I lost everything. My pack, my position as their proud female Alpha, and the future I thought was mine to claim. My mate, Tristan, shattered my world when he betrayed me with my cousin, Margaret—while I carried our twins. In an instant, everything I held dear was ripped away, and I was cast out, forced to flee for my life.
"Banish Ayesha! Banish her!"
For 20 years, I rebuilt myself from the ground up, stronger, wiser, and more determined than ever. But now, the ghosts of my past have returned. The same faces. The same lies. The same betrayal.
This time, I won’t let them break me again. They’ll soon learn—no one can take what belongs to me.
---
My breathing was ragged as I ran through the dense forest, my legs shaking with exhaustion. Blood trailed down my thighs, a painful reminder of everything I’d lost. My hand pressed against my swollen stomach, desperate to protect what little I had left.
“Please,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Hold on, my loves. Just hold on.”
The trees blurred past me as tears clouded my vision. The betrayal, the heartbreak, and the pain threatened to crush me, but I couldn’t stop. I wouldn’t stop. Not when everything I loved was on the line.
The Nightbloom Pack was falling apart, and I knew it.
Standing by the window of my Alpha office, I gazed out at the empty training grounds. The pack’s warriors, our backbone and pride, had been leaving. Four in the last month alone.
My fingers tightened around the edge of the desk, my sharp eyes scanning the barren yard. What was happening to us? The question hung heavy in my mind, unanswered.
A soft kick from within my belly startled me, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. A small, bittersweet smile tugged at my lips as I placed my hand over my stomach. Twins. I was carrying twins.
“I’ll make this right,” I murmured, my voice soft but determined. “For you. For this pack.”
I had been waiting for the right moment to tell Tristan. Despite the growing distance between us, surely the news of our children would bring joy to his heart.
But as I stepped into the packhouse, my thoughts were interrupted by the sight of Margaret, her cousin, lounging in the foyer like a queen.
Margaret tilted her head as I approached, her lips curling into a smug smile. The faint light of the chandelier caught on the emerald brooch pinned to her dress. My heart stuttered.
That brooch…
“That brooch…” My voice was steady, though my chest tightened with the sudden realization.
Margaret touched it delicately, her smile widening. “Oh, this?” she purred. “It was a gift. From someone who really knows how to take care of me.”
My stomach churned. My sharp gaze flicked to her neck, where faint hickeys trailed, like a cruel declaration of ownership.
The pieces fell into place. Tristan.
I fought to hold it together, my hands trembling, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. The faint scent of Tristan clung to her skin, a curse I couldn’t shake.
I bit back the bile rising in my throat and forced my feet to move. I walked past Margaret, my head held high even though every step felt like it dragged me deeper into a pit of despair.
I reached the staircase, my legs heavy, and made my way to our bedroom. My heart hammered in my chest with every step, and when I saw the door ajar, my pulse quickened. Tristan’s voice floated through the crack, low and casual, as he spoke on the phone.
I froze. My instincts screamed for me to turn away, to escape before I heard anything that might break me further, but I couldn’t. I needed to know.
I leaned in, my heart lodged in my throat. What I heard next hit me like a freight train.
“Margaret is wilder in bed,” Tristan laughed softly. “Not like Ayesha. She’s boring as fuck.”
The words landed like a slap to my face, and I felt as though the air had been knocked from my lungs. My vision blurred, my body trembling as I tried to hold myself together.
“I’m only with her for now because I need her to step down as Alpha,” Tristan continued, his voice dripping with arrogance. “Once we’re married, I’ll convince her to hand over the title. Then I’ll end things and make Margaret my Luna. She knows her place.”
My fingers dug into the doorframe, desperate for support, but I couldn’t breathe. I stayed frozen, every word cutting deeper than I ever thought possible.
“She’s nothing compared to Margaret,” Tristan added with a cruel laugh. “It’s only a matter of time.”
I couldn’t hear anymore. I turned, stumbling away from the door, the pain ripping through me like a jagged knife.
I needed to get out of there. I couldn’t stay in that house a moment longer.
I ran down the stairs, through the packhouse, and burst out into the cool night air. It didn’t soothe the storm inside me. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my hands shook uncontrollably.
I pressed my palm to my stomach, tears spilling over. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I should have seen it sooner.”
Tristan had betrayed me. Not just as my mate, but as the father of my unborn twins. And now, I was alone.
