In the fifth year of my mating to Alpha Manfred,his childhood sweetheart, Jessica Bell, was splashed across every tabloid in the territory. Pregnant. Unmated. And accused of shattering another couple’s bond. The rumors hit like a rogue’s ambush. But it was his reaction that truly gutted me. “Jessica’s father once saved me, She has no pack, no family left. Everything she’s accomplished… she clawed her way to it. Alone.” My fingers clenched tighter around the pregnancy test tucked away in my purse. “And the only way to protect her now,” he continued, not even looking me in the eye, “is for me to marry her. To claim the pup as mine.” A muscle twitched in my jaw. Goddess, my wolf let out a low growl inside me, begging to lunge forward and leave claw marks down his perfectly tragic face. “And what about me?” I asked, barely more than a whisper. My voice cracked. The Silver Claw Pack and the Eclipse Pack—my pack—had been allies for over a century. “How do I explain this sudden rejection to my parents? To my pack? To the elders? They know we’re mate bond.” Alpha Manfred inhaled sharply. “Just tell them it was always a business arrangement. That there was no real love between us.” My wolf bared her teeth at that. No real love? Was that what last night was? His hands in my hair, his scent tangled with mine, his whispered promise that I was his forever—was that part of the business contract? He had the audacity to look away. “Once the media frenzy dies down, I’ll come for you. I’ll bring you back to Silver Claw and give you the grand wedding you deserve.” I stared at him. This Alpha—was seriously telling me he was going to marry another she-wolf, claim her pup, let me get torn apart by pack gossip and speculation, and then what? he’s offering me his marriage like it’s some kind of charity? “You’ll come for me?” I repeated slowly. “After you’re done playing house with your mistress and her bastard pup?” His jaw tightened. “Don’t say that.” “Why not?” I snapped. My wolf surged to the surface, eyes glowing faintly. “Oh right, because Jessica’s the victim here, right? Unmated, pregnant, abandoned by the whole world except you. Must be hard carrying a pup with no one to protect you.” He didn’t respond. “And meanwhile,” I said, stepping closer “you’re leaving me to face a scandal you created.” My fingers twitched, aching to throw the pregnancy test at him. But I didn’t. I laughed. For three years, I had been the one he discarded—over and over. And now, even my marriage was to be sacrificed for her sake. It hit me then, sharp and cold: Alpha Manfred had never loved me. There was no reason for the one who loved to always be the one who suffered.
If love existed at all, then the Moon Goddess was having a hell of a laugh at my expense. “Where is Jessica?” I asked, folding my arms and leveling my mate with a look sharp. “I want to meet her.” It was twisted way. My mating to Alpha Manfred began because of her, and now it would end because of her. She had haunted my entire bond and I’d never even seen her face. “The media is tearing her apart right now. She can’t show her face.” Alpha Manfred’s voice was low, deliberate. “Besides, she’s… fragile. And with the pregnancy, it’s not a good time for you two to meet.” I looked up, catching the unmistakable protectiveness in his expression. Was he afraid I’d hurt his precious childhood sweetheart? Three years of marriage, and this was the impression I left in his eyes. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, low and unsettled. She didn’t like being forgotten. Or replaced. “You think I’ll hurt her?” I asked flatly. He flinched like I’d slapped him with my claws out. “No. Of course not.” I raised a brow. “Because it kinda sounds like you’re afraid I’ll bite.” “Emily,” he sighed, like I was being difficult. Like he was the victim here. “This is temporary. I promised I’d come back for you once things settle down.” My stomach twisted. Temporary. As if our bond was something you could pause—like a treaty or a press conference. “Look,” he said, softening his tone like he always did when he knew he was losing ground. “Jessica isn’t like you. You have Eclipse Pack behind you. She has no one. No pack. No bloodline. Just me.” I stared at him, stunned. So now, if I refused, I was the unreasonable one? Alpha Manfred seemed to realize his own harshness. He stepped closer, reaching for me—but I moved away. How many times had this happened before? Every time he neglected me for Jessica’s sake, he would soften afterward, coaxing me with sweet words and empty promises. And every time, I forgave him. Too easily. Too often. I took a slow breath. The Eclipse Pack was strong. My father, our Beta, and even the elders believed I’d brought honor to the bloodline when I mated with the Alpha of the Silver Claw Pack. Our union had formed an alliance as old as the moon, and yet here I was—one press scandal away from being traded like a pawn on a chessboard. “Then I want to hear it from her,” I said, voice calm but firm. “She says she wants you? She says this is what she wants for her pup? Then she can come to me and say it. To my face.” “Emily…” Manfred looked tired now. “Do this for me. Please. Her father—he saved my life during the rogue uprising. I swore on his deathbed I’d protect her.” My wolf huffed. Mine, she growled. We marked him. We chose him. And now he was throwing away the mate bond because of a promise made under duress? Before I could snap back, a voice floated into the room like a cold breeze. “Luna Emily… please help me.” I turned, spine stiffening on instinct. There she was—Jessica Bell in the flesh. The infamous she-wolf with the soft curls and trembling lip. Her face was pale, tear-streaked, and suspiciously flawless for someone “torn apart by the media.” “I just want my pup to be born without shame,” she whispered, stepping into the room. Alpha Manfred was at her side before I could blink, his hand already at the small of her back. “What are you doing here?” he asked, voice low and panicked. “The doctor said you needed rest.” “You were gone so long…” Jessica sniffled, eyes wide and glassy as she gripped his arm like a lifeline. “I was afraid Luna Emily wouldn’t agree.” I said nothing. My fingers curled around the edge of the chair. My claws itched beneath my skin, begging for release. “The baby is innocent,” Jessica continued, her voice trembling just enough to seem sincere. “I don’t want him labeled a bastard. And if he doesn’t have a proper name, my career—my entire life—will be ruined.” Her tears fell like they’d rehearsed the drop in the mirror. She even had the nerve to tilt her head at me, pleading. “As a woman, how can you be so heartless?” My wolf bared her teeth behind my eyes. “And the real father?” I asked, arching a brow. “What, too busy to help out with the fallout? If you’re that worried about your pup’s name, maybe try the one who actually sired him.” Jessica flinched, her hand moving instinctively to her stomach. “He… he doesn’t want the pup.” Her voice cracked. “He abandoned us. Luna Emily, I have no choice. The internet is hunting me. I’m trending in five packs. If I don’t name the father soon, the backlash will destroy me.” “And you chose my mate to be your savior?” I asked, coldly. “You were born into wealth,” she shot back, the helpless tone slipping for just a second. “You’re the Eclipse Pack princess. Even if you divorce, no one would dare judge you. But me? I’m nothing without a name. My parents are gone. The father disappeared. Alpha Manfred is all I have.” I watched her, unmoved. Chapter 2 Jessica must have known I wouldn’t yield so easily this time. After all, this wasn’t like before. Not like those nights when she suddenly fell ill and needed Alpha Manfred to rush her to the hospital. Not like our anniversary, when she claimed she was being stalked and needed Alpha Manfred by her side. Three years of marriage, and Alpha Manfred had broken countless promises to me—all for her. Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I’d think she was allergic to me and immune to shame. Three years. Three full moons times thirty-six. That’s how long I’d stood by and watched Alpha Manfred sprint to her side like a good little lapdog every time she whimpered. At first, I kept my mouth shut. I was the good mate. The supportive Luna. Later, I just… stopped caring. I’d growled. I’d snapped. I’d even thrown a chair once. But his response was always the same. “I told you before we married—Jessica is the daughter of my benefactor. I promised to take care of her. You said you didn’t mind.” Mind? Oh no, I adored being the third wheel in my own marriage. And stupid me, I thought “take care of her” meant maybe hiring a maid. Or helping pay her rent. Not dropping everything—including his Luna—every time she cried wolf. The irony? She wasn’t his fate mate, I was the one,his fate mate. Flashback My first meeting with Alpha Manfred had been nothing short of a fairy tale—a damsel in distress rescued by a knight. I fell irrevocably in love. He didn’t even remember. I was thirteen when I fell for Alpha Manfred. Head over tail. It started with a fight with my older brother, Damon. He said I was too soft to be a warrior. So naturally, I had to prove I can do it. How? By sneaking off alone into the forest to hunt a rabbit. Yes. A rabbit. I did catch the rabbit, by the way. Snagged it right by the ears. But in my proud, triumphant victory dance, I realized one minor issue. I was completely, absolutely, and hopelessly lost. I tried to mind-link my family, but all I got was static. By sundown, I was freezing, scared out of my fur, and sitting under a tree hugging my knees like a sad little pup. I cried. I howled. I cursed my brother. And then— A miracle happened. A massive black wolf appeared, silent and still. Was he a threat? Would he attack me? Hands trembling, I gripped my dagger and pushed myself up, legs wobbling as I faced him. He took one look at me, then shifted—fluidly, gracefully—into a man. When he stepped from the shadows, the dying sunlight wrapped around him like a divine omen. In that moment, I believed in fate. Tall. Broad shoulders. blond hair. A pair of green eyes that could slice straight through you. To ease my nerves, he introduced himself. “Manfred Alvarado, futher Alpha of the Silver Claw Pack.” I didn’t know him, but I knew of his pack. Silver Claw—one of our Eclipse Pack’s allied packs. Still cautious, I gave only my first name. “Emily. I’m from Eclipse Pack.” He shifted back into wolf form and lowered himself. “Hop on. You’re in Silver Claw territory. If your people try to track your scent here, they won’t find you until next moonrise.” he didn’t smell like a threat. So I climbed on. He ran with the power of a seasoned Alpha—fast, smooth, effortless. And to keep me from panicking, he started talking through our link. Said he was out picking moonflowers for his benefactor’s daughter. She had some kind of stress rash and apparently moonflower essence was a miracle cure. How sweet. How gallant. How utterly whipped. Somewhere along the way, lulled by his voice and the steady rhythm of his stride, I fell asleep. When I woke up, we were at the Eclipse border. His jacket was draped around me. And he stood nearby, leaning against a streetlamp, cigarette glowing between his fingers as he waited for my pack to show up. A wolf-shaped shadow keeping watch. He didn’t say goodbye. He just nodded once, then vanished into the trees like a ghost. I never told my family about that night. But from that moment on, I tracked every whisper of the Silver Claw Pack. Read every article. Watched every broadcast. Chapter 3 Five years later, Silver Claw Pack sought to expand into Mississippi and proposed a marriage alliance with Eclipse Pack. At the time, I was preparing to study abroad. My parents refused outright. But when I learned from my brother that the business partner was the Silver Claw Pack, I thought it was fate. I gave up my academic plans and convinced my family to agree—on one condition: It had to be Alpha Manfred. My brother objected. First, the project didn’t require a marriage alliance. Second, Silver Claw Pack was rife with uncles and cousins vying for power. Third, Alpha Manfred’s mother had passed away young, leaving him no backing. Even with talent and ambition, climbing to the top would be an uphill battle. They didn’t understand why I was so determined to marry him. Eventually, they gave in. My mother even smiled wistfully and said, “With your charm, your background, your beauty—even in an arranged marriage, he’ll fall for you sooner or later.” Yeah. I was young. Hopeful. Borderline delusional. But the night of the engagement party? It felt like fate was finally throwing me a bone. I still remember the way Alpha Manfred looked at me across the crowd—his eyes wide, stunned. Or, more accurately, like he’d just found something he didn’t know he’d lost. “…It’s you?” he said, voice barely above a whisper. By then, I was eighteen. Taller. Stronger. Still a little reckless. But in that moment, when our eyes met— My wolf let out a wild, joyful howl in my mind. “Mate.” My heart flipped. My skin tingled. The bond crackled to life like lightning under my bones. I stepped closer, smiled, and echoed his words. “It’s me.” Then added softly, “My mate. My fiancé.” He smiled the entire night. And not the polite, politician smile. No, this was the kind that reached his eyes. The kind that made me believe—this is real. And it was. For a while. After the wedding, we couldn’t stop talking. We stayed up late swapping stories—he had a secret love for 80s werewolf flicks; I admitted I used to sneak into comic conventions in glamor. I learned to cook his favorite steak-and-potato stew; he braved crowds to hold my hand at anime expos. It was awkward and hilarious and weirdly perfect. Love bloomed like it was spring inside us. I believed—truly—that our story would play out like a romance drama. Marriage of alliance becomes love. Alpha and Luna rule side by side, powerful and inseparable. Then came my birthday. He missed it. For Jessica. That was the first crack. Then came our anniversary. We had an entire overseas trip planned—moonstone beaches, wolf-surfing lessons, a luxury cave spa. Gone. Missed. Again—for Jessica. Even Harvest Festival. He didn’t show. Because Jessica needed him. At first, he lied. I’d ask, “Where were you?” He’d mumble something vague. “Work. Meeting. Pack emergency.” Then one day, the media got sloppy. A photo made its way into the headlines. Blurry. Grainy. Just the back of a man’s head walking beside Jessica through a hotel lobby. But I’d know that head anywhere. Furious, I stormed home to my parents’ estate. My wolf paced in circles, heartbroken and growling low in my chest. Alpha Manfred arrived the next day. Disheveled. Exhausted. Red-eyed. “Emily,” he rasped, voice cracking, “I love you. Jessica’s nothing more than a sister to me.” I said nothing. He stepped closer. “Her father—he saved me once. When I was a pup. Save me out of the Rogue Den. Died from his injuries. On his deathbed, I swore I’d protect her.” His voice broke. “You understand, don’t you?” I did. And like a fool, I forgave him. Too easily. After that, it became routine. Jessica calls, Alpha Manfred runs. I wait. He comes back. Says he loves me. I forgive. Each time, he leaned on my love like it was a shield for his choices. Each time, I gave in, thinking maybe—just maybe—next time, he’d choose me. Now, I remember my mother’s warning—the one I brushed aside like it was just old-fashioned advice: “Emily, love has no room for a third person. Not family. Not debts. You might endure being second once or twice… but can you bear it for a lifetime?”
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