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.

Mira’s POV

Morning came, but it brought no warmth.

The sunlight filtered weakly through the blinds, barely touching me. My hands were still shaking—from the night before, from Elder Marcelle’s icy gaze, her threats, and that thick envelope sitting on the table like something rotten.

That money wasn’t help.

It was payment. For silence. For forgetting everything they took from me—my pride, my mother… everything.

I told myself that would be the last day I’d ever be near the Nightbane Pack. I’d show up to the yacht party, keep quiet, act like nothing was wrong—and by night, I’d disappear for good.

But things never go the way you plan.

When I reached the dock, the ocean stretched wide and endless, glinting under the sun. The Nightbane yacht stood tall and polished, shining like something untouchable.

Just like them.

Beautiful outside. Rotten underneath.

“Mira Delaine,” one of the guards said flatly. “You’re cleared. Go ahead.”

I gave a small nod and stepped onboard. Laughter echoed around me, glasses clinking, voices light and carefree. Expensive clothes, fake smiles.

And beneath it all—lies.

The moment I walked in, I felt it. Eyes on me. Whispers trailing behind.

“That’s her, right?”

“The omega who filed that case?”

“Why is she even here?”

I kept walking. I’d heard worse.

Then I saw him.

Theron stood near the railing, dressed in white and black, looking every bit the Alpha he was meant to be. His posture, his presence—unchanged.

But his eyes…

They passed over me like I wasn’t even there.

And next to him—

Irene.

Golden dress, perfect smile, every inch of her screaming elegance. If you didn’t know her, you’d think she was flawless.

She saw me. Of course she did.

Her lips curved slightly, something sharp hidden behind it. She leaned toward Theron, whispered something, and he just nodded, distracted.

Then she made her way to me.

“Well, look who decided to show up,” she said sweetly. “I thought you’d be too embarrassed after everything that happened with my future mother-in-law.”

I held her gaze. “I have nothing to be ashamed of.”

She let out a soft laugh. “Still pretending to be strong.” She leaned in closer, her perfume suffocating. “Do you ever think about your mother?”

My chest tightened. “Don’t go there.”

“Oh, I do,” she continued lightly. “I think about her a lot. Especially that night.”

My pulse spiked. “What do you mean?”

Her eyes gleamed. “The way she screamed before she fell.”

My breath hitched. “You—”

“I pushed her,” she said quietly, almost proudly. “She was in my way. You both were. I didn’t expect her to hit her head that hard… but accidents happen, right?”

Everything around me blurred.

“You killed her,” I said, my voice shaking. “That wasn’t an accident. You meant it.”

She tilted her head. “I thought you already figured that out.”

My hand moved before I could think.

Smack.

The sound rang out across the deck. Her head snapped to the side, a red mark blooming on her cheek. Gasps followed.

“Mira!”

Theron.

His voice froze me where I stood. He strode toward us, his presence heavy, suffocating. “What did you just do?”

“She admitted it!” I shot back, my chest rising and falling fast. “She killed my mother! She told me herself—”

Irene broke into tears and rushed into his arms. “That’s not true! She’s lying! She hates me because you chose me!”

He pulled her close, his glare cutting straight through me. “You dare lay a hand on the woman who saved me?”

“Saved you?” My voice cracked. “She’s a killer!”

“Enough!” His roar silenced the entire deck. “Mira Delaine, ever since you came into my pack, you’ve brought nothing but trouble. You’ve disrespected my mother, attacked Irene, and embarrassed me in front of everyone.”

“I saved you!” I shouted, tears finally spilling over. “You were dying when I found you! Everything you have now—you have because of me!”

He didn’t even react.

“You will apologize,” he said coldly.

I shook my head. “I won’t.”

His expression hardened. “Then you’ll face the consequences.”

A hollow laugh escaped me. “For what? Hitting the woman who murdered my mother?”

He turned to the others. “Each of you—two slaps. Let her learn what happens when she raises her hand against Irene.”

I stared at him. “You can’t be serious.”

“Do it.”

The first one stepped forward, hesitant.

Smack.

Then another.

Smack.

And another.

Each strike burned, but I didn’t fall. I wouldn’t give them that. My wolf raged inside me, desperate to fight back—but I held her down.

Irene watched it all, smiling faintly.

When it finally stopped, I was still standing. My face stung, my vision blurred—but I stayed upright.

Theron stepped closer. “Leave. Before I make you regret ever coming here.”

I met his eyes, steady despite everything. “I already regret ever knowing you.”

Then I turned away.

No hesitation. No looking back.

I walked off that yacht on my own, head high, even as everything inside me shattered. The sound of the waves crashing behind me felt almost like applause—for finally choosing myself.

When I reached the dock, I wiped the blood from my lip and whispered into the night, “Enjoy this while you can, Irene. One day, I’ll come back… and you’ll beg for the mercy my mother never got.”

That night, I packed what little I had.

The broken jade bracelet.

A few worn clothes.

And the letters Theron once wrote me—back when he still remembered how to love.

I left Nightbane behind.

And this time, I didn’t look back.