Apollo laughed mockingly at the other end of the line.

“Are you treating me like a backup plan now?”

His voice was sharp and cold, like ice cracking under pressure. That laugh echoed in my ear, threaded with sarcasm and quiet rage.

I gripped the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white. Apollo might have been powerful, rich, and dangerous... but he wasn’t the only one I could turn to.

“If you don’t want me, then don’t,” I said, my voice clipped and even. “I’m not hard to deal with.”

The air shifted on the other end. His laughter cut off abruptly, and a tense silence followed. It was so heavy, I could hear the blood pounding in my ears.

“You think you can just walk away because you decided to?” He said at last, his tone was low and calculated. “You already sold yourself to me, Lyra. There are no takebacks.”

His words sent a chill down my spine.

“Then take me,” I snapped. “You have seven days.”

A beat passed. Then came his laugh again, softer this time, amused, as if he were genuinely intrigued. Without another word, the call ended. A moment later, my phone buzzed.

Finishing business overseas. I’ll come as fast as I can.

I stared at the message, a whirlwind of thoughts crashing through my mind.

I set the phone down and drew in a slow, trembling breath, brushing a hand through my sweat-damp hair. My limbs ached. My back throbbed. I had barely recovered from the delivery, and yet there was no time to rest. No time to process the betrayal.

Then the phone rang again. The screen lit up.

It was my father.

My heart dropped. I hesitated before answering, but I knew better than ignoring him.

“Dad—” I began, barely getting the word out.

“You shameless woman!” He thundered, cutting me off. His fury struck me like a physical blow. “You dared to give birth to a female cub?!”

I recoiled at the venom in his voice, but forced myself to respond, keeping my tone calm, though my vision blurred.

“Dad, this isn’t something I could choose,” I said, my fingers trembling as I held the phone. “I didn’t plan for—”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t know it was a girl!” he spat. “You should’ve aborted it the moment you found out!”

His words stabbed deep, sharper than any blade. But it wasn’t new. My father had always seen me as a pawn, a tool for his ambitions. He had arranged my marriage to Cyrus for power, and when it succeeded, he paraded me like a prize. I had been useful. Until another woman gave Cyrus a male heir.

I felt my throat tighten. “She’s your granddaughter,” I said hoarsely. “How could you say that?”

“What granddaughter?” he snapped. “She’s a disgrace! It would’ve been better if she’d died.”

Then the line went dead.

I sat frozen, unable to move, as the weight of his words settled over me like a suffocating fog. My whole body trembled from fury, despair, and exhaustion. All of it tangled so tightly I couldn’t separate one from the other.

Betrayed by my mate. Rejected by my father. Shamed before the entire pack. All because I gave birth to a daughter.

I turned slowly toward the crib, my heart cracking at the sight of her tiny form. Her chest rose and fell with gentle breaths, her lips forming the faintest pout as she dreamed.

Peaceful. Innocent. Unaware of the world that already hated her for existing.

I reached out and picked her up, cradling her gently against my chest. Her warmth grounded me. She didn’t cry. She didn’t resist. She simply nestled closer, trusting me with every breath she took.

“Hello, Athena,” I whispered, my voice shaking with emotion. “That’s your name now. You’ll grow up smart and brave. I’ll make sure of it.”

The name tasted right on my tongue.

Strong, noble, divine. A name fit for a warrior.

As if she understood, Athena let out a soft coo, and a small smile curved my lips. In the middle of this hell, she was my only light.

Then the door burst open.

I tensed instantly, my heart slamming in my chest as I turned—and saw Esmeralda, Cyrus’s mother.

“There she is,” she said coldly, her voice devoid of emotion. Her finger pointed directly at me as a group of men in dark uniforms stepped into the room behind her.

My instincts screamed. I held Athena tighter, my eyes darting between them.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded. “What are you trying to do?”

Esmeralda didn’t answer me. She turned instead to the men with her, speaking as though I wasn’t even in the room.

“The male heir has developed sudden heart complications. He needs a transplant. Take that child, use her heart for the operation.”

I couldn’t believe what I just heard.

The wolf inside me stirred instantly, hackles raised, releasing a thick wave of energy that filled the room like a threat. It wasn’t as overwhelming as Cyrus’s aura, but as a Luna, I still had the power to suppress others.

The men in black uniforms froze mid-step, caught under the weight of my dominance. But Esmeralda didn’t seem to notice. She mistook their hesitation for weakness.

“What are you waiting for?” she snapped, voice sharp. “Just take the child! How hard can it be?”

One of them tried to move forward, but before he could reach me, my wolf lashed out. He flew back, crashing against the wall with a grunt, blood streaking his face.

I didn’t flinch. I clutched Athena closer, grounding myself in the feel of her tiny body in my arms.

“Take another step,” I warned, my voice low and steady, “and I’ll rip you to pieces.”

Esmeralda looked stunned, like she couldn’t believe I was resisting. Her expression twisted with rage as she jabbed a finger at me.

“You’re seriously standing in the way of saving the heir?” she spat. “Hand over the heart of that useless child. This is your chance to prove you’re still worth something as Cyrus’s Luna.”

I let out a cold laugh. “If she’s so useless, why do you need her heart?”

Her mouth opened for a retort, but before she could speak, another figure entered the room.

It was Cyrus. He walked in with that usual quiet authority, eyes scanning the scene until they landed on Athena in my arms. Esmeralda turned to him immediately, as if reinforcements had just arrived.

“She refuses to give the child,” she said quickly. “It’s the only way she can still serve this pack, and yet she dares to disobey.”

Cyrus frowned. My heart pounded in my chest as I turned to face him.

“Are you really going to let them take your own daughter’s heart?” I asked, my voice trembling despite how hard I tried to hold it steady. I needed him to say no. Just one word.

But his face remained cold.

“Lyra,” he said, his tone emotionless, “listen to my mother. It’s just a heart. You can always have another child.”

I stared at him in disbelief. Then I laughed. Bitterly. Of course. He’d never chosen me. Why did I think he would choose her?

“If it’s just a heart,” I said sharply, “why not give yours? Isn’t that your son?”

Cyrus’s eyes narrowed. “That is our son—”

“He is not mine,” I snapped. “And I will not give my child’s heart to him.”

His gaze didn’t waver. My grief, my rage, it didn’t reach him. He was unmoved.

“If that’s your decision,” he said.

Then he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Pain pierced my arm. I looked down in shock, a tranquilizer dart stuck out of my skin.

I gasped, my body reacting too fast. My limbs went heavy, muscles turning to jelly. I tried to fight it, to hold on tighter to Athena, but my strength was gone. My fingers slipped and Athena rolled slightly out of my grasp.

No.

I tried to reach for her, to gather one last shred of willpower, but my vision blurred. My lips moved soundlessly, mouthing her name again and again.

They pulled her from my arms.

She cried out, a raw, high-pitched scream. From the sound of it, Esmeralda had grabbed her too tightly. I wanted to shout. I wanted to claw my way across the floor, to protect her with my body but I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t even scream.

I lay there, paralyzed and useless, watching them walk away.

Cyrus said something to the man who tranquilized me. Then they all turned to leave. The door creaked shut behind them.

Athena’s last cry echoed in my ears.

Then silence. Only the sound of my heart breaking remained louder than the tears streaming down my face.

It was hours, maybe more, before I could move again.

My limbs were stiff, like they hadn’t been used in days, but I forced myself to sit up. Every muscle screamed in protest, but I ignored it. The moment I regained my footing, I headed for the nurse’s station, stumbling slightly as I walked through the hallway with nothing but the sound of my own breathing.

When I arrived, the staff looked up with wide eyes. I didn’t waste time.

“Where’s my child?” I asked, my voice raspy from disuse.

One of the nurses exchanged glances with the others.

“They already took her,” she said quietly. “To another hospital.”

I felt like the floor disappeared beneath me. “What? When?”

“You’ve been unconscious for almost twenty-four hours,” she said, more hesitant this time. “The tranquilizer kept you under longer than expected.”

Twenty-four hours.

That was more than enough time for them to do what they came for. My knees buckled, but I caught myself on the edge of the counter. I stared at them, trying to make sense of what I was hearing, but the room was already spinning.

I walked out of the nurse’s station in a daze, my body moving on its own. I felt like a ghost, nothing more than a shell. My legs carried me a few steps farther before I collapsed against the wall, hugging myself.

“Athena,” I whispered, my voice cracking as the tears came fast. “My baby…”

I sank to the floor and cried until I couldn’t breathe. I kept murmuring her name like it could somehow bring her back. I apologized to her in broken whispers, telling her this world didn’t deserve someone like her, someone too pure for any of us.

And then rage took over.

The image of Cyrus and Esmeralda flashed in my mind. They took her. They took my baby. I stood up with renewed fury, ready to tear through the packhouse if I had to. I didn’t care anymore. If they wanted war, I would give it to them.

But before I could take another step, two men blocked my way. Subordinates of Cyrus. Their expressions were unreadable.

“Alpha’s orders,” one of them said. “Luna, you need to return to your room.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Now you call me Luna? Then tell me, how dare your Alpha order the murder of an innocent child?”

They didn’t answer. They just gripped my arms tighter and dragged me back to my room.

They posted guards outside. I wasn’t allowed to leave. For three whole days, I was locked inside like a prisoner, pacing like a caged wolf, my rage boiling just beneath the surface.

And then she came.

Calista walked into the room as if she owned it, her heels clicking confidently on the tile floor. She held something in her hands, a white ceramic urn.

I froze.

“What’s that?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

She smiled, cruel and casual.

“The ashes of your child,” she said, lifting the jar slightly. “I thought I’d do you the favor of delivering it myself.”

My breath stopped. My eyes fixated on the jar. I took a step forward, ready to grab it from her hands.

But she let go.

It slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a loud crash. The urn shattered, ceramic pieces scattered in all directions. The ashes spilled across the floor like dust in the wind.

“Oh no,” she said, mockingly. “Oops.”

Before I could react, she stepped on it.

She dragged her heel across the ash-streaked floor, grinding it under her shoe like dirt. I lunged, rage exploding from my chest but the guards blocked me. They held me back while Calista straightened her dress.

“No need to get emotional,” she said, brushing imaginary lint off her skirt. “The male heir is perfectly healthy. The operation was a success. You should be proud.”

I didn’t hear the rest. I couldn’t. My screams were trapped in my throat. Calista turned and left the room without a care in the world, the door clicking softly behind her.

The moment she was gone, I dropped to my knees.

I scrambled to the floor, trying to collect the ashes with my bare hands. They were too scattered. Too thin. My fingers bled from the sharp edges of the broken ceramic, but I didn’t stop. I scooped what I could, whispering her name over and over again, my vision blurred by tears and blood.

Then I paused.

Something inside me snapped. The pain went quiet. My hands froze above the broken shards. Slowly, I turned my head toward the window.

The guards didn’t notice.

I stood up without a word. I walked across the room and climbed onto the ledge. The world outside was quiet, deceptively peaceful.

Five floors up.

I stared down with empty eyes.

And I jumped.