Chapter 1 Chapter 1

As usual, I was in the bedroom helping Adam get his suitcase ready. He told me he had to go on a trip for work tomorrow and would be gone for the whole day. When I heard some noise coming from the study, I used my crutches to go investigate. I could hear Adam's brother, Aaron, talking behind the thick closed door. "Adam, don't you think you're being too harsh? Luna still hasn't recovered from the injuries she suffered when the Blood Moon Pack kidnapped her, yet you're going off to see Amy? "Amy just got a small cut from slicing vegetables. It'll be all healed up by the time you get there! "What about Luna Ella? To help you defend against attacks form Blood Moon Pack, her wolf was seriously injured, and she's still hurt after two weeks. Don't you care at all?" Aaron, who was the Beta of our Darkshadow Pack, was arguing with my mate in the study. I wanted to hear better, so I moved closer to the door and listened in. "If you love Amy the most, why don't you claim her and mark her? Why did you pick Ella instead? "You've been making our pack stronger over the years, taking over many smaller packs and making lots of enemies along the way. You just made Ella your Luna to keep Amy safe from the Blood Moon Pack! Now, Ella is the one your enemies will go after. "Isn't that right? "Everyone thinks your Luna is the one you love the most, so your enemies have already kidnapped her three times and tried to kill her five times. Her wolf is dying now after everything they’ve put her through! "Without her wolf, she's no different from an Omega! "I just don't get it. What's so special about Amy that makes you love her that much?" "Amy saved my life when I was little. I owe her everything! I promised to protect her forever, which means Ella has to face some trouble once in a while." Suddenly, lightning flashed outside the window. I stood there, shivering at the door, and heard Adam say, "Now Ella's wolf is dying, and she can't have pups. That means Amy and my child can lead the Darkshadow Pack. He’ll be the next Alpha. "Amy's going to have our baby. I'll bring her back soon. Don't say anything you shouldn't," he warned. I walked away, my heart breaking as I fought back tears. When I got to my room, I could not hold it in anymore and fell to the floor. It was so silly—I thought his kindness was real love. Over the past five years, I had endured kidnapping after kidnapping, beatings, knife wounds... Every night, the pain was unbearable. However, Adam was always there for me—bandaging my wounds, holding me close in his warm embrace. Because of that, all the suffering felt worth it. At least I knew someone still cared about me. I never realized he was just pretending to be nice while thinking about how my pain could help Amy. I collapsed to the ground, tears falling uncontrollably. The truth hurt more than any of the pain his enemies caused me ever did. With my face soaked in tears, I finally understood—lies and betrayal had been the real bond between us all along. I got hurt because the Blood Moon Pack wanted to get rid of him. They used a silver dagger on me, taking away any chance for me to ever have kids. My wolf had been barely hanging on, and I could not heal like I used to anymore. The wounds hurt so much I could barely breathe, and they were not getting any better. "Ella, weren't you in your room?" Adam came in, looking confused. "I just stepped out to grab the first-aid kit.""Does it hurt so much that it’s making you cry?" I nodded. The cut stung, but my heart ached even more. "Stay strong, Ella. This will all be over soon." His face was full of love like always, but I could see right through it. Behind his caring words, I sensed his fake heart, the so-called warmth that was just cold calculation. He did what he always did, taking the cream from the nightstand and gently rubbing it on my cut. His warm fingers used to make me want to hug him, but not anymore. Now, I could not feel any warmth at all. While he put on the cream, Adam said, "I need to check on the border, but I'll be back by tomorrow night.""The border's so far. Can you really make it back in one day?" Adam hugged me softly, avoiding my sore spot. "I have to. I can't sleep without you." Adam held me close like he always did. His heartbeat was steady, and his breath was warm on my neck. That used to make me feel safe. Now, it just made me freeze up. It had been five years. Five years of loving him while being used and getting hurt by him. Adam left early the next morning. I made myself get up, even though my wounds screamed at me to stop. I started packing my bags. He had given me so many gifts—fancy fur clothes, rare moonstones, all sorts of bones. I was not taking any of it. They would only remind me of the lies. I dragged my suitcase to the study. It hit the bookshelf, and a heavy book toppled out, revealing a tiny crack behind it. Frowning, I reached out and gave it a push—only to discover it was a hidden door.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

My heart clenched, but after a moment's hesitation, I pulled it open. Behind the door lay a tiny hidden room with two coffins inside. The left one had ‘Adam’ carved on it, and the right one, ‘Amy’. He had planned for them to rest together forever, to keep Amy safe even after death. I crept up, shaking, and opened Adam's coffin—it was empty. Next, I opened Amy's and found a message carved inside the lid. [To My Eternal Rose, A.] A, not E. It hit me—I was reading Adam's secret love note to Amy. My fingers quivered as I read the words on the lid. [I can't be with you now because my world's too dangerous. You might get hurt.] [I’ll find a way for us to be together once we get away from it all. I've got it all ready.] [I'll find someone to act as a 'shield'. She'll be our cover.] [I met Ella Collins today—she's lively, healthy, and her smile reminds me of you.] [She likes me. When I talk sweet to her, it's really for you, even if you can't hear me.] ['Shield Ella' is perfect. She faces danger for me, no questions asked. She'd risk it all, even her life, without a second thought.] [Ella was going to have a baby, but I can't be happy. If only you were the mom.] [Luckily, my enemies took Ella. They hurt her, and she lost the baby. I should be sad, and I was when I saved her. Still, part of me was relieved.] [A child that isn’t yours means nothing to me.] I traced the words etched into the coffin, my heart shifting from shock to a deep ache, then to a numb stillness. It felt like my heart was being sliced open with a dull knife. It hurt at first, but then the pain faded away. I had believed that his words when I lost our baby, "It's okay if we never have children," were filled with love and care. However, they were actually filled with scorn. My wolf let out a low whimper as if it were clinging to its last breath—just like me. I flashed back to a night when he whispered drunkenly, "Ella, I can't live without you. You'll never leave me, right?" He really could not live without me, and he really could not sleep without me. His words were true. However, his frantic efforts to save me were not for love but to protect his ‘Eternal Rose’ from the danger she would be in if I were gone. There was a table with papers spread out on it in the secret room. I stumbled over to see a contract—’The Darkshadow Pack Trust Blood Covenant’. The pages were filled with tiny print, and the Darkshadow Pack's wolf seal was stamped in wax at the bottom. It outlined the rights to all the Moonstone mining veins stored in the Darkshadow Bank, valued at around 300 million dollars, and the ownership of three border fortresses. My throat felt tight. Those were the treasures Adam had taken from other packs over the years. The contract was signed the day before he marked me. It would only go into effect if Adam died. The person who would get everything…

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

That person, of course, was Amy. I shook as I opened my laptop and looked up Adam's financial history. He owned a fur trading business called ‘Moon's Embrace’ up in the snowy north. Every single gift he had ever given me—the pendant with a wolf's tooth, the bracelet made of vines, and the cloak of wolf fur—was listed as part of his company's inventory. I used to think those gifts were special and just for me. That was until I peeked at Amy's social media and saw fancier versions of everything he had ever given me. The pendant he gave me had one wolf tooth on it. He told me it was a prize for beating another pack's leader. However, Amy had a necklace with twelve wolf teeth. Her post said Adam had taken one off because thirteen was an unlucky number, so he had given her the necklace with twelve. It turned out I was just Adam's dumpster, where he threw the leftovers he did not want after pleasing Amy. When I first got that pendant, I felt so lucky and happy that I cried. However, it was the same with the bracelet and the cloak. Amy got the best, and I got the rest. Scrolling further, I found a wedding photo of Amy and him. Even though it only showed part of Adam's face, I knew it was him. He looked so happy, like I had never seen before. The caption said it was their one-of-a-kind wedding photo. Adam had told me I did not need a wedding photo and that my scars were beautiful enough. However, there he was with Amy, wearing a moonstone-studded gown, kissing her under the auroras. That was when I learned I was just a cheap stand-in for the real thing, Amy. In today's post, Amy was cuddling with a man by Aurora Lake. The caption read: [Even if it's just for one day, I'm happy because we're the only true soulmates in the world.] Then I got it. Every time Adam said he was ‘on a business trip’ and turned off his link to ‘protect me’, he was actually sneaking off to see Amy. My wolf cried in pain. Its once glossy white coat was patchy now, showing the ugly scars beneath—scars from wounds I took for Adam and claw marks from defending our pack. My once proud wolf was now weaker than a pup. Adam sent me a message: [Does it still hurt?] The care that used to warm my heart only showed me the truth now—he was just checking if Amy's decoy was still around. I did not waste any time. I called the witch and gave her 3 million dollars for a ‘Mystical Moon Potion’. After drinking it, I would vanish from Adam and the Darkshadow Pack for good. My scent and Darkshadow Pack’s mark would be gone. I also had the witch doctor make a fake wolf death certificate—a burned body with silver burns would explain why Luna Ella suddenly disappeared. Adam came home late, and I pretended to sleep. He buried his nose in my neck, inhaling deeply. "Ella..." His voice was rough. I kept my body tight, hiding my fear. When he turned me over, I had to fake a weak cry, just like I used to. "Are you asleep?" He laughed quietly and grabbed my waist with a strong grip, pulling me close. I could not help but groan, feeling like a small animal caught by a predator, powerless to escape. "I heard you talked to the witch. She's really good at making all kinds of potions..."

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

"I just... asked about some herbs," I said, trying to sound calm. "My wound really hurts, you know." Adam squinted at me, moving closer with a sad look in his eyes. "Ella," he breathed on my face. "Don't lie to me or betray me." I nodded, shaking, and he saw my tears. "Why are you crying again?" I made up an excuse. "The wound... It's just so painful..." Adam held me in his arms. "Don't be scared. I'm here, and I found a great healer for you. She'll make your wound heal better and faster." He gently stroked my hair, trying to comfort me. Slowly, he fell asleep while I stayed awake, looking at the ceiling and crying silently. I was saying goodbye to him in my heart. The next morning, a phone call woke Adam up. "Is Healer Amy here?" He picked up the phone. "Hold on, I'll be right there." He reassured me as he got dressed, his eyes shining with excitement I had never seen before. "Ella, the healer's here. I'll go set things up, and she'll come over to treat your wound later! "Don't worry, I won't let those scars stay with you forever." To take care of his pregnant lover, he even made her play a healer. My heart felt completely numb. As I was getting ready to leave, Amy called me. She wanted to meet, so I went to see her. We met at a hotel on the edge of Darkshadow Pack's territory. When I got to the hotel, they had already been talking for quite a while. "You shouldn't be here, you little goof," Adam said with a tenderness I had never heard before. "It's too dangerous." "I missed you..." Amy's voice was sickly sweet. "Our pup missed you too. Did you really fall for your Luna?" She held her belly and pouted playfully. "We just saw each other yesterday. Don't be silly," Adam said, his voice growing serious. "I only claimed her and marked her to keep you safe." Adam was usually so alert, but today, he did not even see me standing outside the door. His mind was completely on Amy. Once Adam was gone, Amy kept her promise and opened the door to see me. She was wearing a dress as light as moonbeams, showing off her lovely figure. Her skin was glowing through the fabric. Her necklace of twelve wolf teeth from Adam hung around her neck, each tooth from an Alpha wolf he had defeated. All that, at the cost of my own scars! My heart hurt so much I could not breathe. "Poor stand-in Luna," she said, eyeing me as I leaned on my crutch. "You heard, right? Adam doesn't love you and doesn't want you. He only marked you to protect me." Her words cut deep, reopening wounds that had not healed yet. "Even though you're his Luna, he gives all his love to me. How does that feel? "You don't know yet, do you? I'm carrying his pup. "Adam's decided our pup will lead the Darkshadow Pack. Poor Ella, I heard you can't be a mother anymore. Your wolf is as scarred as you are. You're no different from an Omega now." Her cruel words left me breathless. She was telling the truth, and all I could do was accept it. Before I could get a word out, she wobbled and tumbled over the railing from the hotel's third floor. With a shriek, Amy plunged into the pool below. "Ella, why are you trying to hurt me?" Adam, who was just a short distance away, dashed over and dove into the water. In no time at all, he pulled a drenched Amy to safety. "Ella, what's gotten into you? How could you do something like that? "Amy's expecting. How could you be so mean to her?" He shoved me to the ground, not caring about the cuts and bruises I had. Around us, people in the hotel started whispering and pointing at me. They all saw me as some cruel woman who had pushed a pregnant lady from up high. "I was just telling Ella that I'm her new healer, here to help her get better, and out of nowhere, she pushed me over," Amy said. "Adam, don't be hard on her. She's lost so much, like her spirit and her chance to have your pup. She's hurting inside..." I lay there on the cold floor, feeling the sting of my inner and outer wounds so much that I could hardly breathe. "Adam, is she really my healer?" Adam looked surprised at my question. His eyes flickered with worry before he calmed down. "I don't know why you're asking that. Is it because you can't have pups that you're so against those who can? "Ella, you seem really upset. Whatever the reason, you should say you're sorry for what happened." "I..." I was about to explain when the pack's security werewolf came and picked me up. "Luna, you've intentionally hurt someone. You need to come with us." They locked me in a room to think about what I had done. Before I left, I tried to reach out to Adam one last time, but he had cut off our connection. He was probably off having a great time with Amy, just the two of them. As the evening sky turned dark, I swallowed the potion from the witch that would give me back some strength for a little while. I headed to the docks. I was ready to leave this place that was filled with lies. On my way, I could not stop wondering. If Adam ever found out what really happened back then—that I was the little girl who saved him—would he feel sorry for the way he treated me? I was the little wolf who pulled him from that icy cave during the storm, not Amy. I was the one who braved the biting cold, keeping him warm with my own body for three long days and nights, not Amy. I was the one he hugged tightly and promised to repay for a lifetime, not Amy. However, none of that mattered anymore. Because I have left.