Three Years in Prison for My Mate, Only for Him to Claim Another as His Luna

Three years ago, Adonis was at the pinnacle of his rise to Alpha-his moment, his glory. But in one cruel twist of fate, everything shattered. A car accident that should have ruined him. But instead, he begged me-begged me to take the fall.

"Mellisa, please. You're the only one who can save me. Take the blame, for the pack, for everything I've worked for." His eyes were desperate, pleading. "I'll owe you forever. This is the only way."

And I believed him. I believed in him. I sacrificed my life for his-my freedom, my future, everything-just to protect him. He promised me that when he became Alpha, everything would change. That he would make it up to me. But now... now, I had learned the truth.

The day I finally walked out of that prison cell, the weight of years spent in darkness lifting from my shoulders, I learned that today wasn't just any day. Today was the day he would choose his Luna. The ceremony

The moment I stepped into the grand hotel, the air thick with tension, I felt the weight of everything I had sacrificed for Adonis.

I was here, not as a guest, but as a woman who had given up her life for him-my life, my freedom. But fate had other plans.

Before I could even take another step, I collided with him-Adonis.

His dark eyes locked onto mine, and in that instant, everything in the world seemed to freeze.

"Mellisa?" Cole, his beta, narrowed his eyes, looking me up and down with a disdainful sneer.

He turned to Adonis, voice sharp with ridicule. "She showed up like this? You've got to be kidding me. She's not here to ruin the ceremony, is she?"

Adonis' gaze flickered between Cole and me, his jaw clenched tight, his expression a cocktail of shock and fury.

Before I could even catch my breath, he grabbed my arm and yanked me into a shadowed corner, the heat of his rage radiating off him.

"What the hell are you doing, Mellisa?" His voice was low, but the venom dripping from each word felt like a blade pressed to my skin.

"I promised you we'd stay bonded in secret. You swore you'd stay out of sight!"

His grip on my wrist tightened painfully, and his breath seared my skin as he pulled me closer.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Mellisa?" Adonis hissed, his voice low but laced with fury.

Before I could answer, Cole, standing off to the side, flicked his cigarette and let a cloud of smoke spill between us. "Come on, Mellisa," he sneered, taking a slow drag. "You're lucky Adonis even agreed to keep that pathetic bond a secret. An ex-con like you should know your place."

My chest tightened, but I forced my voice steady, my glare never leaving him. "Lucky? Do you think taking the fall for his crime was some grand privilege? I spent years rotting away while he lived his life."

Their laughter echoed through the hallway, sharp and cruel.

Adonis's eyes flicked from Cole to me, his face contorting in frustration. "Mellisa, let it go. You think you're the victim here? I've given you everything-everything! And you still can't be grateful for what I did!"

Cole grinned wider, his eyes glinting with malice. "Mellisa, let's be real here. While you were in prison, living the 'easy life,' Adonis took care of the pack, kept everything running smoothly. He even made sure you didn't have to deal with this whole Luna ceremony, found himself a stand-in because he knew you hated the spotlight. If I were you, I'd be worshipping the ground he walks on."

"Worship?" I laughed, bitterly.

"Is that what you call loyalty now? A handout? A secret bond that means nothing but keeps me tied to your filthy lies?"

Adonis's eyes flickered with rage. "Enough, Mellisa. Go home. Stop making a damn spectacle of yourself. This is not your place anymore."

"And why the hell should I?" I snapped, my voice trembling with rage. "You want me to be grateful? That being locked away for your ambitions was some kind of blessing?"

Adonis's face went from flushed with embarrassment to cold with fury. His voice dropped dangerously low. "You're ruining everything, Mellisa!" he hissed. "Do you have any idea what this could cost me?"

Cole, smirking, stepped closer, cigarette dangling from his lips. The smoke hit my lungs like a slap, choking me.

"Face it, Mellisa," he sneered.

"If I were a woman, I wouldn't let this chance slip through my fingers. You don't even know how lucky you are."

The others around him laughed mockingly, their voices dripping with disdain. The smoke thickened, burning my eyes. I could feel my throat tightening as I fought to breathe, and tears sprang to my eyes.

I turned to Adonis, every ounce of the man I once loved slipping away from me.

"Is this what you've become, Adonis? Someone who thinks using me was my 'good fortune'?" My voice cracked with the betrayal that seethed beneath every word.