1

On the twelfth anniversary of our mating ceremony, my Alpha mate's mistress secretary gave me a Moonlight herb worth $10 million on his behalf, the same herb that killed my mother.

Fresh from the healing clinic after my miscarriage, I connected him to request the severing of our mate bond.

But the Alpha just said. "If you want to sever it, then sever it. Don't regret it later."

After that, he never came home.

When I saw him again, it was half a month later.

Marcus returned home at dawn, not finding the hot meal that usually waited on the dining table.

He still ordered me around like a servant, commanding me to prepare his dinner. "I want venison."

He instinctively frowned, gave his order, then headed to the bathroom.

When he emerged with steam still clinging to him, he saw I still ignored him, still stared carelessly at the television.

He said impatiently, "It was just a gift you didn't like. Why are you still angry after all this time? As the Luna of Shadowmoon Pack, how can you be so petty?"

Seeing my displeased expression, he added, "I haven't spent time with you in a while. When I have time, I'll take you hunting to relax."

Before, when he wanted to appease me, he would take me anywhere I wanted to go, buy me expensive gifts.

Now, he only relied on empty verbal promises to brush me off. And these promises were never kept.

I couldn't be bothered to look at him. I casually changed the channel and asked:

"When will you have time to sign the mate bond dissolution agreement and submit it to the Alpha Council?"

As the Alpha and Luna of the pack, we couldn't directly sever our mate bond. We needed to submit a mate bond dissolution application, which would only be granted after the Alpha Council's approval.

Marcus was busy. So busy that his secretary had to choose his mating ceremony gifts.

When it came to scheduling, I always had to accommodate him.

"Stop making a fuss. Victoria didn't know your parents died from Moonlight herb exposure. It won't happen again."

The man poured himself a small glass of bourbon, sat on the opposite armchair, half-smiling.

Victoria's family was also northern territory nobility, Marcus's childhood friend who had adored him since they were young. When Marcus became the Alpha of Shadowmoon Pack, Victoria rushed to become his personal secretary.

They were inseparable, even sharing the same suite when patrolling the territory.

Actually, I didn't blame Victoria for clinging desperately to Marcus.

If he didn't give her opportunities, no woman could get close.

I yawned dramatically, tears involuntarily welling in my eyes.

After a long silence from me, Marcus assumed the matter was settled.

He asked about our ten-year-old son's situation at the werewolf academy.

I shook my head: "I don't know."

It wasn't to spite Marcus by deliberately not telling him.

I truly didn't know.

The Blackwood family was the northern territory's Alpha family, practicing elite education. The pup had been raised by Marcus's parents since young, with various lessons scheduled daily.

Laughably, though I gave birth to the pup , I now couldn't intervene in his education at all. Even the time I could see him was counted on one hand.

I had cried and made scenes over this, but the Blackwood family remained completely unmoved.

In their view, I was just a commoner-born werewolf. Being Marcus's mate was already extraordinary luck.

As for anything else, pure delusion.

Marcus pinched his prominent nose bridge, telling me to focus more on the pup : "You're too inadequate as a mother. If this continues, Victoria will seem more like his mother than you."

I understood his meaning.

Yesterday was the academy's holiday. I should have picked up the pup from school—the only chance in a week for me to spend time alone with my son.

But I waited four hours at the pup academy gates without seeing the pup.

I frantically searched for the pup to no avail. Only when darkness fell did Victoria call to inform me that the former Luna—Marcus's mother—had her pick up the pup for shooting practice.

Through the phone, I heard Marcus's voice.

He was asking Victoria with a laugh if she wanted soup. The warm scene made it seem like they were the real family, while I was a dispensable outsider.

Returning to the present, I smiled coldly at Marcus:

"That suits your wishes perfectly. I'll leave immediately. Let her be Shadowmoon Pack's Luna, since that's what you and your parents all hope for anyway."

Some word must have stung Marcus. He fell silent for several seconds, then erupted in fury:

"My patience has limits. Don't be unreasonable."

"Sage, stop being so dramatic." Marcus said impatiently.

The man stood and took two steps before I said coldly:

"By the way, you probably don't know yet—our second pup is already gone."