After My Mate Betrayed Me, I Revealed The Truth

The dinner's tension lingered in my veins long after the last guest departed. Marcus had been visibly shaken by my casual mention of the cabin—exactly as I'd hoped. Now was the time to push further while he was off-balance.

'He'll be meeting with the council elders for at least two hours,' Athena reminded me as I slipped from my quarters. 'Plenty of time to search his study.'

The hallways of the pack house were quiet at this late hour. I moved silently, my body remembering its former strength more with each passing day. The lock on Marcus's study door was no match for the small tool Nathan had provided—another debt I was accruing to the mysterious Lycan enforcer.

The study smelled overwhelmingly of Marcus—pine and winter frost—making Athena bristle within me. 'Focus,' she growled. 'We need those financial records.'

I went straight to the antique desk dominating the room. The top drawer opened easily, revealing nothing but stationery and pens. The second contained pack reports—territory disputes, alliance proposals, birth records. But the third drawer was locked.

'There,' Athena urged. 'That's where he'd hide anything important.'

It took longer to pick this lock, my hands trembling slightly with anticipation. When it finally clicked open, I found several leather-bound ledgers neatly stacked inside. I pulled them out, spreading them across the desk under the soft glow of the lamp.

The first ledger contained standard pack accounting—territory taxes, maintenance costs, salaries for pack employees. But the second book told a different story. Hidden between legitimate entries were regular transfers to an offshore account, disguised as "maintenance reserves" or "emergency funds." The amounts were staggering—millions siphoned from pack coffers over the past decade.

But what made my blood truly boil was the third ledger. This one detailed transfers from my own inheritance—the Moonstone Pack funds that should have been held in trust during my coma. Marcus had somehow gained access and had been steadily draining it, converting my birthright into his personal slush fund.

'That bastard,' Athena snarled. 'He's been stealing from us while playing the devoted mate.'

I quickly photographed each damning page with the small camera Nathan had provided. The evidence was mounting—first his affair with Isabella, now financial fraud that would outrage both our packs.

* * *

Three days later, I found myself in unfamiliar territory—literally. The full moon festival of the Crescent Valley Pack, Isabella's home pack, was in full swing as I slipped among the revelers. I wore a hooded cloak that concealed my face and scent-blocking oils Nathan had provided. No one would recognize the supposedly frail, recovering Luna of the Silvermoon Pack here.

'There they are,' Athena alerted me, her senses sharper than my human ones.

I positioned myself behind a large oak tree with a clear view of the central bonfire. Marcus had arrived with a small delegation—officially to strengthen inter-pack relations, but I knew the real reason stood just across the clearing.

Isabella was resplendent in a flowing white dress that emphasized her curves, her dark hair adorned with moon flowers. She moved with the confidence of a woman who knew her power, circling the gathering until she casually intersected with Marcus's path.

I activated the recorder in my pocket as they greeted each other with the formal pack greeting—a clasp of forearms that lingered just a moment too long.

"Alpha Sterling," she purred, loud enough for nearby wolves to hear. "How kind of you to grace our humble celebration."

"The honor is mine," Marcus replied, his voice carrying the formal tone of an Alpha, though I could detect the undercurrent of desire. "Your pack's hospitality is renowned."

Their public interaction remained proper, but as the night progressed and the moon rose higher, Isabella grew bolder. During a traditional dance around the bonfire, she maneuvered to partner with Marcus. When the dance brought them close to the edge of the clearing—away from most observers but directly in my line of sight—she made her move.

With deliberate slowness, she leaned in and dragged her cheek against his neck, a blatant scent-marking that went far beyond any acceptable interaction between an unmated female and a supposedly committed Alpha.

Marcus tensed, his eyes darting around to see if anyone had noticed. But instead of pushing her away, he allowed it, even tilting his head slightly to give her better access.

"Soon," I heard her whisper, the recorder capturing her words clearly. "Once your little Luna problem is resolved permanently."

His response was too low to hear, but his hand at the small of her back, pulling her closer, spoke volumes.

I'd seen enough. As I slipped away from the festival, the evidence safely recorded, Athena's satisfaction mirrored my own. Marcus thought he was playing a careful game, balancing his public image with his private desires. He had no idea the net was closing around him—and soon, very soon, I would pull it tight.