“Do you even realize the gravity of this? If the other pack commits a crime, we could be held accountable too—”

“Liora, I know you don’t like me, but please don’t drag my pack through mud like that,” Camilla interjected sharply.

I turned to face Alaric, only to meet his cold glare.

“Camilla is right,” he said, his voice hard. “You never received a proper education, so pack matters are beyond your understanding. How could you possibly grasp whether this benefits us or not?”

He continued, “It’s better to leave these responsibilities to me. Camilla has served as a Luna for over three years; I cannot show favoritism to you, an uneducated orphan.”

My body shivered as his words stung, an insult flung before everyone.

The dinner became unbearable. I did not utter another word, though Alaric kept glancing at me. My mother-in-law seemed delighted with the drama, laughing freely with Camilla. It wasn’t until I reached for an oyster that she snapped, her voice sharp as a whip.

“Liora, I understand you had no parents to teach you, but are you so foolish as to eat such a spicy dish during your second trimester? Don’t you care about the baby? No wonder Alaric had to go to such lengths to protect you.”

“Like he’s protecting me now, from your endless attacks?” I shot back, my words cutting through the murmurs. Instantly, the chatter died down. My mother-in-law was too stunned to respond, and Alaric froze, confusion written across his face.

“This oyster… it’s the one the nurse prepared for better digestion. I brought it here because you rushed me during lunch, asking me to get food for everyone. But now… I feel out of place here, like I’ve made a mistake coming,” I added, my voice trembling but steady.

“Liora!” Alaric called as I rose without eating. He followed cautiously.

“Liora, Mom didn’t mean it that way. Come back with me!”

“To be honest, Alaric,” I said, stepping into the rain, “my parents are alive and well. If I had listened to them, I would have never chosen a place where I am constantly unwelcome.”

He grasped my shoulders, shaking his head as if thinking I was inventing excuses to console myself.

“Liora, let it go this once. You must be a good daughter-in-law… a good wife.”

“Alaric! Camilla is having trouble breathing! Come quickly!” Colin’s voice interrupted us, hesitant yet urgent.

“Liora, come back inside! It’s going to pour. I need to help Camilla first—please wait here for a moment.”

I stared at him, feeling like he was a stranger. He hesitated, searching for the right words, before squeezing my hand briefly and rushing off.

Almost immediately, my mother-in-law messaged me: [You can come in now; I overreacted earlier.]

[Let’s not waste this dinner.]

I smiled faintly through my tears, realizing I had never been truly welcomed in this household. For them, everything revolved around status and appearances.

Three years ago, I had been kidnapped by rogues. My father and brothers searched relentlessly, never revealing my identity to avoid endangering me. Ultimately, it was Alaric, the Alpha of Jade Moon Pack, who rescued me along with others. My mother offered him a large compensation, but I told her I wanted to be mates with him.

My brothers had opposed the match, insisting that, as the sole princess, I had never experienced hardship and that marrying someone as cold as Alaric would be disastrous.

How naïve I had been to believe love could surpass status. Today, the man I loved had openly declared me worthless because of my lack of rank.

The rain soaked me to the skin, but I ignored my mother-in-law’s insistence that I return inside. At that moment, I felt foolish for ever loving such a heartless man. I couldn’t imagine facing my parents. Would they even take me back?

Suddenly, warmth enveloped me as Alaric’s arms held me tightly. He, too, was drenched, yet he gently pulled me aside.

“Are you alright? I’m sorry I left you like this. Just… follow my lead and go inside,” he murmured.

“Camilla is terribly ill,” he continued softly. “I invited her; I couldn’t leave her alone. Even then, she sent me to you. Maybe you should take a lesson from her.”

“Mom’s been trying to call you, messaging you to come inside. Why can’t you stop being stubborn for just a moment?” His voice wavered between frustration and concern as he noticed my pale face.

He swiftly led me to a nearby store so I could change into dry clothes, preventing me from falling sick.

“Are you alright, Liora? I’ll call a taxi to take you home.”

I shook my head. “Aren’t you coming back with me?”

“I have work to finish—”

“Are you going to drop Camilla off at her home?” I interrupted, seeing through his excuse.

His face shifted from indulgence to guilt and anger. Carefully, he replied, “I’ll come home after that. Understand… Camilla is a single mother, and she’s unwell. What if something happens to her on the way?”

“I understand,” I said firmly, cutting him off. “You want to drop her off because she’s sick and can’t care for herself, while I’m perfectly capable of getting home alone.”

“Again with your ridiculous accusations? You’re imagining things, Liora! It’s not what you think!”

“Then what exactly is it, Alaric?” I demanded, my voice trembling with suppressed fury. “You and Theodore both drove here—why is it suddenly your responsibility alone to take her home?”

A flash of irritation passed over his face before he exhaled deeply, clearly trying to stay composed. “Liora, are we seriously doing this again? You’re jealous of Camilla, aren’t you? How many times must I tell you that she’s like a sister to me?”

“She’s all alone,” he continued, forcing calm into his tone. “Her mate left her, and she’s raising a child without help. How could I not feel compassion for her situation? Camilla has been my friend since childhood—I can’t just ignore her struggles.”

I took a step back, shaking my head. “If she’s really separated from her mate, then why does she want to merge our packs? Doesn’t she realize the chaos it could bring to you?” The bitterness in my voice was hard to hide. I hated the way he defended her so passionately while I—his wife—was treated like an inconvenience.

He frowned, his annoyance seeping through his calm facade. “Liora, stay out of matters you don’t understand and focus on your place at home. The merger will strengthen both our territories and give us an advantage. It’s for the good of everyone.”

He stepped closer, his tone softening as he brushed a kiss against my forehead, fingers tightening around mine as if trying to soothe a child. “Don’t let jealousy cloud your thoughts, Liora. You’re going to be a mother soon. If you can’t control your emotions, how will you raise our child properly?”

I forced a small smile, staring at the man I had called my husband for three years—unaware that I had already lost our baby because of his carelessness.

“But wasn’t it you,” I said quietly, “who joked with your friends that since I’m an orphan, I wouldn’t know how to raise a child—and that Camilla should help me learn?”

Alaric’s expression froze. He looked as though a bucket of icy water had been poured over him. “Were you spying on me? That was a misunderstanding, Liora. I was drunk that night—I didn’t mean what I said.”

Before I could reply, his phone rang, flashing Victoria’s name. I motioned for him to answer.

He hesitated but picked up. A child’s bright voice came through the speaker, cheerful and innocent. “Daddy! I miss you! When will you come and play with Mommy and me? When are you both coming home?”

I stood frozen. The world around me went silent as Alaric’s face paled. He swallowed hard, trying to recover.

“Mark,” he said quietly, “call me uncle, okay?”

“But Mommy said I can call you Dad!” the boy replied in confusion.

“Your mother is here with me,” Alaric said quickly, his voice strained. “We’ll be back soon, okay?” And with that, he hung up.

“Liora—” he began, but I was too exhausted to listen.

My voice came out hollow. “Do whatever you want, Alaric.”

I turned to leave, but his arms wrapped around me from behind, his breath brushing my ear. “You just need to learn to adapt,” he murmured. “I can’t always give you what you want, but from now on, I’ll be around. I’ll take care of our baby.”

He pressed a soft kiss on my cheek as if that would erase the pain.

I wasn’t even home yet when my phone vibrated with a message—from Theodore.

[Sister-in-law, Camilla isn’t feeling well, so Alaric won’t be home tomorrow.]

I knew immediately what that meant. Alaric was planning a grand banquet to welcome Camilla’s pack, yet I wasn’t invited. My opposition to the merger had made him exclude me entirely.

Tears welled in my eyes as I scrolled through my social media feed, only to see Camilla’s latest post:

“Shopping for tomorrow’s party! Trying to find matching outfits for my two favorite men ️”

The attached photo made my blood run cold—Alaric stood smiling, holding Camilla’s son in his arms, while she leaned on his shoulder like they were a family.

Before I could even process the ache in my chest, the driver’s panicked shout pierced the silence.

“Madam! Lower your head!”

I looked up just in time to see the glaring headlights of a truck speeding toward us. The driver swerved, but it was too late. The impact was deafening. Metal twisted, glass shattered, and the world spun as the car flipped violently.

My head slammed against the window. Blood trickled down my shoulder, warm and sticky. My vision blurred, but faint memories began to flicker through the haze—my parents’ smiles, my brothers’ laughter, the palace gardens from my childhood.

“Mom… Dad… big brother…” I whispered weakly as the world faded in and out.

My trembling hand reached for my phone. With what little strength I had left, I dialed my father’s number. He answered on the first ring, his familiar voice a mixture of sternness and concern.

“What is it, Liora? You only remember your father now—”

“D-Dad…” My voice cracked. “I… I’m s-so sorry for disappointing you… and Mom…”

“Liora! Where are you? What’s happening?!” he shouted in alarm, his voice trembling.

“I love you all…” I whispered as the phone slipped from my hand. My body went limp, my breathing shallow. For the first time in years, I felt at peace—free from the pain and betrayal that had become my life.

“Liora! Liora! Damn it—where are you, my daughter?!” my father’s desperate voice echoed faintly from the phone as darkness finally claimed me.

By the time my father arrived at the scene, he had already mobilized a team of the country’s top doctors, ensuring they were ready for immediate intervention.

It was my elder brother, Felix, who pried open the car door to pull me from the wreckage. The sight of the driver’s lifeless body was grim, and when my father saw my battered form, anguish washed over him.

Cradled firmly in my father’s arms, I was rushed to the hospital’s emergency unit.

“Sir… the princess’s pulse is extremely weak,” the lead doctor began cautiously. “It appears she may have been involved in an accident previously, and there are signs she’s undergone surgery… also—”

“Also what?” my brother Jake’s voice thundered across the room, cutting through the tense atmosphere.

The doctor hesitated before admitting, “Prince, it seems the princess had already suffered a miscarriage prior to this accident. At the moment, she is not stable enough for surgery. The most viable option is to attempt electroshock to revive her pulse.”

With my father’s approval, the medical team acted immediately.

“But Father, what if—” my brother started nervously.

“There is no room for ‘what ifs,’” my father interrupted firmly, eyes blazing with determination. “Liora is my daughter. She will survive this—she must, for all of us.”

My mother, Queen Elena, gripped my father’s arm tightly. Though tears threatened to spill from her eyes, there was a fierce resolve within them.

“She called me,” my father murmured, his voice breaking for the first time in years. “Just before the crash… she sounded terrified… terrified and alone.”

“My daughter, my precious Liora… she thought herself a disappointment. Whoever caused her this pain, I swear, I will make their life worse than death itself!”

Meanwhile, Alaric was gripped by a wave of unease, an unfamiliar anxiety gnawing at him. He intended to call me to ensure I had reached home safely, but Camilla intercepted him.

“You should let Liora cool down. She must have reached home by now,” Camilla suggested.

“If I give in now,” Alaric muttered, frowning, “she’ll just get used to throwing tantrums whenever she wants.”

The next morning, Alaric summoned the house staff immediately.

“Hello? Is Liora still asleep? Why isn’t she picking up my calls? Put her on the line! I’m at her favorite café—ask what she wants!”

“But Alpha, Luna did not return last night,” the maid replied hesitantly. Alaric felt a sharp pang in his chest, but quickly reasoned that she might be at the office, refusing to answer his calls because of last night’s argument.

“Is this Sarah, Liora’s supervisor?” Alaric asked, his tone clipped.

“Yes,” Sarah responded, startled to hear the sudden call from him.

“Please, I need to speak to Liora. How can she be so irresponsible not to contact me even once?”

“I… I’m not sure what you mean, Alpha. Liora didn’t come to the office today,” Sarah explained.

Alaric’s confidence began to crumble. “Wait… she isn’t home either?”

Panic clawed at him as a sudden flash of news lit up the café’s television screen.

The bold headline caught Alaric’s attention immediately:

PRINCESS Liora IN CRITICAL CONDITION AFTER DEVASTATING ACCIDENT

At that precise moment, Alaric received a conference call from Camilla and his mother. Camilla’s sobs filled the line as his mother tried to console her.

“Alaric, the banquet has been canceled. The pack elders refused to attend when the royal princess is fighting for her life. Camilla is heartbroken—”

“I don’t care!” Alaric snapped, his patience finally breaking. “The banquet means nothing if I can’t even find my wife!”

“What? Where is Liora? To think she could vanish like this, especially while carrying your child… Alaric, you should never have married that orphan in the first place…” His mother’s words faded into nothing as the phone slipped from his grasp.

A chill ran through his veins when the TV broadcast switched to an old family photograph.

The king and queen were seated regally on their thrones, their two sons standing dutifully by their sides, and a small child perched on the king’s lap. The image reflected the princess’s pampered life, untouched by the harsh realities of the world outside.

Yet Alaric’s eyes froze as he noticed the striking resemblance—both the princess in the photo and his wife shared the same golden-blonde hair streaked with black, and, most unsettlingly, both were named Liora.