Mira’s POV
The week after the banquet felt like I was trapped in a storm with no way out. Every breath, every step inside the packhouse reminded me of what I’d lost—my mother, my pride, and the man I once thought was my future.
But one thing remained.
I hadn’t broken.
When I found the proof—clear evidence that Irene was responsible for my mother’s death—I thought it was finally over. I thought justice had found its way to me. That the Moon Goddess had seen everything and decided it was time for the truth to surface.
I was wrong.
I filed the case myself, hands shaking as I signed the documents. But I never expected to see him standing on the other side.
The courtroom was packed that day—wolves from the pack, elders, even outsiders who came just to watch everything unfold. The air felt heavy, suffocating. I stood there, heart pounding—
And then the doors opened.
Theron walked in.
Dressed in black, flawless as ever, his presence alone silenced the room. Wolves lowered their heads without thinking.
Then my chest dropped.
He didn’t walk toward me.
He took his place beside Irene.
“Alpha Theron Nightbane will act as counsel for Miss Irene,” the judge announced.
I felt sick. “You’re… defending her?”
He finally looked at me, but there was nothing in his eyes. “Yes.”
“Theron, she’s the reason my mother is dead—”
“Enough.” His voice cut through me like a blade, his Alpha authority pressing down hard. My wolf shrank instantly. “You’ve said more than enough, Mira. You think you can walk in here with fabricated proof and ruin someone? You’ve crossed the line.”
My hands curled into fists. “Fabricated? You really believe that?”
He stepped closer, his scent familiar, but no longer comforting. “You’re not the same person anymore. You used to be gentle. Now all I see is resentment. You’re twisting things to justify it.”
I wanted to scream at him. To remind him of everything—his promises, the nights he swore to protect me, how he once treated my mother like family.
But none of that mattered now.
Because the man in front of me wasn’t mine anymore.
To him, I was just the enemy.
The hearing dragged on, each second heavier than the last. Every piece of evidence I presented—
he tore it apart.
“This?” he said at one point, holding up a sample. “This could belong to anyone. You’re grasping at nothing.”
By the time it ended, I felt hollow.
Irene clung to him, playing the victim perfectly, tears in her eyes. The crowd whispered, some even laughing under their breath as they looked at me.
I couldn’t move.
As they passed by, I forced the words out.
“You’ll regret this… Alpha.”
He paused, just for a second—but didn’t turn.
“No, Mira,” he said flatly. “You will.”
—
That same night, the pack held its annual auction—Elder Marcelle’s idea of charity.
The hall was full again, glittering with wealth and fake smiles. I stayed near the back, invisible, still replaying the courtroom in my head.
Then I saw it.
“Lot twenty-seven,” the auctioneer announced, lifting it carefully.
My breath caught.
A jade bracelet.
My mother’s bracelet.
The one she never took off. The one that should have been with her ashes.
I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the stares. “Where did you get that?” I demanded, my voice shaking. “That belongs to me. It was my mother’s!”
The auctioneer hesitated. “Miss, please—”
“Mira.”
Theron’s voice cut in.
I turned. He stood near the front, Irene beside him, a glass in his hand like none of this mattered.
“Tell them,” I said, desperation slipping into my voice. “You’ve seen her wear it before. You know it’s hers. Please.”
He barely reacted. “It’s just a bracelet. Don’t cause a scene.”
“Just—?” My chest tightened. “It’s the only thing I have left of her!”
But he was already looking at Irene.
“I like it,” she said softly, running her fingers over the jade. “It’s beautiful.”
Theron gave a small smile. “Then it’s yours.”
He raised his hand and bid an amount no one dared challenge.
And just like that—it was gone.
Applause filled the hall. I stood there, frozen.
Irene looked at me with fake concern. “I didn’t realize it meant so much to you, Mira. I just thought it was pretty.”
Then she slipped it onto her wrist.
A sharp crack echoed.
The bracelet split cleanly in two.
A few people laughed.
“Oh… I didn’t mean to,” she said, though there was no real regret in her voice.
She let it fall.
The pieces rolled across the marble floor, stopping right in front of me.
Theron sighed. “It’s fine. It’s old. It was bound to break.”
Something inside me twisted painfully.
I knelt down, my hands trembling as I picked up the pieces. The jade felt cold against my skin.
Inside me, my wolf whimpered softly.
Irene laughed under her breath as she turned back to him. “You’ll just buy me another one, right?”
“Of course,” he said without hesitation.
Their voices faded into the background as I held the broken bracelet close to my chest.
My tears fell quietly, one by one, onto the shattered pieces.
