For six years, I was secretly in love with my stepbrother, Connor, the Alpha of our wolf pack.

One full moon night, I snuck into his pack's corporate headquarters, hoping to surprise him.

But through a crack in the door, I heard him whispering with his Beta, Marcus.

"You still messing around with your stepsister, that Aria? When are you gonna cut it off? Don't tell me you've actually caught feelings for her?"

Connor smirked, his voice ice-cold.

"Feelings? She's just a beta who threw herself at me. A freebie, why not? My Luna will only ever be Elena."

"Her father betrayed the pack and got kicked out. And her mother seduced mine, got my own mother killed. Six years... that's just been me punishing her. She deserves everything she gets."

So, the mate bond I treasured... it was all just a carefully planned revenge.

All his sweet nothings, his gentle touches... they were all lies, laced with poison.

Fine. If that's how it is, I'm leaving. Hope you won't regret it.

"Don't worry about me. Just get everything ready for my Mating ceremony with Elena. As for Aria… I’ve got plenty of ways to make her life a living hell."

"Think about it. A she-wolf falls for her own stepbrother, tries to latch onto an Alpha, and then gets dumped in front of everyone at the Mating ceremony. After a humiliation like that, how could she ever show her face in front of any pack again? I honestly can’t wait."

Marcus, across from him, looked uneasy. He tried to reason, his voice low, "Her mother and your father mated three years after your mother died. That was ages ago. Aria was just a kid then; she didn't know anything about pack feuds. Isn't this a bit too harsh on her?"

"For a she-wolf, her mate bond and reputation are everything. You're basically killing her! She depends so much on your Alpha scent. If she finds out you've just been using her, I'm afraid..."

Connor scoffed, annoyed. He casually tapped his phone, sending me some meaningless emoji.

"Don't tell me she's innocent. When my mother died so horribly, who said she was innocent?"

"Being born from that traitor's bloodline means she was born worthless, meant to be trampled on!"

"If she had an ounce of beta pride, she wouldn't have accepted this fake mate bond six years ago. She made her choices to get here. She doesn't deserve pity."

Marcus let out a long sigh and finally asked, "Maybe so, but these six years… Don’t tell me you haven’t felt any Alpha instinct, any pull towards her at all?"

"Connor, I'm warning you. Some lines, once you cross them, you can never go back."

Connor's face turned frigid, his eyes like daggers stabbing into Marcus.

"Fall in love with the daughter of a traitor and a homewrecker? What do you take me for?"

"Looking at her face, so much like her mother's, even leaving a temporary mark on her neck makes me sick!"

"Raised by a traitor and a slut, of course she’d be shameless trash too! Just letting her lose face in front of all the packs, instead of being torn limb from limb, is me being merciful!"

Seeing he couldn't change Connor’s mind, Marcus sighed, defeated, and turned to leave.

Footsteps got closer.

I panicked, trying to hide, but the coffee cup slipped from my hand and shattered on the floor.

Marcus and I locked eyes. I saw clear pity in his.

Connor heard the noise and rushed out.

He found me fumbling, crouching down to pick up the broken glass, a total mess.

A flicker of panic crossed his eyes for a split second before he strode over and roughly pulled me to my feet.

"Aria? What are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would've sent someone to pick you up."

I tried to force a smile, but tears streamed down my face anyway.

"Just got here. Wanted to give you a surprise… Didn't expect to be so clumsy, can't even hold a cup steady."

His smile had that usual doting look, but he casually kicked the broken pieces aside.

He pulled me into his private lounge.

The door clicked shut.

He slammed me against the cold door, his scorching Alpha scent washing over me, almost consuming me through my thin clothes.

But a chill I couldn't control ran through me.

"I told you, you don't need to get me any gifts. Aria, just you being here is the best… gift for me," he murmured, his voice low and raspy by my ear, intimate and dangerous.

"Tired from the trip, huh? Get some rest. I'll take you back after I deal with some company stuff."

Then, he leaned down, his lips brushing my forehead, his nose almost touching my skin.

It was the same gesture he’d used to comfort me countless times, full of an Alpha's tenderness and care for his mate.

But I couldn't feel that unique, comforting warmth anymore.

So, a werewolf really could hide his true nature, fake it to this extent, all for revenge.

Back then, my father was banished from the pack.

At the pack meeting, I was pointed at as "the traitor's daughter," curled up in a corner, crying helplessly.

Until my mother mated with Alpha Damon, Connor's father.

It was Connor who appeared like a god, chasing away those hateful stares.

He wrapped me in his powerful Alpha scent, promising in a low voice to protect me always, to be my only anchor.

I believed every word, every look.

I drowned in the web of sweet lies he spun for me, thinking I'd found my safe harbor for eternity.

I never knew it was all the prelude to his carefully planned revenge.

Our supposed fated bond was just one giant lie.

He was the one who'd pushed me into this abyss.

While Connor was off "handling things," I sent a coded message to my mother.

"Mom, I want to leave this place for good."

"Please, don't tell anyone about this yet."

On the way back, he casually brought it up, his arm possessively around my waist.

"The pack elders are pushing me to choose a Luna. I've already asked Elena to help me put on a show."

"Don't worry, you're my only mate. She agreed to help me deal with those old geezers. And I'll still be with you every night, just like now, soothing you with my scent." His fingers slid suggestively around my waist.

I stared out at the passing night, my throat dry. I just nodded, silent.

Tears fell, unseen, into the darkness.

Once we were back at his place, he went into the bathroom.

The heavy Alpha scent hadn't even started to fade when his phone suddenly started blaring.

After three quick calls in a row, I rushed to grab it for him.

I meant to tell them Connor wasn't free, but my fingerprint accidentally unlocked his screen.

Just as I glanced at his social media friends, I was completely stunned.

The pinned contact was labeled: My Precious Omega - Elena.

I tapped open the chat. Besides the disgusting lovey-dovey emojis, there were tons of private messages between him and Elena, and… a close-up photo of the temporary mark on the back of my neck.

The text below it, every word a stab to the heart.

"I told you, I'm just using her. That temporary mark? I'll wipe it off myself after the ceremony. Aria will lose everything in front of all the packs. From now on, the only one who will be my Luna, who will receive my permanent mark, is you, my precious Elena."

"Before you officially become my Luna, I'll clear away all obstacles, including that bitch's daughter. After this, only supreme honor and an Alpha's complete devotion await you."

"Elena, I love you. Your pure Omega scent is the home I long for."

I looked up at the teddy bear on the nightstand, the one he’d given me six years ago.

In the dim light, the bear’s obsidian eyes glinted faintly. It was the indicator light of a tiny surveillance camera.

So, from the very beginning, he'd been plotting how to completely remove me, this "obstacle."

And I, like a fool, was still lost in his fake love and possessiveness.

Thinking I'd found my happily ever after.

I opened Connor's encrypted photo album.

My eyes landed on picture after picture of him and Elena, intimately close.

They'd been tangled up for years.

The photos documented every secret meeting, every time Elena was practically oozing her enticing Omega scent in his arms.

Every important full moon, he’d make excuses about being swamped with company business, needing to be alone.

In reality, he was spending it with Elena in their secret territory.

Every token he gave me, supposedly symbolizing our mate bond?

Elena had one too, and hers were always more precious, more unique.

Elena had the Alpha's favoritism, something I'd never truly had.

The second encrypted chat on his phone was with the pack's ceremony planner.

This so-called "Marking ceremony"—Connor had been secretly planning it for six months.

From big decisions like the venue, to small details like the guest list.

He'd handled everything personally.

He even designed the part where my "traitor's daughter" identity would be "accidentally" revealed at the ceremony, to maximize the humiliation.

All just to tear apart our fake mate bond in front of everyone.

The moment Connor walked out of the bathroom, still damp and radiating his hot Alpha scent, I quickly turned off the phone screen.

I booked myself an international flight for three days later – the day of the ceremony.

At dinner, Connor's father, the former Alpha, kept bringing up Connor choosing a Luna.

Connor pretended to be annoyed, brushing it off.

He’d set the Marking ceremony for three days from now.

My dinner knife scraped loudly against my plate, out of control.

The meal tasted like chewing on cardboard.

After dinner, Mom called me into the study, her eyes filled with worry.

"Why do you suddenly want to leave? Didn't you say Connor's Alpha scent made you feel safe? Have you told him you're leaving?"

Seeing the new white hairs at her temples, my nose stung.

"No. I hope you can keep this from him for me."

"Mom, after I'm gone, please take care of yourself. And don't listen to any of that pack gossip."

I knew Mom had already endured so much, just to barely survive on the fringes of the pack with me, "the traitor's daughter."

No matter what Connor thought, my father never betrayed the pack, and my mother never interfered in his parents' bond.

They didn't deserve to have their reputations ruined.

Back in my bedroom, Connor was already shirtless, lounging lazily on the bed, waiting for me. The air was thick with his overpowering, aggressive scent.

When I came in, he reached out a long arm, easily pulling me into his embrace, his hot chest pressed against my back.

His wet, hot lips and tongue nibbled at my ear, the side of my neck, his voice low and hoarse with desire.

"Angry? Hmm? You know our relationship can't be completely public yet. I'll take care of the ceremony stuff. Just think of it as a cover, a show. Don't overthink it, my little beta." His hot breath fanned over the sensitive skin of my neck.

"Aria, don't worry, my Alpha instincts only stir for you. Stop being difficult, okay? I got you a gift, it'll be here tomorrow. You're going to love it, hmm?" His hand started to roam.

I fought back the nausea and shame churning inside me, forced a compliant smile, and nodded.

He didn't seem to notice anything was wrong. He hummed, satisfied, and pulled me tighter, his chin resting on top of my head.

After a moment, he spoke with a hint of hesitation, but his voice still carried an Alpha's undeniable authority:

"It's just… the pack's Marking ceremony is a big deal, can't be rushed. As… the closest person to me, maybe you…"

"Okay, I'll go," I cut him off softly.

I knew what he wanted to say.

Better to play along with his "performance" than wait for him to vaguely grant me some unclear status.

At least I could keep a tiny shred of dignity.

He seemed a little surprised by my change in attitude, but he'd gotten what he wanted, so he didn't bother digging into why.

That night, he slept in my room again, wrapped me tight in his powerful Alpha scent, like I was his most precious treasure.

And I was like a soulless puppet, letting him do whatever he wanted.

Early the next morning, before most of the pack was awake, Connor slipped out of my room, just like always.

He was barely out the door before I left too.

I went to take care of all the paperwork needed to disappear completely from the werewolf world and submitted an application to permanently erase my scent markings.

I never expected to run into Elena there.

Connor was standing right behind her. The possessiveness and adoration in his deep eyes as he looked at Elena was something I’d never seen from him before.

I could hear other pack members whispering around me:

"Is that Alpha Connor's future Luna? That Omega scent… it's so pure, so tempting! If I'm not mistaken, that moonstone necklace she's wearing... isn't that something only the most noble Luna gets to wear?"

"It has to be her! I heard they've known each other for ages. Alpha Connor has been secretly protecting this precious Omega, keeping other Alphas away. They're probably here at the Werewolf Administration Bureau to finalize things for the Marking ceremony, right? They've even built her a resort on the Alpha's private land."

"This is the kind of love every Omega dreams of! If my Alpha was half as devoted and powerful as Connor, my life would be made…"

Those envious, jealous, curious stares pricked at me like needles.

Lost in thought, the elderly she-wolf handling my paperwork spoke up, "Miss Aria? Miss Aria? Your paperwork is complete."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it got Connor's attention.

Just as I was putting all my documents into a special scent-proof bag, Connor's tall figure appeared before me.

There was a barely noticeable flicker of panic on his face, quickly masked by his Alpha composure.

"Aria? What are you doing here?"

Elena glided over to his side, linking her arm through his affectionately, her sweet Omega scent almost suffocating me. Her eyes, when she looked at me, held a hint of challenge.

"You must be Connor's… sister, Aria, right? Hi there." She put extra emphasis on "sister."

"We'll be family soon, so it's good to meet you beforehand."

My eyes swept over their closely pressed bodies and the faint beginnings of a possessive Alpha bite mark on Elena's neck.

I forced a smile. "Future Luna, good morning."

"Nothing much, just here to handle some pack business for my mother," I lied calmly.

"You two carry on, I won't disturb you."

I turned to leave.

But Connor stepped forward and grabbed my arm, his grip rough, his Alpha strength making it impossible to break free.

He lowered his voice, speaking quickly, "Don't get the wrong idea. I brought Elena here today because some of the pack elders wanted me to. You know, pure-blood Omegas like her are very precious. The elders are taking this Marking ceremony very seriously, and they insisted I personally accompany her to sort out some details."

"Tonight… the elders have arranged a family dinner, and Elena will be there. I'm telling you in advance so you don't… misunderstand."

Seeing him "worried" about me like this, I suddenly found it hilarious.

Elena was the Luna he was about to publicly acknowledge, the woman he’d schemed to elevate.

Now, with the Marking ceremony so close, his grand revenge drama was about to conclude.

Who was this fake explanation for?

"Don't worry, I understand. Since it's the elders' arrangement, you should just do it. I won't be so unreasonable," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"You go on. I'll wait for you at home."

He seemed to let out a breath, then personally called a pack car to take me home.

Turning back, he led Elena towards the workshop where they were designing the future Luna's gown. Elena's sweet, triumphant Omega scent still lingered in the air.