Betrayed by My Alpha, I Became Free

The omega quarters smelled of mildew and despair. I pressed my back against the cold stone wall, counting the days since Max had locked me here after my fall. Three weeks. Three weeks of isolation, with only the guards' cruel laughter for company.

"Did you hear?" One guard's voice drifted through the barred window. "Alpha Maxwell spent another night in Lady Victoria's chambers. They say he can't keep his hands off her."

"Poor omega thinks she's still his mate," another guard chuckled. "Doesn't she know? Once an Alpha tastes a real she-wolf, he never goes back to scraps."

Their laughter echoed through the narrow corridor, each sound a dagger to my heart. I wrapped my arms around my empty belly, the place where our pup should have been growing. The physical pain had faded, but the ache in my soul remained raw.

My wolf whimpered inside me, weak from the loss and Max's absence. Through our mind-link, I felt nothing—he had shut me out completely since that night.

The door creaked open, and I tensed, expecting another guard with moldy bread and water. Instead, Anya slipped inside, her eyes darting nervously.

"I shouldn't be here," she whispered, pressing something into my palm. A folded piece of paper, warm from her grip.

"Anya—"

"Read it when I'm gone." Her voice trembled. "And burn it after."

She vanished as quickly as she'd appeared, leaving me alone with the note. My hands shook as I unfolded it, recognizing her careful handwriting:

*Luna, you need to know the truth. I overheard Victoria and Luna Elara in the garden. The miscarriage wasn't your fault. Victoria put wolfsbane in her own tea, then blamed you. She's planning something worse. Please, be careful. Trust no one.*

I stared at the words until they blurred. Of course. How could I have been so blind? Victoria had orchestrated everything—from that first night with Max to my fall down the stairs. And Max... he had chosen to believe them over me.

I held the note over the single candle in my cell, watching Anya's warning turn to ash. My wolf stirred, not with hope but with a grim understanding. We were truly alone.

---

The full moon ceremony arrived with its usual pageantry. Guards dragged me from the omega quarters, claiming Alpha's orders. I hadn't seen moonlight in weeks, and even through my resentment, my wolf yearned for its touch.

The pack had gathered in the sacred circle, silver moonlight bathing everything in an ethereal glow. Max stood at the center, magnificent in his ceremonial robes, with Victoria beside him in a dress of midnight blue. She looked radiant, her hand resting on her flat stomach in a gesture I recognized too well.

No. Not again.

As if sensing my thoughts, Victoria's eyes found mine across the circle. The corner of her mouth twitched—not quite a smile, but close enough.

"Brothers and sisters of the Silver Fang Pack," Max's voice rang out, strong and clear. "Tonight, under the blessed moon, we celebrate—"

Victoria swayed suddenly, her hand flying to her forehead. "Max," she gasped, loud enough for everyone to hear. "I feel... strange."

She crumpled gracefully—too gracefully—into his arms. Max caught her, his face etched with concern as the pack murmured in alarm.

"The pup," Victoria whispered, but her voice carried on the night air. "Our second pup... I didn't want to say anything until I was certain, but..." She pressed his hand to her stomach. "The healer confirmed it this morning."

The pack erupted in celebration. Another heir, another blessing from the Moon Goddess. I watched Max's face transform from concern to joy, and something inside me shattered completely.

Through our mind-link, I felt him reaching for me. *Luna, please. I know this is hard, but—*

*No.* I slammed my mental walls shut, but not before his next words slipped through.

*This is the last time, I swear. Once this pup is born, once I secure the pack's future, we'll leave. My mother will have two grandchildren to carry on the bloodline. She won't be able to stop us anymore. Please, my love. Trust me one more time.*

One more time. How many times had I heard those words? How many times had I believed them?

Victoria had recovered from her theatrical faint, now glowing with triumph as pack members offered congratulations. Her eyes met mine over their shoulders, and this time she didn't hide her smile.

I felt my wolf curl up inside me, smaller than ever. And somewhere deep in my chest, something that had been holding on finally let go.

*One more time,* Max pleaded through our bond.

Against every instinct screaming otherwise, I sent back a single word: *Fine.*

But as guards escorted me back to the omega quarters, I fingered the small wooden token in my pocket—the one Anya had given me months ago. The Rogue Alliance. Maybe it was time to stop believing in promises.

Maybe it was time to save myself.