The Defective Mate's Hidden Royal Bloodline

For years, I endured the mockery of being a "wolfless" outcast, acting as the perfectly devoted mate to Alpha Julian.

But just weeks before his Mating ceremony with the noble Isabella, I overheard him call me a mere "placeholder" and a temporary "bed warmer."

He didn't just break my heart; he crushed my dignity. He forced me to iron Isabella's wedding gowns. When Isabella faked an allergic reaction to a cake I baked, Julian didn't even investigate.

"Something made with such vile intentions belongs in the garbage, just like you!"

He roared, throwing my cake into the trash and demanding I apologize to the woman who was parading around with my stolen family heirloom.

Looking at his cold, judgmental eyes, the lingering illusion of our bond evaporated into a vast, silent wasteland. How could I have been so foolish to love a man so utterly blind?

I didn't shed a single tear.

"Consider this my apology."

I smiled, picking up a glass of ice water and throwing it directly into Isabella's perfectly made-up face.

Locked away in the Ancestral Hall as punishment, I didn't panic. Instead, I calmly began plotting with his rival cousin, setting a trap for Isabella's powerful family. I no longer wanted his love; I wanted my absolute freedom.