“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.

Since throwing me into the pool, Cain hadn’t returned home for three days. Not a call, not a text, not even a sneering insult. It was as if I’d ceased to exist. But I wasn’t rotting in my room. Today was the annual Wolf Pack Auction, and among the artifacts was my grandmother’s locket, a delicate silver piece with intricate carvings stolen years ago and now resurfacing.

I arrived at the auction house; my head held high. Cain was already there, of course; Athena draped on his arm, her laughter echoing loudly, grating on my nerves. He spotted me, and for a split second, his smirk faltered. Good.

My heart hammered when the auctioneer announced lot 27, “A silver locket, believed to be from the revered Shadowhunter lineage.”

“One million,” I stated, cutting through the murmurs.

Cain’s head snapped towards me. He hadn’t expected me to bid, let alone so aggressively. Athena whispered something in his ear, a triumphant smile on her face.

“Two million,” Cain countered.

“Five million,” I shot back, my gaze locked on his.

His jaw clenched. “Ten million.”

The room went silent. Confusion rippled through the crowd, wondering why we were locked in a bidding war over a mere locket.

“Twenty million,” I said, unwavering.

Cain’s eyes glared with desperation. He raised his paddle, then hesitated. He pulled out his phone, a sinister glint in his eyes.

My phone vibrated. I opened the message. A photo. My grandmother, frail and vulnerable, hooked to life support, a nurse adjusting the tubes. And a message: “Go higher, Esme. Your grandmother’s life support has an off switch. I could have it switched off anytime.”

My breath hitched. I closed my eyes, fighting back the rising bile. He couldn’t. But he had killed Noah. He had discarded our baby. He was capable of anything.

I lowered my paddle, my hand trembling.

“No bid,” I rasped, the words tearing through my throat.

Cain smirked, a cruel, victorious smile spreading across his face.

“Fifty million,” he announced, winning the locket.

Then, he came to me, holding the locket.

“Such a shame, Esme,” he whispered, his voice filled with malicious glee. “Your grandmother looked like a witch wearing this. It deserves to be worn by someone like Athena.”

I didn’t answer. I turned and sought refuge in the ladies’ room. I splashed cold water on my face, trying to compose myself.

The door creaked open, and Athena sashayed in, her dress shimmering.

“Oh, Luna Esme,” Athena purred, her eyes glittering triumphantly.

“Still reeling from losing that locket? Such a pity. I’m sorry I told Cain to give it to you, but he insisted that it looked better on me."

“You think you’ve won?” I sneered.

“You’re just a pawn, Athena. A convenience. Cain will discard you just as easily when he’s done."

Her eyes narrowed, then she cackled.

“Cain loves me! He hadn’t been home for days, right? Because he’s with me every night. Making love to me. He can’t look at you anymore. You’re a bitter, barren hag, Esme. A hen who can’t lay an egg."

Before I could respond, the door to the restroom burst open. Two burly men stormed in. They grabbed my arms, twisting them painfully behind my back.

“What...who are you?!” I struggled, but their grip was like iron.

Athena watched with a smirk.

“Just some friends, Esme. Here to teach you a lesson about respecting your superiors."

The men shoved me against the wall, one of them covering my mouth. I thrashed, my heart pounding, a desperate plea.

Cain! I sent a frantic mind link, pouring all my fear and desperation into it. Help me! Please!

Seconds felt like an eternity. Then, the door was kicked open, and Cain stood there, his eyes blazing. For a fleeting moment, I thought he had come to save me.

“Cain! Thank goodness!” Athena cried, rushing to him, feigning terror.

“She attacked me! She called these men to ruin my reputation! She’s trying to frame me, to make me look bad in front of everyone."

I stared at her, speechless. The audacity. The sheer, venomous manipulation. Cain looked from Athena to me, then back to Athena’s trembling form. His eyes, once filled with concern for me, hardened into disgust. He strode towards me.

“You pathetic, desperate excuse for a Luna!” he snarled, and his open palm connected with my cheek with a sickening crack. My head snapped back, a sharp ringing in my ears. Something broke inside me; my last shred of self-preservation. I lifted my hand, the pain in my ribs and face fueling a cold fury.

Slap.

The sound echoed through the silent room. Cain’s eyes widened, and his right cheek flared crimson. Before he could react, I hit him again, harder this time, across the other cheek. Then, I walked away, leaving them stunned in shock.