The next morning,when I arrived at the Hamilton Pack Council Hall,the air felt sharper—colder—than usual.
“Lavina.”
Alpha Alexander’s commanding tone rolled from inside our shared glass chamber,clipped and distant—as if he were addressing a subordinate,not his mate.
When I stepped inside,he didn’t glance up from the scroll he was reading.
“Close the door.”
Only then did his ice-blue eyes lift to meet mine.The chill in them could have frozen fire.
“Lavina,I’ll keep this brief,”he said,standing tall,his Alpha aura pressing down on the room.“Rumors are spreading,and I can’t afford to have my reputation dragged through the mud because of you.As of now,you’re relieved of your duties as my Beta assistant.Starting tomorrow,you’ll report to another division—far from this territory.”
He paused,eyes glinting with distant authority.
“Stephanie will take over your position.”
The words sliced through me like silver through flesh.
This was the Pack Administration I had helped Alexander build from nothing—his empire,his pride.
When the Elders had mocked his proposal for independence,I had spent a year serving under their command to earn him another hearing.I ran errands for them like a servant,even knelt before their council chambers through one freezing night,begging for a second chance for his dream.
I had never asked for acknowledgment.Never claimed any shares of the success when the Hamilton Pack rose to power.For three years,I worked without rest—even when fever burned through me,I still handled his correspondence,all to lessen his burdens.
And yet,he cast me aside as though I were no more than a broken tool.
For a long time,I believed he kept our bond secret to protect me from jealous packs and gossiping wolves.But now I understood—Alexander never loved me.His heart had always belonged to Stephanie Winslet.
“Lavina…you have enough experience to serve anywhere.But think of your sister.Stephanie’s mate just died.She’s fragile,she needs comfort.In return,I will—”
“Alright.”
The word fell softly,cutting off his rehearsed reasoning.
He blinked,surprised.“That’s all?Aren’t you angry?”
His hand tightened around the velvet box he had prepared—a trinket meant to ease guilt.A silver pendant engraved with our initials,like tossing a bone to a loyal wolf.
“If that’s all,Alpha,I’ll take my leave.”
“Lavina,what do you mean?Aren’t you going to ask me anything?”
He had expected tears.Rage.Pleading.But my silence unnerved him.
Just then,the door burst open.
“Alex!I sorted your reports,do you need me to—oh!Sister Lavina?”
Stephanie’s voice dripped with false sweetness as she stepped inside,clutching a delicate satchel of moonlit silk.
CRASH.
A small music orb that rested on my desk fell,shattering against the stone floor.A faint melody bled into the silence before dying altogether.
My heart seized.It was the porcelain wolf figurine Alexander and I had shaped together at the Luna’s crafting festival—after I lost our pup.It held a secret compartment with the tiny sonogram crystal of the child we never met.
“Sister,I’m so sorry,”Stephanie gasped,her eyes shimmering with feigned tears.“It was an accident—please don’t be mad—”
“Why would she be mad at all?”Alexander cut in sharply.“Lavina,why do you keep useless trinkets like that lying around?What if Stephanie got hurt?”
Useless trinkets.
The last memory I had of my unborn child—dismissed like nothing.
My knees weakened.I crouched,hands trembling,to gather the shattered pieces.A jagged shard sliced deep into my finger,crimson drops staining the floor.
Alexander didn’t even notice.
“Steph,you’re bleeding,”he murmured,lifting her hand to inspect a small scratch.“Come,let’s get you cleaned up.”
He guided her out,hand at her back,protective and gentle—the way he used to touch me once.The door clicked shut behind them,and I was left in silence.
I sat there on the cold marble floor,the broken orb pressed to my chest,my blood mixing with the dust.Then slowly,methodically,I packed away everything.
The old flight parchment to the Southern Isles,where he first said I love you—ripped in half.
The timepiece I gifted him during our first winter solstice—left behind.
Every trace of warmth—gone.
When Alexander returned fifteen minutes later,the chamber was hollow.
No faint scent of my perfume.No scattered notes across the desk.
Even the little cactus he used to tease me about had vanished.
Only one thing remained:a smear of blood near the leg of his desk.
He stared at it,silent.Something flickered—briefly—in his expression,then died.
As he turned to leave,I opened the door again to retrieve the last document.
“Lavina,wait!”
I stopped,glancing back.
“This is temporary,”he said.“When the rumors fade,I’ll bring you back.”
I smiled faintly.“I waited long enough.It doesn’t matter anymore.”
To my parents,Stephanie was their cherished daughter.
To Alexander,she was his destiny.
No matter how I fought,I was always the replacement.
I turned to go,but his voice halted me once more.
“Lavina—there’s an Alpha gathering tonight.I was invited.”
“I’m not—”
“You’re still under my command,”he cut in sharply.“I can’t appear without my Beta.”
The pressure in his tone left no room for refusal.
I thought of the message from Alpha Damien Stone the night before.
A month from now,I would no longer belong here.
“Of course,”I said calmly,my voice empty.“One last task.”
