I Founded The Pack, He Betrayed Me

As the Luna of the Silver Moon pack, the co-founder of this territory, I was "driven out" of my own land by a young she-wolf who'd barely finished her awakening. She hid behind my mate, Alpha Holton, and pointed the finger at me without a shred of shame. "This woman is almost thirty and her wolf spirit is still this weak. She dumps all the territory work on the Alpha. Keeping her around is just dead weight for the pack." Holton heard every word. Not only did he not shut her down, he actually let out a quiet laugh. "She's new. Doesn't know the rules yet. Don't take it personally." I looked at him. "She's been a full member of Silver Moon for six months now." Holton's face darkened. "Irene, do you really have to be this aggressive about it?" I looked at the girl standing behind him and almost wanted to laugh. If you both think I'm dead weight, then let me make it even cleaner for you. That same day, I packed my things, turned over every trade deal and operation I'd been running back to Holton, and formally announced to the Elder Council that I was stepping down from our joint leadership. It was two weeks before I heard from Holton again through the wolf spirit link. His voice was still gentle. Almost casual. Like nothing had happened. "You've had enough time to cool off. Come back and deal with the territory stuff. I can't keep up with all of it on my own." I let out a quiet laugh. "Didn't you two already kick me out of the pack?" Chapter 1 After finishing the northern patrol, I dragged my bags back to Silver Moon territory. But the moment I reached the entrance, the guards at the gate stepped into my path. A young, pretty she-wolf stood there with her arms crossed, looking me up and down without a shred of respect. "This is the Alpha's core territory. Only authorized wolves are allowed inside." "Outsiders need to leave." I looked at her face. I'd never seen her before. I kept my patience. "I'm Irene. This is my personal badge. I co-founded Silver Moon ten years ago. Are you sure you've got the right person?" Behind me, the guards lowered their heads one by one in respect, but not a single one dared let me through. So it wasn't a mistake. Someone had given a new order. The girl studied the badge on my chest, and something close to contempt flickered through her eyes. "Some she-wolves are all the same. They use the Alpha as a ladder to climb to the top, then sit around doing nothing." "Eating up the Alpha's resources, squatting in the Luna's seat, actually believing the whole pack belongs to them." She raised her voice on purpose. Every guard within earshot went dead quiet. I stared at the freshly issued silver badge on her chest. New warrior. Marlene. I filed the name away. When did the pack start letting in someone with this little respect for how things work? I was about to call for the elder in charge of pack law when she beat me to it. "What, you got a problem?" "Don't think just because you've got some old badge you can walk in here and boss people around." I looked at her, ice cold. "Silver Moon code, section seven. Unauthorized changes to warrior protocol and disruption of territorial order are grounds for Council punishment." "Since you think you're qualified to make decisions for this pack, go stand in front of the Elders first." I turned to the elder handling internal affairs. "Revoke Marlene's warrior badge. She's not fit to remain in core territory." The elder didn't move. His head stayed down. His voice was strained. "I'm sorry, Lady Irene. As of now... you no longer have that authority." I went still. Behind me, Marlene burst out laughing. She even stepped closer, dropping her voice just low enough for me to hear. "Oh, sweetheart. You really didn't know?" "Silver Moon isn't yours to run anymore." "Starting today, the one who needs to leave is you." Her smile was wide and triumphant. Like she'd been counting down to this exact moment. I ignored her. I pulled out my phone to call Holton and get a straight answer. That's when a commotion broke out beyond the territory gates. I looked up. Holton was walking out from the far edge of the forest. He was carrying a huge armful of white moon roses, freshly picked from the Moon Goddess's flower valley. He clearly hadn't noticed me. His eyes passed over everyone and landed straight on Marlene. The next second, he opened his arms. Marlene let out a squeal and ran straight at him. Holton caught her without missing a step. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressed her cheek into his shoulder, intimate and easy, like two mates reunited after time apart. And right behind them, carved into the stone monument at the entrance, were the vows Holton and I had sworn the day we built Silver Moon together. In that moment, I was the one who'd traveled through dust and wind to get home. And somehow I was the one who didn't belong. I cleared my throat. Holton's body visibly stiffened. He let go of Marlene immediately. When he saw me, the smile vanished from his face. His brow knotted tight. "Why are you back?" Before I could answer, he was already talking. And the tone was closer to blame than anything else. "The northern pack's terms are impossible. But this alliance is tied to our entire winter supply." "If it falls through, we won't have enough herbs or food to get through the season." "You're the one who's supposed to be good at this stuff." "So why are you standing here? Go figure it out." I looked at this man. The same one who'd built the first camp with me in the middle of nowhere. Who'd sworn beside me that Silver Moon would become the strongest pack in the territory. He felt like a stranger. So even after they'd kicked me out, they still expected me to clean up their mess. Chapter 2 Was I really supposed to spend every month of every year stationed at the border, negotiating for them, patrolling for them, fixing every crisis that came along? Looking at the cold that had settled onto Holton's face, I suddenly didn't have the energy to argue. I just asked, quietly: "If I can't even walk through Silver Moon's front gate anymore, why should I care about your winter supplies?" Holton's expression shifted. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the side. "Irene, what are you throwing a fit about now?" His voice was low, his brow tight with impatience. "There's nothing going on between me and Marlene. You don't need to lose it over some rookie warrior." That's when Marlene gave a little pout. She looked at me without a trace of fear. Then opened her mouth on purpose. "Alpha, let me handle this one." "This woman is never around. I've been in Silver Moon for six months and I've barely seen her do pack work once. She's just using her relationship with you to squat in the Luna's seat." "I thought she'd left the pack ages ago. Then she shows up today and throws a tantrum just because I stopped her at the gate." Holton listened. His brow actually relaxed. He reached over and ruffled Marlene's hair. "Don't worry about it. She's just tired. That's why she's being like this." Marlene immediately pulled a face at him. Holton laughed. But when he turned back to me, every degree of warmth had left his eyes. "Let's talk about the northern alliance first." When I didn't move, he patted my shoulder, his voice carrying that tone men use when they think they're being casual. "You really have been looking rough lately. Lines around your eyes and everything. Maybe stop running yourself into the ground." I stared at him. These past years, I handled the most dangerous work in the entire pack. Border negotiations. Resource exchanges. Life-or-death deals. In the dead of winter, I once spent seven straight days camped on the frozen plains. Woke up in the middle of the night to lead warriors to rescue trade caravans ambushed by rival packs. I'd survived more moonless nights than I could count, just to make sure Silver Moon had enough herbs, food, and weapons. And now he was using the marks those years left on my face to make fun of me. The absurdity nearly knocked the air out of me. "So," I looked up, "you really think kicking me out of the territory is no big deal." Holton waved his hand, irritated. "Can you just be reasonable for once?" "Marlene just joined. She has no idea what you've done. You haven't been around for ages. Under the new plan, you're not supposed to be involved in core affairs anyway." I didn't say a word. I placed the crystal scroll of pack records on the table. "This is the oath we swore before the Elder Council eight years ago." "Silver Moon's borders, supplies, alliances, and warrior deployment are jointly managed by you and me." "Unless the Council formally revokes my authority, no one has the right to cut me out." "In eight years, I have never once broken that oath." I pointed to another record. "She, on the other hand, entered a restricted hunting zone without permission and injured three pups during training. Under pack law, she should be facing Elder Council discipline at minimum." The color drained from Marlene's face. The next second, she ducked behind Holton. The tears came down like she'd had them ready to go. "Alpha, did I do something wrong?" "I really didn't know she was your mate..." Holton stepped forward, right in front of me, shielding her completely. His face was tired. Like I was the one being unreasonable. "Irene, it's a couple of small things." "Do you really have to corner a young warrior like this?" I looked at Marlene behind him, and suddenly everything clicked. Holton straightened up. His voice went all the way cold. "Don't think that just because you're my mate, you get to interfere with my decisions." "I'm the one running Silver Moon now." "Everything here is my call." When the last word left his mouth, even he paused for a second. I froze too. Chapter 3 Eight years ago, we left our packs behind and built the first camp on barren land in the north. Back then, Holton had no pack backing him. Not enough warriors willing to follow. And I had just finished my coming-of-age trial, with a stable border hunter position waiting for me. I could have stayed. Lived a quiet life. But I couldn't stand watching him out there alone. So I gave up everything. Took every coin my mother had left me and helped him build the first cabin with my own hands. That night, the wind and snow nearly killed the fire. I picked up a piece of charcoal and wrote two names on a rough wooden plank. "Irene." "Holton." Below them, the name we gave the pack. Silver Moon. Holton stood behind me, chin resting on my shoulder. He smiled. "Whatever you want to build here, I'm with you." After that, Silver Moon grew. Year by year. Holton recruited warriors and defended the territory. I handled every negotiation with neighboring packs, tracked down herbs, food, weapons. At the worst of it, I'd hit three border camps in a single day. Finish one negotiation, ride through the night to the next. Holton had his own battles. He once led a patrol through a blizzard alone. That's how we got through it. One day at a time. Until Silver Moon had its own territory. Its own council hall. Its own Elder Council. Until today. When Holton told me everything here was his call. I looked at him and actually laughed. "Holton, do you have any idea what you just said?" His expression was cold. "I know exactly what I said." "Then have you forgotten who carved Silver Moon's name onto that first piece of wood with you?" "Doesn't matter if you have." I picked up the oath scroll. My voice was terrifyingly calm. "I'll make you remember." Something flickered across Holton's face. His jaw tightened. "Irene, what exactly are you trying to do?" I didn't answer. Because the next second, he pulled the silver wolf fang from around his neck. The one that matched mine. Our promise from the day we founded the pack. He set it down on the stone table. Hard. "If you insist on dragging this out, then maybe our mate bond doesn't need to continue either." The fang hit the stone with a sharp, clean sound. Something inside my chest slammed just as hard. I bent down and picked it up. Used the motion of turning away to wipe the tear from the corner of my eye. When I faced him again, I was steady. "Fine." "Starting today, Silver Moon gets her or it gets me." "If I stay, she goes." Marlene panicked instantly. She grabbed Holton's arm. "Alpha, I really had no idea you two were like that. I didn't mean any of this..." The hint of regret on Holton's face vanished the moment he heard her voice. His expression went dark. He turned on me. "Irene, why do you have to go after a young warrior like this?" I looked at him. The corner of my mouth curled into something cold. "Young warrior? She's been in Silver Moon for six months." Holton's face got even uglier. "Irene, do you really have to be this vicious?" I looked at him. The truth was, I could be much more vicious than this. Chapter 4 I bent down and picked up the ring Holton had slammed onto the table, running my thumb slowly over the moon crest. This was the token we'd exchanged at the Moon Altar eight years ago. Back then, Holton held my hand and said that no matter how many wolves joined, no matter how big the territory grew, he would never let me face anything alone. Now he was telling me this pack was his. I slid the ring back onto my finger. Then I unclipped the silver wolf badge from my waist, the one that marked me as Luna, and slammed it onto the stone table without a second thought. CRACK. The silver badge split down the middle, pieces scattering across the surface. Marlene flinched and ducked behind Holton. I looked at the two of them and nearly laughed at how absurd it all was. "Kick me out?" "You think you get to decide whether I stay or go?" Holton's face went dark. He seemed ready to pull rank, but I was already done listening. I turned, shoved open the heavy wooden doors of the council hall, and walked out without looking back. A woman who'd been thrown out of her own pack by her own mate. Losing her temper on the way out. What was the worst that could happen? Past the doors, I took one last look at the black wolf banner hanging above the valley entrance. Eight years ago, this was nothing but a stretch of wasteland no other pack wanted. Back then, Holton hadn't become Alpha yet, and I was just a young she-wolf with no name and no backing. No other pack would take us. So I grabbed his hand and we started from zero. We scouted hunting grounds together. Drew the territory lines together. Wrote the pack's rules together. I trained the warriors, planned patrol routes, personally visited one potential ally after another. Holton recruited wolves and won over the Elders. The pack started with a dozen members. We didn't even have proper shelter. But we survived the hardest years. Built our own territory. Earned the loyalty of wolves who chose to follow. Back then, Holton stood in the moonlight, held my hand, and said with a smile: "Irene, one day I'll make every wolf out there know that this is our home." Now the pack was strong. And he was telling me this home had nothing to do with me. I shook the memories out of my head and turned to leave. Eight years. That's all it was. If he didn't want me, was I really going to beg to stay? I hadn't made it far from the territory when my phone lit up. It was Grace, the pack's administrative manager. She'd been with us since the very beginning, one of the original dozen. I thought she might have a kind word. Instead, her voice was ice cold. Pure business. "Irene, Alpha Holton has confirmed your departure paperwork." "Per the old charter, you'll need to sign away your share of territorial revenue before you can collect your final compensation." I was quiet for a moment. She paused, then her voice shifted. Higher. Condescending. "Honestly, I've always thought Holton gave you more than enough respect." "The pack is about to close major alliances with the northern territories, and you're throwing everything away over a rookie wolf. It's beneath you." "And Marlene happens to be my niece. When it comes down to it, she's practically your junior." "For my sake, maybe lay off her from now on." So that's what this was. No wonder she'd been on Marlene's side from the start. I thought about the early days. She'd just been promoted to pack manager when her mate ran off with another she-wolf while she was pregnant. Holton wanted to replace her. He came close more than once. I was the one who stepped in. I thought a mother alone with a pup deserved a chance. I went to the Elders personally. I even used my own savings to hire a healer to look after her child. She'd held my hand that day and cried for a long time. Said she'd never forget what I did. Eight years later, what she remembered was a very different story. "Irene, as a woman, you're too intense." "An Alpha needs a Luna who's gentle and knows her place. Not one who's constantly trying to compete with her own mate." "Look at Marlene. She knows how to behave. She'd never make everything into a battle the way you do." She was actually lecturing me. I listened and felt no anger. Just the absurdity of it. "I saved your position back then. And now you think I'm the one who ruined your family?" Dead quiet on the other end. Then her cold, undisguised scoff. "Who asked you to stick your nose in?" "My mate and I renewed our bond afterward." "I have a complete family now. My children. My life. What you did back then only humiliated me in front of the pack." I completely lost interest in continuing the conversation. The most ridiculous thing about people is this: you break your back pulling someone up, and all they remember is that your hand was rough. I cut the line. Under the old charter, I was entitled to half the territory's revenue. But I knew that since they'd decided to push me out, they were never going to honor the agreement. That so-called final compensation was probably the last scrap they were willing to throw. Fine. I didn't want the pack's glory. I didn't want Holton's pity. I just wanted what was mine. Then I'd get as far away from all of them as possible. From now on, nobody was going to use the words "Luna" or "mate" or "family" to trap me here ever again. Chapter 5 To collect my share of the territorial compensation, I went back to the Silver Moon border. I hadn't even made it to the council hall when I ran into Marlene. She made a show of adjusting the silver wolf cloak on her shoulders, then lifted her chin. A brand-new badge gleamed on her chest. "Oh, Irene. Sorry about this." "Looks like I accidentally took your place." I glanced at the badge. Silver Moon Head of Operations. The engraving was still fresh. Obviously just issued. I almost laughed out loud. The Head of Operations managed the entire pack's patrol schedules, resource allocation, and warrior training. Second only to the Elders and the Alpha. Holton really would give her anything to cut me out completely. Marlene had zero awareness of how ridiculous she looked. She actually put on a mentor's face. "Irene, you're really not cut out to stay in the pack." "A Luna who throws tantrums all the time? How is that supposed to lead anyone?" "Besides, Holton already said it. You used to be capable, sure. But Silver Moon doesn't need you anymore." She even reached out her hand. "Of course, if you're willing to come back and apologize to me, I could put in a good word for you." "Let you start over as a regular warrior." "Don't worry. I won't hold it against you." I looked at her dead-serious face and genuinely couldn't hold back the laugh. That's when a familiar voice came from behind me. "Irene, are you giving Marlene a hard time again?" I turned around. Holton stood on the stone steps, his face dark. Marlene instantly transformed into a frightened little animal, covering her mouth, tears sliding down perfectly on cue. I almost wanted to applaud. A second ago she'd been strutting around like she owned the place. Now she could flip the switch faster than a guard change. She threw herself into Holton's arms, voice cracking. "I was just worried I wouldn't do a good job taking over, so I wanted to ask Irene for advice." "But she said if I don't give the position back, she'll go to the Elder Council and have me removed." "I really don't know what I did wrong..." Holton's brow furrowed with concern for her. Then he shot me a look of pure annoyance. Right then, Grace walked out of the council hall with a leather pouch full of coins. She walked up to me in front of everyone, wearing her polite smile. "Irene, this is the departure compensation per the Alpha's orders." "Your name's been removed from the territory records." "But this will always be your home. You're welcome to visit anytime." Holton's expression changed instantly. "She wants compensation too?" The displeasure in his eyes was unmistakable. "Irene, have you ever actually treated Silver Moon as your home?" "Marlene had one little argument with you and you have to blow it up into a full departure?" "She's a young warrior. Is this really necessary?" In his eyes, from start to finish, I was the problem. I didn't explain. I took the pouch, opened it, confirmed the amount inside. Then I turned around and slapped Marlene across the face as hard as I could. The crack rang out across the stone steps. Everyone froze. Marlene held her cheek, staring at me in disbelief. "You! You actually hit me!" I looked calmly at Holton. "That's right." "I'm petty. I'm vicious. I can't stand anyone." "Satisfied now?" Fury surged into Holton's eyes. I didn't give him a chance to speak. "And one more thing. Starting today, our mate bond is officially over." "Holton, the Luna you wanted? She's gone." A flash of triumph crossed Marlene's eyes. She stepped back and deliberately bumped into Grace. Grace caught her on reflex, and Marlene collapsed against Holton like she couldn't stand. When he saw the handprint on her face, Holton lost whatever patience he had left. "Irene!" "You dare assault a pack member on my territory!" I looked at him. For the first time, I felt how truly far away this man had drifted. "So what are you going to do about it?" Holton's jaw clenched. "I'm taking this to the Elder Council." "If they find you violated pack law, I'll have you banished from Silver Moon territory. Permanently." I went still. He was actually going to put me on trial. Chapter 6 I stared at Holton. For a second I thought I'd heard him wrong. Once the Elder Council opens a formal trial under pack law, everything gets reopened. My status, my territorial share, even ten years of service. All of it, back on the table. All because I slapped Marlene. Grace was already calling the guards. Holton stood there and didn't stop her. In that moment, the man in front of me became terrifyingly unfamiliar. I pulled out my phone and called an old friend from the academy. She was still laughing when the call connected. "Irene, eight whole years and you finally remembered I exist?" "Don't tell me you're doing the official Moon Ceremony with Holton and you want to send me an invite?" I looked at Holton in the distance. My voice was flat. "No." "Holton wants to put me in front of the Elder Council." "Your mate is the most respected judge across all the territories, right?" "I need him here." Two seconds of silence. Then an explosion. "What?!" "The man who built Silver Moon with you is going to put you on trial?!" "Irene, don't be scared. I'm bringing people right now!" The call dropped. I looked up. Holton was watching me. His lips moved. Nothing came out. I knew. He was starting to regret it. We'd been together eight years. Building Silver Moon, we'd fought countless times. Over territory, warriors, hunting grounds, alliances. There were nights we didn't speak at all. But those fights never truly hurt. Holton once went deep into the northern snowfields alone to find me a rare moonstone. I made it into a necklace. I've worn it ever since. One winter, I mentioned offhand that I missed him while I was stuck at a border post. He rode a snow wolf through the night and showed up at my camp by dawn. He was shaking from the cold. Lips white. But still grinning. "Miss me?" And the hardest year. The very first one. Silver Moon had just been founded. Holton took warriors north to trade for food and got ambushed. A caravan boss trapped him with a fake debt contract and tried to strip the pack of everything. When I got there, he was locked in an abandoned stone hut, beaten bloody. The men saw me, just a young she-wolf, and didn't take me seriously. I pulled the hunting blade from my belt. "Let my mate go." "Or I'll show you what blood debt really means." That night, I fought our way out. Later, he told me it was the most humiliating moment of his life. But also the moment he knew for certain he was in love with me. He said I was the person who saved his life. He said no matter how big Silver Moon grew, he would always stand beside me. And now, the first person handing a blade to the Elder Council was him. Thinking about all of it, I found I had no more tears left. In the distance, guard footsteps were approaching. Marlene stood at Holton's side, triumph barely hidden behind her eyes. After a long silence, Holton finally spoke. Low. "Just apologize to Marlene. We'll let the whole thing go." "Leave Silver Moon, and I won't come after you." His voice sounded like he was doing me a final favor. I looked up at him. Behind me on the mountain road, a black SUV had already pulled to a stop. My friend stepped out, flanked by two escorts and a tribunal judge. I looked at Holton and slowly shook my head. "Too late." This time, I wasn't turning back. Behind me, the judge's voice carried clearly through the mountain wind. "Silver Moon Alpha Holton. Regarding allegations of violating the Mate oath, abuse of pack authority, and deliberate framing of a pack member, the Judgment of the Moon has formally begun." My feet didn't stop. This time, the one staying in Silver Moon wasn't me. It was him, and everything he had coming.