Betrayed: My True Mate’s Lies

I stood frozen in the doorway of the Alpha's quarters—our quarters for the past three years—watching as James carelessly tossed my clothes into a trunk. His movements were hurried, almost frantic, nothing like the measured control I'd grown accustomed to. The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting long shadows across what had been our shared space until just hours ago.

"You need to be out by dawn," James said without looking at me, his voice carrying that edge of Alpha command that made my wolf whimper. "Sophia needs to settle in properly."

Sophia. The name alone sent a chill down my spine. His true mate had returned unexpectedly last night, claiming her wolf was weakening and she needed James's aura to strengthen her. And just like that, three years of my life were being packed away in a single trunk.

"Where should I go?" I asked, my voice smaller than I intended.

"The guest wing." He finally looked up, his eyes—the same piercing blue that had first reminded me of Ethan—now cold and distant. "It's temporary until we... figure things out."

We both knew what that meant. There was nothing to figure out. I was being discarded.

My wolf curled into herself, a familiar ache spreading through my chest. I'd felt this before, when I'd lost Ethan. The difference was that this time, I was watching it happen in slow motion.

* * *

The Great Hall buzzed with excitement that evening. The formal dinner to welcome Sophia back had drawn every member of the Silvermoon Pack. Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow over elegantly dressed wolves, their excited whispers filling the air with anticipation.

I sat at the far end of the long table, wearing the only formal dress I owned—a simple navy blue that paled in comparison to Sophia's shimmering silver gown. From my position, I could see her perfectly: tall, graceful, with flowing blonde hair that caught the light. She was everything I wasn't—confident, commanding, born to be a Luna.

James stood, raising his glass, and the hall fell silent.

"Tonight, we celebrate the return of my future Luna, Sophia White," he announced, his voice carrying pride I'd never heard when he spoke of me. "The Moon Goddess has blessed us with her return."

Cheers erupted around the room. I forced a smile, feeling dozens of eyes flicker toward me with barely concealed curiosity and disdain.

"We also have a guest pack member staying with us temporarily," James added as an afterthought, gesturing vaguely in my direction. Not Anna. Not even my name. Just a temporary guest.

My cheeks burned as nearby wolves exchanged knowing smirks. A Beta's mate leaned toward her friend, whispering loud enough for me to hear: "Finally. The substitute is being replaced."

I kept my eyes fixed on my plate, pushing food around without eating. Across the table, Sophia laughed at something James said, her hand possessively on his arm. The protective glow of his Alpha aura surrounded her like a cloak of golden light—an aura that had once included me.

My wolf whimpered, curling tighter into herself. *We don't belong here anymore*, she seemed to say. I swallowed hard, forcing back tears that threatened to spill. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

* * *

The guest room was half the size of the closet in the Alpha's quarters. A narrow bed, a small dresser, and a window overlooking the service yard were my new accommodations. I'd spent the night staring at the ceiling, listening to the unfamiliar creaks of this wing of the pack house.

Sunlight streamed through the thin curtains as I finally rose, my body aching from the unfamiliar mattress. I reached for the drawer where I'd stored my most precious possession—the leather-bound journal filled with sketches of Ethan. Drawing him had been my way of keeping him alive after the rogue attack took him from me. Every line, every shadow of his face carefully preserved on paper.

My heart stopped when I pulled it out. The journal was soaked, its pages swollen with water, the ink running in streams across my careful drawings. Several pages were torn, the binding coming apart in my hands.

I clutched the ruined book to my chest, a strangled sound escaping my throat. Three years of memories, destroyed. My last connection to Ethan, gone.

I knew exactly who was responsible.

I found Sophia in the hallway outside the Alpha's quarters, directing a young Omega about rearranging furniture. She looked up as I approached, her perfect features arranged in a mask of innocence.

"You ruined my journal," I said, holding up the soggy remains.

"Oh, that?" Her eyes widened in feigned surprise. "I was just tidying up your things and accidentally knocked it over. There was a vase of flowers, you see. Clumsy me."

The lie was so transparent it made my blood boil. I reached for the mind-link I shared with James—a pale imitation of a true mate bond, but our connection nonetheless.

*James, Sophia destroyed my journal. The one with all my sketches.*

His response was immediate and dismissive: *It's just a journal, Anna. I'll have the pack healer bind you a new one.*

Just a journal. Just the last piece of my heart I had managed to save.

Something shifted inside me as I stood there, clutching my ruined memories while Sophia smiled her victorious smile. A small spark, like an ember refusing to die, flickered to life where my submission had once been.

My wolf, so long accustomed to whimpering, let out a low growl.