Chapter 3: Because I trusted too much

I didn’t think. I just lunged.

I rushed at Mira and grabbed a handful of her clothes, my grip trembling with rage and confusion. But before I could speak, she shoved me—hard.

I crashed to the floor, pain exploding in my elbow as it slammed into the rough tiles. Tears sprang to my eyes, not just from the pain, but from everything unraveling at once.

“Get off me, you ungrateful bitch!” she spat, towering over me like I was filth.

I pushed myself up slowly, my whole body shaking. “What did my father do?!” I screamed, my voice cracking. “What happened to him?!”Her lips curled into something cold. “We tried to protect your mental health all this time,” she said smoothly. “But clearly, our kindness has been wasted.”

I stared at her, eyes blurred by tears. “Mira, you’re wrong about everything. I swear—you’ve misunderstood it all. But even if nothing I say will change your mind... I deserve to know the truth. Please. Just tell me what crime my father committed.”

Before she could answer, the Beta’s voice thundered through the room.

“Your father brought disgrace to this pack.”

I turned toward him, heart pounding, throat tightening.“He was the Alpha once. I served under him as Beta. He was my best friend. That’s why I looked after you and your brother when Mira brought you to me.” His voice cracked slightly, but his eyes stayed hard. “But he was stripped of his title. Reduced to a Gamma. And he died a Gamma—with his pride shattered.”

“Why?” I whispered. “What did he do that was so unforgivable?”

“He dared to love the wrong woman.”

The words slapped the breath out of me.“In this pack, rank is everything. Rules are law. Break one—and you lose everything. And you... you made the same mistake. But unlike your father, you don’t even hold a position. So I won’t punish you by the law. The only kindness I can give you—as my friend’s child—is exile.”

I froze.

“If you're ever seen near this territory again, I won’t hesitate. My sword won’t spare you. You’re an omega. You should never have dreamed of being Luna. That place belongs to Mira. Not you.”

He turned away with a final growl. “Now get out.”I broke. Something inside me cracked wide open.

“Father… please,” I whispered—calling him that for the first time.

He paused. For a second, I let myself hope.

Then he turned back, his face colder than stone. “I’m not your father. Leave now… or you might just join your real one.”

His eyes glowed. He was already shifting. He wasn’t bluffing.

I gathered what little I could. My hands trembled as I stuffed a torn bag with our belongings. Richard walked beside me without a word, but I could feel the questions in every step he took.One mistake. One foolish mistake had cost me everything.

My brother’s peace. Our home. Our future.

Simon.

I clenched my jaw. His name was poison now. All I did was love him—and he paid me back with betrayal.

“Where are we going?” Richard asked, breaking the silence.

I blinked. My mind had been spiraling too fast to even consider that.

“I... I don’t know yet,” I admitted.

“Let’s go to the Alpha,” Richard said. “He won’t let us suffer like this.”“The Alpha?” I scoffed bitterly. “Richard... he’s the reason we’re in this mess.”

“No,” he said, eyes steady. “Not as the Alpha. As your lover, maybe. But as the pack leader—he can reverse the Beta’s decision.”

I looked at him—at the hope shining in his eyes. He still believed people could be good. That power came with compassion.

“What difference would it make?” I whispered.

He shrugged, trying to smile. “We won’t know unless we try.”

I sighed, rubbing my eyes. “Fine,” I said quietly. “We’ll go. But not now. If any clan members see us after the meeting, they’ll raise hell. We’ll wait until nightfall.”He nodded. We wandered through the outskirts of the pack grounds until we found an unfinished building—bare walls, no roof, just open concrete and shadows. We sat on the dusty floor.

I leaned back and let the thoughts flood in again.

My father loved the wrong woman.

My mother?

What did that even mean? Was she cursed? A traitor? Why would love cost someone their life?

I remembered the way my mother wept when my father died. Her sobs never stopped—until one day, she vanished, saying she was going to join him. And she did. She left us. Left me with Richard.We left our things hidden and slipped through the shadows, heading toward the Alpha’s estate.

Toward Simon.

Toward the man who loved me.

And destroyed me.

We finally reached his house. The place was cloaked in darkness—silent, still, like the pack itself had turned its back on us.

Most lights were out. The meeting must’ve ended hours ago. I tightened my grip on Richard’s wrist and guided him to the back path I used to sneak in before.Memories clung to that path like ghosts—his kisses under the moonlight, the way he whispered my name like it was sacred. I used to come here with a racing heart full of love. Now, that same heart thudded with fear, anger... and foolish hope.

He might be sleeping, I told myself. But he’s the Alpha. Alphas don’t sleep early. Maybe he’s still awake. Maybe… he’ll listen.

We reached his door. His room was at the far end of the hallway, tucked away like a king’s chamber—separate, untouchable. It used to make me feel special. Like I was the only one allowed in that private part of his world.

I raised my hand to knock.Then I heard it—laughter. Sharp. Mocking. Cruel.

I froze.

That voice. Familiar. Too familiar.

Mira.

My heart began to pound. If she saw me, it would only make things worse. I stepped back quickly, dragging Richard into the shadows beside me.

“Shhh,” I mouthed to him.

Then Simon spoke.

And everything inside me shattered.“I still can’t believe Lisa actually thought she’d be Luna,” he said, laughing. A loud, genuine laugh—the kind he once reserved for me.

Lisa.

He used my name like a joke. A punchline.

“You’re such a great actor,” Mira added. “You should honestly consider an acting career.”

Another round of laughter. Carefree. Cruel.

“She trusted me so much,” she said with a sneer. “She’s such a fool.”

I felt the air leave my lungs.

I stood frozen. The world had tilted and left me dangling upside down.

He lied.He never loved me.

He planned everything.

But as I stood in the dark, something stirred deep inside me. Something sharp. Cold. Alive.

They think they broke me.

But they have no idea what they’ve awakened.

I had nothing left to lose.

And that made me dangerous.