Chapter 1

Old Luna Gillian's eyes flickered with hesitation and reluctance.

"Jasmine, are you really set on leaving?Harvey was just… momentarily foolish. He doesn't understand your worth. Maybe you could—"

Before she could finish, a news notification lit up on her phone.

It was a video of Alpha Harvey, my so-called fated mate, celebrating Yvonne's birthday.

He stood behind her, their bodies flush, his hands wrapped around hers as they cut the cake.

Yvonne wore a high-collared dress, but I could still see the faint marks of his teeth along her skin.

The reporters fawned over her like she was Silver Claw Pack True Luna.

"Everyone says Alpha Harvey doesn't care for his Luna, but look at this—a perfectly arranged birthday celebration. Luna Yvonne, you're truly lucky."

Lucky?

A smattering of laughter rippled through the crowd as someone handed Yvonne a business card, eager to curry favor with the new ‘Luna.'

Hearing the title that should've been mine, Yvonne only giggled and tucked the card into her clutch.

"Alpha Harvey," a reporter grinned, "why don't you share a passionate kiss with your ‘Luna'?"

Alpha Harvey didn't correct them.

Instead, he smirked, slid his arm around Yvonne's waist, and kissed her.

A possessive, lingering kiss.

I felt nothing.

Old Luna Gillian, however, stiffened beside me, her lips pressing into a thin line.

She expected me to crumble, to sob into her arms like the broken girl she thought I was. But I sat perfectly still, my wolf eerily calm.

The truth? All my tears had dried up during childbirth.

Gillian exhaled shakily, her voice unsteady. "Jasmine, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have forced you two together. I’ll... I’ll agree to let you leave."

I nodded, my face unreadable. "Thank you."

Her lips pressed together as if she had more to say, but she hesitated. "Do you want to see the pup before you go?"

The pup.

My chest tightened, claws of grief and longing raking across my heart. That was my child. The life I had fought to bring into this world on the edge of death.

Before I could answer, the door creaked open. Gillian entered, cradling a bundle of blankets.

"Jasmine," she whispered softly, as though afraid to disturb the fragile air between us. "Look at this little one—so fair and clean. The doctor said they weigh three pounds—"

"Enough!"

The word ripped from my throat, sharp and raw. My wolf whimpered in the recesses of my mind, her pain mirroring mine.

I turned away, pressing my nails into my palm until I felt the sting.

Gillian flinched, her arms trembling under the weight of the pup.

"Jasmine..."

I inhaled deeply, forcing myself to stay steady. "I’ve decided to leave. I can’t afford to have regrets."

My wolf stirred, restless and uneasy, her anguish clawing at me. But I pushed it down.

Gillian sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "As you wish." She passed the pup to a nurse and reached for her phone.

The line rang once. Twice.

Then his voice, sharp and irritated. "Mom, didn’t I say I’m on a business trip? Stop calling me—"

"Business trip?" Gillian’s voice sharpened like a blade. "Your video celebrating another woman’s birthday is all over the headlines. Do you think I’m blind?"

A pause. Then Harvey’s voice dropped, irritation giving way to a growl. "Mom, I know you don’t follow the news. Jasmine must’ve told you, right?"

The air in the room turned suffocating as I felt his anger zero in on me.

"Let her answer the phone," he snarled, his tone laced with menace. "I’ll deal with her myself."

I took the phone, my grip steady despite the storm raging in my chest.

A second later, a woman’s soft laughter filtered through the line. Yvonne.

My wolf growled low in my mind, the sound rumbling through my body like distant thunder.

Before Harvey could say more, Gillian snatched the phone back.

"Jasmine," she said, her voice soft, "once you’ve recovered in a week, you can leave."