My three-year-old son, Ethan, strayed into rogue territory and was brutally murdered. When the news reached me, I blacked out.

I woke up to my Alpha mate, Alexander, gripping my hand tightly. His voice was hoarse with grief. "Ivy, I swear I will avenge Ethan. I will tear those damned rogues apart with my own claws."

But three days later, at the funeral, I overheard a conversation between Alexander and his Beta, Marcus.

"Alpha, I don't understand," Marcus sounded confused. "Why didn't you let the pack doctor save Ethan? He was only critically injured. If we had acted in time..."

"It was Lucas. He accidentally pushed Ethan toward the rogue territory," Alexander’s voice was laced with pain. "Lucas was just a child who didn't know the rogue borders. He didn’t mean it."

"If I let the doctor save Ethan, the boy would have told everyone the truth. Sophia would go to jail, and the Council would sentence Lucas to death. I couldn't let that happen." Alexander continued.

"But what about the pack's heir?" Marcus asked, worried.

"It doesn't matter," Alexander’s tone returned to a chilling calm. "Once Ivy calms down, I'll bring Lucas back. We’ll say he’s an adopted orphan and have the next Alpha raised by Ivy herself."

So, the person who killed my son was his illegitimate child with his mistress.

My son could have been saved, but Alexander sacrificed my Ethan for his bastard.

I dialed a number I hadn't called in five years.

"Dad, it's me. Ivy."

"I’ve changed my mind," my voice was cold and steady. "I’m coming back to inherit the Royal Pack."

"And what about the Moonstone Pack?"

"I want the Moonstone Pack erased from existence."

"Alpha, I don't understand. Why didn't you let the doctor save Ethan?" Marcus asked, his voice filled with confusion. "He was alive when we found him."

Alexander sighed heavily. "You don't understand. Ethan recognized Lucas's scent. He would definitely report the killer once he wakes up."

My heart stopped beating.

"What?" Marcus gasped.

"Lucas pushed Ethan toward the rogue border. But he didn’t mean it! He is just a pup who didn't know the rogue borders." Alexander admitted. "If the doctor saved Ethan, Sophia would be imprisoned, and the Council would demand Lucas's execution. I couldn't allow that."

Sophia. The name froze the blood in my veins. Alexander’s first love.

"But... Alpha, that was your son!" Marcus exclaimed in disbelief.

"I know," Alexander’s voice trembled. "But Lucas is my son, too."

I clamped my hand over my mouth, stifling the scream that threatened to tear through my throat.

"What about the succession?" Marcus asked.

"It’s fine," Alexander said. "I'll bring Lucas into the pack once Ivy is stable. We'll claim he's a war orphan. Ivy will raise the future Alpha as her own."

My world collapsed.

My husband, the mate I had loved for five years, had betrayed me long ago. He had a mistress and a pup. To protect them, he watched our son die.

Hatred flooded my veins.

I wanted to rush out and scream at him. Was everything a lie? He had sworn an oath to the Moon Goddess to be faithful to me, his Luna, for eternity.

I waited until their footsteps faded before I stood up from behind the tombstone. My tears had dried, replaced by a glacial coldness.

Alexander thought he could fool me. He thought I would be stupid enough to raise my son's murderer.

He was wrong.

I would make him pay in blood.

Back at the Pack House, I walked straight into Alexander’s study. He was processing paperwork and put on a concerned face when he saw me.

"Ivy, are you okay? I know today was hard..."

"I want to sever the mate bond," I cut him off.

The pen dropped from his hand. He stared at me in shock. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You heard me," I said, my voice terrifyingly calm. "I want to reject you."

He stood up immediately, trying to pull me into a hug. "Ivy, you're grieving. We can't make impulsive decisions just because we're emotional."

I took a step back, dodging his touch. A flash of hurt crossed his eyes.

"It's not impulsive," I stared into his eyes, looking for guilt but finding none. "There is no point in us continuing."

Alexander looked at me deeply, reaching out to stroke my cheek. "Baby, I know losing Ethan is a huge blow to us both. I'm hurting too. But we will get through this. We can have more pups."

More pups?

I almost laughed out loud. Did he plan to use me as a breeding machine, only to discard my children again when it suited him?

Suddenly, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen, and his face paled.

"Daddy?" A young boy's voice came through the speaker. "I have a fever. It hurts..."

My heart turned to ice. That voice... that boy calling Alexander "Daddy"... was Lucas.

Alexander gripped the phone tightly. "Where are you? Is your mom there?"

"Mommy is sick too. We're home, but I'm scared..." The boy sobbed.

"Don't be scared. I am coming," Alexander said, panic written all over his face.

He hung up and turned to me. "Ivy, there’s a pack emergency I need to handle. We'll talk later, okay?"

A pack emergency?

"Go," I sneered.

Alexander rushed out of the study. I stood there, watching him leave, the hatred in my chest burning brighter.

My phone pinged. A message from an unknown number.

I opened it.

It was a photo: Alexander and a blonde woman, naked in bed together.

More photos flooded in. Alexander kissing her forehead. A family portrait of the three of them. Alexander holding a little boy's hand in the park.

That boy was Lucas.

Then came the texts, each one a dagger to the heart.

Surprise? Alexander's real family is here.

What did you think you were? You’re just a tool. He only marked you for your White Wolf power.

By the way, do you know why your wolf has been silent? Alexander has been dosing your food with Wolfsbane. He was afraid you'd threaten my position if you awakened.

You’re pathetic. You couldn't even sense your own mate cheating. It’s good your son died; he was just an extra burden anyway. Hurry up and make room for us.

Wolfsbane...

I nearly crushed my phone. It was a rare poison used to suppress a wolf's spirit permanently. I thought my wolf was dormant because of my pregnancy.

It turned out Alexander had been plotting against me from the start.

I was a rare White Wolf. Mating with me granted the Moon Goddess's blessing and immense Alpha power.

But once he got the power, he didn't need me anymore. So he poisoned me to keep me as his docile, puppet Luna.

Sophia. Alexander. Just you wait.

I dialed my father's number.

"Dad, prepare an antidote for Wolfsbane."

"Wolfsbane? Who dares use that on my daughter?" My father’s voice thundered with rage.

"I'll handle them myself, Dad," I said firmly.

"Fine. The antidote will be ready in three days. I'll send the enforcers to bring you home then."

I hung up with a cold sneer. Three days.

The full moon would be in three days. Once my wolf awakened, I would strip Alexander of every blessing I had ever given him.

The next morning, a commotion erupted outside.

Alexander’s car pulled up. He stepped out, followed by the blonde woman from the photos holding a boy of about five or six.

Sophia and Lucas.

Alexander flashed me a gentle smile, acting as if nothing had happened yesterday.

"Ivy, there's someone I want you to meet," he led the boy toward me. "This is Lucas. I adopted him from the orphanage. I thought... maybe he could be our son."

I looked at the boy. He had Alexander’s green eyes and brown hair. If I didn't know the truth, I might have believed the adoption story.

"And this is Sophia," Alexander gestured to the woman. "She took care of Lucas at the orphanage. I was worried he wouldn't adjust well, so I hired her to help with the transition."

Sophia nodded at me, a polite, practiced smile on her face. "It's an honor to meet you, Luna. I heard about your loss, and I'm so sorry. I'll do my best to help Lucas settle in without disturbing you."

She spoke perfectly. If I didn't know better, I’d think she was a saint.

Suddenly, Lucas looked up at Alexander, his eyes shining. "Daddy, can I live here? It's way bigger than the orphanage!"

Daddy.

The word made Alexander freeze.

Lucas realized his mistake and quickly corrected himself. "I mean... Alpha Alexander."

Too late.

Alexander crouched down, forcing a warm tone. "Of course you can live here. And you don't need to call me Alpha. Just call me Dad."

He looked up at me nervously. "Ivy, I know this is sudden. But seeing you in so much pain over Ethan... I thought Lucas could fill the void. We can love him like our own."

I watched his pathetic performance.

"You think a stranger's kid can replace my dead son?" I asked flatly.

Panic flickered in Alexander's eyes. "No, that's not what I meant. No one can replace Ethan. I just... I didn't want you to be lonely."

"How thoughtful," I scoffed. "And you brought a nanny, too. You really thought of everything."

Sophia’s smile stiffened. "Luna, I understand your grief. If my presence bothers you, I can stay in the staff quarters."

"No need," I looked at her fake face. "Since Alexander arranged it, stay here."

The pack wouldn't exist in two days anyway. It didn't matter where she slept.

Lucas clapped his hands. "Yay! Can I see my room?"

"Go ahead," Alexander nodded. "Explore the whole house."

I watched Lucas skip up the stairs, hatred bubbling in my chest.

Moments later, a shrill voice echoed from upstairs.

"What an ugly thing! So unlucky!"

My heart dropped. That came from Ethan's room.

I ran upstairs and pushed open the door.

Lucas was standing by Ethan's bed, holding a wolf-tooth necklace. It was Ethan's most treasured possession; he believed it made him brave.

"Put that down!" I lunged at Lucas.

Lucas gave me a sly grin, deliberately dropped the necklace, and stomped on it.

Snap. The tooth shattered.

"Dead people's stuff is bad luck!" Lucas gloated. "This is my room now!"

Blind rage took over. I shoved Lucas aside and dropped to my knees, trying to gather the fragments.

"Ethan... I'm sorry... Mommy couldn't protect your treasure..." Tears streamed down my face.

Sophia rushed in, scooped up Lucas, and let out a piercing scream.

"Help! She's trying to kill Lucas!"

Alexander stormed in. He saw Lucas on the floor, Sophia crying, and me clutching the broken necklace. His face went dark.

"Ivy! What are you doing?"

I looked up, eyes burning with hate. "He broke Ethan's necklace on purpose!"

"I didn't!" Lucas cried immediately, fake tears filling his eyes. "I just wanted to see the pretty necklace, but the Luna pushed me! I fell and dropped it..."

Disappointment and anger filled Alexander's gaze.

"Enough!" he roared. "Ivy, you've gone too far! Lucas is just a child. He just lost his friends at the orphanage and came to a strange place. How could you treat him like this?"

"I didn't—"

Slap!

The sound echoed through the room.

The force of Alexander's hand sent me to the floor. My cheek burned.

"You disappoint me," Alexander glared down at me with disgust. "When did you become so vicious? Are you so jealous that you'd hurt an innocent child?"

I held my cheek, staring at him with cold detachment.

Sophia held Lucas tight, feigning worry, but I caught the smirk she couldn't quite hide.

"Forget it, Alexander," she whispered. "Maybe we shouldn't stay. I can take Lucas away before..."

"No!" Alexander turned to her. "You don't need to leave. You did nothing wrong."

He reached out to help me up, but I flinched away.

As they walked out, I heard Sophia’s sobbing voice from the hallway.

"Alexander, I'm really worried. If Ivy hates Lucas this much... I'm afraid she'll actually hurt him. After all..." she paused for effect, "Lucas is the heir now. If something happens to him..."

"It won't," Alexander vowed. "I won't let anyone hurt Lucas."

That night, Alexander dragged me to the Pack Healer’s quarters.

The air was thick with the smell of herbs. The old Healer was mixing a bowl of foul-smelling liquid that bubbled with a sickly green foam.

"What the hell is this?" I stared at the bowl.

Alexander didn't answer. He simply signaled the guards behind him.

Two burly enforcers rushed forward and pinned my arms down.

"Alexander! What are you doing?!" I struggled with everything I had, but their grip was iron-clad.

"It’s a sterilization draft," the Healer rasped. "Once you drink this, you will never be able to conceive again."

My blood ran cold. "No! You can't do this!"

Alexander crouched down, reaching out to touch my face, but I jerked away violently.

"Ivy, this is for your own good," his tone was gentle, but his words were cruel. "Your wolf is dormant. Your body can't handle the strain of carrying an Alpha heir. Instead of risking your life with another pregnancy, sterilization is the safer option. It’s better for your health."

"What kind of bullshit is that?!" I glared at him. "My wolf is dormant because you poisoned me!"

Alexander’s breath hitched for a fraction of a second, a flicker of unease crossing his eyes, but it was instantly replaced by a look of deep hurt. "Poison? Ivy, you're overthinking things again. Your wolf didn't go dormant because of me—she went dormant because of your pregnancy."

He stepped closer, reaching out to brush a stray hair from my forehead. "Regardless, we can focus on raising Lucas now. He will make a fine heir."

He stood up and nodded to the Healer to begin.

"And besides, no matter what happens, you will always be my only Luna."

The two guards pinched my cheeks, forcing my jaw open.

The vile liquid was poured down my throat. I gagged, trying to spit it out, but they clamped my nose shut, forcing me to swallow.

"No... don't..." My voice was already failing.

As the liquid hit my stomach, a searing pain spread through my abdomen. It felt like a thousand knives were twisting inside me.

I curled up on the floor, agony rolling through me in waves, cold sweat soaking my clothes.

The pain intensified, tearing me apart from the inside out.

"Alexander..." I used my last ounce of strength to look at him. "I hate you... I hate you..."

Then, darkness swallowed everything.

I woke up in my own room a day later.

My body still throbbed, but the acute pain had faded. I knew then—I would never have children again.

I pushed the door open and stepped into the hallway. Several trash bags were piled outside Ethan’s room, stuffed with his toys, clothes, and drawings. A new sign hung on the door: Lucas's Room.

The door to the master bedroom—my bedroom—was shut tight. Inside, I could hear Sophia’s soft voice soothing Lucas to sleep.

I wanted to smash everything in sight, but I held back.

Just a little longer. Tonight, it all ends.

"Looks like you've adjusted to the new arrangement."

Sophia walked out of the master bedroom, holding an exquisite necklace. The pendant was a small crystal vial containing grayish-white powder.

My blood froze.

That was Ethan’s ashes. I had kept a small portion after his cremation to keep him close to me.

"What are you doing with that?" My voice trembled.

Sophia ran her finger over the pendant, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "This junk takes up too much space in the jewelry box. I figured since it's useless anyway, I might as well throw it out."

"No!" I lunged at her. "Give it back! That’s my son..."

But Sophia was prepared. She took a step back and deliberately opened her hand.

The necklace hit the floor. The crystal vial shattered, and the ashes scattered across the hardwood.

"Oops. It slipped," she said, feigning innocence. "My bad."

Rage consumed my sanity. I raised my hand and slapped her across the face with everything I had.

Slap!

The crisp sound echoed through the hallway.

Sophia cupped her cheek, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. "Ivy... how could you hit me? It was an accident..."

"An accident?" My voice was hoarse. "You did that on purpose! You desecrated my son's ashes!"

At that moment, Alexander rushed up the stairs.

"What's going on? I heard screaming..." He saw the red handprint on Sophia's face and the debris on the floor. "Ivy! Why are you hitting people again?"

"She destroyed Ethan's ashes!" I pointed at the gray powder on the floor, my voice cracking. "That was the last piece of my son I had left!"

Alexander frowned, glancing at the shattered glass. "Don't make a scene over something so trivial."

Trivial?

I looked at him in disbelief. "You think this is trivial?"

"I mean..." Alexander realized his poor choice of words and quickly backpedaled. "Of course, I understand you're upset. But Sophia didn't mean to do it. Look, I'll have the jeweler make you a new necklace. One even prettier than this."

He walked over, trying to placate me. "Stop causing trouble. We have important business today. The banquet is about to start. We need to officially announce Lucas as the heir."

Alexander’s eyes lit up with excitement. "And guess what? The Alpha King sent an envoy to attend the banquet! This could be our chance to form an alliance with the Royal Pack!"

He grabbed my hand, completely ignoring the fury on my face. "Go get changed. We need to make a good impression on the Royal Pack's envoy tonight. This is crucial for our pack's future!"

Just then, my phone vibrated. I glanced down to see a message from my father.

James has arrived.

I put the phone away and nodded at Alexander. "Fine. I'll get ready."

Alexander smiled, satisfied. "That's my girl. Tonight is going to be a historic moment for our pack."

I turned and walked away, heading straight for the back exit of the Pack House.

Behind the mountain, a black helicopter sat silently in the clearing. A middle-aged man in a sharp black suit stood by the cabin door. It was James, my father's Royal Beta.

"Little Princess," James bowed respectfully. "The King asked me to bring this to you."

He handed me a small vial filled with a liquid that glowed with a faint silver light.

"The antidote for Wolfsbane."

I took the vial and downed it without hesitation.

The moment the liquid hit my system, I felt a dormant power surge through my veins. My wolf—my White Wolf that had been asleep for three years—finally began to wake.

I smirked, my eyes cold. "Let's go. Alexander is waiting to welcome the Royal Pack's envoy."