Left The Pack: Their Regret, My Rebirth | Read Free Preview
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Chapter 1
Camille's POV
"Camille, I've got a surprise for you tonight."
Lucian kissed my forehead this morning before leaving.
"Wait for me at home. Be a good girl. I want your blood-orange venison for dinner."
Today was our fifth anniversary—and my birthday.
Knowing the pack had been secretly prepping for a massive celebration the past two days, I couldn't help but smile. I really thought this cold-hearted alpha had finally learned how to love his mate.
Night fell. I was still in the kitchen finishing dinner when the bells at the square started tolling like thunder.
I was caught off guard. Why didn't anyone tell me? I didn't even stop to take off my apron before I ran toward the square.
I pushed through the crowd, then froze.
Lucian was standing right in the middle of the altar. He was holding the hand of our son, Rowan, while his other arm was wrapped around a shewolf's waist.
Lara was wearing the moon-white gown that only a luna is allowed to wear. The necklace around her neck caught the moonlight.
That was my mother's last possession.
Rowan stood on his tiptoes to hand her a moonstone charm, nuzzling her hand.
"Lara, will you be my new mommy?"
Lara picked him up with a bright smile. "Oh, I'd love to, baby."
Rowan turned and yelled to Lucian, "Daddy, kiss my new mommy!"
And Lucian actually did it. Right there, in front of the whole tribe, he leaned down and gave her a deep, passionate kiss.
"From this day on," Lucian's voice carried his wolf spirit's aura to every corner of the square, "Lara is the only luna of the Aurora Shadows."
Applause hit me like a wave, drowning me in the freezing air.
I slowly turned around, crumpled my stupid apron into a ball, and walked back to the house.
The venison was still warm on the table. The candles on the blueberry cake were waiting to be lit.
Because of one thing Lucian said this morning, I'd spent all day working in the kitchen like a cheap servant.
I looked down at my hands. They were still stained with sauce I hadn't had time to wash off.
It was so ridiculous I felt sick.
For five years, I stayed with Lucian like some lowly breeder, only to be thrown away.
The kid I gave everything to raise was calling someone else "mommy."
In this house, I was the outsider. It was time to leave.
I don't know how much time passed, but eventually, I heard the door.
Lucian walked in with Rowan. His pheromones flooded the room—sharp and overbearing.
He saw me sitting in the dark and hesitated.
"You're still up?"
"Lucian, we need to talk."
Lucian looked at Rowan.
"Go upstairs, buddy."
Rowan yawned and headed up, but he stopped when he got to me.
"Mommy, happy birthday." He looked up at me.
"I... I didn't forget. It's just that Lara only has six months left to live. I want to be her son for a little while to make her happy. You aren't mad, right?"
I forced a smile and rubbed his head.
"Of course not, sweetie. You can pick whoever you want to be your mother, even if she doesn't belong in that spot."
Lucian frowned. "Camille, you know that's not what he meant."
"Daddy is the only one who gets me! Mommy, I hate you!"
Rowan gave me a resentful look and ran upstairs crying.
I slid the mating-severance papers over to Lucian.
"We're done. Let Lara be your mate while she's still alive."
Lucian's face went hard.
"What are you acting out for now? I only did that to make her happy. Are you really going to be this petty?"
"Lucian, look at her. She's wearing my moon soul stone."
That stone held my mother's scent. It was the only thing I had left of her.
"It's not some expensive diamond. I just let her borrow it. She'll give it back in a few days."
I stood up, glaring at him.
"My mother's things are not toys."
"She only has six months to live! Even Rowan is being mature about this. Why can't you just deal with her being around?"
"Haven't I dealt with enough? She's taking my mate and my son!"
That was the first time in five years I'd snapped at him. Lucian's voice went cold.
"Camille, I thought we had an agreement about Lara."
I just laughed.
"She wanted to travel, so you took her around the world, hitting every spot we ever went to. She said her biggest regret was not having a ceremony in front of the Moon Goddess... so you threw her the biggest wedding in New York."
"That ceremony was supposed to be mine! I spent six months planning it, and you gave it to her three days before it was supposed to happen."
"Lucian, you've never once claimed me in front of the Moon Goddess. Never. For five years, the pack hasn't even looked at me like a luna, because they know your wolf belongs to someone else."
"I'm the only one who's been playing dumb."
Lucian's eyes were like ice.
"Shut up. Don't push me."
I knew this arranged mating was just a business deal for the pack.
But I didn't care back then. My wolf fell for Lucian the second she saw him.
I put myself through three years of brutal luna training. I thought if I was perfect, he'd eventually love me.
Then Lara showed up, and I realized he could be obsessed with a woman—it just wasn't me.
"You want to leave? Fine. But Rowan stays here."
"Fine with me. After tonight at the square, I'm not his mother anymore anyway."
Chapter 2
Camille's POV
Lucian started to say something else, but then—
A frantic pounding hit the door, followed by the voice of a pack guard.
"Alpha Lucian, Lara collapsed! Should we rush her to the werewolf hospital downtown?"
Lucian instantly tensed up. He shot me a look of pure disgust.
"If you're serious about this, get the hell out of the pack tomorrow!"
Then he turned and stormed out.
I didn't sleep a wink.
The next morning, I dragged a suitcase out of the bedroom.
As I passed Rowan's room, he looked at me, curious.
"Mommy, where are you going? My spring break doesn't start for a week."
"I'm leaving the pack, Rowan. You need to take care of yourself, okay?"
"Oh."
He gave a half-hearted shrug, holding up a building block to examine it.
"Then I guess I won't be hanging out with you during break. Daddy and Lara already promised to take me skiing in Switzerland."
He didn't care. At all.
My voice trembled as I asked, "Rowan... after I'm gone, will you miss me?"
He stood up and looked me over, then suddenly wrinkled his nose.
"Moon Goddess! You smell like raw venison. It's gross! I'm gonna barf! Why can't you be more like Lara? She always smells sweet. Not like you—you smell like a lowly omega!"
He covered his nose and ran off.
Any stupid fantasies I had left shattered with every step he took away from me.
I didn't try to explain. I just turned around, grabbed my bag, and left the villa.
Elise's car was idling at the territory gate.
She jumped out and pulled me into a tight hug.
"Let me look at you."
She stepped back, scanning my face, her eyes rimmed with red.
"Camille, are you sure about this?"
"Yeah."
"What about Rowan..."
I waved it off.
"Even if I fought for custody at the Council, I'd lose. Nobody wins against the alpha of the Aurora Shadows."
"Besides, Rowan stopped seeing me as his mother a long time ago." I gave a bitter laugh.
Elise frowned, her voice getting urgent.
"You almost died giving birth to him! You labored for a day and a night. You know better than anyone how much you've given him these last five years. How could he not love you?"
I just smiled.
"He told me yesterday. He wants Lara to be his mommy."
Elise's eyes went wide.
After a long silence, she asked, "And Lucian... he didn't explain anything?"
I shook my head.
"He's probably at Lara's bedside right now."
Before I mated with Lucian, I had an apartment downtown. It had been sitting empty for five years.
Elise and I spent the morning cleaning. Once we were done, we leaned back on the sofa with some wine.
She swirled her glass and looked at me.
"Camille."
"Yeah?"
"When was the last time we just went out together?"
I blanked and said nothing.
It was five years ago.
For five years, my entire life revolved around taking care of Rowan and being a perfect luna.
I'd lost myself. For Lucian, I had buried every hobby and every bit of joy I ever had.
Elise continued, "You used to drag me into the woods on full moons. We'd shift and just run wild under the moonlight. And your violin... you'd practice until your fingers bled. Camille, where did that girl go? The one who used to shine?"
Looking into her eyes, I felt a sharp ache in my chest.
Suddenly, Elise's link-stone buzzed.
She answered, and her brow furrowed as she listened.
"Fine. We'll be right there."
She hung up, looking strange.
"Someone wants to pay a fortune for 'Midnight Galaxy,' that violin you left at the shop on consignment. The buyer is a big deal, and the owner wants you there to negotiate in person."
Midnight Galaxy. That violin had been with me for over a decade, but hearing the name now felt foreign.
I hadn't played in five years. The fingers that used to dance on those strings were now stained with the smell of meat from cooking every day—a smell I couldn't seem to wash off.
Maybe today was the day to bring it home.
The second I stepped into the music shop, I froze.
Lucian was standing in front of the "Not For Sale" display case, his tall frame looking like a wall. Lara was leaning against him, her fingers resting lightly on the glass.
"The legendary 'Midnight Galaxy.' It really is beautiful."
She looked up at Lucian, her eyes sparkling.
"Lucian, you love hearing me play, right? I want to do a concert using this violin. What do you think?"
He looked at her with total adoration.
"Of course. Anything you want."
The shop owner was hovering behind them, breaking a cold sweat. He looked relieved when he saw us.
"Elise, thank Moon Goddess you're here! Alpha Lucian wants to buy the violin. He said you can name your price..."
Elise cut him off before I could speak.
"The violin isn't for sale."
Lara peeked out from behind Lucian.
When she saw it was me, she blinked in surprise, then quickly walked over with a pleading look.
"Camille, this violin... could you lend it to me? Please. Lucian is obsessed with watching me play, and I really don't have much time left. I want to stand on that stage for him one last time."
As she bowed her head, the light hit her neck. She was still wearing my moon soul stone.
"People die every day in this world, Lara. Does that mean I have to give up everything I love for all of them?"
Lara's eyes instantly welled up. She bit her lip, tears trembling on the edge of falling.
Lucian looked at me, annoyed.
"It's just an old violin. Why are you being so difficult? Give it to Lara. As compensation, I'll buy you anything else in this shop you want."
"You're right, it's just a violin," I snapped. "You could buy her the most expensive one in the world. Why does it have to be mine? Hasn't she taken enough by stealing someone else's mate and son?"
Chapter 3
Camille's POV
Lara's eyelashes fluttered like a startled rabbit's. She leaned into Lucian, defending herself in a soft whimper.
"I swear to the Moon Goddess, Camille, I never wanted to take anything from you. Lucian just couldn't stand to see me suffering alone... He's a great alpha with a kind heart."
"Please... just sell me 'Midnight Galaxy.' Name your price. You know my time is running out... This is the last promise I made to him before I go."
I stayed silent, but that moon soul stone around her neck was blinding.
"You seem to really like my mother's heirloom."
Lara stiffened. "I... I don't know what you mean."
"Midnight Galaxy was left to me by my late mother. So was that necklace you're wearing."
Lara went pale. Her lips trembled as she spoke.
"Oh, god... I really didn't know. Rowan shoved this into my hands yesterday and said it was a gift. I thought... I thought Lucian had prepared a surprise for me. I'm so sorry, Camille. I never meant to walk around flaunting your mother's things..."
"Well, now you know."
I stared at her. "Can I have it back?"
Lara's fingers brushed the stone. She bit her lip and tugged on Lucian's hand, acting like a spoiled child.
"You must have forgotten Camille's birthday while you were looking after me at the hospital. She's just throwing a tantrum. It's all my fault for being such a burden."
"Sweetie, should I just give it back to Camille? If she's this angry over a little thing, she definitely won't lend me the violin."
She spoke as if the stone belonged to her and she was being generous by "giving it back."
Lucian's jaw tightened. He looked like he'd been challenged.
"I don't take back gifts I've already given."
He looked at me coldly. "Besides, giving you that necklace was Rowan's wish. Camille, don't you always claim to be such a loving mother? You're really going to snatch a gift back from your own son?"
I clenched my fists, suppressing the howl of my wolf inside my chest.
"You want my violin? Fine. It's simple. If our noble alpha gets on his knees in public and begs for my charity, I'll consider it."
Lara's eyes went wide.
Lucian's aura slammed down on the room. It hit me through our mating bond like a heavy tide.
Usually, I would have bowed my head and exposed my neck in submission immediately.
But not today. I kept my spine straight, meeting his blade-like stare head-on.
"Camille, get over your pathetic pride. Do you have any idea how you look right now? You're a total loser who's been dumped by her mate and her son."
He suddenly raised his hand. Just as the slap was about to land, Lara caught his arm, fake-shielding me.
"No! Alpha Lucian, don't hurt her for me! Camille, why are you pushing him like this? He's your alpha! He's just worried about my health... Don't you get it? I'm dying! Why do you have to be so cruel?"
I let out a harsh laugh.
"Save it. You want everything I have—my luna title, my son, my mate, my life. And your only leverage is this 'dying' act that may or may not even be real. You're dying, so I'm supposed to just hand over my entire world?"
I turned back to Lucian.
"You said you'd do anything for her, right? Then get on your knees! Just once! Kneel and beg me to lend her that violin to prove you actually mean it!"
The silence was deafening. Lucian didn't move. I smiled.
"See that, Lara? He's just not that into you."
I turned to the shop owner.
"If I remember right, my consignment for Midnight Galaxy expires today. Get my violin out. I'm taking it."
The owner glanced nervously at Lucian. He looked trapped.
I arched an eyebrow.
"As the owner, do I not even have the right to take my own property?"
While we were at a standstill, Rowan ran in from outside, waving a snack in the air.
"Daddy, look! The milk chocolate Lara gave me is so good!"
Lucian blinked, looking at Rowan in disbelief.
"Didn't your mother say you have a severe lactose allergy? That you can't touch that stuff?"
Rowan rolled his eyes. "That was just a lie Mommy made up to control me. The doctor said a little bit is fine."
He glared at me.
"Mommy just wants to boss me around, that's why she won't let me have any."
"Boss." That didn't sound like something a five-year-old would say on his own.
Standing next to Lucian, Lara looked momentarily panicked. She gently took Rowan's hand.
"Rowan, your mommy was just doing what she thought was best for you."
"Lara said I can eat whatever I want!" Rowan snapped.
"Lara also said Mommy is too strict and isn't even a good mother. She just wants to keep me trapped."
Lara's smile flickered for a second before she turned to Lucian, her voice softening to smooth things over.
"He's just a cub. He's got a sweet tooth. A little bit shouldn't hurt, right, Lucian?"
Lucian's face relaxed. For once, his voice had a hint of warmth.
"You know how to make him happy better than Camille does."
I looked away. The scene made me want to gag.
I walked to the counter, took the case from the owner, and snapped the locks shut.
"Paperwork done?" I asked.
"Yes, yes. All set," the owner said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Camille, the violin is yours."
I nodded and walked toward the door.
Elise followed me quickly, whispering, "We're just leaving? That Lara is unbelievable!"
"I've said everything I needed to say."
I sat in the passenger seat clutching the violin case. After a moment, I pulled out my comm-stone and dialed a channel.
Before long, a deep male voice answered.
"Camille?"
"You said before that if I ever needed anything, I just had to ask."
He was silent for a beat.
"You sure about this?"
"I'm sure."
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