Stephanie’s POV

The corridors of the packhouse felt colder than usual. Or maybe it was just me.

My steps were slow but steady as I made my way toward Elder Elisse’s chamber, the hem of my dress brushing softly against the polished floor. Every wolf I passed lowered their gaze, some out of respect, others out of discomfort.

Or pity. I could feel it.

It clung to me like a second skin now. The Luna who was no longer truly a Luna. The mate who had been replaced long before she even realized it.

I stopped in front of the heavy wooden doors and took a quiet breath before knocking.

“Come in,” Elder Elisse’s voice called from inside.

I pushed the door open and stepped in.

Her chamber was just as I remembered it. Elegant, composed, filled with a quiet authority that reflected the woman who lived within it. She sat by the window, a cup of tea resting untouched beside her.

Her gaze lifted the moment she saw me.

“Luna,” she said gently.

I didn’t waste time.

“I’ll proceed with it.”

Her brows furrowed slightly. “With what?”

“The divorce,” I answered, my voice calm despite the storm brewing inside me. “And I want to step down from the Luna position as well.”

The words felt heavier spoken aloud.

Elder Elisse studied me carefully, as if searching for hesitation. She wouldn’t find any.

“Are you certain?” she asked after a moment.

I nodded.

“I’ve thought about it enough.” My fingers curled slightly at my sides. “There’s nothing left for me here.”

A flicker of pain crossed her face. Not for her son. But for me.

“What will you do afterward?” she asked softly. “Where will you go?”

I opened my mouth to answer. Then closed it again. Because the truth was…

“I don’t know.”

The admission felt strange.

“I just know I can’t stay here anymore,” I continued quietly. “Not like this.”

Silence settled between us. Elder Elisse sighed softly before standing up. She walked toward a nearby drawer and pulled something out.

A letter. Sealed. She held it out to me.

I hesitated for a moment before taking it.

“What is this?”

“I still have connections,” she said, her tone thoughtful. “With the Direwolf Pack.”

My eyes lifted to hers.

“Their Alpha owes me a favor,” she continued. “If you choose to leave, you may seek refuge there. It will be safer for you… especially when you give birth.”

My fingers tightened around the letter.

“They will protect you,” she added. “And your daughter.”

The word alone steadied something inside me.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Elder Elisse gave me a small, sad smile. “I only wish things had turned out differently.”

So did I.

When I returned to my room, the silence greeted me like an old friend. It was almost comforting now. Almost.

I placed the sealed letter carefully on the table, my fingers lingering on it for a moment.

Before I could let my thoughts wander further, my phone buzzed. A message. From one of the omega maids.

My brows furrowed slightly as I opened it. A link.

[Luna… you might want to see this.]

A strange feeling settled in my chest. Dread.

I tapped on the link. A livestream opened instantly. The setting was unmistakable. The main building of the Foreshadow Pack’s company.

Our company. Or at least… it used to feel like mine. The platform displayed on the screen.

The one I had spent countless nights working on. Planning. Building. Pouring every bit of creativity and effort I had into it.

And then—

Her. Faye.

She stood at the center of it all, smiling brightly at the camera.

“Thank you so much for all the love and support,” she said sweetly, her voice light and cheerful.

The comments flooded the screen, praising her, admiring her. My stomach twisted.

“I also want to give a special thanks to Alpha Cain,” she continued, her smile widening. “He’s been incredibly generous to me.”

My grip on the phone tightened.

“Yes, it’s true,” she laughed softly. “He personally chose me as the ambassador for this platform.”

Ambassador. For something I helped build.

“And of course,” she added, lifting her hand slightly as if showing something off, “thank you for the moonstone. It’s so beautiful.”

My breath caught. The comments exploded. Excitement. Envy. Praise.

“And he’s helped me so much,” she continued, her tone softening just enough to sound sincere. “Covering my health expenses, making sure I’m taken care of… he even bought me land.”

Each word felt like a blade. Twisting deeper with every sentence.

I stared at the screen, my vision beginning to blur. This was… ridiculous. Unbelievable.

The Alpha of the Foreshadow Pack. My mate. Making his mistress the face of the very platform I helped create.

Giving her everything.

My mind drifted back, unbidden. To the necklace around my neck. My hand lifted instinctively, fingers brushing against it.

A simple piece. Elegant. But nothing extraordinary.

He had given it to me once, long ago. Back when I thought it meant everything. Back when I believed it was the most valuable thing he could offer.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. How foolish. How incredibly foolish of me.

Because clearly… He was capable of giving so much more.

---

The next morning arrived too quickly. The entire pack was dressed in black. Even the air felt heavier.

Today marked the death anniversary of the child I lost a year ago. My first baby.

The one I never got to hold. The one who never got to take a single breath.

My chest tightened as I stood among the others, my hands resting lightly over my stomach.

One year. And it still hurt like it had just happened yesterday. The memories came uninvited.

“Stay strong, Luna,” someone whispered softly as they passed.

I gave a small nod, though I wasn’t sure if I had any strength left to give.

Then—

A stir.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. My brows furrowed slightly as I turned. And there he was. Alpha Cain. Walking in as if nothing was out of place.

But he wasn’t alone. Faye walked beside him. Smiling. She was wearing baby blue. The color stood out sharply against the sea of black.

Almost blinding. And in her hand…

Her phone. Still streaming.

The murmurs grew louder. Confusion. Disapproval. Disbelief.

My chest tightened. Something inside me snapped. Before I even realized what I was doing, I stepped forward.

“Stop.”

My voice cut through the air.

Faye paused, startled, her wide eyes turning toward me.

“Luna?” she said, her voice trembling slightly.

I stared at her. At the bright blue dress. At the smile that didn’t belong here.

“Do you have any idea what today is?” I asked, my voice shaking despite my efforts to keep it steady.

She blinked, clearly caught off guard.

“I—I…” Her gaze darted briefly to Alpha Cain before returning to me. “I’m sorry, I don’t—”

“This is the death anniversary of the Alpha heir I lost,” I said, the words spilling out before I could stop them.

A collective gasp moved through the crowd.

Faye’s face paled instantly.

“I didn’t know,” she said quickly, her eyes filling with tears. “I swear, I didn’t know. I just—I wore blue because…”

Her hand moved instinctively to her stomach.

“Because I just found out I’m carrying a baby boy.”

The world seemed to tilt.

“I thought it was something to celebrate,” she continued weakly, her voice breaking. “I didn’t mean any disrespect—”

“Celebrate?” My voice rose, disbelief and anger crashing together inside me. “You come here, dressed like that, on this day, and you call it a celebration?”

“I didn’t—”

“You should have known,” I snapped. “At the very least, you should have had the decency to ask.”

Tears streamed down her face now.

“I’m sorry…”

“That’s enough.”

Cain’s voice cut in sharply. I froze. Slowly, I turned to look at him. His expression was cold.

“Luna,” he said, his tone laced with irritation, “you’re being too harsh.”

For a moment, I thought I had misheard him. Too harsh?

“I didn’t even remember what today was,” he continued casually. “What more her? She’s an outsider.”

A hollow feeling spread through my chest.

“She didn’t know,” he added. “You’re making a scene over nothing.”

Nothing. My fingers trembled.

“This is not nothing,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper now.

But he only frowned.

“You’re being overly sensitive,” he said flatly. “And childish.”

Each word landed like a blow.

“Nonsensical.”

Stephanie’s POV

The door to my room opened without warning.

I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

Only one person entered my space like he owned not just the room, but the air I breathed inside it.

Alpha Cain.

I sat quietly by the window, my hands resting on my lap, my thoughts still lingering from everything that had happened earlier. The humiliation. The way he dismissed me in front of everyone. The way he chose her—again.

“Luna.”

His voice was calm. Almost casual. As if yesterday had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

I turned my head slightly to face him.

“Yes?”

He walked further into the room, his posture relaxed, his expression unreadable. There was no guilt. No hesitation. Nothing that suggested he had done anything wrong.

“Faye will be staying here for a while,” he said.

The words landed softly, but they echoed loudly in my mind.

“…Here?” I repeated.

“In the packhouse,” he clarified, as if that made it any better. “She’s the ambassador of our company’s platform now. It’s only appropriate that she stays within Foreshadow territory.”

Appropriate. Of course it was.

I stared at him for a moment, searching his face for any sign of awareness.

Any trace of shame. But there was nothing. Not even a flicker.

“You’re fine with that, aren’t you?” he added, tilting his head slightly.

It wasn’t really a question. It never was. I felt something tighten in my chest, but I forced it down.

“I see,” I said quietly. “If that’s your decision.”

His lips curved slightly, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

“That’s more like it.”

He stepped closer to me, lifting his hand to cup my cheek. His touch was warm, familiar, and yet it felt so foreign now.

“I prefer it when you’re like this,” he murmured. “Not making unnecessary trouble.”

My body remained still under his touch. I didn’t lean into it. I didn’t pull away either. I simply endured it.

“Be good,” he added softly, brushing his thumb against my skin before letting his hand fall.

Then, just like that, he turned and left. As if nothing about this situation was wrong. As if bringing his mistress into our home was something I should simply accept.

The next morning, I found myself standing in front of a door I hadn’t opened in a long time.

My fingers hovered over the handle.

Hesitating.

This room… It was the one place I avoided the most. And yet, it was also the one place I cherished the most. The nursery.

I took a slow breath before pushing the door open. The familiar scent greeted me first.

My gaze softened as I stepped inside.

My chest tightened. I walked further in, my fingers brushing lightly against the edge of the crib.

“I’m here,” I whispered softly.

A habit. A foolish one, perhaps. But it was the only way I knew how to cope.

Even after a year of my miscarriage, the pain hadn’t faded. If anything, it had only settled deeper into my bones.

I closed my eyes briefly.

“Meow.”

I froze. My brows furrowed slightly.

That wasn’t...

“Meow.”

The sound came again. Louder this time.

My eyes snapped open.

“What…?”

Confusion quickly turned into unease as I moved further into the room.

And then I saw them.

Two cats. Inside the nursery.

My breath caught.

They were small, fluffy… completely out of place. One of them was perched on the crib.

My stomach dropped. There was a mess on the carpet. A foul, unmistakable mess. A poop!

“No…” I whispered, my heart beginning to pound.

I rushed forward, my eyes scanning the room.

Chaos. That was the only way to describe it. The neatly arranged clothes were scattered across the floor.

Some torn. Some crumpled. The crib’s soft lining had been scratched, threads pulled loose.

And the cats… They were wearing—

My vision blurred. Baby clothes. The clothes I had bought. The ones meant for my child.

“No—no, no, no…”

Panic surged through me.

“What is this?!” My voice rose as I turned toward the door. “Who did this?!”

My hands trembled as I pointed toward the mess.

“Who let these cats in here?! There are a lot of rooms in the packhouse! Why here?!”

Footsteps approached quickly, maids rushing in at the sound of my voice.

“Luna, we—”

“Get them out!” I snapped, my voice shaking. “Now!”

Before anyone could move… “Oh!”

A familiar voice cut through the chaos. Faye.

She stepped into the room, her eyes widening slightly as she took in the scene.

She walked closer, completely unfazed.

“They’re mine,” she said, gesturing toward the cats.

The word echoed in my head.

“I’m so sorry, Luna, ” she added quickly, though there was something off about the way she said it. “Alpha Cain told me I could let them stay here.”

I felt my ears ring.

“He said since they’re sensitive,” she continued, her hand resting lightly over her stomach. “They need their own space. And since no one was using this room…”

No one was using this room. My vision darkened slightly.

“This room is not empty,” I said, my voice low but trembling with barely contained anger.

Faye blinked, clearly taken aback.

“I—I didn’t know—”

Her eyes filled with tears almost instantly.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean any harm. They’re just animals. They didn’t know—”

“I know! But what about you? You’re their fur parent! You should have known better!” My voice rose. “They destroyed everything in here!”

“I’ll clean it—”

“What’s going on?” Alpha Cain’s voice.

I turned as he stepped into the room, his brows slightly furrowed.

Faye immediately moved toward him.

“I’m sorry, Alpha,” she said, her voice breaking as she clung lightly to his arm. “I didn’t know the room was important. My cats… they didn’t mean it…”

Alpha Cain’s gaze shifted to me. Annoyance flickered in his eyes.

“Stephanie,” he said, his tone sharp, “why are you making a scene?”

I stared at him.

“A scene?” I repeated, disbelief creeping into my voice.

He glanced around the room, taking in the mess.

“It’s just a room,” he said dismissively. “No one’s even using it.”

My hands clenched at my sides.

“This room—” My voice shook. “This room was for our child. The baby I miscarried!”

He didn’t react. Not the way I hoped he would. Not the way I needed him to.

“If you’re upset about the mess,” he continued, as if I hadn’t said anything meaningful at all, “then I’ll have it renovated. Everything can be replaced.”

Replaced. The word hit me harder than anything else.

“No,” I said, my voice trembling. “You can’t replace those.”

His brows furrowed slightly.

“They were the clothes I bought for our baby,” I continued, my chest tightening painfully. “The one I lost… the one we lost.”

“No one is going to use those anyway.”

I stopped breathing.

“The baby’s dead.”

The words were cold. Blunt. Careless.

Something inside me shattered completely. I stared at him, unable to comprehend how he could say that so easily.

So… casually. As if that child meant nothing. As if that loss was insignificant.

He stepped closer, his hand reaching out to rest on my stomach.

“This baby is more important,” he said, his tone softening slightly.

I flinched.

“Don’t worry,” he added. “I’ll buy new clothes. Plenty of them.”

My throat tightened.

“For girls,” he continued. “Let the cats have the old ones.”

I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t even think. Because in that moment, I realized something terrifying.

He never mourned that child. Not even once.

And if... If something happened to this baby…

My hand instinctively moved to my stomach. Would he care? Or would he simply move on again?

Stephanie’s POV

Today was supposed to be mine.

I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the fall of my dress with careful hands. The fabric draped elegantly over my body, soft yet structured, chosen not just for appearance but for presence.

The reflection staring back at me looked composed. But I knew better. Because beneath the surface, everything was already crumbling.

I inhaled slowly, my hand drifting down to rest over my stomach.

“We’re almost there,” I whispered softly. “Just a little longer.”

Today wasn’t just the official launch of the platform. It was supposed to be the day I reclaimed something. My name. My effort.

I turned away from the mirror, reaching for my bag—

And that’s when I saw it. An envelope. Placed neatly on the bed.

My steps slowed as I approached it, a strange heaviness settling in my chest.

I already knew what it was. Still, I picked it up. Opened it. Inside were the papers. The divorce documents. And the formal notice of my resignation as Luna of the Foreshadow Pack.

My fingers traced the edge of the paper, the weight of it grounding me.

This was it. No turning back. No more hesitation.

I slid the documents back into the envelope and placed it carefully inside my bag.

Then I straightened.

“It ends today,” I murmured.

---

The company building stood tall and imposing, its glass exterior reflecting the morning light.

For a moment, I paused at the entrance.

Memories flickered through my mind.

Late nights. Endless discussions. Ideas scribbled across papers. This place… wasn’t just his. It was mine too.

Or at least—It was supposed to be.

I stepped inside. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement, employees moving quickly, preparing for the launch event. Screens displayed the platform’s interface, polished and refined.

My creation. Or what used to feel like it.

I didn’t linger. My steps carried me straight to the top floor. To his office.

I knocked once before opening the door. And there she was. Faye.

Sitting comfortably on the sofa, her phone held up as she smiled brightly at the screen.

“Oh, Luna!” she greeted cheerfully, as if we were friends. “Good morning!”

The word Luna felt almost mocking now.

Her camera tilted slightly, catching me in the frame.

“She’s here too,” she added lightly to her viewers.

Streaming. In his office. Of course she was.

I didn’t respond. My gaze shifted to Alpha Cain, who sat behind his desk, reviewing something casually.

“I need your signature,” I said, walking toward him.

He barely looked up. “What is it?”

“Just some documents,” I replied smoothly, placing the envelope in front of him. “Company-related.”

That wasn’t entirely a lie. In a way… it was.

He hummed in acknowledgment, already reaching for a pen.

“Leave it there.”

He didn’t even ask. Didn’t even check. Didn’t even glance at the contents.

That was how much he trusted me. Or maybe—That was how little he cared.

The pen moved swiftly across the paper. One signature. Then another. Then another.

Just like that. Years of marriage. My title. My place in this pack. Gone.

Signed away in less than a minute.

“There,” he said, sliding the documents back toward me. “Done.”

I picked them up carefully, my hands steady despite everything.

“Thank you.”

He finally looked at me then.

“Stay,” he said. “We’ll have lunch after this.”

Faye perked up at that, her smile widening.

“Yes, let’s eat together!” she chimed in sweetly.

I met his gaze.

For a brief moment, something flickered in his eyes. Expectation. Control.

“I’m not feeling well,” I said calmly.

His brows furrowed slightly.

“Then I’ll have someone bring you medicine.”

“I’ll manage,” I replied.

And before he could say anything else, I turned and walked away.

The hallway felt quieter this time. Or maybe it was just me. I stopped near a large window, the city stretching out below.

Then my hand moved to my stomach again.

“Just a little longer,” I whispered. “I promise… I’ll give you a better life.”

I opened my bag, intending to place the documents securely inside. But my fingers brushed against something else.

The sealed letter. I had almost forgotten. Carefully, I pulled it out. This time, I opened it.

Inside was a recommendation. My name written clearly. Approval for entry into the Direwolf Pack.

A small slip of paper fell from the envelope.

A number. I stared at it for a moment before pulling out my phone.

My fingers hesitated briefly. Then I dialed. The line rang once. Twice.

Then, it connected.

“Who is this?”

The voice was deep.

“My name is Stephanie,” I said quietly.

There was a brief pause.

“I see.”

The tone shifted slightly. Recognition.

“Elder Elisse mentioned you.”

My grip tightened slightly around the phone.

“Yes.”

“Do you need someone to pick you up?” he asked directly. Straightforward.

I glanced at the time.

“Not yet,” I said. “It will be later tonight.”

Another pause.

“After the event,” I added.

“I understand,” he replied. “I’ll make the arrangements.”

Something about his voice felt… steady. Reliable.

“Thank you.”

“We’ll be waiting.”

The line went dead. I lowered the phone slowly.

The event hall was filled to capacity. Lights. Cameras. Energy. Everything felt grand. Important.

I sat in my assigned seat, my hands resting over the speech I had prepared.

Pages filled with words. Ideas. Acknowledgments. Everything I had worked for. Everything I wanted to say.

The MC stepped onto the stage, smiling brightly.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us for this monumental launch!”

Applause filled the room. My heart began to beat faster. This was it.

“At this time, we would like to invite the visionary behind the success of this new developed platform…”

I straightened slightly.

“…Alpha Cain!”

The applause grew louder. My chest tightened.

And then—

“And of course, the face of our platform…”

A pause. A smile.

“Faye!”

The world seemed to go silent. I didn’t move. As they walked onto the stage together. As if it had always been meant to be them.

Faye took the microphone first, her smile radiant.

“Thank you so much for this opportunity,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. “I’m truly honored to be the face of such an incredible social media platform.”

She looked at Alpha Cain.

“And I want to thank Alpha Cain for believing in me.”

More applause. Alpha Cain stepped forward, taking the microphone.

“This platform wouldn’t be what it is today without the right exposure,” he said smoothly. “Faye’s contribution to its popularity has been… exceptional.”

The words echoed in my ears. Exceptional.

“The company will cherish her,” he continued, his gaze softening slightly as he looked at her, “for life.”

Something inside me went completely still.

My fingers slowly tightened around the papers in my hand. The speech. My speech. The words I spent nights writing. The ideas I poured my heart into.

All of it… Discarded. Just like that.

I lowered my gaze. The ink blurred slightly.

I didn’t realize I was gripping the pages too tightly until they crumpled in my hands.

Around me, whispers spread. Phones lifted. Cameras turned.

I could feel it. The pity. The judgment. The silent labeling. The cast-away Luna.

I inhaled slowly. Then exhaled.

And for the first time… It didn’t hurt as much as I expected. Because I already knew. This was never mine anymore.

The event ended in celebration. Laughter. Congratulations. Endless praise directed at them.

I remained seated until the crowd began to thin.

And then—

“Stephanie.”

I looked up. Alpha Cain stood in front of me.

“What happened?” I asked quietly. “Why wasn’t I called on stage?”

He frowned slightly, as if the question itself was unnecessary.

“What for?” The words were simple.

“You gave some ideas,” he continued. “But that’s small compared to what Faye and I did in terms of distribution and promotion.”

Small. My chest tightened.

“Don’t worry,” he added, almost dismissively. “Your earnings will still be good.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

“After all… you’re still my Luna.”

The words felt like mockery. Like a title stripped of all meaning.

I looked at him. Really looked at him.

And for the first time—I felt nothing at all.

“Congratulations,” I said softly.

Then I stood up. And walked away.

The night air was cool against my skin. The noise from inside faded as I stepped further away from the building.

Each step felt lighter. Freer.

Until… I stopped. Because someone was standing there.

A man. Tall. Broad-shouldered. His presence alone commanded attention. And when my eyes met his… My breath caught. He was… striking.

And yet—

There was something about him that made my wolf stir. Something instinctive. Something undeniable.

He took a step forward. His gaze steady on mine.

“Stephanie,” he said.

My name sounded different coming from him. Like it meant something.

“I’ve been waiting.”