He Called Me Tool, He Calls Me Luna

I stood by James for four years, helping him fight for revenge after his Pack was destroyed.

Yet, at the celebratory banquet, he proposed to my half-sister, Olivia.

He told me, That special status is only for Olivia. You? You were just my most obedient tool.

Olivia deliberately stumbled and framed me for causing her miscarriage. Then she had someone inject me with poison. He witnessed it all but chose to believe her, not me.

It wasn't until the mate Ceremony, when the surveillance video of the truth played, that her malicious self-staged act was thoroughly exposed.

James was shattered with regret, begging me to come back to him.

But I simply linked arms with my fated mate, Alpha Ethan, and smiled faintly. "James, it's too late."

Emma Wilson POV

The Mooncrest Pack was invaded, and James fled in a desperate escape with his core members.

Everyone said the powerful Pack was gone forever, but I was the only one who stood by James and fought with him.

I believed he could rise again, that he could exact his revenge and reclaim the Pack.

Four years later, he proved me right.

James not only defeated the invaders but, with his immense strength, elevated the Mooncrest Pack to an even stronger position than before.

After four years, he once again stood at the pinnacle of power, unrivaled.

Everyone marveled, saying James was truly a genius Alpha, unlike any other.

"Emma, your hardships are finally over." My best friend, Sophie Miller, called, her voice full of joy. "I heard James is proposing at the celebration banquet tonight. Such a big deal. Did he drop any hints?"

James was proposing at the celebration banquet tonight?

My heart skipped a beat.

I knew about the celebration banquet; it was a dinner to mark the Mooncrest Pack's successful reclaiming of its territory.

Many members from other Packs were invited.

It was a grand announcement of the Mooncrest Pack's return and James's alpha status.

But a proposal... he'd planned this in secret?

"He didn't tell me. Maybe he wants to surprise me," I said, a smile I couldn't hide blooming on my lips. "Alright, I can't talk now. I'm picking up his gift."

I hung up and took the deep blue velvet box from the clerk.

Inside was a pair of cufflinks, two perfectly cut black diamonds set on a platinum base.

These cufflinks were a special, custom-made gift I'd commissioned for James to celebrate his successful revenge.

But I hadn't expected him to propose at this celebration banquet.

Thinking of it, my heart was wrapped in a warm, sweet sensation.

I put the box away, about to leave the jewelry store, when suddenly, a familiar voice drifted from behind a pillar nearby.

"Are the items ready?" It was James.

"They're ready. This ring was custom-made according to the design you personally provided and the measurements. Please take a look."

His design?

So, for tonight's proposal, he'd even personally designed the ring.

He truly wanted to surprise me tonight, just as I wanted to surprise him.

My heart felt even sweeter, and my anticipation for tonight's banquet grew.

I was debating whether to go over and greet him when I heard the calm, smiling voice of Charlie Green, James's friend and now his Beta. "When Olivia sees this ring you custom-designed for her, I wonder if she will be more delighted or surprised?"

I froze, like a nail suddenly hammered into place, my mind a sudden blank.

Olivia. My half-sister.

Charlie sounded curious. "You specifically invited Olivia to tonight's celebration, but Emma will be there too. Aren't you worried she will see you propose to another woman and cause a scene?"

The air seemed to still for a moment.

Then, I heard James speak in a tone so calm it was almost indifferent. "She won't know. I'll find a reason to keep her from showing up."

Charlie sighed. "Four years ago, when the Pack was invaded, everyone thought we were finished. Only Emma believed in you. She endured four years of hardship with us, gave up her job and her life to help you, and even sold her grandmother's sapphire necklace to buy supplies... Does all that still not compare to Olivia, who saved your life when you were young?"

"During the toughest times, Emma was willing to follow me. She was indeed very good to me." James was silent for a few seconds, then spoke slowly, his voice low. "I can give her anything, but Olivia not only saved me, she's also my fated mate..."

Charlie let out a sigh. "Alright, since you've already made up your mind, I won't say anything more."

Footsteps quickly receded from behind me.

I gripped the cold jewelry counter, my fingertips trembling, my blood freezing in an instant. I couldn't believe what I'd just heard.

My phone vibrated then, a message from James.

"Emma, many Pack members will be at the celebration banquet tonight. You always dislike those large shifter gatherings, don't you? Would you mind waiting for me at home? I'll come back to you once the banquet is over."

I stared at the words, a chill spreading from deep within me.

He didn't know that I disliked shifter gatherings only because I didn't want to run into members of the Silvermoon Pack.

But these past few years, to help him, hadn't I interacted with various Packs enough?

Slowly, I lifted my stiff fingers and sent a reply: "Okay."

Emma Wilson POV

Perhaps it was the last shred of hope I still held for him, but I simply couldn't believe that James would truly propose to another woman.

Even less could I believe that the woman he was going to propose to was my half-sister.

In the end, I still went to the Packhouse where the celebration was being held.

It was easy for me to avoid anyone who might recognize me.

I sprayed myself with perfume to mask my scent and changed into a maid's uniform.

The banquet hall was crowded.

James was wearing the outfit I'd picked out for him that morning. He stood tall, chatting effortlessly, his eyes sparkling with renewed ambition.

Olivia wore a shimmering silver mermaid-cut gown, her makeup exquisite and tasteful, one hand held firmly by James.

The two walked in side-by-side from the entrance, heading towards the center of the venue under everyone's gaze.

My eyes fixated on Olivia.

A distinct, dark red hickey was visible on her neck, just above her collarbone.

And on the ring finger of the hand James was holding, a diamond ring sparkled, reflecting dazzling light under the chandeliers.

James raised his glass and began to speak.

"Welcome, all of you, to witness the return of the Mooncrest Pack. Four years ago, our Pack was invaded, my father was killed, and we lost everything. But today, we have not only successfully avenged ourselves and reclaimed what is ours."

He paused, his gaze turning to Olivia beside him, his voice filled with unprecedented solemnity.

"I have also found my fated mate."

He took her hand, raising it high so everyone could see the ring on her finger.

"Her name is Olivia Parker." He looked at the woman beside him, her cheeks faintly flushed. "Without her, perhaps I wouldn't be standing here today."

The entire hall erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers, people raising their glasses in congratulation.

"Congratulations, Alpha Anderson!"

"A fated mate! How wonderful!"

I stood in the shadows, watching the couple embrace, watching them accept the blessings and adoration of the crowd. My nails dug deep into my palms, but I felt no pain.

So, all this time, for four years, Olivia was the most important person to him, and without her, there would be no James today?

What about me? What did all my years of companionship and sacrifice count for?

A foolish joke?

I tried to smile, but the curve of my lips was purely bitter.

I didn't rush out, didn't make a scene to disrupt the meticulously planned proposal ceremony. Instead, I quietly turned and left the ceremony that wasn't mine.

The April night wind felt chilling.

I walked aimlessly through the town streets, like a ghost.

After an unknown amount of time, a wedding dress shop display caught my eye.

The pristine white wedding gowns on the mannequins looked like an unreal dream under the warm yellow lights.

The floodgates of memory suddenly opened. I remembered one of our most desperate times, when James and I passed a high-end bridal shop, and I couldn't help but glance at the dresses.

James noticed my longing for a wedding gown, squeezed my hand tightly, and said, "Emma, I'm sorry, I can't give you anything right now. But someday, I'll personally buy you a unique wedding dress and make you the most beautiful, happiest bride in the world."

At that moment, the light in his eyes was so bright and genuine.

So I believed him, and I was willing to sacrifice everything for it.

But now, he had put a ring he personally designed on another woman's finger.

Yes, he only said he would buy me a unique wedding dress and make me the happiest bride, but he never said he would make me his most beautiful bride.

An uncontrollable ache bloomed in my chest again, tears blurring my vision.

My trust in him had become a colossal joke.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

It was an unsaved number, but one I knew well.

I intended to hang up, but the moment my finger touched the screen, I hesitated.

Then, I took a deep breath, masking my emotions, and answered, "Hello?"

"Ms. Wilson, I apologize for calling so late, but we genuinely admire your abilities. Our Alpha sincerely invites you to join us, and he said he would agree to any conditions you propose. Are you truly not reconsidering?"

This wasn't the first time they'd called, extending an offer.

This time, I suddenly no longer wanted to refuse them for James's sake.

I was silent for a moment. "Alright, I accept your offer to join you."

The person on the other end was clearly surprised by my decisiveness this time. "Really?"

"Give me some time to handle things on my end."

Emma Wilson POV

I returned to the house James and I currently shared.

He knew I wasn't comfortable living in the Packhouse, so he bought this apartment in town for me.

Thinking about it now, he never truly considered me a Pack member, did he?

I placed the gift box containing the cufflinks on the shoe cabinet and went back to the bedroom.

I barely slept until dawn.

The next morning, as I was about to leave, I noticed the gift box on the shoe cabinet remained untouched.

Clearly, James hadn't returned all night.

I stared at it for a few seconds, then left it undisturbed and walked out the door.

News of James's proposal had already spread like wildfire.

"Emma!"

The moment I stepped into the bar, Sophie Miller rushed towards me, angry, pulling me aside without a word.

"What's going on? How could James propose to Olivia? Has he lost his mind? And who even is Olivia, where did she come from?"

Sophie was a friend I'd met while working at the bar, and also a shifter.

But unlike me, she had her parents' permission to leave her Pack and come here.

I, on the other hand, had secretly escaped.

Besides Charlie, only Sophie knew about my relationship with James.

I was about to answer her when Charlie Green suddenly burst in.

"Emma, Alpha James would like you to see him."

I patted Sophie's shoulder reassuringly. "I'll tell you later."

At the Alpha's house in the Packhouse, Charlie announced at the door, "James, Emma's here."

"Emma."

James took a few quick steps to take my hand, leading me into the room.

His tone was apologetic. "I was too tired last night, so I just slept here and couldn't come back to you. Did you eat on time this morning? You're not mad at me, are you?"

I didn't know if he was really too drunk to come back, or if he just chose to stay at the Packhouse. I didn't want to ask.

I gently pulled my hand away and handed him the resignation letter I held in my other hand. "If you're worried about me being angry, then just sign this."

In truth, James had never acknowledged any other identity for me.

To him, I was perhaps just a trainer, a healer, or some other tool.

But whatever I was, I had decided to leave now.

"What's this?" James took it curiously, then looked up at me in surprise after seeing the contents. "You're leaving?"

"Yes."

I offered no further explanation.

James seemed confused as to why I was suddenly leaving, but seeing my calm expression, which didn't suggest a tantrum, his face relaxed.

"Of course. You've been with me for four years without a proper day of rest. Now that the Pack is back on track, it's only right for you to get some good rest." He smiled. "After all, I can give you anything now."

He picked up the pen from the table and signed the approval section.

"There. Hand this to Charlie. Someone else will take over the development of the ointment and the training of the shifters." Handing the paper back to me, his tone was light. "I'll take you out to lunch. What do you want to eat?"

"James!"

Before I could speak, Charlie burst into the room.

He came to James's side and whispered, "Olivia says she needs to see you. She's at the entrance."

James's expression shifted slightly. He turned to me and said, "Emma, something urgent just came up. I need to step out for a moment."

He didn't even wait for my answer, just grabbed his jacket from the chair and rushed out of the room.

Watching his retreating back, I clenched the paper in my hand.

Originally, I just wanted to live in an unfamiliar place, so I came to this town and applied for a bartender job at a local bar.

But I didn't expect to meet James.

He was a regular at the bar, and the Alpha heir of the Mooncrest Pack.

I fell irresistibly in love with him, even though he wasn't my fated mate.

I picked up the combat skills I'd abandoned, started trying to regain my strength, hoping to be worthy of James.

Later, when the Mooncrest Pack was invaded, I carried my love and courage for him, accompanying him to a remote hideout.

We huddled in that small space, gathering strength for revenge.

We defeated enemies who came after us, tried various ways to earn money for supplies...

Those nights fighting side-by-side, our combined efforts, forged into a burning fire of revenge that transformed the Mooncrest Pack and brought it back into the spotlight.

I thought that after these four years of companionship, I had found a place in his heart. But in the end, he still chose Olivia.

The pain in my chest spread. I took a deep breath, steeling myself, and put away the paper.

Stepping out, the sunlight was a bit dazzling.

I squinted, and suddenly saw James carefully helping Olivia into a car by the roadside. He then quickly rounded to the driver's seat and got in.

"James?" Sophie, who had come looking for me, was furious and about to storm over. "What does he mean? What does he take you for? I'm going to find out!"

Emma Wilson POV

I hastily pulled back Sophie, who was about to rush forward. "No need. There's no need to ask him."

"What do you mean, no need?" Sophie was both angry and anxious, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Emma, you gave him so much! How could he treat you like this?"

I couldn't answer her, just smiled faintly. "Come have a drink with me."

Sophie looked at me, understanding that beneath my calm exterior, I was heartbroken. Her anger was replaced by concern.

"Let's go! I'll drink with you all you want today!"

In the noisy bar, I drank glass after glass.

The burning liquid slid down my throat, searing my stomach, but it couldn't warm my slowly chilling heart.

After an unknown number of drinks, I got up to go to the restroom.

I leaned against the sink, looking at my reflection. Red-rimmed eyes. Disheveled. I tried to smile, but couldn't.

As I exited the restroom, a figure stumbled into me, nearly knocking me over.

I frowned, stepped back, and looked up to see Ben Carter, another friend of James's.

He looked like he'd had a lot to drink, his face flushed from the alcohol.

"Isn't that Emma?" Ben squinted, recognizing me. He slapped me hard on the shoulder. "Here to find James, right? Come on, come on, he's inside, I'll take you!"

Before I could refuse, Ben dragged me around the corner and to the door of a private room.

"James, look who I brought!" Ben flung open the door, shouting with a triumphant air.

The laughter inside the room instantly died. Everyone's gaze turned towards us.

There were seven or eight people inside, all close friends of James, and Charlie Green was there too.

James sat on the central sofa, with Olivia, dressed in an exquisite dress, sitting closely beside him.

At this moment, James's hand was still holding Olivia's. They looked very intimate.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

James's smile stiffened. The others exchanged glances, and the atmosphere instantly turned cold.

Ben belatedly realized what was happening. He slapped his forehead, his drunkenness momentarily scared away, stammering, "Uh, no, that... Emma, I..."

Before he could finish, I turned without a word and walked away.

"Emma!"

James's face changed. He quickly rose and chased after me.

In the hallway, James grabbed my wrist, pulling me back and forcing me to face him. "Emma, why are you here? And why are you turning around and leaving?"

I looked up at him. "If I stayed there, wouldn't the atmosphere be awkward for you?"

James was silent for a moment before saying, "Did someone tell you something?"

"Do I need to be told?" I laughed bitterly. "You proposed to Olivia. All your friends know. The Pack is buzzing about it. You never even intended to hide it. You were just waiting for me to leave on my own, weren't you?"

"That's not what you think!" James interrupted me, eager to explain. "Olivia is the daughter of a prominent Silvermoon Pack Alpha. She saved my life once, and these past four years, she's used her Silvermoon Pack connections to get me a lot of support. She's even made enemies because of it. I owe her too much."

"So what? What does that have to do with me?"

"She's my fated mate. I can't abandon her." He grasped my shoulders with both hands. "But Emma, I still love you. As long as you don't mind her presence, nothing between us has to change. It can be just like before."

I was stunned, completely incredulous. "So you're saying you want me to be the other woman in your mate bond with someone else?"

James's expression faltered. He wanted to defend himself, but his words were cut off by a sudden voice.

"James, what are you doing out here?"

Olivia gracefully approached us.

Emma Wilson POV

Hearing her voice, James quickly composed himself, releasing his hands from my shoulders.

Noticing his action, I couldn't help but curve my lips into a mocking smile.

Standing beside us, Olivia's gaze darted between us, finally asking him curiously, "James, aren't you going to introduce me?"

James frowned, his throat bobbed. He looked a bit unnatural as he said, "She's Emma. A Pack warrior. A healer."

Hearing his introduction, I found it absurd and laughable.

Four years of shared hardship, four years of unreserved sacrifice, and in the end, in his words, I was just a healer.

James avoided my gaze, turning to ask Olivia, "Why did you come out here?"

Olivia pouted playfully, "I saw you run out, thought something was wrong, and wanted to check."

With that, she naturally linked arms with James.

James's body stiffened for a moment. He looked at me hesitantly, his lips moving as if to say something.

But I wouldn't give him the chance to speak. I turned my back and left without looking back.

After leaving the bar, I didn't return to the town apartment. Instead, I went to the hideout where James and I had lived for four years.

It was a mountain villa a little further from town, purchased by James's father.

It was remote enough not to be discovered by enemies, but close enough to monitor the situation at the Packhouse.

So we lived there.

Though most of the time, to avoid being found by patrolling shifters, we hid in the basement.

Unlocking the door with a key, a scent of old times rushed in.

The hideout wasn't large, only one story, but it was filled with our tough yet sweet memories.

I remembered one time, James held me from behind, his chin resting on my head, whispering, "Emma, I've put you through so much living here. Someday, I'll give you the best of everything in the world."

Later, on the night James organized the revenge operation to reclaim the Pack, when he asked what I wanted, I only asked for this villa.

Because this place held great sentimental value for me.

So James gave it to me, and the keys remained with me.

Now, it seemed, this sentiment was more like a sarcastic joke.

I curled up on the old sofa in the living room for a night. This was my last time mourning our past.

The next day, I contacted an agent and put the villa up for sale.

"The price is negotiable. My only request is to complete the transfer of ownership as quickly as possible."

"Understood."

The agent was very efficient, quickly arriving to take photos and assess the property.

After all that was done, I was about to leave when I saw an unexpected figure.

Olivia leaned against a white sports car, seemingly having waited for a long time.

I didn't want to see her at all, and was about to leave, when Olivia suddenly greeted me proactively, "I heard you and James lived here for four years, so this place must mean a lot to you, right?"

My footsteps stopped. I slowly turned to face her. "What do you want?"

Olivia looked down, gently caressing the ring on her ring finger, her expression smug. "Even though you and James went through a lot together, it's a shame the Moon Goddess arranged me as his mate. I'll soon be the Luna of the Mooncrest Pack."

"Well, congratulations then," I replied indifferently. "Wishing you both happiness in advance. If there's nothing else, I'll be going."

"Emma, didn't you expect this yourself? You spent four difficult years with him, but still lost to me?"

An ache pulsed in my chest, but I suddenly laughed. "You've always liked to snatch things from me since we were kids. Now that you're grown, you're snatching my man. What's so surprising about that? After all, you and your mother, Maggie, both love to steal other people's men."

Seeing Olivia's suddenly enraged eyes, I couldn't help but feel a deep irony.

James never knew that I was once the Alpha heir of the Silvermoon Pack.

But after my mother passed away, my father, Robert, brought Olivia and her mother into our home, and we lived together.

Olivia always tried to take everything from me growing up, and Robert always favored Olivia, making me give in again and again.

So, as an adult, I left the Silvermoon Pack and cut ties with them.

"Olivia, you're so proud of picking up my cast-offs. Don't you find it disgusting?"

I finished my sarcastic remark and turned to leave.

"Stop! What do you mean 'cast-offs'?" Olivia, enraged, rushed over and grabbed me. "You just couldn't win against me! You lost!"

I sneered. "I lost to you?"

Olivia gritted her teeth, then suddenly let out a cold laugh. "This time, I'm going to make you lose even more thoroughly!"

Suddenly, before I could react, Olivia grabbed my hand and forcefully pushed it against herself.

Then, Olivia staggered backward, her back slamming hard against the car, letting out a pained scream.

To anyone watching, it clearly looked like I had forcefully pushed her to the ground.

"Olivia!!!"

Emma Wilson POV

A sharp pain shot through my shoulder as a man, rushing forward, slammed into me, sending me back two steps.

By the time I managed to steady myself, I saw James cradling Olivia in his arms.

"Olivia, are you alright? Where did you fall?"

James's voice was filled with a panic I had never heard before.

He hadn't even stopped to think: how could an Alpha's daughter be so easily harmed?

But then again, perhaps that was the power of a fated mate.

I sneered, stepping back.

If this was how it was, then I truly needed to step aside.

Just then, Olivia began to wail.

"My stomach... my stomach hurts so much..."

Olivia looked to be in extreme pain, fine beads of cold sweat on her forehead.

James followed her gaze and saw a patch of dark red blood flowing down her upper thigh.

I saw it too.

That jarring red, like a bolt of lightning, struck my mind, leaving it suddenly blank.

"James, save... save our baby..." Olivia clutched James's arm, crying, looking at him. "You have to save our baby..."

"Okay, okay, don't talk. I'll take you for treatment!"

James scooped Olivia up and rushed to his car like a madman, not even sparing me a glance.

I stood rooted to the spot, stunned. A baby?

They actually had a baby?

I hesitated, but still followed them back to the Packhouse.

At the clinic.

The healer emerged from the treatment room, her expression grim.

James immediately went up to her. "How is she?"

"I'm very sorry. She had a miscarriage. We've treated her, and the mother is out of danger."

"A miscarriage..."

James's tall frame swayed. Then, he slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on me in the corner.

His eyes were as cold as daggers.

As if questioning me, why did you do that?

I opened my mouth to speak, but just then, hurried footsteps approached.

As I started to turn towards the newcomer, a resounding slap landed hard on my face.

My cheek instantly throbbed painfully, my ears rang, and my head was snapped to the side. I tasted a hint of blood.

Seeing this, James rushed over. "Robert, what are you doing?"

"James, you don't need to get involved! This is our family's business!"

"What?"

Robert didn't explain James's confusion. Instead, he glowered at me. "Emma, how could you be so vicious? That's your sister, and she was pregnant! How could you do such a thing?!"

I clutched my swollen, red cheek, looking at my biological father, the man I shared blood with. I said coldly, "I didn't push her. She deliberately fell to frame me."

"You dare to argue?!" Robert trembled with rage. "Olivia has always been kind and thoughtful, but you! You've always been selfish since you were a child, always fighting with Olivia for everything, and you've laid hands on Olivia more than once or twice. I think you just don't want to see your sister happy!"

"I'm selfish, I like to fight with her, I don't want her to be happy?"

Yes, Robert was always like this.

In his eyes, Olivia was always kind and thoughtful.

And I, Emma, was always the immature, narrow-minded one.

It was always Olivia who liked to snatch my things, always Olivia who provoked me with her words, but in the end, it was always my fault.

He never listened to my explanations, never gave me justice.

Maggie cried, heartbroken, to Robert, "Olivia lost her baby because of her, and she's still trying to argue. As their father, shouldn't you do something for Olivia?"

"Since she's still so malicious, then send her back to the Silvermoon Pack to face punishment!" Robert said, cold and resolute, ordering the warriors behind him, "Take her back, lock her up, and keep a close eye on her!"

A warrior stepped forward to restrain me, but I said coldly, "Back off. I'll go myself."

I knew nothing I said would matter. No one would believe me.

But before I was led away, I couldn't help but look at James.

I heard my dry voice ask, "And you? You don't believe I didn't push her, either?"

James frowned.

He said, "I saw you push her with my own eyes. How do you expect me to believe you?"

I looked at him and suddenly laughed.

My eyes held no warmth, only the coldness of utter disappointment.

James, I really don't love you anymore.