Chapter 1

Aria's POV

When I handed Ethan the Moonbreak Herb, he was busy sweet-talking his little girlfriend Lily on the phone.

"Ethan, let's break the mate bond. This Moonbreak Herb will dissolve our connection over thirty days with no pain or side effects, and then I'll leave the Blood Moon Pack and we'll be done for good."

He made some vague sound and took the cup without even looking, downing it in one gulp before immediately going back to cooing at the she-wolf on the other end.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming over to see you right now, alright?"

After he hung up, Ethan headed for the door, but then he suddenly turned around. "Oh, Aria, what was that drink you just gave me?"

I forced a smile. "Moonbreak—"

Ethan waved his hand impatiently. "Whatever. I need to go see Lily now. I'll come back and have dinner with you next time."

Then he was gone.

I still remember the first time we met at Howling Bar. I was there to pick up a friend and happened to run into a very drunk Ethan.

When he walked past me, his fingertips accidentally brushed mine, and in that instant, it felt like lightning struck through me. A tingling sensation spread through my body, and my legs went weak, and I couldn't hold back a small gasp.

Our eyes met—just that one look—and I knew I was screwed. I'd fallen for him.

I knew he was a playboy, so I turned him down right away. But as he kept pursuing me, my heart slowly surrendered.

When he proposed marking me as his mate, I said yes.

The day we completed our mate bond, I thought everything had finally fallen into place.

But just a few weeks later, Ethan changed.

He started going out constantly and came home every few days reeking of unfamiliar she-wolves. Those scents clung to him and cut into my senses like knives.

Ethan came home less and less. Even when he did show up, it was only in a passing manner.

He'd walk straight into his study without even glancing my way. When I tried to talk to him, he'd stare at his phone and give me halfhearted "mm-hmms" and "whatevers." One time, I asked what he wanted for dinner, and he looked up at me like I was a piece of furniture.

"Aren't you the Luna? Why are you asking me about stuff like that?"

I stood there frozen while the emotions coming through our bond felt colder than ice.

I'd become a decoration in this house. Cooking, managing the pack house, attending ceremonies—I did everything a Luna was supposed to do, but Ethan never looked at me once. When he needed me to show up, I was just a tool, and when he didn't need me, I wasn't even worth being a shadow.

After he met Lily, his attitude toward me turned even colder.

When I tried to talk to him, all I saw in his eyes was cold disappointment. The way he looked at me became pure indifference.

I didn't understand why his attitude had changed so drastically, and I couldn't take the cold shoulder anymore. This relationship had become toxic, and I needed to get out.

The second Ethan left, I grabbed my phone and called Cameron. The video connected, and his familiar face filled the screen.

"How'd it go?" His voice was laced with concern.

I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice steady. "He drank it."

Cameron visibly relaxed, and a smile tugged at his lips. "That's great. Once the mate bond breaks, you'll finally be free."