Chapter 1
I was almost nine months pregnant when one simple notification shattered my
peace.
I’d just settled into bed, my hand resting on my belly, feeling my baby kick, when my phone chimed. The screen lit up with an unexpected message from the pack‘ s accounting system: Transaction report attached.
Curious, I opened it, expecting the usual monthly statements. But this one was… different. I’d always trusted Drake with the pack’s funds; he handled all the finances, sparing me from the constant oversight. He‘ d insisted it was easier that way- “Leave the numbers to me,” he d say, assuring me everything was under control.
But something in me, maybe just a feeling, nagged at me that night. That’s why, on a whim, I’d decided to link my phone to the
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pack‘ s accounting system, so I’d get monthly reports automatically. I’d chalked it up to instincts–pregnancy, maybe–but now, seeing that report, I realized there was more to it.
Drake, my Beta, had made a pretty hefty purchase! Actually, more than hefty- thousands of dollars spent on something extravagant.
I squinted at the screen, rereading the item description. “Wolf pendant with pure moonstone.” And that was just the first item. Every month, for the last three years, there was a new item: gold–banded wolf rings, silver cuffs with carvings, sapphires for protection, diamonds and many more
to mention.
Altogether, it was enough to secure our entire pack for a decade. Why would Drake spend that kind of money on jewelry? And, more importantly, who was it for?
Then, as if on cue, another message popped up.
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Melanie Harlow wants to connect with you
on PackLink.
I froze, staring at it.
Accept request?
I swallowed, hovering over the screen before pressing ‘accept‘. No sooner had I accepted than a message from her appeared.
“Alpha Cassandra. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you…”
My heart pounded. It felt like a trap–like the walls were closing in. Ignoring the message, I went straight to the sender‘ s profile.
The first picture I saw was of a woman, wearing that exact wolf pendant. She’s beautiful, dark hair flowing as she posed under the full moon, the pendant glowing around her neck. Beside her, a tall figure leaned close, hand resting on her shoulder. It was unmistakably Drake!
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I felt a tightness in my chest, like a betrayal too deep to put into words. 3 years? He‘ d been sneaking off to see her for 3 years?!
I kept scrolling. She had all the pieces of jewelry: the rings, the earrings, the cuffs, the sapphires, diamonds–each with a smug caption:
“My mooncake is so generous.” A photo of a night sky, the caption taunting: “Love those moonlit dates.”
I clenched my fists, anger swirling through me. Every caption, every picture was like another twist of the knife! I had trusted him, confided in him, relied on him to keep the pack strong–especially after we lost our first child!
The memory hit me hard. The last time I was this far along, carrying our first child, things were so different. I’d been so excited, counting down the days and planning everything in meticulous detail.
But then, that awful night came. I
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6
remembered how I’d called Drake, desperate for him to be with me as everything started going wrong. The pain had hit suddenly, and when I reached for my phone, I thought he’d be there in a heartbeat. But he wasn’t. He said he was too busy handling “urgent pack business.”
The pain of losing our child was like a storm I thought I’d never survive. I’d leaned on him afterward, needing his support more than ever. He’d said all the right things, promised he‘ d always be there. I clung to his words, believing he cared just as deeply!
But now, as I stared at the screen in front of me, my stomach twisted. Melanie‘ s posts. -each one with a date and timestamp–had been right there the whole time, but I’d never thought to look.
And there it was, a photo from that same night. Drake and Melanie, out together, celebrating their ‘one–year anniversary.”
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She’d posted a picture of them clinking glasses, the full moon in the background, captioned with, ‘Lucky to have my Beta by my side tonight.”
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