Betrayed and Reborn: The Omega’s Vengeance Against Her Fated Alpha

It had been eight years since my mate, Miguel Howard, had died. Or so I thought.

Until he returned, alive and well, now the Alpha of the Moonlight Pack, with a new mate and a son by his side. With a single declaration, he stripped me of my title as Luna, reduced me to an Omega, and seized the wealth and resources I had painstakingly built over the years. His parents, my former in-laws, stood by silently, offering no defense. When I tried to appeal to the Lycan King for justice, they conspired to silence me. On a stormy night, they weighted me with stones and pushed me into the icy depths of the lake. The cold water bit into my skin, the mud clinging to me like the hatred I carried.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day news of Miguel’s death had first arrived.

---

"Estella, what’s done is done. You must accept it and move on," my stepmother, Aniyah Graham, said, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "From now on, you’ll stay here and mourn Miguel properly. No need to worry about your family back in the Moonlight Pack."

"Aniyah, you don’t need to concern yourself with Estella’s future," my mother-in-law, Aniyah Graham, interjected coldly. "Miguel may be gone, but we’ll treat her as our own daughter. She’ll never be a burden to you or your pack."

Aniyah flushed, stammering, "I didn’t mean it like that—"

But Aniyah had already turned to the gathered pack members, her voice ringing out. "Packmates, bear witness! My son, Miguel Howard, has fallen in battle. From this day forward, my daughter-in-law, Estella Henderson, will be as dear to me as my own blood. As long as I have a place in this pack, she will too!"

Then, with a sharp tone, she dismissed Aniyah. "You’re no longer welcome here. Our packs are far apart, and there’s no need for further contact."

I stood there, my face expressionless, as the memories of my previous life flooded back. My mother had died when I was five, and within months, my father had taken Aniyah as his new mate. She had always treated me poorly, especially after she gave birth to her own children. When I mated Miguel, he left for a border skirmish just three days later. Word had come back that he’d been promoted to a Gamma under the Alpha’s second-in-command. The Moonlight Pack had been hopeful of his rise. But then the news of his death arrived, and Aniyah’s true colors showed. She’d come rushing in, eager to sever ties with me, afraid I’d return and become a burden to her family.

In my previous life, Aniyah had stood by me like this, and I’d believed her sincerity. I’d stayed with the pack, worked tirelessly to build a life, and cared for my in-laws as if they were my own parents. It wasn’t until my death that I realized her true motives. The day after Miguel’s memorial, a rogue had tried to assault me, and I’d fought him off with my claws. Aniyah had brushed it off, saying it would damage my reputation if word got out. Later, I’d learned the rogue had been sent by her. Months after that, I’d been drugged and nearly attacked again, only to be saved by a passing healer. Aniyah had feigned concern, but I’d discovered she’d orchestrated it all.

Miguel had been their only heir, and Aniyah’s kindness had been a ruse to keep me close—to ensure I’d bear a child for their bloodline. Widows seeking heirs wasn’t uncommon, but they’d feared I’d bond with the sire and leave with the child. So they’d resorted to such vile schemes. When I’d built my own wealth and hired guards to protect myself, they’d suggested I take a new mate. I’d trusted them then, blind to their true intentions, and refused. The Moon Goddess must have pitied my naivety, giving me this second chance.

After Aniyah left, Aniyah clung to me, sobbing her grief into my shoulder. I held her, patting her back, my heart cold and calculating. I knew exactly what I had to do.