Chapter 1

They used to say I was the most spoiled woman in the Rockclaw Pack. Kane made sure of that.

He chased me for ten years—ten relentless years—transforming from an eager young heir into the Alpha every wolf respected... and feared. And yet, when I so much as frowned, that terrifying man would soften like melting snow.

Everyone thought I'd be his Luna. Hell, so did I.

But love—real love—should never feel like a knife twisting between your ribs.

And Kane? He betrayed me. Three times.

The first time was at the annual Tribal Alliance dinner.

They said it was a setup—that Kane had been drugged, caught in a tangle with Omega Lilian. But when I found out, I still packed up our engagement with shaking hands. He exiled her the very next night.

Then he stood outside my wooden house for three straight days and nights, shivering in the cold.

"Julia, I was wrong," he rasped through cracked lips. "Just… believe in me one more time. Just this once."

I looked at him and saw the boy who once hiked through a blizzard to find snow lotuses for me, nearly freezing to death just to see me smile.

So, I forgave him.

God help me—I believed him.

The second time? Worse.

I walked into the healing room, expecting a routine report. Instead, I found him sitting beside Lilian again—this time for a pup checkup.

When our eyes met, he jumped to his feet, gripping my shoulders like he could hold me still through sheer will.

"A few weeks ago, I got into a car accident," he explained quickly. "She threw herself in front of me—saved my life."

His voice dropped. "She got pregnant… and when Grandma Jennifer announced to the entire council that the pack never abandons its bloodline… I knew I had no choice."

He rested his chin on my head, like he always did when he was desperate.

"Don't leave me. Once the pup is born, I'll send her away—to the Ice Plains. She’ll never come near you again."

I wanted to scream. I wanted to hate him.

But all I could think was: He promised me once, “My word is law.”

So again, I stayed.

The third time was the one that shattered me.

We were both bidding at the pack’s charity auction—for the old pocket watch that had belonged to my mother.

It was her only keepsake, worn smooth with her fingerprints. But Kane kept bidding, raising the price higher and higher… until he used his Alpha privilege to claim it outright.

And then?

He turned around and gave it…to Lilian.

I stormed into his tent, fury burning hotter than the sun.

But he just rubbed the bridge of his nose, the scent of her still clinging to his clothes.

"She’s been anxious lately," he muttered, like it justified everything. "Holding the watch helps her relax. Julia, just… let her have it."

Something in me snapped.

I laughed—sharp, bitter, broken.

"Why should I 'let her'?" I asked, my voice shaking with rage.

His brows pulled together in frustration. "Don’t be childish. Lilian’s due soon. After the pup is born, everything will go back to normal."

Normal? Did he actually believe we could just pretend? That I could forget every blade he buried in my back?

"Kane..." I started, but I didn’t even finish before her voice pierced the air.

"Kane… it hurts…"

Lilian stood just outside the tent, one hand clutching her belly, the other bracing against the pole. "I slipped… the baby…"

Kane didn’t hesitate. He pushed me aside—literally shoved me—and ran to her.

"KANE!" I screamed after him.

But he never looked back.

He carried her away like I had never mattered.

And as I stood there, laughing and crying at the same time, one thing became painfully clear: He’d never let her go.

Not after she saved his life. Not with their pup on the way. So what did that make me? A placeholder? A fool?

Blood trickled from the wound on my temple as I leaned against the stone table.

The Gamma approached quietly.

"Returning to camp, Julia?"

I didn’t hesitate. "No," I said. "I'm going to the altar. To break the bond."

Two hours later, I stood outside the healing ward with the severance contract in hand.

Kane had stationed guards outside Lilian’s door like she was the Moon Goddess herself. Healers came and went under his personal inspection.

He even arranged three security layers—one for her, one for the unborn child, and one for his guilt.

"I want warm blueberry muffins," Lilian said inside, in that soft, pathetic voice of hers.

Kane stood immediately. "Wait here. I’ll have the chef make them fresh."

He brushed past me in the hallway without even meeting my eyes.

I stepped inside the ward. Lilian blinked up at me with teary eyes.

"Julia… I didn’t mean to take your pocket watch. Kane gave it to me, but… his heart’s still with you. I swear."

I sighed. "There’s no need to perform. It’s just us here."

Her fake tears froze.

"You came back with a pregnancy, knowing Kane’s loyalty would trap him. You knew exactly what you were doing."

I dropped the document onto her lap.

"This is our bond dissolution agreement. If I hand this to Kane, he won’t sign it. But you… you’ll find a way. Get him to sign it without realizing it. You’ve got one shot. Don’t screw it up."

She stared at the contract for a long while before slowly lifting it, a victorious gleam in her eyes.

"Thank you, Julia," she whispered. "For giving us a complete family."

I forced a smile. "Then I hope you stay happy… forever."

---

Back at camp, I dug out a small wooden box. Everything Kane ever gave me—every lie, every illusion—was inside.

The first thing I pulled out was a tiger tooth pendant. He gave it to me when he was ten, after his first successful hunt.

"I’ll protect you from now on," he’d promised, eyes wide with pride.

The second item—a dried snow lotus petal. On my fifteenth birthday, every girl in the pack got gifts.

But mine? Mine came with a note that said, “Only accept what’s mine.”

He had already started warding off any male who looked at me.

The third? A bone ring set with wolf fur and a moonstone.

He placed it on my finger under a full moon and whispered, “In this life, Julia, I belong only to you.”

I believed him. I really did. But Lilian changed everything.

I closed the box. Tossed it into the incinerator without a second thought.

---

The next morning, I was woken by the sound of voices outside.

I stepped out to see servants unloading crates—boxes of Omega nutrient tonics, limited-edition shoes and gowns, rare accessories…Lilian stood in the center of it all, her hands wringing together in mock modesty.

"Kane, this is all too much…"

He just smiled and ruffled her hair. "You deserve the best. When you’re happy, the pup’s happy."

Then he saw me. His expression faltered.

"Julia," he said, like nothing had happened. "I didn’t get anything for you this time. But next time—name it. I’ll bring it for you."

I didn’t respond.

Before I could speak, Lilian walked over with a soft smile. "Actually, Kane… I prepared something for Julia."

She handed me a folder.

Inside was the bond dissolution agreement—signed. His signature matched the one from our original bond.

Just like that, it was over.

No words. No goodbye. No apology.

Just a name on paper. And a woman who’d finally had enough.

**********