The morning of my son’s sixth birthday, I woke up believing the Moon Goddess had granted me one perfect day.

I had planned everything down to the last detail — a private VIP tour of the Ocean Bay territory, an exclusive lunch near the dolphin lagoon, and a custom-made cake prepared by the pack’s best baker waiting for Aiden at sunset. As the Luna of the Ashclaw Pack, wealth and resources were never an issue. If I wanted the sea cleared, the Alpha’s guards would clear it. If I wanted the entire place reserved, it would be done before dawn.

But love? Loyalty?

Those were things even a Luna couldn’t command.

The healer’s den visits had drained more than just my energy. Stage four brain cancer — the human doctors called it that, but the pack healer called it a slow soul sickness. A cruel, lingering illness that even the strongest wolves struggled to survive. It was a silent thief, stealing my strength, my future, my time.

I had kept it a secret from Dorian.

My Alpha.

My mate.

He had made it clear he didn’t have time for what he called “meaningless weakness.”

"Stop wasting herbs and healer time, Evelina," he had said once, his voice cold through the mindlink. "You always exaggerate small pains."

I wasn’t exaggerating.

I was dying.

But today wasn’t about me.

Today was about my son.

By noon, Ocean Bay was filled with excited pups, their laughter echoing near the water. The scent of saltwater mixed with roasted meat drifted through the air. Aiden tugged me toward the giant glass tank where massive sharks glided slowly through the blue.

His small fingers were warm in mine.

“Mommy, look! It’s so big!”

I laughed softly, bending to kiss his curly hair. My wolf stirred faintly at the scent of my pup — one of the few things that still brought her comfort.

“Bigger than you?”

He nodded eagerly, his excitement making the exhaustion in my bones worth it. For a moment, I forgot the weakness in my limbs, the dull ache behind my eyes.

Then suddenly, his voice lit up even brighter.

"Mommy! Look! Daddy’s here too!"

I frowned.

Dorian?

That wasn’t possible.

He had told me through the mindlink this morning that he was handling pack business at the northern border. That he was too busy to even mindlink Aiden to wish him a happy birthday.

I followed my son’s gaze.

And the ground beneath me seemed to vanish.

There, in the middle of the plaza, Dorian was on one knee.

Holding a ring.

For Elira.

My younger sister.

My wolf whimpered weakly inside me.

The one who used to sleep in my room when she was afraid of thunderstorms. The one who cried to me about rejected mates and broken relationships. The one I comforted every time she felt abandoned.

The one who had sworn Dorian was like a brother to her.

She stood there with wide, teary eyes, her hands covering her mouth.

"Marry me," Dorian said, his Alpha voice steady, clear, commanding. As if this was the most natural thing in the world.

Elira let out a shaky sob, nodding furiously. "Yes! Yes, Dorian, yes!"

My entire family stood around them.

My parents. My uncles. My aunts. Pack elders.

Clapping.

Clapping.

As if they weren’t destroying me right in front of them.

The ring slid onto Elira’s finger.

Something inside me shattered.

Aiden tugged at my sleeve, confused but excited. “Mommy! Is Daddy giving Aunt Elira a present? Can I go too?”

I couldn’t breathe.

Then, as if she had only just noticed me, my mother’s smile faltered.

The applause slowly faded.

One by one, their gazes turned toward me.

Dorian rose slowly, his golden Alpha eyes locking onto mine.

There was no guilt.

No shame.

Only the same mild irritation he always wore when I inconvenienced him.

Elira, on the other hand, looked annoyed.

Dorian crossed his arms, exhaling like I was exhausting him. His voice entered my mind through the bond, cold and sharp.

"Evelina, don’t do this here."

I cut the mindlink immediately.

"Do what, Dorian?" My voice shook.

"Make a scene," he said aloud this time, rolling his eyes. "You’re always so dramatic."

The slap echoed across the plaza.

The sound was loud enough that even the wolves nearby stiffened.

My palm stung, but the burning rage in my chest was worse.

Dorian’s head snapped to the side, his jaw tightening. When he turned back, there was still no shame. Only irritation.

"Really, Evelina?" he scoffed. "Was that necessary?"

The audacity left me breathless.

"Evelina!" my father barked.

Alpha Darius Nightborne.

Former Alpha of the Nightborne Pack. A man feared across territories.

"Don’t ruin your sister’s happiness."

My stomach dropped.

Happiness?

I let out a hollow laugh, my vision blurring. “Is this a joke?” My hands trembled. “You all knew?”

My mother smoothed her dress calmly. "Evelina… you and Dorian have been distant for a while. We thought this was for the best."

"For the best?" My voice cracked. "For the best? Betraying me behind my back?"

Dorian sighed, exasperated.

"Evelina, stop embarrassing yourself."

"A scene?" My voice rose. "You proposed to my sister, surrounded by my family, on my son’s birthday — and I’m embarrassing myself?"

Elira stepped forward, her expression soft but fake. "Evelina… I love him."

She reached for my hand.

I jerked away like she burned me.

"Don’t touch me."

Her face twisted slightly. "God, Evelina, why are you so selfish? You never appreciated Dorian. You were always disappearing to the healer’s den, leaving him alone. What did you expect?"

My stomach lurched.

"You’re blaming me for your affair?"

She shrugged. "You pushed him away. I was just… there for him."

"You mean you threw yourself at him like a desperate she-wolf," I snapped.

Her eyes darkened.

"Careful, Evelina."

"Or what?" I whispered. "You’ll steal something else from me?"

Dorian sighed.

"Evelina, let’s act like adults."

"Adults?" I laughed bitterly. "You mean sneaking behind my back? Lying? Betraying your mate?"

He didn’t even flinch.

Elira smirked, lifting her hand to show the ring.

"You and Dorian were over long before this, Evelina. He chose me."

The words pierced like claws.

Then my mother spoke.

"Evelina, this is for the best," she said calmly. "Elira is pregnant. With Dorian’s pup."

The world tilted.

I staggered back, bile rising in my throat.

"What…?"

Elira placed a hand on her stomach, smiling smugly. "That’s right, sis. You’re going to be an aunt."

Dorian’s pup.

The Alpha who ignored me while I was dying.

The mate who never noticed my weakness.

The man who never once asked why I was fading.

My mother smiled warmly. "You should be happy. They’ll finally have the strong family Dorian deserves."

Aiden tugged at my sleeve.

His big innocent eyes looked up at me.

“I like Aunt Elira too,” he said softly. “If Daddy loves her… you should be happy, Mom.”

My heart cracked.

Then he added, innocently,

"Plus… I want Aunt Elira to be my mom too."

I couldn’t breathe.

My wolf let out a broken howl inside me.

And for the first time…

I felt the mate bond between Dorian and me begin to fracture.

The world blurred around me.

Elira’s victorious smirk. Dorian’s blank indifference. My parents’ silent complicity. And my son — my baby — smiling up at me, completely unaware of the betrayal tearing me apart.

My wolf whimpered weakly inside me, pacing restlessly as pain clawed through my chest.

Before I lost control, before my emotions triggered a shift I no longer had the strength to survive, I turned on my heel, gripping Aiden’s small hand like a lifeline.

“Evelina,” Dorian called behind me, his tone bored, detached. “Where are you going?”

I didn’t answer.

I walked away, my legs trembling beneath me, my son’s warm fingers clinging to mine. My wolf wanted to howl, to lash out, to challenge the Alpha who had betrayed our bond — but I suppressed her, burying the pain deep inside.

I didn’t stop.

Not when Aiden kept looking back.

Not when the whispers started.

Not when I heard Elira’s voice, soft and dripping with false pity.

“She’ll get over it.”

My chest tightened.

No.

I wouldn’t.

I would never forgive them.

---

The Ashclaw Pack estate felt eerily silent when we returned.

The guards bowed their heads respectfully as I passed, but I barely noticed them. My mind was too loud, too crowded with pain and disbelief.

Aiden fell asleep almost instantly, exhausted from the day.

His birthday.

The birthday his father chose to spend proposing to another woman.

I tucked him into bed gently, brushing his curls from his forehead. His breathing slowly evened out, peaceful and soft. His innocent face made my chest ache.

He didn’t understand.

He still believed his father was strong. Honorable. A hero.

I wished I could protect him from the truth.

Once he was asleep, I quietly left his room and walked down the long hallway toward our bedroom.

Our bedroom.

The room that suddenly didn’t feel like mine anymore.

The moment I stepped inside, my legs gave out. I collapsed onto the bed, clutching the sheets as sobs tore through me.

Dorian Ashclaw.

Alpha of the Ashclaw Pack.

My mate.

My husband.

The father of my pup.

And Elira…

She was my baby sister.

The one I once carried on my back when she got tired during pack gatherings.

The one who cried to me after her first heartbreak.

The one I trusted more than anyone.

I squeezed my eyes shut, but the memories came anyway.

Uninvited.

Relentless.

Cruel.

Dorian had pursued me relentlessly — like a wolf determined to claim his mate.

When the Nightborne Pack sent me to Paris territory for business negotiations, Dorian followed without hesitation. He arrived the next night, standing in the inn’s grand lobby with a bouquet of pale tulips.

“I couldn’t stay away from you for a whole week,” he had said, his golden eyes warm as they locked onto mine.

I had laughed, calling him insane.

He stepped closer, wrapping an arm around my waist before whispering against my ear,

“Crazy for my mate.”

That was Dorian.

Affectionate.

Possessive.

Mine.

Then we married beneath the full moon, the Moon Goddess as witness. Our wolves had howled in harmony when he slid the moonstone ring onto my finger — the sacred symbol of a bonded pair.

On our mating trip, he took me to the coastal territories in Sydney. We spent weeks walking along moonlit shores, laughing, loving, promising forever beneath the stars.

When Aiden was born, Dorian became even more protective. He refused to let me lift anything heavy. He insisted I rest. Every night, he held me close, our wolves curling together in comfort.

“I love you more than anything,” he would murmur through the mate bond.

I had believed him.

Every word.

Then Elira returned.

She had been studying fashion design in distant territories for years. When she came back, she was more beautiful than ever — elegant, confident, glowing with youth.

Dorian noticed.

I saw it.

The way her eyes lingered on him.

The way she laughed too easily at his jokes.

The way Dorian suddenly found reasons to speak with her.

But I told myself it meant nothing.

Elira was my sister.

Dorian was my mate.

Then one night, I walked into our bedroom.

And saw them.

Curled together on the bed.

My heart stopped.

“Dorian?” My voice trembled.

Elira sat up immediately, pulling the blanket around herself. Dorian, however, simply rubbed his temples like I was the inconvenience.

“Relax, Evelina,” he had said calmly. “Elira fainted. I was helping her.”

And I…

Like a fool…

I believed him.

Because Aiden was sleeping in the next room.

Because I didn’t want to believe my mate could betray me.

Because I loved him.

But now?

Now I knew.

They had been together behind my back for who knows how long.

I sucked in a shaky breath, pressing my hand against my chest.

The worst part?

I still loved him.

Even after everything.

My wolf whimpered again, weak and heartbroken.

I wanted to scream.

To break something.

To make them feel the pain they caused me.

And as if the Moon Goddess wasn’t done testing me…

The communication crystal on my bedside table glowed faintly.

My mother.

I should have ignored it.

But a small, pathetic part of me still hoped she would take my side.

I pressed my palm over the crystal.

“H-hello…”

Her voice came through, calm and dismissive.

“You’re still crying? Honestly, Evelina, stop being dramatic.”

My breath caught.

“What?”

“Elira is younger than you,” she continued. “She deserves happiness too.”

My grip tightened around the crystal.

“And me?” My voice cracked. “Don’t I deserve happiness too?”

There was a pause.

Then my father’s voice joined through the link.

“Don’t be selfish, Evelina. Think about Aiden. Dorian will soon be Elira’s mate. It’s best if you cooperate.”

Something inside me snapped.

I hurled the crystal across the room.

It shattered against the stone wall, fragments scattering across the floor.

Then I buried my face into the pillow and screamed, my voice raw and broken as my wolf howled in agony inside me.

This wasn’t just Dorian’s betrayal.

It was everyone’s.

My parents.

My sister.

My mate.

Every person I loved…

Had thrown me away like I meant nothing.

But if they thought I would accept this…

If they thought I would cooperate…

They were terribly wrong.

I woke up to an eerie silence.

I didn’t remember when exhaustion pulled me under — whether I had cried myself to sleep or simply lost consciousness from the pain. My body felt heavy, like I had been crushed beneath a mountain. My head throbbed, sharp and relentless, like claws digging into my skull.

But none of that mattered.

Because the moment I sat up, I realized—

Aiden wasn’t in his bed.

My heart dropped violently, my wolf instantly snapping awake inside me.

Aiden?

A faint unease spread through our bond. It was weak — so faint it was barely there — but I could still sense him. He was safe.

Just… far.

Too far.

Panic flooded me anyway.

I bolted out of the room, my bare feet slapping against the cold marble floor.

“Aiden?” My voice cracked as I rushed down the hallway. “Aiden!”

I pushed open his door.

Empty.

The blankets were messy, like he had gotten up early. His favorite stuffed wolf lay abandoned on the bed.

My heart pounded harder.

I checked the bathing chamber.

Nothing.

The sitting room.

Nothing.

“Aiden!” My voice echoed through the silent estate.

The guards outside shifted uneasily, sensing my distress, but none of them had seen him. Or worse — they had orders not to interfere.

My hands trembled as I grabbed the communication stone from the table and pressed my thumb against it, calling my mother through the family link.

She answered after a few seconds.

Her voice was calm. Almost bored.

“Oh, Evelina. Finally awake?”

I could barely breathe. “Where’s Aiden?”

“With us, of course,” she replied casually. “We’re celebrating his birthday.”

My grip tightened around the stone.

“What?” My voice shook. “Without me?”

“Well, you were asleep,” she sighed. “Elira and Dorian arranged a small gathering. He’s having so much fun.”

My wolf growled weakly inside me.

“You took my son while I was sleeping?” My voice trembled with anger. “Without telling me?”

She clicked her tongue. “You were exhausted. We didn’t want to wake you.”

My pulse roared in my ears.

“Let me speak to him. Now.”

There was a brief pause.

Then she laughed softly, dismissively.

“Evelina, don’t ruin this for him. Let him enjoy himself for once.”

“Enjoy?” My voice cracked. “He’s my son!”

“Then stop making his life miserable just because your mate chose your sister.”

My vision darkened with rage.

“Excuse me?”

“Evelina,” she continued slowly, as if speaking to a child. “Elira will love Aiden more than you ever could. You’re always busy — with pack matters, with your healer visits. Perhaps this truly is for the best.”

My fingers tightened so hard around the stone I felt it crack.

“I swear to the Moon Goddess,” I whispered, my voice trembling, “if you don’t bring my son back—”

“Enough, Evelina.” Her voice turned cold. “Stop being selfish.”

The link went dead.

The stone dimmed in my hand.

I stood there, shaking.

My wolf howled weakly inside me, grief and rage tangling together.

Instead of throwing the stone, my fingers moved on their own. I reached for the crystal mirror on the table — a magical communication mirror used across territories to share updates and messages.

The surface shimmered to life.

And then—

My breath caught.

The first image that appeared was Elira’s.

She stood beside Dorian, their hands intertwined, her engagement ring — the moonstone ring — glimmering brightly beneath candlelight.

“Fate brought us together. Love kept us strong. Soon, I’ll become Luna of the Ashclaw Pack.”

Thousands of glowing runes appeared beneath the image — blessings, congratulations, praise.

— Congratulations, Luna Elira!

— The Alpha finally found his true mate.

— They look perfect together.

— I always thought he chose the wrong sister.

My stomach twisted violently.

Wolves I knew.

Pack members.

Even elders who attended my mating ceremony.

They congratulated them like this was some destined love story.

My fingers trembled.

Then another image appeared.

My vision blurred.

Aiden.

Sitting on Dorian’s lap, laughing happily. Elira leaned close, her arms wrapped around him affectionately. Dorian’s hand rested protectively on Aiden’s shoulder.

They looked like a perfect family.

Like I never existed.

A sharp pain tore through my skull.

I gasped, clutching my head as the world spun violently around me. The pounding grew unbearable, like my skull was splitting open.

My hands shook as I reached for the herbs on the bedside table — pain-relief herbs prepared by the healer.

I swallowed two quickly, barely managing to breathe.

But the pain didn’t ease.

Instead, a metallic taste filled my mouth.

Warmth trickled down from my nose.

I wiped it absently.

Red.

Blood.

Panic surged through me.

My breathing became shallow and uneven. My wolf whimpered weakly, her presence fading further.

I quickly called my mother again.

No answer.

My father.

Nothing.

My chest tightened as I reached for Dorian through the mate bond.

Silence.

He blocked me.

A weak, bitter laugh escaped me.

Of course.

With trembling fingers, I pressed the emergency rune on the communication stone.

“H… hello…” My voice shook.

“Emergency line. What is your situation?” a calm voice responded.

“I… I need help…” My vision blurred. My knees weakened. “Please… I…”

The stone slipped from my hand.

The last thing I heard was the distant voice calling my name.

Then darkness swallowed me whole.

---

Bright lights.

Soft murmurs.

The scent of herbs filled the air.

I slowly opened my eyes.

I was in the healer’s den.

Alone.

A young healer entered, startled when she saw me awake.

“Luna Evelina… you’re conscious.”

My throat felt dry. “How long…?”

“You were brought in last night,” she said gently. “The patrol wolves found you unconscious inside your chamber. Do you have family we should notify?”

Family.

The word twisted painfully in my chest.

I let out a weak laugh.

“No… there’s no one.”

The healer looked saddened but nodded quietly.

The next morning, after I was discharged, I returned to the estate.

The moment I stepped inside, my wolf stirred faintly.

He’s here.

I froze.

Then I saw him.

Dorian.

Sitting on the couch like he still owned everything. His posture relaxed, his expression impatient, like he was waiting for something trivial.

My chest tightened painfully.

“What… are you doing here?”

He stood slowly, pulling a stack of parchment from his leather case. A silver pen rested on top.

He held it out toward me.

“Sign it.”

I blinked slowly, my fingers twitching.

“What…?”

His eyes were cold.

Empty.

“The separation decree,” he said calmly.

“The mate bond dissolution papers.”

“Sign them now.”