Chapter 1

Three months after my Alpha mate disappeared, I searched the entire world desperately for him.

I found him in a bar, his childhood friend in his arms, feeding him wine mouth to mouth.

"The Alpha is confirmed dead. We will now begin preparations for the Alpha Election."

"Luna, are we truly giving up?" asked the elder on the other end of the line, his tone laced with disbelief.

I looked into the private room through the door crack, where my Alpha was caressing Desiree's cheek indulgently.

My heart stung with pain.

With a choked voice, I replied, "It has been three months. The rescue party we sent out all came back with nothing. No matter how much it hurts me, I must accept that he's dead. Not to mention, our pack must have an Alpha."

What use was an Alpha who abandoned both his pack and his Luna, even if he was found?

After arranging the process for appointing the next Alpha, I hung up and returned to my private room.

When my friend saw my red eyes, she passed me a glass of wine. "Bethany, I know you're hurting, but Sampson has gone missing for three months now. It's time for you to accept reality."

My hands trembled as I took the wine from her. I swallowed the entire glass despite the hurt I felt inside.

The drink was bitter, but it wasn't as bitter as what I was feeling. I held back my tears as I asked, "Would anyone fake their disappearance just to deceive their Luna?"

Thinking I was rambling because I missed Sampson too much, my friend sighed. "Stop thinking about it. No one could be so shameless. If that were true, then they would be better off dead."

I nodded blankly and stood up. "You're right. Let's consider him dead."

I left without looking back and returned home.

There were traces of Sampson and me in every corner of the empty house.

Two sets of tableware remained on the table. Just a day before his disappearance, Sampson had excitedly discussed the Full Moon Festival with me. We would become one under the light from the Moon Goddess and have a great night together.

But the very next day, I received news that Sampson had gone missing.

I stared at the empty room and sat on the couch, next to the doll that he had made for me. He had stitched it using the fur he had shed, and told me the doll could keep me company whenever I missed him.

As Sampson's irritated words rang in my ears again, those tender memories mixed with the impatient tone he had today.

"Bethany was such a gentle she-wolf before marriage, but she got more and more controlling after we married. She got even more clingy, too. I made her Luna so she could manage the pack, not me! She-wolves forget their place after getting a bit of power. I'm going to teach her a lesson with my disappearance. She'll know what she should and shouldn't control!"

Desiree lay in his arms, passing the wine in her mouth into Sampson's. He didn't hesitate to accept her gesture.

Grinning, she said, "Friends are so much better, right? I never try to limit you. You can do whatever you want. I even got the disguise potions from the witch for you."

"Of course! You're my best friend. Still, the potion's duration is too short. I'm back to my original appearance after a short time."

"I have more than enough—enough for you to have fun for a few more days."

They kept calling each other best friends, as if it were completely normal, even as their bodies were wrapped in each other's embrace.

Just thinking about it was enough to make me feel nauseous.

I tore the doll apart and tossed it in the trash.

I couldn't understand it. If Sampson was unhappy with me, he could simply sever our mate bond. Why did he have to fake an accident and go missing during patrol?

The next day, I called for a meeting. Using my status as the Luna, I announced that the Alpha had died and that I would be preparing for his funeral. We would choose the pack's next Alpha from among those who had the blood of an Alpha.

The moment I made the announcement, Sampson's close friends couldn't remain calm anymore and started questioning me.

"How could you hold Sampson's funeral without confirming he's truly dead?"

"Bethany, have you gone mad? Sampson isn't dead!"

"How could you strip Sampson's title as the Alpha? Aren't you worried he'll return furious?"

Facing their outbursts, I merely chuckled coldly.

"He's already dead. Can he feel anger at all?"

I ignored their objections without a care in the world.

"I'm the Alpha's mate," I said calmly, "so of course I can judge if he's dead or alive. From now on, the Luna will manage the pack's official matters. On the day of Sampson's funeral, I'll discuss choosing the next Alpha with the elders."

Once the meeting ended, I left Sampson's angry friends. The wolves started whispering heatedly, but it didn't concern me.