Marked by Deception

The night of the Blood Moon, I lay dying, gasping for breath, reaching for my mate.

Dante never looked back.

He ran—to save Rhea, who had suffered nothing but a scratch.

And as the light faded from my eyes, I learned the truth.

My life had been a game.

Xander. Dante. Rhea. The three of them had planned it all.

I was nothing but a pawn.

I had thought I knew pain. Thought nothing could cut deeper than betrayal.

I was wrong.

They hadn’t just cast me aside. They had stolen my future.

My body trembled—not from weakness, but from rage.

I clenched my fists, nails piercing my palms, but the pain was nothing compared to the emptiness inside me—where life was meant to be.

Where my children should have been.

They had gone to the pack doctor,the one I trusted and paid him.

Paid him to butcher me.

To steal the one thing that should have been mine alone to give.

I had never questioned the fever after that visit, the exhaustion, the aching bones. Too broken to suspect.

And they had smiled.

Xander, tucking my hair behind my ear with hands that had signed away my future.

Dante, laughing beside me as if he hadn’t ensured I would never bear his heir.

And Rhea gazing at me with false sympathy, knowing she had orchestrated it all.

This wasn’t betrayal.

This was destruction.

They hadn’t wanted me to heal. Had made sure that even if I rose from the ashes, I would never be whole.

But they failed.

Because I was still here.

And that meant I could still make them pay.

They had written their wills, left everything to her.

I had died in agony.

But now—

Now, I was back.

I stared at the crisp envelope in my hands.

Riverdale University.

The same school I had followed Xander to like a lovesick fool.

I tore it in half.

Then into quarters.

Shredding it until the pieces fluttered to the floor like dead leaves.

The classroom fell silent.

"Astrid, what are you doing?!" My teacher’s voice broke through the hush.

I met her gaze, steady. Cold.

"I’m not going to Riverdale."

Murmurs erupted. My name had been first on the list.

"But… why?" she asked.

I didn’t blink. "The National Special Research College accepted me. They’re sending medical support for my grandmother."

Her frown softened. "Astrid, I know things have been hard for you, but you must work even harder now. Your family name depends on you."

As I walked the hall, whispers followed me.

Then a foot shot out.

Shit—

Pain exploded as I stumbled, barely catching myself.

Laughter rang behind me.

I turned, eyes flashing gold.

The girl who tripped me paled. Staggered back.

I clenched my fists, suppressing the instinct to tear her apart.

Not yet.

Not here.

Voices drifted toward me as I rounded the corner.

Familiar ones.

Rhea.

And my two childhood friends.

"I did see Astrid getting out of the Alpha’s car," Rhea murmured sweetly. "But maybe she really did get in on her own."

"Rhea, don’t defend her," one scoffed. "She won’t even announce her grades. She’s obviously guilty."

"Yeah, she’d do anything to rise above her rank."

I froze.

Betrayal settled deep in my bones.

I had fought for them. Defended them.

And here they were, dragging my name through the mud.

Again.

But this time, I felt nothing.

I stepped forward.

Three pairs of eyes widened.

I smiled.

"What do you want to talk to me about?"

Xander smirked, masking fake warmth.

"Astrid, we heard you got into Riverdale. That’s great. We’ll be in the same school again."

Liar.

Dante grinned. "Yeah, we’re happy for you."

Hypocrite.

Betrayers.

They had thrown me to the wolves.