His Forged Death, My Freedom

Five years after my bonding ceremony with Damien Blackwood, he was declared dead following an assault on a rogue encampment.

When his twin brother returned with the news, my inner wolf howled in agony as our mate bond shattered, and my world crumbled with it.

The agony of the Withering threatened to consume me.

I couldn't accept the reality of losing him. I tried to take my own life five times.

Each time, Damien’s mother, Lyra, or his twin brother managed to save me.

They pleaded with me to live on, for the sake of Damien’s last wish for my happiness.

But in the third month of my mourning, I discovered the truth—he had never died.

He'd deceived me.

He'd taken his twin brother's name, staying by Seraphina Thorne's side day and night.

He told me he still loved me. He swore he'd explain everything once she delivered an heir for the pack.

To protect Seraphina and her unborn pup, he asked me to move out of the Alpha mansion.

Then, he promised, he would bring me home.

But don't bother, Damien.

I'm never coming back.

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1

This was the fifth time I had collapsed on the verge of the Withering. And once again, I was saved against my will.

My grief was so overwhelming that I lost all control.

The love of my life, my fated mate, Damien Blackwood, was gone.

My wolf curled up inside me, and all the light drained from my life.

That night, I slipped away to the pack’s memorial grove.

I wanted to go to his memorial stone, just to be near him for a while.

Just as I reached the entrance, I heard a voice. It was my mother-in-law, the Luna Lyra Blackwood.

“Damien, are you sure you want to keep up this charade?” Lyra asked, her voice laced with exhaustion.

“I have no choice, Mother. Seraphina just lost her mate, and she's carrying Kaelan's only legacy. The shock would kill her if she learned the truth. I'm sure of it.”

“But Elara will find out sooner or later. What do you plan to do then?” Lyra demanded.

“I’ve already used the illusion spell to sever my mate bond with Elara, making her believe I’m truly dead.”

I froze.

What were they talking about?

Wasn't Damien dead?

Who was impersonating whom?

“Seraphina just lost her mate, Mother! How could I not worry about her? Once she gives birth and has a reason to live, I'll reveal everything to Elara. I trust she'll understand.”

They were talking about Seraphina Thorne, the mate of Damien’s older brother, Kaelan Blackwood.

Lyra sounded utterly helpless as she insisted, “Even so, you shouldn't be impersonating Kaelan! Elara is heartbroken enough as it is. Have you considered the pain she'll feel when she discovers you, her mate, are not only alive but also pretending to be Kaelan to stay by Seraphina's side?”

Pretending to be Kaelan?

My mind went blank. It wasn't until that moment that I realized it was Kaelan who had died.

For the past three months, Damien had been impersonating Kaelan!

A bone-deep chill washed over me, as if I'd been plunged into a frozen lake.

Damien and Kaelan were twins.

Since they were pups, they had been identical.

Even Lyra mixed them up sometimes.

But I never thought Damien would use that to deceive me.

My heart clenched painfully as I recalled Damien's cold distance over the past three months and the intimacy he shared with Seraphina.

There was a time when he was just as gentle with me.

From the day we first met, his gaze had never left me.

Even after our bonding ceremony, every moment we shared was filled with love and desire.

But now, this was how he treated me.

He had been deceiving me all along…

Distraught, I stumbled back to my room and collapsed onto the floor, an empty shell, my spirit shattered.

I thought this was my home, but Damien had destroyed it with his own hands.

Finally, I activated my secret communicator and contacted my parents, Alistair and Isolde Crestwood.

“Elara, how have you been? Are you okay?”

My mother's voice broke the tense silence.

“Your mother and I miss you terribly. When are you coming home to visit?” my father added.

Hearing their voices, tears stung my eyes.

I had been a lone wolf since childhood, separated from my family. It was only two years ago that I found my birth parents.

But I couldn't bear to leave Damien, so I never told him I had reconnected with the powerful Crestwood Clan.

Who would have thought Damien would treat me like this…

“Mom, Dad, I…” I started, but I didn't know how to explain it all.

Finally, I choked out, “Mom, Dad, I miss you. I don't want to be a lone wolf anymore. I want to come home.”

My parents were thrilled. They immediately announced they would send someone to pick me up.

Damien and I met at the Moon Goddess Festival five years ago.

At the time, I had no intention of finding a mate.

When he asked me to dance, I’d brushed him off with a sharp no.

However, he didn't push. Instead, he watched over me silently, in his own way.

He brought me berries still wet with morning dew every day. He always appeared by my side with a dry cloak whenever it rained.

Even when I fell ill from being unable to control my powers, he never left my side, tending to my every need.

Slowly, he won my heart. When he professed his love for me again, I finally said yes.

When he found out I had been separated from my family and grown up as a lone wolf, he held me gently and promised to give me a home.

But now, this was no longer my home.

Perhaps it was time to leave.

Suddenly, Damien strode into my room.

He frowned, his Alpha aura carrying a hint of pressure. “Elara, who were you just contacting? I sensed an energy fluctuation. Where are you going?”

I took a deep breath, forcing down the ache in my chest. “What are you talking about? I didn't contact anyone. I'm not going anywhere. I just wanted to go for a walk to clear my head.”

His gaze narrowed. “Are you telling the truth? I know you're devastated by Damien's death, but you need to take care of yourself. His last wish was for you to be happy.”

“If you want to travel, I'll take you myself when I have the time. Don't do anything foolish like trying to take your own life again.”

I nodded silently.

Damien was about to say more when Seraphina emerged from her room, her face pale.

She clutched her stomach, crying out, “Kaelan, my stomach… the cramping is unbearable. There's blood…”

Damien’s focus snapped to her, his body going rigid. “What's wrong? I'll take you to the medical center right away!”

He swept Seraphina into his arms and rushed out of the room.

As he hurried past, he didn't even glance at me, commanding in a tone that brooked no argument, “Elara, come with us. Your abilities can soothe her emotions.”

I had no choice but to get up and follow them. My heart tore itself to shreds as I watched my mate carry another woman.