On our wedding anniversary, eight months pregnant, my Alpha mate Damien locked me in a silver cage so his mistress Victoria's child could be born first and claim the Moon Goddess's blessing. I gave birth alone while he guarded her door.
My son and I nearly died. My father, the Alpha Prime of the Northern Territories, rescued us and let Damien believe we were dead. Three months later, I returned as Lena Ashford - the secret owner controlling his pack's entire supply chain.
I bankrupted his pack, exposed Victoria's crimes, severed our mate bond, and won full custody of our son. Damien lost his title, territory, pride, and every right he once believed belonged to him.
But revenge uncovered a deeper betrayal: my father had ordered Damien's brother killed, and Victoria had used that grief to turn him against me. I walked away from both men, built the Phoenix Pack, and made Damien prove his remorse through years of action.
Five years after the cage, I stood as Alpha of my own pack, raising two children beside a man who had earned - not demanded - a second chance. I was no longer anyone's caged bride. My future was mine to choose.
