The celebration continued around me, but I barely heard the music anymore. My focus narrowed to Pierce and Jazmine as they moved away from the crowd, heading toward the Alpha's private den. The same den where Pierce and I had spent countless nights planning for our pack's future, where he'd whispered promises of forever against my skin.
I followed them through the shadows, my heart hammering against my ribs. The incomplete mate bond pulled at me with each step, a constant reminder of what I'd lost—or what I thought I'd lost. Now I wasn't sure what was real anymore.
They disappeared inside the den, but the windows were open to catch the night breeze. I crept closer, pressing myself against the stone wall beneath the main window. Their voices carried clearly in the still air.
"That went perfectly," Jazmine's voice was different now—sharper, colder. Gone was the sweet, submissive tone she'd used during the ceremony. "Your pack bought the grieving widower story completely."
Pierce chuckled, a sound that once made my heart flutter but now turned my stomach. "Of course they did. Dorothy was always too trusting, too naive. She probably cried over the death notice."
"Speaking of Dorothy," Jazmine's voice took on a predatory edge, "we need to deal with her and that wolfless brat of yours. They're loose ends we can't afford."
My blood turned to ice. Summer. They were talking about Summer.
"I've already set things in motion," Pierce said, and I heard the clink of glass—probably pouring himself a drink. "The pack council will vote next week to recall all exiled members for 'community service.' Dorothy will be forced to return as a servant, nothing more. A rejected mate with no status, no protection. She'll be at our mercy."
"And the girl?"
"Summer's wolfless condition makes her perfect for our needs. Carter's been asking for someone untraceable to run messages between his rogue network and the surrounding packs. A child that can't shift, can't defend herself—she'll be completely dependent on his protection. And if something happens to her..." Pierce's voice trailed off with cruel indifference.
Jazmine laughed, a sound like breaking glass. "Brilliant. We eliminate Dorothy as a threat by breaking her spirit completely, and we get rid of the girl while gaining Carter's loyalty. Two birds, one stone."
"Plus, with Dorothy serving as a cautionary tale about what happens to rejected mates who don't know their place, the pack will never question my authority again. And Marcus will finally have the territory rights that should have gone to him from the beginning."
Marcus. Jazmine's son. They were planning to destroy my daughter's life to secure territory for Jazmine's child.
Rage built in my chest like a living thing, hot and violent. My wolf clawed at the edges of my consciousness, demanding blood, demanding justice. But I forced myself to stay hidden, to listen to every word of their conspiracy.
"What about the mate bond?" Jazmine asked. "It's still incomplete. Dorothy could still cause problems if she finds the right backing."
"The bond is weakening," Pierce said dismissively. "Another few months of separation and it'll snap completely. Besides, who would back a rejected mate? She's nothing now. No pack, no status, no future. Just a cautionary tale."
I'd heard enough. More than enough. But as I started to pull away from the window, Pierce's next words froze me in place.
"The moonstone pendant was a nice touch, by the way. Dorothy's mother's protective charm looks perfect on you."
"It belongs to a Luna," Jazmine replied smugly. "And I'm the only Luna this pack has now."
My mother's pendant. The one thing I had left of her, the protective charm she'd worn until her dying day. Pierce had taken it from our home when he exiled us, and I'd assumed it was lost forever. But he'd given it to her. To Jazmine.
Something inside me snapped.
I didn't remember moving. Didn't remember walking to the front door of the den or pushing it open. But suddenly I was standing in the doorway, staring at the two people who had destroyed my life.
Pierce looked up from his drink, his face cycling through surprise, annoyance, and finally cold dismissal. "Dorothy. I should have known you'd show up eventually. Always did have trouble following orders."
Jazmine smiled, her fingers toying with my mother's pendant. "Hello, Dorothy. So sorry for your loss." Her voice dripped with false sympathy.
"You faked your death," I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. "You let me believe you were gone."
Pierce shrugged. "It was cleaner this way. Easier for everyone involved."
"Easier?" The word came out as a snarl. "You think destroying our mate bond, abandoning your daughter, and plotting to use her as rogue bait is easier?"
"Summer isn't my daughter anymore," Pierce said coldly. "She's a wolfless mistake who brings shame to my bloodline. At least this way, she'll serve some purpose before she inevitably gets herself killed."
The casual cruelty in his voice hit me like a physical blow. This wasn't the man I'd mated with. This wasn't the Alpha who'd sworn to protect our pack, our family. This was a stranger wearing Pierce's face.
"You're trespassing on pack territory," Pierce continued, setting down his glass and moving toward me. His Alpha aura pressed against me, trying to force submission. "I could have you arrested. Thrown in the dungeons for violating your exile."
I stood my ground, meeting his eyes without flinching. "Go ahead. Call your guards. Let the whole pack hear about your conspiracy with rogues. Let them know how their Alpha plans to sacrifice children for territory rights."
Pierce's face darkened. "You always were too smart for your own good. But it doesn't matter what you know. No one will believe a rejected mate over their Alpha."
"We'll see about that," I whispered.
His hand shot out, gripping my chin with bruising force. "Let me make something very clear, Dorothy. I never loved you. The mate bond was a mistake, a cosmic joke. You were adequate for breeding purposes, but you were never Luna material. Jazmine understands what it means to serve an Alpha. You never did."
Each word was a knife to the heart, designed to break me completely. And maybe, four years ago, they would have. But I wasn't the same broken woman he'd exiled. I was a mother with nothing left to lose.
I smiled, and Pierce's grip loosened in surprise.
"Thank you," I said softly. "For showing me exactly who you really are."
Then I turned and walked away, leaving them staring after me in confusion. But I wasn't running this time. I was planning.
The Moon Goddess had shown me the truth tonight. Now it was time for justice.
