Chapter 2

My words made the air freeze.

The elders all looked up in unison, staring at me in disbelief. After all, in the 100 years since the pack's establishment, there had never been a precedent of a Luna actively requesting to dissolve a mate bond.

Our head elder was Rodney Marrock, and he was also the oldest werewolf in the pack. He slowly set down the documents in his hands, his face unreadable.

His voice was aged but powerful. "Luna Anya, once a mate bond is formed, it cannot be dissolved unless both parties are present and the other party consents."

My stomach had been uncomfortable from constant bowing yesterday, and combined with staying up all night, my face was extremely pale. But I still straightened my spine and met his sharp gaze without flinching.

"What if the other party doesn't agree?"

"Then, unless you can provide ironclad evidence of the other party's infidelity, proving he has betrayed his mate vows. Only then can the elder council invoke the Moon Goddess's power to forcibly sever the mate bond between you."

Elder Rodney continued gravely, "Until you find evidence, you cannot let anyone know your intentions; otherwise, this will damage the pack's reputation."

I fell silent. Where was I supposed to find evidence?

Walking out of the council hall, my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. It was a video from Willow.

In the video, Willow's face was flushed, her expression filled with undisguised smugness, and showing off. She held a test result in her hand, waving it triumphantly at the camera.

"Anya, I'm expecting on the first try! You haven't been able to conceive for so long; there isn't something wrong with you, is there?

"Oh, sorry, I don't mean anything by it. I just think you should go to the healing center for a checkup."

After speaking, she said coquettishly to the man beside her, "Alpha, tell Anya that our IVF was successful. She'll definitely be happy for us."

The camera then turned, and Corey's figure appeared prominently in the frame. I could tell he was trying to control his emotions, but those eyes flickered with barely concealed joy and pride.

"Honey, the healers all said I'm amazing for succeeding with IVF on the first try. Before long, I'm going to be a father!

"Willow is with pup now and needs someone to take care of her, but her father is sick and hospitalized. I plan to bring her home and have you take care of her. You've always been reliable, so I'm at ease."

Willow's lips curved into a victor's smile as she said smugly, "Anya, I'll have to trouble you to take care of me from now on. You won't mind, will you?"

Looking at those two glaring smiling faces on the screen, my heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand. The pain was making it almost impossible to breathe.

Yesterday, he had just missed our marking ceremony, making me and my family the laughingstock of the entire pack. Today, he wanted me to take care of a woman who was carrying his pup.

Was I really that worthless in his eyes?

Grievance and heartache flooded over me like a tide. I could no longer hold back my tears, and they slid down my cheeks. With trembling hands, I pressed the save button, keeping it as evidence of his betrayal of his vows.

A bitter laugh escaped from my throat. When exactly did our relationship start to sour?

We had been together for ten years and had once shared countless sweet moments. He would suddenly pin me against the wall at the training grounds, smiling as he kissed me.

"Babe, you looked so dazzling drawing that bow just now, I couldn't help but want to kiss you."

He would apply medicine to my wounds when I was injured, his fingertips lingering on my skin deliberately, watching me blush and my heart race.

He would also press me firmly into the bed when I prepared surprises for him, whispering in my ear, "Are you trying to drive me crazy? How can I not be obsessed with you?"

But two years ago, when Willow, who had been studying in neutral territory, returned to the pack, everything slowly began to change.

When I got injured during training, he would frown and ask how I could be so careless. When I prepared surprises for him, he would only impatiently tell me not to bother with such useless things in the future.

It seemed like he could no longer see me. Later, he spent more and more time with Willow, so much so that he would even miss our family gatherings.

I remembered one family dinner where Corey was over an hour late again. I couldn't help but complain a little, but my parents didn't take my side and said, "Anya, Corey is the Alpha.

"He has to worry about the entire pack and is already very tired. You need to be more understanding."

When Corey finally sat down and announced dinner could begin, Mother tried to ease the atmosphere with cheerful small talk, "Corey, I think I saw you a couple of days ago when I was in town.

"You were shopping with a young lady, and you two seemed very close. Who was that?"

The moment Mother finished speaking, Corey's face instantly darkened. He didn't say anything and just ate in silence, but that expression was more frightening than any accusation.

It was as if my parents had done something wrong. They were flustered and trembling with anxiety. The rest of the dinner was suffocatingly awkward.

From that day forward, Corey had a rift with my parents, and he became even colder toward me. I could endure everything he did to me, but how could he treat my parents this way?

They had always treated him like their own son. How could he bear to make them so hurt and sad?

Just because Mother's innocent comment had displeased him, he punished us with his cold treatment. And I had once foolishly made excuses for him with ridiculous justifications like "he's too tired" or "he's just repaying the old Beta's kindness".

I hypnotized myself into believing that if I was understanding enough, I could win back his former affection. How ridiculous of me.

It wasn't until today that I finally woke up completely after seeing these two shameless faces in this video. He wasn't tired. He had simply given all his tenderness and patience to another woman.

Our relationship was completely over now.