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003.

Author: Natashah
last update Last Updated: 2024-11-14 17:10:44

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.

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    Cassie.Axel’s study felt suffocating, the heavy scent of mahogany and scotch pressing against me like a hand pressed against my neck. My fists clenched at my sides as I stood in the doorway, trying to calm the storm inside me. What had I been thinking, coming back to this place? Coming back with him?I knew it was a mistake, and I should’ve resisted even if it cost me my life.Maybe a part of me—no, a foolish, desperate part of me—had hoped things would be different now. That being Axel’s mate might mean something. That it might mean I meant something to him. But that hope had been crushed the moment I overheard him say that no one could know I was his mate. I was nothing to him. Just like always, and not even being his mate could change thatThe realization burned, but it also solidified my resolve. I couldn’t stay here, not with him. Not like this.I stepped fully into the room, clearing my throat to announce my presence. Three pairs of eyes turned to me: Axel’s, sharp and unread

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    Cassie.The pack house stood before me like a dark reminder of everything I’d fought to leave behind. My feet stayed glued to the ground as my heart hammered wildly in my chest. Through the large windows, I could see my suitcase sitting in the far corner of the living room where Axel had left it. It looked so small and out of place—just like I felt standing outside, unable to go in.Axel had vanished with Warren and Jake into the pack house after my rather rude inquiry. And now it was just me, alone in the biting cold of the night, staring at the place that had been my hell for so many years.The living room looked just as I remembered it—almost too much the same. Sure, the couches were newer, and the center table wasn’t the old scratched one from before. But the walls, the scent, the energy—it was all the same. Too familiar. Too suffocating.I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and took a shaky step toward the door. My fingers grazed the frame, but I froze, unable to go further

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    Cassie.A light tap on my shoulder pulled me from the haze of sleep. I blinked, adjusting to the darkened surroundings, and met Axel’s piercing gaze. His voice, low and steady, broke through the silence of the night. “We’re here.”The weight of those two words sank in like an anchor. My chest tightened as I processed them. I was in Red Hollow pack.It had been dark for hours now, but the night only seemed heavier as we arrived. I sat upright, peering out of the window at the all-too-familiar pack grounds. Even under the moonlight, every detail stood out like a haunting memory—the tree line at the edge of the estate walls, the distinct shadows of the pack buildings. My stomach twisted.I had spent three years running, clawing my way out of the pain and darkness this place had buried me in. Three years trying to build a life for myself, free from the ridicule and hate of this pack. And now, I was right back where I started.Cy stirred in my mind, her voice soft but maddeningly smug.

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    Axel.Cassie stared up at me, the expression in her doe, brown eyes, unreadable, though I could sense the war raging inside her. Her hand hovered over the car door handle, trembling ever so slightly before falling back into her lap, the long extension of her braids moving with her.She parted her lips, ready to argue, but I didn’t give her the chance. “There’s no debate here, Cassie,” I said firmly. “You’re coming with me.”Her lips pressed together, her gaze narrowing slightly as if she were weighing her options. After what felt like an eternity, she shook her head, her voice soft but firm. “I appreciate you saving me back there, Axel, but I can’t return to Red Hollow. I won’t.”Her words ignited a flicker of anger inside me. Did she even understand how close she’d come to death?“Do you have any idea what just happened to you?” My voice was sharp, cutting through the tense silence between us. “If I’d been a second late, Damon would’ve dragged you off and killed you. Right now, y

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    Cassie.Shock filled me, rooting me to the ground. My heart raced so fast I thought it might explode. Damon and Axel stood locked in a battle of stares, each exuding dominance, the tension between them sharp enough to cut through steel.Damon’s fury was evident in his clenched jaw, but Axel’s face was calm—a dangerous kind of calm. It wasn’t the absence of emotion but a silent warning that made the air between them feel heavy and suffocating.“Mate!” Cy’s voice roared in my mind, snapping me out of my shock.“Come here, Cassie.” Axel’s deep, commanding voice sent shivers down my spine.My feet moved instinctively toward him, even as my mind screamed in protest. Every cell in my body knew it was safer to be with Axel than to remain in Damon’s grasp. But before I could close the distance, Damon shifted in front of me, blocking my path.“I saw her first, Axel,” Damon growled, his voice sharp with defiance. “I’m not letting you take my kill even if you’re the one who proposed the bill.”

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