Chapter 3

I'd barely left the group when my phone rang. It was Ethan's number, an Alpha's call that demanded answer.

"Ivy, get over here right now," he barked, no preamble.

"Where?" I asked, my voice cold.

"You know where. The Pack House," Ethan replied.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"You're going to apologize to Ella."

"Why should I apologize?" I shot back.

Ethan's voice was sharp, dripping with Alpha authority. "You suddenly left the group chat. That's a public act of defiance. Do you have any idea how the other clans will see her now?

"I won't let anyone badmouth her. My wolf chose her as my mate, and I'm giving her the title of Luna. She deserves to be recognized.

"She's innocent. She shouldn't be branded as the other woman because you acted out."

Even though I thought I'd stopped letting his actions mess with my emotions, right now, that phantom ache from rejection spread through my chest, sharp and raw.

My fingers trembled around my phone, my claws threatening to pierce my palm.

I said, my voice cracking, "Ethan, you can't use your Alpha status to bully me like this."

"Why are you doing this? You're the one who broke our bond. I felt your rejection every single day. I did nothing. I even congratulated you. Isn't that enough?"

I was holding back my tears, refusing to show weakness in front of him, yet my voice still trembled with emotion.

The line went silent for a beat, as if his wolf sensed her pain and squirmed with unease.

He said, his tone slightly softer, "Ivy, I'll let your disrespect slide this once. But remember. Ella is innocent. Don't take your anger out on her. Don't hurt her."

The call ended with a click.

I sank to the floor, my body trembling.

On my nightstand sat a photo of my mother, her gentle, loving eyes watching over me. She was the former high-ranking healer of Silvermoon Pack, beloved by all.

Tears finally broke free, and I threw myself forward, clinging to the frame.

My cheek pressed against the cold glass.

Tears streamed down, and for a moment, it felt like the mother in the photo was grieving right along with me.

I didn't want to grieve, didn't want to make her worry, not when she'd already returned to the Moon Goddess' side.

Once my mother's death anniversary passed, I'd take the moonstone necklace my mother had left me, leave Silvermoon Territory forever.

I'd be a free Rogue, or a Luna to another Pack.

*****

Ella settled into my master bedroom, but her gloomy, sunless small room didn't see me.

Instead, I found a random guest room to stay in for now.

The servants, always quick to curry favor with those in power, brought bedding that was cold, damp, and reeking of stale dust. It was a torment for a wolf with senses as sharp as mine.

I opted to sleep fully clothed; a few more days, and this nightmare would end for good.

However, the morning brought no reprieve.

As I descended the stairs, chaos greeted me in the small hall, where my mother's memorial stood, now reduced to a mess.

Her photo lay on the floor, frame shattered, the smiling image smudged with mud, as if she stared back at me, weeping in agony.

The silver evening primroses, flowers that meant everything to my mother, were scattered across the ground, while Ella's hybrid wolfdog was ripping the petals apart.

Nearby, Ella clapped and cheered, venom glinting in her eyes.

In that instant, my blood surged to my head, boiling with unbridled rage.

All reason, all desire to hold back, vanished. Claws lengthened, fangs prickled with a feral hunger, and I grabbed the crystal candelabra nearby, swinging it at the mutt.

The dog yelped, tail tucked between its legs, and fled. Ella screamed as shards of glass sliced her arm, her voice shrill with feigned terror.

"Ivy! What the hell are you doing? How dare you lay a hand on her?" Marcus' voice boomed through the hall, laced with the fury of a Beta Elder.

Before I could speak, Ella threw herself into his arms, sobbing hysterically, "Father, save me! Ivy's wolf is out of control. She's going to kill me!"

"Ivy, this is way out of line!" Marcus barked.

"Can't you see what she did? She destroyed my mother's memorial, ruined her photo..." I cried.

My whole body shook, tears pouring down uncontrollably. I was devastated for my mom, the pain cutting deep.

But Marcus barely glanced at the wreckage, just frowned. "That still doesn't mean you can lash out and hurt Ella! We have Pack rules here."

"Marcus..." My voice cracked, a last plea for him to understand, to see the betrayal right in front of him.

"Your mother's been gone a long time. The living matter more, especially Ella, who's the apple of Ethan's eye," he said, cold and dismissive, as if her memory meant nothing.

Ella paled, feigning timidity as she released submissive pheromones, her act flawless. "Father, it was my dog's fault. It knocked everything over. I was going to apologize to Ivy, but she stormed down, hit me with her aura, and I didn't get the chance."

She held up her bleeding arm, gazing at him pitifully. "Maybe Mother and I should leave the territory... we don't want to cause more trouble."

"Even the dog doesn't know any better, but what's your excuse?" Marcus snapped, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at me.

Then suddenly, he raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face.

I didn't even try to dodge. Maybe I just forgot, or maybe I thought it wasn't worth it.

The crack echoed through the hall, and even he froze for a split second.

But in the end, he turned and led Ella away to get her wound treated by the Pack Doctor.

I watched them leave, and it took a while before I even felt the burning pain on my face. That was an insult that cut deeper than any physical blow.

I lifted a hand to my swollen face, tears falling as a bitter laugh escaped me.

This Pack, this so-called Frostfang Clan, had no place for me anymore.

That afternoon, I overheard Marcus' call with the Elder Council, his voice low and calculated. "Ella's blood may be impure, but her bond with Ethan could bring new genetic advantages.

"As for Ivy... her mother's bloodline is noble, but our covenant with the Nightshade Bloodmoon Pack is fragile. We need a new alliance."

I leaned against the wall, nails digging into my palm.

So, it wasn't just betrayal. It was a cold, calculated political deal. My worth, to them, was nothing more than a bargaining chip to be traded.

That night, I contacted the Nightshade Bloodmoon Pack's diplomat via an encrypted channel.

"Tell Lucas I'll accept his bond. But I have one condition: Silvermoon Pack must pay for their betrayal," I said.