Brielle’s POV
My birthday was only a few days away, and despite everything that had fallen apart between Xavier and me, the mansion was already alive with activity before the sun had fully risen. Omegas hurried through the corridors carrying boxes, ribbons, and folded banners.
For one brief, foolish second, hope flickered inside me.
Maybe… just maybe… it was for me.
Xavier had always gone all out for my birthdays. He used to say the Moon Goddess must have chosen that day herself, blessing his life by bringing me into it. Two years ago, he had transformed the garden into a sea of glowing lanterns, tiny lights floating in the dark like fireflies. That night, he gave me a moonstone necklace, telling me the stone reflected the quiet strength he saw in me. Last year, he organized a grand celebration that stretched until dawn, filled with music, laughter, and his arm wrapped around my shoulders the entire time.
So when I saw colorful banners being unpacked, boxes labeled “decorations,” and caught the warm, sweet scent of honey cake drifting from the kitchen, a small spark ignited in my chest.
Maybe he was trying to fix things.
Maybe he hadn’t completely forgotten the woman he left standing alone at the altar.
But when the final decoration plans arrived that afternoon, that fragile hope shattered before it even had a chance to grow.
I unrolled the blueprint across the long oak table in the hall, my fingers pausing mid-motion as I stared down at it. This wasn’t anything like the elegant, romantic celebrations Xavier used to plan. There were no silver accents, no moonlight themes, no subtle elegance.
Instead, bright balloons filled the design. Cartoon wolves decorated the corners. Little paw prints scattered across the layout.
I blinked slowly, convinced there had been some mistake.
“This… doesn’t look right,” I murmured quietly to the omega who handed me the design.
She shifted uncomfortably. “Alpha Xavier confirmed these are the final arrangements, Lady Brielle.”
I thanked her softly, though my chest tightened, then headed straight for Xavier’s office. With each step, dread crept deeper into my stomach. His door stood slightly open, and I could hear his voice before I even knocked—calm, composed, confident. The voice of an Alpha who believed everything was under control.
“Come in,” he called, not even glancing up as I entered.
“Alpha,” I greeted gently. “I just saw the decoration designs.”
He lifted his head briefly. “Oh? Good. What do you think?”
“I think they’re…” I hesitated, searching for the right word. “A bit childish.”
“Exactly,” he replied immediately, his pen continuing to move across the documents on his desk. “It’s meant for children. It’s Liam’s birthday celebration, after all.”
My breath caught in my throat.
“Liam’s… birthday?”
He looked up again, puzzled by my reaction. “Yes. It’s this Saturday. You should attend too. It’ll show the pack that things between us are still harmonious.”
Saturday.
My pulse began to race. “Alpha,” I said carefully, “Saturday is also my birthday.”
His eyebrows knit together as he tried to recall. Then, a brief flicker of realization crossed his face before it disappeared beneath indifference.
“Oh,” he said casually. “Right.”
Right.
That was it.
Silence settled heavily between us. I waited—hoping he’d say something more, offer an apology, at least acknowledge how much that hurt. But he simply lowered his gaze and resumed signing papers, as though my birthday were a minor detail not worth further thought.
There was a time when he counted down the days with me.
Now, he barely remembered.
I stood there, humiliation burning beneath my skin. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he spoke again.
“By the way, your parents’ pack hasn’t sent their monthly support yet. Have you contacted them?”
My jaw tightened. “Support?” I echoed.
He nodded. “Yes. The Moonveil Pack usually sends contributions to help strengthen our resources. I was wondering if there’s been a delay. Maybe you could remind them.”
A hollow laugh nearly escaped me. My chest tightened painfully. “That’s what concerns you? My family’s contribution?”
He looked at me calmly. “It’s not about the money. It’s about maintaining alliances.”
I didn’t want to hear another word.
I turned and walked out before my anger spilled over into something I couldn’t take back.
By the time I reached the hallway, my hands were shaking. The image of his calm, detached expression lingered in my mind.
So this was what I had become to him.
Not his future Luna.
Not his mate.
Just a link to a powerful, wealthy pack. A convenient alliance.
That night, moonlight filtered gently into my room, casting soft shadows along the walls. I sat quietly at the edge of my bed, watching the shifting shapes while my wolf stirred restlessly inside me.
I didn’t plan what I did next.
I simply followed the ache in my chest, the faint bond that still pulled me toward him, even when it hurt.
Barefoot and silent, I walked down the hallway toward his quarters.
The scent reached me first.
Vanilla and rosewater.
Not mine.
Not the earthy scent that usually surrounded him.
Then I heard voices.
Soft, breathy sounds. A woman’s moan. And then—
His voice.
“Victoria… you’re incredible. So much better than Brielle. She just lies there like a lifeless log.”
The words cut through me like silver.
I froze outside the door, my breath trapped in my throat. My hands went cold, my heart skipping before shattering all at once.
I didn’t move.
I didn’t even cry at first.
I just stood there, numb, listening to the sounds of betrayal spilling through the door.
Inside me, my wolf let out a broken howl—rage, heartbreak, disbelief tangled together. I pressed my hand over my mouth, forcing back the sob threatening to escape, then turned and ran down the hallway, my bare feet silent against the marble floor.
By the time I reached my room, tears blurred my vision. My body trembled as I grabbed my phone, my fingers shaking so badly I nearly dropped it.
I dialed my brother.
He answered after two rings, his voice warm and steady. “Brielle? It’s late. Is everything alright?”
Hearing him broke whatever control I had left.
“Benedict…” My voice cracked. “He… he betrayed me.”
“What?” His tone sharpened immediately. “Who?”
“Alpha Xavier,” I whispered, choking on my tears. “He… he didn’t show up at our wedding because he was saving his child. With another woman. Victoria—his childhood sweetheart. She has his son. He’s been lying to me the entire time.”
Silence followed.
A dangerous silence filled with restrained fury.
“He did what?” Benedict’s voice dropped, his Alpha authority bleeding through. I could almost feel his power surge even through the phone. “I’ll gather our warriors right now. He won’t get away with this, Sam.”
“No!” I said quickly. “Please don’t.”
He hesitated. “Brielle—”
“I don’t want war,” I said firmly, though my voice trembled. “Just give me until my birthday. After that… I’ll leave Stormvale. For good.”
“Brielle…” His voice softened, laced with pain. “You don’t deserve any of this. You should’ve told me sooner.”
“I know.” My voice broke again. “I kept hoping he’d change… that maybe the man I loved was still there.”
“Then let him live with his choices,” Benedict said quietly. “And when you leave, make sure he understands exactly what he lost.”
“Thank you, Ben,” I whispered. “I just need a few more days. I’ll be alright.”
After we ended the call, I sat there for a long time, holding the phone close to my chest.
Outside, the full moon glowed pale and distant, silently watching everything unfold.
That night, I finally accepted the truth I had been avoiding.
Alpha Xavier Raven of the Stormvale Pack was no longer mine.
Maybe he never truly had been.
And on my birthday—the day he forgot—I would reclaim what he had taken from me.
My freedom.
My pride.
And the shattered pieces of my heart.
