He Left Me Bleeding. I Left Him on His Knees

Quinns POV

It was our ninth mating anniversary, but Alpha Zane came home with his pregnant mistress.

For nine years, he had held me like I was the moon itself. He'd bring me moonflowers, kiss my hand in front of the pack, and swear I'd always be his only one. And now? He stood proudly beside another woman, parading her swollen belly like a trophy.

"Shes sensitive to scent changes," he said casually, one arm draped possessively around the other woman's waist as she nestled smugly into his side. "No repeated meals. She needs someone with her when she sleeps. Move your things to the guest lodge."

My body stiffened in shock. "A-Are you freaking kidding me, Zane? You seriously expect me to move into the guest lodge like some castoff because of your mistress?"

His eyes narrowed. "I wasnt asking, Quinn. Now do it."

"No." My teeth ground together as I pointed a trembling finger straight at Nina. "You have impregnated an opportunistic omega, and now you brought her to our sacred ceremony? The audacity, Zane. No way!"

"I said do it, Quinn!"

His Alpha aura flared like thick smoke pressing against my lungs, and I felt my knees buckle slightly. My wolf even recoiled, whimpering at his dominance.

But I couldn't and wouldn't stoop low for someone who wrecked my marriage, so I said, "I'd rather leave. I'm so done. Goodbye, Zane."

He thought I would serve his mistress? Never. And since I had packed my things weeks ago after I received a sex video of him and this omega, I was already ready to go.

Zane scoffed and prowled toward me. He jabbed a finger at me, then made a sweeping motion like he was shooing away garbage. "You want to leave? Fine. Go ahead and throw your little tantrum. Youll come crawling back in three days, begging like the pathetic has-been youve become."

Laughter echoed behind me from the elders. They were placing betslaughing at the woman they had once bowed to as Luna.

Too bad for them, I wasnt about to stick around and play the humiliated Luna one more time. The car my cousin had called from Norththorn Ridge was already parked beyond the wards.

Zane said I would go back crawling on my ass? Well, I didn't even look back when I stepped through the front door after I retrieved my bags from our room.

But before I stepped out of the doors, he shouted, "Leave the Moonstone Bangle and give it to Nina!"

My breath hitched.

I curled my fingers tightly around the bracelet my late grandmother had gifted me. This bracelet had been the only thing keeping my wolf calm through the chaos of his betrayal. And now he wanted me to give it away? To hand over the one thing making me physically immune to the pain of his cheating?

"No," I said, as rich beads of tears fell from my eyes. "Not this. Anything but this!"

Zane snorted at my reaction, pulling Nina closer to him. "Dont make this harder than it needs to be, Quinn. She needs it."

I could have fought harder. I could have screamed, refused, or lashed out. But my body was already trembling, my wolf curled up tight inside me. And his alpha aura was forcing me to submit. Curse his aura!

So I turned slowly and walked over to Nina.

I unclasped the bangle and fastened it around her wrist.

"May your child be born in peace," I murmured.

But when the silver clasp clicked shut around her wrist, a thin red line bloomed across her pale skin. She gasped sharply, clutching her wrist like Id branded her. "W-What did you do to me, Luna? Did you hurt me on purpose with that bangle?" she cried, collapsing to her knees.

"What? No!" I countered, wide eyes on her wrist.

Zane reacted instantly. His body stiffened, and then he lunged toward her, knocking the chair aside as he swept her into his arms. He held her like she was made of glass. Then he glared at me as if Id morphed into a beast before his very eyes. "What on earth did you do to her? Are you so jealous that she is pregnant with my child? Did you curse Nina?"

"I had no idea what happened, Zane." My hands remained suspended midair, still trembling from fastening the bangle.

"Call the healer! Now!" he roared, glancing around, then glared back at me. "You, clean this up. Every last shard. Understood!"

My gaze dropped to the shattered pieces of the bangle scattered across the floor. Shards pierced through the skin as I knelt, but I welcomed the pain.

"Im sorry," I said. Once. Then again. And again.

My knees screamed as I shifted my weight forward. My palms, slick with blood from the broken shards, pressed against the cold marble floor to push me up. Gathering what was left of my dignity, I brushed the blood-stained strands of hair away from my face, and locked eyes with him. "Is that enough, Alpha?"

His eyes didnt soften. Not even a flicker. "The High Council Elder who protected you is gone. Who are you pretending for now?"

I stared at the man I once called my mate. "Why dont you just reject me, Zane? If you hate the sight of me so much, end the bond."

He let out a low laugh, amused and condescending. "Why would I do that, Quinn? Youll just come crawling back. And besides, rejections hurt, so why go through the effort?"

I gathered the broken bangle pieces and tossed them in the trash. After rinsing the blood from my hands, I grabbed my bag and walked out without looking back.

Quinns POV

I thought I was finally free. But apparently, the universe had a cruel sense of humor when it came to me. Because before I even reached the perimeter, two enforcers stepped out of the shadows. I barely had time to register them before they grabbed me, one by each arm, like I was some petty criminal running from justice.

"We have to return you back, Luna. As per Alpha Zane's order. He needs your blood."

"What? No! Let me go!" I strugglednot for me, but for the little life growing inside me. My heart thundered, pounding against my ribs like it already knew something terrible was about to happen. "Why would he want my blood?"

Why, Moon Goddess? Why him? Why this fate? I gave everythingmy body, my loyalty, my future. Was that not enough? What cruel joke was this, that I should be tied to a mate who saw me as nothing more than a resource to use and discard?

And now he wanted more. Always more.

I wasnt sure which I feared morethat hed find out about the baby, or that he wouldnt care even if he did.

The next thing I knew, I was strapped to a steel chair in the infirmary, cold restraints biting into my wrists. I tried to lift my head and saw Zane standing with his arms crossed like I was beneath him.

"You really dragged me back for this? To drain me like some sacrificial deer?"

Zane didnt flinch. "Stop being dramatic. Youre helping. Be useful for once."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Useful? Is that all I ever was to you? A convenient blood bank with a Luna title?"

"Youre being emotional, as usual," he said. "You always did have a flair for victimhood."

"Says the man bleeding his mate dry while his precious omega rests in silk sheets."

He stepped closer and wrapped his large hand around my jaw. "Watch your mouth or else--."

"Or what? Youll toss me down the mountain next like you did my dignity?"

He sneered. "Youre alive, arent you? Should be thanking me."

"You have her," I snapped. "You have your heir. Why am I still the one in this chair?"

The irony of it. His precious omega slept soundly on silk pillows while I bled out for her and the pup she carried, while my own unborn child clung quietly to life inside me.

But I wouldn't give him that truth. He didn't deserve it. Hed weaponize it, manipulate it, twist it into something ugly just like hed twisted everything else about me.

So I kept it buried deep, like the rest of me.

I stared at the ceiling, the sterile lights blurring with unshed tears as I added, "This is what I get for loving you? For defending your name at every council hearing? For patching your wounds like a mate, not a maid? I shouldve run the moment you recognized me as your mate!"

"Then why didnt you?" he hissed. "You were too desperate. Too easy."

"And you were too much of a coward to reject me," I growled.

He smirked. "Why bother? You always come back."

That was when the needle drove in.

It was too thick. More like a dagger than any medical tool. I felt the sharp prick at first, then the slow burn as it pierced deeper, invading my skin and my vein. But I didn't flinch. I wouldnt give him the pleasure, but still, a cold sweat broke across my neck and my fingers trembled against the restraints.

Every ounce they drained from me felt like a piece of my past being ripped awayour first council meeting, the time I took a blade for him without hesitation, the sleepless nights I sat by the door waiting for him to return. I bled not just my veins, but the last fragments of the bond I once held sacred. And through it all, he just stood there. Watching as if I was nothing more than a container to siphon from.

"Alpha, Quinns heart has always been delicate. Drawing too much blood could"

"Keep going," Zane snapped. "She's stubborn, shell survive."

My vision dimmed.

I bit down on the inside of my cheek just to stay conscious.

Eight hundred milliliters. Thats how much they drained from me. And the worst part was I believed it was over. But someone coughed behind the curtain, and that one sound snapped Zane back to attention.

"Double it. Nina needs more blood."

I froze. So I was being a forced sacrifice for the shameless woman who'd ruined my life?

"You're draining me for your mistress?" I spat. "Youre bleeding your own mate to save the woman who broke our bond? Gods, Zane!"

"She needs it," he said coldly, like it explained everything.

I laughed bitterly even as tears burned my eyes. "And what about me? What about your Luna? Your mate? Your wife? Youd bleed me dry before lifting a finger to help me!"

His expression didnt change, and that told me everything I needed to know.

Nina coughed again from behind the curtain, this time loudermore dramatic. "Zane!" she whimpered.

And like shed cast some kind of spell, he moved. I was a near-unconscious mess strapped to a chair, and he was already halfway to the other room.

I didnt know whether to laugh or cry. What a mate, right? I was dying in the chair, and he was worried about a tickle in her throat.

The healer trembled. "Alpha, if we draw more blood, the pup in her"

"Do it," Zane barked, turning his glare on Rowan. "Otherwise, Ill personally throw you into the dungeons!"

Rowan stiffened, visibly torn, but nodded. "Yes, Alpha."

I wanted to scream. To beg him not to, but my consciousness was fading away.

---

When I opened my eyes again, everything was blurry, and I realized I was no longer in the chair. I was lying down on a cot, covered in a thin blanket.

Healer Rowan sat beside me. His eyes were red as he said, "You're stable now, Luna. Your vitals are normal. Your body is healing faster than I expected. It must be your natural resilience."

I blinked slowly. "That sounds like good news," I rasped. "So why do you look like someone just died?"

Rowan's lips parted slightly, like the words wouldnt come out. He hesitated, then bowed his head. "Because someone did," he said.

I didnt understand at first. I stared at him, trying to put the pieces together. Then I gasped as my hand flew to my stomach.

"No... no, no, no..."

"Im so sorry," he whispered. "When Alpha Zane ordered us to double the blood draw, the pup didnt make it."

My scream tore through the room before I could stop it. I thrashed on the cot, kicking the sheets off, knocking over the tray beside me. My wolf howled inside me, her pain spilling into mine. I shoved myself up, ignoring the dizziness, and staggered toward the door.

"ZANE!" I screamed. "You killed my baby! YOU MONSTER!"

He wasnt there. Of course, he wasnt. He was probably holding Nina's hand while I lost everything.

"Ill kill him! I swear it! Ill rip him apart!"

Healer Rowan tried to steady me, holding my arms. "Please, Luna Quinn, you need to rest."

I shoved him off with what little strength I had left. "Don't tell me to rest! He murdered my child!"

I collapsed to the floor, sobbing so hard I couldnt breathe.

Rowan crouched beside me. "Im sorry. If there was anything I couldve done, I would have."

I didnt answer. The sobs quieted into hiccups, then into silence.

But my mind? It was no longer broken. It was sharpening.

No more pleading. No more waiting for scraps of love or mercy. I would burn everything they cared about. Both of them!

I looked up at Rowan. "Prepare my discharge papers. And all the medical records. I want copies of everything."

Quinns POV

I was stuck in a hospital bed, still weak and lightheaded. My arms ached from the blood loss, and it was hard to even sit up without getting dizzy. But none of that hurt as much as what I was keeping inside. I was grieving the loss of my pup.

In my confinement, I received news of him and Nina everywhere else. A mutual packmate sent a video. Zane was laughing at some gala, his hand firmly on her waist. Another video came in: Zane feeding Nina a slice of cake at a dinner party, leaning in close to whisper something that made her giggle.

He looked happy and free.

When I was finally discharged, I walked out by myself. No one was there to pick me upnot Zane, not a guard, not even one of the lower-ranked pack members. Just me, carrying a hospital bag and the awful truth that I didnt matter to them anymore.

I really didnt want to return to the packhouse. Just thinking about it made my skin crawl. But all my stuff had been sent back there, so I didnt have a choice.

Then, just my luck, I saw them right outside the maternity wing. Nina looked proud and happy, like she was already celebrating. Zane stood next to her, his hand on her back like he was showing her off.

A nurse passed by. Her head turned to them, and she chirped, Alpha Zane, your Luna is glowing today!

My stomach twisted, but I didnt correct her. I didnt have the strength anyway.

Instead, I turned. I started to walk away.

"Quinn." Zane's voice cut through the hallway, and I froze for a second. My spine stiffened, but I didnt turn around right away. Of course he saw me. Of course he had to call me now, when I was trying to vanish quietly into the background.

I finally turned, meeting his eyes from across the polished floor of the maternity wing. "I didnt follow you. Just so you know, I was just discharged. I didnt know youd be here."

He narrowed his eyes, but before he could say anything, Nina clung to his arm.

"Babe, please let her come with us," she said sweetly, her tone so fake it made my skin crawl. "I feel bad for her. She gave me blood, remember? Its the least we can do."

I almost laughed.

Zane touched her nose affectionately. "Youre too kind. Alright."

So I got in the car. Not because I wanted to, but because I had nowhere else to go just yet. My important documents were still at the estate.

In the backseat, I sat in silenceHowever, a pair of underwear stained with white liquid was there, which stung my heart.

Nina twisted in her seat, tossing me a smirk over her shoulder. "Oh my god, I just realizedmy panties are still here. Can you believe that, babe? After everything we did in the backseat last week?"

She giggled shamelessly, like we were old friends reminiscing, not the two women tied to the same man.

Zane chuckled, completely unbothered. "You nearly tore the seat stitching."

"Mmm," Nina purred. "You werent complaining when I was grinding on your lap while you were parked outside the packhouse. Or that time I unzipped you during that long drive to the borderlands and kept you nice and distracted."

Zane smirked, eyes on the road like none of this was out of place. "Thats because you make traffic worth it."

"And remember the time you had to pull over because I wouldnt stop using my mouth? Gods, you nearly howled."

My stomach churned. I stared out the window, jaw locked so tight it ached. My fingers clenched in my lap, nails digging half-moons into my palms.

While they flirted like I wasnt even there, I quietly fished my phone from my bag and opened the latest email from Tony, my cousin. My heart gave a tiny, traitorous flutter as I read about my confirmed flight. The one Id been waiting on for days.

Below the itinerary, hed written a short message:

[Heres another flight schedule, Quinn. Hope you catch this one. The flight is scheduled for tonight at 9 PM.]

I smiled to myself. Just a little.

I typed a quick reply:

[Thank you so much, Tony. Im sorry for missing the last one.]

Almost instantly, the chat bubble appeared with his response:

[What really happened that day? You can tell me.]

My fingers hovered above the screen. I didnt want to lie to him. Tony had always looked out for me. But if I told him the truth, hed start a pack war, and I didnt want blood spilled because of me.

So instead, I typed:

[I'll explain soon. I just need to get out first.]

Because to leave this place was what I wanted the most.

Zane laughed softly, whispering an apology for forgetting something, even taking the blame. Regardless, all the while, he watched me out of the corner of his eye, clearly hoping for a reaction.

But I gave him nothing, not even a flicker of emotion.

That same strange frustration I saw in him back at the hospital stirred again, and he couldnt stand it when I went quiet.

"Quinn, youve been glued to your phone ever since we got in the car," he snapped. "Who are you talking to? Someone I dont know?"

"Just reading the news." I didnt even glance at him and just gazed down at my electronic plane ticket.

It seemed that he didnt believe me as his face tightenedand I was shocked when, without a word, he suddenly snatched the phone from my hands. My heart jumped in my chest, not from fear, but from the sharp sting of anger.

I clenched my jaw, trying not to let the heat show on my face, but my fists curled on instinct. So much for respect.

"Whats the passcode?"

"Its the date we met, Zane. You know, that magical day where I made the worst decision of my life and fell for you? It should be easy to remember, as you were charming for five whole minutes before turning into a full-time nightmare." I didnt bother hiding the venom in my voice. Let it burn.

Zane sighed in irritation, already regretting the guessing game hed started. He tapped at the screen once. Twice. A third time.

The phone buzzed and flashed red. Locked.

Beside him, Nina rolled her eyes and leaned in with a mockingly sweet voice. "Just let it go, babe. So what if shes on her phone? Its not like she has any friends left. Or dignity. I mean, what else can she do now besides text someone who pities her enough to reply?"

She winked at me with a smirk.

Quinns POV

When we arrived at the packhouse, he helped the nauseous, morning-sick mistress up to the master bedroom and told the chef to make her favorites.

On his way back downstairs, he saw me heading toward the guest wing, dragging my suitcase behind me.

He paused, then muttered to the chef, "Make two more dishes. The ones Quinn likes. Set three places."

That actually caught my attention. Was that remorse? A flicker of guilt? A weak, pitiful attempt to play house while his mistress slept in the room we once shared?

I didnt know whether to laugh or spit. He couldnt remember my the day we met, but surego ahead and have the chef whip up my favorite meal. Maybe he thought a plate of grilled rosemary lamb could undo what he did to me.

I clenched my jaw, said nothing, and kept walking.

I stepped into the guest room, closing the door quietly behind me. The silence was heavy, as if the walls themselves knew I didnt belong here anymore.

I set my bag down on the edge of the bed and knelt to unzip it. The second the zipper peeled open, I stopped cold.

All of my clothes had been shredded. Torn into ribbons with clean, deliberate cuts. Damn it! But tucked deep into the lining, right where Id hidden them, my passport and documents remained untouched.

For a second, I just sat, stunned. Who would do this?

I didnt have to think long. Of course it was Nina. Who else would be petty and cruel enough to tear my things apart like this? But I had no time to confront her. Not now.

Let her think shed won. I had more important things to do, like getting out of here alive.

I was crouched by the bed, shoving the last few salvageable items into my bag when I heard the door creak open behind me.

Nina stood in the doorway, one hand hanging lazily at her side, holding a small black bottle. Her eyes roamed the room like she was touring a crime scene, nose practically wrinkling at the decor. Then her gaze landed on me, and wowif looks could kill, Id be ashes already.

"Wow, Quinn. Youre really something. After all the humiliation Ive put you through in front of every Alpha and Luna in the region, you still cling to this pack like a tick."

She tilted her head mockingly.

"Oh, right. Your grandmother passed last month, didnt she? Now that your only real family is gone, of course youre clinging to Zane like hes your last lifeline."

Then she giggled.

"Remember how you begged him to fly you out to see her one last time? You know why he didnt?"

She waved her phone.

"Because he promised to take me to the coast that day. We watched the sunset together. This kiss photo? Taken right then."

Her words hit me slowly, like cracks spreading through glass. The more they sank in, the more something inside me started to boil.

Shed known. She knew what she was doing when she showed me that photo. When she talked about the helicopter. My grandmother. That day Id begged Zaneon my kneesto let me see her one last time.

And he chose Nina.

The weight of it all pressed down on me. My jaw clenched, fists tightening at my sides as the room spun with heat and rage. My wolf stirred, growling low inside me, just as my self-control snapped.

"You think this is funny?" I hissed. "You think tearing down what little I have left makes you what? His Luna?"

Nina raised her brows, smiling like a snake. "I dont need to be Luna. I already have everything."

"You have nothing," I snapped, "Youre a parasite. A leech clinging to scraps!"

Quinn's POV

She shrugged, smug. "Still more than you."

That was it.

I slapped the phone from her hand. It clattered to the ground.

Then I lunged, my hand flying to her throat before I could stop myself.

The bottle slipped from Ninas hand and hit the floor with a hollow clink. The sharp, unmistakable stench of gasoline exploded into the air, hitting my nose like a slap. It burned the back of my throat, filling the room in seconds.

We struggledpushing, grabbing, stumbling over each other. Then she kicked somethingmaybe it was a lighter, or maybe it was her own claw striking against metal.

Flames erupted like theyd been waiting for a reason to consume us.

Smoke swallowed the room. My freshly healed body couldn't keep up. I choked, coughing violently, my legs collapsing beneath me.

The last thing I saw before darkness claimed me was fire crawling across the ceiling.

"Quinn!"

"Alpha! Its too dangerous! You cant go in! Let security handle it"

"Out of the way! Quinns still in there!"

The sound of Zane's voice tore through the smoke. I tried to open my eyes. Had I imagined it? Did he really say my name? Did he still care?

"Zane, I'm here too. Please save me and our baby!"

For a moment, I almost believed he was coming for me.

It was pathetic, really. That tiny flicker of hope that burned inside me just from hearing my name fall from his lips. Like I was still someone hed fight for.

But of course, reality slapped the fantasy right out of me. He hadnt come running in because he missed me. Not because he cared. Hed stormed in because he wanted to save face. Wanted to be the Alpha. The hero.

And when Nina cried out? He didnt even pause. Just scooped her up like she was some precious gem while I lay theresmoke choking the last bit of strength out of me.

Half an hour passed.

After making sure Nina was safe, he tore through every hallway of the estate to find me.

But I was gone.

I still wasnt sure how Id made it out. The flames were everywhere, roaring in my ears and stealing every breath from my lungs. Smoke clawed at my throat, filling me with dizzying heat. But when instinct finally took over, it wasnt my human side that saved me. It was my wolf.

I shifted mid-cough, bones snapping, fur exploding across my skin in a rush of pain and power. Everything became clearer and sharper. Even through the haze, my wolfs focus locked onto one thing: survival.

My bag. I lunged for it, grabbing the strap between my teeth. It tasted like ash and desperation, but I clung to it. Then I leapt through the shattered window.

Glass scraped my sides as I crashed through, landing hard on the grass outside. My legs buckled, my chest heaving. But I was alive. Barely.

And I didnt look back.

One of the side hallways mustve been untouched, or maybe the fire hadnt reached that wing yet. I dragged myself down it blindly, lungs screaming, barely able to stand, until I reached the back service door. I collapsed outside in the cold night air, coughing so hard I thought my ribs would snap.

No one saw me. No one followed.

And I didnt stop. Not even when my knees buckled. Not even when I had to use street signs and parked cars for support. I just kept going, because if I stoppedif I let myself get caught againI knew I wouldnt survive it this time.

Then I boarded a flight to the Northern Territories.

The moment before takeoff, a message came in.

From Zane:

[Dont have time for games, Quinn. Im not playing hide-and-seek.]

I stared at the screen.

Then powered off the phone.

Zanes POV

[Tomorrow at 10 AM, Ninas got her prenatal exam. Youll come with her. Get your lungs checked while youre at it.]

There was no replyand honestly, I wasnt surprised. I didnt know it at the time, but Quinn had already yanked out her SIM card and powered down her phone. Just like that, she was gone. Cut me off entirely, with all the finality of a slammed door that would never open again.

...

The next morning, the healers den buzzed with low murmurs and the scent of moonwort. Nina clung to my arm like shed collapse without it.

Zane, is the pup okay?

I nodded, keeping my voice even. Healer said the pups strong. No lasting damage from the fire.

She sagged with relief. Thank the Moon Goddess. Youve been so quiet since we got here. I thought something happened.

Something had.

I couldnt get Quinns face out of my headthe way she looked at me through the smoke, not desperate or pleading, just resigned, like she already knew I wouldnt come back for her. And the worst part? She was right. I didnt carry her out of that burning house. I carried Nina.

...

After lunch with Nina, I dropped her off at the packhouse and went straight to the council hall.

It was then that my beta caught up to me.

Alpha Zane, Elder Thorn has returned. Hes called for a full summit with the leadership.

I nodded and kept walking, but underneath the calm, something sharp twisted in my guttight, restless, and entirely wrong. Quinn was nowhere to be found. She hadnt gone to the healers. She hadnt returned to the packhouse. None of the patrols had seen her exit through the gates. No one had caught her scent. Shed vanishedand I had no idea how or when she slipped through the cracks.

Where the hell had she gone?

As I started to walk faster, I turned to my beta again and said, Get someone to pick up a few of the newest designer bags and some jewelry.

For Luna Nina?

I paused. Send it to the Sterling estate.

If Quinn was anywhere, itd be there.

But if she wasnt?

I didnt want to finish that thought. My wolf had started pacing, unsettled.

What if she was hurt? Still recovering somewhere alone?

What if shed really left?

...

One week later, just past midnight, I came home bone-deep tired from a strategy session with the border patrol. I stepped into the packhouse and saw a soft figure curled on the couch in silk, like a memory that hadnt let go.

I chuckled. Quinn, I told you Once I finish work, I always come back. You dont have to I stopped.

It was Nina. Not Quinn.

Her face fell when she looked up. Zane, she hasnt returned. Not once. I sent her so many apology messages. She wont reply. Maybe I should move out. She sniffled, on the edge of tears.

I let out a long breath and sat beside her, leaning in to kiss her foreheadnot out of affection, but more out of routine. "Dont think too much about it. The pup needs a calm environment." I didnt want to say it, but I forced the words out anyway, because I knew she was waiting to hear them. This is your home now. Yours and the pups. Whether Quinn likes it or not.

...

Later that night, I stood alone on the open-air terrace, wearing nothing but a robe. I lit a cigarettesomething I hadnt done in years. But tonight, I couldnt stop. The craving wasnt for the smoke. The desire was to soothe the restlessness that was gnawing at me from within.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled all the way down through my contacts until I found Quinn's name sitting quietly at the very bottom. I stared at it, thumb hovering over the call button, frozen with everything I wanted to say but didnt. In the end, I didnt call.

I sent a message instead:

[Quinn, tomorrow is Elder Thorns 80th birthday. Dont cause a scene. Dont start anything with Nina or the pup.]

I waited. My chest felt tight, and for a second, I couldnt tell if it was from the cold wind. No. It couldn't be panic.

Zanes POV

Elder Thorns 80th birthday was the kind of gathering that demanded appearances, smiles, honor, and an iron-tight grip on image.

I arrived at the grand hall with Nina on my arm. Her belly was beginning to show now, enough to draw attention. Whispers floated from the crowd, but none of it mattered. I kept my face blank, unmoved.

Only when my grandfather himself entered did I let go of Ninas hand. He wasnt just the former Alphahe was a living legend in the Silverclaw Pack. And I knew he had always loved her like a real daughter.

Where is Quinn? Elder Thorn asked me directly.

Shes been busy preparing a gift for your birthday." I shifted my weight, trying to sound more certain than I felt. Shell arrive later.

He studied me for a moment but said nothing.

Two hours passed.

The gift-giving was just about to begin, but still no sign of Quinn. I kept glancing at the doors, trying to act like I wasnt waiting, but my wolf was pacing, growling inside me. The longer she stayed gone, the more I could feel the nerves crawling up my spine. Where the hell was she??

Just as I was about to step out and call someone, a courier walked in, carrying three neatly wrapped packages.

The courier looked between me and Elder Thorn, unsure who to address, fingers tightening slightly around the packages as if they were heavier than they looked.

"Delivery for Elder Thorn," he announced respectfully. "Theyre from Luna Quinn."

My heart stopped at the mention of her name.

I cleared my throat. "Give them to me."

He hesitated. "I was told to deliver them directly to the Elder. Her instructions were very clear."

Of course they were.

I growled, stepping aside and gesturing toward my grandfather. "Then do as she asked."

Elder Thorn was in the middle of a quiet exchange with another elder when the courier approached. He nodded respectfully and said, "This is from Luna Quinn, sir. She's wishing you a happy birthday."

The Elder blinked, surprised. "Why didnt she deliver them herself? Wheres my granddaughter-in-law?"

The courier gave a small shake of his head. "I'm sorry, sir. I was only told to deliver these to you. Nothing more."

Elder Thorn looked visibly dismayed, his eyes shadowed with confusion. Still, he accepted the gifts with quiet grace and carefully placed them on the table beside him, his hand lingering on one box as if hoping it might speak for her.

I walked over to my grandfathers side, wanting a closer look. "Do you want me to open them for you?"

He shook his head. "No. Ill do it."

Inside was an intricate embroidery piecea tapestry of ancient spirits gathered to bless a long life. It had taken her months to complete. I knew, because Id seen her fingers bleed while stitching it.

The Elders eyes moistened.

He opened the second gift with a slower hand this time, as if he too was beginning to sense where this was going. It was a velvet box. Inside lay the heirloom jewelry passed down from his late matethe same pieces Quinn had worn on our wedding day.

My throat tightened, and my palms started to sweat. Why would she send this back?

Then came the third box.

I couldnt take it anymore. My hands moved on their own as I reached forward and snatched the final package. My grandfather gave me a sharp look, but he didnt stop me.

I tore open the third gift box roughly and directly.

However, when I saw clearly what was inside, I suddenly turned pale and froze in place!