Before the entire pack, my Alpha mate, Ryker Robinson, used his Alpha Command to force me to my knees—all because I’d accidentally broken his Beta Kara’s Moonstone Chalice.

My five-year-old pup, Cody Robinson, didn't defend me. Instead, he lifted his small face, cheering as if it were the grandest show on earth.

Then, that Beta, clutching the Silvermoon Antlers Ryker and Cody had hunted for her, leaned in close, her voice a venomous whisper.

"If his heart doesn't belong to you, then you're nothing but the other woman."

I calmly met her gaze. "Then you'd better watch your back. If he can take a second, he can take a third."

The sacred, fated bond I had cherished was officially a joke. My mate's and my pup's hearts had long since strayed.

My heart went cold. From deep within, I reached for the bloodline link to my father.

"Father, I want to come home. I want to reclaim my birthright as a Crestwell."

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1

I've booked your portal. Be ready.

Ten minutes after I sent the call through my bloodline, a message came through a secure channel from one of our Elders. It contained the flight details for a private jet.

I had played the part of an ordinary she-wolf in the Robinson Pack for far too long. It was time to go home and claim what was mine.

Just as I was about to leave, Ryker and Cody appeared behind me, having caught the lingering scent of powerful portal magic on my luggage.

"A portal? What portal?" Ryker's brow furrowed, catching only the faint magical traces. "Are you going back to that rundown pack of yours?"

I gave a slight nod, seeing no point in lying.

"Why would you go back to those old fossils?" Cody scoffed, crossing his arms with a look of disdain.

"Are you throwing a tantrum just because Dad used his Alpha Command on you? You're the one who broke Kara's favorite chalice. He had to put you in your place. What else was he supposed to do?"

"Kara was being generous. With her family's military honors, anyone else would have had you exiled by now. You should be out hunting to make it up to her."

Cody had no idea. Kara Vaughn and her warrior family weren't fit to polish the boots of my family's guards.

When Ryker and I first got together, I’d hidden my identity as the heir to a top-tier pack, content to be an ordinary she-wolf by his side so I wouldn’t wound his pride.

Later, when he founded his own pack and expanded his territory, my parents were the ones silently backing him.

I had planned to tell him the truth next week.

Now, there was no point. I was leaving.

Before I could respond, Ryker cut Cody off. "She can make it up to Kara another day. We're celebrating her promotion tonight; we don't have time for this."

He’d forgotten. Today was our bonding anniversary.

Every year before this one, the father and son would spend days hunting the perfect prey and decorating, always finding new ways to surprise me.

But ever since Kara arrived, that date had been wiped from their memory.

In the past, I would have reminded them.

But I was leaving. It didn't matter anymore.

"Dad, let's go. We can't keep Kara waiting," Cody urged, tugging Ryker's hand as they hurried off.

Once I was sure they were gone, I contacted the Elder who would preside over the ceremony.

My parents had never approved of my bond with Ryker. They felt he wasn't worthy of me. But I had been so in love, and back then, he had truly treated me like his entire world. I defied them to start a family with him.

I never imagined it would all unravel just six years later.

Thankfully, my parents held no grudge. They still wanted me home.

My nose stung with unshed tears as I quickly arranged the time with the Elder, confirming I would use my mate mark to initiate the severing.

Because time was short, we agreed to begin the ceremony remotely, so it could be completed before I boarded the portal.

Just as I was about to put down the communication crystal, a video call from Kara flashed on the screen.

In the video, she wore the ceremonial robes Ryker had custom-made for her, a crown of Silvermoon flowers on her head. Surrounded by a crowd of adoring wolves, she looked like a queen.

Cody was perched on her lap. As the celebration peaked, he cupped her face and gave her a kiss. Ryker stood beside them, his smile gentle and doting.

At a glance, they were a perfect family of three.

Looking at Kara's radiant smile, for a split second, I saw myself. Cody used to curl up in my lap just like that, begging for a bedtime story before giving me a sweet goodnight kiss.

And every time, Ryker would lean in jealously, demanding a matching kiss on each cheek.

I had never imagined their love wasn't mine alone. Now, it belonged to someone else.

A knot tightened in my chest. With trembling fingers, I typed "May your glory be eternal" and sent it.

The next second, a call from Ryker blared through the mind-link. A barrage of accusations flooded my mind.

"Rowan, haven't you caused enough trouble for one day? Is this all because I missed one anniversary? You have to take it out on Kara? A missed anniversary won't kill you!"

So he did remember.

Through the mind-link, I could hear Kara's soft sobs, as if she were the one who had been deeply wronged.

"Ryker, please don't scold her. It's my fault. I shouldn't have sent her the video. I was just so happy, being loved by you and Cody, and I wanted to share my joy. I didn't think she'd be so petty… even cursing me to be a lone wolf..."

A bitter laugh escaped me. I hadn't realized Kara was so audacious, so calculating.

Ryker continued to berate me, not even trying to hear my side. I severed the connection and started packing.

The portal would open in three hours. I wouldn't waste another second on them.

Halfway through packing, a message from the Elder arrived: Ryker had received the advance notice for the severing ceremony.

I had just sent my confirmation when a frantic knock rattled the door.

It was Ryker's anxious voice.

"Rowan, open the door!"

...

I opened the door to find Ryker and Cody flanking Kara, who was holding a piece of raw meat.

"What took you so long? You left Kara standing out here," Ryker grumbled, shouldering past me so hard I stumbled back, catching myself on the doorframe.

He didn't mention the ceremony. He probably hadn't noticed the change in our mate marks yet.

Cody led Kara inside and tossed a leg of venison onto the table. It was caked in mud and weeds, clearly having been dragged along the ground, and he offered it to me like he was tossing a bone to a dog.

"Kara felt bad you were all alone on your anniversary, so she brought you some prey. You should thank her."

The meat was torn and filthy, dotted with dirt, sand, and stray hairs. It was disgusting.

They wouldn't touch something like this, yet they expected me to accept it. The whole thing was laughable.

Just as I was about to refuse, Ryker’s cold voice cut in.

"Rowan, are you really going back to that rundown pack of yours?"

So he had noticed the suitcase by the bedroom door. For a split second, panic flashed across his face.

Cody strode over and kicked the suitcase, sneering. "You're getting good at this act, Mom. Running away from home just to get Dad's attention? Fine. If you want to play games, so will I."

Cody crouched, yanked the zipper open, and dumped the contents onto the floor.

My neatly packed belongings scattered in a heap. Among them was a gift Ryker had given me when we had just bonded.

It was a wolf totem carved from precious spirit wood. It held a special meaning for me, and I’d wanted to keep it as a memento.

When Cody saw it, his eyes lit up as if he’d found proof of my deception. He snatched the totem and crowed.

"Dad, look! She even packed the totem you gave her. She's just putting on a show so you'll feel bad and comfort her!"

Ryker shot me an I-told-you-so glare.

A hot wave of humiliation washed over me. My hands balled into fists, trembling. Before I could speak, Kara beat me to it.

"The mate-mark on this totem is so beautiful. It would look incredible carved on your arm. Did you never use it because you didn't like it?"

The totem was sealed with a sliver of our bond and engraved with my mark. It was a priceless symbol of our love, carved from a rare piece of spirit wood that had taken Ryker half a year to perfect.

It was the most beautiful gift I’d ever received, and I could never bring myself to activate it.

Ryker used to cherish it just as much, never letting so much as a speck of dust settle on it.

But now, without a second thought, he took the totem, carved my mark away with a knife, and etched Kara's initials in its place.

"Rowan never uses it. If you like it, it's yours. A new good luck charm."

...

Something inside me shattered. I stared at Ryker, unable to believe what I was seeing.

But he acted as if I wasn't there, his gaze fixed on Kara with pure adoration.

"You look beautiful in anything."

Fine. We were over. I didn't need the totem.

I repeated it to myself like a mantra.

Kara’s lips curved into a smug smile. Her eyes, full of mockery, met mine, but her voice was sickly sweet.

"Rowan, Ryker gave me your totem. You aren't angry, are you?"

"What's there to be angry about? She doesn't use it," Ryker said flatly.

He then took out a memory crystal, preparing to take a picture of Kara.

"Wait, let me get a picture. You're too beautiful today to let this moment pass."

Cody rushed to her side, holding her hand for the photo as if they were mother and son. I stood off to the side, a complete outsider.

I wanted to scream at them to get out, but my portal was opening soon. I had no time to waste. Swallowing my rage, I bent down and started shoving my clothes back into the suitcase.

Kara gasped, as if suddenly remembering. She turned and pulled a bowl from a small pouch at her waist, a potion emitting a dark, strange aura. She held it out to me.

"Look at me, so busy taking pictures I almost forgot your potion. I heard you like to use herbal remedies, so I had the healer add some Shadow-bloom wolfsbane."

I let out a soft, humorless laugh. She was the one who liked herbal remedies. Just last month, Ryker had bought her the largest herb garden in the region to help her strengthen her healing abilities.

Besides, Shadow-bloom wolfsbane was a deadly poison to my bloodline. Even the scent of it was giving me a headache.

This was nothing but a flimsy excuse to force a bowl of poison on me.

I frowned and refused flatly. "I'm not drinking it. I'm allergic."

It was one thing for Cody not to remember, given his age.

But Ryker knew. I had told him on the very first day we were together.

Since then, nothing containing Shadow-bloom wolfsbane had ever been allowed near me.

I thought that would be the end of it.

To my shock, Ryker sneered. "We've been mates for years, and I've never seen you have an allergic reaction. Don't be so dramatic. Kara is just being kind. One sip won't kill you."

But it would. It really, really would.

When I was a pup, I had once tasted a potion containing Shadow-bloom wolfsbane. That night, I was rushed to the pack's healing pool, barely clinging to life.

After that, my parents forbade me from going anywhere near the herb. They said they never wanted to experience that kind of fear again.

I didn't want to put them through that again. I turned to leave, but Ryker grabbed my arm and yanked me back.

"Can you stop making a scene? Kara came all this way to bring you a potion out of the kindness of her heart. You have to drink it."

He gripped my chin, forcing my jaw open, and poured the entire bowl of potion down my throat. It burned like acid, and I choked, coughing uncontrollably, my face turning crimson.

"Ryker, are you insane?" I snarled, doubling over and retching, spitting the vile potion into the trash can.

But some of it had already gone down. I could only pray it wouldn't be enough to do real damage.

He watched me coldly, not a trace of guilt on his face. "I've never heard of anyone dying from an herbal potion. Stop being so dramatic."

I didn't want to argue. I was leaving. It didn't matter.

But the look in his eyes made my blood boil.

Just as I straightened up to retort, Cody ran over with a grin.

The next second, he scooped the gritty dregs from the bottom of the bowl and cruelly smeared them all over my face.

For a moment, the world went silent. When my senses returned, my vision was blurred with the gritty paste.

My ears filled with their laughter.

"Mom, you look hilarious! I have to record this for the pack channel," Cody cackled, raising his memory crystal.

I wiped the filth from my face just in time to see the broad smiles on Ryker's and Kara's faces before I turned and stumbled into the bathroom.

Tears I could no longer suppress streamed down my cheeks. I thought I could leave with some dignity. But faced with their relentless humiliation, I finally broke.

Just after washing my face, I felt a prickling sensation. The skin that had come into contact with the dregs began to itch and burn. I looked closer and saw terrifying, silvery burn marks forming.

Then, a sharp pain shot through my throat and lower abdomen. Breathing became a struggle.

I hadn't expected the poison to act so fast. I fumbled for my communication crystal to call for help, but it was gone.

My breaths grew shallower. I tried to walk out, but my strength was gone. I collapsed to the floor.

The pain was excruciating.

"Ryker... help me... Cody..."

Outside, the three of them were now chasing each other, playfully smearing the dregs on one another, laughing and dancing around the living room, leaving a mess everywhere.

I screamed for help until my throat was raw, but it was as if they were deaf to my pain.

No one came.

Through the haze of pain, I heard Cody's dismissive voice. "She's just playing the victim again. Ignore her."

Just as I felt myself suffocating, my vision fading to black, the bathroom door creaked open.