For weeks, I couldn’t even sleep a wink. I had lost the baby that I had been waiting for. Why was fate so cruel to me? What did I do to deserve this kind of fate?

Charles hadn’t even known about the pregnancy, so he didn’t even know about the miscarriage. The Alpha had no idea about the burden I had been carrying. Besides, there was no point to it. After all, the man I thought I loved wasn’t the same man anymore.

Lydia, my wolf, had been saying the same thing over and over again, ‘Let’s leave this pack, Alexandra! The Alpha doesn’t deserve us for abandoning us!’

I knew from the deepest part of my heart that I agreed with her. The truth was that I had been thinking of going back to my pack, the Silver Arrow Pack. However, would they accept me? I was a female who couldn’t even inherit the Alpha position of my father, Alpha Addison Hale.

Yet, I knew that my place was no longer here. I had to leave this place permanently. The Alpha no longer loved me, so what was the point of staying here? He already had the Beta who might be turning into his Luna even though I had spent 10 years working hard to help this pack grow.

“I miss my pack,” I muttered quietly.

As I was deep into my train of thought, the door to my room was creaked open.

Charles entered my room. The Alpha looked tired with his dark hair damp with sweat from training. Yet, he still carried that air of authority even in his exhaustion. After all, this man was the Alpha who could command a room with a single look.

“Alexandra,“ he said, his voice softer than usual.

However, that wasn’t something I cared about.

The man talked again, “I haven’t seen you around much these past few days.“

I straightened my back as I refused to let him see how much his absence had affected me, so I responded coolly, “I’ve been busy taking care of things.“

He raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced as he kept asking, “Too busy to watch my training? You always come.“

“I had other things to do,“ I said curtly, moving to the window and pretending to be interested in the view.

There was a pretty long silence. I could feel him studying me, trying to figure out what had changed. What he didn’t realize was that everything had changed.

‘The moment you betrayed me, Charles. You’ve changed everything between us,’ I told myself.

“You’ve been distant. Is something wrong?“ Charles asked with a harsher voice as if he was testing me.

I turned to face him, my hands clenched at my sides, as I asked him back, “Why would anything be wrong, Alpha Charles? You seem to be doing just fine with Beta Hailey, aren’t you?“

His eyes narrowed slightly, seemingly noticed that I was upset.

The Alpha coldly said, “I don’t like the way you’re talking to me, Alexandra. Hailey is my Beta. I need her to be by my side.“

When I heard his response, I almost laughed. Charles never liked it when things weren’t going his way. For years, I had been careful because I was betrothed to him as a promise of alliance between my pack and his pack. But those days were over.

“I’m just tired. Please excuse me now. I’m going to bed,“ I said, brushing past him toward the door.

“Wait. You’ve been avoiding me. I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but this isn’t like you,“ he said as his hand caught my wrist.

At that moment, I froze. The warmth of his touch became a cruel reminder of the man I thought I knew. For the first time in 10 years, I chose to go against him.

I jerked my wrist off from his touch before I responded to him nonchalantly, “Maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.“

The words hung in the air between us. After that, something surprising happened. I saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes. But Charles quickly masked it with that Alpha arrogance that he always wore so well.

“I know you better than anyone,“ he said with his voice low and commanding as if he tried to scare me like what happened in the past.

Alas, the Alpha had no idea that I would no longer wish to serve him.

The man then said in a rather moving tone, “Whatever this is, it’s just a phase. You’ll get over it.“

When I heard his response, I could only step back as I shook my head slightly. Charles would never understand. The Alpha had no idea how his betrayal of me, my wolf, and our baby had changed me. At this point, I made up my mind.

‘He’ll pay the price of his betrayal,’ Lydia said what I had been keeping in my heart.

I agreed with my wolf wholeheartedly. Soon, this man would pay the consequences of his betrayal. Then, he would realize that it would be too late.

“I’m going to bed,“ I repeated, turning away from him.

This time, I didn’t wait for a response from Charles. I couldn’t stand to be in the same room with him for another minute. Before the Alpha could respond, I closed the door.

My mind was made up. I had to leave. Charles might not notice it, but we were already over. There was nothing left for me here, nothing but pain and betrayal.

Eventually, I decided to wander through the pack grounds as I tried to clear my head. After all, I needed the courage to go back to my pack after 10 years of leaving them. Would they accept me again?

“I hope they would,” I muttered again as I kept walking.

The autumn air was crisp, carrying with it the scent of fallen leaves and earth. But even the beauty of the changing season couldn’t lift the heaviness in my chest. Everywhere I went, I heard the whispers.

Even as I passed a group of she-wolves, they abruptly stopped their conversation. Their eyes were focusing on me. I could feel their pity even when they greeted me with facades of respect.

“Poor Lady Alexandra … she has been serving here for 10 years, but Alpha Charles hasn’t even married her,” a she-wolf whispered.

Another she-wolf added, “Yeah, it seems the Alpha has been spending time with the Beta. I think they’re having an affair! Poor Lady Alexandra.”

While they thought I couldn’t hear them, I could hear them very well. It really upset me. After all, I wasn’t some fragile lady.

Somehow, there was a part of me that wanted to prove that I was strong. Without further ado, I walked to the training ground. However, I quickly stopped when I smelled a familiar scent.

It was Beta Hailey’s scent. Then, I was proven correct. Hailey was there with my fiance, Charles. Both of them were looking more like a couple compared to me and the Alpha. The view really broke my spirit, but I knew that I had to stand tall.

Lydia immediately got upset as she said inside me, ‘Alexandra, let’s show that woman her place! She’s a Beta yet she dares to think that she’ll be the Luna.’

I told her, ‘Calm down, Lydia. We need to keep our composure.’

After that, I walked to meet Charles and Hailey. These two people had torn my life apart, so I would never let them think that they were free of consequence. In fact, I wanted to tell them that I wasn’t afraid of them. They were the ones who needed to be afraid of me.

“Alexandra, you finally come here. It’s been a while since I saw you,” Charles said after he looked shocked when he saw me, his own fiance.

“Of course, Alpha. I’m busy taking care of things. Besides, the Beta seems to keep you busy, right?” I responded nonchalantly.

Hailey responded defensively, “Mind your tongue! The Alpha and I have been busy taking care of things instead of someone who has been staying inside for weeks.”

“And you should mind your tongue too, Beta, when I worked much harder for 10 years,” I coolly retorted as I looked at her with disgust.

The Beta quickly shut her mouth because she knew that she was being watched. Nevertheless, the slick woman knew that she could get the Alpha to pick her side. As I expected, my own fiance looked at me angrily.

“You should be careful with what you say, Lady Alexandra,” he coldly told me using his Alpha voice.

While everyone might seem to be scared when he used his Alpha voice, I was an Alpha’s daughter. Not to mention, my pack’s status was more powerful compared to this pack. So, his Alpha voice didn’t really affect me.

“And you should be careful with what you say, Alpha, when I’m helping you to expand this pack,” I coldly said, brushing off his Alpha voice despite the pressure in my head.

Charles seemed to be shocked when I didn’t respond to his Alpha voice. When the Alpha was about to stop me, I calmly walked away. I could feel everyone’s intense gaze all over me as I walked away.

Initially, I would be scared of them because I wanted to preserve the alliance. This time, it was different. Frankly, I didn’t care what anyone thought. After all, I was done pretending.

Charles could think whatever he wanted, but this was no facade. I was leaving this pack no matter what. There was nothing he could say or do that would stop me.

‘I’ll never let them win over me,’ I told myself, which was responded by Lydia who agreed wholeheartedly as she howled loudly.

I sat by the window in our quarters, staring out at the darkening sky. A storm was coming, I could feel it in the air. But the storm inside me had already begun.

On the table before me was a letter that was still unopened. However, I knew the writer very well. After all, the writer was my father. I had recognized my father’s handwriting the moment I saw it.

For the past few weeks, I had written to him, pouring my heart out onto paper.

I hadn’t given him the full truth about what happened, especially the thing regarding Charles being unfaithful to me with Hailey and my miscarriage. But I had told him enough to make him know what I had been feeling. So, I hoped my father would be happy to receive me back.

‘What if my father refuses to accept me, Lydia?’ I asked my wolf as I looked at the unopened letter sent by my father.

Lydia responded to me calmly, ‘No, he’s your father. He knows what you’ve been going through. Open the letter now, Alexandra. Let’s face it together.’

My wolf’s response had given me the courage that I needed. After a pretty long time, I finally braced myself to open the letter. I couldn’t help but hold the letter with trembling hands. To be frank, a part of me was terrified to read it.

My father had always been a man of few words. However, his words carried weight when he spoke,. What would he say? Would he tell me to stay? Would he advise me to hold on, to fix what was broken? Or would he confirm what I had been too afraid to admit for years?

Eventually, I broke the seal and unfolded the letter. Then, my eyes scanned the whole letter. I quietly read them.

[My dearest Alexandra,

I have received your letters. My dear, I can feel your heartache with each word you’ve written. You are my daughter, so I know you better than anyone. I know your strength, your spirit, and I know when something is wrong.

If the betrothal is no longer what it was meant to be, if Charles no longer values the woman I raised, then I will not stand by and watch you suffer. The doors of the Silver Arrow Pack are always open to you, Alexandra.

You are my daughter, and your place is with those who love and respect you.

Come home, if your heart tells you it is time. I will be waiting.

With love,

Your father]

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Although the words were simple, they hit me harder than I had expected. My father, who was always the pillar of strength, told me that I didn’t have to stay. The Alpha of the Silver Arrow Pack told me that I didn’t have to keep pretending.

The relief was overwhelming to me. For the first time in weeks, I felt the weight on my chest begin to lift.

‘Thank you, Moon Goddess,’ I quietly prayed in my mind.

I folded the letter carefully before placing it back on the table. My father would be waiting for me. The Silver Arrow Pack had always been my home and it would welcome me back with open arms.

Still, doubts appeared in my mind.

Could I really do it? Could I really leave the Black Rose Pack, leave Charles, after all these years? I had given him ten years of my life. But what had he given me in return? Betrayal. Neglect.

Yet, what convinced me to finally leave was the final straw.

The rogue attack came at dusk. It happened so fast that I barely had time to react. One moment, I was walking across the courtyard, trying to clear my head after reading my father’s letter, and the next, the warning bell rang through the air.

For a second, I froze before I snapped back into reality. I could see that the pack members were already rushing toward the gates for protection while warriors shifted into their wolf forms. We had to prepare for the worst case.

My attention was on Charles who was focusing on protecting the pack. For a moment, I felt that old familiar pang of pride. The Alpha looked like the Alpha he was meant to be, commanding, strong. But that feeling quickly dissipated when I saw her.

Hailey.

The Beta was standing beside him, so close that their arms brushed as they moved. I clenched my fists as my anger bubbled to the surface. There was no reason for her to be there. She wasn’t a warrior as she was the Beta. Her place was with the others, strategizing, and organizing.

Instead, there she was with Charles.

But I knew that this wasn’t the time for jealousy.

The first wave of rogues crashed through the gates. Chaos erupted. Charles charged into the fray with the warriors as he shifted into his wolf form, Gerion.

Meanwhile, I was focusing on directing children, pregnant she-wolves, and the elderly to our shelter. Unfortunately, the fight had gone very badly. Everyone panicked.

Just when I was about to help a young she-wolf, I saw one of the rogues’ wolves charging straight toward me.

Immediately, I sent the young she-wolf to safety by directing the wolf to chase after me instead of her.

Without further ado, I shifted into Lydia as I ran as fast as I could. However, this rogue was even faster than me. Not long after that, he already cornered me.

I couldn’t help but howl, hoping that Charles would see me. That he would come to my aid. He had to.

We were mates, weren’t we? Even after everything that happened and even after all the distance between us, surely he wouldn’t let me be killed by some rogue while he stood by.

As I howled at him, his wolf finally came. When I thought that he had come for me, I quickly realized that I was wrong. The Alpha didn’t turn to me. Instead, he turned to Hailey.

After that, I watched in stunned silence as he rushed to Hailey’s wolf form, Dyana, and pushed her out of another rogue who attacked her. His body shielded hers. They tumbled to the ground together. Then, I saw the way he held her as his eyes went wide with concern.

Unfortunately, it made my protection loose. The rogue that had targeted me attacked me when I loosened my protection. His claws pierced my arm.

It was painful, but it wasn’t nearly as deep as the pain I felt watching Charles who chose to protect Hailey instead of me. Seeing him choose her over me right in front of my very own eyes was the final confirmation I needed. I had no place here. Not anymore.

The rogue lunged again, but one of the warriors came to my rescue this time. The warrior, Lucas Dunwell, was someone I knew. He often came to me to seek medication when I helped Greta. Surely, it was him trying to repay the favor I had done to me.

Yet, I barely registered the fight around me. My focus was on Charles and Hailey. Without a second thought, I turned and fled back to the castle.

As soon as I reached the castle, I shifted back into my human form. Even though my arm throbbing with pain, I didn’t care. I would never give Charles the satisfaction of seeing my tears.

I didn’t hesitate once I was back in my quarters. Without further ado, I grabbed a bag and began throwing my things into it. There were clothes, a few keepsakes, and the letters I had written to my father. Frankly, there was no time to pack carefully.

After all, I needed to leave before anyone realized what I was doing.

As I packed my belongings, my eyes landed on the engagement ring Charles had given me all those years ago. I pulled it off my finger quickly before placing it on the table beside a piece of parchment. Then, I sat down and began to write. I wanted to pour out the last of my heart to him.

[Charles,

This is the last time I will write to you. I am breaking off our engagement.

I cannot continue living a life where I am second to someone else, where I am nothing but an afterthought behind you and Beta Hailey. You may not notice or pretend not to notice that the whole pack knows about you and Hailey. But I know well. I deserved someone better. I deserved your love, your loyalty, and your protection. But you gave all of that to someone else.

By the time you read this, I will be gone. I am returning to my father’s pack where I know I will be valued.

Do not come after me. I wish you all the best. Goodbye.

Alexandra]

After I finished writing the letter, I folded it and left it beside the ring. As I stood and grabbed my bag, a strange sense of peace washed over me. This was it. This was the end.

Without looking back, I left the room quietly. The fight was still going on. After I made sure the weak ones had been left safely with Greta, I left the Black Rose Pack behind.

“Goodbye, Charles. I hope I’ll never see you again,” I muttered sadly.

I had shifted into Sylvia for days to go back to my pack. For the first time in 10 years, I felt very free. After all, it had been a long time since I ever felt like this.

Not only that, I also felt much better after my body suffered from the rogue attack and the miscarriage after I became one with Sylvia. Her healing capabilities really helped my body recover faster. In fact, I thought I became even stronger.

While I initially felt scared, I didn’t feel that scared anymore. Sylvia had been helping me in reconnecting me with my old self. Or, rather the new me that I had never discovered.

As Sylvia ran, she told me, ‘To hell with being afraid, Alexandra. We’re one. You must be true to me as I’ve always been to you, okay? See, we’re free now!’

Sylvia was right. We were free after being treated like nothing for 10 years. I deserved more than Charles. That was the truth from my little heart that I had been hiding from myself.

This time, I listened to it. If only I listened to it way earlier, I would be much happier. Still, what happened had happened. There was no use in recalling the pain from the past. So, the only thing I could do was to move forward.

A few meters away, the gates of the Silver Arrow Pack came into view. My heart felt emotions I hadn’t felt in years. Finally, I had made it home.

‘We’re home, Alexandra,’ Sylvia said as she let me take over my body, shifting into my human form.

Everything looked very different yet it still felt familiar. It felt wonderful to be back home again. The little trees I grew had grown tall and sturdy. As for the castle where I had lived, it got bigger. Still, this was my home. My very own home. This was where I belonged.

Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.

Lydia definitely could sense my anxiety.

‘Your father will never abandon you,’ my wolf said, giving me the assurance I needed.

So, I braced myself to open the gate.

I was very surprised to see what I had found. After all, I hadn’t expected the welcome I received when I stepped through the gates. The Silver Arrow Pack members were already gathering. All of them were smiling.

However, my attention was quickly diverted to someone who stood in the middle of them all. That someone was my father. The Alpha of the Silver Arrow Pack, Alpha Addison Hale.

“Alexandra!“ my father called me with a gentle yet firm voice.

As soon as I heard his voice, I couldn’t help but run towards him.

“Father!“ I exclaimed.

The moment I reached the Alpha, he pulled me into a tight embrace. My tears quickly fell even though I had tried to hide it. All the feelings that I had been hiding for 10 years had come out of the surface.

‘My daughter, Alexandra, I’m so sorry that it turns out this way,’ my father said to me through the mind-link.

I quickly responded through the mind-link, ‘Thank you for receiving me home, Father. I-I’m scared that I’ll let you down, but-’

‘Nonsense, you’re my daughter and this is your pack. I should’ve said more so you won’t suffer so much,’ my father quickly cut me off through the mind-link as he wiped my tears.

That was when I realized that the Alpha had aged since I last saw him. His once thick, dark hair had lots of silver streaks. Then, there were deep lines etched across his face. Yet, his eyes still held that familiar warmth I had always known.

“You’re home,“ he said softly, pulling back just enough to look at me as he cried softly.

“I am. And I’m not leaving again,“ I whispered, my throat tightening with emotion.

“I’m glad to hear that. I miss you so much,“ my father said as he kissed my forehead.

He then continued in a reassuring tone, “We’ve missed you. The pack has missed you. So, don’t you ever feel afraid to be here, Alexandra.”

When I heard that, my heart felt very warm. I had no idea how long it had been for my heart to feel this warm. Truly, I felt very touched.

Then, I glanced around at the familiar faces of the pack members who had gathered to greet me. They were all smiling so sincerely, unlike the Black Rose Pack members. It made me realize that this was indeed my true home. These people were my family.

“And I’ve missed all of you,“ I replied to all the pack members as I felt a sense of belonging I hadn’t felt in a long time.

Just as I was about to say more, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“Well, if it isn’t my long-lost sister!“

I turned around to see Matthew Hale, the rogue my father had taken in years ago. The rogue had grown up in our pack when my mother, the late Luna Wylla, had begged our father to take him in and raise him as the heir since werewolf packs couldn’t be inherited to a woman.

Even though we weren’t related by blood, I had always seen Matthew as a little brother. My foster little brother had grown to the point that I barely recognized him. Not only that, the young man had become confident yet still very cheeky.

“Matthew!“ I called his name as he pulled me into a playful hug.

I couldn’t help but hug him back tightly as I exclaimed, “You’ve gotten taller since I last saw you.“

“And stronger,“ he added as he winked and flexed his muscles.

The young man then continued, “I’ve been working hard, you know. Keeping the pack in shape while you were off having fun with the Black Rose Pack.“

I rolled my eyes at his teasing as I told him, “I wouldn’t call it having fun.”

Matthew laughed, but there was something in his eye. In fact, it made me even pause for a while. The young man looked at me with more than just the affection of a brother. There was a softness behind those eyes that I had never noticed before.

It made me think to myself, ‘Could it be that he …’

However, I quickly brushed it off. I told myself that I was imagining things.

To my surprise, Sylvia then told me, ‘You have no idea that there is always another chance, Alexandra.’

Before I could speak, my wolf continued, ‘The Moon Goddess rarely gives us such blessings to have another chance for a mate.’

What Sylvia said stunned me. But I still had no idea on what to do. So, I just kept quiet as I looked back at Matthew who kept looking at me … longingly.

“You’ve done a good job, Matthew. The pack is in good hands with you around,“ my father sincerely complimented my foster brother, clapping him on the shoulder.

When Matthew heard it, his eyes got brighter. That made me also happy. Yet, my attention was quickly diverted by the way his eyes kept looking at me. I noticed that those eyes were lingering a little too long before he turned back to my father.

“I’m just doing my part, Alpha. Anything to help the pack,“ he said with a shrug.

Somehow, I couldn’t help but smile. My heart felt very warm. It was clear to me that Matthew, who had worked hard, had shown results from his strict training. Not only that, he even became a vital part of our pack as he was able to help my father even more than me.

As we walked toward the castle, I told Matthew, “You’ve really grown into a good future Alpha.”

My foster brother just glanced back at me as his rough face softened when he responded, “Well, I’ve had Father. He’s a very good teacher.”

The Alpha, my father, smiled when he heard Matthew praising him.

“But … it’s really good to have you back, Alex. The pack hasn’t been the same without you,“ he continued.

When I heard it, I couldn’t help but feel very touched by what he said. After all the things I had experienced, I knew that I needed someone to support me. Not even Charles could do that. Yet, Matthew became my new support.

“It’s good to be back,“ I said quietly as I looked at the familiar castle where I used to live.

I continued as I tried to smile, but my voice betrayed me when I spoke, “I’ve missed this place. I’ve missed … everything.“

For a moment, I could feel that Matthew was looking at me as if he was searching for something in my eyes.

“You’ve changed since the last time I saw you,“ he said, sounding worried.

I nodded my head as my smile faded away before I told him, “A lot of things … happened, Matthew.”

Matthew’s gaze lingered on me as if he wished to know more, but he didn’t press further because I kept quiet.

But he shocked me when he said, “I hope I can be a source of comfort for you.”

After that, Matthew quickly changed the subject of our conversation. My foster brother told me all about the pack’s latest achievements, the challenges they had faced, and how he had helped my father maintain their influence. It was clear that the young man had stepped up into a good leader.

In the future, he surely would be a good Alpha. My father had raised my foster brother right because this young man had grown into a strong, capable leader. I was also proud.

Yet, there was also something else too.

I could feel it in the way Matthew kept looking at me, the way his voice softened when he spoke to me, and the way he often held my hand as we strolled around the castle. While there was a sense of familiarity between us, there was also something new that I never knew that it would happen.

Again, what my wolf had said kept coming back into the back of my mind.

‘Could it be that Matthew … is my second chance?’ I thought to myself.