Betrayed Luna's Humiliation

The monthly pack meeting hall buzzed with an energy I hadn't felt in months. Werewolves filled every seat, their conversations creating a low hum that seemed to vibrate through my bones. I sat in my designated chair beside Jackson's empty Alpha seat, my hands folded carefully in my lap, maintaining the composure my royal upbringing had drilled into me.

Luna Mendoza rose from her place at the front table, her graying hair pulled back in its usual severe bun. The room fell silent immediately—her authority as the former Luna still commanded respect, even if mine had long since withered away.

"Pack members of Silver Creek," she began, her voice carrying the formal weight of tradition. "Tonight, we address the future of our bloodline."

My chest tightened. I knew that tone, had heard it in countless conversations where my name was whispered with disappointment. Where my failure as a Luna was dissected like a carcass.

"As you all know, our pack has faced... challenges in securing our next generation." Her eyes briefly flicked to me, and I felt the familiar burn of shame creep up my neck. "However, the Moon Goddess has provided us with a solution."

The hall stirred with murmurs. I gripped the arms of my chair, my knuckles white beneath my skin.

"Jackson will take a chosen mate—Paislee of the Northern Ridge Pack. She carries the heir our pack desperately needs." Luna Mendoza's voice rang with triumph. "According to pack law, Luna Amelia will gracefully accept this arrangement and claim the child as her own, ensuring our bloodline's continuation."

The words hit me like physical blows. I felt my wolf retreat deeper inside me, whimpering at the public humiliation. Around me, pack members nodded approvingly, some even smiling with relief. Relief that they would finally be free of their barren Luna.

My throat constricted, but I forced myself to remain still. To show no reaction. This was my punishment for loving a man whose secret I'd protected at the cost of my own dignity.

"The ceremony will take place next week," Luna Mendoza continued. "We expect all pack members to welcome Paislee with the respect due to the mother of our future Alpha."

I wanted to scream. Wanted to tell them all the truth—that Jackson's wolf had been damaged beyond repair, that no amount of chosen mates would give him the heir they craved. But the words stayed locked behind my teeth, just as they had for three long years.

As the meeting dissolved into excited chatter, I rose on unsteady legs. No one looked at me directly, but I felt their sideways glances, their whispered conversations about how gracefully I was handling my replacement.

Gracefully. If only they knew how much grace it took not to shift and tear their throats out.

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I waited until the pack house settled into evening quiet before making my way to Jackson's office. The familiar scent of leather and pine that once comforted me now felt suffocating. He sat behind