Seraphina's POV:

The air stank of blood.

"Gamma Layla! Defend the northern breach!" I screamed into the comms.

That opening was the last narrow point in the Moonclaw Pack's assault on the rogue leader. Keeping it secured would leave him with nowhere to escape.

Instead of Layla Edwards's response, only a dead silence came through the comms.

I turned around and found the area Layla had been ordered to protect completely deserted.

That brief distraction gave the rogue leader his chance. He released a sharp howl and focused on Brayden Clayton, my Alpha mate. Black fur flashed across my vision as it struck him with savage force.

"Brayden, move!" Instinct drove me straight into shielding Brayden with my own body.

Flesh ripped with a sickening sound as the rogue's venomous claws tore deep into my stomach. Blinding agony exploded through my body and burned along every nerve.

Blood poured freely from the injury, and darkness slowly clouded the edges of my sight.

Before I lost consciousness, I caught one last glimpse of Brayden. He never reached for me. His steps had already carried him toward Layla, and he gathered her into his arms instead.

...

The violent shaking of a gurney brought me back as it raced along the hospital corridor.

"Luna's losing too much blood, and her uterus has suffered severe damage!" The doctor's distant voice carried over the noise. "We need authorization, so call her mate now! The baby is dying, and we need his permission before we decide how to operate. We can't proceed without his consent!"

One nurse struggled with the phone while trying to reach Brayden. Two calls rang without an answer.

Her third call connected for only a second before Brayden ended it.

Why would he do that? An agony worse than the injury in my stomach tore through my chest.

What could matter more to him than saving his mate and child?

Then voices from the television mounted on the wall reached me. A live report from the pack's press meeting filled the screen.

Brayden appeared before the cameras in a perfectly fitted black suit and carried himself with bright confidence. Layla stood at his side in a beautiful gown that made her impossible to overlook.

"Gamma Layla deserves every bit of praise for our victory," Brayden explained to the reporters. His eyes held a softness he had never once shown me. "When the battle reached its most dangerous moment, she changed everything in our favor. She's the real heroine of the Moonclaw Pack and my most trusted aide."

Layla pressed close to him with a shy expression.

That traitor had almost cost us the battle, yet she had stolen every honor I had earned and stood proudly in the attention that should have been mine.

Something deep within me broke at that moment.

No bone had snapped, and no new wound had opened. The bond that had tied me to Brayden for five years had finally torn apart.

Fury and shame swept through me beside the unbearable pain of watching him choose someone else. My weakened body couldn't endure all of it at once.

The monitor screamed a warning while medical staff hurried my gurney toward the operating room.

Panic filled the nurse's voice. "Doctor, how can we proceed? The patient's mate still won't answer us."

I used the last of my strength to seize the doctor's sleeve, and my nails bit into his skin. "I... don't have a mate."

"What? But..."

"You heard me! I don't have a mate!" I screamed as tears ran through the blood on my face. "Give me the papers... I'll sign them myself..."

Harsh lights burst to life above the operating table, and their glow looked like the fires of hell.

Cold instruments moved inside me. The tiny heartbeat that had quietly lived beneath my own grew weaker until it finally went still, and then the doctors took my child from me.

My baby had already developed into an Alpha boy. If he had lived long enough to be born, he might have inherited Brayden's deep eyes and carried the strongest bloodline in the entire Moonclaw Pack.

Our son died while his father abandoned him to celebrate with the woman he loved.

I lost track of time before they finally rolled me into a hospital room.

The anesthetic still hadn't faded. My lower body felt so numb that it no longer seemed connected to me, yet the emptiness inside my chest hurt badly enough to make me want to tear it apart.

My eyes returned to the screen, and memories from the past several years suddenly came back. Brayden had often blamed his late nights on work, and he always claimed that his private meetings with Layla concerned pack matters.

The truth was painfully clear now. Brayden had betrayed me.

How foolish I'd been to reject what had been right in front of me.

I watched as the press conference on TV neared its end.

Brayden and Layla remained locked in each other's embrace while the crowd showered them with praise.

Brayden reached into his pocket and removed a beautifully crafted box before speaking with deep affection. "Layla deserves a reward for everything she did today, so I've chosen to give her the Moon Tear."

My eyes widened in sudden shock.

He was holding the Moon Tear. My mother had left that necklace as her only heirloom, and it represented every Luna who had ever led the Moonclaw Pack.

There was nothing I could do as Brayden placed the necklace around Layla's delicate neck. That precious piece carried my family's honor, yet he handed it to another woman without hesitation.

Layla ran her fingers over the pendant before lifting herself onto her toes and kissing Brayden deeply.

He made no attempt to stop her. His arm circled her waist instead, and he drew her even closer as the kiss became more passionate.

Something deep inside my soul broke beyond repair at that moment.

I'd finally endured enough.

My eyes fell shut, and I made no effort to hold back my tears.

The mate bond between Brayden and me had once carried such warmth, but now I felt it turn cold.

Brayden believed he'd only gotten rid of a woman who weighed him down.

He'd soon learn exactly what his own choices cost him.

Starting that day, I wasn't his Luna or his mate anymore.

Seraphina's POV:

Brayden's scent entered the small ward as soon as the door opened.

His scent had once given me courage during battle and brought me comfort through lonely nights. Now, it reminded me of something dead and decaying, and the smell turned my stomach.

"Seraphina, I'm here." Brayden crossed the room and hurried to my bed.

Several doctors and nurses came in behind him, so he wore the perfect expression of a worried mate.

He lowered himself beside me and placed his warm hand over mine. Then his thumb moved gently across my cheek while he looked at me as though losing me would've destroyed his entire world.

My body went rigid against the pillow as nausea rose in my throat.

His touch felt like a cold snake crawling over my skin, and the disgust nearly made me throw up.

I held his gaze. "Where were you when I needed you, Brayden?"

Not even a hint of sorrow touched his face. "You need to stay strong, Seraphina. Something urgent required my attention, but I made sure the finest doctors stayed with you. You're alive and safe now, so stop throwing a tantrum."

A harsh laugh escaped me. My mate had stayed with his mistress while I fought for my life. He had kissed her while our child died.

How could he stand there and tell me to stay strong?

My throat hurt when I forced out the words. "Return my mother's necklace."

For one brief second, his smile disappeared. Then he put on a patient expression and addressed the nurse. "She has only just regained consciousness, and she isn't thinking clearly yet. Please give us some privacy."

As soon as the door shut, every trace of affection left his face, and only coldness remained.

"Enough, Seraphina." He rose and towered over the bed. "You're causing trouble over a piece of jewelry the moment you wake up. Layla has sacrificed sleep and worked tirelessly to protect the pack. Everyone wants her to wear that necklace."

A disbelieving laugh left me, but the movement strained my wound and sent cold sweat across my skin. "That necklace was the last thing my mother left me! Layla abandoned her position and allowed our defense line to fall. Her cowardice is the reason I ended up in this bed."

"Stop talking!" Brayden shouted. "Layla changed her position because the battle required it. Your own poor judgment and lack of skill caused your injuries. While you've been neglecting the pack, Layla has quietly handled every responsibility you ignored. She deserves the title of Luna more than you ever did."

"She deserves the title of Luna?" I pushed myself upright and gave him a scornful smile. "Did she also take over my place in your bedroom? Has she been lying beside you in the bed that once belonged to us? Tell me the truth, Brayden. You've been sleeping with her this entire time, haven't you?"

A terrible silence filled the ward.

All the color drained from his face before anger rushed in to replace it.

His restraint broke without warning. "You sick woman." Brayden charged forward, seized my shoulder, and forced me down against the mattress.

My head struck the headboard with a hard blow, and darkness covered my vision for several seconds.

"You're really desperate, aren't you? Fine, then I'll give you exactly what you're asking for!" He forced his weight over me and began pulling roughly at the thin fabric of my hospital gown.

His scent flooded the room, overwhelming me and awakening the instinct that made me submit.

My body shook beneath him, yet I fought against his pull.

"Get away from me! I can't stand you, Brayden! You're disgusting!" I used every bit of strength I had to resist him and dragged my nails across his neck, leaving several bleeding scratches behind.

"I'm disgusting? I'm your mate, and you belong to me!" His control vanished as he pressed his face against my neck and bit me with cruel force. One hand moved harshly along my trembling thigh, making every touch feel degrading.

He tried to force himself further, and the pressure tore the deep wound across my abdomen wide open.

Hot blood suddenly poured from my stomach, soaked through the white hospital gown, and spread across the sheets like a dark red flower.

His entire body went still.

Blood covered both his hands when he looked down. The wild anger left his face, and fear finally appeared in its place.

"Get a doctor! Someone call the doctor!"

The door swung open and medical staff flooded in, voices rising in panic all around.

They moved me back onto the examination table as terrible waves of pain pulled me in and out of consciousness.

The white ceiling lights blurred above me, and each one seemed to fade until darkness nearly swallowed them all.

Time lost all meaning before the noise around me finally became quiet.

An elderly doctor later sat beside my bed with a medical report in his hands. The sorrow on his face belonged to someone who had delivered this kind of terrible news too many times.

He released a weary sigh. "Ms. Harper, the wound tore open again, and your uterus suffered severe damage."

My neck felt stiff as I slowly turned to face him.

The doctor couldn't hold my gaze. "I'm truly sorry, but you won't be able to conceive again. Your body can no longer bear children."

Seraphina's POV:

The operating room suddenly felt colder. The heavy smell of blood mixed with Brayden's cedar scent until every breath became difficult.

The doctor's diagnosis struck me with crushing force.

My gaze remained fixed on the ceiling while every thought disappeared from my mind.

Losing the chance to have children was devastating for any she-wolf. For me, a Luna who had given my all to protecting my pack, it felt as though someone had torn away part of my soul.

The medical staff wheeled me from the operating room. Brayden waited outside and watched me with clear disgust.

He knew nothing about what I'd just endured, and I had no energy left to tell him.

"Stop pretending, Seraphina." His voice held no concern when it reached me. Only cold judgment remained. "Was all this drama really necessary just because you wanted that necklace returned?"

Disbelief made me turn toward him at once.

"What are you talking about?" My voice shook.

"Money and authority are all you've ever cared about." Brayden rose and went to the window, keeping his back to me. "I chose you as my Luna and gave you anything you asked for. The moment I showed Layla some kindness, you started acting wounded because you wanted my attention back. Your behavior is childish, and you still understand nothing about leading this pack. The elders have complained about you for years. I've faced endless criticism because I kept defending you. The least you could do is appreciate everything I've sacrificed."

He expected gratitude from me?

A cold shiver passed through my body as I looked at his broad back.

My own body had protected him during battle. That sacrifice had taken our baby from me and destroyed any hope I had of becoming a mother again.

Somehow, Brayden had twisted all that suffering into proof that I was trying to get his attention.

"You heartless bastard, Brayden!" My eyes closed, but hot tears still escaped and ran into my hair.

"I'll make up for what happened," he replied without emotion as he turned around. "Layla won't replace you as Luna, and you can remain in the packhouse. However, since you're determined to turn your injuries into a public spectacle, I'll transfer your administrative and military responsibilities to her. You can keep your title, stay home, and focus on recovering. That arrangement should satisfy you."

He approached the bed and reached toward my hair as though his shallow kindness were some generous gift.

His phone suddenly buzzed inside his pocket.

Brayden took the call without using the speaker. Even so, my sharp hearing picked up every word from Layla's sweet and inviting voice.

"Brayden, why haven't you come back yet? That urgent document still needs your signature, and I'm waiting in your office. The tie on my silk robe has slipped loose, and I can't seem to fix it. Could you come help me?"

Her shameless invitation struck me harder than an open slap.

Interest replaced Brayden's impatience at once. He checked the time before speaking in a hurry. "Something urgent has happened, and Layla can't manage it without me. I need to return immediately. Follow the doctors' instructions for now, and I'll visit again when I have time."

He hurried toward the door without another glance, clearly eager to leave.

"Brayden," I called out in a calm voice, all traces of my earlier anger gone.

He halted and glanced back at me with clear annoyance. "What is it this time? Seraphina, this is no time for another outburst."

"If you leave this room to be with her, our mating bond ends tonight," I said. I held his gaze and made sure he understood every word.

A burst of laughter left him, as though my warning were the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard.

"You want to end our bond? Have you completely lost your mind?" Brayden stood beside the door and looked down on me. "The Moonclaw Pack is the only reason you're safe. Without my protection, you're nothing more than a helpless she-wolf. The strong rule this world, Seraphina. Someone as weak as you wouldn't last until tomorrow."

Contempt filled his voice as he continued, "What makes you think anyone else would choose an ordinary woman like you? Stop using childish threats before you finally exhaust my patience."

The door crashed shut after he left.

From the cold hospital bed, I listened until his retreating steps disappeared. Whatever love still remained inside me faded along with that sound.

He truly believed I couldn't survive one day without him?

Brayden knew nothing about the life I'd lived before becoming his mate.

My hands shook as I reached beneath the bed frame and opened a compartment that no one else knew about.

Hidden inside was a black encrypted communicator with no symbol or label on its surface. I had kept it secret from him throughout our relationship.

Once my fingerprint touched the device, a dim blue glow appeared across the screen.

Only one organization could be reached through that communicator. Its name terrified werewolves throughout Vrodale. The Howling Guild.

No pack controlled them. Instead, they quietly enforced the laws of the hidden world and passed judgment on anyone who broke those rules.

I had once served as the Guild's finest hunter. More importantly, I was their leader's daughter.

Loving Brayden had made me bury that identity, hide my strength, and behave like the obedient Luna he expected me to be.

Yet he had mistaken my sacrifice for weakness and believed I needed him to stay alive.

The wound in my abdomen burned as I drew a steady breath and entered a message on the screen. "This is Seraphina. My ties to the Moonclaw Pack are over."

A quiet tone confirmed that the message had gone through.

My eyes closed after I sent one last request. "I'm ready to return. Send someone for me."