Chapter 3

“Does Emma need something from me?” Cyrus lounged back in his chair, his sharp gaze laced with amusement. The faintest smirk tugged at his lips, though it never reached his eyes.

I didn’t flinch. Didn’t blink. I stood tall across from him, face blank, heart hardened.

“I want to make a deal.”

He chuckled lowly, tapping his fingers against the armrest. “A deal with me? Does your precious Alpha Brian know you’re here?”

“He doesn’t need to know,” I cut in coldly. “If you help me get what I want… I’ll hand over every piece of territory Brian’s built over the last ten years. Every inch.”

That wiped the smirk off his face. His posture shifted, eyes narrowing into something darker.

“That’s a bold offer. How do I know this isn’t some trap?”

I pulled a photo from my coat pocket and slid it across the table.

“Because my daughter died because of him.”

Cyrus leaned forward, his smirk gone. He stared at the photo of Elara—her eyes bright, her smile innocent and full of life. His brows furrowed, a flash of disbelief in his eyes.

“So?” I said, voice like ice. “Do we talk terms now?”

He looked up, jaw clenched. “What do you want?”

“I want names. I couldn’t trace the men who took her. But I want you to find out who they are—and deliver them to me. Alive.”

Cyrus raised an eyebrow, surprised. “That’s it? You just want the names?”

I nodded once. “That’s all. The rest is mine to handle.”

Within minutes, his team moved like shadows—fast, efficient. In less than ten minutes, the files were handed to me.

When I opened them, my hands froze.

My stomach twisted. I looked up slowly, disbelief written across my face.

“The college girl… she was yours?”

Cyrus didn’t flinch. “She was. Not anymore.”

I gritted my teeth.

“Then why was she involved in this? Why was my pup collateral?”

He shrugged. “You’ll have to ask her. I cut her loose the moment she got greedy.”

I clutched the folder tighter, rising from my chair.

“I’ll bring you Brian’s territory token tomorrow. I keep my word.”

As I walked out, one of Cyrus’s men stepped from the shadows.

“Alpha, can we really trust her? She’s still Brian’s mate.”

Cyrus chuckled under his breath, leaning back again.

“Just watch the fireworks.”

That night, I returned home.

I cleaned out every trace of Elara’s life. Every stuffed toy, every dress, every book she loved. I burned it all.

The flames lit up the sky, a funeral pyre for the last decade of my life.

At eighteen, I followed Brian. At twenty-three, I gave birth to his child. For ten years, I loved a man who never once chose me when it counted.

Now I had nothing left to lose.

Once the fire died, I crept back inside. I was about to open the safe in our bedroom to retrieve Brian’s territory token… when I heard the front door creak.

Shit.

I rushed to the bed, slipped under the covers, and shut my eyes just as the door opened.

The mattress dipped behind me. Then I felt it—his lips on my cheek.

“What’s wrong?” Brian whispered against my skin. “Don’t recognize your man?”

I turned slowly, forcing my expression into something dull and unreadable.

“Why are you back?”

He smirked, brushing a hand over my waist.

“Haven’t seen you in days. Missed you.”

I scoffed. “Figured you were too busy screwing your teenage plaything to remember your way home.”

His eyes turned to stone. “Emma, again with the comparisons? She’s just a girl—eighteen, innocent. She’s not like you. She doesn’t manipulate, she doesn’t nag.”

I gave him a deadpan smile. “Right. She’s just innocent enough to seduce a mated Alpha.”

His jaw tightened.

“You’re so bitter lately,” he muttered. “I told you—I’m just toying with her. You’ll always be Luna. Don’t act so threatened.”

I lowered my eyes, playing the part I needed to play.

“Hmm.”

His posture relaxed, his arms slipping around me. He kissed my forehead, then my neck.

“You know… when I saw her, it reminded me of you at eighteen. All fire and innocence. I just wanted to relive that, make up for what we lost. But when I’m done with her, we’ll go back to how we were.”

He kissed me again, rougher now. His hands roamed, tearing at my clothes like I was his property.

Then his lips paused at the scar across my chest—the one I earned saving his life.

His nose wrinkled.

“This scar is ugly. When we’re done with all this, I’ll give you money. Go find a healing witch. I miss how smooth you used to be.”

I didn’t move. Didn’t scream. But inside, my wolf growled.

“Just wait, Brian. You’ll choke on your words soon enough.”