Chapter 3

I arrived home and began packing my things, but my phone wouldn't stop buzzing.

It was the pack's main group chat.

Mabel had posted a photo. It was a shot of a broad back, clad in an apron and holding a spatula—quite a romantic and ambiguous shot, in fact.

"We're just so lucky to have an Alpha like this! He treats my injuries himself and even cooks for me! I'd have no regrets even if I were to pass away tomorrow."

Replies poured in, one after another, all well-wishes toward her.

"Oh, Mabel! That's only because you're Luna. That's why you get special treatment like this!"

"Nonsense, Mabel, you're sure to live a long, long life!"

"Wow, Mabel—you've got to be the luckiest Luna in the entire world!"

"Wait, Alpha Alex can cook? We had no idea!"

They were right. I'd been by Alex's side for eight years, and even I didn't know he could cook.

Back when things were at their toughest, I never let him go hungry and would often risk my life to scavenge for ingredients, ensuring every meal I prepared for him was delicious and beautifully presented.

Even when I was injured, I never asked Alex to waste his energy healing me. I'd just find whatever medicine was on hand and take that instead.

When the Moonfall pack was first established, he'd always keep me by his side, taking me along on border patrols and having me assist with pack affairs.

The whole pack used to say that they could tell what kind of mood Alex was in just by looking at me.

Back then, no matter how exhausted I was, I felt happy because I had something to look forward to.

Then came a border patrol during a blizzard. Alex didn't let me come along. However, when he returned, he brought back this childhood friend of his.

From that day on, my designated seat in the meeting room was removed. He also came home for meals less and less, so eventually, I stopped cooking altogether.

Mabel gradually became the one at his side.

"Mabel's in a bad way. Her brother, Mordecai, is dead, and I'm the only person she knows in this world. It's only right that I look after her. I'm just being loyal," Alex would placate me.

I'd heard that load of nonsense time and time again, and still, I put up with it each time.

Later, when he announced he would hold a bonding ceremony for Mabel, someone finally spoke up on my behalf.

However, that man ended up being forced into hard labor that very day.

I had to pull strings and beg a few wolves to get him reassigned to a less grueling task, and I also gave his family some money before I felt a bit more at ease.

I forced down the surging memories, steadied my heart, and with a few taps, I exited the group chat.

Finally, some peace at long last.

I tossed my phone aside and focused on packing.

I had brought quite a lot with me, but over the years, I'd gradually given most of it away to support the pack members. I didn't have much left. They were just enough to fill a small backpack.

As I rummaged through the drawer, my fingers brushed against something cold. I pulled it out and saw a necklace.

It was something that I hadn't worn in ages. The gemstone at the bottom had turned dull and gray.

Back when the pack was first being established, Alex and his warriors had fought tooth and nail to seize a gem mine. He'd had necklaces made from the very first stones extracted—one for him, and one for me.

His eyes held nothing but me at that time.

"I'm sorry you've had to endure so much," he'd said. "Once the pack grows, I promise to give you the grandest bonding ceremony ever imaginable."

Now, the Moonfall pack was one of the most powerful around, yet he still hadn't made things official between us.

Later on, I saw that same necklace—his necklace—around Mabel's neck.

It seemed that he'd forgotten his original intentions and the vows we'd once made.

I traced the gemstone with my thumb, stood up, and threw it against the floor with all my might.

True love is fragile. Once shattered, it can never be put back together.

Alex walked in just as I flung the necklace to the ground. He lunged forward, his face ashen, the oppressive aura radiating from him making it hard for me to breathe.

I clutched my chest in pain, but he shoved me aside, dropping to his knees to frantically gather the shards.

But it was useless. Some had crumbled into dust, slipping right through his fingers.

His eyes were bloodshot. He looked up, gritting his teeth as he glared at me with a cold, icy gaze—like I was nothing but a stranger to him.

"Are you out of your mind, you stupid she-wolf? What kind of stunt are you trying to pull? Have you forgotten how important this necklace is?"