After My Alpha Husband Brought His Mistress Home

The training grounds smelled like sweat and dirt. I stood at the edge of the field, watching Forest practice his defensive stances with the other young wolves. He was small for his age, but his movements were precise. Focused.

My son.

In my previous life, I'd lost him to Allie's poison. She'd whispered lies until he couldn't look at me without disgust. This time, I'd make sure he saw the truth.

"Again!" Gamma Reed barked at the line of youngsters. "Faster!"

Forest dropped into a crouch, his muscles coiling. He was getting stronger. Soon his wolf would awaken, and he'd need to understand what real leadership looked like.

Not Isaac's brutality. Not Allie's manipulation.

Something better.

"Luna Vera." One of the Deltas approached, dipping his head respectfully. "The Alpha asked if you'd observe the afternoon drills."

I smiled. "Of course."

Twenty minutes later, Allie's voice cut across the field like a whip.

"You clumsy idiot!"

I turned. A young Omega—barely sixteen, with mousy brown hair—had dropped a stack of towels near the water station. They lay scattered in the dust. The girl's face had gone white, her shoulders hunched as Allie loomed over her.

"Do you have any idea how expensive these are?" Allie's voice dripped venom. "Of course you don't. Omegas like you wouldn't know quality if it bit you."

The girl's eyes filled with tears. Around us, the warriors had stopped training. Watching. Waiting to see what would happen.

Forest stood frozen, his gaze locked on Allie's face.

I moved before I could think.

"It's just towels, Allie." My voice was soft. Calm. I knelt beside the trembling Omega, gathering the fallen fabric. "Accidents happen."

Allie's eyes narrowed. "She needs to learn—"

"She's learning." I met her gaze, still smiling. Still gentle. "We all make mistakes when we're nervous. Don't we?"

The emphasis was slight. Just enough for Allie to remember the jewelry in her trunk. The humiliation in front of the pack.

Her jaw tightened.

I turned to the Omega, pressing the towels into her shaking hands. "What's your name?"

"M-Mara, Luna."

"Mara." I squeezed her shoulder. "Thank you for helping today. The warriors appreciate your service."

Her eyes went wide. Like she'd never heard those words before.

Maybe she hadn't.

I stood, brushing dust from my jeans. Around us, the warriors had started moving again. Training. But I felt their attention. Their approval.

Allie's face had gone red. She spun on her heel and stalked away.

I glanced at Forest. He was staring at me, something shifting behind his eyes. Understanding, maybe. Or the beginning of it.

*Good,* Sasha whispered. *Let him see.*

The pack barbecue that evening was loud and crowded. Families gathered around picnic tables, the smell of grilled meat thick in the air. Isaac stood near the main grill, laughing with Beta Cross. Playing the perfect Alpha.

I spotted Ramon near the dessert table, his plate piled high with cake. Allie's precious son. The supposed heir.

I picked up a glass of lemonade and moved through the crowd. Casual. Unhurried.

Ramon was bragging to a group of younger wolves about his "Alpha strength," flexing his arms like he was already grown. The other kids looked impressed.

Fools.

I stumbled—just slightly—and the lemonade sloshed over the rim of my glass. It splashed across the grass, droplets hitting Ramon's expensive sneakers.

"Oh!" I gasped, setting the glass down. "I'm so sorry!"

I dropped to my knees, pulling a napkin from my pocket. Ramon stepped back, annoyed, and I leaned closer. Wiping at the grass. Breathing in.

His scent hit me like a fist.

Beneath the designer cologne and the arrogance, I smelled it. Earth and pine. The distinct, unmistakable odor of Beta blood. Not just any Beta—Bloodmoon Pack. I'd know that scent anywhere. Isaac's rival pack.

Allie's lover.

*Gotcha.*

I kept my face neutral as I stood, still apologizing. Ramon waved me off, already turning back to his audience. As I moved away, my fingers brushed his jacket. A single dark hair came away in my hand.

I palmed it carefully. DNA evidence. Proof that would destroy Allie's lies forever.

*Soon,* Sasha purred. *Very soon.*

The next morning, I woke to chaos.

Shouts echoed from outside. I threw on clothes and ran downstairs, following the sound to the forest trail where the pack did their morning runs.

Isaac lay on the ground, surrounded by warriors. His face was twisted in pain, one hand pressed to his temple. His Alpha aura flickered like a dying lightbulb—weak, unstable.

"Alpha!" Beta Cross knelt beside him. "What happened?"

"My head..." Isaac's voice was strained. "I can't—my wolf won't—"

I pushed through the crowd, my face a mask of panic. "Isaac!"

I dropped to my knees beside him, reaching for his hand. Playing the terrified mate. Inside, Sasha was howling with triumph.

The Silver-Dust was working.

Isaac's eyes found mine, confused and afraid. "Vera, something's wrong. I tried to shift, but—"

His aura flickered again. I felt it—the fracture in his connection to his wolf. The bond between human and beast cracking like ice.

"Get the healer," I said, my voice shaking. "Now!"

Warriors scattered. Beta Cross barked orders. And I stayed there, holding Isaac's hand, whispering soothing words.

While inside, I smiled.

The predator was closing in for the kill.