After My Alpha Killed My Mother to Save His Mistress

The rehearsal for the Pack Union Ceremony was a nightmare I had to endure with a smile. I stood in the grand hall, watching as pack members practiced their roles under Julius's direction. My role—the perfect, supportive Luna—required me to stand silently beside him, nodding at appropriate moments.

The doors swung open with dramatic force. The Campbell Elders swept in, their presence commanding immediate attention. Julius's parents hadn't visited in months, but their timing wasn't surprising. They'd always been calculating, appearing when power shifted.

"Mother, Father!" Julius exclaimed, stepping forward to embrace them. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."

"We wanted to see our son's big moment up close," his mother replied, her eyes scanning the room before landing on me with thinly veiled disdain.

I stepped forward, extending my hand as protocol demanded. "Welcome to Silvercrest. It's been too long."

They walked past me as if I were invisible.

"Briella, darling!" Julius's mother called out, her voice warm with affection that had never been directed at me. "Come here, dear."

Briella emerged from the crowd, her face glowing with triumph. She wore a pale pink dress that highlighted her slightly rounded belly—a deliberate choice, no doubt.

The former Luna—my mother-in-law—embraced Briella tightly before pulling back to inhale deeply at her neck. Her eyes closed in rapture.

"Such a fertile scent," she announced loudly enough for everyone to hear. "The true future of Silvercrest."

She turned to me then, her smile sharp as a blade. "Finally, someone who can do what you couldn't."

My wolf snarled, clawing at my insides. I felt my nails dig into my palms until warm blood trickled between my fingers.

"As you say," I managed, bowing my head in feigned submission.

---

The day before the ceremony, the Lycan Prince arrived with his entourage of royal guards and advisors. As is protocol, Julius and I had to greet him at the pack's border.

I wore the traditional Luna's greeting gown—silver-white to complement the pack's colors—and had spent hours rehearsing the proper welcome ceremony.

"Your Highness," I curtsied perfectly, my aura carefully controlled to project elegance and strength despite my inner turmoil. "Silvercrest Pack welcomes you and honors your presence at our Union Ceremony."

The Lycan Prince—tall with piercing amber eyes that seemed to see through pretense—studied me for a moment longer than necessary.

"Luna Paige," he replied, his voice deep and measured. "Your reputation for diplomacy precedes you."

Before Julius could speak, the Prince turned to me again. "I've heard interesting reports about Silvercrest's recent... changes. Tell me, how fares the pack's welfare?"

Julius stepped forward, interrupting. "Everything is progressing wonderfully, Your Highness. The pack has never been stronger."

The Prince silenced him with a mere glance—a reminder that his authority superseded even an Alpha's within pack borders.

"I asked the Luna," he said quietly.

I felt Julius tense beside me, his anger radiating through our deteriorating bond. Luna stirred within me, urging me to speak truth to power.

"The pack endures," I answered carefully. "But there are always challenges to overcome."

The Prince's eyes narrowed slightly. "Indeed. Challenges can reveal character."

---

Hours before the ceremony, I locked myself in my private chamber. The room was silent except for the distant sounds of final preparations echoing through the Pack House.

I sat before my mirror, holding my mother's empty jewelry box. The moonstone necklace should have been inside—my last connection to her, now stolen by the woman who would replace me.

"Moon Goddess," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I don't ask for forgiveness for what I am about to do."

My wolf paced restlessly in my mind, her fury matching my own. She was no longer the submissive creature who had accepted our mate's betrayal. She was feral now, bloodthirsty for justice.

"I ask only for strength," I continued, tracing the carved lunar phases on the box's lid. "To see this through. To reclaim what was taken from us—not just a title or a mate, but dignity. Justice."

I rose and moved to my wardrobe, bypassing the white ceremonial gown Julius had selected—a symbol of purity and submission. Instead, I withdrew a midnight blue gown I'd hidden there days ago.

The color of judgment. Of retribution.

As I slipped it over my shoulders, Luna's approval rumbled through me. The fabric cascaded down my body like liquid night, the silver embroidery catching the light like stars in a dark sky.

"Tonight," I promised my reflection, "everything changes."

I fastened my mother's silver pendant around my neck—not the stolen moonstone, but the crescent-shaped family heirloom I'd kept hidden. Then I turned toward the door, my decision made.

The stage was set. The players were in position.

And I would direct their downfall.