Mira’s POV

I never thought I’d find myself back inside the Nightbane Pack’s grand hall—the same place that once felt untouchable, almost unreal. The marble floors shone beneath my scuffed boots, reflecting chandeliers that glittered like frozen blades—beautiful, but cold enough to cut. I had no right to be here anymore. Not after everything. But when Elder Marcelle calls, you come. Refusing her isn’t an option—not if you still have something left to lose.

I caught her scent before I heard her voice—lavender, laced with authority that made my wolf instinctively retreat.

“Sit, Mira,” she said, her tone polite but icy. “We need to talk.”

I stayed standing for a second before giving in. “What do you want from me?” My voice came out rough from too many sleepless nights.

A faint smile touched her lips—something almost kind, if I didn’t know better. “Straightforward. I like that.” She motioned to the chair across her desk. The entire room screamed power—portraits of past Lunas, the Nightbane crest carved in gold, the heavy scent of wealth and history.

She pulled out a clean white envelope and slid it toward me. I didn’t open it. I didn’t have to.

“Five hundred thousand dollars,” she said smoothly. “Enough for you to disappear and start over. Far away from my son.”

My throat tightened. “So you’re paying me to walk away from Theron.”

“I’m paying you to stop pretending you belong beside him,” she corrected, her voice sharpening. “You’re an omega, Mira. You came from nothing. My son—Alpha Theron Nightbane—was meant for greatness, not a life tied to some broken-down home with… your deceased mother.”

My chest twisted at that. I forced myself to stay calm. “Love doesn’t care about status.”

She let out a soft laugh, bitter and sharp. “Love is irrelevant when it comes to legacy. Did you really think I’d let you ruin his future over feelings?”

Her words dragged me back to the day I found him.

He was half-dead in the forest—bleeding, barely conscious, stuck between forms. I thought he was just another rogue. I had no idea he was the future Alpha of Nightbane. My mother and I took him in, cared for him, kept him alive. He didn’t remember who he was—just broken pieces of a past filled with violence and betrayal.

For a while… he was mine.

He fixed things around our home, laughed with me over burnt meals, held me close beneath the moon like I was the only thing that mattered. He didn’t see me as an omega. Just… Mira.

Then one day, he remembered.

The mark on his arm burned, his identity came back—and the man I knew disappeared with it.

He turned distant. Colder. Like I was nothing more than a mistake. And when his family came for him, he didn’t hesitate. He chose them.

And now here I was—sitting across from the woman who took him away—being offered money to erase whatever was left.

She must’ve seen something in my expression because she sighed and reached for her phone. “Still resisting?” she murmured. “Maybe this will help.”

The screen behind her lit up.

My breath caught.

Two wolves stood near a cliff, holding something between them—a bronze urn.

“Mom…” My voice barely came out.

Marcelle tilted her head slightly. “You recognize it, don’t you? Your mother’s ashes.”

My chest tightened painfully. “What are you doing?”

“They’re waiting for my signal,” she said lightly. “If I don’t call within ten minutes, they’ll scatter her into the ocean.”

“Don’t!” My voice broke as I stepped forward. “Please… don’t do this. She doesn’t deserve that.”

“Neither does my son deserve the mess you’ve created,” she replied calmly. “You filed a case against Irene—his future mate. Accusing her of murder? That ends today.”

My hands curled into fists.

Irene. The woman who took everything from me.

And now even justice was being stripped away.

“Withdraw the case,” Marcelle continued, her voice low and steady. “Leave Nightbane territory. Stay away from my son. Do that, and your mother’s ashes remain untouched. Refuse…”

Her gaze hardened.

“And you lose even that.”

Tears blurred my vision. Rage burned inside me, but it didn’t matter. I was still an omega. Power like hers crushed everything in its path.

“…Fine,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “I’ll drop the case. I’ll leave. Just don’t touch her.”

A satisfied look crossed her face. She tapped her phone, and on the screen, the wolves disappeared—taking the urn with them.

I stared at the envelope. “I don’t want your money.”

“Take it anyway,” she said smoothly. “Consider it payment. You did, after all, keep my son alive once. This is simply your reward.”

The way she said it made my stomach turn—like everything Theron and I had ever shared meant nothing.

I pushed my chair back and stood, legs unsteady but refusing to show it. “You’ll get what you want,” I said quietly. “I’ll be gone tomorrow.”

And this time, I won’t look back. Not even for him.

Mira’s POV

When Theron got his memories back, I thought it was a miracle. I thought the Moon Goddess had finally returned the life he lost the night I found him dying in the forest.

I didn’t know it would cost me everything.

That morning felt… off. I woke up to the sound of his uneven breathing beside me, his body tense, his wolf restless under his skin. I reached for him out of habit—but he pulled away.

“Mira,” he said, his voice deeper, colder. “I remember everything.”

Relief flooded me at first. “That’s good, Theron. That means—”

“I’m not Theron Wallace,” he cut in, almost irritated. “I’m Theron Nightbane. Heir to the Nightbane Pack.”

The name hit me hard. “Nightbane…? The one across the riverlands?”

He nodded, his face unreadable. “My father is Alpha Victor. My mother is Elder Marcelle. I was ambushed three years ago… and before I blacked out, a woman saved me.”

A woman.

Something inside me tightened, but I forced a small smile. Before I could say anything, he looked at me again.

“You saved me too,” he added, quieter this time. “I won’t forget that. But I can’t stay here anymore. My pack needs me.”

I swallowed. “What about me?”

He paused. “You and your mother can come with me. You’ll be safe there.”

Safe.

I didn’t realize then that safe didn’t mean I belonged.

The Nightbane estate was overwhelming—too big, too polished, too powerful. Wolves walked around like royalty, servants bowed at every turn, and everywhere I went, I could feel their eyes on me.

An omega didn’t belong in a place like that. And they made sure I knew it.

“She’s an omega? And he brought her here?”

“She probably took advantage of him while he was weak.”

“Even her mother’s just an omega…”

I tried to ignore it. I told myself it would pass—that once they saw how Theron and I were, things would change.

But Theron was already changing.

Each day, the Alpha in him grew stronger, and the man I knew slowly disappeared.

Then Irene showed up.

The moment I saw her, I understood. She was everything I wasn’t—elegant, confident, beautiful in a way that made you feel small just standing near her.

She ran straight into his arms the second she saw him.

“You remember me,” she said, holding onto him like she’d never let go.

And Theron… smiled. A real one. The kind he used to give me.

“How could I forget?” he said softly. “You saved me.”

Just like that, I faded into the background.

After that, everything revolved around her. His time, his attention—everything. When she entered the room, it was like I didn’t exist.

And no matter how much it hurt, I stayed quiet.

How was I supposed to compete with the person who saved his life?

Then one day, she said she wasn’t feeling well—and suddenly, that became my responsibility.

“She risked her life for me,” Theron told me, his tone leaving no room for argument. “You’ll take care of her personally. She’s under my protection. And now, under yours. Understood?”

I lowered my head. “Yes… Alpha.”

He even gave me a list—written by his own hand.

No spicy food. No tea at night. Certain herbs to avoid. Keep her warm.

So I did everything he asked.

I cooked for her, cleaned for her, stayed by her side while she coughed and sighed like she was made of glass.

One afternoon, she demanded soup.

“Hot,” she said sharply. “Not like the last one. The Alpha said I need to stay warm.”

I made it myself, careful with every detail. When I brought it to her, she was lounging by the fire, wrapped in fur like she owned the place.

“Your soup,” I said quietly.

She glanced at it, then at me. “Took you long enough.”

I set the bowl down and turned to leave—but suddenly, she let out a loud gasp and knocked it over, spilling it onto herself.

Her scream followed immediately.

“Alpha Theron!” she cried. “She burned me! Mira burned me on purpose!”

My heart dropped. “That’s not true! Irene, you—”

Before I could finish, the door slammed open.

Theron stepped in, his presence suffocating, his wolf right beneath the surface. “What’s going on?”

Irene pointed straight at me, tears streaming down her face. “She did it. She poured it on me.”

“No!” I shook my head, panic rising. “She knocked it over herself—”

“Enough.”

His voice cracked like thunder. My wolf shrank instantly. My knees gave out beneath me.

“I told you to take care of her,” he said, his eyes glowing. “And this is how you do it?”

“Theron, please,” I begged. “You have to believe me. I would never hurt her—”

“I said enough.” He didn’t even look at me again. “Guards. Take her to the north chamber. I’ll deal with her tomorrow.”

I felt the air leave my lungs. “Alpha—please—”

But he had already turned his back on me.

They dragged me out, gripping my arms too tight. The north chamber was cold, damp, suffocating. The door shut behind me with a heavy click.

And then… silence.

I stayed there for hours, crying until my throat burned, my wolf clawing inside me with nowhere to go.

—

That same night… my mother died.

They said she slipped on the stairs.

“No…” I whispered, shaking. “No… that’s not—no…”

I held her in my arms, her body already cold. My tears soaked into her clothes as my wolf let out a broken, hollow cry.

Something inside me shattered right then.

The girl who believed in love… in him… in promises that lasted forever—

she died with my mother.

And from that moment on, I made a vow to the Moon Goddess.

I would never kneel to the Nightbane Pack again.

Mira’s POV

The day we buried my mother, even the sky seemed to mourn.

Rain poured without mercy, soaking through my thin black dress, clinging to my skin. The forest that used to echo with our laughter felt lifeless, replaced by the dull thud of shovels and distant thunder.

Her grave was simple—a small patch of earth beneath the old cedar tree where she used to sit and make her remedies. I knelt there, hands shaking, as I laid her favorite wildflowers on top of the freshly turned soil. My wolf stirred quietly inside me, grieving just as deeply.

“Rest now, Mama,” I murmured. “I’ll be okay.”

But I knew I was lying.

Because the man I loved more than anything… didn’t even show up.

Theron never came. Not the Alpha I once gave everything for. Not the man who used to promise me forever under the roof of our tiny home.

They said he was “occupied.” But I knew better.

He just didn’t care.

When the rain eased and everyone else left, I stayed behind until dusk settled in. I didn’t realize then just how much betrayal could hurt—until later that night.

I went back to the Nightbane estate.

A part of me still hoped he’d explain. That there was some reason behind everything. That maybe he’d still pull me close and say he was sorry.

Our room—his and mine—was at the far end of the east wing. I walked up the stairs slowly, each step heavier than the last. His scent grew stronger the closer I got—pine and smoke.

It used to comfort me.

That night, it made my chest tighten.

The door wasn’t fully closed. I pushed it open carefully, not making a sound. Moonlight spilled through the window, casting a pale glow across the room.

And then I saw them.

Theron. And Irene.

In the same bed I once slept in.

Her body moved beneath him, her soft sounds filling the space like a cruel echo of everything I had lost. His voice followed—low, intimate—words I couldn’t bring myself to hear.

I couldn’t move. My whole body went numb. I covered my mouth to keep from crying out. Inside me, my wolf thrashed wildly, furious, broken, begging to tear everything apart.

I turned to leave—

Then Irene spoke.

“Theron…” she breathed, her voice uneven. “What if… Mira finds out I was the one who—”

“Don’t,” he cut in quietly. “Don’t say it.”

“But what if she learns that I… that I’m the reason her mother died?”

Everything around me spun.

His reply came without hesitation. “She won’t. I’ll make sure of it.”

Something inside me snapped.

My legs gave out, and I had to grab the doorframe to steady myself.

Her mother died… because of her.

The words kept repeating in my head, cutting deeper each time.

I bit down hard on my lip, forcing back the sob rising in my chest. Every part of me burned. I wanted to storm in, to scream, to demand answers—

But I couldn’t.

Because in that moment, the truth became clear.

He didn’t just leave me.

He chose her.

He protected the one who took my mother from me… and helped bury the truth.

—

The days that followed blurred together. Then came Elder Marcelle’s birthday banquet—a cruel reminder that I was still stuck in their world.

I should’ve left after my mother died.

But I stayed.

I needed to know just how far their lies went.

The hall sparkled with gold and laughter. Wolves dressed in expensive fabrics filled the room, toasting the woman who had ruined my life. I stood among them, my plain black dress making me stand out for all the wrong reasons.

“Mira!” someone called, waving at me like I was staff. “Be helpful and get us more wine.”

I stiffened. Her smile was sweet, but her eyes weren’t.

“And bring desserts too,” another added with a smirk. “Hurry up, omega.”

Their laughter rang out. Heat rushed to my face, but I swallowed it down. My wolf stirred, angry, but I forced her back.

I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

Then I saw him.

Theron stood across the room, dressed sharply, his arm wrapped around Irene’s waist. She wore silver, looking like she belonged there—like she had always belonged.

Our eyes met.

Just for a second, something in his expression shifted.

But that was all.

He didn’t come to me. Didn’t say a word.

He looked away.

And just like that, I understood.

The man I loved was gone.

I turned toward the table, my hands steady despite the storm inside me. Every insult, every laugh—they stopped hurting.

They became something else.

Fuel.

I looked up one last time, meeting his gaze across the room.

He didn’t realize it yet…

But the moment he let me walk away—

was the moment he sealed his own ruin.