Chapter 3

I pinched my hands and cheeks until they were red.

I wasn't dreaming. What happened to me that morning was real.

The pain was worse than when I first switched bodies with my wolf.

My heart was as broken as when I saw my parents lying stiff in coffins and buried.

I was so weak, as if I had no bones until I had to lean my body against the wall.

I covered my mouth tightly with my hand to prevent my sobbing from waking Alaric, who was taking a nap.

‘When you caught him kissing Tabitha, and you found out that they had a special relationship all this time, we forgave him and gave him a chance to prove to us that he would forget his love for Tabitha and love you, but what is he doing to us now?’

My wolf emotions flared up, making my body hot and challenging to control.

I did not want my wolf to take over my body and harm Andrew or Warrior Johan.

I needed to maintain a good relationship with Andrew because we had a son. Andrew might have forbidden me from meeting my son simply because he was furious with my wolf.

I need Warrior Johan. I was sure I could approach him someday to beg him to tell the truth.

Deep down in my heart, I couldn't believe Warrior Johan betrayed me for no reason. It seemed like someone had been controlling him.

My nose was stuffy. I've been crying for too long. I breathe through my mouth.

I wipe my wet cheeks with my sleeve.

I tried to calm myself down over and over again. I had to be strong. I was determined not to fall just because of that false accusation.

“Alaric.” I picked up my son, who was sleeping on the bed, hugged him, and kissed his forehead and cheeks. “Alaric.”

Tears flowed down my cheeks again. I was going to be separated from my son. My chest hurt so much like it was being pinched.

I was pregnant with him for nine months, and I was only allowed to care for and breastfeed him for ten days.

Why was my fate so cruel?

I wanted to be the first person to see him turn over, crawl, talk, walk, and so on.

"Alaric." I stroked the cheek of my son, who woke up. He looked at me deeply, and I was grateful he hadn't cried.

"I'm sorry I woke you up, my dear." I kissed his cheek.

"I promise to visit you often," I said tremblingly.

At least Andrew let me come whenever I wanted to meet Alaric.

“I hope you find a nanny who loves you, but don’t forget about me.” I poked his cheek with a pain in my chest.

I gazed at my son. His face and black eyes resembled his father's. He had straight, smooth, light brown hair, much like me.

I kept his face in my mind. Alaric seemed to do the same thing as me.

“Auretta. Hurry up and get out of my house and pack.” Andrew knocked on the door loudly as if to break it down.

I wiped away the tears that kept flowing. Everything had happened. Nothing could be changed, and time could not be repeated.

I had accepted that I was no longer Alpha Andrew's mate.

No matter what happened to me, I had to live for my son.

"Mom promised to see you often," I said to Alaric. His dark eyes stared at me intensely as if he knew we would be separated.

"You are my reason to live. I love you so much, my son." I kissed my son's cheek with my eyes closed.

I put Alaric back on the bed, smiling with trembling lips as I gently stroked his cheek. "I love you."

I gasped in surprise when his hand reached up as if he wanted to reach me. Holding back the tears, I bit my lower lip.

I rushed out of his room with my chest aching like thousands of needles stabbing my heart.

I walked past Andrew. We had nothing to talk about. I was disappointed in him.

I was surprised to find Thabita sitting on a chair on the terrace. She approached me with a sad face but not with her eyes. A look that I didn't understand.

"I will try to be a good aunt for Alaric," she said with an awkward smile.

"Thank you." I couldn't smile at her.

I quickly dismissed the evil thoughts that came to my mind.

I swore I would find out the perpetrator who slandered me. I did that not because I wanted to return to being Andrew's mate.

I had to prove to everyone that I never betrayed Andrew.

My wolf nodded, fully supporting my resolve.

I left Andrew's house in my white car, driven by a warrior.

I only had a backpack with some clothes, my phone, and my wallet.

Andrew agreed not to remove my white car from his garage. My son would be riding in it.

The warriors guarding the front gate of the River Oval Pack bowed to me. I smiled. It warmed my heart to see them still respect me.

“Alpha.”

I looked at Beta Caleb, who had not returned to the Mountain Volcano Pack. The sadness was evident in his eyes.

“We can’t believe you betrayed Alpha Andrew,” Beta Caleb said. “I, Gamma, and Delta apologize to you profusely. We couldn’t help you, Alpha.” He bowed his head.

I took a deep breath and exhaled. Then I held Beta Caleb’s hand. He lifted his head and looked at me in shock.

“I’m so glad you guys believe me.” I smiled.

“I can’t say I’m okay, but don’t worry, I’ll be okay. I just need time to get back on my feet,” I said, trying to stay strong.

“I will wait for you, Alpha.” Beta Caleb said seriously. “Trust me, no one will complain if you return to the pack because you’re our Alpha.”

I blinked away the tears welling up in my eyes and bit the inside of my cheek. I will never forget what happened today.

“I want you to be Alpha, Beta Caleb,” I said.

“I don’t want to, Alpha.” Beta Caleb shook his head and looked at me intensely. “My Alpha is you. Everyone is waiting for you to return to the pack, so please don’t be gone too long.”

“Thank you so much, Beta Caleb.” I smiled thinly. “But I’m not confident about coming back to the pack. I want to clear my name first.”

“I’ll always be here for you, Alpha.” Beta Caleb said earnestly. I nodded. “Don’t worry. Gamma, Delta, and I will take care of the pack.”

I wanted to believe in them.

Nobody ever imagined or wondered what would happen if our mate rejected us one day. Everyone, especially women, wished to be with their mate forever.

I was like other women who expected my mate to love me.

Did Alpha Andrew love me already?

Was Alpha Andrew disappointed in me and rejected me because he already loved me?

Where did Alpha Andrew get those five photos that made him so sure that I really betrayed him?

My steps came to a halt as I stood on a bridge spanning a river with crystal-pure water. The multicolored fish swam happily while a frog hopped from one rock to another.

I stared up at the bright blue sky before closing my eyes as the cool air touched me.

I found the peace I needed.

I rested my chaotic brain for a while and tried to put the pieces of my heart back together.

I didn’t bring a map and purposely didn’t look at the map on my phone.

I let my feet go where they wanted, but I noticed I'd crossed several packs and was now approaching the Sea Pack Clan's border.

"Moon goddess. Where should I go?" I expected the Moon Goddess to respond, even though I knew it was unlikely.

‘I would rather you join the rogues than be a werewolf without a pack,’ my wolf said.

“Alpha Auretta of the Mountain Volcano Pack and Alpha Andrew's ex-mate of the River Oval Pack.”

I gasped in surprise and shuddered in horror as I felt something cold on my neck.

I didn't hear any footsteps. The person standing behind me was not an ordinary person.

Two seconds later, my heart stopped beating, my body stiffened, and my eyes widened when I realized who was standing behind me.

“Someone paid us a lot of money to kill you.”