In Another skin: The Alpha's Forgotten Wife

“I was not supposed to hear any of this…” Lena's grip on the doorknob was fierce, enough to break it. Her knuckles were pale as she tightened her grip on it. She shouldn’t be standing outside the Alpha’s council chamber. She shouldn’t be eavesdropping like some broken girl who had something to lose. But here she was. Listening. “I’ll marry Celina before the Equinox. Lena won’t be a problem,” Damon said, his voice clipped, distant, like she was nothing more than a note on his planner. “She’s still your Luna,” his Beta murmured. “That bond won’t break itself.” “It already has.” Lena’s throat closed. The air disappeared from the corridor. Just like that. She had sacrificed ten years of her life loving her mate and now, with a single sentence, everything is about to be forgotten. She stepped back, her legs shaking, heartbeat rising increasingly in her chest, loud enough for her to hear it more than the storm that was boiling before her ears. “Lena was always the second fiddle… not my type,” Says Damon, unconsciously twisting a dagger held in his hand into the table. “She doesn’t inspire strength. She inspires pity. The pack needs more than a woman who got lucky with a title.” And Celina, Celina with her royal bloodline, her perfect Alpha posture, her soft, smug smiles behind Lena’s back, was everything he wanted now. “She’s pregnant,” Damon added, as if sealing the final nail. “Timing’s convenient. The pack will accept her if I spin it right. Lena won’t fight it.” “Does she know?” The Beta asked. “She will.” Lena turned, walking blindly through the hallways she once helped design. Her wolf didn’t growl. Didn’t rage. Just whimpered, quiet and stunned. His words stung deeply, as if standing on a cliff and was about to fall off, the betrayal was so unbearable, sharper than a knife. She reached the entrance door, saddened and heartbroken. She opened the door and the heavy rainfall hit her as if mourning her situation. She didn’t stop to pack or grab a coat. Lena stepped out, her dress hugging her body like a scared child, all soaked and thin but she did not bother. The guards saw her. They didn’t stop her. She was already gone. --- The road out of Blackthorn Pack territory was unlit and winding. Her fingers trembled on the wheel. She drove like a ghost, barely present, barely real. The forest blurred into shadows around her. Thunder cracked. Her phone buzzed once in the passenger seat. She didn’t check it. She knew the name that would appear. She had loved Damon Thorne before he was anyone important. When they were just two lovers running wild through riverbanks, making promises under the stars. She had healed his wounds when rogues nearly tore his leg off. Held his hand when his father died. Built his strength with her patience and her roots. And now? Now he spoke her name like it was an inconvenience. The rain grew heavier as she drove. Her tires skidded slightly but she did not show signs of slowing down at all. --- Lena tried to remember how Damon looked at her, like she was his everything. It wasn’t even recent. Maybe years ago. Before the Alpha meetings became more important than their dinners. Before the Luna responsibilities started feeling like a cage instead of an honor. Before Celina. That night, he’d cupped her cheek with calloused hands and said, “You ground me, Lena. You are the one thing I’ll never forget.” But now, she wasn't sure if he would remember her. He had already and it wasn’t even difficult for him. --- The dashboard lights blinked red. Her car, a rusted silver relic Damon had always said he’d replace, was failing. Something fast, a movement caught her attention. There were bright headlights coming at speed and very close. There was not enough time for her to even scream. Boom. A clash that hit her like a bomb. Metal screamed. Glass exploded. Her body flew sideways. Her vision blurred. She hit something, a tree, maybe or maybe the sky. Then everything went still. --- Lena tried to open her eyes but she couldn’t. Her chest felt crushed. Her leg was numb. Something wet dripped down her forehead. Her ears rang. Was this it? She didn’t even get to fight for herself. “Damon,” she whispered. The name tasted like rust and ash. A final betrayal. Her hand twitched. She reached for her phone with blood-slick fingers. It was somewhere under the seat. She couldn’t see. She couldn’t breathe. The night wrapped around her, then something shifted. A whisper crawled across her skin. Not a sound. Not a voice. A presence. Warm, ancient, waiting. A ripple of magic slid through her broken body. She felt her soul tug up, out, away. And then, another face. Not hers. A stranger’s face reflected in the shattered glass of the dashboard. The eyes were unfamiliar. Skin darker. Cheekbones higher. Lips fuller. A name she didn’t know echoed in the dark. Rayna. Somewhere far away, a heart began to beat not Lena’s but someone else’s. And it was hers now.