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00:00by one unbreakable rule no werewolf mates a human but my alpha ethan broke that rule for me
00:06he knelt before the moon goddess for three days and three nights begging for her blessing so his
00:11pack would be forced to accept me as his mate but in my fourth year as his luna i was
00:15caught cheating
00:16for the third time the beta she-wolf at his side smirked her voice dripping with malice luna the
00:22mate agreement is clear three betrayals and you're exiled you lose all rights to the pup
00:29ethan's eyes burned with anger and disappointment what's your excuse this time that you don't know
00:34him or that you were drugged again but this time i didn't panic i didn't burst into tears begging him
00:41to listen or forgive me for our pup's sake i calmly accepted the dissolution of our bond and even
00:46offered to never see our pup again for four years everyone said a plain human like me was never good
00:52enough for an alpha like him and now i was just tired but when i finally vanished from his world
00:58he tore it apart looking for me i pressed my thumbprint onto the agreement to dissolve our bond
01:03i'll move out of the river packs territory as soon as i can i'll take my grandmother with me
01:09as for leo you don't deserve to be his mother you are never to see him again
01:14i didn't flinch i just smiled i was about to say the same thing
01:20i won't be seeing him anymore ethan's brow furrowed he wasn't used to me being so final for the last
01:26four years our pup was my entire world in every fight he'd always threaten to keep leo from me and
01:33every time i was the one who'd bow my head apologize and beg him to let me see my son
01:38this wasn't like me
01:40at all celine's smirk widened and she covered her mouth in mock surprise corinne how can you say such
01:47a thing he's your own flesh and blood i ignored her i was used to her always at ethan's side
01:53acting
01:54more like his mate than i ever was all while finding new ways to drive a wedge between us
01:59ethan sneered at my calm expression faithless to the core giving up your own flesh and blood for
02:05some mutt outside corinne you truly are something else his words were daggers slicing at my heart
02:14but i was numb i'd endured this kind of humiliation for four years the first time i was caught the
02:20so-called lover vanished before ethan arrived the security camera only caught a blurry figure
02:25i tried to explain to prove my innocence but as a human i couldn't form a mind link with him
02:31i had no way to make him feel the truth in my heart ethan please believe me i don't know
02:37that man
02:37i'd cried begging him he didn't listen celine was right there adding fuel to the fire maybe corinne
02:46just prefers being with human men they are their own kind after all from then on as punishment i was
02:54forced to schedule visits with my own son through celine a week in advance watched by pack guards
02:59the entire time it was like a prisoner's visitation hour the second time was worse i was locked in the
03:06basement for a month i saw no one not even a sliver of sunlight i developed severe claustrophobia it took
03:13me a full week after they let me out before i could speak to people normally when leo saw me
03:18he burst
03:19into tears i was so thin i looked like a ghost now the third time i was done with this
03:25sick game
03:26so i let go i've signed it is there anything else if not please leave corinne you'd better not regret
03:35this don't come crawling back to me because i won't be merciful again he turned and walked toward
03:41the door my mind went back five years to when i found ethan injured and nursed him back to health
03:46during that time we fell in love he would press his hand over his heart and tell me again and
03:52again
03:52you are the most special woman i have ever known my heart my wolf they're yours until he finally
04:00confessed the truth he was a werewolf i hesitated i couldn't see myself as the luna his pack needed
04:07and i never believed he could break their sacred laws for me but he was relentless chasing me for an
04:12entire year until he finally knelt at the moon goddess's temple for three days and nights begging
04:16her to bless our union when a pale exhausted ethan told me he'd secured the elder's approval
04:22my resolve shattered i truly believed our love was strong enough to bridge the divide between our worlds
04:27but just six months after i became his mate i was found with another man the frame up was sloppy
04:33obvious even but it didn't matter something in his eyes changed that day watching his back as he left
04:39i felt my heart turned to stone i had trusted him and i had been wrong i would not make
04:45that mistake
04:46again celine paused at the door turning back to give me a fake smile enjoy yourself kareem you and your
04:53kind are better suited for each other aren't you her words were laced with venom but i no longer cared
04:59after they left the room fell into a dead silence i turned to the man still passed out on the
05:04bed
05:04and a wave of nausea rolled in my stomach i'd been awake for a while as the drugs effects wore
05:10off and
05:10i realized i'd been set up again i could have run only to be dragged back for an even crueler
05:14punishment
05:15but this time i chose to stay i waited for them for this whole drama to play out just to
05:21end this
05:21disgusting game for good that evening i returned to the river pax estate my former home when i pushed
05:28open the door to the master bedroom i found it empty my clothes my books even the jasmine plant
05:34i'd potted myself all gone a werewolf maid saw me and bowed her head awkwardly mrs kareem your things
05:40have been packed they're in the storage room miss selena said the master bedroom needs to be prepared
05:46for the new luna the new luna i let out a bitter laugh selene certainly worked fast the storage room
05:53was next to the basement a dark damp space filled with old furniture and junk my suitcases were tossed in
05:59a corner one of them broken open my clothes spilling onto the dusty floor i knelt and started digging
06:05through the mess i didn't care about the expensive clothes or jewelry those were gifts from ethan or
06:11rather gifts for the luna he wanted me to be i was looking for only one thing the emerald necklace
06:16my
06:17grandmother had given me it was the only treasure that was truly mine finally in a broken jewelry box
06:23i found it hey a small voice came from behind me i turned to see four-year-old leo standing
06:31in the
06:31doorway looking down at me at some point he'd stopped calling me mom now it was just hey auntie selena
06:38said
06:38you're not part of our family anymore you're an outsider you can't take anything from the pack
06:43my heart clenched leo these are my things not the packs no auntie selena says all lonely humans are
06:53thieves you can't take anything he lunged for the necklace in my hand his small fingers yanking hard
07:00on the chain leo let go this was from your great-grandmother i tried to protect it but even
07:06a four-year-old pop had unnatural strength in the struggle the necklace snapped and fell to the floor
07:11the crack of the emerald shattering was deafening in the small silent room i stared at the broken
07:17pieces on the ground my heart turning to ash the stone that held all of my grandmother's love was
07:22shattered it's your fault for not letting go leo do you have any idea what you just broke
07:30that was from my great-grandmother do you even know she's in a nursing home because of you
07:37i don't have a great-grandmother i just know about some burden who's draining our packs medical
07:42resources auntie selena said she should have died a long time ago then dad wouldn't have to waste so
07:49much money on her auntie selena said that for a lowly human she doesn't deserve to be in our pack
07:56say that again lowly doesn't deserve my expression terrified him he bit his lip then found his courage
08:05a lowly old woman what i couldn't take i shoved him i couldn't stand hearing those vile words from
08:13his mouth caught off guard he fell backward and let out a pained cry
08:17dad mommy hit me leo wailed from the floor leo what's wrong
08:27dad she hit me make her leave i want auntie selena ethan's furious glare landed on me
08:35are you insane attacking your own pup i stood in the corner watching the father and son feeling
08:42nothing i didn't hit him i was fulfilling my final duty as his mother teaching him some manners
08:51teaching him what he should and shouldn't say manners you call shoving a four-year-old pup manners
09:00leo sobbed in his father's arms but still managed to repeat his earlier words dad auntie selene was
09:07right that old woman is just wasting your money she should have died a long time ago hearing it
09:14again from my own son's lips was like a knife twisting in my heart but what broke me was ethan's
09:19reaction he just frowned he didn't scold leo instead he defended selene selene was just stating a fact
09:27from the perspective of pack resources don't make a big deal out of it her medical bills are a significant
09:33expense i stared at him in disbelief after four years together he thought caring for my sick
09:39grandmother was an unnecessary expense ethan do you hear yourself enough i brought leo here so you two
09:47could talk about the situation don't tell him yet he's young he needs time to adjust he meant the bond
09:55dissolution i almost laughed in the last four years the total time i'd spent talking to leo was
10:01probably less than half the time he'd spent alone with selene and now he wanted us to talk i bent
10:07down
10:07and gathered the shattered pieces of the emerald not even flinching as a sharp edge sliced my finger
10:18i'm leaving in the living room selene was lounging elegantly on the sofa with a cup of tea
10:24as if she owned the place she gave me a perfect smile as i walked out i ignored her and
10:30headed
10:31straight for the main entrance stop you can't go you didn't say sorry to me used to being the center
10:41of everyone's world leo couldn't handle my indifference when i didn't immediately kneel to
10:46hug and soothe him he started wailing the sound was shrill and piercing down my coldness finally
10:52made ethan snap the full force of his alpha command crashed down on me making it hard to breathe
10:56stop apologize to leo now the alpha's command was an invisible chain binding my body to end it all
11:05i mechanically knelt and looked at the crying boy i'm sorry leo mommy shouldn't have pushed you leo
11:13stopped crying he glared at me with swollen red eyes then suddenly swung his little hand dot at4 leo
11:19could already partially shift his nails lengthened sharpening into claws blood welled up instantly from
11:24three deep gashes on my arm lowly human you deserved it you reek of another male even a pup
11:33consented this is the punishment you deserve ethan i shot to my feet my shot fell in my eyes blazing
11:41with fury you say i reek of another male what about you for four years you and sueline have been
11:48inseparable you even sent our son to stay at her house so you tell me whose scent is more disgusting
11:54corin how dare you the alpha and i are innocent i was merely performing my duties as a beta
12:00helping manage pack affairs innocent you know exactly what's in your heart
12:08you enough corin you have completely and utterly disappointed me since you seem to think we're
12:15not so innocent i'll show you what real betrayal looks like ethan ordered the nanny to take leo away
12:22then he grabbed my wrist and dragged me back into the bathroom ethan let me go i struggled but a
12:27human
12:28strength is nothing against a werewolf's the door slammed shut he bound my wrists with a coarse rope and
12:33threw me to the floor tonight you're going to watch that hurts hurt you think this hurts do you
12:42have any idea how much it hurt when i found you with him he turned pulled selene into his arms
12:47and
12:47crushed his lips against hers the kiss was passionate fiery as if they were true mates the sight made me
12:53want to vomit ethan we dissolved the bond you can't humiliate me like this he didn't listen deepening
13:01the kiss selene let out a soft moan her hand slowly tracing the skin over his heart there tattooed in
13:07black ink was my name the mate's mark of loyalty now selene's fingers were stroking those letters
13:13alpha this tattoo can you change it to my name i closed my eyes silent tears streaming down my face
13:20of course selena a faithless mate doesn't deserve a place on my skin
13:27faithless the irony was suffocating he believed every flimsy setup against me yet here he was
13:33kissing and touching another woman right in front of my eyes just as my heart went completely numb
13:37my phone rang i struggled to reach it and answered a nurse's trembling voice came from the other end
13:43i'm a nurse at saint mary's hospital your grandmother there's been an emergency
13:50what what happened to her your grandmother heard the news that you were being exiled from the pack
13:54this afternoon and she became very distressed during our evening rounds we found she had
13:58swallowed a large number of sleeping pills we're working on her now but but her will to live is
14:03very weak miss corinne can you get here right away she really needs you how could she know i collapsed
14:08the world spinning i never told her i scrambled to my feet
14:15ethan please let me go to the hospital my grandmother something happened to her
14:19what a performance corinne are you really willing to stoop this low just to escape your punishment
14:25it's not an act it's real my grandmother is in trouble alpha don't let her fool you
14:34this is just a pathetic attempt to run away i'm not lying she's really in the emergency room please
14:40believe me enough we just signed the agreement how would your grandmother know you knew she
14:49couldn't handle the shock and you still had to tell her who's to blame for that i didn't tell her
14:54just let me go there might still be time she was only injured because she saved leo from a rogue
15:01wolf
15:01please don't treat her life like a joke corinne you use your grandmother to get sympathy
15:09every single time i'm sick of it alpha forget about her come here in a final desperate surge
15:17i fought to my but with my hands tied i lost my balance and my head slammed hard against the
15:24door
15:24grandma i have to save grandma my actions finally pushed ethan over the edge he strode over grabbed
15:32my shoulder and dragged me to the storage closet in the corner of the room since you love lying and
15:37performing so much you can stay in here and reflect on it the closet was small and dark
15:41no don't lock me in here you know i have claustrophobia ethan please stay in there and watch
15:49closet door slammed shut plunging me into total darkness the sounds of their coupling grunts and
15:56moans echoed in the suffocating blackness amplified and inescapable the next morning ethan
16:01came downstairs and called out by habit corinne make breakfast there was no answer the nanny reported
16:08timidly alpha the young master won't stop crying he spiked a fever last night 102 degrees and just kept
16:14crying for his mommy just then the living room phone rang ethan answered it a stranger's voice was on
16:21the line hello am i speaking to a relative of miss corinne this is saint mary's hospital we're calling
16:27about her grandmother's final arrangements the woman passed away during the night we were unable
16:31to revive her but no family has come to claim the body he suddenly remembered last night the phone
16:37call he had dismissed as a lie his face went pale he turned and bolted up the stairs with a
16:44trembling
16:44hand he wrenched open the closet door the moment the door swung open he froze the locker was empty
16:51nothing but a few bloodstains and a broken rope she got out on her own she's really selling it ethan
16:58muttered to himself even bled for the part he was convinced this was all an elaborate act a sob story
17:04cooked up by corinne and her grandmother the goal was obvious to make him take back his decision to
17:09reject her to welcome the unfaithful woman back into his arms he truly underestimated a human's cunning
17:15ethan picked up his spare phone and dialed corinne's number the number you have dialed has been switched
17:22off switched off so she's going all the way with this act he gave a cold smirk and decided to
17:28drive
17:28to the hospital himself to see what kind of game they were playing half an hour later ethan stood at
17:33the entrance to saint mary's hospital morgue the sharp sting of disinfectant couldn't mask the cloying
17:37scent of death he wrinkled his nose alpha what are you doing here the doctor rushed over as soon as
17:43he saw him you called earlier about corinne's grandmother the doctor sighed a sudden dark
17:50premonition washed over ethan last night the old woman heard that corinne was going to be expelled
17:56from the pack she became hysterical crying and repeating things like i'm dragging corinne down and
18:02i shouldn't be alive ethan's voice was calm and and then we found her she'd swallowed a massive dose
18:11of sleeping pills when the nurse wasn't looking we worked on her for four straight hours we almost
18:18had her stabilized but her will to live was just gone she just kept calling miss corinne's name
18:25if corinne had been here then maybe what maybe we could have saved her the doctor said
18:31shaking his head with regret ethan's fingers curled into fists he remembered smashing corinne's phone
18:38on the floor last night he remembered locking her in that cramped dark locker are you sure she's gone
18:44of course we're sure the death certificate has already been issued we need the family to handle
18:49the arrangements and claim the body ethan felt a wave of dizziness so strong he had to brace himself
18:53against the wall to keep from falling if her grandmother was really dead then that phone call
18:58last night alpha please tell corinne this for me before her grandmother she kept saying don't blame
19:06corina it's all my fault for holding her back when i'm dead she'll finally be free it felt like a
19:14fist
19:14had closed around ethan's heart squeezing tight who who told her grandmother about the expulsion
19:21only one person has visited her these past few days your beta selena selene so she was here no wonder
19:31it felt so wrong corinne would never have told her ailing grandmother something so devastating
19:36he staggered back a step suddenly he heard corinne's desperate cries from the night before
19:42she was injured by a rogue wolf to save leo his mind flashed back to that night two years ago
19:50leo had
19:51playfully snuck out of the manor only to run into a vicious rogue wolf it was corinne's grandmother
19:56who had thrown herself in front of the child taking the claws to her stomach the attack had damaged her
20:01internal organs leaving her bedridden and frail ever since corinne had been heartbroken and he had
20:07held her hand swearing he would treat her grandmother like his own family from that day on
20:11he had broken his promise he had let the woman who saved his son die alone and in despair a
20:17wave of
20:17fear and guilt stronger than anything he had ever felt crashed over him alpha are you all right the
20:23doctor asked looking with concern at ethan's pale face ethan didn't answer he just turned and bolted
20:29from the morgue he had to get home when he sped back to the villa he found leo crying at
20:34the top of
20:35the stairs the four-year-old's face was flushed with fever as he sat helplessly on the floor mommy
20:40i want my mommy leo's sobs were heart-wrenching the nanny stood beside him wringing her hands
20:46the young master keeps asking for his mother he won't even take his medicine the moment leo saw
20:51ethan he ran to him daddy where's mommy why isn't she back looking at leo's fever flushed face
20:58a storm of emotions churned inside ethan i want mommy where is she mommy mommy had to go out for
21:07a bit she'll be back soon ethan said the words feeling like ash in his mouth in that moment he
21:15didn't know if he was lying to leo or to himself he didn't even know where corinne was hearing this
21:20leo suddenly balled his small fists in anger it's all because she's human it's all her fault
21:25if only she wasn't a human but as soon as the words were out the little boy broke into choked
21:31sobs again but but i want my mommy daddy when is mommy coming back does she not want me anymore
21:37he remembered a time when corinne would dissolve into tears at the first sign of a sniffle from leo
21:42she'd hold vigil by his crib all night no matter how exhausted she was back when he was just a
21:48toddler
21:48leo had been her little shadow clinging to her leg and crying for mommy if she was out of his
21:53sight for
21:53even a second mom but somewhere along the line everything had changed leo began to treat her
21:59love like a meal he craved yet was disgusted by i wish auntie celia was my mommy corinne had just
22:06broken tears streamed down her face silent and unending and he lost in his own fog of perceived
22:13betrayal had offered no comfort he twisted the knife compared to celia you're not fit to be his
22:19mother anyway after that as leo's cruel words became more frequent corinne's heartbreak slowly
22:24hardened into a quiet numbness the barbs stopped hurting her now remembering the ghost of those
22:30tears in corinne's eyes and seeing that same awful conflict mirrored in his own son ethan's heart felt
22:35like it was being torn in two who the hell had poisoned a four-year-old's heart to twist love
22:39into such hateful knots he handed leo over to a maid and walked into his study alone the mate
22:45rejection papers were still on his desk corinne's handprint was a glaring red stain on the page
22:50the space for the alpha's signature was still empty he had never intended to sign them he thought corinne
22:56was just throwing a tantrum but in a few days she'd be back on her knees crying and begging him
23:01for
23:01forgiveness like she always did but this time she had actually left she'd left so cleanly as if their
23:07four years together had been nothing the thought filled ethan with anger but underneath it something
23:12else was stirring panic he picked up his phone and sent corinne a text i've had someone handle your
23:18grandmother's funeral arrangements no reply he sent another leo has a fever he won't stop crying for you
23:27still nothing the minutes ticked by ethan sat in his study staring at the phone screen a feeling of
23:34desperate urgency growing inside him he had never waited this anxiously for a message from anyone
23:39just then a terrified screen came from outside alpha the young master has collapsed ethan shot out
23:47of the study and saw leo lying limply on the floor his small face crimson his eyes closed he was
23:53unconscious he roared scooping his son up quick get the pack doctor the heat radiating from the boy's
24:00body sent a fresh wave of terror through him auntie selena said mommy's a lowly human while they waited
24:06for the doctor leo started muttering in his sleep that grandma's a burden she said if i scratch mommy
24:15she'll get sent away and i can have a new werewolf mommy the little boy's voice was weak and broken
24:21she said the other cubs laugh at me because my mom's a human that she's an embarrassment to our
24:29family if mommy leaves no one will laugh at me anymore ethan's hands clenched into fists his nails
24:37digging into his palms every word was a hammer blow to ethan's heart so that was it selene had
24:43orchestrated all of it but but grandma isn't a burden grandma was nice to me she made me cookies
24:51mommy mommy i'm sorry please don't leave me i won't ever say you're a bad human again please come
24:59back auntie selena lied to me she said a new mommy would love me more but i only want my
25:06mommy ethan's
25:07eyes burned he finally understood why leo had acted so strangely toward corinne a child not even five years
25:13old manipulated by an adult's malice forced to choose between loving his mother and despising her
25:18and he the boy's father had not only failed to protect his son and his mate but had allowed it
25:23all
25:24to happen daddy why doesn't mommy want me anymore is it because i scratched her with my claws
25:29it must have hurt a lot i'll never do it again mommy come back i'll forget all the bad things
25:37auntie selena told me to say he finally understood why corinne had been so resolute about not wanting
25:42leo that day because she had lost all hope in her son too that's why even now with leo so
25:48sick
25:48it wouldn't be enough to bring her back ethan couldn't help but wonder what about him had
25:53corinne given up on him completely too the pack doctor arrived quickly and began treating leo
26:03alpha i heard leo was sick how is he is it serious she said trying to step closer ethan took
26:08a step back
26:09selena tell me what did you teach leo selene's eyes flickered with panic alpha i don't understand
26:16what you mean you don't understand ethan stared at her deceitful face his rage finally boiling over
26:21lowly human a burden of a grandmother who taught a four-year-old child words like that
26:28selene stammered trying to find an excuse i was only only what ethan stalked toward her
26:36only encouraging a cub not yet five years old to attack his own mother with his claws
26:40only telling him that if he hurt his mother she'd be cost out so he could have a better
26:45whale wolf stepmother alpha i i did it for leo's own good a human is not fit to be the
26:52luna of a
26:52wolf pack for leo's good you twisted him up with so much guilt and longing that he passed out crying
26:58for his mother in his sleep you call that for his own good ethan please let me explain i truly
27:03love
27:03you i only want get out as of this moment you are no longer my beta and don't you ever
27:07let me see
27:08you again selene stared at him in disbelief you're casting me out for that human ethan i've given so
27:14many years to the river pack your contributions your contributions were to destroy my family
27:19manipulate my child and drive my mate's grandmother to her death get out selene stumbled backward her
27:25eyes filled with a toxic mix of disbelief and resentment but against the absolute authority of an
27:30alpha she had no choice but to turn and leave ethan leaned weakly against the wall he thought about the
27:35night before how he'd been so provoked by corinne's words that he had impulsively slept with selene
27:40looking back now he realized he hadn't been punishing corinne he had only defiled himself
27:45he immediately dialed the number of his most trusted subordinate marcus i need you to reinvestigate
27:50every detail of corinne's three past infidelities find those three men i want to know exactly what
27:55happened alpha you suspect i suspect i've been played for a fool for four years
28:02if selene was capable of doing this to leo then none of the evidence she provided can be trusted
28:07get on it now i want the truth after hanging up he sent another text to corinne his fingers shaking
28:13corinne i'm sorry he waited 10 minutes no reply he sent another leo won't stop calling for you
28:20please just come back and see him ethan slid to the floor finally realizing that he might have
28:26lost her forever a short while later marcus called back alpha we have the preliminary results
28:35we haven't tracked down the first man yet but the men from the second and third incidences
28:40both received large wire transfers from the same account right before the events took place what
28:47now clear furthermore after corinne lost consciousness neither man actually touched her
28:53surveillance footage shows they just lay down next to her and waited for you to arrive
28:58and alpha that bank account we're still tracing it but our initial theory is spit it out alpha
29:06is it possible that all three of those infidelity scenes were staged if it was all fake
29:12then what had he done to corinne for the past four years ethan remembered the look on corinne's face
29:17the first time he'd caught her it wasn't guilt it was confusion and terror she had cried saying she
29:24didn't remember anything that she had just woken up next to a strange man and he he had dismissed it
29:29as a pathetic excuse the second time it was the same bewildered expression the same desperate
29:34explanation she had begged him to believe her sworn she had never betrayed him that she loved him
29:40and what had he done in truth a part of him had wanted to believe her but he had let
29:45selene
29:45investigate and then used the evidence selene provided to condemn her again and again trampling
29:50all over her dignity the person who had orchestrated those three disgusting setups was the one he trusted
29:56most marcus detain selima immediately on the charge of harming the luna put your best people on this i
30:02want to know everything yes alpha after ending the call ethan collapsed into a chair he picked up his phone
30:09and sent another message i know i was wrong i'm begging you please come back silence he let the
30:16phone drop a gaping hole opening in his chest the next few days were a blur of anxiety ethan stayed
30:22by
30:22leo's side waiting for any word from corinne he sent men to search every place she might have gone but
30:28it
30:28was as if she'd vanished off the face of the earth leaving no trace behind leo's fever broke but he
30:33became
30:33quiet and withdrawn he wasn't the lively boy he used to be he refused to get close to anyone and
30:39more
30:39alarmingly he refused to shift into his wolf form for a cub to refuse to shift was a serious issue
30:45one that could affect his development for the rest of his life ethan hired a therapist specializing in
30:50childhood trauma to come to the villa leo can you tell me why you don't want to become a little
30:54wolf
30:55anymore i don't want to be a wolf anymore why is that because i scratched mommy with my claws
31:02selena said if i hurt her she'd get sent away and i could have a new werewolf mummy but but
31:07i don't want
31:08a new mummy i just want my mummy and now she's really gone she's not coming back is it because
31:14i
31:14become a wolf that i hurt her if i stop being a wolf will she come back i'm never shifting
31:21again
31:21i'm scared i'll scratch her with my claws again standing outside the door ethan pressed himself
31:27against the wall silent tears streaming down his face as he listened to his son his son so consumed
31:32by guilt and self-loathing that he wanted to renounce his own wolf nature a cub not even five
31:37years old carrying such a heavy burden and it was all his fault two weeks later the trial was over
31:44for slandering and framing the luna and for manipulating how to harm his mother among other crimes
31:49selene was sentenced to life in prison her entire family was expelled from the river pack
31:54as the guards led her away selene threw her head back and laughed maniacally at ethan
32:01ethan you think locking me up will fix anything she will never forgive you for that you will never
32:08ever find her ethan stood outside the courthouse watching the car drive away feeling no satisfaction
32:15only a cold hollowing emptiness selene was right but what did it matter now he opened his phone and
32:21scrolled through the hundreds of messages he'd sent to corinne not a single reply they had started as
32:26apologies shifted to please and finally devolved into desperate confessions of love but she was just
32:33gone when he got home leo crept up to him tugging on the hem of his pants with a small
32:38hand daddy the
32:39bad person is gone now does that mean mommy will come back a tiny flicker of hope still shone in
32:45the boys eyes ethan looked down at his son's expectant face he wanted to say yes to give his son
32:51that
32:51one small piece of hope but he opened his mouth and all that came out was a pained defeated whisper
32:56i don't know watching the light fade from leo's eyes eyes so much like corinne's was a fresh twist of
33:02the
33:02knife in ethan's gut he remembered the night he first met her he'd been wounded while hunting a
33:07traitor left for dead in a rain-slip alley it was corinne who found him who brought him back to
33:13her
33:13small apartment without a hint of fear and nursing back the house for a solid month she didn't know
33:18he was a werewolf just that he was an injured man she changed his bandages cooked for him and talked
33:23to
33:24him every day her clear eyes filled not with fear but with gentleness by the time he healed he was
33:29hopelessly in love with her the pack elders were vehemently opposed a human could not be luna but
33:36he didn't care he would have her or he would die trying when she hesitated torn by the divide between
33:42their worlds he had knelt before the statue of the moon goddess for three days and three nights
33:46praying through tears for her blessing on the night of the full moon the goddess's blessing had
33:51truly descended that night corinne had thrown herself into his arms crying
33:58ethan you fool i'll marry you i'll marry you in that moment he felt like he owned the entire world
34:06but after they were married a seed of insecurity had taken root in his heart he was always afraid
34:11that her love for him wasn't as deep as his for her that she had only accepted him because she
34:15was
34:16moved by his devotion every time she glanced at another man every time her affection seemed less
34:21than passionate he grew paranoid wondering if she regretted marrying him until the first time he caught
34:27her being unfaithful it felt like his deepest fear had been confirmed she didn't love him enough
34:32she would betray him so he treated her coldly he was deliberately intimate with selene in front of her
34:38it was all his fault four years of mistakes and now it was too late time passed quickly three years
34:47flew by with the help of his therapist leo slowly improved but he was far more introverted than
34:53before he still asked when his mother was coming home only to be met with ethan's heavy silence
34:58one day caleb the alpha of the neighboring amber pack invited them to his son's second birthday party
35:04the party was a lively affair with wolf cubs running and playing everywhere as usual leo stayed close to
35:11ethan's side too shy to join the other children and then ethan saw a familiar figure in the garden
35:16his breath caught in his throat corinne she was wearing a pale blue dress she looked fuller than
35:23she had three years ago her cheeks rosy with health he had been searching for her for three years
35:28he had never given up sending out more and more men expanding the search wider and wider
35:33he hadn't found a single trace of her and now she was standing not 10 steps away she was holding
35:39a
35:39small boy about two years old gently wiping cream from the corner of the child's mouth
35:44ethan wanted to move but his legs felt like they were filled with lead leo saw her too his small
35:50body trembled and then he shot forward like an arrow mommy mommy you're back i missed you so much
35:59i'll never scratch you again please don't go okay corinne looked down at the boy clinging to her
36:05his face streaked with tears her expression was a mask of cold indifference let go you're scaring my
36:13son the little boy in her arms startled by leo's cries began to squirm corinne gently patted his back
36:19it's okay baby don't be scared the boy let out a small milky cry mama that one word struck leo
36:27like a
36:27lightning bolt he froze his hands dropping from corinne's leg corinne holding her new child looked down at the
36:34firstborn son she'd left behind and said in a light dismissive tone i don't know you and i don't want
36:39to be
36:40your mother leo stood frozen tears still clinging to his lashes too stunned to even cry he stared up at
36:46corinne as if he couldn't comprehend that the mother who had once loved him more than anything could say
36:51such a thing corinne he was breathless by the time he reached her his gaze shot from the child in
36:57her arms
36:58his voice trembling how could you do this to leo how could you say that to him corinne met his
37:06eyes
37:07her own a void of emotion why not she glanced down at the docile boy in her arms her fingers
37:13gently
37:13stroking his back as if he were a fragile treasure i only have one son another woman's child has nothing
37:19to do with me another woman's child he's your son seeing her still indifferent expression ethan
37:27desperately reached for her hand just then an imposing man walked over from the other end of the
37:33garden it was caleb the alpha of the powerful amber pack he moved to current side smoothly and naturally
37:40shielding her behind him ethan this is my luna i suggest you show some respect ethan froze feeling as
37:47though a bucket of ice water had been dumped over his head you're luna he repeated barely able to
37:53believe his own ears take the luna and the young master to the lounge yes alpha without another glance
38:01at ethan corinne turned to leave murmuring softly to the child in her arms corinne stop
38:10that's enough she doesn't want to see you she is my mate what right do you have to take her
38:21your mate still haven't figured it out ethan those words sent a chill down ethan's spine
38:27he suddenly thought back over the past three years the business deals that inexplicably fell through
38:31the key partnerships that collapsed the way his pack's territory was constantly being chipped away
38:36at every time he'd assumed it was just pack rivalries or hostile challenges but every
38:41investigation he ran eventually led back to faint untraceable links to the amber pack he had thought
38:46caleb was just overly ambitious deliberately antagonizing him but what if what if corinne was
38:52behind it all she had been by his side for years she knew the inner workings of his businesses
38:57the lifelines of the river pack if she truly wanted revenge she had all the weapons she needed
39:02the world spun ethan staggered barely able to stay on his feet he had thought she couldn't let go of
39:09their son he thought she couldn't live without him but she had already built a new life somewhere far
39:14away from them with a new child and a new mate and she had been systematically trying to destroy his
39:19pack as corinne was escorted away she never once looked back but ethan clung to one last desperate
39:26threat of hope he knew he had to see her one more time he sent a message to her the
39:31rejection papers
39:32they'd signed required one last thing a final official ceremony before the moon goddess he was
39:37betting she would show three days later at the pack's sacred ground when ethan walked in he saw
39:43corinne standing before the statue of the moon goddess she was dressed in black her hair pinned up
39:48her expression serene he swallowed hard i never signed the papers corinne didn't even flicker her gaze
39:56so so we haven't officially broken the bond corinne come back with me don't you see caleb is ambitious
40:02he'll never be truly good to you you set up those three affairs didn't you this is the result you
40:08wanted her tone deceptively light ethan's eyes widened what are you talking about the first man
40:15it was him he was drunk and came into my room wasn't that your plan ethan stared at her his
40:22mind
40:23reeling the man who had gotten away it was caleb no corinne i didn't set that up why would i
40:30ever
40:30push you towards another man then couldn't you see it she stared directly into his eyes three times ethan
40:36three whole times three whole times did it never once occur to you to try and prove my innocence
40:43ethan's lips moved but no sound came out even if you didn't plan it you were an accomplice corinne
40:49said her voice soft otherwise it never would have happened three times ethan's head dropped in shame
40:54corinne his voice was hoarse his eyes turning red corinne i'm so sorry for what i did to you
41:01and to your grandmother i'm so so sorry it's too late let's just get this over with he never
41:09imagined he would one day stand before her and cry so pathetically the ceremony began the parchment
41:16with their mating agreement was tossed into the sacred fire burning until it was nothing but ash
41:20as the last ember died a look of profound relief washed over corinne's face leo who had been standing
41:26at the back was sobbing so hard he could barely breathe he stumbled forward trying to run to her
41:33but was blocked by the guards he could only scream his voice tearing mommy i'm sorry please don't leave
41:40me but corinne's steps never faltered with the searing desperate gazes of a father and son burning
41:46into her back she walked out of the sacred grounds once outside corinne took out her phone her voice cold
41:52as steel it's done spread the word all the plans we prepared to attack the river pack can be set
41:59in
42:00motion now she paused a sliver of icy hatred finally surfacing in her eyes i want him to lose everything
42:06those three years were just a warm-up from the day she left she had sworn an oath she would
42:13have
42:13vengeance for herself and for her grandmother corinne's fingers closed around the necklace at her throat
42:18the one he had smashed now painstakingly repaired grandma don't you worry from this day on
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