003.

Cassie.

By the next morning, the whispers had spread throughout the pack estate like wildfire.

News that Axel had found his mate traveled fast, and the estate buzzed with excitement. The murmurings of pack members as they gathered in the pack house, exchanging glances and barely whispered conversations made my stomach churn.

“We finally have a Luna!” a wolf exclaimed, eyes wide with intrigue.

“I hear she’s beautiful. No wonder Alpha was drawn to her at first glance,” another replied with a snicker.

Forced to welcome the pack members, I clenched my fists, trying my best to remain positive and composed, but as I made my way through the house, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of everyone’s stares and the sting of their words in my chest.

In the main living area, Axel was practically glowing, his eyes filled with adoration as he held Selena close. She was everything I wasn’t—confident, radiant, and utterly captivating.

Selena laughed at something Axel said, the sound light and her, and he leaned down to press soft kisses to the side of her face. An angry heat washed over me as I watched them, a mix of rage and jealousy bubbling just beneath the surface.

How could he be so tender with her, who he’d just met? When the only time I’d seen him act so tenderly was when he was holding Cam.

I sighed. I had spent the entire ten months of our marriage, trying to make it work, yet there he was, effortlessly showering affection on his mate in a way he had never done for me. I turned away, biting my lip to suppress the emotions rising within me, but it wasn’t working.

Feeling suffocated by the atmosphere, I slipped outside for some fresh air, hoping it might calm the storm brewing inside me.

The moment I stepped onto the porch, however, I was greeted by two she-wolves who used to be my friends but had turned on me. Their laughter cut through the morning air, sharp and mocking.

“Look who it is! The discarded wife!” one of them, Carly, laughed, crossing her arms as she leaned against a pillar.

“Still hanging around, are we?” the other, Bella, added, a smirk stretching across her face, “I guess even the Alpha’s discarded pet can feel some emotions.”

I felt a rush of heat flood my cheeks, fury mingling with humiliation.

“Leave me alone,” I said, my voice shaking but defiant.

“Why? We’re just having a bit of fun!” Carly retorted, taking a step closer.

“Now that Alpha has found his true mate, you’re just a burden. You’ll be nothing more than a memory once he realizes how much better his mate is,” she added.

My heart raced as their words sank in, they weren't lying.

“What are you talking about?” I shot back, trying to keep my composure, although my voice was weak, “I’m his wife! I have a child with him.”

“Oh, please, as if that matters now!” Bella scoffed, “The Alpha’s mate is the rightful Luna of this pack, and you? You’ll be nothing but a forgotten shadow. Just wait—your son, Cam, will grow to see her as his real mother, and you’ll just be his nanny!”

Fury coursed through my veins, and I took a step forward.

“Woah, the discarded pet wants to fight. Carly, can you believe this?” Bella asked, seeming very surprised.

“If I were you, I’d kill myself or leave the pack. You have no place here, yet you’re trying to fight.” Carly closed the distance between us and pushed my head.

Before I could retaliate, Bella lunged at me, her fists flying toward my face. I tried to fight back, but it was two against one, and they quickly overpowered me. Pain shot through my body as blows rained down, and I struggled to stay on my feet, to defend myself, but it was no use. The world blurred around me, and I could hear their taunts even as darkness began to close in.

“Maybe now you’ll learn your place!”

“See you in the shadows, loser!”

With one final, brutal punch, I collapsed to the ground, the world fading to black.

When my eyes finally fluttered open, the sun was setting. I had been lying on the ground for hours, and yet no one thought it proper to come to my rescue.

I groaned as I dragged my bruised body toward the front door, each movement sending jolts of pain through me. I felt broken and defeated, but I couldn’t stay outside; I had to get to Cam.

I pushed through the door, the dim light of the pack house hitting me like a slap. It was eerily quiet; most of the pack members had gone home to their own families, leaving me alone in the silence. I stumbled down the hallway, my heart racing as I approached my room.

But then, from somewhere down the hall, I heard sounds that made my blood run cold. It was unmistakable—the low murmurs of laughter, followed by the soft creaking of the bed. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. Axel and Selena were together, and it was clear what they were doing.

My breath hitched in my throat as I stood frozen, the door to my room just steps away. Anguish tore through me as I pressed my hand to my mouth to stifle a sob. I thought I’d be strong enough to face this, but the reality of the situation crushed me beneath its weight.

They’re happy, I thought bitterly, the sting of tears burning in my eyes. And they didn’t care about me at all.