Chapter 3

Alpha Josh didn’t hesitate for a second. He pulled out his communication stone and contacted his Beta assistant, Zach. His voice was cold and sharp as steel.

“Send two warriors over. Keep an eye on Abigail. Make sure she doesn’t cause trouble.”

He didn’t even spare me a glance.

Then he took Noah’s hand and hurried toward the elevator. As an Alpha, his every move should have exuded dominance and control—but now, all I saw was irony.

Right before the elevator doors closed, I caught a fleeting smirk on Noah’s lips. It was the smile of a victor—sickeningly soft, yet filled with challenge. It pierced my heart like a poisoned thorn.

“Darling, did you bring your ID tag?”

Alpha Josh’s voice was a gentle murmur, the kind meant for lovers. But it reached me loud and clear.

Ha. Her mother’s illness? Spare me. This whole performance had been scripted from the start—for the benefit of the discarded ex-Luna.

I didn’t wait around for those so-called “warriors” to arrive.

I grabbed my keys and left the den that once belonged to me. I had more important things to do.

At the bridal boutique, the air was laced with familiar scents—vanilla, roses, and the soft dust of lace. But today, everything felt tainted.

The shop owner looked visibly uneasy when she saw me.

“Miss Abigail… You’re here?”

“I’m here for my wedding gown.”

She hesitated and swallowed hard. “Uh… Alpha Josh already picked it up a few days ago.”

A chill shot down my spine. My wolf instincts flared—something was wrong.

“What?”

“He brought a woman to try it on… I wasn’t here at the time, one of my assistants handled it…”

I said nothing. I just stared at her. Flustered, she quickly pulled up the surveillance footage.

And when the video started, my nails dug into my palm.

Noah was standing in front of the mirror, wearing my wedding gown. The ivory silk clung to her body as she twirled lightly, like a doe waiting for her Alpha’s approval. Alpha Josh stood beside her, his eyes bewitched.

“Josh, how do I look?”

Her voice was syrupy sweet, tears glistening in her eyes.

“You’re beautiful,” he murmured. “Even more stunning than you were in my dreams.”

She bit her lip, choking back a sob. “All these years, I could only imagine moments like this in my dreams…”

He leaned down, kissed the tears from her cheek. “Silly girl… Thank the Moon Goddess you came back. Otherwise, I might’ve actually married someone else.”

I had once given up my dream of becoming a warrior to stand behind this man as his Luna. And now? He used me as a placeholder, not even sparing my wedding dress for dignity’s sake.

I glanced coldly at the frozen shop owner. “This wasn’t a mistake. You know that.”

She flushed with guilt and immediately dialed Alpha Josh.

The phone barely rang once before his voice cut through, dripping with Alpha authority.

“She wants the dress back? Tell her we’ll return it after we’re done. No one’s stealing from her.”

I laughed. Truly laughed—cold and bitter.

I didn’t want him anymore. Why should I accept a gown tainted by another she-wolf?

I didn’t need anyone’s pity. I wanted him to pay.

I took a screenshot of the gown’s receipt and price and sent it to him. No extra words. Just numbers.

Less than a minute later, my phone rang.

“Abigail, seriously? Over a dress? She just wanted to borrow it for a bit. And now you’re asking for money? You should be happy the gown’s getting more use.”

I almost burst out laughing.

Then Noah’s syrupy voice cooed in the background, “Josh… I want to keep it. As a memento. Can I?”

The line went quiet for a moment.

Then—ding. My bank notified me of the deposit.

Immediately followed by a text:

[When we have our mate ceremony, just rent one from the shop. No need to waste money.]

I stared at the message, feeling the burn rise in my chest like wildfire.

Five years. I’d been his mate for five years—and now he thought I wasn’t even worth owning my own dress.

I opened our shared MoonLink—the app that connected bonded werewolves, sharing location, aura, and heartbeat sync. His location? Still at the pack council hall.

I thought my heart would shatter.

But it didn’t.

Not even a crack.

I exhaled softly and turned off the locator. I also shut off the last bit of longing I had for that Alpha.

Minutes later, Zach arrived at my door with two tall warriors. They used to serve under me in the pack—now they stood guard like I was a threat.

“Miss,” Zach said with polite detachment, “as long as you don’t cause trouble, we won’t restrict your movements.”

I didn’t answer. I simply brushed past them and slammed the door behind me.

I wasn’t an Omega. No one got to cage me.

I went straight to the company. Handed in my resignation. Clean. Final. No explanations needed.

Most of my coworkers were Beta. They looked at me with complicated expressions. I didn’t bother clarifying anything. My pride didn’t need their sympathy.

But when I returned home, a fresh humiliation was waiting.

At the parking garage gate, my car paused at the barrier. It didn’t rise.

I rolled down the window. The security guard looked sheepish.

“I’m sorry, miss… your reserved parking spot has been reassigned—to Alpha Josh’s new mate. Your access has been revoked by the system.”