"Beta Austin, I want to break the bond with Alpha Brown and reclaim my pack."

Austin's frown deepened, the weight of old warnings heavy in his expression. He had cautioned me against merging our packs and allowing Brown to become alpha.

"You made a grave mistake, Luna," Austin murmured, his voice thick with regret. "You shouldn't have trusted him or surrendered everything that rightfully belonged to you. Now we're nothing in this pack because of that decision. Alpha Brown will never release you easily."

A month ago, I had suffered severe blood loss from a stomach ulcer. That day, the healer made countless desperate calls to my mate, pleading for a blood transfusion since we shared the same rare RH-negative blood type. Something we had discovered before we mated.

When Brown finally answered, his voice was dismissive. He claimed he was in a crucial council meeting and couldn't come.

But through our mind-link, agony tore through my wolf's consciousness. Brown wasn't at any council meeting. He was tangled in bed with Mia, my foster sister. It felt as though he was deliberately punishing me for bearing his mark.

The emotional pain was only the beginning. Every hour he thrust into her, visions of their intimacy flooded my mind, accompanied by Brown's whispered words of devotion to Mia. Words he had never spoken to me.

Blood soaked the sheets beneath me, spreading rapidly until half the blanket was stained crimson. I nearly died from blood loss, saved only by a good Samaritan who came to my rescue.

I had finally awakened from my fantasy, and this time, I was ready to walk away for good.

"Put your trust in me one last time, Austin," I whispered urgently. "We have to find a way to make him reject me and get ourselves out of this nightmare."

I had known for years that my mate never loved me.

That evening, I returned to the villa to find Brown arranging fresh flowers in the living room. White lilies and baby's breath in an elaborate bouquet.

He had never cared about flowers before. During our first anniversary, when I had filled our home with roses, he complained about the pollen making him sneeze and threw them all away.

But when Mia mentioned she loved floral arrangements, he suddenly developed a passion for floriculture.

Tonight, he stepped back to admire his handiwork. "You're late. Did the pack council meeting drag on through another moon phase?"

Even in casual clothes, Brown's presence filled the room with an effortless elegance that had once made my heart flutter.

I kept my expression carefully neutral. "The alliance negotiations with the Northern packs required more time than expected."

He nodded absently. Work was always my excuse, and he never questioned it.

"Why don't you go shower and come down for our anniversary dinner? I've asked the omegas to prepare your favorite dishes."

As I headed toward my chamber, my eyes caught sight of our mating ceremony photograph. It was now shattered on the floor.

"Oh, I forgot to mention," Brown said casually, "Mia arrived earlier and insisted on spending time with us since it's our anniversary week. She'll be staying with us for now. She accidentally broke the photograph while the omegas were moving your things to the omega quarters."

My blood chilled. "Moving my things?"

"You know she's timid and can't sleep alone at night, so I told her to take your chambers." His tone was matter-of-fact, as if displacing his own wife was perfectly reasonable.

A dull ache stirred in my chest as my wolf, Jayla, growled inside my head, demanding I let her rip him apart. But I pushed the rage back. I couldn't afford to ruin everything now.

"Sis, you're back!" Mia's voice echoed sweetly as she emerged from what used to be my room.

Brown moved quickly to cover the fresh hickeys on Mia's shoulder, but I still caught a glimpse of them. His abrupt movement shoved me hard, and I fell backward into the broken photograph frame. Glass shards pierced my skin, drawing a sharp hiss of pain.

Brown didn't even notice my cry as he pushed Mia back inside, grabbing the door handle and locking it behind them.

Watching him shut me out, I let out a bitter laugh.

I wasn't even bothered by their fairytale romance anymore. All I wanted was to find a way to make Brown reject me and reclaim my pack.

If it were an outsider, I would have fought for my marriage long ago. But since my foster sister was the one destroying it, I refused to battle her over a man who had never chosen me. Not even once.

When my father was still alive, he always said I would marry into the Raymond family, as foreseen and sealed by the Moon Goddess. After he died, I was adopted by my foster parents who happened to be Brown's omegas and Mia's parents.

Brown Raymond and Mia had been childhood sweethearts. Just before their planned mating, I entered their lives, unaware of their relationship.

But out of greed for my inheritance, my foster parents devised an alliance with Brown to make me fall for him and become his Luna, so they could seize control of my pack through him.

"Two people can't be alpha of one territory," my adoptive mother had whispered in Brown's ear. "I advise you marry her and subdue her powers."

Their plan worked flawlessly. They were promoted to Betas, and he promised to make Mia his Luna eventually.

When he proposed to me, I was overjoyed, believing I was fulfilling my father's dying wish.

Unfortunately, I discovered their betrayal too late. After I had lost everything and everyone in my pack who once looked to me as their Alpha now despised me because of how Brown treated and demoted them all.

All those years of supposed love had been nothing but pretense to steal my inheritance. Marrying me was simply the fastest way to claim everything my bloodline held. Love was never part of their plan.

As these bitter thoughts intensified, a spark of realization flickered across my face. I pulled out my phone and rushed to the balcony to make a call.

"I think I've found the perfect way to make Alpha Brown reject me," I said, unable to hide the hope in my voice.

"Luna," Austin's voice came sharp and low through the phone. "What plan is that? Remember, if we're caught with whatever scheme you're devising, we're doomed forever."

"There's absolutely nothing to worry about. Just trust me. All I need right now is your cooperation."

Austin Hudson. My father's former Beta, whom Brown had demoted to Omega the moment he promoted Mia's parents to Beta positions.

"The plan is for you to leave visible hickeys on me. That would drive Brown insane and force him to reject me. Don't you think it would work?"

"Luna, if anyone stands to lose from this plan, it would be you," Austin warned gravely. "Remember, Alphas can manipulate their way out of scandals, but their Lunas cannot. You would indeed be rejected, but cast out with nothing like an outcast. He'll surely reject you, but you might never get another chance to rule us again."

I dropped the phone from my ear at his words, clutching the balcony rail as doubt crept in. Suddenly, laughter erupted from my former room as the door opened slightly.

I turned to find Mia holding my husband's arm tightly, smiling at me with false sweetness.

"Browny, I think Olivia is still angry with me for breaking the photograph and taking her room. Maybe I should just leave tonight. I don't want her feeling uncomfortable on her anniversary," Mia said with practiced innocence.

Brown dotingly tapped her nose and replied gently, "You worry too much, Mia. She can't still be angry over such trivial things. Am I right, Olivia?"

"It's just a photograph anyway. You don't need to disturb yourself. You might be the one in the next one," I replied coldly.

Brown didn't pursue the conversation further. It might have looked petty.

At our anniversary dinner table, I stared at the dishes prepared by the omegas. Every single item was Mia's favorite. Not one was meant for me. Most I was allergic to, and the rest I despised, which Brown knew perfectly well.

It felt as though I was merely a guest at my own anniversary celebration while Mia, my sister, was the one being honored.

Now it made sense why Brown would request mushroom soup whenever he left for long meetings, despite hating mushrooms himself.

I looked up at my husband, who was completely focused on Mia, giggling like a schoolboy. This man I had been married to for four years apparently didn't know I couldn't eat any of the food on the table.

The meal was half-finished before Brown noticed my empty plate.

"These are your favorites. Why aren't you eating?" he asked with feigned concern.

I stared at the plates before me. Seafood pasta in cream sauce, mushroom soup. My throat began to constrict just looking at them.

I raised my eyebrows at my supposed mate. "I'm allerg..."

Mia smoothly stole the remaining words from my mouth, throwing a pitiful look my way. "I don't know if this is the right time to ask, but I've already discussed this with Alpha Brown," she said, rubbing his palm gently.

Mia expertly redirected his attention to herself, and his concern about why I hadn't eaten vanished instantly.

My anxiety spiked as I waited to hear what this was about.

Brown then informed me, "My uncle, the Alpha King, is holding a council meeting among the Alphas of the Northern region."

"You and Mia will be accompanying me. Unfortunately, Mia's luggage was lost at the airport. Everything she brought for the meeting is gone."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, feeling as though I were sitting on fire. So this was the real reason he had brought Mia back. Not for our anniversary, but for this important meeting.

Who would have thought I'd been believing his lies until now?

I had been aware of this meeting all along and had even prepared for it, while I was deliberately kept in the dark about Mia's involvement.

With mucus forming in my throat, I asked, "When is this meeting?"

"Tonight at nightfall. You have enough time to make arrangements. As I mentioned, she lost everything at the airport. She's the same size as you, and the family's traditional Luna dress is the only piece that would work right now. Let her wear it for the meeting."

"I even had to persuade her to wear it, considering she doesn't usually share belongings with others. You've only worn the Luna dress once, so she should take it."

I immediately shot Brown a look of mixed surprise and disappointment.

Not only had I been uninformed about the meeting she was attending, but now she wanted my Luna dress as well.

That dress was a sacred family tradition, worn only by the Luna of the pack. Knowing this, Brown still wanted her to wear it.

"You can have it," I said lightly, though my heart was breaking. "I'll have the omegas prepare the dress for you."

Besides, I had no intention of putting it on my body ever again.

"You don't need to do that. I already did," Brown announced, his words piercing my heart like a blade.

He had no right to do that. Since I headed the female omegas, they only took such significant orders from me. The dress could only be released with the Luna's approval.

"Thanks, Olivia," Mia cut in sweetly. "I knew my stay here would be memorable because of you."

I didn't utter another word as I stood to leave the table, but Mia stopped me.

"You don't mind taking some pictures of us, right? Since it's your anniversary, I want to preserve this memory," she said, extending her phone toward me.

Memory, indeed.

Mia hurriedly moved closer to Brown and clung to him like a parasite. In the past, when Brown and I went on dates, Mia was always the one taking pictures for us. Now the roles were reversed.

I took several photographs in various poses of my mate with his lover until they were finally satisfied and left the table, smiling at each other.

After watching their retreating figures, I turned to leave but accidentally knocked over a small ceramic coffee kettle on the table.

The kettle wobbled precariously, then toppled over completely. Scalding liquid cascaded down, splashing across my bare feet and ankles. I gasped sharply, stumbling backward as I steadied myself against the table's edge. The burning sensation spread across my skin like wildfire.

Hot coffee seeped between my toes and pooled on the floor around me, but Brown had already turned away, his attention captured by Mia as they smiled and chattered over their photographs. They disappeared around the corner, leaving me alone with my agony.

How different things would be if this had happened to Mia. Brown would have swept her up immediately, called for ice, fussed over every possible burn mark. He would have insisted on a doctor and the finest care money could buy.

But I remembered a time when I would have received such care. When my father ruled as Alpha, omegas rushed to tend to my every need. A single scratch would have summoned healers and worried attendants. Everything changed the day my parents died. Now, despite my mating to Brown, I remained invisible. I had been forgotten for far too long.

I quietly left the dining area and returned to the omega quarters where I now belonged.

The afternoon stretched endlessly as I tended to my wounds, unsure if I even wanted to attend the meeting. I vowed to myself that I would find a way to break free from Brown and reclaim my pack as soon as possible.

An omega interrupted my brooding thoughts, touching my shoulder gently.

"Luna, I have something important to tell you. Alpha Brown ordered us to prepare the family's traditional Luna dress for your sister. Are you just going to sit there and watch her wear it?"

"It's fine, Julia. It's just a dress. She can wear it..."

Julia cut me off, her surprise evident. "No, Luna, it's not just a dress! Can't you see what they're planning? This council meeting held by the Alpha King is strictly attended by the five allied Alphas of the Northern region and their Lunas, where the Lunas are supposed to formally greet the Alpha King."

"It's a tremendous honor to meet with him because nobody except his family knows what he looks like. Rumors say he's the most powerful wolf alive, and no one dares challenge him."

"From my perspective, this can only mean one thing: Alpha Brown is positioning Mia as his Luna, and he's trying to get the other Alphas to recognize her as well. At this point, Luna, if nothing is done, you'll be no different from us omegas."

Julia stared at me desperately before tears pooled in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably.

I stood before the mirror, staring at my reflection as tears dropped onto the tiles below.

"I have to meet this Alpha King myself, but how?" I thought desperately.

There was only one way out of this nightmare I had created by trusting Brown. I had to give him a taste of his own medicine.

I pulled out my phone and sent a message to Austin: "Make arrangements for an expensive and breathtaking dress for me."

The time had come to remind everyone exactly who I was.