Mate's Betrayal, Luna's Justice

The morning light filtered through the curtains as I balanced the breakfast tray in my hands. Three years. Three perfect years of what I thought was love.

I'd prepared Magnus's favorite—eggs benedict with extra hollandaise sauce, just the way he liked it. A small smile played on my lips as I approached his private study. He'd been working so hard lately, barely leaving his desk except for our anniversary dinner tonight.

"Maybe I'll finally get some proper attention from my Alpha mate," I whispered to myself, pushing open the heavy oak door with my hip.

The study was empty, just as I'd expected. Magnus often started his mornings with a run through the territory, claiming it helped him clear his head. I set the tray down on the edge of his massive desk, noticing a folder left slightly open.

"I should really respect his privacy," I murmured, but something caught my eye. My name.

I shouldn't have looked. Some part of me knew that before I even slid the folder out from beneath his coffee mug. But something pulled me forward—some instinct I'd ignored for too long.

"Medical Donation Agreement," read the header in bold letters.

My fingers trembled as I flipped through the pages. There, at the bottom of the third page, was my signature—or rather, a perfect forgery of it. I'd never seen this document before in my life.

"Beneficiary: Trinity Knight," I read aloud, my voice barely a whisper.

The room spun around me as I continued reading. Heart donation. Scheduled for this evening. My heart. Trinity's name.

"Finding something interesting?"

I jerked up, the papers clutched in my white-knuckled grip. Magnus stood in the doorway, his broad shoulders blocking the exit. His eyes—those eyes I'd gazed into for three years—were cold in a way I'd never seen before.

"Alpha," I managed, my voice steady despite the hurricane raging inside me. "I was bringing you breakfast."

He crossed the room slowly, like a predator stalking wounded prey. "And now you know."

I held up the document with shaking hands. "This isn't real. You can't possibly—"

"I can." His voice was gentle, almost tender as he reached for my hand. The same hand that had caressed my face just last night. "And you will, my dear."

The mate bond between us hummed to life, his presence filling my mind with a warmth that turned to ice as his words formed.

"Trading your heart for her life is the greatest value you'll ever have as my rejected mate."

The bond—our sacred connection blessed by the Moon Goddess herself—twisted with his intent. I felt his satisfaction, his certainty that I would comply.

"You can't ask me to—"

"I'm not asking." His mental voice hardened. "I'm telling you what will happen tonight."

I searched his face, looking for any trace of the man I thought I'd mated. "Why?"

"Trinity needs a heart. You have one." He shrugged, as if discussing the weather. "And unlike you, she's actually useful to me."

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