Chapter 1

My father, the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, pitied my unspoken love for Tobias—a love that had lasted for a decade. So, he took matters into his own hands. He drugged his old friend and sent him to my bed.

When Tobias woke up, his golden eyes, sharp like a wolf assessing its prey, darkened. He let out a low growl, a sound that sent a shiver down my spine.

"I'll take responsibility," he said coldly, his voice devoid of warmth. "I will mark you as my mate."

It should have been a joyous moment. A destined mate bond was sacred, ordained by the Moon Goddess herself. But his next actions shattered that illusion.

Shortly after our mating ceremony, Tobias took frequent business trips, leaving the pack's territory, disappearing for three years.

I bore his child in his absence—a little girl with golden eyes, a sign of the Alpha's bloodline. I waited, hoping he would return, that his wolf would call him home.

Then, news arrived. He was coming back.

I dropped everything—important pack meetings, Luna duties—just to pick him up at the airport, cradling our daughter in my arms.

Rhea reached out to him, her small hands trembling with hope. "Daddy, hold me."

Tobias barely glanced at her, his gaze void of recognition, as if his instincts didn't register her scent. "Sorry, I have a cleanliness obsession."

The words hit me harder than a rogue's attack.

From that day on, my daughter and I washed our hands three times before meals, scrubbed every inch of our home until it was spotless. But it was never enough.

He never came home. He never once acknowledged the bloodline of our daughter.

Everything changed the night I saw the video. Someone had asked him:

"Tobias, what do you think is the happiest thing in your life?"

He chuckled, his wolf smirking through his human mask. "Last week, while I was abroad, I put Sable to sleep and then pulled Valeria into the bathroom."

Laughter erupted around him.

I stood frozen.

Valeria—his ex-girlfriend. Sable—her daughter.

Rumors had whispered through the pack, but hearing the truth from his own lips was a brutal slap.

That night, something inside me broke. My wolf howled in pain, clawing at my soul.

I left him the divorce papers, took our daughter, and vanished from the pack's land.

The nanny brought Rhea home from the pack's daycare, her eyes red from crying.

"Mom… do I not have a dad?" she whimpered, the small tremor in her voice cutting through me like silver claws.

I pulled her close, pressing my nose to her hair, inhaling her scent. She was mine—my pup, my responsibility.

"Dad promised to come to my parent's meeting, but when he showed up… he said he was Sable's dad."

Her tiny fingers clenched my shirt. "Everyone says I don't have a real dad."

A sharp, guttural growl rumbled deep in my chest. My wolf stirred, furious, demanding justice for our pup.

I regretted everything.

For three years, I had waited. I thought he had returned to claim his true family. But the truth was clear—he only came back because Valeria wanted to return.

Without hesitation, he had arranged everything for her. He transferred Sable to the best academy, made her a place in his world while pushing Rhea into the shadows.

When we had gone to the airport, Rhea had worn her prettiest dress, her small hands clutching mine.

"Mom, will Dad like me?" she asked hesitantly.

I forced a smile. "Of course. You're his only daughter."

But when we arrived, all we saw was Tobias, holding Valeria's hand, carrying a child in his arms.

A child who wasn't ours.

His eyes passed over me, distant and cold.

"Sorry, I need to settle Valeria and Sable first. You two go home."

He never even looked at Rhea. But the way he gazed at Sable—with tenderness, with affection—was like a dagger to my heart.

My wolf whimpered, feeling the pain of our pup's rejection.

That night, as I tucked Rhea into bed, she mumbled in her sleep, "Daddy, hold me..."

Tears burned my eyes.

If it weren't for that night three years ago, she wouldn't have had to suffer like this.

That night… the night my father intervened.

"Dad, are you trying to destroy me?" I had demanded.

My father, the other pack Alpha, sighed. "I've known for a long time—you love Tobias. And he… he desires you, even if he won't admit it. When he got drunk that night, I heard him whisper your name. I only did what was necessary."

I had tried to resist, but before I knew it, heat had consumed my body.

My father smirked. "I put something in your drink too. Make sure to enjoy this night."

Then, he locked the door from the outside.

Chapter 2

When Tobias woke up the next morning, his wolf's golden eyes locked onto mine.

"Hailey Selene," he said stiffly. "I'll take responsibility. I'll mate with you."

I thought our lives together would begin then. That the Moon Goddess had finally answered my prayers.

But a few weeks later, I overheard him speaking to a friend.

"Tobias, don't take Hailey for granted. She has everything—power, status, beauty. Just be good to her."

Tobias took a slow drag of his cigarette and exhaled.

"At first, I liked her," he admitted. "But I didn't expect her to be this desperate."

His voice dropped to a sneer.

"When I think about how she drugged me and forced herself on me that night, it just… disgusts me."

I felt my inner wolf growl in fury. I wanted to rip through my skin, show him my true strength, make him see me.

But I never got the chance.

Two weeks later, Tobias secured a visa and left the country.

And from that night, our daughter was born.

Three years passed. Three years of silence, of waiting.

Until one day, Tobias returned—alongside Valeria and her child.

And when I confronted him about Rhea's pain, about how he had ignored our daughter, he simply frowned.

"Valeria's raising Sable alone. She's overwhelmed." His jaw tightened. "I swore to her long before I met you that I'd never let her suffer."

His words ignited something dark in me.

"I've already mated you, Hailey. You can't stop me from caring about them."

Then, he walked away, stripping his shirt off as he headed to the bathroom.

Water splashed as he showered, drowning out my silent sobs.

I stared at the divorce agreement I had drafted.

If not for Rhea, I would have ended this nightmare already.

But my daughter—our pup—deserved better.

The next morning, Rhea woke up and beamed.

"Mom! I'm going to show Dad the drawing I made for him!"

Hope lit up her little face. She had already forgiven him.

But as she ran downstairs, she froze.

Tobias was peeling an orange for Sable, gently placing the slices in her palm.

"Daddy, who are they?" Rhea asked softly.

Tobias turned to her, irritation flashing in his gaze. "Why are you still here? Where's your mother?"

Rhea's hands trembled as she held out her drawing. "Dad, I made this for you."

Before she could give it to him, a small hand snatched it away.

Sable smirked. "What a stupid drawing."

Then, she tore it in half.

Rhea gasped, her little body shaking.

Sable placed her hands on her hips. "This is my dad! The others say you're a rogue—no real father."

My wolf roared inside me, demanding justice.

This was the last time I would let Rhea be hurt.

The last time I would let Tobias get away with this.

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Chapter 3

When I saw Rhea collapse to the ground, her small body trembling with sobs, a deep, guttural growl rumbled from my chest. My wolf stirred restlessly, demanding justice for my pup. I rushed to her, scooping her into my arms, my sharp gaze locking onto Sable like a predator cornering its prey.

"Apologize," I commanded, my voice carrying the weight of an Alpha's mate.

Tobias's brow furrowed in disapproval. His wolf's golden eyes darkened. "Hailey, why are you being so harsh to a child?"

Without another word, he picked Sable up, cradling her protectively, his arms wrapped around her as if she were something precious. My wolf snarled at the blatant display of favoritism.

"I told you last night, Sable can't stand other children calling me ‘Dad,'" Tobias continued, stroking Sable's hair as she buried her smug face into his chest.

"She was just upset, not intentionally pushing Rhea."

I stepped forward, unyielding. "Didn't you see it? Wasn't she doing it on purpose?"

Tobias exhaled sharply. "Hailey, let it go."

"Let it go?" I hissed, my wolf snapping her jaws in my mind. "She just called Rhea a bastard. Are you going to confirm that to her, too?"

Tobias hesitated, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face, but instead of answering, he tightened his hold on Sable.

Valeria, ever the poised Luna-wannabe, smiled gracefully and feigned an apologetic look.

"Miss Selene, I sincerely apologize. Sable grew up abroad; she has a straightforward personality. She just speaks her mind. Please don't take it to heart."

The little girl in her arms smirked, emboldened by her mother's defense.

"I didn't say anything wrong! The other kids say it too—Rhea's a bastard! She stole my dad!"

My claws ached to break free.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palm, my wolf howling with frustration inside me.

Earlier, Tobias had said he had a ‘cleanliness obsession,' and I tolerated it.

He spent years abroad, entangled with other women, making excuses. I turned a blind eye.

But now—now, he allowed someone to openly insult our daughter?

I stepped closer, my voice sharp and unyielding.

"Tobias, I'll ask you one last time."

"Is Rhea really a bastard?"

Tobias's jaw tightened. His wolf recoiled, but his pride wouldn't let him acknowledge the truth. Instead, he sneered, the coldness in his gaze cutting through me.

"You know very well how she became my daughter, don't you?"

The words stung like a silver blade to my chest.

I sucked in a sharp breath as my wolf whimpered, feeling the rejection seep through our bond.

"Enough," Tobias muttered, his patience worn thin. "Today is Sable's day to visit. Don't ruin it for everyone."

Valeria's lips curled in satisfaction as Tobias turned his attention back to Sable.

"Daddy's going to buy you some toys, okay?"

Sable giggled. "And Elsa's beautiful dress!"

"Of course." Tobias's expression softened, an affectionate warmth in his voice he had never once given Rhea.

Watching his retreating figure, something inside me finally snapped.

For so long, I had hesitated.

For so long, I had endured.

No more.

"Tobias," I called out, my voice steady.

He stopped but didn't turn around.

"Let's get a divorce."

Tobias slowly turned back to me, his wolf shifting beneath his skin, his posture rigid with disbelief.

"Hailey, do you think this is funny?"

I lifted my chin. "I'm done."

"If you think this will threaten me, fine," he scoffed. "As you wish."

Without another glance, he walked away.

Valeria's eyes glimmered with brief satisfaction, though she quickly masked it with a sigh.

She turned back to me, her expression delicate with false sympathy.

"I'm truly sorry. Tobias and I are innocent. He's always been a man of deep emotions. He felt bad for me after my divorce, and Sable didn't have a father, so he's simply being kind. Please don't take it personally."

Then, she added me to her contact list with a practiced smile. "I'll compensate Rhea for the drawing."

I watched as she hurried to Tobias's side, her voice sweet.

"Tobias, you're unbelievable. Luna Selene said she wanted a divorce out of anger. How could you just agree to it?"

Tobias chuckled darkly. "She used every trick in the book to get this marriage. Do you really think she'll leave me?"

"She was too harsh on Sable just now. This is just a small punishment for her. It won't be long before she begs me to come back."

A bitter laugh slipped from my lips.

Tobias—people change.

The Hailey who once foolishly chased after love no longer existed.

Now, for my daughter, I would leave completely.

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