Chapter 1

"Alpha, I don't understand. Why didn't you let the doctor save Ethan?" Marcus asked, his voice filled with confusion. "He was alive when we found him."

Alexander sighed heavily. "You don't understand. Ethan recognized Lucas's scent. He would definitely report the killer once he wakes up."

My heart stopped beating.

"What?" Marcus gasped.

"Lucas pushed Ethan toward the rogue border. But he didn’t mean it! He is just a pup who didn't know the rogue borders." Alexander admitted. "If the doctor saved Ethan, Sophia would be imprisoned, and the Council would demand Lucas's execution. I couldn't allow that."

Sophia. The name froze the blood in my veins. Alexander’s first love.

"But... Alpha, that was your son!" Marcus exclaimed in disbelief.

"I know," Alexander’s voice trembled. "But Lucas is my son, too."

I clamped my hand over my mouth, stifling the scream that threatened to tear through my throat.

"What about the succession?" Marcus asked.

"It’s fine," Alexander said. "I'll bring Lucas into the pack once Ivy is stable. We'll claim he's a war orphan. Ivy will raise the future Alpha as her own."

My world collapsed.

My husband, the mate I had loved for five years, had betrayed me long ago. He had a mistress and a pup. To protect them, he watched our son die.

Hatred flooded my veins.

I wanted to rush out and scream at him. Was everything a lie? He had sworn an oath to the Moon Goddess to be faithful to me, his Luna, for eternity.

I waited until their footsteps faded before I stood up from behind the tombstone. My tears had dried, replaced by a glacial coldness.

Alexander thought he could fool me. He thought I would be stupid enough to raise my son's murderer.

He was wrong.

I would make him pay in blood.

Back at the Pack House, I walked straight into Alexander’s study. He was processing paperwork and put on a concerned face when he saw me.

"Ivy, are you okay? I know today was hard..."

"I want to sever the mate bond," I cut him off.

The pen dropped from his hand. He stared at me in shock. "What? What are you talking about?"

"You heard me," I said, my voice terrifyingly calm. "I want to reject you."

He stood up immediately, trying to pull me into a hug. "Ivy, you're grieving. We can't make impulsive decisions just because we're emotional."

I took a step back, dodging his touch. A flash of hurt crossed his eyes.

"It's not impulsive," I stared into his eyes, looking for guilt but finding none. "There is no point in us continuing."

Alexander looked at me deeply, reaching out to stroke my cheek. "Baby, I know losing Ethan is a huge blow to us both. I'm hurting too. But we will get through this. We can have more pups."

More pups?

I almost laughed out loud. Did he plan to use me as a breeding machine, only to discard my children again when it suited him?

Suddenly, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen, and his face paled.

"Daddy?" A young boy's voice came through the speaker. "I have a fever. It hurts..."

My heart turned to ice. That voice... that boy calling Alexander "Daddy"... was Lucas.

Alexander gripped the phone tightly. "Where are you? Is your mom there?"

"Mommy is sick too. We're home, but I'm scared..." The boy sobbed.

"Don't be scared. I am coming," Alexander said, panic written all over his face.

He hung up and turned to me. "Ivy, there’s a pack emergency I need to handle. We'll talk later, okay?"

A pack emergency?

"Go," I sneered.

Alexander rushed out of the study. I stood there, watching him leave, the hatred in my chest burning brighter.

My phone pinged. A message from an unknown number.

I opened it.

It was a photo: Alexander and a blonde woman, naked in bed together.

More photos flooded in. Alexander kissing her forehead. A family portrait of the three of them. Alexander holding a little boy's hand in the park.

That boy was Lucas.

Then came the texts, each one a dagger to the heart.

Surprise? Alexander's real family is here.

What did you think you were? You’re just a tool. He only marked you for your White Wolf power.

By the way, do you know why your wolf has been silent? Alexander has been dosing your food with Wolfsbane. He was afraid you'd threaten my position if you awakened.

You’re pathetic. You couldn't even sense your own mate cheating. It’s good your son died; he was just an extra burden anyway. Hurry up and make room for us.

Wolfsbane...

I nearly crushed my phone. It was a rare poison used to suppress a wolf's spirit permanently. I thought my wolf was dormant because of my pregnancy.

It turned out Alexander had been plotting against me from the start.

I was a rare White Wolf. Mating with me granted the Moon Goddess's blessing and immense Alpha power.

But once he got the power, he didn't need me anymore. So he poisoned me to keep me as his docile, puppet Luna.

Sophia. Alexander. Just you wait.

I dialed my father's number.

"Dad, prepare an antidote for Wolfsbane."