The Betrayed Wolf’s Vow

On the third anniversary of our bond, I pushed open the private room door, my heart full of hope—only to see Chisel on one knee, leaning in to kiss Sylvia. In that instant, every thread of love and trust inside me snapped. “What are you doing?” My voice trembled; tears blurred my vision. Chisel looked up at me, eyes full of irritation. “Enough, Leah. Stop putting on that wounded look. We were just playing a game. I lost, that’s all. Why are you angry?” I could no longer bear the betrayal. After losing our pup, something inside me died completely. I decided to break the mate bond, to end this painful, scarred union once and for all. Even as Chisel kept apologizing, swearing he would change, I no longer believed him. My voice went cold: “Even if I forgive you, our pup never will.” I left the home that had once been full of love and hope, flying toward a new world that would be mine alone. On the other end of the phone, Chisel’s voice trembled. “Leah, I was wrong. Please… give me another chance…” I closed my eyes, inhaled deeply, and hung up. My voice was calm, final: “I have nothing more to say to you, Chisel.” Chapter 1 I clenched the wolf rune necklace I had chosen with such care, the cool metal still warm from my touch as I stood outside the private room. Today marked the third anniversary of my bond with Chisel. Before leaving home, I had touched the gentle swell of my belly softly in the mirror, full of hope. He’d said there would be a surprise tonight, that he had invited friends to celebrate with us. But the moment I pushed open the door, everything shattered. The room was wide and glowing with light that burned my eyes. Chisel was on one knee on the carpet, a velvet box in his hands, smiling at Sylvia. Around them our packmates had formed a circle, voices rising with laughter and chants: “Say yes! Say yes!” “Kiss her, Chisel! Everyone knows Sylvia’s still in your heart!” Someone called out with mock concern, “Stop teasing—if Luna Leah sees this, she’ll be furious!” I froze at the threshold. Inside my head Ruby—my wolf—snarled and clawed, her rage echoing through my veins: How dare he betray us! But I couldn’t even answer her. I could only see Sylvia lowered her lashes, her voice soft as silk: “Will you?” she murmured, eyes sweeping tenderly over Chisel as she leaned closer. “Leah’s Luna. Obviously, she won’t mind a little fun…” The chanting rose again. “Chisel, don’t hesitate! You lost the game—this is your chance; you got to kiss!” Chisel looked at Sylvia with a warmth I had never seen in his eyes for me. His throat bobbed; the distance between them shrank until it felt irresistible. Just before their lips met, my voice broke out, trembling with fury and heartbreak: “What the hell are you doing?” The room went silent. Every head turned toward me, annoyance flickering in their eyes at the ruined scene. Someone tried to laugh it off. “Don’t be mad, Luna. It’s just a game. You are always gracious.” “I see.” My heart felt as though it had been ripped in two, but I forced a brittle smile, pretending composure. Perhaps the shimmer of tears betrayed me. One by one, Chisel’s friends began making excuses to leave. “I have somewhere to be. Later.” “Chisel, happy bond anniversary to you and Luna!” In moments the room emptied, leaving only the three of us. Chisel’s brow furrowed, his voice laced with irritation. “Enough, Leah. Stop wearing that wounded look. We were just playing a game. I lost, that’s all. Why are you angry?” I felt as though the air had been knocked out of me. My hand drifted to my belly, feeling the faint pulse there, grounding myself in the reality I still had. Sylvia stepped closer, still wearing her innocent smile. “Chisel, don’t be angry.” She patted his shoulder lightly, never once looking at me, as if I had never existed at all. Chapter 2 Instinctively, I cradled my belly and turned aside, almost losing my footing. “I’m fine, Chisel,” I whispered. Sylvia leaned lazily against his chest, tilting her chin to look at me with open disdain. “Leah, you’re already Luna. Why do you insist on framing me? I’ve never fought you for Chisel.” In my head Ruby howled, claws raking at my mind: We never brought the snake in! She did this on purpose! “Leah, do you even know what you’re doing?” Chisel’s head snapped toward me, his face filled with naked disgust. “If you’re angry, aim it at me. Don’t you dare harm Sylvia! We already have a pup on the way—do you want the Moon Goddess to withhold Her blessing because of your vile tricks?” The words knocked the breath from my chest. I stared at him, at the male I had loved for three years, carrying his pup in my womb—and he would rather believe another she-wolf than me, even curse our unborn pup with the Goddess’s wrath? Chisel started to walk out with Sylvia in his arms. I lurched forward, grabbing at his sleeve without thinking. “Where are you going? Chisel, today is our third bond anniversary. You’re walking out holding another woman—what is this?” “Let go!” He tore my hand off with such force I stumbled back. Pain slashed across my chest like a claw. “Leah, if anything happens to Sylvia, I’ll never forgive you!” I trembled all over, tears stinging my eyes, the same words spilling from my mouth: “It wasn’t me who brought that snake! Why won’t you believe me?” But he no longer saw me. His heart had always been with Sylvia. I, the Luna arranged by his family, and the pup inside me were nothing more than an unwanted tether in his bloodline. I watched as he walked away holding Sylvia, my fingers numb. At some point the wolf rune necklace had slipped from my grasp and fallen to the floor, the sharp, clean sound echoing—but it could no longer call back the Alpha who had once sworn to protect me. “You’re still lying! Get out of my sight!” Chisel’s voice was harsher than I had ever heard. A heartbeat later his palm slammed against my shoulder. My foot slipped. My body pitched backward—the edge of the stairs struck my bones, and agony ripped through me. The pain surged like a tide. I lay sprawled on the cold steps, vision blurring, only able to see Chisel’s back as he turned to leave. With all the strength I had left I reached out, clutching at his coat. My voice broke into a tremor. “Chisel… don’t go… my belly…” He finally stopped—but when he turned, his eyes held no concern, only a cutting coldness. “Leah, I don’t have time for your games.” His gaze swept over my crumpled body without a shred of warmth. “Sylvia just returned to the Pack. As Luna you should be more tolerant of her. Look at yourself now—how vile you’ve become.” Then, without hesitation, he severed our Mate Bond. The tears came harder. But the sudden, sharp pain from below sent panic screaming through me, followed by the hot metallic scent of blood flooding my nose, confirming what I already feared. “No…” I tried to scream, but no sound came out. Warm, heavy blood soaked beneath me as my vision dimmed. I could feel our pup’s heartbeat, faint and fading, slipping away. Chapter 3 At last, the people around me noticed. Someone rushed over, panic lacing his voice. “Miss, what happened? Are you okay? I’ll call 911!” The wail of an ambulance howled in my ears. I lay on the stretcher, pain swallowing me whole, but I clung to the Pack Doctor’s sleeve as if it were the only thing keeping me alive. “Pack Doctor… please… save my pup,” my voice was a thin, broken whisper, “he’s only three months… please…” The Pack Doctor patted my trembling hand. “Don’t worry, Miss. I’ll do everything I can. I’ll call your mate right now—he’ll be here soon to calm you.” At the mention of Chisel, a flicker of hope flared in my chest. He was my mate. With his touch, with his presence, the pup would be safe. The line clicked. I held my breath— But the voice that answered wasn’t his. It was hers. “What do you want?” The Pack Doctor hesitated, then hurriedly said, “Who is this? Where is Leah’s mate? Please, hand him the phone. Ms. Leah is bleeding badly, we’re on the way to the hospital—he needs to come now!” Sylvia gave a small, sharp laugh. “Leah, can’t you grow up? You really found someone to help you fake this, just to drag Chisel back?” “You think waving your pup like a banner will make him come running? Stop dreaming. He already made you his mate—what more do you want?” My breath came shallow and weak. For the sake of the pup I forced out the words: “Sylvia… I’m not fighting you… I just beg you… let Chisel come to the hospital… my pup… he’s dying…” “Do you think I’ll believe that childish act?” Her voice crackled through the speaker, every word cutting like a fang. “If you’re so desperate, then I’ll let you hear it yourself—who he really cares about.” I heard her call out: “Chisel! It’s Leah. She says you need to come back, that something’s wrong with the pup.” Then came his voice—the same voice that once swore under the Moon Goddess to protect me—now full of irritation. “Don’t listen to her. She’s probably lying again. Your leg is what matters now, don’t be afraid. The Pack Doctor is coming.” Heat drained out of my body, my heart sinking with it. The Pack Doctor tried the number again and again. Only the dead tone of “The number you have dialed is no longer in service” filled the air. He sighed and gripped my hand tightly. “Ms. Leah, don’t be afraid. We’ll do everything we can!” But I already knew. It was too late. Inside me, the small flutter grew weaker… then vanished completely. My pup… was gone. I don’t know how long I drifted before opening my eyes again. My fingers twitched. My whole body felt weak and hollow. My belly was empty. The pup was gone. The sharp scent of disinfectant stabbed my nose, my heightened wolf senses making it worse. The Pack Doctor stood beside my bed, his tone soft, almost pitying. “It’s alright, Ms. You’re still young. There will be other pups.” Instinctively my hand went to my flat belly. So many times I’d felt that tiny heartbeat, the shared blood of my lineage flowing in him. Now it was gone. Nothing but silence. Tears slid down my face unchecked. Grief gave way to a cold, creeping terror. The Brady bloodline had never liked me. From the moment I entered their house they had pushed me to bear a Brady heir, warning that without a pup I could not remain Luna of the Vance Pack. Chapter 4 At every family gathering, the old Luna looked at me as if I were a defective product. Only when my pregnancy was confirmed did their faces finally soften, the old Luna even brewing herbs herself to help me carry the pup safely. But now… the pup was gone. And it was his own father who pushed him out of me. My parents would never let me go for this either. They had clawed their way into this high branch of Alpha power—how could they ever allow me to “ruin” it with weakness? “Where is the pup’s father?” The Pack Doctor flipped through my records in disbelief. His voice dripped with fury. “This is outrageous! Pregnant she-wolves suffer dangerous hormone surges—without a mate’s presence to soothe them, the risk is catastrophic. He skipped every single check-up, and now, during a miscarriage, he still isn’t here? Does he not know what kind of damage comes from neglecting a pregnant lady?” His words shattered the illusions I had been clutching so desperately. From the first moon of pregnancy until now, I had gone to every appointment alone. Three months ago, when I’d first told him, Chisel had seemed so happy. He had squeezed my hand tight, promising to stand beside me for the first bloodline test. He swore our pup would one day inherit his throne. But that same day… Sylvia returned. And once she came back, his heart was no longer mine. Each appointment afterward, he found excuses: “There’s an emergency at the company,” “I have to meet a partner.” But I’d already seen the pictures on Facebook. Those hours were never spent in meetings—they were spent with Sylvia. “Break the mate bond. He betrayed us first,” Ruby growled in my head, her fury burning. “Yes.” My voice was hollow. After seven years, my heart had finally burned itself out. “If no one comes to pay your fees, you’ll have to handle it yourself.” The Pack Doctor slipped the hospital papers into my trembling hands. I tried to stand, but dizziness crashed over me. After only a few steps I stumbled into two figures. Chisel. And Sylvia. At the very moment when I needed my mate’s scent to steady me, he was here, cradling her gently. His gaze snapped to me, instantly cold. Instinctively, he shielded her behind him, his voice laced with suspicion. “You followed us here? Sylvia’s foot is already injured—what more are you plotting?” The tears were long gone, but my knuckles still shook. I was the one who had lost a pup. I was the one who had nearly died. And yet… he looked at me as if I were the threat. I stared at his face, then laughed. A broken, bitter sound. I must have been mad to think he was anything else. He had always been like this. I had just been too blind to see it. “Chisel, let it go,” Sylvia murmured sweetly, casting me a sidelong glance filled with scorn. “She’s still too immature, not ready to be a true Luna.” Her words doused the last embers of my anger like icy water. No matter what I did, they would never be satisfied. I wasn’t an unfit Luna because of my failures— I was unfit because Chisel never loved me. “You understand your mistake, don’t you? Then apologize properly. Go outside and fetch some food for Sylvia.” His voice dripped with disappointment, as if my worth were measured only in how well I served her. “Her foot is injured. She got to stay here.” My eyes flicked to her ankle. Just a shallow cut. Already scabbed. And yet she “needed” hospitalization? I felt nothing now. Just exhaustion. I had lost my pup. What else could matter? Chisel must have noticed the deathly pallor on my face. His tone softened, faintly coaxing. “What’s wrong? It’s just a small apology. Buying her something to eat… is that too much for you?” “No.” I forced a smile, brittle as glass. “It’s not too much.” Ruby’s snarl echoed bitterly inside me. “Not too much? We lost our pup. Compared to that, what is this humiliation?” “Enough. Go home and wait for me,” Chisel said lightly. “Once Sylvia’s ankle heals, I’ll come back to you.” At first… I believed him. I even waited for him. Chapter 5 The first time— On the very day Sylvia returned, I had asked him to accompany me for the pup’s bloodline check. He told me, “Something came up. You go first. I’ll meet you there later.” But I waited until the moon rose high, and still, he never came. Later, on Fox News, I saw him—Chisel—holding a bouquet of blazing roses at the airport, his usually frozen expression softened into a smile. A smile I remembered once belonging to me. Back then, his smile was always paired with a reprimand: “You are my Luna now. Why would you wear such revealing clothes for other wolves to see? I’ll get jealous.” And I had foolishly reveled in that jealousy, mistaking it for love. But Sylvia— She didn’t need to do anything. Simply by standing there, she was given everything. The second time— On the third day of Sylvia’s return, my was in heat. Because of the pup, I couldn’t take suppressants. I endured the night alone, clutching his shirt, clinging to the faint trace of his scent to survive until dawn. The next morning, Facebook showed me the truth—Chisel and Sylvia at a candlelit dinner, with a caption beneath: “The most beautiful girl deserves the perfect evening.” I swallowed the bitterness burning in my throat, my voice steady in a way that surprised even myself. “Alright.” He blinked, as if he hadn’t expected me to agree so easily. But no matter what he thought, he would never guess— I was already planning to leave him. If I was leaving anyway, nothing else mattered anymore. All the disappointments, the buried grievances, rose up like scars finally torn open. I remembered calling him during that heat, whispering into the phone, my voice trembling. And his answer had cut me deeper than claws: “Be good, Leah. I’m exhausted. You make things harder when you cling like this. But I can’t abandon my subordinates for you. I am Alpha.” So, I had forced myself to endure, to understand, to wait until the following afternoon. When I finally felt his scent brushing against mine… it was tainted. Carrying Sylvia’s fragrance. The third time— A stormy night, I was ambushed by Rogues. Shaking, bleeding, I called him. “Leah, I can’t always be there by your side. Don’t throw tantrums just to make me come running. Using lies like this—it’s wrong.” It wasn’t until the enforcement team confirmed my injuries that he realized the truth. But instead of remorse, his words cut me again: “If you had done your Luna’s duties properly, how could I doubt you?” By then, I had lost so much blood that I couldn’t even hold my wolf form. I thought I would die. And still, I whispered through the pain: “Chisel, if I live through this, I’ll give you one last chance. My love has limits.” Maybe pity moved him in that moment. His tone softened, almost gentle: “Alright. Next time, I won’t ignore you and the pup.” I believed him. I believed him until now. But he never treasured that final chance. “Leah, Sylvia still hasn’t eaten. If you won’t fetch something for her, I’ll take her myself. You should go home first.” His voice snapped me out of my thoughts, casual, without an ounce of guilt. “Alright.” My reply was hollow, mechanical. “What are you holding?” His tone sharpened suddenly, suspicion creeping in. My fingers clenched tighter around the hospital slip in my pocket. “Nothing.” Ruby scoffed inside me, her growl dripping with scorn. “If he hadn’t severed the mate bond, he’d already know.” I shoved the papers deeper into my pocket, my steps never faltering. “You… you have another check-up soon, don’t you?” His voice wavered, tinged with panic. “When I’m done taking care of Sylvia, I’ll come with you. I’ll take you to the hospital.” Chapter 6 My body froze at his words. That pup… it would always remain a thorn lodged deep within my heart. “We’ll talk about it later,” I said quietly, turning my gaze on him. My voice was calm, but it carried the edge of finality. “Chisel, I told you—there was only one last chance.” “What?” His brows furrowed, as though my words were in a language he didn’t understand. “Leah, what last chance? That was just a joke. You weren’t supposed to take it seriously, and I won’t either. Once Sylvia’s foot heals, I’ll come back. I’ll be with you… and our pup.” For a fleeting second, guilt flickered in his eyes. But it died as quickly as it came. The next moment, he was gone again—arm draped around Sylvia, not even sparing me a glance as they walked away. Watching their backs vanish, I swore silently to myself: Chisel, from this day forward, you will never have another chance to hurt me. On the fourth day in the hospital, when my strength had mostly returned, I drew in a deep breath and pressed the call button on my phone. “Mom.” For once, I wanted to live for myself. Not for duty, not for appearances—just for me. I was done begging for scraps of affection. “What now? Your father and I are at the beach! Don’t call us unless it’s important.” “I’m ending the bond with Chisel.” Silence on the other end. Then fury. “What did you just say? Are you insane?” I inhaled, steadying my voice. “Mom, I’m not asking for your opinion. I’m informing you. I’m done.” The line went dead quiet, heavy with disappointment. Finally, her voice came back, clipped and cold: “Wait until Kane makes the deal. Then we’ll discuss it.” “You only have two weeks.” I hung up before she could say more. At that moment, the Pack Doctor came in with her assistants, smiling gently. “Mrs. Leah, let’s check you over. See if you’re ready to be discharged today.” They fussed with the equipment, murmuring to each other in hushed voices: “Did you hear? That noble-born lady Sylvia was treated here. Snake bite, they said.” “Pfft, I saw the wound. Barely a scratch. Didn’t need hospitalization at all. She just got discharged this morning.” “Who was that handsome man with her, though? The one who stayed in her room day and night? Is he her mate?” “Don’t know, but spirits above, the way he doted on her… I wish I had a mate like that.” Their words pierced straight into me. Once, they would have crushed me with jealousy. After all, I was the true Luna, his mate. But now… now it only felt empty. Because in two weeks, all of it would be over. “Mrs. Leah, you’ve recovered well. You can go home today,” the Pack Doctor said warmly, then tilted her head in curiosity. “No one coming to pick you up? No family visiting these days either. You’ve handled everything on your own—it can’t be easy.” “No one,” I said with a hollow laugh. “Life really isn’t fair,” she muttered with a sigh, before leaving me to pack my things. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and left the hospital. But when I pushed open the door to the house, I froze. Chisel was there. Wearing an apron. Standing in the kitchen with steam rising around him, the faint scent of porridge filling the air. Three years of bond—and I had never seen him cook before. For the briefest of moments, hope dared to bloom inside me. Had he finally… come to his senses? But when he turned and saw me, there was no joy in his eyes. Only reproach. “Where have you been? You’re four, five months pregnant, Leah! Why are you wandering around? Shouldn’t you be resting like a good Luna?” The backpack slipped from my hand, thudding to the floor. That fragile spark of hope extinguished instantly, drowned by his words. Ruby’s voice, weak from the damage of our miscarriage, rasped in my head: “He hasn’t even restored the mate bond. He still thinks you’re carrying the pup.” I stared at his busy figure, the apron tied neatly around his waist. How ironic. That porridge probably wasn’t for me at all. It was for Sylvia—newly discharged, in need of nourishment. And me? I was nothing but an afterthought. So be it. After all, there were only two weeks left between us.