1

My alpha mate proclaimed me as his beloved Luna to the entire pack, but in fact his widowed sister-in-law was his true love.

I was kidnapped by a hostile wolf pack. For an entire year, those wolves imprisoned and tortured me. But Derek never came for me.

When I finally escaped and stumbled back to our territory, blood-soaked and broken, I discovered my daughter locked in the silver prison where rogue wolves were kept.

She was being torn apart as food, her small body covered in wounds.

Meanwhile, my mate—my pup's father—was joyfully celebrating the first birthday of his and Sarah's pup, announcing that Sarah's child would become the pack's heir.

…

I burst into the sacred altar grounds of the territory just as Derek was tenderly placing the ring—the symbol of the pack's Luna—onto Sarah's finger.

In that same moment, he announced that in three days' time, they would officially proclaim Sarah's son as the pack's heir.

Sarah cradled her one-year-old male pup in her arms, her wolf tail coiling like a serpent around Derek's waist as she leaned against him with feigned shyness. The intimacy between them was unmistakable.

Derek turned with a smile and our eyes locked.

Despite my tattered appearance—my fur matted with blood and dirt, my body broken—years of being soul-mates meant he recognized my scent instantly.

His eyes flooded with surprise and what looked like joy. He started moving toward me, urgency in his steps.

"Liv—" he began.

Sarah clutched his sleeve, interrupting him softly:

"Derek..." Her voice carried a pleading tone.

Something shifted in his expression as if he suddenly remembered something important. He stopped in his tracks, the words dying in his throat.

The look he gave me transformed from initial joy to discomfort and guilt.

The wolves attending the ceremony had been offering their congratulations when they spotted my filthy figure. Their faces immediately twisted with contempt.

"On this joyous day for our Alpha, why is this dirty, crazy she-wolf crashing the ceremony? Such bad luck," one muttered.

Another narrowed his eyes. "Wait, doesn't she look a bit like Olivia, the Alpha's dead mate? Didn't he say Olivia was kidnapped and killed by rogue wolves a year ago? Thank goodness Sarah was there to comfort him daily. They grew close, and now he's even passing leadership to Sarah's child."

I wanted to laugh bitterly. Dead mate? That was news to me.

"Is that really Olivia? She's not dead? Then doesn't that make Sarah the third wheel who destroyed the Alpha's bonded relationship?"

"His brother's widow is still alive, yet she couldn't wait to seduce her brother-in-law. This is..."

Those words reached Sarah's ears, draining the color from her face. She threw me a resentful glance, clearly recognizing who I was.

With tears welling in her eyes, she made a show of trying to remove the ancient ring, her voice trembling with manufactured sorrow:

"Since everyone is saying these things, Derek, I don't want this Luna ring anymore. And please don't name my son as the Alpha heir.

She continued. “I'm just an Omega who lost her mate—I can't bear these misunderstandings. I only want to stay by your side and our pup's side. That's enough for me."

Derek's face immediately filled with concern. He hurriedly slipped the ring back onto Sarah's finger, his voice tender as he consoled her:

"Sarah, don't say such foolish things. You bore my brother's heir, making you the pack's greatest contributor. This ring and the position of the pack's Female Alpha rightfully belong to you."

I stared at him in disbelief, my heart hammering against my ribs. Derek, you promised me that our daughter was the only true heir to the Silvercrest Pack leadership!

That jeweled ring wasn't just a symbol of the Female Alpha's position—it was the bonding token Derek had given me when he marked me as his mate.

To prove his devotion, he had personally engraved my name onto the ring's surface.

Now, as my gaze fell upon that same ring, pain lanced through my heart.

My name had been completely erased. In its place was carved "Sarah."

I swallowed the agony of being abandoned by my mate and was about to speak up to reclaim my identity when Derek approached me. He pressed his claws against my throat, his eyes cold and unrecognizing.

"Olivia is dead," he announced to everyone. "This she-wolf is nothing but a stray lone wolf. Anyone who dares to slander Sarah will answer to me personally."

I knocked his paw away, staring at him with shock etched across my face.

"Derek, say that again. Who am I?"

Hesitation flickered in his eyes. He leaned close, whispering so only I could hear:

"Olivia, you heard everything. If I acknowledge your identity now, Sarah's reputation will be destroyed."

His breath felt hot against my ear as he continued, "My brother entrusted Sarah to me. I can't let her suffer such humiliation. You've always been strong and kind-hearted. Just bear with this a little longer, baby."

With those words, he turned away without sparing me another glance. He ordered the caretaker to escort me out, claiming he was offering me some scraps of meat as a good deed for his one-year-old son's karma.