Alpha's Cruel Deception

The familiar scent of pine and earth filled my lungs as I approached the territory I once called home. Six years. Six years of exile, of surviving in rogue lands with nothing but my wits and fierce determination to protect the precious life I carried. Now, as I walked up the stone path leading to the Moonstone Pack house, my daughter Presley's small hand clutched tightly in mine, every step felt like walking through a minefield of memories.

The pack house stood exactly as I remembered—imposing gray stone walls covered in ivy, tall windows that once welcomed me with warm light, and the heavy oak door that had opened to me countless times as Luna. But now, everything felt different. Colder. Foreign.

"Mama, is this really where you used to live?" Presley whispered, her wide eyes taking in the grandeur she'd only heard about in my carefully edited bedtime stories. Her voice carried that mix of wonder and wariness that had kept us alive in rogue territory.

"Yes, little wolf," I murmured, smoothing down her dark hair—so much like Kingston's it made my chest ache. "This was our home once."

Before I could even reach for the door handle, it swung open. But instead of the familiar faces of pack members who once bowed to me as their Luna, I found myself staring into the cold, calculating eyes of Karina Gibson.

She looked exactly as I remembered, perhaps more polished now. Her auburn hair was perfectly styled, her makeup flawless, and she wore a flowing dress that screamed 'lady of the house.' But it was the way she positioned herself in the doorway—blocking our entry like a guardian protecting her territory—that sent ice through my veins.

"Well, well," Karina's voice dripped with false sweetness, her lips curving into a smile that never reached her eyes. "Look what the wind blew in. I'm afraid you're mistaken if you think you can just waltz back here after all these years."

My wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin, recognizing the challenge in her tone. But I kept my expression neutral, my voice steady. "I'm here to see Kingston."

"Alpha Kingston," she corrected sharply, her gaze dropping to Presley with undisguised disdain. "And he's quite busy managing pack affairs—real pack affairs, not dealing with rogues who show up uninvited."

The word 'rogue' hit like a physical blow. I felt Presley press closer to my leg, her small body trembling slightly. She didn't understand the full weight of that insult, but she could sense the hostility radiating from the woman in front of us.

"I am not a rogue," I said quietly, but my voice carried the authority I'd been born with—the authority of an Alpha's daughter, a true Luna. "This is still my pack."

Karina's laugh was sharp and mocking. "Your pack? Oh, Adelaide, you really have been gone too long. Things change. People move on. Life doesn't stop just because you decided to disappear for six years."

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed