Chapter 1

Becky’s POV

I took a deep breath before answering the phone, "I’m ready to fulfill your condition and take my rightful place as the heiress," I said, before hanging up abruptly. The weight of my decision hit me, but I knew it was the only way forward.

Staring at the room that had been my sanctuary for eight long years, I felt a bittersweet smile tug at my lips. Years of devotion, patience, and love had led me here—empty-handed. My heart pulsed with the same bitter ache that had echoed through me for so long, the same ache that the wolves called the weight of a bond never realized.

A piercing voice broke the silence, sharp and angry. “How dare you wear my mother’s dress!”Dorian’s words were like a slap in the face, and I turned to face him, fighting the urge to bare my teeth at him. His eyes were full of fury, but I had long since stopped caring.

"You’re not going to respond?" He snarled again, his voice dripping with venom.

I took a slow breath, controlling the beast inside me, the part of me that wanted to shift and rip him apart. “Go to your celebration,Dorian. Your pack is waiting for you.” My words were soft, laced with the weariness of someone who had fought too many battles with those who never saw her as a true part of their pack.

"No!" He roared, fury dancing in his eyes as he grabbed the pitcher from the table, and with a swift motion, splashed the hot contents all over me. The burn hit me like a punch to the chest. "This is what you deserve!" He spat. "You can never replace my mother! You killed her with your jealousy and now you wear her dress like it’s your right!" His words were poison, each one a reminder of everything I’d lost and could never have again.

I screamed, the heat of the coffee searing my skin, but I knew better than to fight back. The sting on my body was nothing compared to the sting in my heart.

A maid rushed in, gasping at the sight of my scalded skin and coffee-stained clothes. “I'm so sorry, Miss Becky.Dorian ran off again. Let me take him away,” she quickly said, her voice trembling.

As they scurried off, I stood there, feeling the rage of my wolf slowly subside, replaced by the cold numbness of defeat. That dress...it had never been Elizabeth’s. It had been mine—given to me by my mother before her passing. But Elizabeth had taken it, just like she had taken everything else from me.

I sighed heavily as I stepped into the shower. The familiar sting of the hot water was nothing compared to the ache inside, the ache of losing everything I had ever wanted.

Eight years ago, I was supposed to marry Alpha David Grimsbane, the Alpha who was once my childhood sweetheart, the one I thought I’d build a life with. But it all shattered when he chose Elizabeth over me. She was the one who carried his bloodline forward, and their son,Dorian, became the focus of all their attention. But Elizabeth died during childbirth, and I was blamed for it, accused of killing her out of jealousy.

The truth, however, was far darker. As the only sister of the deceased, I had been forced to stay in their home and care forDorian. I had been instructed by my stepmother to treat him as my own son. But the role I was given felt like a cage—no love, no respect, just the cruel reminder that my place was never as anything more than a mere servant.

For eight years, I poured everything intoDorian, raised him, loved him, but nothing ever changed. Alpha David never loved me. He was a wolf who had chosen his pack over me, his mate over his promise. I had been a fool to believe otherwise.

But the truth was clear now. I had no place in this house except as a discarded concubine. Every action from Alpha David, every word fromDorian, reminded me of my insignificant position in their lives.

As I stepped out of the shower, the sound of Alpha David’s voice pulled me back into reality. “The celebration is starting. Where are you, Becky?” He called out, his voice full of authority, like the Alpha he was meant to be.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself before exiting the bathroom. He entered just as I had finished drying off. His eyes immediately fell on the coffee stains, and I saw the disappointment flicker across his face.

“I heard whatDorian did. Don’t take it to heart,” Alpha David said, his voice soft but laced with a warning. “He’s still just a boy, and he does care about you.”

I scoffed. “That child knows nothing of love. Not when it comes to me.” My words were sharp, a bitter truth I had come to accept long ago.

His face tightened. “Don’t say that, Becky. He’s a good boy.”

I turned away, ignoring the way his presence made my skin crawl, and grabbed the soothing balm from the nightstand. I applied it to my scalded skin, the ointment cooling the burn. It would heal by morning, just like my heart had learned to heal over the years.

“Let me help you, Becky.” Alpha David’s voice broke through the silence, and before I could stop him, he took the balm from my hands and began to rub it into the inflamed skin.

A few years ago, I would have melted at his touch, but now, it just made my skin crawl. “You don’t get it, do you?” I muttered under my breath, but he didn’t hear me. His breath was warm against my neck as he whispered, “You have to be patient with him.”

I jerked away, feeling the familiar pull of the wolf that wanted to fight back, to push him away. “I need to tell you something,” I said, my voice hard.

Alpha David frowned. “Can’t it wait? The birthday celebrations are starting.”

“No, it can’t,” I said, my voice steady, the decision clear in my heart. “Today marks the eighth year. I’m leaving. I’m done.”

Alpha David stared at me, confusion and disbelief written on his face. But I had made my choice. There was no going back now.