Kaela’s POV
The hallway outside the Alpha’s office carried the sharp, commanding scent of cedar—and of him, my Alpha husband. My fingers tightened around the velvet box I held, heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation and nerves. Today marked our fourth anniversary, and I had spared no effort to make this gift unforgettable—something that would light up his eyes the way they used to when he looked at me.
Inside, the treasure I had fought so hard to acquire gleamed faintly. It was the ancient silver dagger Evander had been lusting after at auctions for months, a relic said to have once belonged to one of the first Alpha kings centuries ago. I had called in favors, begged old allies of my father, and even negotiated deals I never thought I’d have to—just to secure it.
Nestled alongside it, I had placed the morning’s revelation: a small pregnancy test, the two bright lines almost glowing against the white plastic. I was carrying our second pup. Instinctively, my hand rose to my belly, a soft smile brushing my lips. Mira would have adored this news… my mind ached for my little girl, my sweet, laughing pup with eyes that mirrored mine. She would have been five this year if that damn attack hadn’t taken her.
I shook away the grief. Evander and I had survived storms before. Together—or so I had believed.
Taking a deep breath, my heels clicked against the polished marble floors of the central plains building, the beating heart of Valecrest Pack. Guards bowed respectfully as I passed. “Luna,” they murmured.
I offered a small nod, my pulse quickening as I approached the imposing double doors of his office. I could already picture the look on his face—the spark of surprise, the warmth in his voice when he realized he’d soon be a father again. Maybe this gift, this news, would bridge the gap between us.
But then, a sound froze me mid-step.
At first, it was barely audible—a soft, muffled sound—but it carried something that made my stomach coil in knots.
A moan. No… that couldn’t be.
I drew closer, senses sharpening. My wolf stirred, muscles tensing. The scent wafting from the slightly open door was not mine. Sweet, powdery, familiar.
Maribel.
My best friend.
I nudged the door wider, and the sight that met my eyes shattered every piece of me.
Evander, my husband, had his lips pressed against Maribel Crowne’s neck. His hands tangled in her hair, pulling her close, while her back arched against his desk, fingers digging into his shoulders as though she belonged there.
My knees threatened to buckle.
“Alpha…” I whispered, but the word dissolved in my throat.
The air turned suffocating. My wolf growled low, coiling around my chest with rage and heartbreak. She wanted to burst free, tear them apart, make them pay—but I forced her down. They could not hear me.
I stood frozen, the velvet box trembling in my hands, watching the two people I had trusted above all else dismantle me piece by piece.
My breaths came short and sharp. I wanted to scream, to shatter something—but then Maribel’s voice cut through the tension.
“What about… that night?” she murmured, trembling. “You promised me… no one would ever know.”
Evander stiffened, jaw tightening. “No one will,” he replied, voice low, even, chilling. “The soldiers were paid well. Enough to keep everything quiet.”
Soldiers? My brows knitted in confusion, through the haze of disbelief. What were they referring to?
Maribel’s fingers clenched his shirt. “You’re certain Kaela has no idea? About… that night?”
My heart lurched at the words. That night.
Evander exhaled slowly, hand sliding down hers in a practiced gesture of comfort. “She believes the rescue failed. That Mira… didn’t survive. I instructed the soldiers what to tell her.”
I pressed my hand to my mouth, choking back a sob. Did I hear him right?
Maribel bit her lip, eyes fixed on the floor. “But… Mira could have been saved. You said they reached us at the same time—”
“I couldn’t let you die, Maribel!” he snapped, slamming a fist against the desk. “Do you understand? You were bleeding out. I couldn’t lose you, so I made them save you first!”
The blood drained from me. My wolf whimpered, sharp and mournful. Our pup… our Mira…
I stumbled back against the wall, air leaving me in ragged gasps. The dagger box slipped from my trembling hands, thudding softly to the floor.
And yet, the final blow hadn’t arrived.
Maribel’s voice quivered again. “And her heart? That’s still supposed to be just between us. Are you certain it stayed a secret, Alpha?”
Evander’s chest rose and fell, breath shaky. “It’s safe. Kaela signed the medical documents while she was mourning. She had no idea what they were. None of the healers, no one else—no one knows.”
My knees buckled. Hands clutching my chest, realization slammed into me like a silver dagger piercing my ribs.
Mira’s heart…
They had given her heart to Maribel.
I had spent months, hired soldiers, leveraged every connection I had, all to save my daughter kidnapped during the war. And he—my Alpha husband—paid twice as much to ensure Maribel survived. That’s why, a year ago, they returned only with my child’s lifeless body while Maribel lived.
And now… he had entrusted my daughter’s heart to the woman who had stolen his attention, his affection—his love—from me.
