Chapter 1

Three years of separation had passed before Alpha Nathan Mitchell finally remembered he had a mate—my mother, Frances Mitchell, the former Luna of the Blue Moon Pack. With impatience, he ordered the basement door to be opened and tossed the divorce papers inside, saying, "Sign these. Jasmine has waited long enough. I need to give her and her son a place in our family."

Slowly, I emerged from the shadows, just five years old, pointing to the heap of fabric resembling old clothes on the bed, and told him, "Daddy, Mommy is already gone."

He sneered at me, fury flashing in his eyes, and spat, "Of course you’re Frances Mitchell's offspring, born a liar."

The one who loved my mother the most, Grandpa Malcolm, the former Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, had passed away. No one was left to stand in Nathan's way to marry his beloved Jasmine, a cunning rogue who had manipulated her way into his life. Only then did he remember to divorce his lawful mate—my mother.

He personally led his men into the basement, unlocking the rusty iron door. The air was thick with the smell of mildew. Nathan wrinkled his nose in disgust, "Frances Mitchell, come out here and sign the divorce papers, then I'll consider letting you out."

The dim room remained silent, without any response for a long time, and Nathan grew increasingly impatient. "Frances Mitchell, have I been too easy on you? Don’t make me resort to harsh measures..."

Before he finished, I slowly stepped out from the corner. "Daddy, Mommy can’t sign anymore."

Seeing it was me, Nathan's face darkened, his voice trembling with rage: "Why is it you? Where's your mother? Tell her to come out."

"Mommy isn’t here anymore."

Nathan laughed bitterly, his anger rising: "Ha, hiding because she knows I want to marry Jasmine. She thinks by refusing to sign she can stall. Dream on!"

But what he didn’t understand was that my mother was already gone, desperate to tell him, yet no matter how loudly she screamed, Nathan couldn’t hear her, because now, she was just a spirit.

Three years ago, after my mother and I were locked in this basement, Jasmine barged in with her entourage. She knew that Grandpa Malcolm favored my mother and would never approve of Nathan divorcing her. Even if she was pregnant, she was doomed to remain a mistress.

She blamed it all on my mother. While Nathan was away, she brought in a gang of brutes to torment her relentlessly, day and night. When my mother was barely clinging to life, Jasmine personally took a dagger to her skin, slashing her repeatedly.

Her body became food for the scavengers, and she took her last breath in front of me.

Thinking of this, I glanced at my own trembling hands, remembering the horrors I had endured at just five years old. Seeing Nathan's dark expression, I retreated a few steps, my voice quivering with tears: "Mommy died three years ago."

Nathan froze for a moment before scoffing, "Just like Frances Mitchell's kid, a liar to the core."

"I locked her up here for just three years, treating her well every day. It’s impossible she could be dead."

As he spoke, he slammed the door violently, barking orders to his men: "Find that woman Frances Mitchell! Search every corner, even the darkest corners!"

The room was only so big, so it didn’t take long before they turned it upside down. Unsurprisingly, there was no sign of my mother.

Nathan's face grew darker and darker. He turned his brooding gaze on me. He took the whip his subordinate handed him and aimed it at me: "Tell me where your mother went, and don’t you dare lie, or I'll make you regret it."

Despite the terror in my eyes, I insisted that my mother was gone.

Nathan finally lost his patience, his hands bulging with veins. I used every ounce of strength to brace myself, but it was futile. The whip landed on me repeatedly, each strike burning like fire.

My heart felt like it was shattering. I curled up on the floor, shaking from head to toe.

"Alpha," a voice interrupted, "there’s something here."