Chapter 2

I quit all my jobs—but the next morning at 4 a.m., I still wore my usual work uniform.

When Yeats left the house, I followed him. He drove straight to the Alpha Bureau of CrimsonMoon Pack, a proud member of Lupus Celestial, the strongest alliance in the werewolf world.

Yes, my father Chase had built that alliance with his bare hands. He poured his life into it so it would be something worthy of respect.

At the gate, Yeats was greeted by the warriors with the formal Alpha’s salute.

He was still the Alpha.

The blood in my veins turned to ice.

Ten years ago, my father had opposed my bond with Yeats, who then led the smallest pack in the alliance. He told me plainly: if I insisted on the bond, he would not pass the Lycan King’s crown down to me, fearing I’d cause unrest in the packs.

But I didn’t care. I gave it all up to be Yeats’s Luna.

I disguised myself as an orphaned omega, a drifter within CrimsonMoon’s borders. When we bonded, all I had was the $100,000 I’d smuggled out. Yeats said he’d use it to grow the pack. I gave it to him, no hesitation.

He even renamed his pack—from SilverMoon to CrimsonMoon, crimson like the blood I’d sucked from his poisoned wound to save his life.

But that wound poisoned me too. The silver in his blood seeped into mine. My wolf—already in a half-dormant state because of my mother’s silver injury while I was in the womb—fell into full dormancy.

And when our daughter was born, the silver condition passed to her. But her case was worse—she couldn’t sense her wolf at all.

Yeats never suspected I wasn’t an omega. My dormant wolf and my simple clothes made my story believable. Everything seemed fine the first year after our bonding.

Then our daughter was born.

He told me he had lost his position as Alpha, that he had become paralyzed and was in debt to the new leader. I believed him—especially when he fell to his knees and cried, saying he had failed us.

So I worked.

I worked while he lay still in bed. I worked until my body broke. I worked so our daughter could be healed. I never once blamed him for losing his status.

But it was a lie.

He was still the Alpha—and not only that, he had expanded the pack, made it stronger and richer… with my money. And he hid all of it from me.

My jaw clenched. My nails dug into my palms.

Then someone shoved me from behind. “Don’t stand in the way,” they snapped. I stumbled as a crowd of teenage wolves rushed forward. They were screaming:

“Lily! I love you!”

“Over here, Lily!”

The Alpha’s warriors formed a protective ring around her. Lily waved at her fans, smiling. She wore a long, flowing black silk dress, her makeup flawless. A reporter from Lupus Celestial News raised a microphone toward her.

“Miss Lily, there’s gossip that you and Alpha Yeats of CrimsonMoon Pack are preparing for a bonding ceremony. Is it true?”

Lily smiled coyly. “It’s not decided yet. But you can look forward to something good.”

A young she-wolf shouted, “Alpha Yeats adores her! He gives her jewelry, luxury clothes, everything! Even gives her chances to be close to his daughter!”

Another added, “It’s so tragic his Luna died young…”

I couldn’t stay quiet.

“Who told you Yeats’s Luna died?” I demanded.

They looked at me like I was insane. “The Alpha himself. Don’t you have a phone? Or watch TV?”

I didn’t. I hadn’t in years. Every cent went toward healing our daughter… and keeping Yeats alive.

I stared at Lily as she walked into the building.

Wearing my uniform, I passed through unnoticed, mistaken for one of the cleaning crew.

Upstairs, in the grand Alpha’s office, Lily was sitting on Yeats’s lap, gazing up at him with syrupy eyes.

“Alpha,” she purred, “everyone downstairs is asking about our ceremony.”

Yeats brushed his fingers through her hair. “Lily, Jasmin is still my Luna. I owe her that much.”

Lily’s expression darkened. “But you told the press she died.”

“I didn’t want them to bother her,” he said quietly.

“But what about me?” she pouted. “Don’t you care if my life gets bothered?”

“You act like it’s me chasing you,” Yeats replied, smiling. “They all think it’s one-sided.”

He kissed her on the cheek. “Let me make it up to you. Want the newest designer handbag?”

“You’re terrible,” she giggled, pulling him into a kiss.

I had seen enough.

I burst into the room.

“So when exactly did I die—and no one told me?”

Yeats turned pale, shoving Lily off his lap. “Jasmin! It’s not what you think—let me explain—”

“When I left our den, you were paralyzed in bed. And now you’re the Alpha?” I barked. “Explain that.”

He stammered.

Lily stepped forward sweetly. “Luna, please. Let Yeats explain.”

“Luna?” I scoffed. “And since when is he your brother, Lily? Yeats told me he was an only child.”

The staff nearby gathered outside the glass walls to eavesdrop. Yeats was flustered.

“Jasmin, not here. Let’s talk at home. This isn’t a place you belong—”

Not a place I belong.

The words hit harder than any slap.

This office, this building, this pack—I had helped build it.

“Luna,” Lily said again, reaching for my arm. “You must be tired. Let me help you ho—”

I pulled back, but she stumbled as if I’d shoved her. She fell against the wall and cried out, “Ahhh! It hurts—!”

Yeats panicked and rushed to her side. He didn’t even look at me as he snapped, “How could you hurt Lily in front of everyone?!”

“She’s not part of this, Jasmin! You’ve worked like a servant so long, you’ve forgotten basic manners!”

Then he added coldly, “Guards—escort her out.”

The guards grabbed me roughly.

As I was dragged from the room, I looked back.

Lily was curled in his arms, her tears glistening. Yeats cradled her gently, protectively—just as he had once held me, ten years ago.

I had spent those ten years drowning in work, too exhausted to notice him slipping away.

Now, he belonged to someone else.

And I was no longer welcome in the world I helped him create.