“Did she get everything? The clothes, the bags, the flowers... all of it?”

Cain’s voice was tight, nearly clipped. I stopped dead in front of the door, its crack barely enough to peek through.

“Yes, Alpha Cain. Everything was handled discreetly, just like you ordered,” David, his most trusted warrior, responded swiftly.

My stomach twisted. My birthday gift was only a bouquet of white roses and pearl earrings. It felt cheap, like an afterthought. Cain hadn’t even remembered my favorite flower.

“And the doctors? Were they careful? How’s she holding up?” Cain continued.

“No answers. Still brushing off Athena’s chest pain as a side effect from the transplant.”

Athena? Athena Dawser? The female Alpha who had rejected Cain a year ago, the woman who’d called him weak for a Beta from a failing pack. Why was Cain so obsessed with her now?

“Alpha Cain never truly loved Luna Esme. She was just a rebound after Athena.”

I’d dismissed it then. Now, that gossip echoed, loud and sharp.

“Useless doctors. They must’ve messed up when they transplanted Noah’s heart,” Cain growled in frustration.

My blood ran cold. Noah. My twin brother. My head spun. What was he saying? Noah’s heart?

“Rumors are spreading, Alpha Cain,” David murmured.

“People think Noah’s death wasn’t an accident. And they’re saying you went ahead with the heart transplant... without Luna Esme’s consent.”

Cain’s voice dropped lower, colder, angrier but controlled.

“Athena’s life was worth more than Noah’s. She was dying, David. She needed the heart. I couldn’t let her die. Noah was good as dead, anyway. Using his heart was the only thing left. Don’t worry about Esme. She’s... she’s too naïve. She loves me. Blindly. But silenced those rumors.”

My legs went weak. My twin—dead. Gone. For her.

I staggered back, my pulse thundering. I turned and ran to our room. My hands trembled as I slammed the door shut behind me, ripping through Cain’s things—papers, clothes, anything I could find. I needed to prove this was a lie.

Then, I found a box.

Inside were hundreds of photos of Cain and Athena—laughing, holding hands, kissing.

No.

But one photo froze me. They were naked, locked in a passionate kiss on a yacht in Lake Como. My yacht.

Then, an envelope with pictures of Noah’s disgruntled body and a note.

“I’ve done the job. Enzo will take care of the body. Rule it as a car accident. Make sure his twin signs the heart transplant agreement. Full payment in two months.”

Cain had been there when Noah died. He held me, pretended to be my rock, as my world shattered. But he... he killed him.

My heart cracked. My wolf howled, clawing to break free. Kill him. Tear him apart. But I hushed her.

Later that evening, the pack gathered for the banquet. Cain’s arm was possessively around my waist. His smile was nothing but a mask; it never reached his eyes. My own smile felt like a lie, too.

“Luna Esme, you look... well,” Elder Thorne’s gaze lingered on me, pity, always pity, since Noah’s death. “Still grieving?”

Cain chuckled, pulling me closer.

“My Luna is strong. She simply misses her brother.”

His words were smooth, rehearsed. His touch on my hand was a show, a performance for the pack.

Then, Athena entered.

The room silenced. She was a walking goddess. Emerald green eyes sparkling with a confident smirk. Cain’s grip on me tightened, but his gaze locked on her, hungry for her. My stomach churned.

He released me and walked towards her.

“Athena,” he murmured, soft and intimate, a tone he hadn’t used to me in months. He kissed her knuckles right in front of me, in front of the entire pack.

Whispers erupted.

“He never got over her.”

“Poor Luna Esme.”

“Just a placeholder.”

Each word sliced through me like a blade. I stood there, humiliated and discarded. I was his mate, Luna of the pack, a pack I inherited from my Alpha father. Yet here I was, invisible, while he adored another.

One of Athena’s assistants sneered at me, her eyes cold.

“Heard you’re not allowed to leave the grounds, Luna. Alpha Cain’s orders for your ‘safety’. Or is it to keep his little secret?” she whispered with a smirk.

I paled. A prisoner. That’s what I was. My pack. My mate. My brother. My life. All stolen.

I was about to faint when I felt a hand on my arm. It’s Lyra, Noah’s best friend, eyes wide with concern.

“Luna? Are you alright?”

I pulled away.

“Fine.”

The word tasted like ash in my mouth. I didn’t want their pity. Cain had made me a fool. A public spectacle.

Across the room, Cain and Athena laughed. Their heads bent together; their whispers laced with intimacy. He touched her possessively like he used to do with me. No. Like he never did to me.

Then, the music, laughter, and clinking glasses all faded into nothing. The ringing in my ears drowned out the world. All that remained was Cain. And her.

He had orchestrated everything. All to get her heart. All to get her. And I was just a convenient pawn.

A cold fury spread through my veins. My wolf roared silently, demanding blood. But no. I wouldn’t be hasty. Death was too quick and easy. My blow must be precise, methodical, and painful.

I was Noah’s twin sister. We, the twins, were ruthless and genius strategists of the Shadowhunter Pack.

“You took everything from me, Cain. Everything. And I will make sure you pay—in double,” I whispered and turned to walk away.

With the agreement, I stormed into Elder Thorne’s office without a knock.

"I want to sever my mate bond with Alpha Cain," I declared.

Elder Thorne froze, eyes wide with shock.

"Luna Esme, what happened?"

“I want the link severed. Now,” I snapped.

"But Luna, this bond is sacred, unbreakable."

“It’s already broken,” I shot back, my gaze like steel.

“And I renounce my title. However, as my father ensured before his death, I still get 90% of my inheritance. I'll be back tomorrow to ensure all my money is in my account and my properties are no longer free for him to use.”

I slapped the agreement on his desk and headed to my room to start packing.

“Esme, what is this I hear about you causing a scene with Elder Thorne?” Cain asked in a low growl as he barged into the room the next day.

My heart hammered against my ribs, but I managed to say, “Simply tying up loose ends, Alpha. Some affairs you’ve clearly overlooked.”

Cain’s jaw clenched.

“Loose ends? What nonsense are you spouting now, Esme?”

“The kind that demands attention,” I countered. I held up a folded document, carefully obscuring the crucial details.

“And this. A minor legal formality. My family’s lawyers are particularly… insistent about some old trusts being finalized tonight. They say if it’s not signed, it could cause complications for your leadership. Just a quick signature, Alpha, and I promise, my family’s ‘drama’ won’t be in your way.”

He scoffed, waving a dismissive hand.

“Too much drama. I have more important things to deal with than your tedious paperwork.”

“Of course,” I said, my voice sweet as poison. I stepped closer, ensuring the faint scent of my perfume, the one he once claimed to adore, reached him.

“Just a simple signature, Alpha, unless you’re afraid to sign something with your Luna by your side?”

His eyes narrowed.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Esme. I don’t need you to sign my papers.”

He snatched the document and the pen from my hand, his gaze flicking to the blank line with his name. He scribbled his signature in a rush.

“There. Done. If you’ll excuse me, I have important pack matters to attend to,” Cain said, gazing at the door.

A sharp, searing pain suddenly exploded in my lower abdomen. My breath hitched, and a strangled gasp caught in my throat as I gripped the dresser, feeling the room spin.

“Esme? What’s wrong with you now?” Cain’s voice was distant, annoyed.

But then, a frantic knock echoed, sharp and insistent.

“Alpha Cain! Athena needs you! It’s urgent! She is having another chest pain!” David’s panicked yell pierced through the haze of my agony.

Cain’s head snapped towards the door, all annoyance vanishing, replaced by an immediate, desperate concern. He didn’t spare me another glance.

“Coming!” he roared, already halfway out the door, then gone.

The pain intensified into a twisting, wrenching agony that stole my breath. I slid to the floor, gasping, vision blurring with unshed tears from how Cain had just walked away.

He never chose me.

A painful memory of the annual Moon Festival flashed before my eyes. It was after Cain became Alpha of the Shadowhunter, a position he’d secured after Noah’s death, and by being my mate. The bonfire blazed, music swelled, and wolves from different packs danced and sang with uninhibited joy. Cain stood beside me, his arm loosely around my waist.

Then, Athena appeared on the edge of the clearing. Her silver dress shimmered in the firelight; her smile was directed specifically at Cain. A collective gasp rippled through the gathering as a rogue wolf, disoriented and aggressive, lunged directly for her.

Cain’s arm dropped from my waist. He didn’t hesitate. A primal snarl ripped from his throat as he intercepted the rogue, tearing into it with a ferocity that stunned everyone. He subdued the threat in seconds, a bloodied victor. But as he stood panting, his eyes immediately sought Athena. He didn’t check himself. He didn’t hear the roaring concern and murmurs of the crowd. He didn't look at me to see if I was harmed. He walked straight to her, his large hands gently cupping her face, scanning her for any injury, his expression a mixture of profound relief and fierce possessiveness. For me, his mate, he offered a polite, distant touch. For her, he offered his life, his untamed protection. At that moment, watching him, I knew. I was the Alpha’s mate, but she was the one he would fight for.

The pain erupted again, hotter this time, a gush of warmth spreading between my legs. My hand instinctively went down. Wet. Sticky. Blood. A lot of blood.

A strangled cry escaped my lips. I tried to push myself up, but my arms gave out. Darkness began to creep into the edges of my vision.

The last thing I heard before the world dissolved was the faint, mocking echo of Cain’s voice: “Athena’s life was worth more.”

The rhythmic beep of a machine awakened me. My head throbbed, and I felt disoriented.

“Luna Esme? You’re awake.”

A nurse, face etched with pity and concern, hovered over me. She reached for my wrist, checking my pulse.

“What happened?” I whispered.

She hesitated, her gaze dropping to my abdomen.

“You… you had a severe hemorrhage, Luna. We did everything we could, but… you lost the baby.”

The words struck me like a blow, stealing what little air remained in my lungs. My baby. Cain’s baby.

“No…” I whispered, tears tracing hot paths down my temples.

“I’m so sorry, Luna,” she murmured. “You were… about two months along. But the bleeding... it was too much.”

The exhaustion, the nausea I’d dismissed as mere fatigue – a life had been growing inside me, and now, it was gone, smashed like everything else.

“Did you… did you call Cain?” I choked out, a desperate, foolish hope flickering.

The nurse’s expression hardened, a flash of anger in her eyes.

"We tried, Luna. Multiple times. We were told by Alpha Cain’s personal assistant that you were ‘faking it for attention.’ That you were just ‘overdramatic.’ He said he would ‘come by tomorrow, if he had time’".

Faking it. Overdramatic. His words, raw and contemptuous, sliced through me. He hadn't just neglected me; he had condemned me and our child. The last glimmer of love, hope, and any attachment to him was extinguished.

"Get me the discharge papers," I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. "Now".

The nurse looked surprised.

"But Luna, you’re not stable yet. You need rest".

"I need to leave," I corrected, pushing myself up despite the protesting agony in my core.

"I’m not staying here another second. Arrange a car. I’m going home".

She nodded slowly, recognizing the unyielding resolve in my eyes, and left the room.

The mansion was alight with laughter and music when the cab pulled up. I walked through the main doors, my dress still stained with blood, every eye turning to me. Whispers started immediately, but I ignored them, my gaze fixed on Cain by the grand fireplace. He was laughing, a hand possessively on Athena’s back, her head thrown back in amusement.

"Luna Esme, you look… unwell," Athena murmured, detaching herself from Cain and gliding towards me. Her eyes, narrowed with a practiced concern, swept over my disheveled appearance. "Heard you had a little… incident. I was worried".

"Unlike some, I don’t stage my misfortunes for attention," I retorted shakily.

Her smile faltered but quickly reformed into a mask of fake sympathy. "Still so pale, Esme? You should really take better care of yourself".

Just then, Cain approached, his eyes cold and devoid of concern. "What are you doing here, Esme? And in that… state?"

"I came home, Cain. Something you seem to have forgotten how to do," I replied.

Athena, ever the instigator, feigned a gasp.

"Oh, dear, did you just hear that, Alpha Cain? Luna Esme sounds quite upset. I do hope she isn’t going to cause a scene".

Cain’s gaze sharpened on me.

"What is she talking about, Esme?"

"Ask your precious Athena," I challenged, gesturing towards her. "She seems to be the expert on stirring up trouble."

Athena’s eyes narrowed, and malice replaced her facade.

"How dare you, Esme! I was simply trying to calm you when you, in a fit of rage, tried to push me into the swimming pool last banquet!"

A collective murmur rippled through the crowd. All eyes were on us, sensing the escalating tension.

"That’s a lie!" I seethed. "I was never around you that night."

Cain’s face darkened.

"Esme, that’s enough! Apologize to Athena. Now!"

My jaw tightened at his order. Apologize? To her? After everything?

"I will not," I stated firmly. "I have nothing to apologize for".

A dangerous glint appeared in Cain’s eyes. He took a step closer, towering over me.

"Since you insist on making a spectacle, perhaps you need to cool down."

The next second, I was airborne. A hard shove sent me stumbling backward, off the polished marble, past the gasping guests, and into the frigid depths of the swimming pool. The shock of the cold water stole my breath, and the impact sent a fresh wave of agony through my still-recovering body. I surfaced, gasping, the pool lights illuminating my humiliation. Laughter, hushed at first, then erupted. Athena’s delighted cackle rose above the rest.

Cain stood at the pool's edge, looking down at me with cold satisfaction.

"Perhaps that will teach you some manners, Luna Esme".

I pulled myself out, dripping onto the pristine pool deck, ignoring the stares and whispers. My wolf inside me howled in rage, a primal scream I was gasping to control. I rushed towards the room before I lost myself and let my wolf control me.