After My Mate Betrayed Me, I Unleashed Fury

The air at Moonstone Territory crackled with anticipation as our convoy arrived. Three months pregnant, I felt a rare sense of peace, one hand resting protectively over my slightly rounded belly as I stepped from the car. My wolf, Victoria, purred contentedly within me, sharing my quiet joy.

"Luna Victoria!" Several Silvermoon delegates rushed forward, bowing respectfully. "You're radiant today."

I smiled, accepting their compliments with a graceful nod. My aura—stronger since my pregnancy—rippled around me in waves of silver light that even humans might have sensed had they been present.

"Where is Alpha Michael?" I asked, scanning the gathering crowd.

"Already at the ceremonial grounds, Luna," replied a young warrior, his eyes darting away too quickly.

Something cold slithered down my spine. Victoria growled softly in my mind, suddenly alert.

*Something's wrong.*

The ceremonial grounds were packed with wolves from all neighboring territories. I moved through the crowd, my Silvermoon delegates forming a protective circle around me. Heads turned as I passed, expressions ranging from respect to... was that pity?

The crowd parted, and I froze.

At the center of the sacred circle stood Michael, my mate, my Alpha—the father of the child growing within me. But he wasn't looking at me. His eyes were fixed on a petite woman with sleek black hair. Sophia Chen, his pack assistant. The rogue she-wolf my mother-in-law had introduced months ago.

"Today," Michael's voice boomed across the grounds, "I announce my intention to make Sophia Chen my chosen mate."

The world tilted beneath my feet. My wolf howled, a sound of pure agony that thankfully remained locked in my mind.

*No. No. NO.*

I watched, paralyzed, as Michael drew a ceremonial dagger across his palm. Blood welled, dark and rich. He reached for Sophia's hand, repeating the action with practiced tenderness I had never received from him.

"With this blood, I begin our bond," he intoned, pressing their bleeding palms together.

The pre-marking ceremony. In front of everyone. While I stood watching, his child growing within me.

I didn't realize I'd stopped breathing until Madison, my Beta and closest friend, gripped my elbow.

"Victoria," she whispered urgently. "Breathe."

The initial shock was crystallizing into something else—something cold and sharp and dangerous. My father's voice echoed in my memory: *An Alpha never shows weakness. They turn pain into power.*

I straightened my spine. Drew a deep breath. Felt my Alpha blood surge through my veins.

Without a word, I stepped forward. The crowd fell silent, tension thickening the air. Michael finally noticed me, his eyes widening slightly—not with shame, but with annoyance at the interruption.

"Luna Victoria," he acknowledged stiffly, Sophia's hand still clasped in his. "We didn't expect you to arrive so early."

"Clearly," I replied, my voice arctic. Every eye in the gathering was upon us now.

I didn't shout. I didn't cry. Instead, I closed my eyes and reached for the pack bonds—the intricate network of connections that tied Silvermoon to Blackwood through our arranged mating.

And then, with the