Kael looked at the expectant crowd and slowly raised his glass.

His wolf exuded a complex scent.

It held the confidence of an Alpha, but also a deeply hidden desire.

"Fellow Alphas," his voice was low and magnetic, "the Luna ceremony is indeed sacred. I trust that when the Moon Goddess guides me to my true mate, everything will fall into place."

He gave Selene a look so tender it was palpable, a silent vow that everyone in the room could feel.

"As for Selene..." he paused, "she is indeed a very special she-wolf. If only she weren't already mated to Alpha Ethan."

The room erupted in suggestive laughter and whistles.

Every wolf understood his implication.

I felt the mate mark on my chest burn, threatening to consume me.

"Then let us continue with tonight's festivities," an elder stood up. "It is now time to unveil this year's most important project—the new defensive rune matrix for the five-pack alliance."

A complex and exquisite rune pattern was projected onto the large screen.

I froze.

That was my design.

Three years ago, when I was still the heir of the Red Fang pack, I had designed this original rune matrix to protect our territory.

It had taken me six months of painstaking work, blending ancient Moon Goddess blessings with modern defensive concepts.

"This masterpiece was designed by the heir of our Red Fang pack, Alpha Selene," the elder's voice boomed. "Her talent and wisdom are astonishing."

Selene stood and bowed gracefully.

"A truly genius design!"

"As expected of the future of the Red Fang pack!"

"Alpha Selene is as brilliant as she is beautiful!"

Praises echoed throughout the hall.

My wolf roared within me. Even suppressed by Silver Dust, the rage made it struggle to break free.

That was my work!

My blood, sweat, and tears!

"No!" I shot to my feet, my voice ringing through the hall. "That's not her design!"

All eyes snapped to me.

I strode toward the stage.

"That rune matrix is mine! It was my original design for the Red Fang pack three years ago!"

I pointed at the screen. "Look here, this lunar phase transition rune, and this energy flow path—these are my unique creations!"

The hall erupted in an uproar.

Selene’s face turned pale, but she quickly composed herself, her eyes welling with crocodile tears.

"Clara, how could you say that… this really is my design…" her voice trembled. "I know you're upset about losing the inheritance, but…"

"Liar!" I cut her off angrily. "The core concept of this design is based on my research of ancient Moon Goddess runes. You couldn't possibly—"

"Enough!"

Kael’s furious voice thundered, carrying the full force of his Alpha command.

The entire hall fell silent. Every wolf was stunned into submission, instinctively bowing their heads.

And I, as his mate, bore the brunt of the impact.

My wolf instantly recoiled, my body trembling uncontrollably.

"Clara!" Kael strode toward me.

His eyes were completely gold, glowing with a dangerous light. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm telling the truth!" Even under his pressure, I held my ground. "That's my design!"

"You're out of control," Kael said coldly, then turned to the crowd. "My apologies, everyone. My Luna, due to the trauma to her wolf, sometimes suffers from... episodes. Delusions of persecution."

A wave of sympathetic murmurs went through the crowd.

"A wolfless mate is often mentally unstable..."

"Poor Luna..."

"Alpha Kael is so considerate, still protecting her like this..."

"Guards!" Kael commanded. "Take the Luna back to her room to rest. She needs to calm down."

Two guards immediately stepped forward, politely but firmly taking my arms.

"No! Let me finish! It really is my design!" I struggled, but it was useless.

Selene walked over and took my hand with false sympathy.

"Clara, you're tired. Get some rest. Everything will be alright."

Her voice was gentle, but her eyes gleamed with triumph.

I was escorted out of the hall.

By the time I got home, it was late.

I sat alone in the living room, a storm of anger and despair raging inside me.

At two in the morning, Kael returned.

He smelled of alcohol and Selene’s vanilla scent.

Clearly, they had spent more time together after the gala.

"Clara," he stood before me, his tone cold. "We need to talk."

"Talk about what? How you humiliated me in public? Or how you helped Selene steal my work?"

"That wasn't your design," he stated flatly. "Your wolf was damaged three years ago. You couldn't have completed such a complex rune project."

"You know that's not true!"

"What I know is that your behavior tonight embarrassed me in front of every Alpha!" His eyes began to glow gold again. "How could a Luna publicly question the heir of another pack? Do you have any idea how that affects our alliance?"

"So in your eyes, a political alliance is more important than the truth?"

"In my eyes, your health and safety are what matter most." He suddenly lunged forward, pinning me to the sofa. "Perhaps I've been too lenient with you. It's time to complete our final mating ritual."

His wolf radiated a powerful possessiveness and control.

His Alpha scent pressed down on me, suffocating.

This wasn't love. It was conquest.

"No," I pushed back. "Not now."

"Why not?" he kissed my neck forcefully, right over my mate mark. "You're my Luna. This is your duty."

Duty.

Not because of love, but duty.

I shoved him away with all my might, tears in my eyes.

"Kael, who do you really want to mark? Me, or Selene?"

After I pushed him away, a flicker of hurt crossed Kael’s eyes, quickly replaced by fury.

His scent turned dangerous.

An Alpha’s instinct was to take his mate by force.

"Clara, you can't refuse me like this," his voice was low and threatening. "I am your Alpha."

"You are, but not now." I hugged myself tightly. "I need time to calm down."

He stared at me for a long moment before finally scoffing and heading upstairs.

The next morning, Kael came downstairs, his expression all business, clearly on his way to manage the fallout from last night.

"Clara, about last night..." He sat across from me, his expression serious. "I've looked into the matter."

I put down my coffee cup and looked at him.

"He blamed a low-ranking data clerk from the Red Fang pack, a man named Marcus. He confessed to stealing your design drafts three years ago and presenting them to Selene."

Kael’s face was calm, as if he were recounting a trivial matter. "Selene is innocent. She merely used the drafts as inspiration, improving upon the original concept."

I couldn't believe my ears.

"And you expect me to believe such a ridiculous story?"

"Marcus has already signed a confession and been exiled from the pack."

Kael stood up, adjusting his tie. "The matter is closed. Clara, I need you to let it go. Selene is innocent, and you shouldn't have humiliated her in public."

"Humiliated her?" I shot up from my chair. "She's the one who stole my design!"

"Enough!" His wolf gave off an impatient scent. "The matter has been investigated. What you need to do now is consider the bigger picture."

The bigger picture.

Always the bigger picture.

"Tomorrow night is Selene and her mate Ethan’s anniversary party."

Kael picked up his briefcase. "You will attend with me, you will apologize to her, and you will present a united front for our alliance."

"I'm not going."

"You will go," his tone left no room for argument. "As the Luna of the Silver Moon pack, it is your duty."

After he left, I sat alone in the dining room, the anger in my chest about to explode.

Just then, my encrypted phone vibrated.

A message from Europe: [Extraction greenlit. Three days, midnight, North Harbor docks. Codeword: Moonlight Forest. We are go.]

The sender: A.M.

I knew it was from my grandfather's assistant, Ben.

Looking at the message, a surge of excitement washed over me.

In three days, I would be free from this nightmare.

As I was about to delete the message, I heard footsteps from the study.

Kael's back?

My thumbs flew, and I quickly switched to my spam folder, pretending to clean out my inbox.

"Forgot a file." Kael appeared in the living room, but his gaze landed on my phone. "What are you looking at?"

"Just clearing out spam," I said casually. "Shopping ads and stuff."

He walked over, his nostrils flaring slightly.

A wolf's sense of smell is incredibly keen; he could smell the change in my emotional scent.

"You were excited just now," he frowned. "Why?"

"Probably saw a good discount," I said calmly. "You know how it is with a good sale."

He stared at me for a few seconds, trying to determine if I was lying.

"Let me see your phone."

"Why?"

"I'm your Alpha. I have the right to know what you're doing." He held out his hand. "The phone."

I had no choice but to hand it over.

He scrolled through my spam, then checked my inbox and sent mail.

Thankfully, I had already deleted all relevant messages.

"Just junk mail," he said, handing the phone back, but his eyes were still full of suspicion. "Clara, if you're hiding something from me, you'd better tell me now."

"There's nothing," I shook my head. "What could I possibly hide from you?"

He watched me for another moment before finally nodding.

"Remember, you must attend the party tomorrow night."

The next evening, Selene and Ethan’s anniversary party was held at the city's most luxurious private club.

The venue was a fairytale of white roses and shimmering silver ribbons.

The air was filled with the pleasant scents of happy werewolves.

I wore a black evening gown, a stark contrast to the warm atmosphere.

"Clara!" Selene greeted me as soon as she saw me. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

She reached out to hug me, but I took a step back.

"Happy anniversary," I said coldly.

"Thank you." A flash of triumph crossed her eyes before she turned to Kael. "Alpha Kael, thank you both for coming."

"Of course," Kael smiled gently. "You and Ethan are a perfect match."

I watched them interact, a wave of nausea rising in my stomach.

An hour into the party, I noticed Kael growing distracted, his gaze restlessly scanning the room.

When he saw Selene and Ethan talking intimately, his wolf gave off a complex mix of emotions.

Jealousy, longing, and a deep sense of resentment.

"I'm going to get a drink," he said, quickly leaving my side.

But he didn't go to the bar. He went to a corner table and started drinking moodily.

Watching Kael drink alone, a terrible truth dawned on me.

He was jealous of Ethan.

He was jealous that Ethan could openly have Selene.

I wandered through the venue alone. No one spoke to me.

Everyone avoided the "mentally unstable" Luna.

Tired of walking, I decided to get some fresh air on the balcony.

The club had tiered balconies, and I found a relatively secluded one.

Just as I was about to head back inside, I heard voices from the level above.

"...I can't go on like this, Kael."

It was Selene's voice.

I quietly moved to the staircase and peered through the reflection in the glass door.

The scene made me freeze.

In the reflection, I saw Selene clinging to Kael, her face buried in his chest.

"Ethan is too weak," Selene's voice was choked with tears. "He’s nothing like a true Alpha. I need a true Alpha, Kael. Someone like you."

Kael’s hand gently stroked her back, his wolf exuding a scent of comfort and protection.

"Selene…" his voice was soft.

"If I break my bond with Ethan," she looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, "will you mark me?"

My heart nearly stopped.

Kael was silent for a few seconds before pulling her into a tighter embrace.

"You know the situation is complicated right now."

He didn't answer directly, but his actions spoke volumes.

"I know," Selene nuzzled against his chest like a pup seeking comfort. "But Kael, I can't wait much longer. My wolf craves you every day."

"Just give me some more time," Kael kissed her forehead. "I'll handle everything."

I felt the world spin.

The mate mark on my chest burned fiercely.

I clapped a hand over my mouth and stumbled away from the balcony.

I ran out of the club and into the back garden.

A river flowed nearby, its current swift under the moonlight.

My stomach churned, and I leaned over the riverbank, dry heaving.

It all made sense now.

Kael had never loved me.

He only marked me to shield Selene, to buy her time to secure her position as heir.

And I was just a tool in their plan.

"Clara?"

Selene's voice came from behind me.

I slowly turned to see her walking gracefully toward me, her cheeks still flushed from Kael's comfort.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked with concern.

"I saw," I looked straight at her. "You and Kael on the balcony."

"Saw what?" she feigned innocence.

"Your embrace, your conversation... everything."

Selene's expression slowly changed.

The pretense of innocence vanished, replaced by pure malice.

"Oh, so you heard everything," she chuckled. "Saves me the trouble of acting."

"Why?" my voice trembled. "Why would you do this to me?"

"Why?" Selene sneered. "Clara, you have no idea how much I've always hated you."

She advanced on me, her eyes filled with undisguised jealousy.

"You're the true daughter of the Red Fang pack, with the purest Alpha bloodline. I'm just an adopted stray. The moment I heard my father had found you, I knew my good days were over."

"But I never wanted to compete with you for anything…"

"Shut up!" she snapped. "You think I'd believe that? The moment you regained your strength and revealed your true Alpha power, where would that leave me, the adopted daughter?"

My eyes widened.

"So you know what happened with that rogue attack."

Selene’s smile twisted. "Right after you were found, I contacted Kael. I told him if he helped me cripple your wolf and turn you into a useless waste, I could remain the Red Fang heir, and the alliance between our packs would be stronger than ever."

"What?"

"Why do you think Kael showed up just in time to 'save' you? Why do you think he was so 'kind' as to marry you?" her voice grew shrill. "It was all planned!"

I felt my world crumble.

"The attack three years ago... you planned it?"

"Of course! Those rogues were Kael’s men. Their mission was to injure you badly, to sever your connection to your wolf, but not to kill you."

Selene gloated, "Then Kael could swoop in as your savior, mark a 'cripple' like you, and make everyone think he was so merciful."

"And I would continue to be the secure heir of the Red Fang pack."

"The Silver Dust..."

"That was my idea, too," she nodded. "We had to make sure you never regained your strength. After all, a true heir with a pure Alpha bloodline could awaken at any time."

I could barely stand.

Three years of pain and humiliation, all a meticulously crafted conspiracy between her and Kael.

"You... why would you be so cruel?"

"Cruel?" Selene burst out laughing. "Clara, this is the world of wolves—survival of the fittest. You're too naive, thinking you could just waltz back into the pack and claim your birthright."

She moved closer, her eyes venomous.

"You know what the most ironic part is? Kael is sick of you. Every night he's with me, all he talks about is what a burden you are. He wishes he could get rid of his useless Luna, but he's afraid of damaging his reputation."

"You're lying..." my voice shook.

"Lying? Then why do you think he still hasn't completed the final mating ceremony with you? Why does he never talk about the future?"

Selene sneered, "Because in his heart, you're not worthy of him! He loves me! He has always loved me!"

My wolf roared inside me.

Even suppressed by the Silver Dust, the rage and despair made it fight to break free.

"Have you had your say?" I trembled.

"Done? Not even close!" Selene's face suddenly contorted with madness. "Clara, did you know? After tonight, you won't be a problem anymore."

She grabbed my arm and shoved me toward the river.

"Go die, you wolfless waste!"