After My Alpha Killed My Mother to Save His Mistress

The moonstone necklace's disappearance was the final straw. I needed proof—irrefutable evidence that would expose Julius and Briella's betrayal.

I contacted Marcus Reed, Beta of the Mountainview Pack. We'd known each other since childhood, before pack politics and mate bonds complicated everything. If anyone could help me without raising suspicion, it would be him.

"We need to meet," I texted him, using our old coded language. "Trade negotiation. Tomorrow. The usual place."

His reply came almost instantly: "Confirmed. 10 AM."

---

The safe room beneath the old hunting cabin had been soundproofed decades ago—a relic from when our packs first formed alliances. No one would hear us here.

"Paige," Marcus greeted me, his expression serious as he pulled me into a brief embrace. "What's really going on?"

I didn't waste time with pleasantries. "I need to see the pack ledger."

His eyebrows shot up. "That's not a small request."

"I know." I removed my Luna pendant, placing it on the table between us. "But something's wrong in Silvercrest. Funds are missing. And I think I know where they've gone."

Marcus studied my face for a long moment before nodding. "I'll help you."

We connected his secure tablet to the pack's financial server. As Beta, he had access to allied pack financials for trade purposes—not enough to make changes, but enough to see discrepancies.

"Start with the border security allocations," I suggested, standing behind him as he navigated through the system.

Marcus's fingers moved swiftly across the screen. "This is... odd. The allocations for the past year show significant discrepancies."

"Show me."

He pulled up a spreadsheet, highlighting rows in red. "Funds marked for northern border reinforcements. Gone. Training equipment for new recruits. Never purchased." His voice hardened as he scrolled further. "Schooling for the pups—diverted."

My stomach clenched as the numbers added up. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, all vanished.

"Can you trace where it went?"

Marcus nodded grimly. "Already on it."

The trail led to a series of shell companies, but Marcus was relentless. Within an hour, he'd traced the money to its final destination.

"A luxury condo in the city," he said, turning the screen toward me. "Purchased eight months ago. And..." he tapped another file, "high-end designer goods. Jewelry. Spa retreats."

All the receipts and invoices pointed to one name: Briella Woods.

"There's more," Marcus said quietly. "The condo is in her name, but the down payment came from these diverted funds."

I closed my eyes, fighting the wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm me. "Two years," I whispered. "This has been going on for two years."

---

"The pack's private network has a sub-forum," Marcus explained as we moved to the second phase of our investigation. "Not many know about it."

"But you do," I said, a small smile touching my lips despite everything.

"Benefits of being a Beta who actually does his job." He winked, then turned serious again. "Briella's been posting there under a pseudonym."

"Alpha'sTrueLove," I guessed bitterly.

Marcus's expression confirmed it. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess."

We hacked into the account—Marcus insisted it wasn't technically hacking since he had legitimate access as a Beta—and what we found made my blood run cold.

Photos. Dozens of them. Julius and Briella at romantic getaways, expensive restaurants, luxury hotels. The timeline stretched back two years—long before my mother's death.

I scrolled until I found it—a photo dated the exact week my mother died. Julius and Briella at a spa resort, champagne glasses raised in a toast. His arm was around her waist, her head thrown back in laughter.

"He chose me over duty," the caption read.

My hands trembled as I stared at the image. While I'd been sitting beside my mother's deathbed, holding her hand as she slipped away, Julius had been celebrating with his mistress.

---

"The eastern border is vulnerable," I told the patrol guards as I joined their inspection. "I want to see it for myself."

Julius had conveniently skipped this inspection—the third one he'd missed this month.

We hadn't gone far when a scent hit us—rogue wolf.

"Stand ready," I commanded as the guards tensed.

The rogue burst from the treeline—a massive male with wild eyes and matted fur. He'd caught our scent and was charging straight for us.

"Alpha Julius isn't here!" one of the younger guards panicked.

"Then it's a good thing I am," I growled, letting Luna take over.

My transformation was swift, practiced. The rogue didn't expect resistance—certainly not from a Luna traveling with only three guards.

He was wrong.

Luna's rage fueled every strike, every bite. This was the first time I'd truly let her fight without restraint. The rogue never stood a chance.

As I stood over his body, fur matted with blood, the guards stared at me with newfound respect.

"The Alpha hasn't been to a border patrol in months," one of them finally said, his voice low. "We're understaffed because he keeps reassigning guards to... other duties."

"I've noticed," I replied carefully. "And I've noticed who actually shows up when it matters."

Their eyes met mine, understanding passing between us.

"Who do you think keeps the rogues from our borders, Delta?" I asked softly.

"Not the Alpha," he answered after a moment.

I nodded slowly. "No. Not the Alpha."