Samantha’s POV
My birthday was only a few days away, and despite everything that had happened, the omegas had been bustling around the mansion since dawn, decorating, whispering, carrying boxes of ornaments and ribbons.
For a brief, foolish moment, I thought… maybe it was for me.
After all, Gabriel had always been extravagant when it came to my birthdays. He used to say the Moon Goddess herself must’ve chosen that day to bless his life with me. Two years ago, he’d filled the entire garden with lanterns that glowed like fireflies, gifting me a moonstone necklace that he said matched my spirit. Last year, he’d thrown a feast that lasted until sunrise.
So when I saw the preparations this time, the colorful banners, the boxes marked “decorations,” the sweet smell of honey cake, I felt a tiny spark of hope.
Maybe he wanted to make amends. Maybe he hadn’t completely forgotten the woman who’d waited for him at the altar.
But when the designs finally arrived that afternoon, that spark died.
I unrolled the blueprint for the decorations on the long oak table and froze. It wasn’t elegant or romantic like the celebrations we used to have. No moonlight theme, no silver decor. Just bright balloons, cartoon wolves, and little paw prints everywhere.
I blinked, thinking it must’ve been a mistake. “This… can’t be right,” I murmured to the omega who delivered it.
She looked uneasy. “Alpha Gabriel said these are the final designs, Lady Samantha.”
I thanked her quietly and walked straight to Gabriel’s office, my heart pounding, dread curling in my chest. His door was slightly open, and I could hear his voice before I even knocked, steady, authoritative, the voice of an Alpha who thought he had everything under control.
“Come in,” he said without looking up when I entered.
I stepped inside. “Alpha,” I greeted softly. “I just saw the designs for the celebration.”
He looked up from his desk briefly, his eyes meeting mine. “Oh, good. What do you think?”
“I think they’re…” I hesitated. “Childish.”
“Exactly,” he said without missing a beat, his pen still moving on the documents before him. “It should be suitable for children. It’s for Hans’s birthday, after all.”
My breath caught. “Hans’s… birthday?”
He looked up again, confused by my tone. “Of course. It’s on Saturday. You should also attend—it’ll be good for the pack to see harmony between us.”
Saturday. I stared at him, my pulse quickening. “Alpha,” I said slowly, “Saturday is also my birthday.”
His brow furrowed as if trying to recall. Then his eyes widened slightly, just a flicker of realization, quickly buried beneath indifference.
“Oh,” he said simply. “Right.”
Right. That was all he said.
The silence between us stretched, heavy and suffocating. I wanted him to say more, to at least look sorry. But he just went back to signing papers as if my birthday were some irrelevant detail.
Once upon a time, he’d counted down the days to it. Now, he couldn’t even remember.
I stood there, feeling the sting of humiliation creep up my neck. Then, as if to salt the wound, he added, “Speaking of which, your parents’ pack hasn’t sent their monthly contribution yet. Did you contact them?”
My jaw tightened. “Contribution?” I repeated slowly.
He nodded. “Yes. The Heaven Blossom Pack has always sent support to help strengthen our resources. I was just wondering if something happened. Perhaps you can remind them.”
I almost laughed. My chest burned with disbelief. “That’s what you’re worried about? My parents’ money?”
He blinked, unbothered. “It’s not about money. It’s about alliances.”
But I didn’t want to hear it. I turned and left before my anger could spill out in ways I couldn’t take back.
By the time I reached the corridor, my hands were trembling. The memory of his calm, detached face haunted me.
So this was what I’d become to him, a connection to a wealthy pack, a symbol of alliance.
That night, as the moonlight spilled softly into my room, I sat at the edge of my bed, staring at the shadows dancing across the walls. My wolf stirred restlessly.
I didn’t plan what I was doing next. I just followed the ache in my chest, the faint bond that still tethered me to him even when it hurt. Barefoot and quiet, I padded down the hall toward his quarters.
The scent hit me first—vanilla and rosewater. Not mine. Not his usual earthy musk.
Then I heard it.
Soft moans. A woman’s voice. And his.
“Ah, Adrianna… you’re so much better than Samantha. She’s like a log in bed.”
The words sliced through me like a silver blade.
I froze, my breath catching in my throat. My hands went cold, my heart stopped beating for a moment, and then everything inside me cracked open.
I didn’t move. I didn’t even cry. I just stood there, numb, listening to the sound of betrayal echoing through the door.
My wolf howled inside me—a sound of rage, heartbreak, and disbelief all at once. I clamped a hand over my mouth to stop the sob that threatened to escape, then turned and fled down the hallway, my bare feet silent against the marble floors.
By the time I reached my room, my tears were blinding me. My body shook as I fumbled for my phone, fingers trembling so badly I almost dropped it.
I dialed my brother’s number.
He answered after two rings, his voice steady and warm, so painfully familiar. “Samantha? It’s late. What’s wrong?”
The sound of his voice undid me. “Benedict…” My voice cracked. “He… he betrayed me.”
“What?” His tone sharpened instantly. “Who did?”
“Alpha Gabriel,” I whispered, tears choking me. “He—he didn’t come to our wedding because he saved his child with another woman. Adrianna. His childhood sweetheart. She has his son. He’s been lying to me all along.”
There was silence on the other end, the kind that screamed with restrained fury. “He what?” Benedict growled, his Alpha tone leaking through. I could almost feel his power surging through the phone. “I’ll gather our warriors. He won’t get away with this, Sam.”
“No!” I cried quickly. “Don’t, please.”
He hesitated. “Samantha—”
“I don’t want war,” I said firmly, though my voice trembled. “I just need until my birthday. After that, I’ll leave Blackraven. For good.”
“Samantha…” His voice softened, pain lacing through it. “You don’t deserve this. You should’ve told me sooner.”
“I know.” My voice broke. “But I kept hoping he’d change. That maybe the man I loved was still there somewhere.”
“Then let him live with his choices,” Benedict said quietly. “And when you walk away, make sure he sees what he lost.”
“Thank you, Ben,” I whispered. “I’ll be fine. I just need a few more days.”
We hung up, and I sat there for a long time, clutching the phone to my chest.
Outside, the moon glowed full and pale, a silent witness to everything.
That night, I finally accepted what I had been denying for too long—Alpha Gabriel Timothy of Blackraven Pack was no longer my alpha. Maybe he never truly was.
And on my birthday, the day he forgot, I would take back what was mine, my freedom, my pride, and the pieces of my heart he had carelessly shattered.
