When My Alpha Ex-Husband Came Looking for Me, I was Already Gone

Chapter 1

“I’ve agreed to marry that unconscious Alpha Maximus Thane, to replace your dear illegitimate daughter,” I told my alpha father. “I knew Maurine couldn’t bear the idea of being Luna to a cursed man. So I’m offering myself as a substitute.”

He exhaled sharply, then his shoulders began to relax. Then he nodded.

I knew he would agree. He always gave Maurine everything.

My mother had died from heartbreak when she found out my father had a secret family. Since then, I’ve hated him. Hated them, especially Maurine who had stolen everything from me.

Perhaps, that was why I had grown to love Lucas, my wolf knight… because he was all I had. All I believed in.

Until recently.

Lucas was supposed to be my protector. But when the vampires attacked, he didn’t hesitate. He ran to her, to Maurine. He left me bleeding on the ground when he was supposed to protect me, body broken, soul shattered. And he never looked back.

I also knew he hid his true identity as a powerful alpha. He pretended to be a normal wolf knight, all to get closer to Maurine.

So I made my choice. If love meant being second best, then I chose the silence of a poisoned Alpha over the noise of a love that was never mine.

I didn’t say goodbye. By the time Lucas came looking for me…

I was already gone.

--

Rebecca’s POV

“I’ve agreed to marry Alpha Maximus Thane.”

The words were ice on my mouth.

My father, Alpha Rowan Aethon, froze at the edge of the war table, the scent of freshly inked scrolls and burning cedar hanging in the air. His head lifted slowly, disbelief painting his features.

“You can’t be serious,” he finally said, gaze narrowing.

But I was. I had never been more serious in my life.

Alpha Maximus Thane, heir to the prestigious Thane Pack. Powerful, feared, admired—until he turned twenty-four and was poisoned by vampire blood laced with shadowroot. He collapsed mid-run during a hunt, and he hadn’t opened his eyes since.

No healer, no witch, not even the Moon Priests could wake him. Only his royal wolf blood kept his body from rotting—kept him alive, like some cruel, eternal sleep.

No one wanted to be his Luna. Who would? Mating with a sleeping corpse? Tying your wolf to someone who may never even look at you?

But I volunteered. And I had my reasons.

“The Thane Pack has been demanding the ceremony,” I reminded him. “You’re Alpha. You know they won’t wait forever.”

“They wanted Maurine,” he said stiffly.

“I’m aware,” I said coolly. “But Maurine can’t bear the idea of being Luna to a cursed man. So I’m offering myself as a substitute.”

He exhaled sharply, then—like the calculating wolf he was—his shoulders began to relax. “This… might work. It settles the alliance. They get a Luna. We secure our northern border. I’ll start planning the wedding at once. We’ll need—”

“I want payment.” My voice sliced through his.

He paused, turning back to me. “What?”

I looked him dead in the eye. “You’re offering me as a replacement. That’s not love—it’s convenience. So if I’m going to marry a man in a deep slumber to protect your little favorite illegitimate daughter, I want compensation.”

His brow furrowed. “Rebecca, don’t be dramatic—”

“I want half the treasury.” I stepped forward, my voice flat. “Not just the ceremonial Luna dowry. Half of the pack’s gold. Including your personal vault.”

His nostrils flared. “That would drain me dry.”

“Good.”

He stared at me like he didn’t recognize me. Like I hadn’t always been the daughter he kept at arm’s length, the one who grew up in the shadows of his shame.

“And,” I added, turning away from him and already walking toward the door, “I want you to reassign Lucas.”

He blinked. “What?”

“My wolf knight. I want you to assign him to Maurine. He’ll guard her now.”

“You’re giving up Lucas?” he asked, stunned. “You once told me you wanted to mate him.”

“I don’t,” I said without turning back. “Not anymore.”

He didn’t call after me. Not as my heels echoed against the marble. Not as the heavy wooden door shut behind me.

But I knew he would agree. He always gave Maurine everything. He could give me this one thing.

My mother had died from heartbreak when she found out my father had a secret family. That he’d taken another woman while still mated to her. The betrayal broke her—drove her wolf mad. She died screaming, foaming at the mouth. I watched it all.

Since then, I’ve hated him. Hated them, especially Maurine who had stolen everything from me.

Perhaps, that was why I had grown to love Lucas… because he was all I had. All I believed in.

Until recently.

It was past midnight by the time I returned to my house in the outer edge of the Aethon territory, the moon casting long silver streaks through the trees.

Most wolves lived near the Pack Heart, close to the patrol barracks and the war fields.

I preferred the distance. Distance didn’t lie.

But as I approached the side hallway leading to the guest quarters, I heard something—soft panting. Guttural. Rhythmic.

I paused. The scent hit me next. Longing. Heat. Like a wolf in rut.

It was Lucas. The door was cracked open. I should’ve walked past. I should’ve respected the boundaries. I should’ve… But I didn’t.

I leaned in, just enough to see through the gap. And it shattered me.

He was on the edge of the bed, shirtless, sweat clinging to his body like moonlight to steel. His hand moved fast over his length, eyes half-lidded. A photo clenched in his free hand.

Not just any photo. It was her—Maurine.

He softly called her name, slow and sweet, like a prayer.

My heart dropped so fast I forgot to breathe. My wolf whimpered inside me. Weak. Betrayed.

I couldn’t move. Couldn’t look away. Lucas. My Lucas. The one I had chosen three years ago from a lineup of elite Wolf Knights. He wasn’t just strong—he was silent, composed, disciplined.

He stood at the far end of the line—silent, still, and unreadable.

While the other Wolf Knights shifted proudly under the weight of their armor, chests puffed and eyes gleaming with ambition, he simply stood like a statue carved from storm-forged stone. Not a single twitch. Not a hint of arrogance. His presence didn’t need to shout to be felt—it commanded the space around him like gravity. And above all, he was the most good-looking man I had ever laid my eyes on.

I’d flirted with him shamelessly. Dressed in silks that barely covered my skin. Drenched myself in the perfume that made male wolves go wild. I’d even faked almost slipping near the cliffs. Or pretended getting attacked by leopards in the woods.

He never touched me. He never gave in.

I thought it was honor. Turns out it was disinterest.

And then—his phone buzzed. He picked it up without hesitation.

“Yeah,” he said, his tone suddenly different. Commanding. Smooth. Alpha-like.

I froze.

“I’ve been pretending to be Rebecca’s wolf knight for years,” he said. “You think I’d give up like that? I need to make sure Maurine’s safe. Rebecca’s the only way to get Maurine close.”

A pause.

“No, she has no idea. She thinks she’s seducing me. Pathetic.”

My knees weakened. What in the Moon Goddess’s grace am I hearing?

“She’s not even worth a strand of Maurine’s hair. Maurine is the key, you know that. I’m pretty sure she’s the she-wolf in the seer’s golden glass ball.”

That was the blow that broke me.

“I’ll stay close until Maurine realizes that. Take care of my pack, the Silvana Pack, while I am away. Understood?”

Silvana. That pack? They were myth. Shadows. A pack whispered about in rogue circles. Their lands were hidden beyond mountain passes. Unregistered. Unmapped. Their wolves… different.

Cold. Ruthless. And Lucas… Lucas was their Alpha?

My blood burned. I should’ve walked away. Should’ve screamed. Should’ve howled into the forest like my mother once did before she died, heart split open by my father’s betrayal.

Instead, I kicked open the door.

Chapter 2

Rebecca’s POV

I stood there, staring blankly at him the moment I forced my way in, my wolf tense beneath my skin, heart pounding louder than it should. His hand held the picture of Maurine like it was a sacred relic. His other hand…

Gods.

There was a visible bulge in his pants. He didn’t even flinch when he realized I was watching. His movements were calm, composed, like this wasn’t the least bit humiliating. He slid the photo behind his back, stood straight, and looked at me with that same blank, professional face he always wore.

As if I hadn’t just caught him lost in thoughts of her.

I should’ve ripped his throat out right then. But I didn’t. Instead, I smiled.

“You want me to help you with that?” My voice was mock-sweet, tinged with the venom of betrayal only a she-wolf can carry.

His eyes didn’t flicker. No shame. No fear. Nothing. “No need, Young Miss,” he said coolly. “This is a private matter.”

Of course it is.

He still called me “Young Miss.” Like we hadn’t live up under the same roof. Like I wasn’t the one who vowed to protect me like a perfect wolf knight he was. But she came along—Maurine, with her moon-blessed smile and scent of sugar and manipulation—and he forgot everything.

I turned on my heel and walked off, my wolf snarling in my chest. I’d had enough of chasing validation.

Enough of trying to be chosen.

Let Maurine be the innocent flower. I’d be the poison beneath it.

“What are you doing here?”

I smirked. “Nothing,” I lied. “Just accompany me at the fashion gala tomorrow,” I told Lucas to accompany me, even told him Maurine would be there.

His ears twitched ever so slightly at the mention of her name. That’s all it took.

And God, he didn’t even hide it.

The next evening, he was waiting at the foot of the stairs. Black suit. Silver trim. Clean-cut. Eyes unreadable.

I walked past him without a word for the first time in years. His expression shifted—just a twitch—but I caught it. I always do.

In the car, silence hung like fog. Thick. Suffocating. My wolf paced inside me, restless and furious. But I kept my face blank as stone.

I arrived at the Limited Edition Fashion Gala not just as Rebecca Aethon, heir of the Aethon bloodline—but as the future Luna of the Thane Pack. Well, they would find out soon. Even if my soon-to-be mate was in an enchanted slumber, I would carry myself like his equal.

Heads turned the moment I stepped in. I heard the murmurs.

And then—she arrived.

Maurine. Draped in moonlight silk, lips red like cherries, smile sweet and poisonous. She greeted me with that fake giggle of hers, a flutter of lashes. “Sister,” she said.

I turned, narrowed my eyes, and let the ice in my voice cut her down.

“Don’t call me that.”

Lucas, standing just behind me, stiffened. I saw it. The tension in his jaw. The softening of his gaze the moment she looked his way. It was her again. Always her.

And then I saw the dress.

A masterpiece of craftsmanship—midnight blue fading into silver at the hem like starlight dripping from the heavens. The bodice was encrusted with moonstones, the neckline edged with the finest wolf-thread lace. It was perfect.

I attended the Limited Edition Fashion Gala for one purpose alone—not for show, not for status, not even to impress the social elite—but to find the perfect dress for my upcoming arrival at the Thane Pack. The wedding may still be weeks away, but as the soon-to-be Luna of one of the most revered packs, every detail mattered. The Thane Pack was proud, ancient, and steeped in tradition. Though their Alpha remained in a deep slumber due to the poison, our union had already been decided by the Elders.

And I found the dress.

“I want it,” I told the designer.

She smiled. “It’s one of a kind. Many have tried to bid on it. Offers in gold, rubies, even blood-oaths.”

“I’ll offer double in gold.”

And then—Maurine’s voice.

“Oh, I like this one too,” she said, touching the sleeve with those dainty fingers of hers.

The air shifted. I squared my shoulders.

“I already claimed it,” I said flatly.

Maurine’s smile remained sweet, but her eyes were sharp. “Surely the designer wouldn’t mind a little competition.”

Before I could tear her to pieces, someone else stepped forward—a tall male in a charcoal-black suit, the kind that whispered power without speaking. I saw how he glanced at Lucas before talking to the designer.

“I’ll take the dress,” he said to the designer. “Name your price.”

The designer blinked. “And you are…?”

He bowed slightly. “Reid. Beta of the Silvana Pack. Our Alpha instructed that anything Miss Maurine Aethon desires tonight shall be hers. At any price.”

Murmurs echoed around the room.

“The Silvana Pack?”

“Why her?”

“Oh my goodness, their Alpha had taken a liking to the second daughter of Aethon Pack?”

Maurine blinked, feigning innocence. “I’ve never even met him…”

“Rebecca,” she turned to me with syrupy sweetness, “will you still try to fight for this? I’d hate for you to go bankrupt.”

My fists clenched.

Lucas didn’t even look at me. His eyes never left her. Of course, everything was happening because of him and his hidden wealth.

And then the parade began.

Dress after dress. Necklace after necklace. A pearl white wedding gown, an emerald dress that shimmered like envy itself, a ring with a moonstone large enough to blind.

Each time, Beta Reid stepped in. Bought it all. For her.

I finally turned to him.

“Is your Alpha planning to leave anything for the rest of us?”

He glanced at Lucas—just for a second. “Our Alpha only cares that the Second Miss enjoys herself. The rest of you… don’t matter.”

It stung more than it should.

Lucas smiled at Maurine like she was the Moon Goddess herself. I had to remind myself not to bare my fangs.

The night ended with Maurine surrounded by stylists and nobles, basking in adoration.

And me? I slipped away. Quiet. Alone.

I got into the car and told the driver, “Bloodmoon Club. Now.”

I needed to feel something. Anything. The burn of liquor. The thrum of music. The anonymity of shadows.

Before we could drive off, Maurine opened the car door and jumped in beside me, grinning. “Sister, I’m bored! Let’s go together!”

I almost shoved her out. But before I could, Lucas held the door.

“Drive,” he ordered calmly.

I seethed.

On the way, she chattered. “Isn’t it crazy how the Alpha of Silvana Pack is so nice to me? I don’t even know him! But they say he’s the most good-looking Alpha!”

Lucas chuckled. “Because he likes you.” Then, he added more, “You’re… special.”

Then came the question.

“Do you like me too, Lucas?”

He hesitated. I could feel his answer forming in his chest.

But I didn’t let him finish.

“If you two want to flirt,” I said coldly, “get the heck out. This is my car.”

Maurine pouted, whispered, “Sorry…” like the innocent thing she’s not.

I looked out the window. And in the reflection—I saw it.

His gaze, soft and full of warmth, on her.

Then it shifted to me. Cold. Empty. Disgusted.

I smiled bitterly. So this is what men love—sweet voices, fake tears, and the delicate whimper of a she-wolf who knows how to act fragile.

Nothing like me.

Chapter 3

Rebecca’s POV

The Bloodmoon Club pulsed with music and the scent of sweat and heat, thick in the air like a storm about to break. My heart felt heavier with every beat, and no amount of flaming whiskey could quiet the howl clawing at my insides. The world spun around me in reds and silvers—lights, bodies, smoke—but all I could see was them.

There, in the VIP booth, stood Lucas. My wolf knight. His tall frame towered like a silent fortress beside her—Maurine. She leaned in with a flirtatious whisper, her fingers grazing the edge of his jaw, and I saw it—his stoic expression faltering, his ears reddening. A blush. A real one.

My grip tightened around the glass in my hand until it cracked.

I downed the last of my drink and pushed my way to the dance floor, letting the music drown out the growl in my throat. My red dress clung to me like war paint, bold and fearless, daring anyone to approach me. And they did. A group of young wolves—rich pups, drunk on power and liquor—surrounded me like flies to blood. One tried to slide his hand down my side.

“Back. Off,” I snarled.

They laughed. One got too close. I bared my fangs, but the burn of liquor dulled my reaction time.

“Lucas!” I barked, voice sharp and furious.

It took less than a breath. The crowd parted like prey sensing a predator. Lucas stormed toward me, wolf aura rippling off his body, powerful and commanding. The boys shrank back, some even bowing slightly before fleeing.

“Oh, I thought you wouldn’t even bother,” I hissed, not thankful—furious. “You looked so busy I thought you forgot your real duty. Or were you just waiting for your real Luna to give the order?”

His eyes darkened. “I didn’t see them—”

“No,” I cut in, stepping close, my breath brushing his cheek. “You didn’t want to. You saw Maurine. That’s all that mattered.”

He stiffened, glancing away. “You’ve had too much to drink.”

I laughed bitterly. “Better that way.”

He didn’t answer. But before I could throw another insult, a scream shattered the air.

Then chaos came.

A blood-curdling shriek rose above the music, followed by a storm of panic. Fangs flashed, claws unsheathed. Screams echoed across the club. Wolves shifted mid-step, tearing out of clothes as they answered the instinctive call to protect and fight.

Vampire hoodlums. The dangerous kind. The ones even lower Alphas fear recently.

I turned sharply, my wolf ready to break through my skin, but not fast enough. I saw him shift—Lucas—his massive white-gray wolf crashing into a vampire.

But not for me. He was shielding Maurine.

Again.

I barely had time to brace before I felt it—a blur of movement, too fast. A vampire. He appeared in front of me, and I swung wildly, claws out. We clashed—fangs to fang, claw to claw. I got a swipe to his face, but he was faster. Stronger. I snarled, tried to lunge, but he dodged and sank his fangs into my shoulder.

The pain.

It was like fire laced with death. I screamed as his poison coursed through me, burning every nerve. I tried to push him off, claws scraping his arm, but he let go on his own—satisfied—and vanished into the chaos.

My knees buckled.

The club was a warzone. Wolves clashing with vampires, blood splattering walls and floors. I saw Lucas. He was tearing through three vampires at once… still by Maurine’s side.

And then—

My eyes glowed. My wolf surged—but not out of strength. It was something strange. I didn’t know.

Suddenly, my body collapsed, and dakrness claimed me.

I woke to the sterile scent of antiseptic and the faint beep of monitors. My shoulder throbbed like it had been torn open—because it had.

But I was… awake?

Why? I had heard stories—vampire hoodlums didn’t just attack. They poisoned. Their fangs caused deep, cursed sleep. The same venom that put Alpha Maximus Thane into his years-long slumber.

Why was I not gone? Why wasn’t I cursed?

Before I could sit up, a sound caught my ears. A muffled voice. Then another. I turned my head slowly toward the glass wall of the recovery room.

There they were. Maurine. Crying. In his arms.

Lucas held her like something precious. Stroking her back, his voice gentle. Soft. The way he never spoke to me.

“I never should’ve gone to the club,” she whimpered. “It’s my fault she got hurt.”

“No,” Lucas murmured. “You didn’t know. I should’ve protected you both.”

She looked up at him with big, wet eyes. “Why… why did you protect me? Why not her?”

His voice cracked. “Because… I lo—”

Before he could finish what he was about to say, a loud crash sounded..

The vase beside my bed hit the ground, shards scattering. Lucas’s head snapped toward me. Maurine inhaled sharply and rushed into the room.

“Rebecca!” she cried, eyes wide with fake relief. “You’re awake! Oh thank the goddess, I was so worried—”

“Save it.” My voice was a blade. “With you here, being an eyesore, how could I possibly get better?”

Her face crumbled. She ran from the room sobbing. Meanwhile, Lucas stayed.

“I didn’t have time—” he began.

“You had time to save her,” I snapped. “You always have time for her.”

--

The day of my discharge, I walked into the study. My shoulder bandaged. My body stiff. My fury—a volcano behind glass.

He stood when I entered.

“Kneel.”

Lucas flinched. But he knew. Oh, he knew.

“You failed your duty as my wolf knight. You know death is the only payment for that as per the oath you swore, right?” I asked him seriously. “But I won’t take your life, Lucas. A punishment is more befitting, don’t you agree?”

He hesitated—but then nodded. And knelt.

An Alpha. On his knees. I wanted to laugh bitterly. With his status, he could just simply walk away instead of offering me his dignity. And yet, he chose to stay. He chose to be punished and humiliated instead because it was the only way to keep Maurine close.

“I’ll take it,” he muttered. “If that’s what it takes.”

“You’ll really doing anything…” I uttered, voice trembling. That was how much he loved her.

He looked away. And that was when I raised my clawed hand.

However, before my claws could land on his skin, the door burst open.

“Stop!” Maurine screamed, hurling herself between us. “Punish me! He didn’t do anything wrong, sister!”

“Move, Maurine.”

“No!”

Lucas tried to pull her away, but she wouldn’t budge.

“I said move!” I screamed in so much anger. Why he heck was she acting like a freaking hero now?

She didn’t move, and that was when my wolf snapped.

I slashed, ane blood flew in an instant.

The next thing I knew, Maurine screamed and fell, arms torn open.

Lucas caught her, roaring, his wolf rippling just under his skin. He looked up at me with eyes so cold, so filled with hatred, it froze my soul.

Then he carried her out. Not a word. Not a glance back.

The door slammed.

And I stood there—claws bloodied, fists clenched, the pain in my palm nothing compared to the gaping wound in my chest.

Chapter 4

Rebecca’s POV

Three days. That’s how long it had been since Maurine bore the punishment meant for Lucas—punishment I delivered with my own claws. Yet somehow, Maurine had taken his place. And now, everything felt off. My shoulder had been shredded by that vampire hoodlum’s bite, yet the wound healed… too fast. Faster than any wolf’s regeneration should allow.

Something was wrong with me. I didn’t tell anyone. Not my father, not my pack, not even my friends. My wolf was restless lately, pacing in the back of my mind, and I couldn’t even speak to her clearly anymore. I felt foreign in my own body.

So, I drove myself to the Moon Monastery. The sky was overcast, and a chill hung in the air. I parked just outside the high stone wall that wrapped around the sacred grounds, the spires of the Moon Priests’ haven stretching up toward the grey heavens.

As I stepped out, gravel crunching beneath my boots, I caught a strange scent in the air—sage, pine, and… decay?

“Child,” a raspy voice called.

I turned sharply. An old woman stood just outside the gates, hidden beneath a long, hooded cape the color of ash. Her scent was… hard to place. Not wolf. Not human. Not vampire either.

“Beware,” she said, grasping my hand with ice-cold fingers. “You are the light, but the dark is hungry. It has tasted you now. And it will not stop.”

“What?” I yanked my hand back, my instincts prickling.

“Danger follows you,” she murmured, eyes glazed with a sight that went beyond this realm. “Heed this, daughter of moonsilver. The shadows know your scent.”

Before I could question her, she turned and disappeared into the woods. Creeped out and frustrated, I shook it off and climbed the monastery steps. But just as my hand touched the ancient door handle, something struck the back of my head—and everything went black.

It was all darkness.

I came to with the sharp burn of ropes against my wrists, my arms numb and bloodied. Blindfolded, my senses were in chaos, and my nose was filled with copper, sweat, and musk. Wolf musk. Claws tore across my skin. Again. Again. Again. Ninety-nine times.

Each slash seared. Each one peeled back more than just skin. It peeled my dignity, my strength. My wolf whimpered. She couldn’t even rise.

“You shouldn’t have punished her,” a gravelly voice said. “She’s precious. You… you offended the wrong person.”

“Who… are you…” I rasped, spitting blood.

He didn’t answer me. Just made a call.

“She’s done,” he said, and I heard the voice clearly on the other end. [Leave her now.]

It was Lucas. I knew that voice. Even through static and pain. My wolf knight.

He ordered this. The person who was supposed to protect me, who took an oath to sacrifice his all for my life. He hurt me.

By the time I was dumped on the side of the road like a discarded animal, I was drenched in blood and half-conscious. Yet I crawled. I shifted halfway and hailed a taxi, growling when the driver screamed at the sight of me. “Just drive,” I snarled. “Hospital.”

In the emergency room, I lay in a sterile bed while the scent of antiseptic overpowered my senses. I overheard nurses whispering.

“Did you see him? That man who brought the girl with a claw mark? Gorgeous. Held her hand the whole time.”

“Poor thing. And that other girl? Looks like a dog mauled her. Wonder if she was rogue.”

That was when I ripped the IV from my arm. I knew exactly who they were talking about.

Even though my whole body felt numb, and I felt like dying, I limped into the hallway and saw them. Lucas… and of course, Maurine.

He held her hand. He kissed her forehead like she was the most important person in the world. I turned before they saw me and slipped into the night, my heart numb and bleeding just as much as my skin.

The next day, Lucas came. He didn’t say much. Just stared, his eyes clouded with something like guilt. Or was it even guilt? And yet, I didn’t speak. I didn’t snarl. I didn’t even slap him—though I should have.

Before I could ask why, my phone rang. It was my Alpha father. Nothing came good whenever he would call me, and I was right.

“You will attend the art banquet tonight,” he barked. “Maurine’s exhibit. The entire council will be there.”

“No,” I said flatly. Why would he expect me to be there after what happened years ago? She was the reason why I stopped my passion! The only thing that made me happy.

We were both art students back in the day, but Maurine stole my artwork and accused me of copying hers. I tried so hard to prove to everyone that she was lying but no one believed me. In the end, I quit painting. I never held a brush since.

“You will,” he growled.

Before I could argue, Lucas leaned closer. “Was about Maurine’s exhibit?” he asked. “Just show up. For me.”

I stared at him. For her, you mean.

Still… I went. It would be the last time anyway.

The banquet was hosted at the Luna Gallery. Moonlight filtered through the glass ceiling, casting silver across the polished floors. Maurine stood at the center like some divine muse in a pale gown, soaking up praise.

I stood in the corner in a deep crimson dress—one I used to wear when painting. It was now darker from the bloodstains I couldn’t scrub out. No one talked to me. No one looked at me. I was the ghost sister.

Maurine smiled at the crowd. “It’s a shame the Thane Alpha is… well, not waking up,” she sighed dramatically. “But I need a stronger male anyway. Someone worthy of me, that’s why my Alpha father ended our engagement.”

And that Alpha would soon be wedded to me.

I scanned the paintings behind her. That was when I was suddenly stoned to where I was standing. What on earth is this?

My art. It was not even copies of my creations. The paintings in the hall weren’t imitations either. Those were my original pieces! Paintings I stored in the attic of our pack house. Every brushstroke, every bleeding color—I knew them like I knew my own heartbeat.

She had stolen them.

My claws itched to come out, and I was about to confront her but commotion happened.

Suddenly, Lucas’s Beta entered with gifts—designer supplies with embedded moonstones, dresses, jewels, all for Maurine. Murmurs filled the room. Heads turned. I felt like I was drowning in front of them.

I staggered out for air. She stole my art. She even dared to invite me here, for what? To show me how thick-faced she was?

Maurine followed me to the balcony.

“Still breathing?” she said sweetly. “Pity your mother isn’t.”

I stilled. Did she just mock my mother?

“Maurine—”

Before I could finish, she poured wine down her dress and screamed.

“Rebecca! Why would you—!”

It all happened to fast, I couldn’t even react. And in that scene, Lucas arrived, looking at me like I had sinned against him again.

“Enough!” he growled at me.

I stared at him… then smiled bitterly. Then I took my own glass, gripped it tightly, and threw the wine into her face. This time, I was the one who did it for real.

“That’s for mocking my mother, you lying vulture.”

Bursts rang behind us as I walked off, my heels clicking like thunder. While I was walking away, Lucas caught up, grabbing my arm. “Why do you always attack her—”

“You want to know why?” I hissed. “She killed my mother. She framed me. She stole everything I loved—my art, my home, and now you. And you still protect her.”

He blinked. “You’re lying.”

“Of course you’d think that.”

I ripped my arm away. “Take your space, Lucas. I’m done giving you chances.”

Later that night, I was inside the cab when I saw them heading out using Lucas’s car. My instincts took over.

“Follow them,” I told the driver.

Maurine and Lucas were together after the exhibit. Of course they were. But they weren’t just going out for a walk. They were heading into the butterfly garden. Her dream place. The place she said she wanted to mark her mate. It was one of her ridiculous wishes. She wanted the man she would marry to do ridiculous things for her. As if she was living a fairytale.

Through the glass, I saw them.

Slowly, Maurine bit his neck. Not in a playful way. She marked him as if she was claiming him for real. Her teeth sank deep, and Lucas—he didn’t fight it. He tilted his head to the side, welcoming it. Eyes glowing. Body shivering with connection.

However, she didn’t let him return the mark.

But he pointed to his neck, touched the bleeding wound, and smiled.

“I’m yours,” he uttered.

Chapter 5

Third Person’s POV

The mark still tingled on Lucas’s neck, faintly warm from the magic shared—but unfinished. Rebecca hadn’t let him bite her back.

From her hidden vantage point behind the silver-leaved willow, Rebecca’s eyes flickered as she watched Maurine slide into the waiting car with a satisfied smirk on her face. Lucas stood behind, alone for a moment—until Beta Cyrus emerged from the trees, his scent sharp with agitation.

“You’re telling me,” Cyrus growled, voice low, “that you let her mark you, and you didn’t bite her back?”

Lucas’s voice was calm, too calm. “It’s what she wanted.”

“She’s not even your mate, Alpha,” Cyrus hissed, brows furrowed. “You’re not thinking straight. You’re the Alpha of Silvana. She won’t even bear your mark.”

“I don’t need her to bear it,” Lucas replied, turning his eyes up to the stars. “She wanted it her way. I gave it to her.”

Cyrus scoffed, pacing. “You’d give her the moon if she asked.”

Lucas didn’t deny it.

Rebecca turned away before she could hear more. Her heart ached in her chest—not just from what she heard, but from what she felt. Something about the marking had hollowed her out. Like a wound she’d stitched shut herself, only to feel it tear again with every word Lucas spoke.

She refused to follow them after that. She returned home and remained silent.

Meanwhile, within hours, Lucas had brought Maurine back to their territory.

Later that night, the wind carried another scent—blood, smoke, and moon magic. Outside Aethon territory, deep in the woods of Silvana, Lucas had gone alone. His mission? Retrieve the red lotus moonstone—a sacred artifact sealed away generations ago. Maurine wanted it. And Lucas obeyed.

It was among the things she blurted out when asked about the man she would allow herself to mate with earlier in the exhibit.

Cyrus had argued again, of course. “That stone belongs to Silvana. The elders sealed it for a reason. You want to rip it out of the earth for some she-wolf’s fantasy?”

“I’ll do it,” Lucas had said, eyes glowing dimly. “Even if I bleed.”

“The Red Lotus Moonstone isn’t just some gift you toss at a she-wolf to earn her attention!” Cyrus snapped. “Even if she is the key… That thing is sealed for a reason—our ancestors bled to lock it away. The entire forest is cursed to guard it.”

However, it seemed like Alpha Lucas had no intention of stopping.

“Those wards will tear your flesh apart. The forest has a will of its own. The Moonstone has one too. You might not come out.”

“I will,” Lucas murmured. “Because she wants it. I am willing to bleed.”

He did bleed.

Rebecca’s POV

That night, I opened the front door to the scent of pain and pine.

Lucas stood there like a storm that had been dragged through the mud—ribs fractured, blood crusting his brow, his boots caked in wet earth. He didn’t have a flower in hand this time. He’d already sent it ahead to Maurine, probably through Beta Cyrus. Of course.

“There was a rogue attack,” he said, voice low, eyes avoiding mine.

I tilted my head. “I see.”

He nodded once, stiffly. “I’ll be gone for a few days. Maybe a week. I… need to rest.”

“Sure,” I said softly. “Take your leave.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was trying to read something deeper. “You’re not going to ask more?”

A faint smile touched my lips. “It’s fine. I won’t need guarding where I’m going.”

He looked confused. Good. He had no idea what I meant. No clue that I was saying goodbye. He just nodded again and walked away toward his quarters, probably to collapse in some bruised, self-important heap.

The next day, the skies were too clear. Still. Off.

I sat with my closest friends in a private room at the VIP club. It was supposed to be a farewell party of sorts—though no one but me knew that. Laughter filled the space, sharp and bright, but to me, it hurt more than any goodbye.

“To Alpha Maximus!” someone toasted, raising their glass high. “May his wedding with Rebecca be peaceful!”

Lindsay rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Becca, if he ever wakes up and realizes he’s married to you, he might just faint again.”

I smiled, but it was hollow. None of it felt real. Or maybe too much of it did.

Lindsay leaned closer, her voice dropping. “This isn’t fair. Maurine? Really? After everything she’s done? And Alpha Rowan—he’s treating you like a pawn in a war he doesn’t even fight.”

“It won’t matter soon,” I whispered.

Her smile faded. “We’ll still see you, right?”

I just raised my glass. “Of course, silly.”

But I think we both knew that was a lie.

Later, I returned to the Aethon Pack House. I planned to speak to my father—no, Alpha Rowan—one last time. My heels clicked softly against the polished stone floors. This house never felt like home, just a place with too many echoes.

Before I reached his study, I heard Maurine’s voice floating from one of the side rooms.

“…He actually let me bite him! Can you believe that?” she laughed, slurring slightly from wine. “I own him now. Like a puppy offering a stick.”

Laughter followed.

“He must be in love,” someone exclaimed.

Maurine scoffed. “Please. He’s a backup. He does what I want when I want it. If I’m bored, I call. If not—he stays useful.”

A pause. Then, “And you still want to marry that sleeping Alpha?”

She laughed again, shameless. “No! The heck! If I had the choice, I’d marry the Alpha of Silvana himself. He’s hotter, richer, and easier to control. Can you believe he sent me the Red Lotus Moonstone?”

I blinked slowly, a dry smirk tugging at my lips. She didn’t even know Lucas and the Alpha she wanted to marry were the same person.

Lucas—loyal, stupid, bleeding Lucas—had no idea he was being treated like a chew toy. A second option. A convenient pet.

I turned away, abandoning both my father and that cursed house. I didn’t need to hear more. Instead, I went where I always found peace: the graveyard.

My mother’s stone stood beneath the yew tree, bathed in silver moonlight.

“I won’t be like you,” I whispered, laying a single white rose at the base. “You waited your whole life for love that never came. I’ll survive—even if it means without love.”

At dawn, I received a message. A gold deposit. Massive. Half of the Aethon treasury. The price of my silence. Of my goodbye. Of my hand in a marriage no one thought I’d see through.

I accepted it.

Then I severed every last tie to Aethon Pack. My father. Lucas. Maurine. All of them.

The next morning, while packing the last of my belongings, I handed Lucas a box.

“Give this to Maurine,” I said simply.

He stared at it like it might explode. “What is it?”

“My old art supplies,” I replied. “She wants to be me so badly. Might as well let her have the scraps.”

He didn’t know it yet, but I’d already filed the paperwork to reassign him as her wolf knight. She could have him. He was never really mine anyway.

“What about you?” he asked, gripping the box tightly.

“I can handle fine,” I said with a small smirk. “Moving out isn’t that hard.”

It meant nothing. But it was the last thing I would ever ask of him.

When he turned to face me, blood crusting his bandages, he frowned.

“Where are you moving? Give me the address so I can follow after giving this to Maurine.”

I gave him a look, unreadable. “I’ll just tell you later.”

There was no later.

He stood there, confused, searching my face for an answer that wasn’t coming. I didn’t give him one. And once he was gone, I pulled out my phone, snapped the SIM card in half, and tossed it out the window of the moving car.

The wind caught it, carrying it far into the trees.

By the time he returned… I was already gone.