Erika
Just as I was about to bring Alpha Rufus the joyous news—the heir who would continue the bloodline of the Emerald Earth Pack—I was struck by a bitter truth. For three years, I had stood by his side, believing I was loved. Yet our togetherness shattered in an instant, crushed beneath the weight of the lies he had kept hidden all this time.
But that was only the beginning.
Never in my darkest nightmares did I imagine my heart would be stolen—death had claimed me. The mate I had chosen, the one destined for me—Alpha Rufus—allowed his adoptive mother to tear my heart from my chest, only to offer it to his first love. He did not choose me. He chose someone else.
To bring me back to this world, my mother sacrificed her own life. In an act of boundless love, she placed her heart within the Moonbound Casket to replace the one that had been taken from me. I lived, but not because of love—rather, because of vengeance and a blood debt that must be repaid.
I have little time to exact retribution for every betrayal, every wound they have carved into my body and soul. I swore to the Moon Goddess, pleading for her blessing of justice. If love was not enough to save me, then let vengeance be my reason to keep breathing.
*
I walked towards Alpha Rufus’s office, my heart brimming with hope. I wanted to show him the ultrasound print of my first pregnancy which was given by Obstetrician of the pack, Dr. Nicholson.
after three years together. The joy of fulfilling my duty as Luna, of carrying his heir, filled my chest with happiness.
But my steps halted outside his door when I heard Beta Leighton’s voice from within.
"Does Luna Erika know?" His voice was hesitant, almost a whisper.
I frowned.
Alpha Rufus let out a long sigh. "Of course not. I still need her for now."
My heartbeat quickened.
I edged closer, pressing myself against the wall, sharpening my wolf hearing.
"Are you sure you can keep this hidden?" Beta Leighton asked again. "It’s been two years, Alpha Rufus. Luna is no fool."
Two years?
I held my breath.
Alpha Rufus chuckled softly, his tone dripping with condescension. "Luna believes me like a loyal little pup. She thinks I love her. I don’t even have to try that hard to convince her."
The world around me seemed to stop spinning.
"Do you love Madeleine?" Beta Leighton pressed.
Alpha Rufus did not hesitate for a second. "Always. She is the very air I breathe."
I clutched my chest. My breath came in ragged gasps, as though claws were tearing through my insides.
Madeleine Holmes. I never expected Alpha Rufus to still love her.
Madeleine Holmes was Alpha Rufus’s former lover, and I had stepped between them by the will of the Moon Goddess.
It was not impossible that they had been deceiving me for the past two years.
"I'm just waiting for the right moment to get rid of Luna," he continued.
I clamped a hand over my mouth to stifle any sound.
My back pressed against the wall, my legs trembling beneath me. I wanted to scream, to barge into that office and burn his face with my claws, to force him to confess.
But I knew better.
That man was a master manipulator.
He could twist the truth to suit his will, just as he always had.
My grip tightened around the envelope in my hands. Now that I knew the truth, I would never tell him about the pup growing inside me. I would run from this place, leaving my rage to dissipate in the open air.
Shifting into my wolf form, I dashed into the pine forest surrounding the packhouse. I might not return until nightfall, for if I saw Alpha Rufus again, I might set the entire packhouse ablaze.
As I ran, memories of Alpha Rufus’s deceit flooded my mind.
The way he had always looked at me with eyes full of supposed love.
The way he had whispered sweet promises in my ear.
"You are my fated mate, Erika."
"My Luna, I will protect you."
"I won’t let anyone hurt you."
Lies.
Every word he had ever spoken now felt like monkshood coursing through my veins.
I took a step back, but my ears still caught Alpha Rufus’s voice.
"Madeleine is worth more than that fake Luna fate forced upon me."
I bit back a growl, my claws instinctively unsheathing. They dug into the damp earth, leaving deep grooves behind. My eyes burned, the fire within me beginning to surge.
[We are a fire elemental wolf, Erika. We should be stronger than this.] Pyrrha, my inner wolf, stirred within me.
Then why did I feel like I was crumbling to pieces?
Just as I was about to leap onto the main road cutting through the forest, my body collided with something—something hard, metallic, and reeking of petrol. The world spun around me as I heard the screeching of tyres skidding against asphalt.
I braced myself against the impact, my claws digging into the road, flames erupting in my wake. In an instant, the fire ignited the petrol spilled across the tarmac. The last thing I heard was the deafening explosion before darkness consumed me.
***
"My sweet Luna?"
His voice was gentle, filled with concern, like a man who truly loved his mate.
I bit my lip, forcing down the turmoil within me. I could not let him know what I had learned.
I turned my head and saw him.
Alpha Rufus stood at the doorway; his gaze filled with a tenderness that now felt revolting.
"You’re finally awake," he murmured, stepping closer with a worried expression.
"What happened?" I asked hoarsely.
"Someone found you unconscious on the southern alternate road, engulfed in flames. The human truck driver brought you to this hospital."
"Do you know about—"
"I know, my love. You’re safe. They found you in human form."
Relief flooded through me. He didn’t know about my pregnancy. It was difficult for human medical technology to detect a werewolf pregnancy at such an early stage. I was still lucky.
"My Luna?" Rufus reached out, intending to touch my face, but I smacked his hand away.
"Don’t touch me," I whispered, my voice trembling.
Alpha Rufus stilled but quickly masked his reaction. He offered me a small smile, his expression carefully crafted.
"What’s wrong?" he asked. "Are you in pain? I know this must have been a terrifying experience. I’ll take better care of you."
I felt sick to my stomach.
How effortlessly he played the role of a caring mate. How easily he lied—without even a hint of remorse.
I could feel my wolf howling in fury, demanding justice for this humiliation. Fire surged beneath my skin, barely contained.
But I wouldn’t let my anger consume me. Not yet.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to smile.
"I’m just tired," I said, though my voice was devoid of emotion. "Could you leave me alone?"
Alpha Rufus smiled, as if satisfied with my response. "Alright, rest well, my Luna."
I held myself back from setting the room ablaze.
I turned away from him, but deep inside, I knew one thing for certain.
Alpha Rufus Hawkins had betrayed me.
And I would make sure he paid for it.
