Layla

[I accepted to become his rightful heir. Obey his every command— even if that meant bonding someone I didn’t choose.] My heart pounded as I typed my text.

Aiken Irwine—my father’s Beta—typed a message: [My old friend, Layla Dawson-Watts, has finally returned to who she used to be.]

[Tell my father to give me nine days. I need to break the bond with Alpha Tristan. After that, I’ll claim access to Naomi’s treatment.]

Aiken typed again: [Request Accepted. I’ll do as you say.]

Each keystroke was a quiet surrender—one last show of duty before everything changed.

It happened during the ringed lunar eclipse—nine years since I was bonded to Alpha Tristan.

That night, I watched him throw Naomi into a pool of starving piranhas.

“Where did you hide your mother’s heart?” he barked. “You can’t even hear me, can you?”

His hand closed around my throat, cutting off my breath.

“You’re deaf, not mute, Layla. I’ll ask again—where the fuck is it?”

Warm blood slid down my neck. I wanted to scream, but what for?

He had already chosen Rovena. The witch who twisted his mind with illusions and lies.

She made him believe I’d cheated—edited a video of me visiting an old friend and his mate, Naomi’s heart donor.

It was all a lie. But he saw what she wanted him to see. He didn’t question it. Didn’t ask me. He just… turned cold.

Then came the chains to my body. I couldn’t fight back.

Alpha Tristan let out a satisfied laugh as he watched me struggle against the chains.

He forced me to gave them my mother’s heart—the one I created after to save Naomi—or watch her die.

I swore I wouldn’t give in. Not even my life.

But when I saw Naomi, crying, pale, tied up like an offering—my heart broke.

“I don’t need to protect a sickly brat who’s not even my blood,” Alpha Tristan spat, lowering the pulley.

The fish tore into Naomi’s leg.

And I screamed—louder than I ever had. Not from the chains. From helplessness.

He walked away—left Naomi screaming, left me bleeding inside, just to save that treacherous bitch he fucked behind my back.

Nine years of loyalty, paid back with two years of betrayal. And to add insult to agony, I was made to care for his bastard son—while mine bled.

In my heart, I swore—Alpha Tristan would pay for what he did. To me. To Naomi.

In nine days, I’d sever the bond that tied me to the devil in Alpha’s skin and walk away from the abyss he shoved me into.

And when I return under the next lunar eclipse, I’ll drown Alpha Tristan into a pool of blood—one he carved with his own sins.

**

"It's for Naomi. How could you be so cruel, Alpha?" My voice breaking with every word.

"I don’t give a damn if she dies—or you, for that matter. Now for the last bloody time, where’s the heart?!"

His claws were already digging into my chest.

Above Naomi, the pulley creaked as the rope holding Naomi began to lower further.

I gave in. My eyes stung, raw from the flood of tears that had long dried on my cheeks.

On my knees, I whispered, “The heart’s in my mum’s old lab.”

My heart sank, rage tangled up in helplessness.

Five bloody years of fighting—gone. All because Alpha Tristan took my mum’s heart… just to save another woman’s.

I remembered he used to be just a lone he-wolf with no name and no past. No parents. He drifted into my world of elite heirs and gifted misfits.

He stood on the fringes, afraid to touch anything too bright—until I told him I didn’t give a damn about his bloodline, or the fact he was a hybrid. A taboo but I didn’t care.

That’s when he started believing in me. In us.

We stopped hiding. When my father—the Supreme Alpha—discovered our relationship, Alpha Tristan didn’t back down.

He challenged our strongest warrior. Ligaments torn. Shoulder shattered. He was hospitalised for weeks.

“I’m not giving up,” he’d whispered through gritted teeth. “This injury won’t stop me loving you, Layla.”

I’d cried that day. Pride and gratitude overflowing.

And when he built his pack from the ground up, I was right there with him—Naomi still growing inside me.

“I’ll give you the world, and our pup too, Luna Layla.”

At our Mating Ceremony, he’d vowed, “I, Alpha Tristan, mark you as my mate and Luna of Rage Willow Pack.”

I was swept away.

Back then, I thought no she-wolf could be luckier—loved by an Alpha who would tear the world apart just to build a life with me.

But it all turned to ash. Jealousy, bitterness—something began to rot him from within.

And then she came. Rovena Everille.

With her cursed heart and twisted dark magic, she slithered into his life, all weakness and deception wrapped in soft words.

“She’s got a heart condition, Luna Layla,” Alpha Tristan had said. “She’s the last of the Sagittarius Coven-my Coven. She needs help.”

And I believed every damn word that left his mouth.

But the moment their pheromones mixed in the air—in our bed—I didn’t need proof anymore.

He lied. Over and over. Used our daughter as an excuse for his lust.

“You’re a mother too. You know what it feels like—helpless—when your child needs a donor, right, sweetheart? You always be in my heart. She will never replace you.”

I was numb. I buried my shattered heart beneath silence. Pretended everything was fine.

All for Naomi. She didn’t need to know what kind of monster her father had become. She deserved to believe he was still the hero she once adored.

“Mum...my, I’m scared.“ Her voice hoarse.

“Let Naomi go! Can’t you see she’s barely breathing?” I screamed, my voice echoing through the bitter night.

“She’s not mine,” he snapped. His eyes glowed blood-red.

He stepped closer—towering over our daughter as she gasped above the pool’s edge.

And he laughed.

Laughed like it was a game. A sick circus act testing how close she could get to death without falling in.

“She’s yours, Alpha Tristan! I swear on the Moon Goddess, she’s your daughter! Please… show mercy!”

I dropped to my knees, forehead pressed to his boots.

He didn’t blink.

Rovena had blinded his soul. She stole my mum’s heart—the one I’d fought to preserve so I could transplant it into Naomi.

“You pathetic bitch,” he growled. “You’ve already wasted enough of my time. When I return with Rovena, I want an apology—on your knees, mouth shut. Or with blood. Whichever gets the job done.”

Then he kicked me. Not like his kind. Like I was filth. Something to be scraped off his shoe.

My pelvis cracked against the steel pool edge. My elbow shattered. I couldn’t move my arm.

My head slammed down—And I lay there, crumpled. Useless. Broken.

“You should be thanking me,” he sneered. “For not ripping out your fucking heart, Luna.”

And with that, he left. A flick of his fingers—The pulley snapped. The rope dropped.

Naomi cried but couldn’t hear her voice.

Below her, piranhas churned the water. Their fins sliced through the surface, teeth gleaming as they swarmed beneath her dangling feet.

“Mummy. It hurts…” She shut her eyes. Still. Silent. So heartbreakingly small.

I screamed—until my throat felt like it was on fire.

Then… the moon shifted. The shadow moved.

And I felt it. My power surged back through me like a storm.

I tore through the chains, muscles burning as they snapped from my limbs.

I rose—feet off the ground, heart thundering.

I flew to Naomi. Caught her just as her tiny frame began to fall.

“Mummy’s here, love,” I whispered. “I’ve got you. Just hold on. We’re going to the hospital. You’re safe now.”

I rushed Naomi to the same hospital where my mother once received treatment.

Swallowing my pride, I called a number I hadn’t touched since the day I gave birth to Naomi.

“Hello, Beta Aiken. It’s me—Layla.”

“By the Moon Goddess,” he breathed. “Finally. I can bloody breathe again. This about the hybrid girl?” His voice curled with sarcasm at the end.

“Yeah. I need your help. Naomi’s in bad shape.”

“I understand,” Beta Aiken said. “I’ll make arrangements to bring you home. And I’ll submit Naomi’s case to the Elder Council for the best medical support available.”

I hung up the call with a steady heart. The nine years I’d spent bound to Alpha Tristan would be reduced to nine days, starting tonight.

Layla

I’d been waiting for over an hour, pacing restlessly outside the emergency wing, my whole body trembling.

I couldn’t sit still, couldn’t think straight.

My ears kept ringing, the pressure on my hearing getting worse by the second.

Then, the Moon Goddess granted me her blessing. I could hear the sound of Naomi’s heart monitor.

Then the door swung open and Dr Francis¬—my mum’s old friend stepped out. The moment he saw me, he pulled down his mask and gestured with a tilt of his head for me to follow him into his office.

“She’s lost a lot of blood,” he said, his voice serious. “If you’d arrived even a little later, she wouldn’t have made it.”

“Is Naomi going to survive?” I asked, barely breathing.

He paused, clearly reluctant to answer. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, thank the Moon Goddess. How's Naomi?" I asked him straight away.

“I’m sorry, Luna Layla. One of her legs is still functional—she might walk again. But her heart… she’s only got three months left, at best—and that’s with constant support from the hospital’s Healers.”

“Then do whatever it takes,” I said firmly. “I’ll get her heart stabiliser serum.”

He nodded, and without wasting another second, I drove straight back to the pack house.

As I sped down the road, my mind pulled me back—five years ago.

Naomi was born with a weak heart. The prognosis had been brutal: her inner wolf might never awaken. I nearly lost my mind… until Alpha Tristan pulled me back from the edge.

“I’ll do anything for our daughter,” he’d said. “She’s a gift from the Moon Goddess—the last girl born under the Sagittarius witch bloodline.”

Those words became my anchor through endless dark nights, as I searched desperately for a heart donor.

Failure after failure, but Tristan stood by me. He held me through every breakdown. Whispered that hope still existed.

And then—I found it. A perfect match. From someone in my own bloodline.

My mother. I was ready to give up my own heart, but she beat me to it.

Then came the explosion in my lab. The radiation leak.

I lost my hearing—something that shouldn’t even be possible for a werewolf.

But it happened. Silence wrapped around my world like a shroud.

Mum offered her heart without hesitation. “Finish your research,” she told me. “I believe in you.”

I returned to the pack house to collect Naomi’s blood samples, so I could run some proper tests and get accurate results.

But the moment I stepped through the front doors, a scent hit me—sharp and unmistakable.

Rovena’s pheromones… mixed with Alpha Tristan’s seed.

I crept towards the master bedroom, heart pounding—and through the tiny crack in the door, I saw them.

Naked. Twisted around each other on our bed, sweat clinging to the sheets I once called heaven.

My heart shattered. The betrayal hit me like a silver bullet. I blacked out.

The next morning, I woke to find Alpha Tristan beside me, carrying a tray of breakfast and a glass of water.

“Here, love,” he said, his hand movements in sign language. “Take your meds. You fainted last night. Doctor said you’re just overworked.”

His eyes looked the same, but the bond between us was dead. There was no spark left—just the cold ashes of a once-burning love.

“I came for Naomi’s blood samples. I’ll be on my way,” I said flatly.

“Need a warrior to escort you?” he asked, stroking my cheek like we were still lovers.

I turned away. I couldn’t bear the lies written all over his face.

I knew exactly what he wanted—to get me out of the house so he could go back to fucking her, undisturbed.

Fine. He could have her. I was done.

Love was dead. Trust, obliterated. All that remained was ice.

“I won’t be funding your research any longer, Luna,” Alpha Tristan snapped at the interpreter beside him.

He no longer spoke to me directly in sign language—he wouldn’t even look at me.

“I thought the pack’s finances were stable.”

“They are. You’re the problem. You broke my trust. You cheated—with your best friend.”

He slammed a photo down in front of me—me and my best friend outside a hotel.

“I went there to help him say goodbye to his dying mate!” I snapped.

But Alpha Tristan had already made up his mind. He waved a journal at me—one forged in handwriting like mine.

Pages filled with lies, saying I’d lusted after my best friend and regretted mating with Alpha Tristan.

I never wrote that bloody journal. But I knew who did.

From that day, he treated me like dirt.

He cheated first. Then painted me the villain.

As I stepped into the main hall of the pack house, Rovena’s dark aura slammed into me like a wall.

She stood there with arms folded, eyes dripping arrogance.

“No wonder you’d rather stay away from the pack,” her voice slipped into my mind with her magic, like poison.

“And no wonder you prefer crawling all over someone else’s mate,” I shot back. “Shouldn’t you be off turning frogs into coconuts or whatever it is half-baked witches like you do? Mistress? Don’t make me laugh.”

Her face turned a deep shade of purple—but she caught herself, switching tactics.

“Your reign is over, Luna Layla,” she hissed.

“Not yet, Rovena. You have no idea what I’m capable of.”

“Ooh, scary. But thanks, really. Knowing Tristan finally got that heart—it’s made me so excited to face you.”

She chipped away at my mental defences. My fists clenched. My claws pierced skin.

“I’m not just some mistress—I’ll be her Luna. The next Lady of this house. You and your brat can rot.”

I slapped her. Hard.

She needed to be reminded of her place.

But the damn witch was ready for it.

She snatched a candle off the shelf, burned her own face, and screamed bloody murder.

“I’m sorry, Luna! Why did you do this to me?!” she wailed at the top of her lungs.

Alpha Tristan stormed in, eyes glowing red, claws out. He didn’t even hesitate.

He grabbed me by the throat and lifted me clean off the floor.

“You dared lay a hand on Rovena?! Is this how a Luna behaves?”

I thrashed, shaking my head, trying to explain—but his grip silenced everything.

“My face—aaaah! It burns!” Rovena cried behind him, her voice a perfect blend of agony and deceit.

He threw me to the ground like garbage. My spine lit up in pain, but the betrayal cut deeper.

“Pray I find it in my heart to forgive you, Luna Layla,” he spat. Then barked with Alpha Tone, “Warrior, lock her in the dungeon.”

Two warriors appeared, each grabbing an arm.

“No! Naomi’s in the hospital—she needs me!” I shouted.

“You think I care?” Alpha Tristan sneered. “I’ll drag you through hell itself if you ever touch Rovena again.”

Then he carried her out, like some precious prize.

I caught one last look at Rovena’s face as they disappeared down the corridor.

She was smiling.

I crumpled to the floor. My head pounded. The room spun. I could smell the silver in the dungeon air.

And then—darkness.

I prayed to the Moon Goddess, hoping this wasn’t the end. I needed to get out before this hell completely burned my soul to ashes.

Layla

The moment I opened my eyes, the thick stench of damp stone and mildew hit me like a wall.

The cold bite of the underground cell, the water dripping from the ceiling, the iron bars—everything told me I was still here.

Alpha Tristan hadn’t even bothered to take me to a hospital.

I lay on a thin pile of straw that barely passed as a bed. My stomach ached like something inside me had been torn apart.

My vision was blurry, but I could make out a figure by my side—Doctor Carr, adjusting the IV in my arm.

He used to be gentle, kind. Now he looked like a man walking on shards of glass. Like I was a ticking time bomb.

“Ah, you’re awake, Luna,” he said, his voice low but laced with relief—and guilt.

“How long have I been unconscious?” I asked, barely managing a whisper.

Instead of answering, he handed me a folded medical report. Neatly printed, official letterhead and all—Pack Hospital’s seal stamped at the bottom.

I read it slowly. Every sentence sliced deeper than any blade.

Patient exposed to high levels of airborne silver particles... miscarriage confirmed approximately 2–3 hours after maximum exposure... foetus estimated at 3–4 weeks...

My hands shook. I didn’t even know I was pregnant.

I blinked rapidly, willing it all to be a nightmare. But it wasn’t. It was real.

The only night it could’ve happened—was during the last mating season.

Alpha Tristan had come to me drunk, reeking of wine, his eyes bloodshot. He wrapped his arms around me, slurred sweet words, dragged me into bed... and I let him.

I clenched my jaw. Now that memory made my skin crawl.

“Why didn’t anyone tell me?” I whispered. “And Naomi... why haven’t I been taken to see her? What’s going on?”

Dr Carr lowered his gaze. “I’ve... been instructed not to answer questions about that.”

I stared at him sharply, wanting to let my emotions out—but what’s the point? Dr Carr was just following someone else’s orders.

Before he could reply, footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor.

Rovena entered. She looked refreshed—almost radiant.

The burns on her face had all but healed, hidden under flawless makeup. That smug little smirk still sat perfectly on her lips.

“Out,” she ordered coldly. “We need a little girl talk.”

Dr. Carr hesitated, clearly torn, but left anyway.

“I want to see Naomi. Let me out,” I said, my voice trembling.

Rovena didn’t say a word. She just stared at me, her eyes glowing faintly.

Then, I heard her voice—inside my head.

“No need to raise your voice, darling. Words only cloud emotions. Let me show you the truth.”

She reached out and before I could recoil, her fingers brushed my temple.

A surge of magic rippled through the air. The world around me twisted and shifted.

I saw Rovena standing just outside Naomi’s hospital room.

“I’m here on behalf of Luna Layla. She’s currently handling matters with the Rage Willow Pack alongside Alpha Tristan,” she told one of the administrative nurses, who then guided her toward Dr. Francis.

Rovena handed over an official letter of authority, complete with Alpha Tristan’s signature.

“She won’t make it,” Dr. Francis’s voice echoed through the vision. “But we could keep Naomi alive for a few more weeks if—”

“No,” Rovena cut him off sharply. “Alpha Tristan and Luna Layla have instructed me to bring Naomi back to the Pack House.”

“No… NO!” My voice caught in my throat, strangled by dread.

The next image shattered what was left of my heart.

Naomi—my daughter—her tiny body laid out stiff and cold, wrapped in a white blanket.

Rovena stood over her lifeless form, a satisfied smile curling on her lips.

“You and your mother have always been in my way,” she sneered. “Soon enough, your mum will join you in hell.”

“NO, NAOMI!” I screamed. “DAMN YOU, ROVENA!”

"Go ahead and grieve all you want. One pebble out of the way. My child should be Tristan’s heir, not that crippled thing."

Owen. Their bastard child.

My body shook uncontrollably. Tears streamed down my cheeks. The world fell apart around me.

“Please...” I choked. “Let me out. Just tell me where her grave is... please.”

Rovena smiled, slow and predatory, like a lion savouring the last breath of a dying deer.

“You can leave... if you do exactly as I say.”

“Really?” I said quickly, defeated. “I’ll do anything.”

She leaned in close, her breath brushing my ear.

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll scrub the dishes. Muck out the animal stalls. And when Owen cries at night, you’ll be the one to rock him back to sleep. You’ll be his babysitter, Layla. Not the Luna.”

I stared at her, stunned.

She stood straight, smoothed out her designer dress, then headed for the door. Just before stepping out, she turned back with a devilish grin.

“Oh, and don’t forget... Owen’s birthday party is next week. Make sure you show up in your omega uniform, yeah? No acting high and mighty. You’ll be his nanny—in front of the entire pack.”

She gave a little giggle, then vanished beyond the bars.

I collapsed back onto the floor.

The world spun. My heart felt hollow. I hadn’t just lost Naomi.

I’d lost my dignity. My future. Even my identity as her mother.

All that remained... was pain.

But beneath the agony, something else stirred. A flame.

I would endure what I had to—until the day I made them pay.