My Baby Was Killed By My Mate's Lover

I'm Melody Rhodes, and my world shattered when my four-year-old pup, my sweet boy, was crushed under the wheels of a car.

At his burial, I knelt by his tiny grave, my heart in pieces, tears soaking the earth. That's when Zoe Meadows, the she-wolf responsible, had the nerve to show up. She didn't just stand there-she defiled his memory, splashing silver liquid and dumping filth on his tombstone.

"I'm just making sure your pup's restless spirit moves on," she sneered, her voice dripping with venom.

I was shaking with rage, my whole body vibrating with it. The next day, I dragged her to court. I'm a lawyer, five years in the game, never lost a case. I wasn't about to start now.

But the whispers in the courtroom said Zoe had a powerful wolf backing her, someone untouchable. I didn't care. I had evidence-solid, undeniable proof. Justice was supposed to be blind.

Except it wasn't. Zoe walked free, smirking, while I-me-was slapped with the unthinkable: accused of murdering my own pup. And the wolf who sealed my fate? Ethan Sterling, my mate, the judge I'd been bound to for five years.

They called us the perfect pack-a lawyer who never lost and a judge who embodied justice. We were the fairy-tale couple, bound in a sacred ceremony that everyone envied. But as I stared into Ethan's cold, unflinching eyes from the defendant's stand, it hit me like a freight train: he was Zoe's powerful wolf.

Three years in prison broke me-body and soul. The pain was relentless, but worse was the question gnawing at me: Why? I needed answers.

The day I walked free, I trekked hours on foot to the preschool where my pup's life was stolen. What I saw there froze the blood in my veins. Ethan, leaning against his car, smoking, while Zoe-radiant, sultry Zoe-strolled toward him, hand-in-hand with a little pup.

"Daddy!" the boy called out, his voice bright and piercing.

Ethan tossed his cigarette, scooped the pup up with one arm, and grinned. "Noah, you listen to your mama today?"

The boy glanced back at Zoe, nodding eagerly. "Yup!"

Zoe pouted playfully, her voice syrupy. "Babe, don't say that. The teacher said our pup's the best-behaved she's ever seen."

The words hit me like a thunderbolt. Babe? Our bond wasn't even broken yet. Our pup? My boy died three years ago under Zoe's wheels. But there they were, real as daylight, Ethan's face lit up with a smile I hadn't seen in years.

My heart felt like it'd been ripped open, cold wind howling through the gaping wound. The pain sank into my bones, sharp as needles. I bit my lip until it bled, swallowing the sobs clawing at my throat.

He'd thrown me in a cage so he could play happy family with Zoe.

I didn't get it. If he wanted to break our bond, all he had to do was say it. I wouldn't have fought him. I glanced at my phone, the lock screen still that old photo of us from law school-two kids from nowhere, grinning like the world was ours.

Ethan had it rougher than me growing up. His mom ran off after his dad's fists drove her away. His dad was a walking disaster-booze, gambling, you name it. Ethan was always scrawny, bruised, and starving. I couldn't stand it. I'd share half my lunch with him every day, and once, I even took a beating from his drunk dad to protect him. After that, his dad got locked up for assault.

I'll never forget Ethan standing by my hospital bed, eyes red, promising, "Melody, when I grow up, I'm gonna be a judge. I'll make sure anyone who hurts you pays."

He kept his word. Top law school, then a judge, smashing the idea that a kid from nothing couldn't rise. I clawed my way up too, becoming a lawyer. That year, we started our careers, formed our sacred bond, welcomed our pup, and moved into our first real home-four wins in one go.

The day we moved in, Ethan, who never showed emotion, cried. He held me and our pup close, voice thick. "Melody, finding you is the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."

I thought that was it-our happily ever after. I never imagined it could all burn to ash.

My pup was gone, stolen by Zoe's car. My mate was hers now, with a new pup to call his own.

"Hon, isn't today when Melody gets out? You're not gonna check on her?" Zoe's voice snapped me back, her tone laced with fake concern.

Ethan's profile glowed in the sunset, sharp and cruel. "She knows the way home. Why should I care?"

My nails dug into my palms, blood dripping onto my worn-out jeans. I watched them pile into a sleek car and vanish.

Trembling, I called Bella, my only friend left. "Bella, I need a favor..."

"Name it," she said, no hesitation. She'd visited me in prison, the only one who hadn't turned her back.

"I want to overturn the case. I want justice."

Silence for a moment, then her voice came, steady and sure. "I've been digging for evidence these past three years. Give me seven days, and I'll make this right."

Tears of gratitude stung my eyes.

After hanging up, I realized I had nowhere to go but the home I'd shared with Ethan, where my pup's things still waited.

An hour later, I stood at the familiar door. Ethan hadn't even changed the locks. Steeling myself, I stepped inside-and froze. Everything was the same, like I'd never left. The flowers on the coffee table were fresh, vibrant. But the family photo that used to sit there? Gone.

A click behind me. Someone was here.

I turned, and there was Ethan, his eyes dark and unreadable. Neither of us spoke. I was shocked he was alone.

He set down an umbrella, his voice rough. "When'd you get back? Why didn't you call? I'd have picked you up."

He grabbed a fresh towel from the bathroom and held it out. I didn't take it. "I know the way," I said, the words sharp with double meaning.

He didn't catch it-or pretended not to. He handed me a mug of hot tea. "Drink this. Don't catch a cold."

The steam curled up, and I gripped the mug, chasing its warmth. But when he turned away again, something snapped. The mug shattered on the floor.

"Ethan," I said, my voice shaking, "don't you think we need to talk about what happened three years ago?"