The world blurred around me.
Elira’s victorious smirk. Dorian’s blank indifference. My parents’ silent complicity. And my son — my baby — smiling up at me, completely unaware of the betrayal tearing me apart.
My wolf whimpered weakly inside me, pacing restlessly as pain clawed through my chest.
Before I lost control, before my emotions triggered a shift I no longer had the strength to survive, I turned on my heel, gripping Aiden’s small hand like a lifeline.
“Evelina,” Dorian called behind me, his tone bored, detached. “Where are you going?”
I didn’t answer.
I walked away, my legs trembling beneath me, my son’s warm fingers clinging to mine. My wolf wanted to howl, to lash out, to challenge the Alpha who had betrayed our bond — but I suppressed her, burying the pain deep inside.
I didn’t stop.
Not when Aiden kept looking back.
Not when the whispers started.
Not when I heard Elira’s voice, soft and dripping with false pity.
“She’ll get over it.”
My chest tightened.
No.
I wouldn’t.
I would never forgive them.
---
The Ashclaw Pack estate felt eerily silent when we returned.
The guards bowed their heads respectfully as I passed, but I barely noticed them. My mind was too loud, too crowded with pain and disbelief.
Aiden fell asleep almost instantly, exhausted from the day.
His birthday.
The birthday his father chose to spend proposing to another woman.
I tucked him into bed gently, brushing his curls from his forehead. His breathing slowly evened out, peaceful and soft. His innocent face made my chest ache.
He didn’t understand.
He still believed his father was strong. Honorable. A hero.
I wished I could protect him from the truth.
Once he was asleep, I quietly left his room and walked down the long hallway toward our bedroom.
Our bedroom.
The room that suddenly didn’t feel like mine anymore.
The moment I stepped inside, my legs gave out. I collapsed onto the bed, clutching the sheets as sobs tore through me.
Dorian Ashclaw.
Alpha of the Ashclaw Pack.
My mate.
My husband.
The father of my pup.
And Elira…
She was my baby sister.
The one I once carried on my back when she got tired during pack gatherings.
The one who cried to me after her first heartbreak.
The one I trusted more than anyone.
I squeezed my eyes shut, but the memories came anyway.
Uninvited.
Relentless.
Cruel.
Dorian had pursued me relentlessly — like a wolf determined to claim his mate.
When the Nightborne Pack sent me to Paris territory for business negotiations, Dorian followed without hesitation. He arrived the next night, standing in the inn’s grand lobby with a bouquet of pale tulips.
“I couldn’t stay away from you for a whole week,” he had said, his golden eyes warm as they locked onto mine.
I had laughed, calling him insane.
He stepped closer, wrapping an arm around my waist before whispering against my ear,
“Crazy for my mate.”
That was Dorian.
Affectionate.
Possessive.
Mine.
Then we married beneath the full moon, the Moon Goddess as witness. Our wolves had howled in harmony when he slid the moonstone ring onto my finger — the sacred symbol of a bonded pair.
On our mating trip, he took me to the coastal territories in Sydney. We spent weeks walking along moonlit shores, laughing, loving, promising forever beneath the stars.
When Aiden was born, Dorian became even more protective. He refused to let me lift anything heavy. He insisted I rest. Every night, he held me close, our wolves curling together in comfort.
“I love you more than anything,” he would murmur through the mate bond.
I had believed him.
Every word.
Then Elira returned.
She had been studying fashion design in distant territories for years. When she came back, she was more beautiful than ever — elegant, confident, glowing with youth.
Dorian noticed.
I saw it.
The way her eyes lingered on him.
The way she laughed too easily at his jokes.
The way Dorian suddenly found reasons to speak with her.
But I told myself it meant nothing.
Elira was my sister.
Dorian was my mate.
Then one night, I walked into our bedroom.
And saw them.
Curled together on the bed.
My heart stopped.
“Dorian?” My voice trembled.
Elira sat up immediately, pulling the blanket around herself. Dorian, however, simply rubbed his temples like I was the inconvenience.
“Relax, Evelina,” he had said calmly. “Elira fainted. I was helping her.”
And I…
Like a fool…
I believed him.
Because Aiden was sleeping in the next room.
Because I didn’t want to believe my mate could betray me.
Because I loved him.
But now?
Now I knew.
They had been together behind my back for who knows how long.
I sucked in a shaky breath, pressing my hand against my chest.
The worst part?
I still loved him.
Even after everything.
My wolf whimpered again, weak and heartbroken.
I wanted to scream.
To break something.
To make them feel the pain they caused me.
And as if the Moon Goddess wasn’t done testing me…
The communication crystal on my bedside table glowed faintly.
My mother.
I should have ignored it.
But a small, pathetic part of me still hoped she would take my side.
I pressed my palm over the crystal.
“H-hello…”
Her voice came through, calm and dismissive.
“You’re still crying? Honestly, Evelina, stop being dramatic.”
My breath caught.
“What?”
“Elira is younger than you,” she continued. “She deserves happiness too.”
My grip tightened around the crystal.
“And me?” My voice cracked. “Don’t I deserve happiness too?”
There was a pause.
Then my father’s voice joined through the link.
“Don’t be selfish, Evelina. Think about Aiden. Dorian will soon be Elira’s mate. It’s best if you cooperate.”
Something inside me snapped.
I hurled the crystal across the room.
It shattered against the stone wall, fragments scattering across the floor.
Then I buried my face into the pillow and screamed, my voice raw and broken as my wolf howled in agony inside me.
This wasn’t just Dorian’s betrayal.
It was everyone’s.
My parents.
My sister.
My mate.
Every person I loved…
Had thrown me away like I meant nothing.
But if they thought I would accept this…
If they thought I would cooperate…
They were terribly wrong.
