Chapter 2

The crystal glasses clinked as Alexander raised his in a toast. "To the Sterling Pack's new territory acquisition," he announced, his voice commanding the attention of everyone in the dining hall.

I forced a smile, lifting my own glass while my other hand instinctively touched my stomach. Three days had passed since Alexander had dismissed my pregnancy as a lie, and the pain of his accusation still burned fresh. My wolf whimpered inside me, confused by our mate's rejection of our cub.

"A special thanks to our Luna," Alexander continued, his eyes barely meeting mine, "for her... financial contributions."

The pack members murmured their appreciation, unaware of the hollow mockery behind his words. Beside him, Sophia beamed, her hand resting possessively on his arm. The sight made my stomach churn.

"Isabella," Sophia called out, her voice sweet with false concern, "you've barely touched your food. Is something wrong?"

All eyes turned to me. I straightened my spine, feeling the weight of my silver wolf pendant against my chest—the last gift from my grandmother before I left the Montgomery Pack for Alexander.

"I'm fine," I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. "Just excited about our success."

Alexander's eyes narrowed slightly, detecting the lie. Our bond, damaged as it was, still allowed him to sense my emotions. I quickly raised my glass again, desperate to shift attention away from me.

"To the Sterling Pack," I said.

As everyone drank, Sophia rose from her seat, wine glass in hand. She moved toward me with that practiced grace of hers, her smile never reaching her eyes.

"Let me refill your glass, Luna," she offered loudly enough for others to hear her show of respect.

As she leaned over, her hand suddenly jerked, spilling the deep red liquid directly onto my chest. The wine splashed across my pendant and white blouse, drawing gasps from around the table.

"Oh! I'm so clumsy!" Sophia exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

I jumped up, the cold liquid seeping through my clothes, but my concern was for my pendant. Something was wrong—the silver was reacting strangely, darkening rapidly before my eyes.

"What was in that wine?" I demanded, my voice shaking as I lifted my pendant. The silver was tarnishing, blackening in patches where the liquid had touched it.

"Just our special reserve," Sophia replied innocently. "With a touch of silver extract for... flavor enhancement."

My blood ran cold. Silver extract was highly corrosive to silver jewelry—any werewolf knew this. This was no accident.

"You did this on purpose," I whispered, low enough that only she could hear.

Sophia's smile widened. "Prove it," she whispered back.

"Isabella, it was clearly an accident," Alexander cut in, his tone dismissive. "Sophia, help our Luna clean up."

I clutched my ruined pendant, fighting back tears. This wasn't just jewelry—it was my last connection to my grandmother, to my heritage. As I hurried from the dining hall, Sophia's triumphant gaze followed me.

---

Two days later, the pack gathered for our monthly run under the waxing moon. Despite everything, I felt a flutter of excitement. In wolf form, I could temporarily escape the suffocating tension of the pack house. My wolf was eager too, desperate to stretch her legs and feel the wind through her fur.

"We run to the eastern boundary tonight," Alexander announced, already stripping down for the shift.

My wolf stirred anxiously. The eastern boundary? That was unusual—we typically avoided that area because of the dense patch of wolfsbane that grew there. I was particularly sensitive to it, something Alexander knew well.

"Alpha," I began cautiously, "perhaps we could—"

"The eastern boundary," he repeated, his Alpha tone brooking no argument.

One by one, the pack members shifted, fur rippling over skin until thirty wolves stood in the clearing. My silver-white wolf emerged last, slightly smaller than the others but still beautiful. Alexander's massive black wolf snapped his jaws impatiently, then howled, signaling the start of the run.

We raced through the forest, paws pounding against the earth. For a brief moment, I felt free, my worries left behind in my human form. Then Alexander changed direction sharply, leading us straight toward a meadow I recognized with dread.

The scent hit me first—sweet, cloying, and instantly nauseating. Wolfsbane. My wolf faltered, whining in distress. The other wolves slowed, sensing the danger, but Alexander pushed forward, deliberately cutting a path through the purple flowers.

I had no choice but to follow. My Alpha had set the course, and the pack followed. With each step, the toxin seeped through my paw pads, making my limbs heavy and my breath short. My vision blurred as the allergic reaction took hold.

Halfway through the meadow, my legs gave out. I collapsed among the poisonous blooms, my wolf form trembling violently. The pack circled back, watching as I struggled to rise, only to fall again. Their eyes reflected confusion, concern, and—worst of all—pity.

Alexander stood over me, his massive wolf form blocking the moonlight. In his amber eyes, I saw not concern but cold satisfaction. He knew exactly what he was doing.

With a dismissive snort, he signaled the pack to continue without me. One by one, they turned away, leaving me alone in the field of wolfsbane, too weak to shift back to human form.

As I lay there, fighting for breath, I heard Sophia's distinctive howl in the distance—triumphant and mocking.

---

The next morning, I waited until Alexander left for a business meeting in the city. My body still ached from the wolfsbane exposure, but determination drove me forward. Something wasn't right about the pack's finances, and I needed answers.

I slipped into Alexander's study, heading straight for the hidden safe behind his collection of first-edition books. As Luna, I knew the combination—or at least, I thought I did. The safe didn't open with my usual code.

He'd changed it. Another betrayal, another secret.

Frustrated, I turned to his desk, methodically searching through drawers until I found a leather-bound ledger I didn't recognize. It was locked, but the key was taped to the bottom—careless, or perhaps arrogant.

As I flipped through the pages, my hands began to shake. Column after column detailed transfers from my personal accounts—investments I'd made to support the pack's expansion—being diverted into an offshore account under the names A. Sterling and S. Sterling.

They hadn't just been having an affair. They'd been systematically stealing from me, planning their future together with my money.

A small note in Sophia's handwriting on the final page made my blood freeze: "After the rejection, liquidate remaining assets."

Rejection. They were planning to have Alexander reject our mate bond—the most painful, devastating act one mate could inflict on another. And they'd been planning it all along.

My wolf howled in anguish within me as the full scope of their betrayal became clear. This wasn't just about an affair or Alexander's cruelty. This was calculated, long-term exploitation.

I clutched the ledger to my chest, my mind racing. I needed to get out. I needed to escape before they could complete their plan. But first, I needed evidence.

With shaking hands, I took photos of every page, then carefully returned the ledger exactly as I'd found it. As I closed the drawer, I caught sight of my reflection in the window glass—pale, with shadows under my eyes, my once-vibrant aura dimmed by betrayal and abuse.

But in my eyes, there was something new: resolve.

I would not be their victim any longer.