After My Alpha Stole My Mother’s Blood for His Mistress

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my hands trembling as I fastened the last button on my coat. The woman looking back at me seemed like a stranger—eyes hollow with betrayal, shoulders squared with determination. Five years of devotion, five years of sacrifice, all for a man who had been living a lie.

My suitcase lay open on the bed, packed with only essentials. I wouldn't need much for the Rite of Separation ceremony at the pack borders. Just enough to get me through until I could start over somewhere else.

"Brooke?" Elena's voice came through the door, hesitant. "Are you sure about this?"

I turned to my friend, the only person in this pack who had stood by me through everything. "I can't stay, Elena. Not after what I saw."

She nodded, understanding in her eyes. "I'll cover for you at the ceremony. No one will know you're gone until it's too late."

I squeezed her hand gratefully. "Thank you."

The hallway was empty as I made my way toward the main doors. The Moon Ceremony continued above us, music and laughter floating down from the ballroom. How could they celebrate when everything was falling apart?

I was almost there—just a few more steps to freedom.

"BROOKE!"

Cameron's voice cut through the air like a whip. I froze, my hand on the door handle.

"Going somewhere?" He stood at the top of the stairs, Nova hovering behind him like a shadow.

I straightened my spine. "I'm leaving, Cameron. I'm going to initiate the Rite of Separation."

His face darkened. "You're not going anywhere."

"I am," I said, surprising myself with my steadiness. "I won't be your puppet anymore."

Something dangerous flashed in his eyes. He descended the stairs slowly, deliberately. "You don't get to make that choice."

I turned back to the door, but before I could touch it, his voice slammed into me like a physical force.

"STOP."

The Alpha Command hit me full force. My knees buckled instantly, my body crashing to the marble floor. The weight of his power pressed down on me, crushing, suffocating.

"Get up," he ordered.

I tried to stand, but my legs wouldn't respond. The Command held me pinned to the floor, helpless.

"Cameron," I gasped, "please—"

"Please what?" He crouched beside me, his face inches from mine. "Please let you humiliate me? Please let you destroy everything I've built?"

"You destroyed it yourself," I managed through gritted teeth.

His hand gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. "You want to know what happens if you leave, Brooke? If you file for separation?"

I said nothing, but something in his eyes made my blood run cold.

"Your mother's life support system is controlled by my authorization code," he said softly. "One word from me, and it's switched off."

Horror washed over me. "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I?" His smile was cruel. "And that's not all. I'll have her body dumped in the Rogue lands. No proper burial. No final rites. Just food for scavengers."

Tears burned in my eyes. "She's innocent in all this."

"Innocent?" He laughed. "She's the reason you exist. Your existence is the only crime she committed."

I stopped struggling against the Command. What was the point? He had me trapped—completely and utterly trapped.

"Good girl," he murmured, patting my cheek condescendingly. "Now get up."

The pressure eased slightly, just enough for me to stand on shaky legs.

---

"You'll be moving to the east guest room," Cameron announced as we walked upstairs. "Your access to pack accounts is revoked, effective immediately."

I followed him numbly, my mind racing but finding no escape. We passed pack members who quickly averted their eyes, their scents tinged with confusion and pity.

"Alpha," Marcus Reid, our pack Healer, approached cautiously. "I have Nova's medication ready—"

"Bring it to the Master Suite," Cameron interrupted. "She'll be staying there from now on."

Marcus's eyes widened briefly before he nodded. "Yes, Alpha."

Cameron turned to me, his voice cold. "You'll help Nova get settled. Consider it part of your duties."

"Duties?" I echoed hollowly.

"As Luna," he clarified with a cruel smile. "Though your responsibilities will be... adjusted."

We reached the Master Suite—our bedroom—where Nova was already waiting, her eyes gleaming with triumph.

"Brooke will be helping you get comfortable," Cameron told her, his voice tender in a way it had never been with me.

As Nova brushed past me, she whispered just loud enough for me to hear: "You lost, Brooke. You always were going to lose."

I watched in silence as pack members began bringing Nova's things into what had been my home. One by one, they approached her with deference I had never received.

"Luna Nova," they called her, testing the title on their tongues.

And with each syllable, another piece of my heart broke away.