Chapter 1The day we were supposed to register our bond, my Alpha walked in with his ex-lover.
"Let me bond with Delilah first. Just one month, Thea. Then I'll choose you."
I left that night.
No tears. No begging. Just done.
3 years later, I came home to visit my parents.
The moment Cassius spotted me, his eyes locked on my bracelet and he LAUGHED.
"Still wearing knockoffs? Pathetic. Only the Alpha King's mate wears the REAL one."
"Come back and be my kid's nanny if you apologize."
What this idiot didn't know?
That "fake bracelet"? $2 MILLION.
That "beggar"? I'M THE LUNA QUEEN.
And the nanny job he's offering?
My SON just walked in with his father—the ALPHA KING.
I smiled. "Sorry, I don't work for TRASH."
---
I stood outside the Pack Hall, my wolf practically vibrating beneath my skin.
Seven years of waiting, and today was finally the day.
My Alpha Cassius Hargrove was going to mark me. We were going to register our mate bond. Make it official.
I'd worn my best dress—the soft blue one he'd once said brought out my eyes. Even practiced what I'd say when the clerk asked for our names.
Thea Beaumont and Cassius Hargrove. Mates.
God, I was pathetic.
But I didn't care. Because after seven years of being his "almost," his "not yet," his "just wait a little longer"—today, I was finally going to be his Luna.
I pushed open the door, my heart hammering.
The clerk looked up. "Here for mate bond registration?"
"Yes." My voice came out breathless. Stupidly, desperately hopeful. "My mate should be here any—"
The door behind me slammed open.
I turned, a smile already forming on my lips.
Cassius stood in the doorway. But he wasn't alone.
Delilah Winslow, Cassius's first love, was tucked under his arm. And behind them, two of Cassius's Alpha friends flanked the entrance like bodyguards.
My smile froze.
"Cassius?" My voice cracked. "What happened?"
"Get her out of here."
His friends grabbed my arms. Started dragging me toward the door.
"Delilah's son needs to be part of Hargrove Pack. The fastest way is for her to register a bond with a pack member. Once we sever the bond, I'll register with you, Thea. Just... give me a month."
A month.
One more month.
Because apparently, seven years wasn't enough.
I don't know how long I sat there.
But I didn't cry. I didn't scream.
That night, I went home and told my parents I accepted the arranged engagement.
Kael Thornwood.
The future Alpha King of the Northern Territory.
I'd heard of him. Everyone had. The youngest heir in history. Powerful. Ruthless. And, according to rumors, completely uninterested in taking a mate.
Our parents were close friends, and somewhere along the way, they had made an agreement for us.
One week later, I left for the Northern Territory.
No goodbye. No explanation. No earth-shattering fight.
I just... left.
Three Years Later.
I stood in the baggage claim area, adjusting the soft fabric of my dress—something Kael's stylist had picked out specifically for my condition. Comfortable. Perfect for a pregnant woman.
Kael had insisted I take it easy, but I'd wanted to visit my parents.
He's already the Alpha king. Some last-minute council meeting had kept him from coming himself. So he'd arranged for someone to pick me up.
I scanned the crowd for the sign. Luna Thornwood.
And then I saw it.
Held by the last person I ever expected to see again.
Cassius stood near the arrivals gate, one arm draped around Delilah, holding my name like it meant nothing.
My wolf went utterly still.
Three years of silence. And this was how we crossed paths again.
"Oh. My. God." Violet Granger, Delilah's friend, spotted me and scoffed. "Is that... Thea?"
Cassius's head snapped up. For just a second, something flickered across his face. Surprise. Maybe even regret.
Then his mouth curved into that same arrogant smirk.
"Told you she'd come crawling back eventually."
The group laughed.
"Thea Beaumont." Violet stepped closer. "You just disappeared three years ago. Now that Cassius is Alpha, I guess you figured out you made a mistake, huh? Bet you regretted it every day."
Someone else laughed. "But girl, if you're gonna show up and try to get his attention, you could at least try harder with your outfit. What even is that? My grandma dresses better than you."
"Right?" Violet snickered. "Leaving Cassius really wrecked you, huh?"
What they didn't know: this "shabby" dress cost more than Violet's car. The bracelet on my wrist—the cheapest one Kael ever gave me.
To them, I was still that pathetic she-wolf who used to trail after Cassius like a lost puppy.
Three years ago, I left Cassius.
I bonded with someone who actually loved me, who saw the real me, who treated me like a partner instead of a prop.
That someone was Kael Thornwood, the Alpha king.
Clearly, the "Luna Thornwood" they'd been gossiping about was me.
Not one of them had a clue.
Seeing that I hadn't spoken, someone who once knew me fairly well tried to ease the tension.
"Thea, it's... it's good to see you. Cassius has actually been asking about you. Like, a lot."
Cassius shot her a look before turning to me. "Delilah's kid starts school soon. You'll handle drop-offs and pick-ups."
Still so damn entitled. Still thinking the whole world revolves around him.
But I wasn't that version of Thea Beaumont anymore—the one who would bend over backward to please him.
Looking at him now, all I felt was disgust.
I was about to tell them who I really was when Delilah spoke first.
"Thea, don't be upset. Cassius is trying to help. I mean, look at you. Showing up looking like... well, like that." She waved vaguely at my dress. "Even if he wanted you working for the pack, you'd embarrass him. But if you helped watch my son instead—be his nanny—no one would really judge you."
Three years. Still the same manipulative bitch.
I traced my fingers over the bracelet on my wrist. The "cheap" one. The one Kael had casually given me last month because he thought it matched my eyes.
Still didn't say anything.
Cassius took my silence as surrender. His smirk widened. "Look at her. Three years of whatever shit job she had, and now she's back because she couldn't hack it. She should be kissing my feet for even giving her an option."
"Watch Delilah's kid. Keep your mouth shut. And maybe I'll let you stick around."
"Oh, and there's a storage room we converted. You can sleep there. Consider it a perk."
The group burst out laughing.
"Aw, Cassius, you're such a good guy! Worried poor little Thea's been living in a dumpster somewhere, so you're giving her food and a roof. All she has to do is babysit. I mean, compared to whatever dump she's been in, this is basically a promotion, right?"
Delilah smiled sweetly beside him. "Seriously, Thea. Say thank you. Not everyone gets this kind of charity."
"Don't worry, Thea. If my son acts up or gives you trouble, I'll handle it. I won't let anyone treat you badly."
Cassius smirked at me. "She's got no reason to complain. She's the one who bailed over nothing. Now she's back with her hand out. Least she can do is suck it up and be useful."
I frowned.
He still thought registering a mate bond with Delilah was "nothing."
And suddenly, it hit me.
The Cassius I used to love? The one who carried me across half the territory when I twisted my ankle during a hunt? The one who promised me the world even though he had jack shit to his name?
That guy was dead.
What stood in front of me now was just some hollow asshole with an inflated ego and an Alpha title he didn't deserve.
But honestly? Good.
That chapter was over. Burned. Buried.
No point digging it back up.
Especially not now.
Not when I was carrying Kael's second pup.
Chapter 2
I let out a breath and decided to end this circus. "You're here to pick someone up, right? So let's go."
The hallway went dead quiet.
Then they all looked at each other and lost it.
Delilah scoffed. "Pick you up? Are you seriously that delusional?"
She jabbed a finger at the sign. "Read it again, genius. We're waiting for the Alpha Queen from Northern Territory. You know who that is?"
Of course I knew.
That person was me—Kael Thornwood's mate, the Luna Queen.
But I stayed quiet. Let them keep digging.
Violet jumped in, practically vibrating with excitement. "We're here for Luna Thornwood. You know, the Alpha King's mate? The woman everyone's been talking about?"
Another voice chimed in. "Yeah, Alpha Kael Thornwood's this total hardass—ruthless, cold, doesn't take shit from anyone. But with his mate? Guy's a complete softie. Rumor is he turned down every she-wolf for years just waiting for her."
"Word is, if you want anything from the Alpha King, you go through her first. She's the only one who can make him bend."
I bit back a smile.
Three years. Three years of being Kael's mate, and he still treated me like I was the only thing that mattered.
Delilah, never one to miss a chance to show off. "I heard he dropped two million dollars at an auction once. Just to buy her a bracelet. Some rare, one-of-a-kind piece that symbolized eternal devotion or whatever."
She paused, eyes narrowing. Then her gaze locked onto my wrist.
Her voice shot up an octave. "Wait. Holy shit. That's it."
Everyone froze.
All eyes snapped to the bracelet on my wrist.
Cassius grabbed my hand, yanking it up to inspect the piece like it was evidence in a crime scene.
He snorted. "Decent fake. Who gave you this? Some loser trying to impress you with that garbage?"
I tugged my hand free and ran my fingers over the bracelet.
Kael had given it to me on our first anniversary—one of the "cheaper" pieces in his collection, but still handcrafted and worth more than millions.
But it wasn't about the price. It was about what it meant.
To me, it was love.
To them? Impossible.
When I didn't react—didn't stammer or blush or defend myself—Cassius's eyes narrowed.
Then, without warning, he grabbed my wrist again and ripped the bracelet off.
I gasped, more from shock than pain. "What the hell—"
Delilah snatched it from his hand before I could finish, turning it over in her fingers like it was hers to inspect.
"Okay, I'll admit, this is a better knockoff than the one I bought online," she said, holding it up to the light. "But I've got standards. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing fake shit in public."
She looked at me, eyebrows raised, mouth curling into a smirk. "Unless... wait. Are you seriously trying to say you're the Luna Queen?"
The group erupted.
Laughter. Howling, mocking, vicious laughter.
Because to them, the idea was absurd.
Kael Thornwood—legendary Alpha King, ruthless, brilliant, untouchable—would never, ever bond with someone like me.
Not Thea Beaumont. Not the pathetic ex Cassius had thrown away like garbage.
Delilah spun the bracelet around her finger, grinning. "You know what? I actually like this. Sell it to me. Whatever you paid, I'll double it."
I stepped forward, panic flaring. "Give it back. Kael gave me that—"
Crack.
The slap came out of nowhere.
My head snapped to the side, the taste of copper flooding my mouth. I pressed my hand to my cheek, stunned.
Cassius loomed over me, his face twisted with rage. "Shut the fuck up!"
I stared at him, my wolf snarling, clawing to get out.
"Who the hell do you think you are, Thea?" he spat. "Dropping the Alpha King's name like you've got any right to? You trying to get me killed? Spreading lies about being connected to him?"
Violet jabbed a finger at me. "Do you have any idea what you just did? We've been busting our asses trying to make a good impression on Luna Thornwood. The Alpha King's in the middle of alliance talks with Hargrove Pack. And you're out here running your mouth, trying to ruin everything?"
"Cassius just got into the Alpha's inner circle. You? You're nobody. A broke-ass ex he threw out. And you think you can stand there and claim you're the Alpha King's mate?"
I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth and turned my head slowly to meet Cassius's eyes.
Something about the way I looked at him—calm, cold, unflinching—made his jaw tighten. A flicker of something crossed his face. Uncertainty. Fear.
Delilah saw it too.
Her voice turned shrill with resentment. "You ungrateful bitch! Cassius was kind enough to offer you a place to stay, and this is how you act? You think throwing around lies is gonna hurt him? Make him regret dumping you?"
God, it was like being thrown back three years.
No matter what I did back then, Delilah always found a way to twist it. Made me look crazy. Made me look like the problem.
At first, Cassius used to defend me. Tell her to back off.
But over time? He started saying the same shit she did.
Just like now.
He shook his head, eyes filled with disappointment. "You're still the same jealous, bitter mess you were back then."
But this time, he didn't drag it out. Didn't lecture me like he used to.
Instead, he pulled out a check. Held it up between two fingers like it was a gift from God.
Two hundred thousand dollars.
"For old times' sake, I'll let this slide," he said, voice dripping with condescension. "Take the money. Buy yourself some decent clothes. And if you're not feeling the babysitting gig, I'll hook you up with something better in a couple days."
He smirked. "Don't stress. Now that I'm the Alpha, this kind of cash? Pocket change."
I stared at the check.
Then I stared at him.
That smug-ass look on his face. The arrogance oozing out of every word. The absolute rot behind everything he said.
The crowd was dead silent, waiting to see if I'd take it.
Slowly, I pushed his hand away.
Then I reached over and plucked the bracelet out of Delilah's hands.
I looked Cassius dead in the eye.
"Keep your money," I said flatly. "I don't take handouts from strangers."
Chapter 3
I didn't even look back at Cassius—his face was probably purple by now—and turned to walk away.
I made it maybe three steps before his hand clamped around my wrist.
"Thea." His voice was ice. "You turn down my money? What's your angle here? Trying to act like we're done? Like you don't know me?"
I met his eyes. "We are done. Have been for three years. And I'd rather keep it that way. Less messy."
My mind flashed to Kael. He'd lose his mind if he saw another male werewolf touching me like this. He wasn't the jealous type over nothing, but his territorial instincts? Brutal. If he walked in right now and saw Cassius's hand on me, someone would end up bleeding.
But Cassius wasn't paying attention. His eyes flicked to Delilah. He thought he had me figured out.
"We're throwing a welcome party in three days. For the Alpha King Kael." He said it like he was doing me a favor. "I'll take you. Let you see how the other half lives. But you're gonna need to ditch whatever clearance-rack disaster you're planning to wear. I'm not showing up with you looking like—"
"Hard pass."
His jaw dropped just for a second. Then it clenched so hard I heard his teeth grind.
The hand holding the check trembled. "Your attitude's gotten real fucking bold, Thea. But you're still the same trashy little nobody you always were. Fine. Don't want to go? I'll take Delilah instead."
Delilah's eyes lit up like Christmas morning. "Oh my God, Cassius, really? I'll be so good, I promise. I won't embarrass you at all."
I was done.
I turned and started walking, tossing one line over my shoulder.
"Enjoy yourselves. Let's see if you're still this smug in three days."
I burst out of the terminal, sucking in fresh air like I'd been drowning. The nausea that had been clawing at my stomach finally eased.
Three years ago, my parents set up an arranged engagement. Desperate, I'd begged Cassius—my boyfriend of seven years—to just mark me first. Go through with it, explain later.
He'd agreed.
But when I watched him walk into the hall hand in hand with Delilah, I gave up on him completely.
That night, I accepted my parents' arrangement.
A month later, I sealed the mate bond with Kael Thornwood.
A year after that, we had our first child.
And now? I was pregnant with our second.
If it weren't for wanting to see my parents, I wouldn't have set foot in Hargrove Pack land. Wouldn't have risked running into Cassius at all.
Three Days Later.
I showed up to the party alone, dressed in something casual but elegant. Light makeup. Hair loose.
The second Cassius saw me, his eyes lit up. That smug-ass grin spread across his face.
"You said you weren't coming. But here you are." He looked me up and down like I was a prize he'd just won. "If you're trying to get back in my good graces, you're gonna have to try harder. An event like this? You should be dressed like you're worth something. Something that reflects my status."
I ignored him and started walking toward my seat.
Two steps. That's all I got before his hand shot out and grabbed my arm.
"Thea. I'm talking to you. Did you not fucking hear me? Our seats are over there. Where the hell do you think you're going?"
I yanked my arm free. "That's your seat. Mine's over there."
I nodded toward the seats reserved for the most esteemed guests.
Cassius followed my gaze, his face went slack.
Delilah narrowed her eyes. She pointed at my wrist, her voice shrill enough to cut glass.
"How the hell did you even get in here, Thea? You sneak in to cause trouble? And you're still wearing that fake-ass bracelet?"
Her voice carried.
Every head in the room turned.
