Alpha’s Betrayal, Luna’s Redemption

I had long grown accustomed to the cold indifference of my parents, willingly ceding them to Ariella, and I had given up on everyone who favored her over me.

Jalen was the only exception among them. He had always been radiant, even from a young age.

So many wanted to be near him, to bask in his aura, that he could barely remember Ariella’s existence.

That was why I had chosen him as my future mate.

But now, even he had been taken by Ariella. The last person I thought I could hold onto had slipped through my fingers.

An old wound, long scarred over, tore open again, binding me in a suffocating grip.

I couldn’t tell if it was despair or grief that choked me, but the weight of it pressed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

My wolf, Lyra, stirred faintly in the back of my mind, a soft whimper escaping her, but I pushed her down. There was no comfort to be found there, not now.

Jalen, with his commanding presence as the Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, had always been a beacon of strength and power. His dominance, his alpha tone, had once been a source of security for me. But now, it felt like a cruel reminder of what I had lost.

Ariella, with her sweet smiles and cunning words, had always been the favorite—the one everyone gravitated toward. Even now, she clung to Jalen’s arm, her scent of lavender and vanilla mingling with his, a fragrance that should have been mine.

I clenched my fists, trying to steady myself. The pack’s whispers echoed in my ears, their judgmental gazes piercing through me. I was nothing to them now—just an Omega, a shadow of the woman who had once stood by Jalen’s side.

But I wouldn’t break. Not in front of them.

I straightened my shoulders, forcing myself to breathe deeply. The air carried the faint scent of pine and earth, grounding me.

“You’re stronger than this,” I told myself, even as Lyra’s whimpers grew louder in my mind.

I had survived years of neglect, of being overlooked in favor of Ariella. I had survived the rejection ceremony, the humiliation of having my mate bond severed in front of the entire pack.

I would survive this too.

But as I turned away from the gathering, the weight of Jalen’s betrayal and Ariella’s triumph pressed heavier on my chest, and I wondered if I truly would.