Chapter 3

Mireille smirked.

"What’s this? Keeping tabs on me now?"

"If you're that insecure, why not mark Nolan properly so he stays put?"

"How does it feel, sitting on a throne that was never meant for you?"

"You should never forget—you will always be beneath me."

She laughed—a melodic yet mocking sound that rang in my ears. The Cartier necklace—the Moonstone Jewel—glinted under the sun, resting elegantly against her collarbone. That sight pierced me deeper than I cared to admit.

Once, Mireille had been my closest friend. I had believed our bond unshakable, that our shared dreams of shaping the pack’s future through architecture and development would unite us forever. But then, Jasper, my fated mate, shattered everything. He severed our bond and chose Mireille instead, leaving me with nothing but pain.

To be betrayed by my mate and my closest friend—it was agony beyond words. Just when I thought I would drown in that darkness, Nolan emerged, offering me a lifeline. For the first time in months, I saw a glimmer of hope.

At first, everything seemed to fall into place. Nolan claimed me as his mate, and I accepted, believing our future would be built on trust. I was preparing for an international architecture competition when he suddenly told me,

"Selena, you don’t have to burden yourself with work anymore. Just focus on being my Luna. I’ll take care of you, of your family, of everything."

His words moved me deeply. Trusting in his promise, I sold my pack-funded architecture firm, walking away from the career I had fought so hard to build. Not only that, I withdrew from the competition entirely.

In the end, the champion of that prestigious event was Mireille.

From that moment on, the woman who had once been my friend became an internationally celebrated strategist and architect, while I was reduced to nothing more than Nolan’s Luna—known not for my own talents, but as the Beta’s mate.

Now, looking back, the truth was painfully clear—Nolan had been paving the way for Mireille all along.

My gaze lifted to the expansive layout of the new trading post. The structural design was strikingly familiar—so much so that for a moment, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me. But there were subtle differences, as if someone had taken my blueprint and altered it just enough to make it seem unique.

My heart pounded violently.

There was a project file I had abandoned years ago, stored on my personal pack-linked server. Since stepping away from my career, I had never so much as glanced at it.

So how had my design—one I had left untouched for years—become Mireille’s? And why had Nolan transformed it into this trading hub?

Forcing down the surge of emotions, I turned to Mireille, ready to confront her. But before I could speak, her voice rang out, sharp and panicked.

"Selena! What are you doing? Do you want me to lose my pup?!"

"Ah!"

Before I could react, Mireille suddenly collapsed, clutching her stomach as her face contorted in pain.

Gasps rippled through the crowd.

"Get the healer!"

"Someone fetch the medic wolves!"

A flurry of movement followed as wolves gathered, their eyes flickering between Mireille and me, their expressions laden with judgment.

In the chaos, my gaze locked onto a figure rushing forward—a figure I knew all too well.

"Mireille!"

It was my mate. The man I had shared a den with for three years.

Nolan’s face was lined with worry as he descended from the ceremonial stage. But what did he do?

He shoved me aside.

Without hesitation, he crouched beside Mireille, his voice urgent, his hands steadying her trembling form.

"Are you alright?"