Chapter 2

Victor finally came back more than half an hour later. He stood in the doorway, looking at me uncertainly. He still smelled faintly of Louise's lily perfume.

"You smell like her." I frowned at him. "Get out."

He froze just as he was about to enter. Then he hurried into the bathroom, and moments later, I heard the shower running.

When he finally emerged, his expression was grim and his hair was still dripping wet.

"What about now?" He stepped closer, pressing his warm chest against me. "Can you still smell her on me?"

Guilt flickered in his eyes, along with a desire he was struggling to suppress.

I'd been ready to send him to sleep in the study, but the fire in his gaze melted my resolve.

After all, this was the man who'd been by my side for over 20 years.

With trembling hands, I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck, desperate to believe that my Alpha still belonged to me.

He held me just as tight and stroked my back, over and over.

I tilted my head up to kiss him, but just before our lips touched, Victor stopped.

"Wait, Tia." His breathing was uneven as he put a little distance between us. "We can't be too... intimate for a while."

"Why not?"

"Louise says she feels pain whenever she senses us being intimate." He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "It's only until the bond-severing ritual is complete. I promise—"

"Enough." I pushed him away, pulled the covers around myself, and turned my back on him. "Let's just go to sleep."

Victor seemed to want to say something else, but in the end he just sighed and pulled me into his arms.

All night long, he kept kissing the mark on my neck, as if trying to reassure himself.

I kept my back to him, refusing to say a word.

Once Louise moved into the house, she was on her best behavior.

She volunteered to do chores, even though I'd told her we had staff to take care of the cleaning.

She always addressed me respectfully as Luna and thanked me for letting her stay in the house.

Then one day, I saw her in a pale green dress. It was the dress I'd worn on my first date with Victor.

I still remembered what he'd said that day. "You're like the first leaf of spring against the snow, Tia."

Victor was going through some documents when he heard her footsteps. He looked up, his gaze lingering on Louise for a couple of seconds.

"That dress..."

"Oh, I found a bunch of clothes in an old wardrobe that nobody seemed to wear, so I thought I'd try this on." Louise looked flustered. "Was that wrong? I'm sorry! I'll change right away—"

"It's fine," Victor said. "No need to change. It looks good on you."

Louise paused, and her cheeks went pink.

My chest tightened, and I frowned at him.

Once Louise was gone, I turned to Victor. "That's my dress."

"I know." He closed the folder and gave my hand a distracted pat. "You have plenty of beautiful dresses. What's the harm in letting her wear one you hardly ever use?"

I pulled my hand away and looked him in the eye.

He seemed taken aback. "Louise didn't know it was yours. Don't make things difficult for her, okay?"

"Make things difficult?" I cut him off, incredulous. "When have I ever done that?"

"Haven't you? You made her clean the rooms when that's what we have servants for." Victor rubbed his forehead wearily, his voice hardening. "Do you have any idea what the pack is saying about you?"

"What are they saying? That I can't even keep my own Alpha? That I'll never measure up to your fated mate?" I finally snapped. "Victor, you know exactly why they're saying those things!" My throat tightened.

I remembered staying up all night tending to injured pups after the winter hunt. When the plague swept through the pack, I'd stood beside the Elders, blessing our people again and again.

But now, when I walked through our territory, the same wolves I'd helped fell silent, lowered their heads, and walked away as if I were something dirty.

Just yesterday morning, I'd overheard people talking in the council hall.

"The Moon Goddess chose Louise. Tia just got there first."

"The Alpha runs to Louise every day now. Even an idiot knows whose side to be on."

I'd always believed I was their Luna.

But now that the Alpha's fated mate had arrived, everything I'd done for the pack seemed to count for nothing.

The pack I'd given everything to protect had already judged me behind my back. They saw me as jealous, petty, and unwilling to step aside.

And now Victor thought so too.

Seeing how upset I was, he hesitated before pulling me into his arms again.

"I know this isn't fair to you. But please, Tia. Just bear with it a little longer. For me?"

I couldn't do it anymore.

I gently pushed him away. "I'm going back to my room."

On my way, my phone lit up with a message from Teresa.

"Hey, sweetheart, don't say anything you don't mean. I've figured out how to break the mate bond, and the Alpha wants me to get the ritual ready ASAP. See? He still loves you after all!"

I looked at the screen and didn't reply.

I just pressed my forearm over my eyes.