Kaela’s POV
Their voices haunted me, echoing in every corner of my mind.
“What if she finds out?” Maribel’s voice had been trembling, sharp as a knife through the quiet.
For a fleeting moment, I thought maybe, just maybe, there was a flicker of guilt in her tone. That perhaps the woman I had once called my sister could feel shame.
But then came Evander’s laugh—cold, hard, and merciless. “You’re being foolish, Maribel. Kaela trusts me blindly. She’ll never question my orders. Never.”
A soft, wicked giggle followed hers. “Poor Kaela. Always so perfect, so naive. She won’t suspect a thing.”
I remember standing there, paralyzed, my heart pounding so violently it felt like it would split my chest. They didn’t just speak—they carved me up, piece by piece. Every word, every sneer, shredded my loyalty, my grief, my trust. Each syllable was another blade sinking into my soul.
“She still believes Mira’s death was fate,” Evander sneered. “She’ll never imagine I commanded those soldiers to choose differently.”
“And even if she did,” Maribel said, her tone laced with venom, “what could she do? She’s just your Luna. You’re her Alpha.”
Just his Luna. Not his partner. Not his equal. Just a title.
The world spun around me. My legs faltered as I stumbled back, forcing myself not to collapse right there. My wolf howled in anguish deep inside me, a visceral pain that begged to lash out. I wanted to tear down the door, to rip them both apart—but my broken heart still held me back.
I turned and walked. Until I reached the balcony overlooking the Valecrest plains—the very heart of our pack. Below, the wolves went about their lives, training, patrolling, hunting, as if nothing had shattered. The moon hung above, cold and silver, as though it, too, mourned with me.
I sank to my knees.
Sobs erupted from my chest like a storm I could no longer contain. The sound of my grief echoed against the stone walls, swallowed by the wind. I clutched the railing, trembling, my tears spilling onto the marble like rain.
My wolf cried inside me. Our pup… our bond… everything we trusted to him…
I pressed a shaking hand to my belly, where our new pup grew. Joy should have bloomed there. But all I felt was betrayal burning through my veins.
Then my phone buzzed.
A small, almost insignificant sound—but it cut through the quiet like glass.
Through blurred tears, I looked down at the screen. A notification from Moonbook, our pack’s social network.
The name made my chest seize.
Maribel Crowne.
For a split second, my thumb hovered. Curiosity. Dread. Anger. And then I opened it.
The image filled my vision, stealing my breath. Two hands intertwined. Faces hidden. One hand delicate, pale, hauntingly familiar. The other strong, tan, masculine.
And on that wrist—a bracelet of silver, engraved with a moon. The one I had given Evander for our second anniversary.
The caption beneath it read: “A miracle after all the pain. Can’t wait to meet our little one.”
I gasped, vision swimming. Pregnant.
She was pregnant. With his child.
And he wasn’t hiding it. The world could see. The pack could see. And I, his Luna, was reduced to a fool.
Something inside me shattered, silent but irrevocable, cracking through my chest and into my very soul.
The phone slipped from my fingers, clattering to the balcony floor. I stared out at the horizon, the sunset painting the sky with cruel shades of blood and gold.
My wolf growled deep within me. He betrayed the bond, Kaela. He took everything—our pup, our honor, our love. How much more must we lose before we strike back?
I wiped my tears. My breaths evened. And slowly, a new fire ignited—not grief, but determination.
I turned toward my office, mind racing. My hands shook as I picked up my phone again—not to stare at the post, but to make a call I never imagined I would.
My father. Alpha Peter Ravenshade, the most feared and revered Alpha across the northern territories.
He had warned me once: “You don’t marry for love, daughter. You marry for legacy. Love fades. Duty remains.”
I had ignored him. For Evander. For love, I had thought. I had abandoned home, pack, everything for him. And now… it seemed my father had been right.
Trembling, I dialed. The phone rang twice before his voice answered, deep and familiar.
“Kaela?”
I couldn’t speak at first. My throat constricted, tears threatening anew. “Father…” I whispered.
A pause. Then his voice softened, cautious. “It’s been years. Why are you calling?”
“I… I want to come home,” I said, swallowing hard. “I’ll marry whoever you wanted me to marry back then.”
His breath caught. “What about Evander? You left everything for him.”
“I was wrong,” I admitted, voice quivering. “He betrayed me. He killed my daughter. He’s… cheating on me. With my best friend.”
Silence. Then I could feel his fury building, even through the phone.
“Did he hurt you?”
“No,” I said, trembling. “Not yet. But he will if I stay. I can’t remain here.”
“Then come home,” he commanded. “I’ll send an escort—”
“No,” I interrupted, straightening. “Not yet. I’ll handle this my way. Seven days. That’s all I need.”
He hesitated. “Kaela…”
“I’ll do it your way,” I cut him off again. “I’ll marry who you choose. I’ll follow the rules this time.”
I could feel his surprise through the line. “You mean that?”
“Yes.” My voice hardened. “No more following my heart. This time, I’ll follow my blood.”
A long pause. Then his breath evened, and his Alpha authority returned. “Very well. I’ll tell your brothers you’re coming home.”
My chest tightened at the thought of them—my three older brothers, each an Alpha in his own right. They had warned me before I left.
“Evander Ashcroft will never love you the way you deserve, Kaela,” my eldest had said.
I hadn’t listened.
Now, the memory burned like salt in an open wound.
“Tell them,” I whispered, fury barely restrained. “Tell them the Valecrest Alpha has made an enemy of the Ravenshades.”
His voice dropped low, dangerous. “May the Goddess have mercy on his soul.”
The call ended, but my heart thundered.
Seven days. In a week, I would no longer be the Luna of Valecrest Pack. In seven days, I would no longer be Alpha Evander Ashcroft’s wife.
I looked to the horizon again. Night had swallowed the crimson sun. The first silver rays of moonlight shimmered over the plains, reflecting in my eyes.
My wolf stirred inside me, matching my fury with her own. They think we’re broken. They think we’ll slink away quietly.
“No,” I whispered. “We will make them remember exactly who I am.”
