Ava’s POV

“Mommy!”

A warm smile spread across my lips as I watched my daughter, Mia, running around joyfully, her laughter echoing through the village.

The sight of her carefree happiness always filled my heart with warmth. She was my world, my light. Sitting on the wooden bench outside near the pack house, I sewed quietly, occasionally glancing up to see her playing. The way the afternoon sun bathed her in golden light made her look even more angelic.

“Mia, be careful!” I called out, my voice gentle yet firm, making sure she didn’t trip or hurt herself.

But then, in a blink of an eye, everything changed.

One moment, she was laughing. The next, she collapsed.

My breath hitched as my needle slipped from my fingers. My body went cold as I watched her tiny frame convulse on the ground, her limbs shaking uncontrollably. Panic seized me when her face turned pale, her lips losing their rosy hue.

“M-Mia!” I screamed, the sound tearing from my throat in sheer terror.

I didn’t even realize I had dropped everything. My hands trembled as I bolted toward her, my feet barely touching the ground. My mind refused to process what was happening.

No. No. No…

This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening!

I fell to my knees beside her, scooping her up into my arms, but her body was limp. Unresponsive. Her small chest barely moved. “M-Mia, baby, open your eyes!” My voice cracked as I shook her gently, my heart pounding against my ribs.

Before I could react further, a blur of movement caught my eye. Lucas.

“What happened to her?!”

The Alpha of the Moon Dagger Pack.

His strong arms reached for Mia, pulling her from my grasp with a desperation I had never seen before.

“Mia,” he whispered, his voice rough, edged with fear—so unlike the cold, untouchable Alpha he usually was. “Everything’s going to be okay. I promise.”

His hands, always steady, always powerful, trembled as he cradled her close. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might break. He was trying to stay strong. But I could see it—the terror in his dark eyes.

Mia’s breath was faint, weak.

“Dad…” she whimpered, her voice so small, so fragile.

“I’m here,” Lucas reassured her immediately.

Then, without hesitation, he took off.

I followed, my legs barely keeping up with his pace. My lungs burned, but I didn’t care. My daughter needed help!

“Call the healer!” Lucas’s voice boomed through the village, his command shaking the air with authority.

I didn’t wait for anyone else to react. I turned on my heels and sprinted toward the healer’s residence. My heart pounded, my pulse deafening in my ears. Please, please let Alicia be there!

Bursting through the door, I barely registered the startled look on Alicia’s face.

“Alicia! My daughter…she collapsed! She’s pale, and she—she can’t breathe properly!” My words came out in frantic gasps.

Alicia didn’t waste a second. “Take her here!”

Lucas barged in, Mia limp in his arms. He gently laid her down on the healer’s cot, his movements careful but urgent. He hovered, his entire body tense as if prepared to fight death itself to keep her alive.

I stood beside him, my fingers twisting together, unable to breathe properly myself.

Alicia knelt beside Mia, her hands hovering over our daughter’s small body. “She’s burning up,” she muttered, her expression darkening.

Lucas and I exchanged glances, and in that moment, I saw it. The same fear that clawed at my chest was reflected in his eyes.

Then, Alicia lifted her gaze to us, her face pale, her lips pressed into a tight line.

“Mia’s condition… it’s not normal.”

My stomach dropped.

And the fear I thought had already consumed me grew tenfold.

"W-What’s wrong with her?" My voice wavered, barely above a whisper, as I looked at Alicia.

She hesitated, her gaze shifting between me and Lucas, fear evident in her eyes. My heart pounded so loudly I thought it might burst. Then, finally, she spoke.

“It’s severe aplastic anemia.”

My breath hitched.

Alicia continued, her voice heavy with urgency. “It’s a condition in which the bone marrow fails to produce enough blood cells. Without a transfusion, her body won’t be able to fight infections or carry enough oxygen. She needs a donor, a compatible one.”

The air around us grew suffocatingly still.

Lucas turned to me, his dark eyes filled with an emotion I had rarely seen in him.

Fear.

A fear that mirrored my own.

“Who is a match?!” Lucas demanded, his voice raw. He had always been strong, always in control, but now… now, his voice held something I never thought I would hear. Desperation.

Alicia took a deep breath, her gaze settling on him. “You are, Alpha.”

Lucas didn't hesitate. “Then let’s do it.”

Alicia rushed to prepare everything, her hands moving swiftly as she gathered what she needed. The tension in the air was thick, suffocating, as Lucas rolled up his sleeve. I could see the muscle in his jaw tighten, his body rigid with determination.

We were moments away from beginning the transfusion when a sudden, urgent voice interrupted us.

“Alpha!”

Lucas’s Beta, Dante, burst into the room.

Lucas let out a frustrated growl, his patience snapping. “I’m in the middle of something, Dante! This better be important.”

Dante hesitated, his face pale. “Someone… someone came back.”

My breath caught.

Before anyone could say another word, the door swung open.

And then, she walked in.

A woman. Beautiful. Striking.

My heart dropped to my stomach.

Charlotte.

I felt my entire body freeze as I stared at her, my mind struggling to process what I was seeing. My lips parted, but no words came out.

Lucas’ first love.

His fated mate.

The woman who should have been Luna.

The woman who ran away.

And I, the one who had been left behind to pick up the shattered pieces of Lucas’s heart, was the one who had taken her place.

Lucas’s grip on the chair tightened, his knuckles turning white. “Charlotte.”

Her name left his lips like a ghost of the past returning to haunt him.

But she wasn’t alone.

Beside her stood a little girl.

A girl the same age as Mia.

My stomach twisted painfully.

The child clung to Charlotte’s hand, her small frame trembling. Her face was pale, almost sickly, her breathing shallow. She looked weak, fragile, just like Mia.

No.

No, this cannot be!

I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat, my eyes darting between the girl and Charlotte. My hands curled into fists at my sides.

Alicia, too, was staring at the child, her brows furrowing in silent realization.

Lucas finally found his voice, though it was rough, edged with tension. “Why are you here?!”

Charlotte’s fingers trembled as she gripped her daughter’s tiny hand. Her eyes, once full of fire and confidence, now brimmed with something I had never seen in her before.

She looked… in pain and desperate.

“I came back because…” She inhaled sharply, as if the words pained her. “I need a great healer, and Alicia… she’s the only one I know who can treat diseases like my daughter’s.”

Silence filled the room.

I could feel the unspoken words hanging in the air, suffocating me.

Why now?

And most importantly…

Why did her daughter look so much like Lucas?

“Leave this place!”

Lucas’s voice was cold.

The tension in the room was suffocating, the air thick with unspoken emotions. His entire body was rigid, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He didn’t even look at Charlotte anymore, as if dismissing her would make her disappear.

The guards standing nearby shifted, waiting for his order to escort her out. But before they could move, Charlotte spoke.

And her words stopped my world from spinning.

“Her name is Sophia!”

A sudden, deafening silence filled the room.

Charlotte’s voice trembled, but she forced herself to continue, her next words shaking me to my core.

“And she is your daughter, too!”

My breath caught in my throat.

The words echoed in my head, over and over again, refusing to make sense.

No…

I took a step back, my hands instinctively going to my chest. My vision blurred for a moment, my mind struggling to comprehend the weight of what she had just said.

Lucas froze beside me. I saw the way his body tensed, the way his jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might break.

“What the fuck are you saying?”

Charlotte lowered her gaze to the floor, her shoulders shaking. For the first time, she looked small, so different from the confident, untouchable woman she once was.

“She’s…” Her voice cracked. She forced herself to look up at him again, eyes brimming with emotions I couldn’t even begin to untangle.

“She’s six years old.”

My heart stopped.

Six years old.

The same age as Mia.

I turned to Lucas, searching his face for something, anything, that would tell me he didn’t believe it either. But his expression was unreadable.

Then, slowly, Charlotte turned her gaze toward him, her desperation spilling into her words.

“I need Alicia. I overheard you. She has the same condition as your other daughter.”

The world tilted on its axis.

My mind screamed at me to deny it, to refuse to believe any of this.

But then, I saw her.

Sophia.

Small. Fragile. Pale.

Just like Mia.

I turned to Lucas, my voice barely more than a whisper. “Lucas…”

His name slipped from my lips, heavy with emotions I couldn’t contain.

But he didn’t look at me.

His gaze was locked onto the little girl—the daughter he never knew he had.

And then I realized something.

Lucas, the great Alpha King, the strongest man I had ever known… was struggling.

For the first time, he had to make an impossible choice.

Ava’s POV

I clutched Mia tightly against my chest, my whole body trembling as I sobbed. My teary gaze locked onto Lucas, desperation clawing at my throat.

"Lucas, please," I begged, my voice barely above a whisper. "Mia is your daughter. I am your Luna. I was there when she left you! Please, save her!"

My pleas were raw, unfiltered, filled with nothing but agony. But something flickered in his eyes, something dark, something uncertain. My heart stilled in terror. No, no, no. Not this!

"L-Lucas, please, listen to me!" My voice cracked as I screamed. "Mia needs you!"

But he wasn’t looking at me anymore. His gaze had shifted to Sophia.

And then Charlotte spoke, her voice trembling but insistent. "Please, I also need you. I need you, Lucas." She hesitated, her hands wringing together. "That's why I came back... to tell you the truth."

I dropped to my knees before Lucas, my pride shattering into pieces I no longer cared to gather. "Lucas, save our daughter!" I cried, reaching for him, my fingers wrapping around his wrist as if holding on could stop him from slipping away.

For a moment, he stared down at me, his expression unreadable, his features set in cold indifference.

Then, he moved.

His hand pried mine away.

"I’m sorry, Ava," he said, voice void of warmth.

My breath caught in my throat. No. No, this wasn’t happening.

Lucas turned to Alicia, "Prepare everything," he commanded. "We will save Sophia."

The words crashed over me like a tidal wave.

"No!" My scream tore through the room, but it didn’t stop the warriors from closing in. Strong hands grasped my arms, restraining me before I could reach him.

I fought against them, struggling with everything I had. "Lucas, please! Save Mia!" My nails scraped against the floor as I thrashed, trying to break free.

But Lucas never even looked back.

Alicia moved swiftly, gathering the medical supplies needed for the blood transfusion. She cast me a fleeting, sorrowful glance before turning back to her task.

"Lucas!" I screamed again, but my voice barely reached him.

The guards tightened their grip on me. "Take her away," Lucas ordered, his voice like ice.

I gasped, my head snapping up to look at him, but all I saw was his turned back. He had already made his choice.

"No! No! Please, don’t do this!" My struggles turned frantic, but it was useless. I was dragged backward, my feet barely touching the ground as they forced me away.

And then, through my blurred vision, I saw her.

Mia.

Lying there, her small body motionless, her skin pale.

My heart shattered. "Mia, no! No, no, no!" My sobs came in broken gasps.

She was slipping away.

"Baby, look at Mommy," I pleaded, reaching toward her. "I’m here. I’m right here."

But she didn’t move.

Desperate, I turned to Alicia. "Please! Take my blood instead! I’m her mother, my blood will work!"

Alicia’s lips trembled, her expression torn. "I’m so sorry," she whispered, shaking her head.

I could see it—the helplessness in her eyes, the silent apology.

Tears blurred my vision as I turned back to Mia. I reached out, my trembling fingers wrapping around her tiny hand.

"M-Mommy…" Her voice was weak, barely audible.

My entire world stopped.

"Everything… hurts," she whispered.

And then, her fingers slipped from mine.

A strangled sob tore from my throat as the last bit of warmth drained from her small body.

I shook my head violently, refusing to accept what had just happened. "No, no, no, Mia! Baby, wake up! Please!"

But she was gone.

Pain, raw and merciless, ripped through me, leaving me gasping. My screams filled the air, but they couldn’t bring her back. Nothing could.

Lucas had chosen someone else.

And my daughter had paid the price.

---

Later that day, I was the one who took care of Mia’s funeral arrangements.

It was supposed to be a duty shared, a burden carried by both parents, but Lucas remained distant. The entire Moon Dagger Pack was mourning, their sorrow hanging in the air like a heavy fog. Yet, nothing could compare to the abyss of grief swallowing me whole.

I stood at the front, staring blankly at the ground, my body present, but my soul, shattered beyond recognition.

Lucas was beside me. Silent. Unmoving. A ghost of the man he once was.

He didn’t speak to me, didn’t offer a single word of comfort. He just stood there, his presence as hollow as my chest now felt.

"We will now pray for the loss of our Luna and Alpha’s daughter, Mia," the Elder announced, his voice solemn and deep.

Everyone bowed their heads. I forced myself to do the same, though my body trembled under the weight of my emotions. The prayers began, murmured voices blending into a dull hum in my ears. I couldn’t focus on the words. The only sound I truly heard was the echo of Mia’s last breath.

After the prayer, the burial began. I watched as they lowered my baby into the ground, my heart shattering with every handful of dirt that fell upon her.

It felt unreal.

One moment, I was holding her, pleading for her life. The next, I was watching the earth claim her forever.

I felt… nothing.

Or maybe I felt too much. So much that my mind refused to process it anymore.

Then, a presence approached. Footsteps barely audible over the hushed sobs of the pack.

Dante.

He leaned in toward Lucas, voice low, but I still heard him.

"Alpha," he murmured, "Charlotte is looking for you. She’s crying."

That was all it took.

Lucas’s posture shifted instantly. His shoulders squared, his body tensed. He didn’t even hesitate.

Without sparing me a glance, without a single word, he turned and walked away.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms.

I was left behind.

Again.

The funeral continued, the world moving forward while I stood frozen in time, stuck in a reality that no longer made sense.

By nightfall, I remained by Mia’s grave, my knees pressed against the damp earth. The burial site was near the border of the village, quiet and secluded, surrounded by towering trees that whispered in the wind. The moon cast a silver glow over the headstone, illuminating her name.

Mia.

She didn’t deserve this.

A bitter smile ghosted my lips, though it held no warmth. Memories swirled in my mind, unbidden and cruel.

Lucas’s voice, soft yet filled with certainty…

"I’m so lucky to have you."

He had told me that once. Back when he was drowning in the weight of his responsibilities as Alpha, struggling to lead after Charlotte abandoned him. I was the one who stayed. I was the one who helped him rise from his lowest point.

"Thank you for being by my side."

He had cupped my cheek then, his eyes filled with adoration.

"I love you, Ava."

Lies.

All of it.

I squeezed my eyes shut as another memory surfaced, the moment Mia was born.

I had been exhausted, drenched in sweat, yet the second I saw her, I felt nothing but love. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on.

Lucas had thought so too.

He had kissed my forehead, whispering promises like sacred vows.

"I swear on my life, I’ll do everything to protect this pack… and our daughter."

But what did he do when Mia needed him the most?

He turned away.

He let her die.

A shuddering breath escaped me, my chest tightening with unbearable pain.

I would never forgive him.

Never.

Because no matter how much I once loved Lucas…

He had just proven that I meant nothing to him.

Ava’s POV

I looked around, expecting to see mourning faces, somber whispers, or at least a shred of acknowledgment for what I was going through. But instead… they were celebrating.

The maids bustled about in a hurry, their arms filled with flowers, fine linens, and trays of food. The servants were gathered near the grand hall, cooking lavish dishes, their laughter blending with the aroma of roasted meat and fresh bread.

Music blasted across the village, filling every corner with a festive melody.

And the grand hall, our sacred space for gatherings, was decorated in golden silks and flickering lanterns.

A celebration. A joyous, extravagant display.

But not for me. Not for anyone else.

This was for her.

Charlotte.

My hands curled into fists at my sides as I walked forward, my chest tightening with each step. They had discarded me and my daughter so easily, as if we had never mattered, as if our presence had been nothing more than an inconvenience.

My jaw clenched as I approached the grand hall doors. Just as I was about to enter, two guards stepped forward, blocking my path.

“You cannot go in there,” they barked, their voices firm.

I stiffened. Lucas must have told them to keep me out. Of course, he did.

But how dare he?

This was my home. My village. I was the Luna. The woman who had stood by his side through every battle, every hardship. And yet, from the moment Charlotte returned, with her daughter, everyone had turned their backs on me.

Like I never existed.

I pushed forward, shoving past the guards. They scrambled to stop me, but I was already inside, my gaze locked on the couple at the center of the room.

Lucas and Charlotte.

They danced together in the middle of the hall, their bodies moving in perfect harmony. The way he held her, his hands resting possessively on her waist, their fingers intertwined, it was intimate. Familiar. Painfully familiar.

And the way they laughed, eyes only for each other… It was like watching a nightmare come to life.

A sharp, bitter taste filled my mouth.

I couldn’t stop myself. My body moved on its own, fueled by the fire burning inside me.

“Charlotte!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the music.

The moment her gaze met mine, I raised my hand and slapped her, hard.

The crack of my palm against her cheek echoed in the hall.

Charlotte gasped as she stumbled back, falling to the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched her face, her expression twisted in shock and pain.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

“Oh my!” she cried.

Lucas’s head snapped toward me, his eyes blazing with fury. “Ava!” he roared.

But I didn’t back down.

I glared at Charlotte, watching as she sobbed dramatically, making a spectacle of herself. What an actress. She clutched her cheek, trembling, as if I had done something monstrous. As if she were the victim.

Manipulation!

I had seen this before. I knew exactly what she was doing!

“You hurt me! Why?!” Charlotte wailed, her voice shaking as if I had broken her.

A sharp pang of frustration stabbed through me.

“You took everything from me, and you dare play the victim?!”

“Mommy!” A small voice shrieked.

I froze.

Sophia rushed forward and threw herself at Charlotte.

Tears streamed down her tiny face as she clung to her mother. “Why did you hurt Mommy?” she sobbed.

I inhaled sharply, my body stiffening as I stared at her.

For a brief, painful second… I saw Mia.

Memories of my own daughter, my sweet, innocent Mia, flashed in my mind. Her laughter. Her warmth. Her small hands clutching my fingers, trusting, loving.

I could never hurt a child.

Never.

The fire inside me flickered, the rage in my veins turning cold.

I shut my eyes, forcing myself to breathe, to think. But before I could gather myself, a furious voice shattered the moment.

“Why did you hit her?!”

Lucas.

His voice was thunderous, filled with unrestrained anger.

And when I opened my eyes, his gaze was locked onto me.

Furious. Unforgiving.

Like I was the villain.

“Was it really that easy for you, Lucas?!” My voice shook, but not with fear.

But with fury.

I took a step forward, my hands trembling at my sides. My chest burned with an unbearable mix of grief and rage. “You’re celebrating!” I spat, my voice rising, “when our daughter just died!”

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

They needed to hear this.

I turned in a slow circle, making sure everyone saw me, saw the pain in my eyes. “That’s right,” I said, my voice raw. “Your Alpha, the man you follow so blindly, let our daughter die.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

I took a shaky breath, my nails digging into my palms. “Mia died because Lucas chose to save Charlotte’s daughter i-instead!” My voice cracked, but I refused to waver.

The weight of my words settled over the hall like a curse. People glanced at each other, whispers beginning to spread. Some looked away, as if ashamed. Others narrowed their eyes at Lucas, doubt creeping into their expressions.

And Lucas?

He was furious.

His fists clenched, his whole body stiff with anger. His jaw tightened so hard I thought his teeth might crack.

But the worst part?

Charlotte.

The ever-dramatic, ever-calculating Charlotte.

She sniffled, clutching her chest like she was about to faint. “Ava, just admit it!” she crooned, shaking her head. “Lucas loves me! He chose me! It’s time for you to move on!”

Then, beneath her pathetic act, I saw it.

A smirk.

She was enjoying this.

Before I could react, Lucas was already at her side, helping her up, holding her as if she were fragile glass. As if she hadn’t just destroyed my entire life.

And then, she wrapped her arms around him.

Sophia, too, ran into Lucas’s embrace.

Together, they looked like a perfect, happy family. Like I had never existed.

A sharp, soul-crushing pain ripped through me, leaving behind only raw, burning hatred.

No.

I wouldn’t accept this! Not when I was the one grieving! The one suffering!

Lucas turned to me, his expression dark and unyielding. “Enough, Ava!”

I barely had time to react before he shoved me back, hard.

I stumbled, my breath catching in my throat.

Then he said the words that shattered everything.

“I reject you as my Luna!”

My body went numb.

No.

No, he couldn’t….

He wouldn’t!

“You are no longer my mate.”

The room spun. My heart pounded violently against my ribs, my breath shallow and uneven.

What?

I stared at him, my mind refusing to process what he had just said.

“Y-You can’t possibly mean that!” I screamed, my voice breaking.

Lucas straightened, his eyes cold. “I can.”

Then his lips curled into something bitter. “You think I don’t know?”

I froze.

“Know what?”

His gaze bore into mine. “I know what you’ve been doing behind my back, Ava.” His voice was sharp as a blade. “You’ve been sleeping with another Alpha.”

No.

The room erupted into a mix of gasps and murmurs. My stomach twisted violently.

“That’s a lie!” I snapped. “I would never—”

“Don’t bother denying it,” Lucas interrupted. “Not just any Alpha.” His voice lowered, full of venom. “My enemy.”

I choked on air.

This was Charlotte.

I turned to her, and there it was. The satisfied gleam in her eyes. The knowing smirk.

She had done this.

She had orchestrated this whole thing, painted me as the villain while she played the innocent victim.

I turned back to Lucas, my heart hammering. “I would never betray you.” My voice wavered, but I meant every word.

For a fleeting second, doubt flickered in his eyes. But it vanished the moment I uttered her name.

“After Mia…” I whispered.

Lucas stiffened.

His expression faltered, just for a moment. But then, as if forcing himself to forget, he hardened again.

“Leave.”

His voice was final.

“Get out of my sight!”

Something inside me snapped.

My jaw clenched, my hands curled into fists. My body screamed at me to beg, to plead for him to believe me.

But I wouldn’t.

Not anymore.

I straightened, lifting my chin, forcing my shoulders back.

I met his gaze, unflinching.

“You will regret this, Lucas.” My voice was steady, cold. “I promise you.”

Lucas barely blinked. “Guards.”

His tone was emotionless. “Throw her out!”

Heavy footsteps rushed toward me, but I didn’t fight. I didn’t resist.

Charlotte turned away, Lucas’s arm wrapped protectively around her.

I stood there, letting the whispers of the crowd wash over me. Letting their judgment press against my skin.

They thought this was over.

They thought I was powerless.

They had no idea what I can do.