I Escaped After My Alpha Poisoned Me for His Mistress

The numbers on the financial report blurred before my eyes as I rubbed my temples, trying to focus. Being Luna of the Silverfang Pack came with responsibilities I'd never imagined ten years ago when we'd arrived as young rogues. Now, I was responsible for managing the pack's resources while Cade—my mate, my Alpha—focused on what he called "more important matters."

A harsh knock interrupted my concentration, though no one had bothered to actually wait for permission before entering. The door to my small office in the Pack House annex burst open with enough force to rattle the framed photo on my desk—me and Cade, taken shortly after we'd arrived here, both smiling with hope for our future.

"Still hiding in your little cubbyhole, Luna?" Estella's voice dripped with false sweetness as she sauntered in, her designer heels clicking against the wooden floor. "I thought you might want to see this."

She slammed a heavy folder onto my desk, sending papers scattering to the floor. I didn't bother to pick them up immediately, instead fixing my gaze on the woman standing before me. Estella was beautiful in that calculated way that made my skin crawl—perfect makeup, expensive clothes, and a smile that never reached her eyes.

"What is it, Estella?" I kept my voice level, though my wolf stirred restlessly inside me.

She flipped open the folder with manicured fingers and slid a document across the desk. "The deed to The Aerie. Signed by your Alpha—my Cade—this very morning."

The paper felt heavy in my hands. The Aerie was a secluded cliffside villa on the edge of our territory—luxurious, private, and worth more than most pack members would make in a lifetime.

"He bought it for me," Estella continued, leaning closer, her floral perfume suffocating me. "Said my scent mixes better with his Alpha pheromones. Something about how our wolves just... click." She clicked her fingers together for emphasis. "Unlike some bonds that have grown stale."

My fingers tightened on the paper. "If you're trying to hurt me, Estella, you'll need to try harder."

She laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "Hurt you? Oh, sweetheart, I'm just stating facts. Everyone knows Cade deserves a Luna who can handle his... needs." Her hand traced down her body suggestively. "And apparently, that's not you anymore."

After she left, her perfume lingered like poison in the air. I collapsed into my chair, the deed still clutched in my hand. My eyes fell on the photo of young Cade and me, and something inside me cracked.

"Sofie," a voice whispered.

I looked up, expecting to be alone, but a figure had appeared sitting on the edge of my desk. It was Cade—but not the cold, powerful Alpha he'd become. This was eighteen-year-old Cade, wearing his favorite torn flannel shirt, his eyes bright with the love he once had for me.

"Don't let go, Sofie," he pleaded, his voice breaking. "Please. I know I promised to protect you. I know I promised..."

I reached out to