Samantha’s POV
“I’m so glad you’re finally here, Samantha,” Lena called out from the dining as I walked downstairs after I woke up. Surprisingly, Dominic’s back home, seated beside Olivia who was laughing at something he said.
They looked more like a family than I ever did with him.
“Samantha, come sit,” Lena gestured to the seat across from Dominic. I forced a smile, swallowing the knot in my throat, and took my place at the table. I couldn’t bear to look at Dominic and Olivia, shame and pain coursing through me after what I witnessed in his office.
As I settled into my seat, I caught a glimpse of the small band-aid on Olivia’s neck—the same spot where Dominic had been. Her fingers drifted to it, a soft, smug smile playing on her lips, almost as if she wanted me to see it, reminding me of their intimate affair in his office. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from that band-aid, and I felt the sting of betrayal burn deeper.
“Are you all right, Samantha?” Lena’s voice broke through my thoughts.
“Fine,” I replied quickly, forcing my gaze back to my untouched plate. The food looked appetizing, but my appetite had vanished the moment I saw Olivia.
Halfway through breakfast, Dominic glanced over at me with an indifferent stare. He didn’t offer a word, no hint of acknowledgment of what we once shared—or what I thought we did. To him, I was invisible. And I couldn’t ignore the painful truth sinking in: he had already replaced me.
Later that morning, I headed to my office, hoping to lose myself with work and divert my thoughts. However, when I looked over the tasks for the day, I noticed that my list was far shorter than usual. Confusion crept in, and I went to find Cora, a trusted gamma who’d been by my side for years.
“Cora,” I called, luckily spotting her in the hallway.
She turned to my direction, “Yes, Luna?”
“I noticed my workload is… lighter than usual,” I began, “Have they reassigned some of my duties?”
She scratched the back of her head, an awkward smile tugging at her lips. “Isn’t it nice to have a bit less to do? You deserve it, Samantha. All the work you’ve done these past few years, maybe this is the Alpha’s way of easing your burden.”
“Cora,” I pressed, sensing she was keeping something from me. “How long has this been going on?”
She shifted, looking at the floor before finally meeting my gaze. “The Alpha has… well, he’s given a lot of your Luna duties to Olivia over the past month.”
A sick feeling washed over me. “Since last month?”
She nodded, “I’m sorry, Luna. I didn’t think it was my place to say anything.”
I clenched my fists, trembling in anger, and pain as I realized, that gradually, I was being replaced. “Thank you, Cora. I… I appreciate your honesty.”
Turning on my heel, I marched straight to Dominic’s office. He hadn’t just dismissed me as his wife—he was stripping me of my role as Luna, too. I clenched my fist in fury, my head throbbing trying to contain myself from going out of control.
When I reached his office door, Olivia was already there, standing guard as if she had the right to be. She straightened when she saw me, her lips curving into a smug smile.
“I’m sorry, Luna, but Dominic’s busy right now,” she said smoothly, blocking my path.
“I am still the Luna of this pack,” I uttered firmly, “and you’ll obey me.” I hissed, threatening her, knowing that if Dominic wouldn’t intervene, I could throw her in the dungeon. “Step aside, Olivia.”
For a moment, she hesitated, but my authority won out. With a mocking shrug, she moved aside, watching me with a smirk as I opened the door and stepped in.
Dominic barely looked up from his paperwork. “What do you need, Samantha?”
The casual dismissal in his tone made my stomach twist, but I held my ground. “Why did you reassign my Luna duties to Olivia?” I questioned, fiercely. He’d crossed the line. I already held back from his cheating, and yet he had to meddle with my duties. This, I won’t tolerate.
He looked up, removing his eyeglasses and leaning back to his chair. “It’s for your own good, Samantha. You’ve been overworking. Now you’ll have more time to focus on yourself.”
“Focus on myself?” I repeated, struggling to keep the bitterness out of my voice. “Is that what you think I want?”
His face was impassive, as though my pain was a trivial inconvenience. “It’s done, Samantha. You can rest now, focus on other things.”
“What?” I scoffed in disbelief. He didn’t even care to ask me—he just took away the one thing that gave me purpose, that connected me to the pack. He had reduced me to nothing more than a spectator in my own life. And soon, what would I be left with if everything I have and everything that I am was being taken for Olivia?
“You didn’t even ask me,” I retorted. “You just… handed it over to her, as if I meant nothing.”
“It’s for the best,” he repeated coldly, already turning his attention back to his work. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.”
“Dominic, this is not right. I am the Luna!” I argued but he dismissively uttered, “Leave now, I’m busy.”
I grunted in frustration and turned without another word, leaving his office, realizing I had no place here—not as his wife, and now, not even as Luna.
~
I went back home, locking myself in the room, and as the door closed, I let the tears fall, and my anger, and pain, all rushed out as I dropped on the floor.
I had given him everything—my heart, my loyalty, my life—and he’d discarded it all without a second thought. I loved him, so much, and this is what I get for loving him too much. I should’ve known, I should’ve prepared myself for this pain… but I hoped. I clung to my prayers that someday he would learn to acknowledge me, choose me, and love me.
But because of Olivia, he was giving her everything that I own—himself, my position, my honor, and dignity as the Luna of the pack.
He might even discard me, soon, to completely vanish from this earth.
I cupped my mouth when I suddenly felt nauseous. Immediately, I stumbled into the bathroom, gripping the sink, and supporting myself as I took deep breaths, calming down.
My stomach churned, and just as I thought the bile had subsided, I lunged at the toilet and threw up, mostly water and the bagel I had eaten earlier. I sat on the floor, wiping my tears as the nausea lingered, clutching my stomach. The sudden wave of sickness made no sense—why now?
I held the toilet bowl as I vomited again, my head spinning, my body heavy with a sickness I couldn’t explain. As I rubbed my temple and instinctively clutched my belly in an attempt to ease the nausea, a shiver ran down my spine. A thought, one I didn’t want to entertain, crept into my mind.
No. It can’t be…
Taking a deep breath, I moved quickly, packing my things into a duffel bag. This pack, this place—I could no longer call it home. With that realization, I knew I had to leave.
With the bag slung over my shoulder, I slipped out of the house and ran, leaving behind everything that had once been my life.
Samantha’s POV*6 years later*"Devon, remember what I told you about picking fights," I reminded my son firmly as I knelt in front of him because I knew how much of a troublemaker he was. His dark eyes were so much like mine but held a mischievous glint as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Beside him was his twin—Diana, trying to fasten the straps on her tiny backpack with her tongue poking out in concentration. She looked up at me, her eyes wide and full of innocent excitement as she spoke."Mommy, we will be good!" Diana promised, her curls bouncing as she nodded fervently."That’s what you said last time," I reminded them, eyeing Devon especially. He had a habit of protecting his sister, even when she did not need it, which had led to a few incidents in the past. "And no running too far in the park. Stay close, and listen to Annie,” I said.Devon puffed out his chest. "I will protect Diana," he declared, and for a moment, I could not help but smile. He might only b
Samantha’s POVWas he here because of the twins? The thought struck me like a physical blow, and I gripped the glass in my hand so tightly that it almost shattered. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Had Dominic found out? My gaze locked onto him, and everything around me blurred into an indistinct haze of panic. He stood near the entrance, exuding authority and undeniable power, and yet I felt stripped bare under his stare, as if he could see right through every carefully constructed lie I had built around my life.I swallowed hard, trying to push down the terror rising inside me. It’s impossible, I told myself desperately. There was no way he knew. I had gone to such lengths to protect my children—to hide our identities. I had changed my last name, changed their last names, and buried every trace of our past. Even to the twins, Dominic was nothing more than a ghost, a father I had lied about, saying he was dead.But why was he here? Why now? The meeting was not supposed to include
Samantha’s POVA low rustle came from the trees, and every nerve in my body went on high alert. I skidded to a stop, my paws digging into the earth as my senses sharpened. Someone was out here. I could feel it, the prickling awareness crawling along my spine. A soft breeze carried a familiar scent, unmistakable, I could guess who it belonged to. Dominic. My wolf bristled at the recognition, and without hesitation, I shifted back into human form, hurriedly pulling on the clothes I had stashed behind a thick oak earlier before I went for a run.I barely had a moment to catch my breath before Dominic emerged from the shadows, stepping into the silvery moonlight that was just rising in the sky. He was shirtless, sweat glistening on his skin, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. His muscles were carved like hard sculptures, displaying power and strength. His body was forged through years of battle and discipline. Every inch of him exuded dominance—his broad shoulders, th
Samantha’s POVThe call from the twins brought me back to reality, clearing my head from the highs. Devon’s voice still rang in my ears, and I had to cut this trip short and get home to them as soon as possible. Whatever was going on here with Dominic could not compare to the urgency of being there for my twins.My fingers tightened around the phone, and a wave of realization hit me so hard that I felt my knees weaken. Dominic was my mate. My wolf had confirmed it, the strong attraction, the pull drawing me closer to him, it was the mate bond tugging, aching to be fulfilled. It felt like fate had reached out to mock me, ripping away any sense of control I thought I had. All those years of trying to move on, of telling myself I was strong enough to build a life without him, now felt like a cruel lie.Why did I have to suffer his betrayal and neglect first before I was made to realize that we were fated to each other? Why did fate have to play dirty on me? It’s unfair! Now that I had
Dominic’s POVI stood there, stunned, long after Samantha’s figure disappeared, leaving her words echoing in my head. “Do you still want to find your fated mate?” I had not been prepared for the sharp edge of that question or the way her voice had almost cracked when she said it, like she was keeping something inside, something she did not want me to see.My mind spun, grasping for answers, but none of it made sense. Samantha had never shown any sign of being my mate before. She had never had a wolf, and even when I had searched for my fated mate years ago, there was nothing about her that set off that primal connection.My wolf stirred restlessly, more agitated than I had felt in years. ‘She can’t be our mate,’ I told him, a denial that sounded weaker by the second. Yet the pull was there, so intense and undeniable, clawing at the edges of my control, wanting to be freed, to be fulfilled. There was something in me that ached to be satisfied, a longing for a mate that had been sittin
Samantha’s POVI barely managed to push the door shut behind me before my knees trembled and I dropped on the floor. The room was quiet, too quiet, and for a moment, all I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears. I pressed my back against the door, closing my eyes and trying to steady my breathing. Dominic’s presence had a way of ripping scars and opening old wounds, making everything feel raw again. But I could not let that get to me. I had to stay focused, to keep my head on straight for Devon and Diana.My phone buzzed in my pocket, yanking me out of my thoughts. I pulled it out, and my breath caught when I saw the caller ID: Annie - Home.Panic twisted in my chest as I quickly answered. “Annie? Is everything okay?” I tried to keep my voice steady, pushing my worries away, but my nerves were on edge.“Samantha,” Annie, the human nanny I had trusted to care for my twins, spoke in a soft tone. “Sorry to bother you, but the twins called you earlier, yeah? I noticed this on
Samantha’s POVI stepped into the conference hall, and I immediately felt the heavy atmosphere. It was suffocating for someone like me. The aura of the Alphas and Betas from different packs filled the space, it felt powerful, intimidating, as if it was trying to force me to cower in fear and bow my head in submission. Yesterday was different since there were more lower ranks in the event hall, serving us, but now, only the heads, right hands, and trusted advisors of the Alphas were present. My eyes immediately sought out Dominic, a compulsion I could not seem to shake. He stood near the front, exuding authority and power, and his presence seemed to be dominating the room as if he were born to command it. Even from here, I could feel the pull, the undeniable draw that I hated and craved in equal measure.But before I could dwell on it, my gaze shifted. The rogue stood in the center of the room, restrained and surrounded by soldiers. The sight of him made my skin crawl, like little spid
Samantha’s POV“The Alpine Bar is just down the street,” one of the Alphas recommended but the others refused, uttering bad experiences in the said establishment. I had not expected the meeting to end on such a strange note. The moment the rogue incident was resolved, the Alphas and Betas seemed eager to blow off steam as they planned to go to one of the nearest bars in the area. Jokes were shared, and a few of them were already laughing, the threat of the hybrid seemed to have been pushed aside for a temporary escape.We all left the conference hall once they had decided on a place, but I was not in the mood for a drink.“Sam!” Killian called, jogging up to me with a mischievous grin. “Come with us. We could use a little distraction, right?” he convinced. I folded my arms, already shaking my head. “Thanks, but I’ll pass. I think I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”Killian groaned dramatically, his hand over his heart. “You’re no fun,” he teased, acting like he had been hurt by
[DEVON’s Point of View]“Devon, we have to go!”“Shhh!”“Madison must be already in the room!” Diana grabbed me by the arm and forced me to return to the playroom. ‘I
[SAMANTHA’s Point of View]I had to know what was really going on.Why was my mother involved with those people? What was her part in what was going on at Silver Crescent? All I knew was that Lena was my mother's best friend. They’ve always been together, discussing the issues in the pack, and Lena trusted Mom—her judgment and Mom’s advice were always appreciated by Mothe
[ALPHA Dominic’s Point of View]I was on my way to the pack house.My eyes were focused on the road while my mind was on Samantha and my kids. Feathers appeared on the muscles of my jaw as I ground my teeth. I couldn’t leave them when things like this happened in the pack. Liam was right. It was worse than we imagined, and the first thing I had to ensure was my family's safety.
[DEVON’s Point of View]I sensed something wasn’t right, and I knew Diana felt it.I caught her looking at me the second Madison and Cynthia left the room. I was anxious and confused, but Diana's stare made me confirm that these feelings were not just uneasiness but an instinct that she and I had been feeling since Mom suddenly disappeared days ago.“I’m scared, Devon,” Diana whispered as she pulled her blanket halfway over her face. “Can you feel it too?”I was scared, too, but I couldn’t show it to my sister. “Yes, something is wrong. Mom and Dominic have been acting strangely since they came back. Liam said they are just dealing with something to help the people of the pack.”“I can sense Mommy always being anxious,” Diana murmured, teary-eyed. “How long are we going to stay here? I miss home. I miss Annie.” she pouted her lips, almost crying.“It’s okay, Diana. I believe Mom is doing her best to solve whatever is happening.” I gave her a reassuring smile. “Things will be better.”
[SAMANTHA’s Point of View]After I read that horrifying letter, I thought of searching for any suspicious things around the manor, especially the twins’ room. How could those people perpetrate the inside of the pack manor?! Did they have spies here? Should I tell Dominic? Or will it only bring chaos to the pack, knowing there are enemies inside my husband's turf?The panic made my stomach tighten, and I decided to solve this alone. Dominic was already dealing with the incident at the eastern gates, and I couldn't distract him when he already had so many problems to attend to with his Beta. This would only divert my husband's focus to the real problem of the pack.“Miss Samantha, is there a problem?” Madison noticed my distress after I had slipped the letter into my jacket pocket. She looked at my pocket with a puzzled look and then at my face.“N-Nothing, Madison. Nothing's wrong. How are the kids? Are they asleep?”“Yes. Diana insisted she would rather not sleep yet, but Master Devon
[ALPHA DOMINIC’s Point of View]My brain kept convincing me that I had to stay and solve this.But my heart and feet wanted to go to where my car was parked, drive back to the Pack Manor, and stay with my mate and the twins.
[SAMANTHA’s Point of View]“I’m sorry if we have to head back so soon. I know you still have so many questions you want to ask Ethan, but Madison already texted me that the kids are looking for me.”“You shouldn’t feel bad about it, love. I know you want to focus on this matter as well. But the kids are important too. And after you were gone for days, Diana and Devon became too worr
[SAMANTHA’s Point of View]“What’s happening here?”Dominic's face was filled with confusion and fury as he repeated his question, "Wolf? What do you mean about it, Samantha?”Ethan an
[SAMANTHA's Point of View]I couldn't believe what I was seeing.I was still in shock, and my heart was racing as I looked at my mate—my husband! He was here! He looked for me. He was limping, and my heart sank when I saw that long, stitched wound on his back.