Chapter 3

Zara stared at Leon, her disbelief evident as his words echoed in the room. His gaze was cold, detached, as though what he had just said carried no weight.  

"Is that the good news?" she asked, her voice trembling with incredulity.  

"Yes, it is," Leon replied with a casual shrug, completely unbothered. "Do you have a problem with that?"  

Zara's eyes darted to her twin sister, Lyra, silently pleading for her to intervene. Lyra sat calmly, her composed expression betraying no reaction, as if this revelation was nothing extraordinary.  

“What about Jayden?” Zara demanded, her voice rising with frustration. Jayden had always been Lyra's dream, the man she envisioned herself marrying. For years, Lyra had rejected countless Alphas, holding onto the hope of being with him.  

Lyra’s calm demeanor didn’t falter. She rose gracefully and took a seat beside Zara on the couch, her movements deliberate, her smile faint and pitying. "I’m doing this to help you," she said softly. "At least it’s me, not some outsider coming in to give Leon more offspring. If I can cover for you, you should be thanking me."  

Zara's breath caught in her throat. The irony of it all cut deeper than any insult. They were identical twins, indistinguishable to most, save for a small birthmark hidden on their stomachs. Lyra had always said it didn’t matter if they switched places; no one would notice. To her, this was just another game.  

But for Zara, it wasn’t a game—it was her life.  

"You want me to thank you for this?" Zara whispered, her voice quivering under the weight of Lyra's betrayal. Her hands clenched into fists, her nails digging into her palms. "You want me to thank you for playing along in this twisted game, for letting Leon think he's getting what he wants while I’m stuck here in this hellhole of a marriage?"  

Lyra’s expression remained unreadable. "It’s the only way," she said firmly, her tone devoid of remorse. "If you want to keep your future with Leon intact, this is what needs to be done. I’m doing what’s necessary to keep everything from falling apart."  

Zara’s mind reeled, her stomach churning with anger and disbelief. She looked at Leon, who stood silently by the door, his gaze fixed on the two of them. The weight of Lyra’s words settled over her like a suffocating blanket.  

Without a word, Zara shot to her feet, her movements sharp and frantic. She couldn’t stand to look at them anymore—Leon with his cold indifference, and Lyra with her calculated detachment. She pushed past Leon as she stormed out of the house, her emotions boiling over.  

She barely noticed the world around her as she jumped into her car, her foot slamming on the accelerator. Her vision blurred with tears, and anger coursed through her veins as she sped down the road, uncaring of the consequences.  

Zara didn’t stop until she reached her parents’ house. She slammed the car door shut and stormed inside, her emotions barely held in check.  

“Lyra!!!” she started, her voice breaking. But as soon as she stepped into the living room, her mother’s calm voice stopped her in her tracks.  

"I knew you’d be like this," her mother said, her tone gentle yet dismissive, as though Zara’s anger was an inconvenience.  

"Wha….What do you mean?" Zara demanded, her voice trembling with shock.  

Her mother stepped closer, her hands reaching out to soothe, though Zara recoiled from the gesture. "Lyra and Leon are just trying to help you. They know you’re weak, and this arrangement is the best solution for you right now. Leon favors you, and this is the only way to secure your place."  

The words hit Zara like a physical blow. She staggered back, her chest heaving with the weight of betrayal. She looked around the room, desperate for someone, anyone, to defend her, but all she found was silence.  

Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked out of the house, her heart heavy with despair. She drove aimlessly until she reached Oakwood Fountain, a place where she always found solace.  

The mountain was forbidden territory, lying outside the pack’s boundaries. But Zara didn’t care. This place was sacred to her, a refuge where she felt close to her late father, who had been killed by a rogue.  

Tears spilled down her cheeks as she sat on the rocky ledge, her sobs wracking her body. The betrayal, the rejection, the pain—it all came crashing down on her, wave after relentless wave. She had always trusted Lyra, had believed her sister would stand by her no matter what. But now, that trust was shattered.  

By the time Zara’s tears subsided, darkness had fallen. She hadn’t even noticed the sun setting, so lost was she in her grief. Slowly, she stood, her limbs heavy and unsteady.  

As she began descending the mountain, her thoughts still clouded by anguish, her foot slipped on the loose gravel. She tumbled down the slope, her body rolling uncontrollably until her head struck a jagged rock.  

Everything went dark.