Zane never returned to the manor after that night.
I learned from Gordon, my butler, that he had moved into Dahlia’s small apartment on the west side of town.
Soon after, the taunts from Dahlia began.

Eleven P.M. My phone buzzed.
A picture buzzed through. Zane, hunched over their tiny kitchen counter, baking her honey bread.
He moved so carefully, like he was handling a precious piece of art.
The caption read: My Alpha is the sweetest. He knows his Luna has been craving sweets since getting pregnant.
I looked at it, my face blank. I didn't reply.
The next day, just after midnight, another one arrived.

Zane was sitting on the rug in front of a fireplace, brushing Dahlia's long, brown hair.
The orange firelight danced on their faces. The scene looked like a painting.
My Alpha brushes my hair every night. He says it's good for the baby~
Still, I didn't reply.

Day three, day four, day five...
Every night, like clockwork, Dahlia sent a photo.
Sometimes it was Zane massaging her ankles. Sometimes it was them picking out baby things. Sometimes it was Zane gently stroking her small, swelling belly.
Every picture was a declaration of her victory, a flaunting of their happiness.
The worst was a sound-spelled photo.
The sound of a tiny heartbeat.
Thump, thump, thump...
The strong, steady beat echoed in the silence of the night. It felt like it was mocking the child I could never have.
But the image was deleted less than three seconds after she sent it.
Zane must have stopped her.
I stared at the empty chat window, feeling nothing but a deep, chilling numbness.
“Cassia!”
Lydia’s roar shattered the peace of the manor.
My best friend, the Alpha of a neighboring pack, stormed into my study.
Her eyes were red with fury. She was gripping a crystal glass so hard her knuckles were white.
“I saw the pictures that bitch has been sending you!” she seethed. “She has gone too far!”
Lydia stomped over to me and slammed her phone on my desk.
The screen showed the latest photo: Zane, tying an apron on Dahlia as they shared an intimate hug.
“She’s deliberately humiliating you!” Lydia was furious. “That ungrateful bastard! Who the hell was he before you made him?”
The crystal glass in her hand creaked, threatening to shatter.
“Lydia,” I said calmly. “Put the glass down.”
“What?” She stared at me.
“I said, put it down,” I repeated. “You’re going to shatter it.”
Lydia looked at the glass in her hand as if seeing it for the first time.
She took a deep breath and set it on the table.
“Cassia, you can’t just let this go,” she said, her voice urgent. “That traitor is running around the Alliance, bribing the elders.”
I looked up at her.
“At the council meeting tomorrow, he's going to formally propose making Dahlia the new Luna,” Lydia said. “He thinks he can keep his Alpha title on his own, without royal support.”
I gave a cold smile. “He thinks I’m done with him.”
“Exactly!” Lydia slammed her hand on the desk. “That shameless bastard! He thinks you’ll let him go because of your past!”
“He’s more naive than I thought,” I said, rising from my chair and walking to the window. “I can give up a mate who betrayed me. But I will never allow anyone to challenge my authority.”
The next day, in the Alliance council hall.
The ancient hall was filled with elders and leaders from every pack.
Zane stood in the center, trying to project an air of Alpha authority. But I could see he was nervous.
His fingers were trembling slightly. A thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead.
“Elders,” Zane cleared his throat. “Today, I have an important announcement.”
The hall fell silent. All eyes were on him.
“Since Cassia never bore my mark, our bond is void. Therefore, I reject her as my mate. I will then name Dahlia as my official mate and Luna.”
A smug little smile played on his lips. He thought he’d found the perfect loophole.
He seemed to have forgotten that our bond was never defined by a mark.
It was sealed by the Sacred Mating Vow, enshrined in the Temple of the Moon Goddess and protected by ancient law.
Whispers broke out across the hall.
“Quiet!” an elder, one Zane had paid off, stood up. “The Alpha's decision is a wise one. Dahlia is an excellent Omega. She will make a fine Luna.”
A few other elders nodded in agreement.
A satisfied smile spread across Zane’s face. He thought he’d already won.
“Then, if there are no objections…”
Just then, the great doors of the hall were thrown open.
I walked in, clad in silver battle armor. Each step echoed with royal authority.
Everyone stared at me in shock, including the elders in Zane’s pocket.
In the face of a true royal, all their pathetic schemes and bribes meant nothing.
I walked to the center of the hall. I met Zane's stunned gaze.
My voice was clear and steady.
“Alpha Zane, you weren't finished with your proposal. But before you do, perhaps you should hear my sentence.”