My husband mated with his step sister. Not once, not twice, but over and over again. And the worst part is, he didn’t even hide it. I heard it myself. Inside our home, the same home where he once marked me as his Luna.

Every corner that used to feel like ours now felt tainted, from the bed to the couch to the kitchen counter.

I stood outside the hallway frozen, my body refusing to move as if even breathing had turned into something foreign.

“Samuel,” Ivy's voice came soft and needy, “When are you going to reject her? You promised me you would.”

“Soon, baby. Just not now… She’s still breaking over our twins.”

Our twins. A son and a daughter. He said it so easily, as if those words didn’t split what was left of me, while another woman lay with him.

“Poor Clara. Still crying over dead pups. Honestly, I don’t even know how you tolerate her anymore. But don’t worry,” she added, “I’ll give you another set of heir. I’ll carry your pups. I’ll get pregnant soon.”

Silence.

“I’m counting on it, Ivy.”

My fingers curled until my nails broke. I didn’t move, I just held myself together by force because falling apart there would have meant giving them my last piece.

“Tell me the truth, Alpha. Do you really love her? Your Luna?”

A longer silence followed, heavy enough to crush everything inside me.

“Yes. I love Clara. She's my bonded mate.”

Bonded mate?

He still said it like it meant something, as if it wasn’t another lie he had learned to carry without weight.

I stepped back before my legs gave out, forcing air into lungs that suddenly felt too small.

My mate. My Alpha. The man the Willoughby Pack feared and worshiped, the same man who once crossed frozen mountains to bring me chestnut cake because I mentioned it once. Now he stood in our home speaking love while dismantling everything he had built inside me.

Thirteen days.

That was all I needed.

Thirteen days until my human exit papers were approved.

Thirteen days until I could legally leave pack territory and disappear into the human world where the bond couldn’t pull me back.

...

I went to the consulate the next morning. My hands shook so badly I almost dropped my documents.

“Hello,” I said quietly. “I want to apply for an exit permit.”

The clerk didn’t even look surprised. Just stamped everything like I was already gone.

“Processing time is thirteen days. Please wait for confirmation.”

When I walked out, voices followed me, low whispers sharp with curiosity.

“Wait! That’s Luna Clara Willoughby, right?”

“She’s applying to leave the pack?”

“No way. Alpha Samuel is obsessed with her. Like insane obsessed! Didn’t he drain half his blood for her after that accident?”

“I heard when she went missing once, he turned the whole city upside down. He nearly killed three guards.”

“Then why is she leaving him?”

A laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it.

Because that was what everyone saw, a devoted Alpha and his precious Luna. They never saw what lived behind closed doors, how his voice changed when Ivy called him, how his hands once held me like I was sacred then began to hold me like I was optional.

I remember how it started. He saw me at a pack gathering years ago and decided I was his. No asking. No warning. After that, he flooded my life with gifts, jewelry, rare herbs, and entire territories placed under my name. He lit the sky with fireworks across the pack border for three nights straight just because I smiled once.

When I said I liked chestnut cake, he crossed frozen mountain roads alone to bring it to me. His hands were bleeding from frostbite when he arrived, yet he still smiled like it was worth it.

When my parents died in a rogue attack, he abandoned a war meeting with three allied packs just to come to me. He held me until grief had nothing left to take.

“I’m here, Clara,” he whispered back then. “You are mine. I will always protect what is mine.”

I believed him. I believed him so completely I gave him everything, my name, my life, my body, my bond.

Even after our twins were born, a son and a daughter, even after we buried their tiny bodies when they only had two winters in this world, I stayed. That was where something inside me finally stopped healing.

Nine months ago, I started noticing things. Her scent on him, on our couch, on the sheets I used to fold for him. At first I told myself I was imagining it, that my mind was turning on itself.

Then I heard her voice inside my home. Everything after that fell apart without sound.

I stood on the sidewalk gripping my papers because they were the only thing keeping me upright.

“Clara,” I whispered to myself, “how long are you going to stay dead while still breathing?”

No answer came.

So I got into the cab, told the driver to take me to the Willoughby Estate, not because I was going back to him, but because I was finally done pretending I still belonged to a man who had already given me away.

...

The moment I stepped into the villa, I felt it.

The air was off. Thick. Heavy. There was a scent clinging everywhere, sweet but rotten underneath. My wolf stirred uneasily.

My stomach turned before my eyes even found them.

Samuel was standing near the wall, adjusting silver ribbons and flowers for decoration.

And beside him… Ivy Rose.

She stood too close. Smiling. Watching him with that soft, claiming look that made my skin crawl.

When the door shut behind me, the sound echoed louder than it should have.

Samuel turned.

For a second, his hands stopped moving. Then he stepped down slowly and walked toward me, already changing his face. The cold Alpha everyone feared was gone in a blink.

His eyes softened. His lips curved.

That same smile.

The one I used to think was only for me.

“Clara,” he said gently, reaching for me. “Baby, why are you wearing so little? It’s cold tonight. You’ll get sick. Didn’t you go out with your friends? Why come home early? I was setting something up for you. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

A surprise.

My eyes lifted to his neck.

There it was. A fresh mark sitting right where my teeth used to leave mine.

My chest tightened so hard I thought I would break right there.

“Clara,” Ivy’s voice were sweet but sharp underneath, “you’re really lucky, you know that? My step-brother Alpha Samuel cares about you so much. He prepared all this just for your fifth anniversary.”

Her hand lifted and pointed. My gaze followed without thinking and there were gifts stacked neatly on the sofa. Boxes wrapped in silk, ribbons tied perfectly.

And underneath them, a dark, damp stain spread across the fabric.

That smell. That same smell that hit me the moment I walked in.

My fingers curled at my sides.

So this is what he calls love…?

Right here… next to the gifts he bought for me?

The pain didn’t come all at once. It spread slowly, sinking deeper until it reached somewhere I couldn’t touch.

I stayed quiet. What else was there to say?

Samuel walked closer. He opened a small velvet box and took out a delicate silver necklace, a moonstone hanging at the center. My Luna stone.

He stepped behind me and brushed my hair aside.

“Happy anniversary, Clara,” he murmured softly. “I had dinner prepared for us tonight. Just you and me. I thought… maybe it would make you smile again.”

His fingers were warm against my skin as he fastened it.

I felt cold. So cold I couldn’t even feel my own heartbeat properly.

I pulled away.

“I don’t want it,” I said quietly. “I don’t feel well.”

Every second near him made my chest hurt more.

He frowned immediately, stepping closer again.

“What do you mean you don’t feel well?” His voice dropped, full of concern. “Did something happen? Clara, look at me.”

I didn’t.

“I’ll call the doctors,” he said quickly, already turning. “You shouldn’t ignore this. You’ve been weak since…”

He stopped, but I knew what he meant.

Since our daughter died.

“Jonas!” he called sharply.

His Beta appeared almost instantly.

“Get the best pack doctors here. Now. And bring the supplements I told you about.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Everything moved fast after that.

Doctors came. They checked me. They said I was fine.

Samuel didn’t believe them.

He kept asking, kept watching me like I might disappear if he looked away for even a second.

He brought me warm milk himself and pressed the glass into my hands.

“Drink,” he said softly. “Please. Just a little. You need strength.”

I didn’t want to.

But I drank it anyway.

That night, I fell asleep from pure exhaustion, my body too tired to fight anything anymore.

But sometime later, I woke up.

My throat was dry. Burning.

The room felt too quiet.

I pushed the blanket aside and stepped out, moving slowly through the hallway. I just needed water. That’s all.

But then I stopped.

The door across the hall was open.

Moonlight spilled inside, pale and cold. And there…

On the bed… Two bodies tangled together.

Ivy’s voice drifted through the quiet, soft but clear enough to cut through me.

“That necklace you gave Clara… it’s worth a fortune, right?” she said, her tone turning a little sharp. “I asked you for one before, remember? You didn’t even bother. But she doesn’t say a word and you give her something so precious.”

I stood there, unmoving.

Waiting.

Samuel shifted on the bed. I could hear the rustle of sheets.

“I already told you,” he said, lighting a cigarette. “It’s not the time yet. Clara and I will separate soon. I do love her… but for now, we keep this hidden. If she finds out, everything gets complicated.”

Complicated.

Is that all I am now… a complication?

Ivy moved closer to him. I didn’t have to see to know it.

“I know,” she whispered, “I just, I love you too, Samuel. I can’t stop myself from feeling jealous.”

There was a pause.

Then a drawer sliding open.

Samuel let out a quiet breath and said, “You’re really troublesome.”

I heard something small being placed in his hand.

“Here. Stop making that face,” he added. “I got you one too.”

My chest tightened.

A necklace.

The same design as mine. Just a different stone.

“Wear it when you’re alone,” he continued, voice lower now. “Don’t let Clara see it. If she does… we’re finished.”

Finished.

I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood.

Ivy’s voice lit up, bright and happy.

“Really? You got me one too?” she said, almost laughing. “Thank you! I love it. I love you.”

There was the sound of movement, soft and close.

Then she asked, quieter this time, almost curious.

“Samuel… why are you so afraid she’ll leave you?”

For a second, everything went still.

Then he answered.

Fast. Steady. No hesitation.

“I’m not that afraid,” he said. “I have you, don’t I? But Clara, my grandmother favors her. Once I take over the pack and inherit everything… then I’ll deal with her properly. I’ll reject her and make you my Luna.”

My legs almost gave out.

So that’s it…

That’s all I am to you…?

Just something you have to get through first…?

The bed shifted again. The sounds that followed were low, muffled, careless.

I pressed my hand against the wall, trying to stay quiet, trying to breathe.

My eyes lifted without meaning to.

Our wedding photo was hanging there.

Right across the hall.

Samuel in that picture was smiling so gently, holding me like I was the only thing in his world.

I stared at it until my vision blurred.

“Thirteen days…” I whispered, my voice shaking.

“Just thirteen days, Samuel.”

“I’ll be gone.”

“Let’s see what you do when I’m really not there anymore.”

...

I stepped outside for air.

The morning was still cold, the kind that should have felt calm. It didn’t.

A child’s voice cut through the quiet.

“Why doesn’t Mama sleep in your room anymore?” he asked, louder this time, voice shaking. “Did you choose another she-wolf? Is that why?”

I stopped. Just ahead, near the small house by the path, a man stood stiff, his back to the door.

He didn’t answer. Then a woman stepped out, fixing her clothes, her fingers still on his shirt like she belonged there.

“No! That’s Mama’s place!”

The man finally moved. “This isn’t your business, young boy!”

“I’m your son!” the boy shouted, voice breaking. “How is it not my business?!”

Before the man could answer, another voice cut in.

“Because he’s a coward.”

The real mate. She was already there, standing a few steps away. I didn’t even see when she arrived. Her eyes were red, but her spine was straight.

She walked forward slowly, stopping right in front of the other woman. “You couldn’t even wait?” she asked, her voice shaking but loud. “Not even until he told his son?”

The mistress lifted her chin. “Watch your tone.”

The mate snapped. Her hand flew before anyone could stop her.

“You think you can walk into my home,” the mate said, voice rising now, raw and shaking, “wear my place, touch my mate, and tell me to watch my tone?!”

The man grabbed her wrist.

“Enough!”

She yanked free.

“Don’t touch me!”

The child started crying louder, full sobs now.

“Mama… stop… please stop…”

No one listened.

“You said it was nothing,” she shouted at the man. “You said she meant nothing!”

“It is nothing,” he snapped, anger flashing now. “You’re the one making a scene!”

“A scene?” she laughed, broken, hysterical. “You bring another woman into our home and I’m the problem?!”

The mistress recovered, stepping forward again.

“If you couldn’t keep him, that’s on you.”

Another slap.

Harder this time.

Then suddenly, a hand covered my ear from behind.

Warm. Familiar.

“Don’t listen to that nonsense, Clara,” Samuel murmured close to me.

My body went stiff.

I didn’t turn around.

I couldn’t.

“Samuel…” I said quietly, my voice barely steady, “tell me the truth. Do all men end up betraying their mates?”

He went silent for a second.

Then he gently turned me to face him.

His eyes locked on mine, deep and steady, like he had never lied to me before.

“I can’t speak for other men,” he said softly. “But me… I won’t. I only want you. Always you.”

Always.

The word almost made me laugh.

I searched his face.

Perfect. Calm. Sincere.

How many times has he practiced this…?

“You’ll only love me for a lifetime?” I asked, my voice trembling just a little. “A lifetime is really long, Samuel.”

He pulled me into his arms without hesitation.

“It is,” he whispered against my hair. “That’s why I want to spend all of it with you. There’s no one else I want.”

I let out a small laugh.

It sounded wrong.

“What if you betray me?” I asked.

He didn’t even pause.

“If I ever do,” he said firmly, “may the Moon Goddess strike me down where I stand.”

My fingers curled slowly.

Because I already knew.

His scent… it wasn’t clean. It carried traces of someone else. Faint, but there.

Every time he came back to me, he still held me, still spoke gently, still acted like I was his whole world.

“How are you not afraid?” I whispered. “What if that promise comes true?”

He looked straight at me.

“No one understands how much I love you, Clara,” he said. “If words aren’t enough, I’ll prove it. I’d give you my life if that’s what it takes.”

I lowered my eyes.

If you can give me your life…

Then why can’t you stop hurting me…?

Before I could say anything else, a voice suddenly came from the doorway.

“What are you two doing here?”

We both turned.

Ivy was leaning against the doorway, wearing a tight racing outfit that clung to every curve. The fabric was thin, cut high on her thighs, lace barely hidden underneath when she shifted.

She looked relaxed. Confident… like she knew exactly what she was doing.

“It’s not the weekend. Why are you dressed like that? Where are you going? Who's with you? What time you get homem”

I blinked. That didn’t sound like a step-brother asking. That sounded different.

Ivy noticed too. Of course she did.

Her lips curved slowly.

“There’s a motor race today, brother,” she said, tilting her head. “Big crowd. Big energy.”

She glanced down at herself, then back at him.

“Might meet someone there. Maybe I’ll finally find myself a boyfriend. Hmm, what do you think?.”

Her voice softened, almost teasing.

“So don’t wait for me, okay?”

Samuel’s jaw tightened. I felt it before I saw it.

Something dark flickered in his eyes.

But Ivy only smiled wider, then shifted her gaze to me.

“What about you, Clara?” she asked sweetly. “Any plans today?”

I opened my mouth, but Samuel spoke first.

His fingers slipped into mine, holding on like it meant something.

“Clara’s coming with me,” he said. “We’re going back to the main pack house.”

Ivy’s eyes flickered for a second, something unreadable passing through them.

“Alright. Have a good day, both of you. Send my hi to my mum there!”

She walked past us, her scent lingering in the air.

And Samuel… he still didn’t let go of my hand.

Why are you holding me like this…?

Half an hour later, we were already on the road. Samuel drove in silence, one hand on the wheel, the other still wrapped around mine.

I stared out the window. I hated going there. The main pack house.

His parents never liked me. Only his grandmother ever treated me kindly. She used to hold my hand and tell me I was strong, that I belonged here.

And the rest of them… they look at me like I brought ruin into their bloodline.

I gave birth to twins. A boy and a girl. They were supposed to be everything this pack wanted.

But they died. Both of them.

And somehow it became my fault.

Every visit after that felt worse. Their eyes… their whispers… their silence… it all pressed down on me until I could barely breathe.

Samuel knew that. That’s why he usually avoided bringing me. But this time his mother wasn’t well. So here we were.

When we stepped inside, his parents were already in the living room. They were smiling, talking softly to each other. Warm. Peaceful.

But the moment they saw me… everything changed. Their faces went cold.

Just like that.

My chest tightened. I lowered my head, pretending I didn’t notice.

But Samuel noticed. His grip on my hand tightened.

“If you keep treating my Luna like this,” he said, his voice turning sharp, “then don’t expect us to come back here again.”

The room fell silent. Then his father slammed his hand on the table. The sound made me flinch.

“Watch your tone,” he snapped. “Are you really saying you’d turn your back on your own family for her?”

I tried to pull my hand away, but Samuel held on, his fingers locking with mine.

“Father,” he said, steady but firm, “I’ve told you this before. Clara is my mate. She’s the woman I love. I won’t even raise my voice at her, so why do you keep hurting her every time she comes here?”

His grip tightened.

“If this happens again, I won’t just leave this house. I’ll walk away from this family completely.”

His words hit the room hard. The Alpha everyone feared… the one who could command wolves with a single word… now stood there defending me.

Anyone watching would think I was the luckiest woman alive.

But I knew better.

Pathetic… you think I don’t know what you’ve been doing behind my back?

Before anyone could speak again, another voice cut in.

“Of course he’d choose her. He’s been blind for years.”

Sandra.

Samuel’s younger sister stood at the stairs, arms crossed, eyes full of disgust as she looked at me.

“Brother, are you serious right now?” she continued, walking down slowly. “You’re threatening our parents because of her? After everything that happened? After those two pups died? Ivy is much better than her.”

Her words pierced straight through me. I felt my fingers go cold.

Sandra didn’t stop.

“Maybe if she was stronger, maybe if she was a better Luna… they’d still be alive.”

“Enough, Sandra.”

Samuel’s voice dropped, dangerous this time.

But she only scoffed.

“What? I’m just saying the truth,” she shot back. “Everyone in the pack knows it. She brought bad luck into this family.”

I kept my head down. I didn’t fight back.

What’s the point…?

Samuel stepped slightly in front of me, his body shielding mine.

“Say one more word about Clara,” he warned quietly, “and I won’t treat you as my sister anymore.”

Sandra froze. For a second, something flickered in her eyes. Then she turned away with a sharp laugh.

“Fine. Protect her all you want,” she muttered. “Let’s see how long that lasts.”

Silence filled the room again. Heavy. Suffocating.

Samuel still held my hand, standing there like he was protecting me from all of them.

But I didn’t feel safe.

I just felt… tired.

Mrs. Willoughby finally let out a long breath.

“Enough,” she said coldly. “Let’s eat first.”

…

At the table, no one talked much. Just the quiet clink of utensils, stiff and uncomfortable.

Mrs. Willoughby kept making small annoyed sounds, and my fingers slowly tightened around my fork. I knew it was coming. It always comes, doesn’t it?

She suddenly set her fork down harder than needed. “It’s been nine months,” she said coldly. “That’s enough grieving. You lost your pups, fine. But you can’t stay like this forever. The pack needs an heir. You need to give us a grandson.”

My chest tightened.

Her husband looked at me next, his eyes even colder. “That happened because you didn’t take care of them properly,” he said flatly. “A small illness, and both of them died in the healer’s den. Stop acting pitiful, Clara. If you conceive again, then do it right this time.”

My ears rang. Both of them. My son. My daughter.

Before I could even breathe properly, Samuel set his fork down.

“I’ve already said this,” he said calmly, but there was something sharp underneath. “Clara is afraid of going through that pain again. I won’t force her. Even if we don’t have pups, that’s fine with me.”

The room went heavy. His parents looked at him with disappointment.

Sandra scoffed from the side. “Of course. You’d rather protect her feelings than think about the pack.” Then louder, “Brother, are you serious? No heir? What are we supposed to do, just wait forever while she hides behind excuses? You know what, bro? Just go mate with our stepsister, Ivy. I like her more than Clara. You used to have a crush on Ivy before she went abroad to study fashion.”

"Enough Sandra!" Samuel roared.

My fingers trembled slightly on the table.

I finally spoke. “You’ll have a grandchild soon.”

The whole table froze. Three pairs of eyes turned to me at once.

Samuel’s hand tightened around mine, his face softening. “Clara… you don’t have to push yourself for me,” he said gently. “I told you, I’ll protect you from all this.”

Protect me? I almost laughed. You can’t even stay away from her, how are you protecting me?

I smiled anyway. “You all want a grandson so much,” I said softly. “Then I’ll give you one.”

Mrs. Willoughby’s expression eased instantly. Her husband nodded, satisfied. Sandra just watched me, eyes narrowed, but said nothing.

Only Samuel looked uneasy. Like something felt off.

Then his phone buzzed. I glanced down.

Ivy.

A message flashed.

“Samuel… there’s someone here bothering me. Asking me for a quickie. I don’t like it. Can you come?”

I counted quietly. One. Two. Three.

He stood up right on cue.