Chapter 2

The grand hall of the pack house glittered with silver decorations and moonflowers—rare, delicate blooms that only opened under the full moon's light. Amir had spared no expense for this surprise Luna appreciation ceremony he'd organized. The entire pack had gathered, their faces alight with excitement as they watched their Alpha lead me to the center of the room.

"Tonight," Amir announced, his voice carrying that familiar Alpha timbre that once made my heart race, "we celebrate our Luna, whose strength and grace have helped build our pack into what it is today."

I smiled politely, though Aria remained restless within me. The mate bond between us pulsed weakly, a constant reminder of his betrayal.

"Rosalina," Amir continued, taking my hands in his, "these past weeks have shown me what truly matters." His eyes held mine with an intensity that might have fooled anyone who hadn't seen the messages on his tablet. "You are my mate, my Luna, my everything."

The pack applauded as he presented me with a bouquet of moonflowers—their silver-blue petals glowing softly in the dimmed light.

"They're beautiful," I whispered, burying my nose in their delicate fragrance.

"They reminded me of you," Amir said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Rare, beautiful, and only blooming under the right conditions."

I felt his thumb brush over my wrist—a gesture that once would have sent shivers down my spine. Now it just made my skin crawl.

"I promise," he declared to the pack, "to honor our bond every day, to put my Luna and our son above all else."

The pack howled their approval while I searched his face for any sign of sincerity. For a moment—just a moment—I thought I saw it.

Then his phone buzzed in his pocket.

I watched as his fingers discreetly reached for it, his eyes flicking down for just a second.

"Excuse me," he said smoothly. "Pack business."

As he stepped away to respond to whatever message had come through, I caught a glimpse of his screen.

Chandler: Can't wait for tonight. Same place?

Amir's fingers moved quickly: Yes. After the ceremony. Tell no one.

My chest tightened as Aria growled low in my mind.

"He's lying," she snarled. "Our mate is still betraying us."

I maintained my smile for the pack's benefit, accepting their congratulations and praise while my heart shattered anew.

---

Three days later, I noticed it—a glint of silver at Chandler's throat during the weekly pack meeting.

"That's new," I commented casually, nodding toward the intricate necklace she wore.

Chandler's fingers flew to the pendant—a delicate silver wolf with diamond eyes.

"A gift," she said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. "From my family back home."

I nodded, but something about it nagged at me. The craftsmanship, the quality of the stones—it was worth more than a coordinator's salary could afford.

Later that afternoon, I found myself walking through the forest with Emersyn, the cool air helping clear my head.

"Something's bothering you," Emersyn said. It wasn't a question.

"Amir claimed we needed to reallocate funds for territory security last month," I said carefully. "But I saw Chandler wearing a necklace today that looks suspiciously expensive."

Emersyn's eyes narrowed. "What are you suggesting?"

"I'm not suggesting anything yet," I replied. "But I'd like to know where our pack funds are actually going."

Emersyn was silent for a moment, her footsteps crunching on fallen leaves. "As Beta and pack lawyer, I have access to those records."

"I'm not asking you to abuse your position," I said quickly.

"No," she agreed. "But I can review the allocations to ensure everything is proper." Her hand squeezed mine. "Rosalina, if there's something going on—"

"There is," I admitted quietly. "I just don't know how deep it goes."

---

Two days later, Emersyn called me to her office. Her expression was grim as she closed the door behind us.

"I found something," she said, sliding a folder across her desk.

Inside were financial records—pack funds transferred to an external account.

"Chandler's family pack," Emersyn explained. "Not just her personal account."

I flipped through the pages, my stomach sinking with each transaction. "These are significant amounts."

"And there's more." Emersyn pulled out another document—logs of mind-links between Amir and Chandler during official pack meetings.

"The timing matches perfectly," she said quietly. "Every time he claimed to be handling border issues or security concerns."

I stared at the evidence before me, the final confirmation of what Aria had been trying to tell me all along.

"He's still lying," I whispered, my fingers tracing the numbers on the page. "Even after everything."

Emersyn's hand covered mine. "What are you going to do?"

I looked up at her, a cold determination settling in my chest where warmth used to be.

"I'm going to find out exactly how much our Alpha has betrayed us," I said. "And then I'm going to decide what's best for our pack."