Chapter 2

Back home, Eden Parker clung to Alan, wearing the ring that should've been mine. She waved at me like she was his rightful mate.

"It's been a while, Amy!"

When she noticed me staring at the ring on her finger, she pretended to be uneasy and gave it a little shake.

"Alan gave this to me. I didn't even want it, but he said it's supposed to symbolize happiness. He wants me to be happy!"

My heart clenched so tightly that it felt like I couldn't breathe.

I turned away in despair and retreated to my room, then reached out to Mom through the mind-link.

She burst into a fit of joyful screams. "Say that again, sweetheart! You're coming home! This is wonderful. Absolutely wonderful!"

Three years ago, I believed I could find happiness in the life I'd chosen. But now, I knew I'd been wrong.

"Mom, I need a week to settle everything here with this pack."

Mom's voice turned gentle. "Of course. However long it takes, your father and I will be here, waiting for you. We've missed you so much. The moment you return, we'll announce you as the sole heir of the Bloodmoon Pack. And we'll spend the rest of our lives loving you with everything we've got."

I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. Mom's words brought back the promises Alan had made to me all those years ago.

Under the moonlight, he had pulled me into his arms, his eyes filled with a quiet tenderness. "I'll always be loyal to you, Amy. I'll stand by your side forever and be your strongest support."

Dexter, too, had once taken my hand and made a solemn vow to the Moon Goddess. "You're the little sister I cherish most, Amy. Even if we're not bound by blood, I'll always treat you like family."

And then there was Hank, grinning as he pulled out bottles of liquor, insisting we all drink until dawn.

Back then, our lives felt perfect. I truly believed things would always stay that way. But everything changed the day Eden arrived.

I still remember the moment Hank burst through the door, cradling a battered and bleeding Eden in his arms. My heart ached at the sight of that delicate young woman, her body torn up by savage bite wounds.

I begged Hank to let her stay with us.

Once Eden became part of our lives, I did everything I could to make sure she never felt like an outsider. I created opportunities for her to spend time with Dexter and Hank, hoping she'd find her place among us.

However, I never expected them to grow so close to Eden that it was as if I no longer existed.

Before long, it wasn't just Dexter and Hank who pulled away. Even Alan started treating me with cold indifference.

Heartbroken, I turned to Eden, hoping to confide in her. I just wanted to hold on to that sense of family we once shared.

But the very next day, Eden tearfully told Hank that I had been isolating her. She said she couldn't take it anymore and wanted to leave, to join a pack down south.

Meanwhile, I stumbled across documents in her room—proof that she'd been planning to leave us for a more powerful pack, aiming to become their Luna.

But when I tried to explain, no one believed me.

After Eden left, Dexter turned on me, yelling in fury. "When did you become so unreasonable, Amy? She's my little sister, too! How can you be so selfish?"

Alan stood by, quick to chime in with his agreement, and Hank went so far as to slap me across the face, telling me to reflect on myself.

Deep down, they all believed Eden deserved their attention more than I ever did. So they gave everything that should've been mine to her instead.

The memory of the pack members mocking me at the Luna ceremony came rushing back, and I couldn't hold back my sobs.

That ceremony was supposed to be Alan's promise to me. He'd once told me I was the best mate in the world and swore he'd give me a celebration I'd never forget.

With that hope burning inside me, I'd been too excited to sleep for days.

I decorated the venue myself, tailoring every detail to Alan's tastes. I even spent days preparing the food by hand, carefully noting each pack member's preferences to make sure the feast was perfect.

I thought if I poured enough love and effort into it, Alan would be happy, and the pack would accept me as their Luna with open arms. Instead, it all came crashing down.

As I walked away from the ruins of that ceremony, I could still hear the pack's whispers trailing around me.

"It's my first time seeing an Alpha walk out on his Luna mid-ceremony."

"Did Amy do something shameful? Why did the Beta and Dexter leave, too? Aren't they her family?"

"If even her own family bailed, she must've really messed up!"

"Yikes, maybe she cheated. No wonder the Beta left. He was probably mortified."

The flood of accusations crashed over me, impossible to stop. Not a single person who promised to stand by me was there when it actually mattered.

I was done. I was ready to walk away from all of it.