Chapter 1

Rosemarie’s POV 

"I am truly sorry, Rosemarie, but you have missed the best window for surgery."

The doctor's voice sounded like it was coming from underwater. I sat on the hard plastic chair in the pack clinic, staring at the dust floating through the sterile light. He kept talking, throwing out medical terms that felt like heavy stones landing on my chest.

Late stage. Brain tumor. Aggressive growth.

"Is there really nothing we can do?" I asked. My voice was barely above a whisper. "Our pack has some of the best medical equipment in the region."

Dr. Evans sighed and rubbed his temples. "Equipment isn't the issue. There is no doctor in our pack with the surgical skill needed for a tumor this advanced. Even if we flew in a specialist from outside, the chances of a full recovery would still be extremely low. The surgery itself could shorten the time you have left."

Time you have left.

The words echoed in my head, triggering a sharp, familiar pain behind my eyes.

I thanked him automatically, stood on shaky legs, and walked out of the clinic.

The midday sun blinded me as I stepped into the parking lot, but my mind stayed trapped in a dark loop, counting back the months.

Six months.

For half a year, these headaches had been tearing through my skull. Six months ago, it had probably started as something small and treatable. I remembered the first terrible migraine that made me drop a ceramic plate in the kitchen. I had called Rex, panicking, begging him to come home and take me to the hospital.

"I'm busy, Rosemarie," he had snapped over the phone. "You probably just didn't drink enough water. I have a border issue to deal with. Don't call me for small things."

Every time after that, the answer was the same. He was too busy. He was the Alpha. The pack always came first. His duties always came first.

And when Rex wasn't dismissing me, daily life swallowed me whole. Taking care of our son, Leo, was a full-time job. Between managing the household, serving the pack, and making sure Leo had everything he needed, I pushed my own pain aside. I took cheap painkillers, smiled through the headaches, and convinced myself it was just stress.

Now look where that loyalty got me.

I sacrificed my health to keep Rex’s life running smoothly, and my reward was a death sentence.

Anger rose from my stomach, mixing with the terror of leaving Leo behind. Rex wouldn't care. He would just find another Luna to take my place.

By the time I pulled into the driveway, the headache had become a blinding pulse behind my eyes. My vision blurred around the edges. My skin crawled with anxiety and exhaustion.

All I wanted was to lie down in a dark room for one day. Just one day to process the fact that I was dying.

I unlocked the front door, stepped into the quiet foyer, and kicked off my shoes. I made it exactly three steps toward the staircase before the living room couch creaked.

"Oh, look who finally decided to show up."

My stomach dropped.

I turned slowly to see my mother-in-law, Helen, sitting neatly on the sofa with a cup of tea. Beside her sat Chloe, Rex’s sister, scrolling through her phone with her usual look of disgust.

They were here. Again.

"Hello, Helen. Chloe," I said, keeping my voice calm despite the pounding in my head. "I didn't know you were coming over today."

"We shouldn't need an invitation to visit my brother’s house," Chloe sneered without looking up. "Though honestly, every time we come here, this place looks awful. Look at the dust on that side table. It's pathetic. I don't know how Rex puts up with such a lazy Luna."

Helen placed her teacup down with a loud clink.

"Rosemarie, you look terrible. Pale, messy, completely unpresentable. You are supposed to represent this family. If important pack members see you looking like a corpse, it reflects badly on Rex. A capable wife takes care of her appearance no matter how tired she feels."

The irony almost made me laugh.

I looked like a corpse because I was slowly becoming one.

"I'm sorry," I said, pressing my fingers against my aching temple. "I have a terrible headache today. I really don't feel well. I just need some quiet time upstairs to rest. We can talk about the house later."

Chloe tossed her phone onto the couch and stood up, crossing her arms. She walked over, her eyes full of malice.

"A headache? Seriously? You always have some pathetic excuse to avoid your responsibilities. You think wearing a ring means you can sit around doing nothing?"

"Chloe, please," I whispered. The sunlight coming through the window felt like needles in my eyes. "Just give me a few hours."

"No," Chloe snapped, stepping into my space. "Rex has been working in the Alpha office since five this morning. He hasn't had a proper meal all day because he's actually doing important work, unlike you. You are going into that kitchen, making him a hot meal, and delivering it to his office."

"Can't the pack house kitchen send him something?" I asked, desperation slipping into my voice. "They have staff for that."

Helen scoffed.

"A devoted wife prepares her husband's meals herself, Rosemarie. Stop being selfish. It's bad enough that you barely help the pack's social standing. The least you can do is feed the man who provides for you. Go. Now."

I stood there trembling, staring at their cold faces. They didn't care about me. They never had.

To them, I was just a low-born wolf who got lucky and needed to stay in her place. If I refused, Chloe would make a scene. Helen would complain to Rex. Rex would come home angry and accuse me of causing problems while he was trying to run a pack.

I didn't have the strength for another argument. My head felt like it was splitting apart.

"Fine," I muttered.

I turned away from the stairs, giving up on the dark, quiet room I desperately wanted, and forced myself into the kitchen.

The heat from the stove made my nausea worse immediately. Every chop of the knife sent pain shooting through my skull.

I moved like a machine, cooking rice, searing meat, and packing everything into an insulated container. Tears caused by pain and resentment blurred my vision, but I wiped them away before anyone could see them.

They wanted a dutiful wife? Fine.. I would do this one last thing.

Once the meal was packed, I grabbed my keys and drove to the pack administrative building.

The drive passed in a haze and by the time I climbed the stone steps leading to the Alpha office, my hands were shaking so badly that the container rattled.

The hallway outside Rex's private office was empty..The thick carpet softened my footsteps as I approached the door. I reached for the brass handle, planning to drop the food on his desk and leave before I threw up.

But before my fingers touched the metal, a sound stopped me cold.

The breathless laugh of a woman coming from inside the office.