My Alpha Used Me for Power, Now He Begs for Mercy

Isla's POV

On our fifth wedding anniversary, my husband forgot me. By nightfall, someone buried me alive.

I never imagined the worst day of my life would begin with so little.

For an entire year, I had secretly taken on extra duties around Blackthorn Palace, denying myself every luxury just to buy Alpha Damon Blackthorn the sports car he'd always wanted. I thought that maybe, after five years of marriage, this anniversary would finally make him see me.

Instead, Damon looked at me with confusion when I wished him a happy anniversary.

He had forgotten. Because today wasn't our anniversary in his eyes.

It was Rowena's birthday.

His first love. His best friend.

He told me we'd have another anniversary next year, that I was making a big deal out of nothing, then left without even looking at the gift waiting for him outside the palace.

Minutes later, he called, not to apologize, but to order me to bring a replacement gown to Rowena's birthday celebration after she accidentally stained hers.

Not once did he ask how I felt. But like always, I obeyed.

I placed the gown inside my car and drove toward Mooncrest Hotel, still hoping that somehow, the night would get better.

It never did.

A truck suddenly crashed into my car.

Pain exploded through my body as the vehicle spun across the road. Before I could even catch my breath, several masked rogue wolves ripped open the door and dragged me onto the pavement.

"W-Wait!" I cried, struggling against them. "I'm the Luna of Blackthorn!"

They ignored every word. Instead, they hauled me into an abandoned factory, throwing me onto the cold concrete floor before fists and boots rained down on me.

Blood filled my mouth as agony stole every breath, leaving me to stare through blurred vision at the masked wolves waiting for me to die.

"Who sent you?" I gasped. "No one attacks a Luna without someone's orders."

Silence.

Just another brutal kick sent me crashing to the floor before they dragged into a wooden coffin, tossed me inside, and slammed the lid shut, plunging me into darkness.

"No! Please!" I screamed, pounding against the wood as nails pierced through the lid one by one.

Every hammer strike sealed my fate as dirt buried the coffin, my screams faded beneath the earth, and I clawed at the wood until my fingers bled.

Moon Goddess... please...

Just as darkness claimed to me, the coffin splintered open, fresh air rushed into my lungs, and strong hands pulled me to safety.

"Easy."

I looked up through tear-filled eyes.

"Kael..."

My husband's younger brother.

His silver eyes scanned the forest before helping me to my feet.

"We have to leave."

"W-Who did this?" I asked, my entire body trembling.

"I don't know," he answered quietly. "But don't tell anyone I rescued you. If whoever ordered this finds out you survived, they'll finish what they started."

A chill ran through me as Kael warned me not to trust anyone in the pack, yet, bruised, bloodied, and wearing my torn dress. I still went to Damon, hoping he'd finally care.

The ballroom fell silent as Harold, my father-in-law, stared at me in shock, but before I could speak, my mother-in-law snatched the gown from my hands.

"Look at yourself," Meredith sneered. "Did you come here just to embarrass our son?"

Laughter echoed through the ballroom as I searched for Damon, but my husband only glanced at me before frowning in disgust.

"Go change," he said coldly. "You're embarrassing me."

He never asked if I was hurt or who attacked me. I went to change into the only outfit my mother-in-law approved, a maid's uniform, and the ballroom erupted in laughter when I returned.

Mocking me.

Unable to endure the humiliation any longer, I turned to leave until Rowena's voice behind a nearby door stopped me, and I quietly pulled out my phone to record as she hissed, "I paid you to kill her."

My blood ran cold.

"How is she still alive?"

"Someone interfered," one of the rogues answered nervously. "We never saw his face."

"You idiots!" Rowena snapped. "Next time, make sure she dies. Lady Meredith won't tolerate another failure."

My heart nearly stopped. Meredith...

My mother-in-law knew?

"But why not just banish Luna Isla?" the rogue asked.

Rowena laughed.

"Use your brain. Isla is the last heir of House Nightfang. Damon only became Alpha because he married her. If she leaves him, everything we've stolen disappears."

She paused before saying the words that shattered me.

"So she can't leave. She has to die."

Frozen behind the wall, I ended the recording, knowing the family I'd spent five years loving wanted me dead.

Swallowing my fear, I returned to the ballroom, where Rowena stood smiling in Damon's arms as though she'd already won.

"You look much better in a maid's uniform," she mocked.

I met her eyes and smiled back.

"No matter what I wear, I'm still Blackthorn's Luna."

Her smile faltered.

"Enough, Isla," Damon snapped. "You'll have to accept Rowena. She's moving into the pack house as my second Luna."

My world tilted. Rowena rested a hand on her stomach and smiled.

"I'm pregnant."

Damon immediately wrapped an arm around her waist, his eyes filled with a tenderness I had begged for during five years of marriage.

"Our child deserves a complete family." I didnt say anything. Instead, I turned away as though I couldn't bear another second.

Everyone thought I'd left, but I hid behind a marble pillar as Harold, Meredith, Damon, and Rowena gathered only moments later.

"You ordered her death and still failed?" Harold hissed. "Are you all idiots?"

"It's not our fault," Rowena defended herself. "The rogues said someone appeared and rescued Isla before they could finish the job."

"It doesn't matter," Damon said flatly. "Nothing changes. Isla still has to die."

My breath caught. Harold's face darkened.

"That isn't the point. What if she finds out? What if she learns everything weve done?

Damon let out a mocking laugh.

"She won't."

He sounded almost amused.

"I've spent five years keeping her exactly where I wanted her."

He grinned as he added, "There is nothing to worry about. As long as she remained my Luna, the Nightfang throne, its lands, and its wealth stayed under my control."

He looked down at Rowena with a smile so gently it made me sick.

"She wont suspect a thing. She still has no idea who really killed her parents." Harold said, and the world around me went silent.

"Of course she didn't," Damon replied.

"She was too busy grieving to notice that we arranged her parents' death, comforted her at the funeral, then convinced the High Council that marrying me was the only way to protect House Nightfang."

He laughed.

"And she thanked me for saving her."

A tear slipped down my cheek, but with Damon's next words, grief died, anger took its place, and my wolf roared within me.

Islas POV

Morning sunlight spilled through the bedroom windows, revealing the melted candles I had prepared for our anniversary.

The bouquet of white roses had begun to wilt, their petals scattered across the floor like forgotten promises.

The untouched gift box still sat by the window. I traced the ribbon with trembling fingers, knowing inside was the key to the sports car I'd spent an entire year sacrificing for.

A bitter smile crossed my lips as I realized it had never even been opened.

"...Happy anniversary."

The room answered with silence as I turned to the untouched side of the bed. Damon had never come home, not after forgetting our anniversary, announcing Rowena as his Second Luna.

He never asked why I arrived covered in blood and mud, never asked if I was hurt, and never even knew I'd been kidnapped and buried alive.

I closed my eyes, but Rowena's conversation with the rogue echoed in my mind.

They hadn't just wanted me dead; they had buried me alive to make me suffer, all because I was Alpha Alaric Nightfang's daughter, the true heir to the kingdom the Blackthorns now ruled.

Had marrying Damon been the greatest mistake of my life? Once, the thought of being his wife made my heart race. Now, for the first time, I questioned everything.

Perhaps he had stayed to comfort Rowena. Maybe today he'd come home and explain, though after five years of loving Damon, hope had become a habit I couldn't break.

I wiped away my tears and headed downstairs. No matter what happened, I still need to act normal. They cant know that I knew everything For now.

The palace kitchen buzzed with activity, but as I walked in, every servant lowered their head, avoiding my eyes.

I forced a smile.

"I'll prepare Alpha Damon's breakfast."

Silence filled the kitchen as the servants exchanged uneasy glances before a familiar voice sliced through the room.

"Still pretending to be a devoted wife?"

I froze.

My mother-in-law, Meredith Blackthorn, swept into the kitchen in an elegant emerald gown. One of the wolves who had ordered my death. Only now did I realize how different she was from the woman I remembered, the one who used to call me sweet child and braid my hair when she was still my father, Alpha Alaric Nightfang's beta's wife.

Now, she looked like a queen wearing a stolen crown.

Harold Blackthorn followed beside her, his face unreadable. Too far from the face of the loyal Beta who served my father long ago.

I lowered my head respectfully.

"Good morning, Mother. Father."

Meredith's gaze swept over my bruises, but instead of concern, she scoffed.

"So. You survived."

My chest tightened as I realized she wasn't asking if I was hurt or who had attacked me; she was only disappointed that I was still standing.

I almost laughed at the thought. Why would the woman who ordered my death ask if I was okay?

Harold folded his arms.

"They said you had a close call to death last night," he said with a laugh.

A chill ran down my spine. For a second, I wondered if he knew the truth... or if he had been part of it all along.

No.

I told myself I was overthinking until Meredith crossed her arms and said.

"Do you know where Damon spent the night? He never came home. He stayed with Rowena."

A satisfied smile spread across her face. "It was only proper. She's carrying the future heir of House Blackthorn."

Each word twisted deeper into my chest, and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep the tears from falling.

Meredith stepped closer.

"So what if Damon spent the night with her? At least..." She paused and smiled, then spoke again.

"She isn't barren."

The word echoed through my mind.

Barren.

For five years, I blamed myself for never giving Damon a child, enduring endless remedies and heartbreak, yet no matter what I did... I could never conceive.

Harold looked at me with undisguised contempt.

"If you had done your duty and given Damon an heir , he would never have needed another Luna."

I lowered my gaze.

"...I'm sorry."

Those words came so naturally now that I barely noticed I'd spoken them. So naturally, it now lost its meaning.

Back then, I truly meant those apologies, blaming and pitying myself, but now the words felt empty; I was only sorry for my wolf, who had to shrink herself so I could become the Luna they wanted.

Meredith clicked her tongue.

"Sorry doesn't continue the Blackthorn bloodline."

She pointed toward the stove.

"If you're so determined to play the perfect wife, then make yourself useful."

For the first time that morning, relief flickered through my chest. I tied on an apron and quietly prepared Damon's favorite breakfast from memory: a mushroom omelet, roasted potatoes, fresh bread, and honey tea, exactly the way he liked it.

When everything was ready, I carefully arranged the dishes onto a polished silver tray. Cradling it against my hands, I turned toward my mother-in-law.

"Should I take it to his office?"

Meredith laughed. The sound was filled with mockery.

"Oh, Isla. You truly know nothing."

She smiled with cruel satisfaction.

"Take it to Rowena's royal suite. Damon is still there."

The tray suddenly felt twice as heavy as I walked toward the guest wing; each step weighed down not by my bruises, but by the ache in my heart.

"Just endure a little longer... everything will be okay," I whispered, though the words were no longer for me, but for my wolf, whose growing anger and hatred I could feel as I slowly went numb.

Islas POV

Three days had passed since Rowena's birthday party, three days since Damon told me that she would become his Second Luna.

Three days had passed since he had chosen her over me once again.

Life inside Blackthorn Palace carried on as if nothing had happened, yet everything had changed.

With Rowena's pregnancy, she could have anything she wanted. Just as Damon had promised, she now lived in the palace, carrying herself as though she had more right to be there than I did.

Now that she was carrying my husband's heir, the child I could never give him, Damon no longer made any effort to hide where he wanted to be.

Every morning, he had breakfast with Rowena. At noon, he took her into the capital, and every evening, they strolled through the royal gardens together as though they were already husband and wife.

The palace servants, the ones loyal to House Blackthorn, had long since stopped pretending not to notice.

"I heard Alpha Damon is preparing another wing for Lady Rowena."

"They say she's carrying the future Alpha."

"Perhaps she's the true Luna after all."

Whenever I walked by, the whispers died instantly. Some servants lowered their heads in shame, while others simply looked away.

I never bothered correcting them anymore. There was nothing left to defend.

Instead, I buried myself at work.

I reviewed petitions from the eastern villages, signed reports from the hospitals my parents had founded, and answered letters from the orphanages that still carried House Nightfang's crest.

One document after another passed through my hands. If I could no longer be the wife Damon wanted, then I would at least remain the Luna this kingdom deserved.

That morning, as I entered the dining hall, my fingers instinctively brushed against the small key hidden inside my pocket.

A gift I bought for Damon on our wedding anniversary. It was still there.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

How foolish I had been.

A moment later, Damon strode into the dining hall. His gaze swept across the room without stopping on me.

Instead, it landed on the sleek black sports car parked just beyond the palace gates.

His brows knitted together in annoyance.

"Who could possibly have enough courage to park a brand-new car outside my gates?" he demanded. "Whoever it is must be mocking me. You all know I've wanted that exact model for years."

The dining hall fell silent.

I simply reached for a strip of bacon and an egg, eating quietly as though his words meant nothing.

But they meant everything.

Yes, I knew how badly he wanted that car; that was why it was parked outside.

It was supposed to be his. An anniversary present from the wife he had never truly loved.

My fingers tightened around the key in my pocket, and for the first time, I felt grateful that I had discovered the truth before giving it to him. Otherwise, I would have once again been the only one giving everything, only to receive betrayal in return.

Deep down, I had always known Damon could never look at me the way he looked at Rowena. He would never love me the way he loved her. Still, I had convinced myself that it was enough.

I was his Luna.

He had become Alpha because House Nightfang had stood behind him and because I had chosen him as my mate.

He needed me.

For five years, that belief had been enough to silence every doubt in my heart.

Until our wedding anniversary.

It wasn't the first anniversary Damon had forgotten, but it was the first time he had willingly abandoned me to celebrate Rowena's birthday instead.

And now, he intended to make her his Second Luna, the woman carrying the child I could never give him.

The title itself was absurd.

The ancient wolf laws recognized only one Luna.

There had never been a Second Luna, nor could there ever be.

But Alpha Damon had grown so powerful that he believed even the sacred laws of our kind would bend to his will.

Later that morning, I noticed the palace kitchens buzzing with unusual excitement. Servants rushed back and forth carrying baskets of fresh fruit, silver trays, and expensive flowers. A pastry chef carefully decorated an enormous strawberry cake while others arranged the finest china in the dining hall.

I smiled faintly.

"It must be another celebration for Rowena."

No one answered.

Instead, an elderly omega slowly approached me. She had served my mother long before I was born, and tears shimmered in her aging eyes as she stopped in front of me.

"Luna Isla..." she whispered. "...Happy birthday."

I stared at her in confusion.

"My... birthday?"

The realization struck me all at once: today was my birthday, and for the first time in twenty-six years, I had forgotten it. A quiet, humorless laugh escaped my lips.

How ironic.

I spent years remembering everyone else's important days, Damon's birthday, our wedding anniversary, council ceremonies, and every pack festival. Yet somewhere along the way, I had forgotten there had once been a day that belonged only to me.

"You've always loved strawberry cake," the elderly omega said gently. "I remembered."

I smiled and squeezed her wrinkled hand.

"Thank you," I whispered. "But don't trouble yourself. There's already too much happening today."

She looked as though her heart had broken.

"As you wish... Princess."

The old title tightened something painfully inside my chest.

Perhaps birthdays simply weren't important anymore.

Not for someone like me.

As I rounded the western corridor later that morning and saw Damon walking toward me, one foolish heartbeat filled me with hope that perhaps he had remembered.

My heart quickened as he drew closer.

"Good morning, Damon."

He walked straight past me without answering, without looking at me, without even slowing his steps.

The tiny spark of hope quietly died.

A few steps later, I heard him speaking to the head steward.

"Prepare the banquet hall tonight. Invite every noble family, and make sure the royal musicians are present."

The steward bowed immediately.

"Of course, Alpha."

"The kingdom should celebrate the future heir properly," Damon continued. "Everything must be perfect for Rowena."

I lowered my eyes, realizing that all the preparations were never for my birthday, but for Rowena's pregnancy celebration, held on the very same day, and as I turned the corner, Meredith's mocking voice stopped me.

"You actually thought he'd remember, didn't you?"

She stood beside Harold, both of them watching me with amused smiles.

"Five years as Damon's wife," Meredith sneered, "and you still don't know your place. You couldn't even give him an heir, so tell me... what exactly is there to celebrate?"

Harold chuckled.

"If anything, you should be thanking Rowena. She's finally giving this family the future it deserves."

I tightened my grip on the documents in my hands before forcing a small nod.

"You're right," I said quietly. "I apologize."

I bowed politely.

"If you'll excuse me..."

Before either of them could see the tears burning behind my eyes, I turned and walked away.

Islas POV

By the time evening settled over Blackthorn Palace, the entire west wing had been transformed.

Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead while fresh white roses adorned every pillar, golden banners bearing the Blackthorn crest hung from the walls, and servants hurried back and forth carrying expensive dishes and wine glasses.

Anyone who walked in would have thought the palace was celebrating a queen, but I knew better; it wasn't for me, and with a slow breath, I stepped into the already occupied royal dining hall.

Harold, my father-in-law, sat at the head of the table, reading through a report between bites of dinner.

Funny how just now I noticed that Harold, beta to my father, had taken my fathers spot at the dining table, when it had been the norm for the past five years.

Meredith sat beside him, occasionally instructing the servants to adjust the decorations for the evening's celebration.

Across from them sat Kael.

As always, Kael ate quietly, barely joining the conversation, while three seats remained empty, including Damon's chair and the one beside it that had been mine for the past five years, and as I quietly took my seat, one foolish thought crossed my mind.

Maybe maybe he'll remember before the night is over.

Footsteps echoed outside.

Damon entered the dining hall.

He didn't come alone.

Rowena walked beside him, dressed in a pale blue gown that shimmered beneath the candlelight. One hand rested protectively over her stomach while Damon slowed his pace to match hers.

"Watch your step," he said softly.

"The floor's slippery."

She smiled up at him.

"I'm fine. You worry too much."

"You and the baby are my responsibility now."

His voice carried warmth.

The kind I hadn't heard directed at me in years.

Meredith beamed the moment she saw them.

"There they are. Our little family."

Rowena blushed.

"You'll embarrass me."

Harold chuckled.

"Nonsense. Sit down before dinner gets cold."

I instinctively started to rise, thinking another chair would be brought for Rowena, but before I could, a firm hand shoved my chair sideways without even looking at me.

The legs scraped harshly across the marble floor, forcing me to catch myself on the edge of the table as a servant gasped and the entire room fell silent.

Damon looked down at me and laughed lightly, as though nothing unusual had happened.

Heat rushed into my face.

I quickly straightened my dress.

"I... I'm sorry."

He casually pulled my chair away from the table.

"Move."

I blinked.

"...What?"

He finally looked at me.

"From now on..."

He gestured toward the chair beside him.

"This is Rowena's seat."

For a heartbeat, no one spoke as Rowena widened her eyes in feigned surprise.

"Damon, I couldn't. That's Luna Isla's place." Rowena let out a dramatic gasp and frantically shook her head, but Damon smiled at her.

"Not anymore. Love.

Love

A bitter smile escaped my lips.

You shouldn't be sitting so far away from me. Especially now."

His gaze briefly dropped to her stomach.

"Our child comes first."

Rowena lowered her head, pretending to hesitate.

"If... if Luna Isla doesn't mind..."

Every eye turned toward me; I forced the corners of my lips upward.

"It's alright."

My voice sounded strangely distant.

"I'll move."

I picked up my plate and quietly walked to the empty chair beside Kael.

As I sat down, I felt someone watching.

Kael.

Kael met Damon's eyes, gave a slow, almost imperceptible shake of his head, then silently returned to his meal while Damon ignored him and turned his attention back to Rowena.

"Try the soup. The physician said warm meals are better for you."

Rowena laughed softly.

"You remember everything."

"I have to. You forget to take care of yourself. Its not just you now."

He filled her bowl, served her the choicest slice of roasted lamb, and Meredith watched with obvious satisfaction.

"That's exactly how a husband should treat his mate."

Harold nodded approvingly.

"The future heir must never go hungry."

I lowered my eyes to my untouched plate, realizing no one noticed, no one cared, and the seat that had been mine for five years now belonged to Rowena.

Conversation flowed easily around the table as they discussed baby names, the nursery, and the celebration planned for later that evening.

I quietly listened, feeling more like a servant than the Luna of Blackthorn. More like a servant than the daughter of the first Alpha who ruled this very palace before.

Just as dessert was served, an elderly omega entered carrying my favorite strawberry cake with a single lit candle and stopped beside my chair, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Happy birthday, Luna."

The room fell silent as I stared at the tiny flame, unable to breathe because the old omega was the only one who had remembered my birthday, and tears instantly blurred my vision.

"T-Thank you..."

Before I could say another word, Damon's amused voice cut through the silence.

"What are you? A child?"

He leaned back in his chair with a faint laugh.

"Are you going to blow out the candle and make a wish?"

A few servants moved uncomfortably.

No one dared speak.

I quickly shook my head.

"N-No I just..."

My throat tightened.

"I thought..."

I looked at Damon one last time, still hoping he had remembered.

"I thought you'd remember that today is my birthday."

Silence.

Damon frowned as though trying to recall something insignificant. Before he could answer, Meredith sighed impatiently.

"Oh, honestly."

She waved a dismissive hand.

"Must we stop dinner for this? It's only a birthday. You turned twenty-six today, so what? We all forgot. It isn't important. Let's just get on with dinner."

Harold nodded without looking up from his wine.

"Birthdays come every year. There's no need to make such a fuss."

Their words settled over me like cold rain as I looked at the tiny candle, forcing a smile when I realized not even my husband or his parents had remembered my birthday.

I managed a small smile. "I'm sorry."

I carefully closed the cake box.

"I suddenly... don't have much of an appetite."

Pushing back my chair, I stood.

"If you'll excuse me."

No one stopped me. No one wished me a happy birthday.

As I walked out of the dining hall, I heard the conversation resume behind me.

Laughter.

Talk of the baby.

Plans for Rowena's celebration.

As though I had never been there at all.

I had barely taken a few steps into the quiet palace corridor when I heard another pair of footsteps behind me.

They stopped a short distance away.

I turned.

Kael stood there, his expression as unreadable as ever.

Without saying a single word, he walked toward me and held out a small gift box wrapped in dark blue paper.

I stared at it for a moment before slowly accepting it. Our fingers brushed only briefly.

Still, he said nothing.

No "Happy Birthday."

No explanation; he simply looked at me.

For a long moment, his silver eyes searched my face, lingering on the tears and heartbreak his wolf had undoubtedly sensed beneath my forced smile.

Then, without another word, he turned around and walked away, disappearing down the dimly lit corridor.

I stood there alone, clutching the small gift box to my chest, wondering why the only person who remembered my birthday... wasn't my husband.

Islas POV

I stood alone under the moonlight, staring at the small wooden box resting in my hands.

Kael was already gone, never waiting for my thanks or looking back after quietly placing the gift box in my hands.

For a long moment, I wondered if he'd made a mistake and the gift wasn't meant for me, but as I slowly lifted the lid, my breath caught.

Inside rested a delicate necklace crafted from white gold, its chain lined with tiny diamonds that shimmered beneath the moonlight.

The pendant was a wolf.

Its eyes were set with two small blue sapphires, making the elegant piece undeniably beautiful and far too expensive.

It was, without question, the most valuable gift anyone had given me since my parents passed away.

With trembling fingers, I turned the pendant over.

Something was engraved on the back.

Isla.

My name.

It really was for me. A weak smile found its way onto my lips.

"Kael..."

Out of everyone in the palace who claimed to be my family, my husband's younger brother had been the only one who remembered my birthday, and I couldn't understand why.

Before I could think any further, a hand suddenly snatched the necklace from my fingers.

"What-?"

I spun around.

Rowena stood only a few steps away, clutching the necklace tightly in her hand.

Her eyes widened dramatically, then her face twisted with outrage.

"How dare you!"

She held up the pendant with trembling hands.

"How dare you steal from me?"

I stared at her, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"Excuse me?"

"My necklace!"

She clutched it tightly against her chest.

"I've been looking everywhere for it!"

A humorless laugh escaped my lips.

"I didn't steal anything from you."

I held out my hand.

"Give it back."

Instead of returning it, she took another step away.

"So shameless. You stole it, and now you're demanding I return it?"

My shock slowly gave way to anger.

"If there's a thief standing here..."

I met her eyes without flinching.

"...we both know it isn't me."

For the first time since arriving at Blackthorn Palace, I saw something ugly flash across Rowena's face.

She wasn't pretending anymore; this time, she was angry.

She looked down at the necklace before letting out a mocking laugh.

"A custom-made piece. White gold. Diamonds."

She looked me up and down with open contempt.

"Tell me, Luna How could someone like you possibly afford something this expensive?"

She lifted the pendant higher.

"This necklace is worth more than your life."

I looked at her quietly, thinking that if Father were still alive, he would have laughed because everything in this palace, even the ground beneath Rowena's feet, had once belonged to House Nightfang.

The Blackthorn family ruled today only because, after my parents died, the Elders forced me to choose a mate, and I chose Damon, believing he was the one the Moon Goddess had destined for me.

But I didn't tell her any of that.

There was no point.

I simply held out my hand again.

"Give it back, Rowena."

"No."

Her smile widened.

"I think it looks much better on me."

Something inside me finally snapped.

She had already taken my husband, my place beside him, my anniversary, and even my birthday, but I refused to let her take the only gift I had received today, so I stepped forward and grabbed her wrist.

"Let go."

She struggled immediately.

"Don't touch me!"

I tightened my grip and pulled the necklace free, and as Rowena stared at her empty hand, her expression suddenly changed. Then

She screamed.

A loud, piercing scream echoed through the palace gardens.

"Help! Luna Isla attacked me!"

Within seconds, hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor as Damon arrived first, followed by Harold, Meredith, and several servants, and the moment Rowena saw him, she burst into tears and threw herself into his arms.

"D-Damon..."

She clung to him, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.

"Luna Isla She stole my necklace. My parents gave it to me on my eighteenth birthday. Please, it's mine..." She sobbed.

"Believe me..."

Without hesitation, Damon wrapped his arms around her.

"Shh..."

His voice was gentle.

"I believe you."

Something inside me broke as Damon never asked a single question or even looked at the necklace before deciding I was guilty, then his cold, emotionless eyes found mine and he strode toward me.

"Give it to her."

I tightened my grip around the pendant.

"No."

His expression darkened.

"I said Give it back."

"It's mine."

Before I could react, Damon fisted my hair with enough force to make even my wolf cry out in pain, and a gasp escaped my lips.

"Damon..."

He yanked harder.

"I won't repeat myself, woman. Hand it over..."

His voice dropped into a dangerous growl.

"...or I'll break your neck."

My eyes burned with tears, but after everything Damon had already done to break my heart, I simply tightened my grip around the necklace.

"No."

The word came out as barely a whisper.

"No. This belongs to me. Break your own Luna's neck if you want, but I won't hand over what's mine."

Damon's grip tightened, but before he could move again, another hand shot forward and clamped around his wrist.

"Let go."

The voice was calm, but commanding.

Kael.

The entire palace fell silent as Damon glared at his younger brother.

"Don't meddle in my family affairs, brother."

Kael said nothing, only tightening his hold on Damon's wrist as his silver eyes locked with his brother's, their silent challenge hanging heavily between them.

Finally, Damon released my hair, and I stumbled back, clutching the necklace to my chest as Rowena quickly pointed at me again.

"P-Please, Sir Kael She took my necklace. She's a thief. She should be punished."

Kael finally looked at me and silently held out his hand, and understanding what he meant, I reluctantly placed the necklace in his palm.

"I..."

My voice trembled.

"I didn't want to let go of it."

He gave the pendant a brief glance before turning toward Rowena.

His expression remained unreadable.

"Is your name Isla?"

Rowena frowned.

"W-What?"

Kael turned the pendant over so everyone could see.

"It says 'Isla.'"

Silence.

Rowena's face lost its color.

"Y-You're mistaken."

Damon frowned.

"Kael I think you're confused."

A faint smirk tugged at Kael's lips.

"I don't think so."

He lifted his gaze to meet Damon's.

"I think I'd recognize my own gift, Alpha."

The courtyard fell completely silent.

Damon stared at him.

"Your gift?"

Kael walked past him, stopped in front of me, and silently fastened the necklace around my neck before turning back to face Damon.

"It's your Luna's birthday, Alpha."

His voice was steady and dangerously calm.

"So I bought her a gift."

Damon's brows knitted together.

"You bought my wife a necklace worth a fortune?"

Kael didn't look away; instead, he asked quietly,

"And you?"

A heavy silence settled over the courtyard as Kael kept his eyes fixed on his older brother.

"What did you give her?"

Isla's POV

It had been two days since Rowena stood in the middle of the royal hall, pointed at me, and called me a thief.

Two days had passed since Kael had stepped between Damon and me, challenging the Alpha of Blackthorn without hesitation.

Two days...

And somehow, I was still waiting for justice that would never come.

For a brief, foolish moment after Rowena's accusation, I believed Damon would punish her.

Not because I wanted revenge, but because I knew Damon would have done the same for me. As his Luna, one mistake always earned me hours of lectures, insults, and physical pain, so I waited for him to hold Rowena to the same standard. Instead, he walked right past me and went straight to her.

"It's alright," he whispered as he gently cupped her cheek before pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. Then he pulled her into his arms, protecting and comforting her in a way I hadn't been held in years.

"You've been under too much stress."

His voice had been gentle.

Patient.

Loving.

As if she were the victim, Damon held Rowena while I stood forgotten. In that moment, I accepted the truth: he had never married me for love, only because the last heir of House Nightfang needed a mate before the Council would recognize its ruler.

Days after my parents' funeral, before I could even grieve, my future had already been decided.

"Princess Isla," Elder Magnus said.

"The kingdom cannot remain without an Alpha. You must choose a husband. The future of House Nightfang depends on it."

I was only eighteen, lost, broken, and left alone in a palace that felt unbearably empty after my parents, especially my father, Alpha Alaric Nightfang, were murdered.

Then Damon appeared, bringing fresh bouquets of moon lilies, white roses, and silver orchids to my door every single morning and evening.

Then came the letters.

One.

Two.

Ten.

Eventually...

Hundreds.

Beautiful handwritten letters filled with promises.

"I'll protect you, you'll never be alone again, I love you, Isla, and I'll carry your pain."

Back then, I believed every word because I was drowning in grief, and Damon, the kind older boy I'd admired since childhood as Beta's son who always found me when I was lost and helped me when I fell, became the only wolf I thought I had left, though there was another wolf too.

Kael.

Kael Blackthorn, Damons younger brother.

Even before my parents died, Kael had quietly pursued me with honesty instead of flowers, challenging me during training, making me laugh, treating me as an equal, and later sitting beside me in silence without ever asking me to move on.

Looking back, perhaps that had been real love, but I never gave him a chance because Damon told me exactly what my broken heart wanted to believe.

"The Moon Goddess made us for each other. We're fated mates."

Everyone believed him.

The Council believed him.

The elders believed him.

Even my wolf accepted him without question.

So...

I chose Damon.

Just a few months after burying my parents, I became Damon's wife, and on our wedding day, he became Alpha, not because he had earned the title, but because he had married the last heir of House Nightfang, replacing my family's centuries-old kingdom with Blackthorn Pack, while I believed we were building a future together.

For a while, I thought we were happy, until the royal physician looked at me with pity and said, "I'm sorry, Luna." "You'll never be able to bear a child."

That single sentence changed everything: the flowers disappeared, the letters stopped, Damon no longer reached for my hand, and when Rowena returned, I overheard him call her "the woman I was always meant to be with," making me realize our marriage had ended long before either of us admitted it.

A sharp knock pulled me back to the present; my heart skipped a beat.

"Come in."

The heavy doors opened, and for the first time in weeks, Damon stepped into my room, making a pathetic spark of hope flicker inside me as I wondered if he had finally come to ask how I was or if he regretted what had happened two days ago.

Maybe

Without a word, Damon walked straight past me.

A thick stack of official folders landed on my desk with a heavy thud.

"I need your signature."

The tiny spark of hope inside me died instantly.

For years, I had signed whatever Damon placed in front of me without a second thought.

He was my husband, my Alpha, the wolf I had trusted with everything, so out of habit I reached for the fountain pen until Damon placed his hand over the documents. "Read them first," he said, and when I looked up in surprise, I replied, "You've never asked me to read them before."

His expression never changed. "The Council has become stricter. They require your acknowledgment before anything can be finalized," he said, but something in his rehearsed tone made my stomach tighten as I pulled the first document closer.

The royal seal of Blackthorn was stamped across the top, followed by another crest I hadn't seen in years.

The silver wolf of House Nightfang.

My breath caught.

I turned the page.

Then another.

My fingers slowly grew cold.

Every page transferred another piece of my family's legacy, my father's properties, my mother's businesses, everything that had remained under my name since their deaths, into direct control of House Blackthorn, and when I asked,

"...Do these really need my approval?" Damon answered too quickly,

"They're just formalities. The Council requires your signature."

I stared at the documents, realizing everything listed belonged to House Nightfang... belonged to me, and for the first time, I hesitated because only a few days ago, I would have signed every page without reading a single word.

Because that was what wives do

Wasn't it?

I had always believed that once I married Damon, there would no longer be any difference between mine and him.

What belonged to me...

Belonged to him too.

That was how marriage worked.

That was what I had convinced myself of all these years. But something inside me had changed. Maybe it began when he forgot our anniversary. Or when he spent my birthday with Rowena.

Maybe when he stood there and let another woman accuse me of stealing.

Maybe when Rowena buried me alive, maybe when he chose her over and over, or when everyone made fun of me, his parents insulted me, and he did nothing but laugh and call me weak. Or maybe... it happened the moment I finally admitted Damon no longer loved me.

"You trust me, don't you?"

His voice pulled me back.

I met his eyes, and there it was again.

That question.

Once upon a time, I would've laughed at how ridiculous it was, and of course, I trusted him.

I trusted him more than I trusted myself.

I trusted him with my heart.

My title.

My future.

My family's legacy.

Now...

I wasn't so sure.

I picked up the pen. A flicker of satisfaction crossed Damon's face. He thought nothing had changed.

That I was still the same foolish Luna who would obey without question.

Fine.

If Damon wanted to play games...

Then I'd play too.