Chapter 1
When Ellie went to see him with her pregnancy test in hand, she caught her Alpha husband with his ex . "I'll NEVER let that wolfless rogue be the mother of my child. She's just a surrogate!" Tears streamed down her face as she got in an accident and lost all her memories đ. Her friend says, "You almost gave up everything for that man..." "Who? Me? Why?!" đł * His wife seemed different now, but he has no idea why. She urges him, "Let's get a divorce! Now!" đ He grits his teeth, "No way!" đĄđĄđĄ
Ellie's POV
âDid you hear the Alpha only married that rogue girl for her child? Because the child of a fated mate is supposed to be the strongest?â
"Or why would he marry her, a spineless low-born... What's her name, Ellie? â
"It doesn't matter." The Alpha, my fated mate, Nolan, spoke too, "We're about to divorce."
"Right. She's useless." People surrounded him, his friends, his subordinates, laughed, like hearing a joke.
Hearing their words, the pregnancy test slipped from my hand to the floor.
I was about tell him that I was finally pregnant. After three long years.
A new life born of matebond. Of us.
I thought this would make Nolan happy; he always wanted an heir.
But when I eagerly rushed here from home, to his usual lounge, I found Nolan with a group of people laughing at me. They were calling me that rogue girl, a low-born, saying I was desperate and clinging to him.
And a woman cuddled up next to him.
His ex-girlfriend.
Felicity.
Through the loungeâs glass, Nolan sat in a private booth, his dark hair perfectly styled, the sharp line of his jaw catching the golden bar light. His suit clung to his broad frame, tailored to his strength, every inch of him composed and unreadable.
One hand rested on the velvet seat behind him, the other around a glass he hadnât sipped. He looked like a man carved from ice and control, distant, beautiful, and entirely out of my reachâlike always.
Felicity's curvy body leaned into his, her breasts nearly spilling out of her red dress as her long, golden hair fell like silk over her shoulder. She laughed, tilting her head back as she traced a finger along his sleeve. He didnât flinch away. Didnât correct her. Just sat there, letting it happen, his eyes fixed somewhere beyond her shoulder.
My jaw tightened. Felicity had left the pack years ago when Nolan and I had wed⌠She was who this party was for?
This is an extravagant Lounge, one I rarely dared go to. Only today, I didn't care all the whispers from polished, powerful people who never quite hid the way they looked down on me.
I opened the door and peeked in, hesitating around the crowd of bodies on how or⌠if I should approach. Next to me, a few pack members watched with interest, laughing loudly, too loudly, like they wanted to be overheard. âFelicity and Nolan, back together again. Honestly, they look perfect.â
"Felicity is so much better than that rogue girl, sheâs the daughter of a Beta, after all."
"Ellie begged Nolan to marry her. How pathetic. She wonât mind if Nolan strays. She should be grateful he even touched her.â
Their laughter was cruel, biting, and not a single person in that room bothered to lower their voice. He didn't stop them.
My breath caught in my throat, and I gripped the edge of the doorframe to steady myself. I waited for Nolan to deny it. To say something.
But all he did was offer a hollow shrug.
âI simply found her forgettable,â he said, tone as indifferent as his expression. âThere was no spark worth nurturing.â
The world tilted.
They saw me, eventually. Some glanced my way and looked away again, covering their mouths, amused. Others didnât bother hiding their smirks. But Nolanâs eyes found mine last. And when they did, there was no flicker of regret. No apology. Just that same blank indifference.
"Go away," Someone yelled at me, as if trying to chase away a homeless. Someone drunk, threw a drink at me, laughing. "Go pick up trash! Isnât that what you rogues do?"
Hope shattered like fragile glass. I turned and fled. I wasnât even sure where I was running, but my feet carried me in a clumsy mess.
Someone called after me. A Beta, I think. "It's dangerous outside..."
âLet her go.â
That was Nolanâs voice.
âItâs time she sees her place.â
I hadnât even realized it had started raining until my consciousness snapped back into place. My head throbbed from crying, my vision was a blur, and I had no idea where I wasâ
Itâs not fair.
I had given everything. Bent over backwards trying to make him see me, love me. I had begged silently for scraps of affection, clinging to the hope that he would soften, that someday he would reach for me like I always reached for him, despite my place in the pack.
I burst out past the brick, my shoes spraying into a puddle.
A car honked.
Headlights flared. I turned too late.
âBangââ
The impact slam into me, and the intense pain exploded through my body.
The light bloomed like fire, sharp and white-hot, before everything went dark as the faint howl of a wolf merged with the screech of tires.
The smell of antiseptic and linen greeted me first.
I blinked against the harsh white lights.
A hospital room, only those lights can burn your eyes that badly. My limbs felt heavy, my head thick with fog. Beeping machines echoed somewhere nearby.
âEllie!â
A familiar voice broke through the haze. I turned my head slowly. A woman with red hair leaned over my bed, her face pale, eyes wide and red-rimmed with worry.
âAre you okay? Goddess, Ellie, you scared me. They said you just stepped onto the road without looking. What were you thinking?!â
I tried to answer, but the words tangled on my tongue. What happened... I stepped onto the road?
Why didn't I have any memory?
The door opened, and a nurse entered, followed by a man in a healerâs uniform. The healer murmured something to the nurse, then turned to me.
âHow are you feeling?â
I stared at him blankly.
"Ok," The Healer clearly didn't care my answer, he took out a pen, "your name is Ellie Ashwood, right?"
I didn't give any answers. The healer furrowed his brow and brought a tablet forward, flipping through some notes. âWe contacted your mate. Alpha Nolan. He mindlinked you earlier, butâŚâ
I blinked again, slowly.
My mate...
What is mate?
Do I have memory loss or...?
Healer said, âAlpha Nolan said he thought you were just making up the accident for attention, causing trouble. Anyways, Iâll inform him youâre awake.â
A sharp silence cut through the room, then an indifferent voice was nearly in my ears, in my head.
âEllie. Seriously?â A familiar man's voice spoke in my thoughts. â...You just had to go and make a fuss out of nothingďźâ
Third-person's POV
Nolan was furious.
He got a call from Healer, saying Ellie had a car accident.
He thought this was another excuse she made.
She caused all sorts of trouble these years. Throwing her tantrums, making a scene, all these dramaâjust to get his attention. He's had enough.
A car accident now, huh?
Sheâs been gone for only half an hour! What are the odds?
"Iâm not doing your childish game." His voice low, "How many times are you going to use excuses to get my attention? You need to stop, Ellie. I've got better things to do - "
"Umm... what?" She sounded hesitated. "What home?"
"Go home." He ordered, "And stop bothering me."
Her voice totally confused, "I DON'T KNOW WHERE IS HOME... who the hell are you?"
"......" He said, "What?!"
Chapter 2
Ellie's POV
I had a bad headache.
Am I really suffering from amnesia?
Why can't I remember anything?
The weirdo's voice in my head paused. His voice filled with confusion and distain.
"What is this," he asked, "Your new trick?"
"What?" I was a little angry, because of his tone, "And why are you in my head? "
âEllie, I donât have time for your games or tantrums. Stop pretending. The Moonstone Pack will be arriving soon, and I need you home. Now.â
Thenâsilence. The mindlink cut so abruptly, I felt like Iâd been slapped.
What... the hell?!
That was rude!
I blinked up at the ceiling, the sterile white lights of the hospital sharp against my eyes. I was searching for anything, any memories, an explanation, but there was nothing.
Who was that?
Noâwho was I?...Ellie? I'm Ellie?
A low curse broke the quiet. I turned my head, found the redhead still standing over me, arms folded and lips curled in outrage.
âUnbelievable!â she hissed. âYou almost died, and that sorry excuse of a husband doesnât even show up to see if youâre breathing.â
Husband?
I tried to sit up, but my body screamed in protest. But she rushed over and helped me upright, her touch gentler than her tone. âCareful,â she muttered. âThe crash was bad. Youâve only been awake for a few hours.â
âWait.â My voice cracked. âIâm married?â
She froze. Her gaze snapped to mine, searching. âEllie⌠donât mess with me right now.â
âIâm not.â I muttered, âWho am I married to?â
Her face tightened, shocked. âWhat? Didn't you just connect to Alpha Nolan's mindlink? WowâŚYou really donât remember, huh?â
...So that person just now was Alpha Nolan? My husband?
âWell, Iâm Rae, weâve been friends for a long, long time. As for Nolan, youâve devoted everything to him.â
Rae could hardly believe it all, but she still went on to explain everything to me. âYou were always trying so hard to be good enough, yet he was always cruelâŚYouâyou just stood by, loving him. I wasâŚnever a fan.â
I stared at her. âWhy would I love someone like that?â
And I meant it. Something inside me curled at the idea. It felt foreign. Pathetic.
Rae blinked, startled. âWow. Thatâs... new. The old you, whenever you mentioned Nolan, you'd defend him for just breathing. Now you're actually saying this about him... that's new.â
I scoffed, "Now that's the thought of a normal person!"
The "Me" that Rae described was utterly unreasonable â giving up everything for a man? Foolish! Why not live for yourself?
Just then, the door swung open and the Healer stepped in again. He looked me over with practiced boredom, his lips twitching with something close to disdain.
Rae frowned. âShe doesnât remember anything. Not even Nolan. You need to do another check.â
The Healer rolled his eyes, but came forward anyway. But when his hands touched me, his expression changed.
He stiffened, eyes flickering. âYou have a wolf,â he said softly. âThatâs⌠impossible.â
My throat tightened. âWhat?â
He didn't answer me. He just moved more quickly now, fingers searching along my temples, my stomach. And then he went still.
â...Sheâs pregnant,â
Rae shot up. âWhat?!â
âOnly a few weeks. Barely detectable. But itâs there.â The Healer took a step back, his face pale. âAnd sheâs healed almost completely, even from moments ago when I checked. Faster than she should. If sheâs wolf-less, a rogue⌠this shouldnât be possible.â
He left in a rush, muttering something about needing to speak to the Alpha immediately.
Pregnant. I let the word sit in my mouth, so unreal. The world had tilted, completely untethered. I looked at Rae, hoping she had answers, but all I saw was her crumbling.
âYou didnât know,â I said quietly.
âI didnât think it was possible,â she replied, dragging her hands down her face. âHeâs barely touched you in months. And youâre not even⌠officially Luna.â
âSo I was married to someone who didnât even want me?â
Raeâs voice softened. âYou wanted him. You thought if you tried hard enough, heâd see you. That heâd love you.â
I really wanted to ask Rae, "And did he?" But from her reaction, I already knew the answer.
A cold weight settled in my gut.
Shit.
â...You could run!â Rae said aloud, surprising both of us. âTake the baby. Start over somewhere no one knows you. Honestly, if you wanted an out, nows the time.â
I blinked, instantly overwhelmed. I had just woken up, no memory of who I was, no idea if the woman beside me was truly my best friend. And now, I was supposed to make a life-altering decisionâ
Could I go out on the street and get into another accident to get my memory back?
Rae rubbed her eyes. âForgive me, I spoke out of pure feeling. I mean, if you did, Iâd support it. But⌠now that Iâm thinking about it, is that fair to the kid? To grow up like we did? As a rogue?â
I fell into silence.
"And... you donât even know who you are. How could you raise someone else?" Rae spoke softly, hesitated, "Do you consider... getting an abortion?"
"An abortion?!"
"I mean, think of it. You are carrying a child from a man who felt like a stranger to you, and didnât love you," she muttered, "and you're a rogue. Do you really want to keep this child? "
"I know, but..." I hesitated, "this is so cruel. What if... their father wanted it? This should be a decision for both of us."
âIâll go home,â I said finally. âSee how my husband reacts. Then Iâll decide.â
After receiving permission to leave the hospital, I felt a strange sense of freedom, but also uncertainty.
Home wasnât what I remembered. Not that I remembered anything, but I expected it to feel⌠safer.
He was waiting, who I assumed was my husband, Nolan, stood in the center of the den like a statue carved from ice.
His suit jacket was unbuttoned, his tie loose around his throat. He was handsomeâŚbut he felt alien to me.
âSo the dramatics continue,â Nolan said coldly, arms crossed. âWhat was it this time? A scratch on your arm?â
I froze.
Hey! Your wife had a car accident!
He stepped closer. âI saw the report, you were nearly âdeadâ when they found you. Iâm so sure, though, you look fine to me. Quit playing the victim, Ellie. Youâve done this before. I'm not falling for it again.â
âWhatâ?â My voice caught.
âCrying to get attention. Collapsing in the kitchen just because I was late. Whatâs next? A coma?â
Iâd faked being sick or hurt in the past? Just for attention?
A woman, curvy and blonde, sauntered into view behind him, all silk and smugness. She was close to him, considering he was supposed to be my husband. âHonestly, Nolan, you shouldâve let her stay gone. Rogues are always such a mess.â
I stared at them. I clenched my hands into fists.
...This was my life?
Third-Person's POV
Meanwhile, deep within the heart of the Moonstone PackâŚ
The crystal orb flickered to life, its pale blue glow casting shadows across the stone chamber.
Alpha Alaric stood frozen, his hand hovering inches from the orbâs surface. Beside him, his son, Cassian, drew in a sharp breath.
âItâs her,â Cassian murmured, voice tight with disbelief. âAfter all these yearsâŚâ
Alaric nodded slowly, eyes never leaving the shifting light. The long-lost princess, his daughter, had resurfaced.
And not just anywhere. He knew that pack...
Alpha Nolanâs territory.
The very pack where their princess was â right there!
Chapter 3
Ellie's POV
"Am I right?" Felicity pouted, speaking to Nolan in a teasing tone, throwing me a sidelong glance. "Sheâll only cause you trouble."
"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU NOW?" I asked.
The words slipped from my lips before I could think, before I could filter or soften or smile like I apparently used to.
The air in the room stilled. Nolanâs brows shot up, but Felicityâs face cracked first, her lips parting in a sneer.
âWhat did you just say?â she asked, a mocking little laugh curling around her words.
I took a slow step forward, tilting my head, studying her as if she were a painting hung in my house without permission. âI mean it. Who, are, you?â
The silence that followed was heavy with shock, their shock.
Maybe it was because I hadnât flinched when she sneered at me, hadnât cowered or looked to Nolan for help. Maybe it was just that I was finally acting like someone with a backbone.
Felicity recovered quickly, smile stretching back into place like a mask. âCute. Trying on a new personality, are we? What is this, Ellie 4.0? A little sass to win your precious Alpha back? Man, youâll try anything for a glance from him.â
âOh,â I said lightly, âI see. Youâre in my house, with my husband, insulting me, and Iâm the one desperate for his attention. That clears things up.â
Nolan blinked, furrowing his brow. Felicityâs expression twisted.
âExcuse you! Youâve got a lot of nerve for someone who used to cry if Nolan so much as frowned in your direction,â she snapped. âRemember that? Remember begging him to stay every time he so much as glanced at me? Or do we not recall that version of you? This personality switch up wonât last! Youâre pathetic! Remember that!â
I smiled, not because it was funny... okay, it is a bit funny. A random woman yelled at me for who I was.
âI did all that?â I asked, raising a brow. âWow. Thatâs embarrassing. Should I laugh? Or clap for it? Because until now, all Iâve heard is the story of a poor girl doing everything she can for the man she loves, and that man being blind to it, not appreciating her at all. "
"And here you are, mocking her, " I looked at her in her eyes. "as if it has anything to do with you. If she made a mistake, itâs that she didnât leave sooner. You two are disgustingâ
Felicityâs mouth opened, but nothing came out. She looked like she spotted a ghost in daylight.
âYou really are insane,â She said, recovering her balance. âWhat are you doing, Ellie? Reinventing yourself? Playing the new, brave and misunderstood wife? Youâre embarrassing.â
âSheâs pretending again,â Nolan muttered under his breath, arms crossed. âSheâs always done this when she wants something.â
I snapped my head toward him. âYou think Iâm pretending? For what?â
âYou think Iâm impressed?â His voice was low and annoyed. âWeâve played this game before.â
âDo we?â I said, stepping closer. âNow it's the new game. And I'm not who I was.â
He frowned.
Felicity laughed again, shrill and brittle. âSo what, youâre strong now? Youâre going to fight against him? Please. You couldnât even stand to be in the same room when he ignored you, doing all these pity cries for him.â
I looked her dead in the eyes. âI donât want him.â
And I meant it. I wasnât even sure I wanted me yet, but I was damn sure I didnât want to be her anymore. The girl who begged. The girl who bent over backwards for a man who never met her halfway.
âIâm not here to cry or win anyone over,â I scoffed. âIâm just trying to figure out how I ended up married to someone who thinks silence is a personality trait.â
That one landed hard. Nolanâs jaw clenched, but with a sigh he turned slightly, his eyes closing as a mindlink reached him. He didn't say anything aloud, but I could feel his mood shiftâcold and businesslike. Alpha mode.
âI have to take this,â he said, turning and walking out without another glance.
Felicity waited until the door clicked shut before stepping closer, her voice lower now, quieter, but no less venomous. She reminded me of a viper, a pretty one, but those eyes locked on me like a target.
âIâve heard rumors, you know, trying for a child. Scraping for scraps again, like you could ever be his true Luna. Even if you did, you think theyâd ever let you raise that child?â she asked, her smile all teeth. âWith your status? Youâre a nobody, Ellie. Just a rogue who got lucky. Theyâd never let you keep that pup.â
I said nothing, but my hand moved protectively over my stomach. Did she know? No way.
âDonât be stupid. When Iâm Luna, theyâd give the baby to me. And Iâll make sure they never forget how pathetic their mother was.â
She leaned in. âIf you think Iâll be kind, think again.â
I didnât lash out. I didnât scream. I just stared at her like I was seeing her clearly for the first time.
When Nolan returned, I was still standing there, arms crossed and lips sealed.
I turned to him as he walked in, my voice calm. âIs it true?â
He raised a brow. âIs what true?â
âThat I wouldnât be allowed to raise my own child in this pack?â
He exhaled, almost dismissively. âThat was the agreement. You knew what this was. We are married to produce the child of a fated bond; they are stronger, but youâre no Luna. I thought that was clear.â
âAnd after that? Whatâwas I just supposed to disappear?â
âYouâd do what you always do,â he said, dryly. âRun off crying, then show up again looking for attention.â
I stared at him.
This man⌠was the worst.
My voice shook with something closer to fury than sadness. âYouâre such a jerk.â
He blinked. âExcuse me?â
âYou married me, used me, ignored me, and now youâre pretending Iâm the one being dramatic? You donât even know me.â
âI know you better than you think.â His voice sounded exhausted, like I was still pulling some act.
âNo,â I snapped. âYou knew a girl who thought being silent would keep her safe. Who thought if she was obedient enough, maybe, just maybe, youâd love her back.â
His bored expression didnât budge, his eyes half-lidded with the same detached disinterest he always wore, like emotions were beneath him. Like I was beneath him.
âBut Iâm not her anymore.â
I could practically feel him waiting. Waiting for the performance, he thought he knew by heart. For the trembling lips. For the wide, watery eyes. For the whispered, please donât go.
But I didnât give it to him.
Instead, I squared my shoulders, letting the fire settle into my spine like armor. My voice clear and steady.
âI want a divorce.â
His hands slid slowly out of his pockets. For once, he looked uncertain. âWhat?â
âYou heard me. I want out of this marriage.â
I smiled, lifted my chin in pride.