I stumbled into the pack station and rushed to the front desk, desperation making my voice tremble. “Please... my husband, Rowan Ashcroft, has disappeared. No one has seen him for five days. You have to help me find him.” Every word came out unsteady. For the first time, I hated my blind eyes with all my heart. They couldn't show me what everyone else seemed to know.

The officer stared at me as though I'd said something absurd. “Wait a minute. You said your husband is Rowan Ashcroft?” His brows drew together. “What's your name?”

“I’m Lillian Ashcroft.” My fingers nervously twisted the edge of my hoodie. “Have you... found any information about him?”

Instead of answering, his face hardened. His hand struck the desk with a loud bang. “Lillian? Ma’am, stop joking around and tell me who you really are.”

I stood there, stunned. “I am Luna Lillian Ashcroft.”

He scoffed without a trace of sympathy. “Just because you're blind and happen to resemble someone doesn't mean you can pretend to be her.”

My heart lurched painfully. Before I could respond, he turned toward the large LED screen mounted on the wall. The news anchor's voice echoed through the station, and every word made my blood run cold.

“To celebrate Luna Lillian Ashcroft's pregnancy, Alpha Rowan Ashcroft has gifted his mate a luxurious mountain retreat and hosted a grand pack celebration worth millions. Photos and updates of the couple have flooded social media, with nine posts a day keeping the entire wolf community talking.”

Then I heard the voice I'd recognize anywhere.

Rowan.

He appeared on the screen, smiling with the same warmth I once believed belonged only to me.

“My only wish this New Year,” he said, “is for my mate to stay healthy, safe, and happy.”

A soft laugh sounded beside him.

Celeste.

The sweetness in her voice pierced straight through me. My face drained of color, and my knees nearly gave out. It wasn't me standing beside him.

It was her.

Five years ago, I lost my eyesight during a pack accident. Rowan had been devastated, but everyone around us insisted that no Alpha should be tied to a blind mate. They whispered behind my back, made decisions without me, and eventually found someone who could take my place.

That someone was Celeste.

She looked so much like me that they believed no one would question it.

I still remembered the day Rowan discovered what they had done. His eyes had been bloodshot with rage, and his entire body shook with fury.

“Leave!” he'd shouted at her. “There's only one woman I love, and that's Lillian! No one else could ever replace her!”

That same night, he rushed to the infirmary. The moment he reached me, he wrapped me tightly in his arms. I felt his tears soak into my shoulder as he whispered, “Tomorrow we'll complete the mating ceremony. You'll officially become my mate... the only mate I'll ever have.”

Everyone in the pack knew how deeply he loved me.

Everyone knew how much he despised Celeste.

Yet now she stood where I should have been, smiling beside him, wearing my face while living my life.

What had changed?

Had he forgotten me?

Or had I simply been erased from his heart?

I wanted answers. I wanted to find him, shake him until he looked me in the eyes, and force him to explain everything.

I barely took a step before disaster struck.

A billboard crashed down without warning.

A violent pain burst through my head, and darkness swallowed me whole. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard my driver scream in terror.

“Luna!”

Then everything disappeared.

…

When I finally woke, blinding white light flooded my eyes. The pain was so intense that I immediately shut them again, terrified I'd lost my vision forever. But after several slow breaths, I opened them once more. The room was blurry at first, then gradually became clearer with every blink.

I stared in disbelief.

I could see.

Colors, shapes, sunlight... everything was there.

My eyesight had returned.

Before I could make sense of the miracle, voices drifted through the closed door outside my room.

“Alpha, how long do you plan to let Celeste continue pretending she's Luna Lillian? It's already been five years.”

My body stiffened.

Beta Kieran.

Rowan's closest confidant.

“I ask myself the same thing,” Rowan answered, his voice rough with exhaustion. “Back then, the elder council refused to accept a blind Luna. I couldn't lose Lillian, so I lied to everyone. I claimed her vision had recovered... and I allowed Celeste to stand in her place.”

Kieran didn't hide his disbelief.

“The elders who opposed you are gone now. Why are you still keeping this secret alive?”

Rowan fell silent before replying.

“Celeste is pregnant.”

His voice grew quieter.

“And... somewhere along the way, after pretending for so long... I realized I can't imagine life without her anymore. I don't want her to leave me.”

“What?” Kieran blurted out. “Alpha, are you saying you've fallen for Celeste? Have you forgotten what happened? Her brother was responsible for the accident! He's the reason Lillian lost her sight! Your true mate has lived in darkness because of that family.”

A threatening growl cut him off.

“Enough, Kieran. Celeste wasn't responsible for her brother's crimes. I already punished him. He's been imprisoned and will never return to the pack.”

Kieran refused to back down.

“You're hiding everything from Luna. She lives isolated in the mountains with no signal, trapped inside that glass house you built for her. She believes every lie you've told her. She has no idea what you've done... but if she ever learns the truth...”

His voice trailed away.

I covered my mouth to keep myself from crying aloud. Tears streamed freely down my face while my entire body felt colder than the snow covering the mountains outside.

Everything Rowan had done for me suddenly looked different.

The glass house.

His promises.

His endless affection.

None of it had been freedom.

It had all been a carefully decorated cage.

My eyes landed on the stack of portraits resting on the bedside table. Rowan had drawn every one himself, preserving moments he once claimed he'd treasure forever.

One portrait showed the desert expedition where he broke his leg, and I stayed beside him day and night until he recovered.

Another captured the time he climbed a dangerous cliff during a blizzard to pick a rare medicinal herb for me. His hands were bleeding, yet he smiled proudly after placing it in mine.

There was one of wolves from the northern clans dancing beneath the full moon because he remembered how much I loved watching our traditions.

Near the bottom of the stack was the drawing of the glass house itself, specially designed so his blind mate could live comfortably, every detail created with me in mind.

Every portrait carried the same expression in his eyes.

The love I had once treasured.

The love I had trusted without question.

The love I could no longer bear to look at.

In one painting, he knelt before me, smiling gently.

“From today on,” he'd promised, “I'll become your eyes. My heart will always belong to you alone, Lillian.”

I looked at every portrait one last time.

Every memory now felt fake.

Every promise had become another lie.

My hands trembled as I forced myself to smile, though bitterness filled my chest.

I lit a match.

The first portrait curled as flames spread across its surface.

Then another.

And another.

One by one, I fed every drawing to the fire before throwing them onto the bed. The flames quickly swallowed them, smoke rising through the beautiful glass house until the fresh spring air turned gray with ash.

Rowan...

Your love was never as pure as I believed.

The protection you offered me as my Alpha was built on deception.

I don't want your love anymore.

I don't want you.

And I refuse to spend another day trapped inside the prison your lies created.

The fire alarm shrieked through the house, its piercing sound echoing endlessly down the halls.

As I watched the flames consume every memory we'd shared, only one question remained.

How could I have trusted an Alpha who had lied to me for five years... and still claimed it was love?

After escaping the burning house, I stumbled through the smoke, coughing until my lungs hurt. My chest felt painfully tight as I spotted an old phone booth by the roadside. With trembling hands, I picked up the receiver and dialed the number I had memorized years ago.

“Alaric...” My voice barely came out above a whisper. “Does your offer still stand? Can I... still return to the pack?”

Silence lingered for a moment before his familiar, deep voice reached me, warm and steady.

“Always, Arianne,” he answered without hesitation. “The Northern Pack has never stopped waiting for you. Everyone keeps asking when their favorite she-wolf is finally coming home.”

I closed my eyes and gripped the receiver tighter.

“There's just one problem,” I admitted quietly. “Changing my identity will take at least three days, and slipping out of New York won't be easy. Rowan knows me too well. He'll never let me leave if he realizes what I'm doing.”

Alaric sighed softly.

“You're right. Rowan has always been possessive where you're concerned. The moment you step outside that glass house, he'll know. So how are you planning to get away from him?”

I drew in a shaky breath.

“Then I'll make sure the only thing he finds... is my dead body.”

The words left my mouth without emotion, yet they carried every ounce of my resolve. If he'd been able to let another woman become me, then I could disappear from his life forever.

Before I could say anything else, a pair of strong arms suddenly wrapped around my waist from behind.

I gasped.

“My wife...” Rowan's voice cracked as he buried his face against my shoulder. “Thank goodness you're safe. If I'd lost you today... I don't think I'd want to keep living.”

My body went completely rigid.

Every instinct screamed at me to shove him away, to run as far as I could, yet I couldn't make myself move.

“Luna, are you hurt?” Kieran asked as he hurried over. Anxiety was written all over his face. “Alpha rushed into the fire after you. He knew you couldn't see. The chandelier almost came down on both of you.”

“Kieran.” Rowan cut him off sharply. “That's enough.”

His arms tightened around me.

“She made it out alive. That's all that matters. I couldn't care less about the house... or anything else.”

Smoke clung to his clothes. Ash stained his skin, and several places on his jacket were scorched from the flames.

My heart clenched.

I hated that it did.

I hated that he had risked his own life to save mine after letting Celeste steal the life that should have been mine all along.

Then my gaze landed on the person walking toward us.

Celeste.

She emerged from the lingering smoke dressed in spotless white, calmly pulling a suitcase behind her as though the fire had never happened.

“Alpha Ashcroft,” she greeted gently.

Rowan immediately released me, though I sensed his reluctance. After smoothing his hair, he turned to face her.

“Sweetheart,” he said softly, “one of my business associates is here. Just give me a moment.”

He walked over, took both of her hands, and began signing.

Why did you come here by yourself? Didn't I tell you I'd visit tonight? I wanted to stay with you and the babies to make sure you were safe.

Celeste answered in fluent sign language, her expression filled with guilt.

I missed you. I wanted to come because I owe Lillian an apology. I've done her wrong, and I wanted to make things better.

Rowan slowly shook his head.

“No... you're not the one who owes her anything.”

His fingers moved with quiet sorrow.

I've failed both of you. I forced you to live someone else's life because of my own selfish decisions. I lied to Lillian, and I trapped you inside those lies too. Everything happened because I was too afraid to face the truth.

He gently rested his forehead against hers.

I couldn't let Lillian find out... and I couldn't bear to lose you either. I kept convincing myself I was protecting both of you, when really I was only protecting myself.

Celeste's eyes softened as she signed again.

I never wanted any of this, Rowan. I only wanted Lillian to be safe... and our baby too. You've been carrying this burden alone.

Rowan leaned forward and kissed her.

It wasn't passionate.

It was tender.

Heartbreaking.

When they finally pulled apart, he smiled faintly before signing once more.

I've already picked our babies' names. If it's a boy, he'll be Rowann. If it's a girl, she'll be Chanelle.

Something inside my chest shattered.

This was my Alpha.

My mate.

The man who had once sworn there would never be another woman.

Yet every belief I had built my life around was crumbling right before my eyes.

Why did love have to hurt this much?

Almost exactly a year earlier, I had discovered I was carrying his child.

I thought fate had finally chosen happiness for us.

Rowan had been ecstatic.

He reserved an entire hot spring resort so we could celebrate alone, insisting we deserved time away from the rest of the pack.

Everything felt perfect.

Then his phone rang.

A young woman was crying on the other end. Her voice was faint, but I heard enough to know she was desperate.

For reasons I couldn't explain, my heart began to sink.

Rowan crouched beside me and kissed my stomach.

“My love,” he whispered, “there's an emergency back at the pack. Wait here for me. I'll come back as soon as I can.”

I believed every word.

I waited.

Morning passed.

Then night.

I stayed there believing he'd return.

Instead, an avalanche came crashing down the mountain.

Snow swallowed everything in its path.

Our unborn pup...

Our baby...

was gone.

I lost the child before I ever had the chance to hold them.

Later, I saw Rowan resting his hand against Celeste's pregnant belly.

He touched her with the same tenderness he'd once shown me.

The same gentle smile.

The same promises.

The same careful affection.

A bitter smile found its way onto my lips.

The only one buried beneath that winter's snow had been me.

Not long afterward, I overheard him speaking to her.

“Sweetheart,” he said warmly, “I've been busy with pack matters, so I hired a nutritionist to look after you while I'm away.”

His hand covered hers with effortless familiarity, and the look in his eyes was impossibly gentle.

As though she were the only woman who mattered.

“Hello, Miss Brightman,” the nutritionist greeted politely.

Miss Brightman.

Not Mrs. Ashcroft.

Not Luna.

Not me.

For a split second, Rowan hesitated.

Then he said nothing.

He didn't correct the mistake.

He didn't even react.

He simply accepted it.

I dug my nails into my palms so hard they nearly broke the skin, forcing myself to stay silent instead of falling apart where I stood.

A few moments later, Rowan draped a thick wool coat over my shoulders.

“You'll catch a cold,” he said gently. “Let's head home.”

I instinctively turned toward him.

But from the corner of my eye, I saw Celeste give him a small nod.

Rowan leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss against her lips.

The tenderness between them wasn't accidental.

It was natural.

Comfortable.

Like something they'd shared countless times before.

That evening, I watched him move around the kitchen.

Nothing had changed.

He still served me soup with the same careful attention he'd always shown, placing the bowl in front of me as though I were precious.

Then he turned toward Celeste.

With a smile, he wiped a streak of sauce from the corner of her lips.

His eyes shone with unmistakable affection.

He signed playfully,

You're unbelievable. How can someone be this adorable?

I lowered my gaze to the bowl in front of me.

The soup was warm, but I couldn't taste it.

My eyes stung, yet no tears came.

I wanted to cry.

I desperately wanted to.

But I couldn't.

Because I knew that smile.

I knew those gentle hands.

I knew the softness in his eyes whenever he looked at someone he loved.

And at that moment, the truth became impossible to deny.

Every embrace.

Every promise.

Every gentle touch he'd given Celeste...

None of it had been an act anymore.

Somewhere along the way...

Rowan had truly fallen in love with her.

And I had become nothing more than the forgotten woman he left behind.

unbearably heavy.

Even if I could see again...

What difference would it make?

Would I simply witness him choosing Celeste with my own eyes? Would every lie become impossible to ignore?

A long silence followed.

Then Rowan answered.

“No.”

The doctor sounded stunned.

“...No? Alpha, perhaps you misunderstood me. This is wonderful news. She has a real chance to recover her vision.”

Rowan's reply came without the slightest hesitation, colder than winter itself.

“Didn't Pierce explain the situation? For the past five years, I've instructed him to prescribe nothing beyond ordinary supplements.”

The room fell silent.

When the doctor finally spoke again, disbelief filled his voice.

“You mean you've deliberately withheld the treatment? Alpha... that's wrong. Lady Lillian deserves to know the truth. She deserves the opportunity to recover.”

Rowan released a slow breath.

“And if she regains her sight, then what?” he asked evenly. “Have you considered what happens after that? What becomes of Celeste once everything is exposed?”

“With all due respect, Alpha,” the doctor insisted, “your mate's well-being should be your priority. You can't keep her blind simply because it makes your situation easier.”

“It isn't about convenience.”

Rowan's tone turned dangerously calm.

“It's about maintaining balance. I'm protecting both of them, and that decision isn't yours to question.”

My fingers instinctively closed around my wedding ring.

They wouldn't stop trembling.

So...

He had known all along.

He knew my blindness wasn't permanent.

He knew there was treatment that could have given me my sight back.

And he chose to keep it from me.

Why?

Was I nothing more than someone easier to control if I remained blind?

Someone he could hide away whenever it suited him?

A sharp snap broke through my thoughts.

Only then did I realize I had yanked the ring from my swollen finger with so much force that it tore the skin. Blood slowly trickled between my fingers, warm against my palm.

I turned and ran.

I wasn't even sure where I was going.

All I knew was that I had to get away before I fell apart.

By the time I reached my room, I was shaking so violently I could barely breathe.

My shoulder struck the edge of a table.

A framed wedding photograph toppled onto the floor with a loud crash.

I stared down at it.

In the picture, Rowan was gently kissing my forehead, his eyes overflowing with love and devotion.

As though I had once been his entire world.

“Why...?” I whispered hoarsely. “Why would you deceive me like this?”

Tears slipped down my face before I even realized I was crying.

Then, somehow...

I started laughing.

A broken, hollow laugh echoed through the room.

“Haha... Rowan...” I choked out. “You're incredible. You planned every bit of this, didn't you?”

Nausea twisted violently in my stomach. I bent over, retching as bitterness burned my throat.

“All those years I blamed myself... all those nights I thought I was broken... you made sure I'd never know the truth.”

I cried until there were no tears left.

Then I picked up the photograph.

I removed it from the frame.

Without hesitating, I fed it into the paper shredder.

The machine slowly pulled the picture inside.

Its grinding sound echoed through the room while tiny strips of paper fell into the bin below.

With every piece it destroyed, it felt as though another part of my heart disappeared with it.

Every promise.

Every memory.

Every “I love you.”

Reduced to scraps.

“My love... what are you doing?”

Rowan's voice came from behind me.

I never looked back.

Silently, I gathered the shredded remains and dumped them into the trash.

“Nothing,” I answered calmly.

“It was just... a damaged file.”

“I don't need it anymore.”

He walked closer, frowning.

“A damaged file?” His eyes narrowed as he glanced at the shredded paper. “Why does that look so familiar? Lillian... what exactly did you—”

The bedroom door opened before he could finish.

“Rowan.”

Celeste's gentle voice floated into the room.

He turned immediately.

Without another glance at me.

She entered carrying a bouquet of white lilies, their fragrance filling the room almost instantly.

“I brought these,” she said shyly. “I thought Lillian might like them.”

The concern in Rowan's eyes appeared at once.

“You shouldn't be walking around so much,” he said. “What if something happens to you... or the baby?”

She smiled reassuringly.

“I'm alright. I only wanted to do something thoughtful.”

Rowan accepted the bouquet before placing it into my arms.

“These are for you.”

Celeste smiled sweetly.

“Happy birthday, Miss Brightman.”

The overwhelming scent struck me immediately.

My throat tightened.

I couldn't breathe.

A violent coughing fit overtook me, tears streaming uncontrollably from my eyes.

Rowan frowned.

“What's wrong? Are you allergic to lilies? Why didn't you tell me before?”

Before I could answer, Celeste walked behind me and gently covered my eyes with both hands.

She laughed softly.

“Come on,” she teased. “Just a few more steps. No peeking. I prepared a surprise especially for you.”

I didn't resist.

I simply let her guide me forward.

What reason did I have to argue anymore?

“Okay,” she said brightly. “Ready?”

She removed her hands.

“Surprise!”

My eyes settled on the dining table.

Raw meat sat across the marble surface, still dripping with fresh blood. White foam clung to it as though it hadn't even been washed properly. Beside it, the vegetables were burned beyond recognition, blackened from being left over the fire too long.

I simply stared.

Was this supposed to be a gift?

Or was I the one everyone was laughing at?

Celeste suddenly slapped a hand against her forehead.

“Oh no!” she exclaimed. “I completely forgot. Miss Brightman... you can't really see, can you? I didn't even think about how this would look.”

She covered her mouth in embarrassment, acting as though she'd made an innocent mistake.

Rowan immediately took both of her hands.

His movements were gentle as he signed reassuringly.

It's alright. Don't blame yourself. Lillian won't take something like this personally. She's not that sensitive.

Not that sensitive.

Celeste lowered her eyes, her fingers moving hesitantly.

Why do I keep messing everything up? I only wanted to make her happy, but I can't seem to do anything right.

Rowan smiled with quiet affection.

Don't say that. You're trying your best, and that's enough for me. You never have to be perfect.

She sniffled before signing again.

I baked her a mango cake too. I thought maybe something sweet would cheer her up.

Rowan turned toward me with the same gentle expression that had once made me believe I was loved.

“Come on, sweetheart,” he coaxed softly. “She put a lot of effort into this. At least have a taste.”

I remained exactly where I was.

My hands slowly curled into fists.

I was exhausted.

Not physically.

Emotionally.

I didn't think I had anything left to give.

“Rowan,” I said at last, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Do you even remember what today really is?”

He looked confused.

“What are you talking about?” he asked. “Today's your birthday.”

I met his eyes.

“No.”

A painful smile touched my lips.

“It isn't.”