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.

Mira’s POV

The week after the banquet felt like I was trapped in a storm with no way out. Every breath, every step inside the packhouse reminded me of what I’d lost—my mother, my pride, and the man I once thought was my future.

But one thing remained.

I hadn’t broken.

When I found the proof—clear evidence that Irene was responsible for my mother’s death—I thought it was finally over. I thought justice had found its way to me. That the Moon Goddess had seen everything and decided it was time for the truth to surface.

I was wrong.

I filed the case myself, hands shaking as I signed the documents. But I never expected to see him standing on the other side.

The courtroom was packed that day—wolves from the pack, elders, even outsiders who came just to watch everything unfold. The air felt heavy, suffocating. I stood there, heart pounding—

And then the doors opened.

Theron walked in.

Dressed in black, flawless as ever, his presence alone silenced the room. Wolves lowered their heads without thinking.

Then my chest dropped.

He didn’t walk toward me.

He took his place beside Irene.

“Alpha Theron Nightbane will act as counsel for Miss Irene,” the judge announced.

I felt sick. “You’re… defending her?”

He finally looked at me, but there was nothing in his eyes. “Yes.”

“Theron, she’s the reason my mother is dead—”

“Enough.” His voice cut through me like a blade, his Alpha authority pressing down hard. My wolf shrank instantly. “You’ve said more than enough, Mira. You think you can walk in here with fabricated proof and ruin someone? You’ve crossed the line.”

My hands curled into fists. “Fabricated? You really believe that?”

He stepped closer, his scent familiar, but no longer comforting. “You’re not the same person anymore. You used to be gentle. Now all I see is resentment. You’re twisting things to justify it.”

I wanted to scream at him. To remind him of everything—his promises, the nights he swore to protect me, how he once treated my mother like family.

But none of that mattered now.

Because the man in front of me wasn’t mine anymore.

To him, I was just the enemy.

The hearing dragged on, each second heavier than the last. Every piece of evidence I presented—

he tore it apart.

“This?” he said at one point, holding up a sample. “This could belong to anyone. You’re grasping at nothing.”

By the time it ended, I felt hollow.

Irene clung to him, playing the victim perfectly, tears in her eyes. The crowd whispered, some even laughing under their breath as they looked at me.

I couldn’t move.

As they passed by, I forced the words out.

“You’ll regret this… Alpha.”

He paused, just for a second—but didn’t turn.

“No, Mira,” he said flatly. “You will.”

—

That same night, the pack held its annual auction—Elder Marcelle’s idea of charity.

The hall was full again, glittering with wealth and fake smiles. I stayed near the back, invisible, still replaying the courtroom in my head.

Then I saw it.

“Lot twenty-seven,” the auctioneer announced, lifting it carefully.

My breath caught.

A jade bracelet.

My mother’s bracelet.

The one she never took off. The one that should have been with her ashes.

I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the stares. “Where did you get that?” I demanded, my voice shaking. “That belongs to me. It was my mother’s!”

The auctioneer hesitated. “Miss, please—”

“Mira.”

Theron’s voice cut in.

I turned. He stood near the front, Irene beside him, a glass in his hand like none of this mattered.

“Tell them,” I said, desperation slipping into my voice. “You’ve seen her wear it before. You know it’s hers. Please.”

He barely reacted. “It’s just a bracelet. Don’t cause a scene.”

“Just—?” My chest tightened. “It’s the only thing I have left of her!”

But he was already looking at Irene.

“I like it,” she said softly, running her fingers over the jade. “It’s beautiful.”

Theron gave a small smile. “Then it’s yours.”

He raised his hand and bid an amount no one dared challenge.

And just like that—it was gone.

Applause filled the hall. I stood there, frozen.

Irene looked at me with fake concern. “I didn’t realize it meant so much to you, Mira. I just thought it was pretty.”

Then she slipped it onto her wrist.

A sharp crack echoed.

The bracelet split cleanly in two.

A few people laughed.

“Oh… I didn’t mean to,” she said, though there was no real regret in her voice.

She let it fall.

The pieces rolled across the marble floor, stopping right in front of me.

Theron sighed. “It’s fine. It’s old. It was bound to break.”

Something inside me twisted painfully.

I knelt down, my hands trembling as I picked up the pieces. The jade felt cold against my skin.

Inside me, my wolf whimpered softly.

Irene laughed under her breath as she turned back to him. “You’ll just buy me another one, right?”

“Of course,” he said without hesitation.

Their voices faded into the background as I held the broken bracelet close to my chest.

My tears fell quietly, one by one, onto the shattered pieces.