Chapter 1 Chapter 1

My son Sylvan looked up at me with pitiful eyes as tears streamed down his cheeks. He insisted he couldn't sleep until he saw his dad tonight. If it hadn't been for that heartbreaking sight, I don't think I would have found myself standing at Lydia's door. I hesitated, my hand hovering over the door. This door always brought back painful memories. A year ago, I had been playing with Sylvan when a sharp, suffocating pain suddenly gripped my chest. When I came to, I found my mate, Kaelen, in bed with Lydia. The sting from my mate's betrayal hit me hard, and I blacked out. "The Elders drugged me…," Kaelen had said, kneeling beside my sickbed, his voice desperate. "My brother—he was killed by rogues. He didn't have kids, so according to the pack's law…""So, you got into bed with your brother's mate?" I interrupted, my nails digging into my palms. He grabbed my wrist tightly. "It was only to have a pup! The Elders said that once Lydia is with pup, I'll fully inherit the Alpha position—""I want to sever our mate bond." But as soon as I said that, Kaelen dropped to his knees in front of me, a silver knife pressed to his chest. He said, "Violetta, I need to give Lydia a pup to claim Grayswood Pack. I swear that you're the only one I love. Once she's with pup, you and I can be together openly!" Before I could respond, he forced me to drink a potion a witch had made. It was supposed to dull the pain of the bond from his betrayal. He imprisoned me in the castle and forced me to cut off all contact with the outside world. At first, Kaelen was reluctant to visit Lydia. He only went to her once a month. But soon, that turned into once a week, and then once every two days. Now, he went to her willingly. The Elders no longer needed to force him. However, something felt different today. It was the sixth time he had been to her room. As I recalled Sylvan's request, I steeled myself and was about to knock on the door. But just then, I happened to glance through the window. What I saw made my stomach drop. Kaelen had Lydia pressed up against the desk, his low moan mixed with a rhythmic creak from the wooden surface filled the room. "I agreed to give you a pup, but don't think for a second you'll ever compare to Violetta." Lydia's face was flushed as she gasped. "But you said… she's boring in bed, that she's nothing like me. You can't get enough of me, can you? Always coming back for more after just a few days!" Kaelen didn't answer. Instead, he thrust into her harder. The sounds from inside became increasingly unbearable. Lydia must have sensed my presence because she looked over at me with a mocking glint in her eyes. She knew I was there. I shut my eyes in despair, then turned away without knocking. While I still held onto the fragile hope that our relationship could be saved, Kaelen had already fallen deeper into Lydia's allure. Night after night, he became more and more obsessed with her body.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

When I returned to Sylvan's room, he had already cried himself to sleep. In his dreams, he called out, "Dad… you promised you'd teach me how to shoot, so I could become the bravest warrior…" My heart tightened as I held him close. Poor little guy. He loved his father so much that he was still calling for him even in his sleep. But his father… his father was waiting for another pup. Sylvan had sat at the shooting range all night, hoping Kaelen would come back, but he never did. As I recalled what had happened, I pulled out the phone I had carefully stolen earlier. It had taken a lot of effort, but I had managed. I opened the message my father had just sent me. [Come to Silvercreek in seven days. I'll send someone to pick you up.] Years ago, I had eloped with Kaelen. My father never approved of him. He had been furious, and he threatened to never speak to me again. But when I sent word and said I wanted to come home, my father agreed without question. I kissed Sylvan's cheek gently. "Sylvan, sweetheart, there's a better shooting range at Grandpa's house. You don't need a father like Kaelen." And I was done with a mate like him. - In the middle of the night, I felt a pair of hands wrap around me. The familiar scent of birch and bloodrose—Lydia's favorite perfume—hit me like a wave. "Violetta, I've missed you," Kaelen whispered. I pushed him away violently, choking back a dry heave. "Are you… with pup?" His eyes widened in shock. I couldn't help but laugh bitterly. "Kaelen, it's been four months and 17 days since you last touched me." I glanced at my flat stomach. "Or do the werewolves of Grayswood Pack have the ability to breed someone from a distance?" Kaelen looked away, suddenly embarrassed. "I've been neglecting you," he admitted, his voice softer. "I won't visit Lydia this week. I'll stay with you." Lydia. He spoke her name so casually now. There was no longer any pretense, no more formal title like "Luna" that he used to use to show respect. That facade had long since been ripped away. His large hand began to slide across my body, a movement that made me instinctively want to stop him. But just as I was about to pull away, a loud knock came from the door. "Mr. Kaelen, Luna's having heart palpitations. She wants you to come right away!" Kaelen quickly got up, but then paused, as if remembering something. He turned back toward me, his face full of hesitation. "Violetta, Luna's not feeling well. I need to…" I didn't stop him. Instead, I handed him a flashlight. "It's dark outside. Don't trip on your way there." He took the flashlight, his brow furrowed with confusion. He must have expected me to start another argument. There was an inexplicable look in his eyes. "Violetta, you…" Without waiting for him to finish, I shoved him out the door. "You should go. Don't keep the precious Luna waiting." I slammed the door shut behind him.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

The next morning, I comforted Sylvan, who was once again upset because his father didn't join us for breakfast. As I was doing so, a familiar, irritating knock came at the door. "The elders want to see you in the council hall." Before Kaelen and Lydia's affair started, the servants would still call me "Lady Violetta". But now, everything had changed. My place in the Grayswood Pack had become unclear. Even the lowest omega now looked down on me. When I arrived at the council hall, all the elders and nobles of the pack were already there. The elders smiled at Lydia and said, "Congratulations. The healer has confirmed Luna is with pup." I couldn't stop myself from looking at Kaelen. He stood there with Lydia's hand in his, his joy so obvious it made me sick. The most respected elder, Timothy, stepped forward and bowed to them. He lead all the others in formally pledging their loyalty to Kaelen as Alpha. "Luna Lydia is the only one who can bear the true heir to Grayswood Pack," Timothy declared. The elders turned their eyes on me and sneered, and one of them said, "Unlike some, who think they can disrupt our pack's bloodline with a pup of their own." The elders had always disliked me. They didn't know my true identity. To them, I was just another rogue who had somehow used my beauty to trap Kaelen. They preferred Lydia, with her pure werewolf bloodline. It was laughable. I was the only daughter of an Alpha King from Nebaria, a kingdom in the south. And yet, I had endured their ridicule and mistreatment for years—all because I wanted Kaelen to have their support. Just then, Kaelen seemed to remember I was there. He started to approach, but Lydia gently tugged on his sleeve and held him back. He tried to find some trace of resentment in my face, but there was none. I didn't say a word as I turned and walked away. Only six more days until I leave. What Kaelen did now didn't matter to me anymore. Since Kaelen found out Lydia was with pup, he had been by her side constantly. Today, he didn't show up once again. I focused on spending time with Sylvan. Today, it was the first time he didn't cry or demand to see his father. While we were playing soccer in the garden, I ran into Kaelen and Lydia. They were walking through the village, making sure everyone saw them together. Sylvan's eyes lit up, and he almost shouted for his father, but then the gardener's flattering voice interrupted him. "Alpha, Luna, you two truly are the most loving pair of mates in all of Grayswood Pack." I froze. Lydia smiled, looking so sweet and smug. Kaelen didn't correct anyone. It seemed natural to him, as if there was no reason not to call Lydia his mate. He gently picked a flower and placed it in Lydia's hair, smiling at her. "This one suits you perfectly." Kaelen looked up, and our eyes locked for a brief, tense moment. His face turned pale. Sylvan frowned and shouted, "Daddy, why did he say Aunt Lydia is your mate? Mommy is your mate!" Kaelen's face darkened, and he came forward to hoist Sylvan into his arms. "Sylvan, stop being ridiculous." His serious tone made Sylvan start crying, and I immediately pulled him away. As I turned to walk back inside, Kaelen followed after us. "Violetta, what are you throwing a tantrum for now?"

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

"I've already explained to you," Kaelen said. "Lydia's with pup. She's alone, and I can't help but worry. That's why I'm spending more time with her." I didn't want to argue. "I'm not throwing a tantrum. Of course, Luna needs help while she's with pup. You can go do what you need to do." Kaelen looked at me in surprise, but then he seemed to relax just a little bit. He smiled gently. "I knew you'd understand, Violetta. "Tomorrow, I'll spend the day with you and Sylvan," he promised. I held back my disgust and forced a smile as I said goodbye. The next day, Kaelen was thoughtful enough to prepare a car. He planned to take me and Sylvan out for a day of fun. When I saw Sylvan's hopeful face, I couldn't bring myself to refuse. But just as I was about to say something, Sylvan's smile faded. His face twisted in pain, and he clutched his stomach, his body convulsing as foam started to form around his mouth. I was terrified. "Mommy, my stomach hurts so much..." "Kaelen, call the healer!" I shouted in panic. Kaelen's face went pale, and he started to rush over. But before he could reach us, a servant suddenly fell to his knees in front of him. "Alpha, something's wrong!" the servant cried. "Luna is in pain. She said her stomach hurts badly. She needs the healer to tend to her right away!" I recognized the servant—he worked for Lydia. Kaelen's expression changed in an instant, and he asked urgently, "What happened to Lydia?" Then, he turned to the healer who had just arrived. "Quick! You need to see Luna!" I stood there, frozen in disbelief. Sylvan was foaming at the mouth and in pain, yet Kaelen was already turning to leave, calling for the healer to go to Lydia. "Kaelen, don't you care about Sylvan at all?" I asked. Kaelen stopped in his tracks and frowned, then turned back to look at me. "Sylvan probably just ate something that upset his stomach. I'll send someone to get another healer. Nothing big would happen to kids. "Lydia just started carrying my pup. She's weaker than Sylvan right now, and she needs the healer more." My body trembled uncontrollably with anger, but I couldn't leave my son alone. So, I had to watch as Kaelen and the servant walked away. I finally gave up on hoping Kaelen would care. I grabbed my phone and called my father for help. Thankfully, he sent a healer named Ivan over quickly. Ivan examined Sylvan, and after some time, he began throwing up uncontrollably, finally vomiting up a green, sickly substance. Ivan shook his head. "What kind of monster does this? Poisoning a pup like this…" My heart sank. "You mean someone poisoned my pup?" Ivan nodded grimly. "It was a small dose of wolfsbane, but it's enough to kill a pup if it's not treated quickly. His wolf is still too young and unstable. If you hadn't acted fast, he might not have made it." Even though the healer confirmed Sylvan would be fine, I couldn't stop shaking. I held his tiny hand tightly, not wanting to let go. When Sylvan finally woke up, I asked him if he had eaten anything strange recently. He tilted his head and thought for a moment, then answered, "Aunt Lydia gave me some really yummy cream puffs. She said I shouldn't eat too many and not to tell you... but I didn't eat a lot, because I was scared you'd be mad." I clenched my fists so hard they ached. Lydia! Wolfsbane could take down even the strongest Alpha, and yet she had the nerve to use it on my pup?! Before, I had been able to ignore her constant provocations. But this was different. My pup was off-limits. There were only three more days until I left. In these last three days, I was going to make sure Lydia got a special parting gift!

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

I wasn't sure if Lydia had something to do with it, but the healer Kaelen promised to call never showed up, and Kaelen himself never came to check on Sylvan. When Sylvan passed out, he was still conscious enough to understand. He knew his beloved father had given up on saving him. "Sylvan, how about I find you a new daddy, hmm?" I asked softly. I wasn't set on remarrying, but if that's what Sylvan wanted, I was willing to find someone else for him. Sylvan glanced at the photo of Kaelen by his bedside. He was quiet for a long time before pulling at my sleeve. "I don't care who my daddy is. I just want to be with you, Mommy." These last few days, I hadn't been hiding the fact that I had been in contact with my father. Sylvan knew I was planning to leave soon. The second-to-last day before I planned to leave, Kaelen finally returned. He had already forgotten the pain Sylvan had suffered, and he was practically glowing with excitement. "The elders agreed!" he said, his voice full of pride. "Tomorrow's ceremony, and I'll be granted full power as the Alpha of Grayswood Pack!" Sylvan and I barely acknowledged him. We just quietly ate our dinner, letting the silence hang between us. Kaelen looked a little awkward, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know I've put you through a lot these past few weeks. Once the ceremony's over, I'll make it official. We'll have our Marking Ceremony, and I'll announce our bond to the pack." He hesitated for a moment, then gathered the courage to speak again. "So, Violetta... can you hold out just a little longer for me? Just this one more time?" Was he asking me to put up with him while he went to Lydia's room again tonight? Kaelen seemed a little nervous, his eyes closing in anticipation of my reaction. But what was there to say? I smiled and replied, "Go on. You go right ahead." At that moment, Kaelen's excitement seemed to finally cool, and he realized something was off. He pulled me close, a nervous edge to his voice. "Violetta, everything I've done has been to give you and Sylvan a better life. You understand, right? We promised each other... do you remember?" I didn't answer him. Instead, I pulled away from his arms and searched for an excuse to get him to leave. But this time, Kaelen seemed to sense something was wrong. He wouldn't leave. If it hadn't been for Lydia's messenger coming to find him, I would've missed my chance to meet with the person my father had sent to help me escape. Isaac was his name, and he was swift and efficient. He pulled out two carefully prepared fake corpses. The plan was to knock over a candle and let the bodies burn beyond recognition, leaving behind only the lingering scent of Lydia's favorite perfume on the tattered clothing. Once Sylvan and I made it to Silvercreek, and we boarded the boat my father had arranged, I finally felt a sense of relief. Meanwhile, a prearranged news article was quickly spreading across Grayswood Pack's social media channels. [Illegitimate Daughter or Noble? Luna Lydia's True Identity Questioned!] By now, Kaelen was likely feeling the effects of the medicine I had secretly given him. The drug I slipped into his food would make him believe his mate had died. I couldn't help but smile bitterly as I recalled his question. No, Kaelen. I never agreed to your betrayal. This was all your doing—your one-sided wish. Now, it was time to leave that life behind. I was going to take Sylvan and build a new future.