Samantha’s POV
When I got home that night, the silence of the pack mansion felt heavier than ever. Every echo of my footsteps sounded like mockery. The walls that once felt warm now seemed to whisper reminders of what had happened, that I was left at the altar while my supposed mate held another woman in his arms.
I didn’t sleep that night. I kept staring at the empty side of the bed, the side that should’ve been his if everything had gone as planned. The rain outside didn’t stop, as if the Moon Goddess herself wept for me.
By morning, I was already sitting in the garden when Gabriel finally came home. His scent reached me before he did, oak and smoke, sharp and familiar, making my heart ache even when I didn’t want it to.
He looked tired but unbothered, dressed casually, his dark hair slightly messy. When his eyes met mine, I wanted to see guilt in them, regret maybe—but all I saw was calm indifference.
“Samantha,” he said, voice steady. “About yesterday…”
I laughed softly, though it wasn’t out of amusement. “You mean about our wedding day?”
He frowned, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin it. But a child’s life was at stake. You have to understand—the wedding could happen any other day, but a pup’s life? That’s something you can’t postpone.”
A cold laugh slipped from my lips before I could stop it. Inside, my heart felt shredded. He thinks saving that child justifies leaving me before the Moon Goddess.
But all I said was, “You’re right.”
His shoulders relaxed as though I’d just forgiven everything. “I knew you’d understand.”
Of course he thought that. I was always the understanding one, the calm, obedient Luna-to-be who never raised her voice, who always smiled even when her heart ached.
He glanced toward the mansion doors, and before I could ask what he was looking at, she appeared.
Adrianna Jordans.
Her scent, honeysuckle and rain, drifted into the air before her voice did. She walked beside a small boy who clung to her hand, his curious eyes scanning everything.
Gabriel smiled softly when he saw them, the kind of smile that used to belong only to me. “Samantha,” he said, his tone light. “This is Adrianna. You might’ve heard of her. My childhood friend.”
Childhood friend. My stomach twisted.
Adrianna smiled politely. “I’m so sorry for the awkward timing, Samantha.”
Gabriel continued, “She and her pup will stay here in the mansion for now. It’s safer here after what happened with the rogues.”
My gaze flicked to the little boy, Hans. His hair was dark like Gabriel’s, his eyes was the same. I didn’t need the Moon Goddess to tell me the truth. The resemblance was undeniable.
I forced a small smile. “Of course, Alpha. Whatever you decide.”
Inside, something cracked quietly.
The next morning, I woke to noise, feminine laughter, footsteps, the clatter of furniture being moved.
“Omega May?” I called, rubbing my eyes. “What’s going on?”
But when I opened my door, I froze.
Adrianna stood inside my room, surrounded by omega maids carrying boxes and linens. She turned to me with a sly little smile, her fingers brushing over my vanity as though it already belonged to her.
“Oh, Samantha, good morning,” she said sweetly. “I hope you don’t mind. I was just… settling in.”
“In my room?” I asked sharply, my sleepiness vanishing.
Her smile didn’t falter. “Well, technically, this used to be my room years ago. Before I left. It holds a lot of memories, you see.”
“This is my room now,” I said, crossing my arms. “I don’t care what it used to be.”
Adrianna sighed dramatically, her eyes glistening as if she were about to cry. “It’s just that Hans wants to stay here with me. He said he likes the scent, it feels familiar to him. I didn’t want to make a fuss.”
My jaw tightened. “Then perhaps you should ask Gabriel to prepare another room for you. There are plenty.”
But before I could say another word, the door burst open.
Gabriel. His aura filled the room, commanding and heavy. His eyes flicked from Adrianna’s tear-streaked face to me, and his expression hardened immediately.
“What’s going on here?” he demanded.
Adrianna sniffled. “I was just asking Samantha if we could have this room, but she—”
“She what?” he snapped, turning to me.
“I told her it’s mine,” I said firmly. “Because it is.”
He exhaled sharply, running a hand over his face. “Samantha, can’t you just give up the room? How can you be so selfish?”
His words hit like a blade. “Selfish?” I repeated, disbelief surging through me. “You already didn’t show up at our wedding, and now you want me to give up the one space that’s mine? What more do you want me to give up, Alpha?”
For a moment, I thought he’d soften. That maybe the man I loved would show a flicker of remorse.
Instead, his gaze stayed cold. “You’re still not over that? I told you I saved a child. Is that wedding more important than a pup’s life?”
My voice shook. “It’s not just the wedding, Gabriel. You promised me.”
He ignored me. “Enough. Leave this room immediately. You can stay in one of the guest rooms downstairs.”
Adrianna reached for his arm gently, and he let her. Watching her touch him so freely made bile rise in my throat. He used to hate being touched in public, except when it was me.
“Thank you, Alpha,” she whispered, casting me a victorious glance over her shoulder.
And just like that, they left together, her hand still on his arm.
The door shut, and the silence that followed was unbearable.
I stood there for a long time, staring at the room that used to be mine. My scent still lingered in the sheets, in the air, but it already felt foreign. The omegas looked at me awkwardly, not knowing what to do.
“It’s fine,” I whispered. “Leave everything. I’ll pack my own things.”
When they left, I sank onto the edge of the bed, tears finally slipping down my cheeks.
This wasn’t the man I had fallen in love with two years ago. Back then, Gabriel was tender and fierce. He used to hold my hands and say I was the only she-wolf who ever made his heart calm. He used to promise that once we were married, he’d make me the happiest Luna in the world.
Now, I couldn’t even recognize him.
The Alpha who used to chase away my nightmares had become the one living inside them.
I gathered my belongings slowly, a few clothes, my books, the necklace he’d once given me during a full-moon ceremony. I hesitated before placing it into the box.
“Do you remember this, Gabriel?” I murmured softly. “You said the stone would protect me as long as you lived.”
The stone didn’t even glimmer anymore.
By the time I finished packing, the sky outside had dimmed to dusk. I carried my things to the guest room, feeling like a stranger in my own home. The corridors echoed with Hans’s laughter somewhere down the hall, followed by Adrianna’s soft, adoring voice. And Gabriel’s.
