The Scar He Scorned

I was a genius alchemist, but my mate, Alpha Clark, engineered my failure 99 times, shattering my reputation.

He siphoned my very soul 99 times to gift it to another she-wolf, Layla, molding her into the Alchemy Master I was meant to be.

He claimed Layla was his savior, that he owed her his life.

It wasn't until I uncovered his betrayal and severed our bond that he learned the truth: I was the one who had saved him.

Those scars on my back—the ones he scorned?

They were the price I paid for his life.

After I walked away, he knelt for 99 days, begging for me to return.

But some betrayals can never be forgiven.

My mate, Alpha Clark, orchestrated 99 of my alchemical failures, all to steal my soul and gift it to another she-wolf.

And I never suspected a thing.

I had just spent thirty-six hours creating the Heart of Stars essence, a potion powerful enough to triple an Alpha's strength.

I had only one thought.

He's going to love this.

I remembered the first time I showed Clark my workshop. He’d looked at all my bottles and jars, then back at me, the awe and adoration in his eyes impossible to miss.

Another time, I’d accidentally cut my hand on a glass shard, and he’d been more frantic than I was.

He bandaged it clumsily, his voice a pained whisper in my ear. "Myrna, these hands create miracles. They aren't meant for getting hurt."

Miracles…

I stared at the essence in the vial. This was just one more miracle I had created for him.

Tonight was the victory celebration for his defeat of our northern rivals. This gift was perfect timing.

I carefully sealed the Heart of Stars in a crystal vial and left my underground workshop.

But as I rushed toward the great hall and reached the terrace doors, I heard a sentence that made my blood run cold.

"Alpha, are you sure this is worth it? You've leaked Luna Myrna's alchemical secrets to Layla 99 times."

It was Clark's Beta, Max. His voice was laced with worry.

"It's worth it," Clark replied without hesitation. "Layla needs them."

My fingers tightened around the crystal vial.

Layla?

"But Luna is a genius alchemist," Max said, his voice low. "Making her fail 99 times… that kind of blow to her confidence…"

"Failure was the point," Clark cut him off coldly. "The methods I gave her were flawed. They were never going to work. But from those failures, Layla has learned enough to master high-level alchemy."

A sharp pain shot through my heart. My legs went weak, and I nearly collapsed.

My mind flashed back to my worst failure, an explosion that nearly destroyed half my face. I'd sat in the rubble, sobbing and covered in soot.

Clark had held me tight, gently kissing my tears away.

He’d told me, "It's okay, Myrna. I'll still love you, even if you're not a genius anymore."

So, every one