Chapter 2

Aria's POV

Ethan had barely left when Cameron's video call came through.

"Baby, how'd it go?"

I was years older than him and had been through plenty, but every time I saw his face, my heart still raced and my cheeks flushed.

I cleared my throat. "He drank it."

Cameron's lips curved into a smile, and his voice dropped low. "Good. Then you can't let him touch you until this is over. I'm gonna check, you know."

I hadn't expected him to say something like that. My face heated up, and I tried to look stern. "Stop talking nonsense."

"Baby, I'm only young in age," he said. "Everything else... not so young. And I'm an alpha, not a kid."

Before things could get any more inappropriate, I quickly cut him off and sweet-talked him for a bit until he finally agreed to hang up.

After the call ended, I went out and bought a calendar.

Every day that passed, I tore off another page.

From October 1st to the 10th, Ethan didn't come home once.

But I knew exactly where he'd been, who he'd seen, and what he'd done. Lily made sure to post every move on social media, subtly showcasing herself.

Afternoon tea at fancy restaurants, watching his wolf form at the training grounds, stargazing from his mountaintop villa, soaking together in hot springs.

It was strange, really. With Ethan's player reputation, he never wasted this much time on one omega. His past flings—no matter how pretty—lasted a month at most before he got bored.

But this Lily, whatever hold she had on him, had kept his attention for three whole months now.

That unusually long shelf life gave her confidence. Unlike other omegas who knew their place, she'd actually added me on social media and used it to poke at me in her passive-aggressive way.

I ignored her little games.

I was about to sever the bond anyway, so why would I care?

With nothing but time on my hands, I spent the next few days clearing out the house.

The razor I'd carefully selected, the suits I'd ironed and organized daily, the limited edition watch I'd stayed up all night to order...

No matter how expensive or small, if I'd given it to him, I packed it up and threw it away.

I tossed out everything—all the hurt I'd endured in this mate bond, and every bit of genuine feeling I'd ever had for Ethan.

I'd already decided to leave the past behind and start a new life.

Two days later, Ethan finally came home.

He looked around at the noticeably emptier villa and frowned. "Aria, you threw out my stuff?"

I flipped through the magazine in my hands and hummed in acknowledgment. "Yeah, I did. I bought them, so I can throw them out if I want. What's the problem? Besides, you never come home anyway, so you weren't using them."

Ethan thought I was throwing a tantrum because he'd missed our dinner the other day and was just saying things to get a reaction.

He sat down beside me and tried to smooth things over, his tone casual and coaxing. "Come on, we agreed we'd each do our own thing outside, no real feelings involved. You're still my luna, my only mate. Why are you suddenly bothered by this now?"

I didn't want to waste time arguing over pointless things anymore.

I snapped the magazine shut and got up, heading for the stairs with ice in my voice. "You're reading too much into it. I don't care at all."

Ethan immediately assumed I was pretending not to care. He stood up and grabbed my hand, his alpha strength making it impossible to break free.

Then, under my impatient stare, he pulled an invitation from his pocket and placed it in my palm.

"Don't be mad. I'll take you to an auction tomorrow, and you can bid on whatever you want. Cheer yourself up, okay? As the pack's luna, you deserve the best."

My first instinct was to refuse.

However, after giving it some thought, I agreed.

The bond would be broken soon anyway. I could use his money to buy myself some happiness while I still can.