Chapter 2

That night, I lost Frank.

I could only watch helplessly as his body was dragged away. I collapsed to the ground and bawled my eyes out.

"No! Let go of my dad! Let him go!

"I don't want anything else! You can take it all!"

In the distance, the city buzzed with excitement. Fireworks lit up the dark sky in a dazzling array of colors.

Kelly slowly walked to Jim's side amid the crowd. It looked as if they were each other's true mates.

The first time I met Jim was in an alley on my way home.

He was drunk and collapsed on the street in a daze. I went up to wake him, but all he kept mumbling was one sentence.

"Kelly doesn't want me anymore."

Left with no other choice, I brought him back to my rental apartment and cared for him.

He gave me a hard time that night.

He threw up all over me the moment we got inside. Once he finally calmed down, he hogged my only bed.

In the end, I made do on the couch for the night.

The next morning, Jim sobered up. Embarrassed about what happened, he gave three grand to thank me and hurried off.

I thought that was the end of our story, but fate had other plans.

Suddenly, Jim invited me to become the Beta of his pack.

As I wondered why he'd chosen me, he gave me an answer.

"Rachel Jackson, will you be with me and become the Luna of my pack?"

From then on, Jim pursued me relentlessly.

Soon, the whole pack knew about it.

I faced plenty of gossip because of it.

"No wonder Rachel became Beta right after joining our pack. She must've seduced the Alpha."

"But wasn't Kelly the Alpha's ex? He moved on so fast after she left?"

Finally, when Jim gave me the moonstone he'd searched three long days for in Moonlight Grove, I accepted his confession.

I'd never seen Jim so happy. He picked me up and spun me around like an excited pup.

To be worthy of him and the position he gave me, I poured my heart into supporting him, often working late into the night.

Just when I thought everything was heading in a good direction, reality slapped me hard across the face.

Kelly came back, and the moment she did, she threw a tantrum at Jim.

He comforted her all night, and the next day, I was demoted. Kelly became the new Beta.

"Rachel, I owe a lot to Kelly for where I am today. Be generous and let her have the position.

"After our marking ceremony, you'll become the pack's Luna anyway. We have to prioritize the bigger picture."

I agreed, but I never imagined my compromise would lead to him escalating things worse and worse.

He forgot my birthday but booked the most luxurious banquet hall just to celebrate Kelly landing her first deal.

When I was attacked by rogues on a business trip, he prioritized sending guards to rescue Kelly from a minor car accident first. That nearly got me killed.

Even the tiniest thing became an excuse for him to ditch me.

My patience wore thinner by the day.

The day I discovered he'd given our engagement ring to Kelly, I finally snapped.

When I confronted him, he just thought I was being unreasonable.

"Rachel, it's just a stone. Is it worth calling me over something so trivial?

"I'm busy right now. Whatever it is, we'll talk after I'm off work!"

I knew he wasn't really busy. He was tired of me.

I searched for Frank's remains in the wasteland. He'd suffered injustice while he was alive. After he died, I couldn't let him be buried in such a desolate place.

After three long days of searching without finding Frank's body, I got a call from Jim.