Chapter 2

I walked home through the blizzard.

The moment I pushed open the front door, intimate moans and gasps echoed from the master bedroom.

"Lilith, tell me you love me."

"Leo, I love you. Ahh, not so hard!"

"Do you like it?"

"I do. I love it, Alpha. Mark me already. I want to be your Luna!"

I stood frozen in place. My face gradually turned pale.

The heating inside the house was running full blast, but I felt colder than I did outside in the blizzard.

Thirty minutes later, Leo came downstairs with a petite shewolf wrapped in his arms.

The second Lilith Lambert saw me sitting on the couch, her eyes welled with tears as if she'd been deeply wronged.

"Why is she here? Didn't you say this place would belong to me now?

"Alpha, were you lying to me? You still can't let her go!

"I told you I'd never be some secret lover. If she stays, I'm leaving right now!"

Leo immediately pulled her into his arms and soothed her gently.

"What nonsense are you thinking? Of course this will be your home. She's only back to pack up her things."

He then looked at me. His calm tone made it sound like he was speaking to a maid.

"Layla, the abandoned cabin near the border is vacant. Move there for a while."

My mind went blank.

Before anger came, there was only the feeling of my heart being torn apart.

Three years ago, when we built this house together piece by piece, he held me at the doorway of the master bedroom and said with tears in his eyes that this would someday be a home for us and our pups.

Now he wanted to send me to a run-down cabin with holes in the walls.

"Layla, my mate is upset."

Leo looked at me. His voice turned colder. "Don't make me repeat myself."

I clenched my fists tightly and said hoarsely, "I understand."

Leo stared at my scrawny figure. Something flickered briefly in his eyes.

He suddenly stepped forward and grabbed my wrist. His tone softened a little.

"Alright, don't be upset. The pack has a celebration banquet this afternoon. Come with me then."

I was about to refuse, but he spoke first.

"Lilith's never attended something like that. Stay by her side and introduce her to everyone. After all, she'll be the future Luna."

I froze for a second and almost burst out laughing, but I said nothing.

Before the banquet, Lilith claimed she had nothing suitable to wear. Without hesitation, she opened my wardrobe and chose the white pearl couture dress Leo had once given me. It was the dress I treasured most.

At the banquet, she had on my couture dress while her arm was linked with Leo's. She accepted the flattering compliments from all the werewolves present.

Meanwhile, I carried a heavy silver wine pitcher and followed behind her like a maid.

I kept hearing whispers from all around us.

"Alpha's impressive. He brought both his shewolves to the same event, and they even seem to get along."

"Alpha said his mate is the one named Lilith. The other shewolf? She's just some mistress without status."

"I thought she was Alpha's real mate-to-be. After being humiliated like this, why doesn't she fight back? It's so embarrassing."

My face turned pale. I turned around and fled the banquet hall.

At the end of the corridor, I overheard a few werewolves joking around with Leo.

"Alpha, Layla's been with you for ten years. If she gets truly heartbroken and leaves, won't you regret it?"

I stopped walking.

The next second, I heard him laugh nonchalantly.

"Layla's world revolves around me. She'd sacrifice her life to save mine.

"If she were smart, she'd know no werewolf in this pack would want her except me. Just wait. Once Lilith's novelty wears off, Layla will still be waiting around for me like she always has."

I couldn't hear the rest of what he said.

I walked to the sink, scooped up cold water, and splashed my face with it repeatedly.

I closed my eyes, dried my face slowly, and turned around to leave.

But the moment I stepped forward, I felt a hard slap across my face.