THORNED ROSE: The Rising Luna

Rose

Alpha Magnus came home late at night. I heard the front door open, his heavy footsteps, and the strong scent of alcohol. He was drunk. As always, he went out without telling me where he was going.

I pretended to be asleep when he entered the bedroom. The bed creaked beside me as he lay down. His cologne mixed with another scent, making my body tense instantly.

I slowly opened my eyes, trying to identify what I was smelling. It was Stephenie’s perfume. There was no way I could be mistaken. I had smelled it for years in our family.

My blood boiled. I glanced at Alpha Magnus, who was lying beside me, and noticed a faint red mark on his neck. A kiss mark. Not only that, but as he moved his arm, I saw a similar mark on his chest.

It felt like a dagger had been plunged into my heart. I had known he was cheating on me, but seeing the evidence firsthand was something else entirely. I bit my lip, holding back the urge to scream or wake him up.

[We can’t keep living like this, Rose,] said Nova, the wolf inside me. [He is not our true mate. He doesn’t deserve you.]

I nodded internally, feeling Nova’s strength surge through me. “What should we do, Nova? I want to end this, but… I don’t know how.”

[We sever the bond, Rose. That’s the only way for you to be free. We have to do it.]

“I need to gather proof first.”

I stared at Alpha Magnus, who was peacefully asleep beside me. He looked so calm, as if he carried no burden in this world. But I knew that face was full of lies. I had to move on.

For myself.

I started thinking about how to gather evidence of their affair. I spent the night rummaging through the safe in Alpha Magnus’s study, but all I found were documents of his assets. However, there was proof of a purchase—an expensive necklace I had once wanted.

At this point, I was too exhausted to be angry. Letting myself dwell in negative energy would only hold me back. I returned to the bedroom and lay on the couch, refusing to share a bed with him.

Just as I was about to close my eyes, a notification sound came from a phone. I searched for the source and found a phone in Alpha Magnus’s jacket pocket. But the device in my hand wasn’t the one he usually used.

I frowned deeply. It was the same model, but this was a different phone, and it was locked. My curiosity grew, and I was determined to unlock it. I entered every possible code Alpha Magnus might use—his birthdate, our anniversary, the day we first met—but nothing worked.

Then, my thoughts drifted to Stephenie again. I entered her birthdate, and the phone unlocked.

I let out a quiet scoff but continued my search through the phone. I opened the chat app and found only a few contacts—some colleagues from our company, Beta Dean, and Stephenie.

Damn it! My number wasn’t even in his contact list.

I navigated to the gallery and felt a harsh slap of reality from the videos, screenshots, and pictures of them together in various luxurious places. One video, in particular, made my fists clench tightly.

They had recorded their intimate moments in the private pool of this very villa. I checked the timestamp on the video—it had been taken a month ago.

My patience was wearing thin. I wanted to shred the phone apart with my claws. But instead, I forced myself to remain calm, quickly sending all the videos to my own phone and erasing any trace of the transfer. I placed the phone back in his jacket, as if it had never been touched.

Moon Goddess had given me a sign. She had granted me the chance to uncover my mate’s disgusting secrets. And with this, I would take the next step to make them pay.

The clock on the wall struck 3 AM, yet I still couldn’t sleep. This would be the last time they ever toyed with me. I opened the app where I kept draft documents of important assets. I reviewed them once more, preparing for my next move.

That afternoon, I contacted my lawyer, Mr. Sinclair. I requested to have all the assets I had once given to Alpha Magnus transferred back to my name. I also asked for recommendations on services that could help erase my tracks, ensuring I couldn’t be traced.

A few hours later, I went to the Delaney family mansion. As soon as I entered, my eyes met Stephenie’s. She welcomed me with a victorious smile.

“Oh, look who’s here,” she said mockingly. “You didn’t have to go through the trouble, Luna Rose. Alpha Magnus is already mine.”

I swallowed my emotions. “I’m not here for him. I came to ask you something.”

She crossed her arms. “Oh? What else do you want to know?”

I met her gaze sharply. “Why do you always steal my mates? Every man who gets close to me—you always try to take them.”

Stephenie laughed. “Oh, Rose. You’re so naïve. I’m just taking what was originally mine, Alpha Magnus…and Alex, I’ve never really love him, though.”

I clenched my fists tightly. “Alpha Magnus was never yours.”

“Nah, he chose me first,” she said, lifting her phone.

A moment later, it rang, displaying Alpha Magnus’s name. Stephenie smirked as she flaunted the call in front of me.

I could hear his soft, affectionate voice. “Baby, I miss you. I can’t wait to see you. The bathtub is finally fixed.”

My chest tightened. I watched as Stephenie smiled smugly before answering in a sweet tone, “I miss you too, Alpha Magnus.”

Tears welled in my eyes, but I held them back, refusing to show weakness in front of this slut. I turned around and left the mansion, my resolve stronger than ever. This was the end of everything. I would make them pay in ways they never saw coming.

The day of my revenge was approaching.

“Two days,” I whispered to myself. “I’ll do it in two days.”