Chapter 2

Pure joy erupted on Damon’s face.

He lifted Chloe high into the air, spinning her in circles like a child.

That pure, unguarded joy was a blade twisting in my gut.

"Chloe! My Luna!" His voice trembled in the night air. "You'll have everything you've ever wanted, I promise!"

I had never seen him so unguarded.

So… happy.

He shifted into his wolf, letting Chloe climb onto his back.

He took off at a full sprint toward the pack house.

I collapsed onto the grass by the lake.

The tears finally broke free.

Five years.

For five whole years, I thought I was the love of his life.

But I wasn't even worth one happy spin in his arms.

A tearing pain ripped through my chest—our mate bond was weakening.

The emptiness of losing my pup and the agony of my mate's betrayal hit me all at once.

I cried until my throat was raw.

Until I had no tears left.

I remembered the communicator I hadn't touched in years.

They had been trying to reach me.

With a trembling hand, I opened the encrypted channel.

"Harper?" A familiar voice came through instantly, filled with surprise and concern. "You finally called us!"

"Brother," my voice was broken. "I'll do it. The arranged mating with the Alpha you told me about."

Silence.

Then, an urgent question. "Did he hurt you? What did that bastard Damon do to you?"

I closed my eyes as fresh tears fell.

"When you insisted on being with that common Alpha, I told you he wasn't good enough for you." My brother's voice was laced with anger. "A princess of royal blood should never be humiliated like this!"

"But the Moon Goddess…" I choked out.

"The Moon Goddess?" He scoffed. "The second mate the Goddess grants you will be a thousand times the Alpha that piece of trash could ever hope to be."

His voice softened. "I've chosen Ethan for you. He’s the strongest Alpha after the Alpha King. He will never let you suffer."

I nodded through my sobs. "Okay."

"In three days," I declared, my voice shaking but firm. "On the full moon. I'll do it."

After ending the call, I dragged my exhausted body back to the apartment.

I started packing my few belongings.

In five years, I’d accumulated almost nothing of my own.

Finally, I took out the moonstone.

It was the sacred stone I had secretly infused with my pup's life force when I found out I was pregnant.

Now it was dull and lifeless, just like my dead child.

I placed it next to Damon's pillow, along with the miscarriage report.

A silent goodbye.

He didn't come home all night.

The next morning, I dragged my suitcase toward the pack house.

I had to request a release from the pack from the Elders.

Just as I reached the main hall, I saw a sight that made my heart stop.

Damon and Chloe stood on the platform, hand in hand, like a perfect couple.

All the pack members were cheering.

"Finally! Is the Alpha getting a mate?"

"She's so beautiful!"

"They're a perfect match!"

I stood in the corner, feeling like the whole world was laughing at me.

A warrior, Marcus, who had fought alongside me, came over.

"Harper!" he said excitedly. "Do you know when the Alpha got with her?"

My heart hammered in my chest.

"The Alpha always favored you. You were the closest to him," Marcus whispered, gossiping. "We all thought he might choose you!"

My face went pale.

"So… everyone could see it."

"Of course!" Marcus laughed. "But it looks like we were all wrong."

Yeah. Even I was wrong.

Just then, my eyes met Damon's on the stage.

He looked away immediately, his gaze shifting.

"Harper?"

A sweet voice sounded behind me.

I turned to see Chloe walking toward me, a smug smile on her face.

"I've heard the pack has a beta who looks a lot like me," she said, looking me up and down. "Seeing you today, it's really true."

Every word was a knife.

"Thank you for taking care of Damon all these years." Her tone was so fake it was nauseating.

Then, she deliberately touched the necklace around her neck.

The moonstone necklace Damon had promised would be mine.

The heirloom of the pack's Luna.

"Oh!" Chloe suddenly pointed to my collarbone. "You have a crescent moon birthmark there too? What a coincidence!"

I froze.

I stared at her collarbone, at the mark in the exact same spot as mine.

Hers was a birthmark. Mine wasn't.

Mine was a matching tattoo he’d taken me to get after the first time we made love.

He'd said he wanted to leave his own special mark on me.

So… even that was a lie.

He had never loved me.

I looked at Damon on the stage, my eyes red.

He avoided my gaze, pulling Chloe into his arms.

"Alright," his voice boomed across the hall. "Since we're announcing our upcoming mating, you should get to know the pack."

He glanced at me, his eyes cold. "Harper is a capable beta, nothing more. Pay her no mind."

Chloe's smile grew wider. "Of course. Everyone can tell the difference between the real Luna and a fake."

She tilted her head up and kissed Damon on the lips.

Claiming him in front of everyone.

After the kiss, Damon's face was flushed as he addressed the pack.

"Everyone! I want to introduce you to my future Luna—Chloe! We will be mated soon. From now on, she will be in charge of all matters regarding pack expansion."

In that moment, every wolf in the room turned to look at me.