Chapter 1 – Shattered heart

Emily Williams, a beautiful and young eighteen-year-old she-wolf, happily looks at herself in the mirror. Today is the third anniversary of her relationship with her longtime mate, Jerome Stonewood, the son of the alpha of the Moon Crest Pack. She is excited to visit Jerome, as he promised to tell his father, Alpha Jason, that they will marry soon. Emily looks once more in the head-to-foot mirror, grabs her bag and the small gift box she prepared for Jerome, and leaves her room.

Downstairs, her parents, Delta Patrick and Gloria, are drinking tea and see their daughter. Emily kisses them and says, "Mom, Dad, I'm leaving for a moment. I’m going to visit Jerome at the pack mansion. Today is our third anniversary!"

Delta Patrick and Gloria are aware of and support the relationship, but Delta Patrick says, "Why isn't Jerome the one visiting us?"

Gloria nods in agreement. "He is the man; it would be better if he came to our house. You two aren't married yet, and gossip could spread through the pack. We just want to protect you."

Emily is taken aback. The truth is, Jerome hasn't called or even texted her since last night. She lies and says, "Jerome wanted to, but he’s with his father, the alpha, so he requested that I visit them. But he’ll come here later."

Delta Patrick and Gloria look at each other, hesitant but eventually nodding. "Just take care," Patrick says.

Emily smiles, reassured them, and then leaves the house, driving alone to the alpha's mansion. Her heart races with excitement and a touch of nervousness as she anticipates Jerome’s reaction to her gift and the news they plan to share with Alpha Jason.

Emily arrived at the mansion, her heart pounding with excitement. Before leaving her car, she tried calling Jerome. She frowned and said while waiting, "Jerome, answer it. Why are you not answering me?" She sighed but then giggled, thinking, what if Jerome just wants to surprise me? What if he’s going to propose and he’s purposely not answering to make me confused?

Smiling at the thought, she stepped out of the car and walked to the door, knocking with anticipation. The servant, Mila, whom she knew well, was shocked to see her.

"Mi-Miss Emily! What a surprise," Mila exclaimed.

Emily smiled warmly. "Hi, Mila. I’m here to see Jerome."

Mila hesitated. "P-Please, stay in the living room. I’ll call Sir Jerome for you."

Emily waved her off with a smile. "It’s fine, I’ll go to him."

Mila tried to stop Emily, "Miss Emily, please—"

But because Emily was also the daughter of a Delta, Mila, an Omega servant, couldn't insist. Reluctantly, she stepped aside. Emily gave her a reassuring smile and headed upstairs, her excitement building with each step.

Before Emily could knock, she heard two voices and a lustful sigh. The man said to the giggling woman, "Honey, you are so sexy and beautiful," while the woman said, "Really, am I better than Emily?" The man replied, "Hmp! Emily never lets me touch her like this, so yes, you are better." The woman giggled loudly.

Emily's heart raced as she realized the voices belonged to Jerome and Natalie, her best friend. Her breath caught in her throat. If she was right, that meant they were together, in a way she never imagined.

Summoning all her courage, Emily pushed the door open and was shocked to see Jerome and Natalie lying naked in the big bed, their faces registering pure shock as they saw her standing there.

Jerome stammered, "Wh-what are doing here?"

Emily's lips curled into a bitter grin as she tossed the small box towards them. "For our supposed anniversary! You’re both free now! You deserve each other! Cheaters!"

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, her heart shattered into a million pieces.

The sound of Emily's sobs echoed through the room as tears streamed down her face. Heartbroken and betrayed, she stumbled downstairs and burst out of the mansion, her emotions too overwhelming to contain.

The maid, Mila, who had been cleaning nearby, anxiously followed her, concern etched on her face. "Miss Emily, please wait," she called after her.

Emily didn't stop, her steps quickening as she reached the door. Before she could get inside her car, she turned to Mila, her eyes red-rimmed and filled with anguish. "Mila," she said, her voice trembling with emotion, "do you know about Jerome and Natalie? Did you know they were together?"

Mila looked down, her expression filled with guilt, and nodded. "I'm sorry, Miss Emily. I knew, but I couldn't stop him. He's the alpha's son," she confessed.

Anger surged through Emily as she processed Mila's words. She trembled with fury, her tears mixing with the rain that had begun to fall. "Does Alpha Jason know?" she demanded, her voice sharp with pain and betrayal.

Mila shook her head. "No, Miss Emily. Alpha Jason is innocent. He only knows that his son, Sir Jerome, was dating the Delta daughter, you. Sir Jerome kept it hidden from his father, so Natalie only came here when Alpha Jason wasn’t in the mansion."

Emily let out a heavy sigh, the weight of the truth settling heavily on her shoulders. With a nod, she turned back to her car, her resolve firm. Without another word, she got in and drove away, leaving behind the pain and betrayal of her shattered dreams.

As Emily drove, tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring her vision until she arrived home. Even then, she couldn't stop crying, her heartache consuming her as she made her way inside.

Delta Patrick and Gloria, her parents, were in the living room. Gloria was talking to a friend on the phone while Delta Patrick read the newspaper. As soon as Gloria saw Emily, she quickly hung up and rushed to her daughter, wrapping her in a tight hug. "My dear, what happened?" she asked, concern etched in her voice.

Delta Patrick's brows furrowed in concern as he set aside the newspaper. "What did Jerome do to you?" he asked, his tone serious and protective.

Emily buried her face in her mother's shoulder, her tears soaking into the fabric of her shirt. "Mom, Dad, Jerome cheated on me… and the worst part is, he cheated with my best friend Natalie! I hate them!" she sobbed, her voice choked with pain and anger.

Delta Patrick's face hardened with anger. "That fool Jerome doesn't deserve you. Don't waste your tears on him. I'll talk to Alpha Jason about this. I won't let anyone hurt you," he vowed fiercely.

Gloria's own tears flowed freely as she nodded in agreement. "Don't waste your tears on a cheater," she echoed, her voice trembling with emotion.

Emily wiped her tears and looked at her parents with determination in her eyes. "Don't tell Alpha Jason," she said firmly. "I have a plan."