Karma Is Coming, Alpha!

Arielle Johnson stood frozen in the hallway of the packhouse, her heart pounding as the whispers reached her ears.

“She’s back,” someone murmured. “Jennifer Green is back—with a child. They say he’s Nathan’s son.”

The world tilted around her, the words reverberating like a death knell. Jennifer Green. Nathan’s true mate. The one he’d never stopped loving. And now she has returned with a child? Arielle’s knees threatened to buckle, but she forced herself to stay upright.

The pack members continued their gossip, completely ignoring her presence. “It’s time for that Luna to step aside. Jennifer was always the real Luna.”

Arielle’s fingers clenched into fists. She turned and walked away, her steps quickening until she broke into a run. The whispers and stares faded as she fled into the forest, tears stinging her eyes.

The towering trees blurred past her as she pushed herself forward, desperate to outrun the agony clawing at her chest. When she finally reached the stream deep in the woods, she collapsed to her knees, her sobs breaking free.

“How much more, Moon Goddess?” she choked, her voice trembling. “How much more can I take?”

Her marriage to Nathan had always been a farce. He had married her only to honor his mother’s dying wish, not out of love. He’d never marked her, never mated with her. He barely acknowledged her as his wife, preferring to spend his nights with other women.

But this—Jennifer’s return with a supposed child—was a blow she hadn’t been prepared for.

She sobbed until her chest ached and her throat was raw, the pain pouring out of her in waves. When the tears finally subsided, she wiped her face and took a shuddering breath.

“You can’t break in front of them,” she whispered to herself. “You’re the Luna, even if they don’t see you as one.”

With renewed resolve, she stood and made her way back to the packhouse, her steps heavy but determined.

The packhouse was eerily quiet when Arielle returned, the usual bustle of activity replaced by an oppressive silence. She climbed the stairs to her bedroom, her heart sinking with each step.

As she reached the door, a strange scent stopped her in her tracks. Perfume—sweet and cloying. It was mixed with the unmistakable musk of intimacy.

Dread coiled in her stomach as she pushed the door open.

Nathan was in their bed—with Jennifer.

The scene before her was devastating. Jennifer lay draped across Nathan, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on his chest. Their clothes were scattered haphazardly across the floor, leaving no doubt as to what had transpired.

But what gutted Arielle the most wasn’t the betrayal itself. It was their expressions.

They didn’t scramble to cover themselves or offer apologies. Instead, they looked at her with irritation, as if her presence was an inconvenience.

Nathan’s brows furrowed in annoyance. “Arielle, what are you doing here?”

Jennifer smirked, propping herself up on one elbow. “Luna,” she drawled mockingly. “You should really learn to knock.”

Arielle’s chest tightened as she gripped the doorframe, her nails digging into the wood. Her pain was unbearable, but she refused to let it consume her.

“I see,” she said quietly, her voice calm despite the storm raging inside her. “So this is what it’s come to.”

Nathan’s eyes flickered with something—perhaps guilt—but it was gone in an instant, replaced by indifference.

Arielle walked to the closet, her movements slow and deliberate as she began packing a small bag.

“You never marked me,” she said softly, her voice tinged with bitterness. “You never mated with me. But at least you did marry me, Nathan. That, I thought, meant something.”

She turned to face him, meeting his gaze for the first time. “After tonight, even that bond will be gone. This marriage ends here.”

Jennifer’s smug smile faltered slightly, but Nathan remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Arielle slung the bag over her shoulder and walked out of the room, her steps steady and composed. She didn’t look back.

The door clicked shut behind her, and Nathan was left staring at the empty space where his wife had stood. For a long moment, he didn’t move.

Jennifer shifted beside him, her fingers trailing down his arm. “Well, that was dramatic,” she said with a smirk.

But Nathan didn’t respond. The tightness in his chest was unbearable, a pain so raw it left him gasping for air. His wolf stirred restlessly, its anguish spilling into his own.

You’ve ruined everything.

The voice of his wolf was a growl in his mind, low and accusing. Nathan gritted his teeth, clutching his chest as the pain intensified.

“Enough,” he muttered, but the words rang hollow.

His wolf’s howl echoed in his mind, a sound so mournful it sent a shiver down his spine. Before he could stop it, the howl broke free, reverberating through the night.

Jennifer flinched, her smirk fading. “Nathan?” she asked cautiously.

But Nathan couldn’t answer. His wolf’s grief consumed him, the sound of its cries tearing through the quiet.

It wasn’t supposed to feel like this. She was just an obligation, a convenience. So why did her absence leave such a gaping void in his chest?

For the first time, Nathan felt the weight of his choices crashing down on him. He had spent years pushing Arielle away, denying her the love and respect she deserved. Now, she was gone—and with her, a piece of himself he hadn’t realized he couldn’t live without.