no way I could ever be worthy of Ronan.

Brooke twirled the bracelet on her finger, a triumphant smile on her face. "You know, Ava, I actually quite like this. Sell it to me. I'll pay you double."

I lunged, my voice tight with panic. "Give it back. Ronan gave me that..."

Before I could finish, Julian slapped me hard across the face. My head snapped to the side, and the taste of blood immediately filled my mouth.

"Shut up!" he glared at me, his eyes filled with disgust. "Ava, who do you think you are? How dare you even speak his name? Are you trying to get us all killed? Stop spreading rumors that you have some connection to him!"

His followers echoed his outrage, their eyes burning with hostility.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing, Ava?"

"This is our one chance to make a good impression on Mrs. Devereaux! Are you trying to ruin the alliance between our pack and the Council?"

"Julian clawed his way up to be our pack's Beta. You're just a broke, dumped nobody. Who do you think you are, waltzing in here and pretending to be Ronan's mate?"

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and slowly turned my head to meet Julian's gaze.

Perhaps my calm, cold eyes unsettled him, because his brow furrowed.

Brooke noticed. Her voice grew sharp with resentment. "Ava, you ungrateful traitor! Is this how you repay Julian for his kindness? Don't think you're in any position to throw a tantrum!"

Her words echoed through the past five years. No matter what I did, Brooke would always twist my intentions.

At first, Julian would scold her. But later, he began to use her words against me.

Just like old times, Julian shot me a disappointed look. "You haven't changed at all. Still so bitter and jealous."

This time, however, he paused, then pulled out a bank card and held it in front of me.

"For old times' sake, I'll let this slide. Use this to buy yourself some decent clothes. If you don't want to be a nanny, I'll find you a more respectable job in a few days."

"Don't worry. I'm a Beta now. This kind of money is nothing to me."

I looked at the bank card. Then I looked at him.

That smug expression. That arrogant tone.

In the stunned silence of the crowd, I slowly pushed away the hand holding the card and calmly took my bracelet back from Brooke.

"Keep your money," I replied coldly. "I don't accept charity from strangers."

Ignoring a red-faced Julian, I turned to leave.

But I didn't get far before he grabbed me. "Ava, you don't want my money?" he questioned coldly. "What do you mean? What, are you trying to burn all your bridges?"

I looked him straight in the eye. "There's nothing between us. We should keep our distance, so no one gets the wrong idea."

My thoughts drifted to Ronan, my fiercely possessive mate.

If he found out another man had touched me in public, the poor soul would regret ever being born.

But Julian glanced at Brooke, clearly thinking he had it all figured out.

"In three days, our Alpha is hosting a welcome party for the Supreme Alpha. I plan to take you and show you what high society is like."

"But first, you have to change out of that trash you're wearing. I don't want you to embarrass me—"

Before he could finish, I cut him off firmly. "No, thank you."

Hearing my second refusal, Julian's face darkened. The hand holding the bank card froze in mid-air as he gritted his teeth.

"Ava, it seems your temper has grown. You don't want to go? Fine. I'll take Brooke."

At the thought of Julian taking her, Brooke's eyes lit up, and she immediately interjected, "Julian, I'll be on my best behavior. I promise I won't embarrass you."

I had no interest in getting further entangled in their drama. I turned and walked away quickly, leaving them with one last sentence. "I hope you two are still this confident in three days."

I rushed out of the arrivals hall, the fresh air slightly easing my nausea.

Five years ago, on the night Julian rejected me, I had agreed to mate with Ronan.

A month later, we had our bonding ceremony. A year after that, we welcomed our first pup, Jasper.