Chapter 1

My Alpha husband, Ryder, has always hated the sound of a crying pup.

But recently, he started caring for my adopted sister's newborn pup, staying by its side in the nursery every night until dawn.

Every time Ryder left our bedroom for the nursery, an inexplicable stabbing pain would pierce through my chest.

This agony would last all night until dawn when he returned.

I had finally reached my breaking point.

At the Full Moon Festival, I announced in front of the entire pack that I was rejecting our mate bond.

The pack's mind-link erupted with whispers that the battle had damaged my mind.

A golden light ignited in Ryder's eyes as he stared at me in disbelief.

"Because I was too busy to check on you when you were injured, you're rejecting our bond over a six month old pup?"

I didn't meet his eyes. Instead, my gaze lingered on the faint lipstick mark smudged inside his collar.

My voice trembled, yet it did not waver.

"Since you love her pup so much, once our bond is severed, you can openly be the father."

...

"Stop this nonsense! You're pregnant! Can't you see? I was only holding her pup to prepare—for our pup, for the life we're about to start together."

Ryder's expression was a mix of confusion and panic. His eyes darted away as he hastily pulled up his collar to hide the mark.

"Caring for that pup is my duty as Alpha. Every pup in the pack deserves my care and protection."

"And now you're using this ridiculous excuse to reject our mate bond? Have you gone mad?"

I pressed down the trembling in my voice and forced myself to speak. "Tell me, Ryder. Every night after you leave, the pain claws at my chest until I can't breathe. You know what I'm talking about…don't you?"

Ryder's gaze flickered, but he quickly hardened it.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. It's all in your head, Ember. "

"You've always been dramatic, faking pain for attention. I used to pity you, but now you're blaming me for your own delusions? Pathetic."

My face was calm, but every inch of me ached. I pulled the dissolution papers for our mate bond from my leather satchel and slapped them down in front of him.

"Sign it. We'll have it witnessed tomorrow in the Elder Council hall."

The surrounding pack members stared with wide eyes, their gasps echoing through the mind-link.

Years ago, so desperate to claim me as his Luna, Ryder had prayed before the statue of the Moon Goddess for three days and three nights.

The elders had warned him against such stubborn devotion, but he had declared, his voice raw with emotion, "She is the one the Goddess has fated for me. I would rather walk this world alone for eternity than live a single day without her."

It was a story the pack still loved to tell.

They couldn't believe that we, the Alpha and Luna who had moved the Moon Goddess herself, were now on the verge of breaking our bond.

But I no longer cared about the mental chatter. I set down the papers and prepared to leave this suffocating place.

Disbelief filled Ryder's eyes. He clearly hadn't expected me to have the papers ready.

Seeing my resolute stance, my mother finally realized I wasn't acting on a whim.

She immediately snatched the papers from the table, her face turning grim as she quickly scanned them.

"Ember, you truly want to dissolve the bond? Your bond with Ryder has lasted for ten years, and you two have always been so in love. What on earth happened?"

Pack members pleaded with me through the mind-link, and even Ryder's own warriors spoke up to persuade me.

"Luna, your bond with the Alpha is the foundation of our entire pack. Don't shake that foundation over a single pup."

"That Omega she-wolf is your adopted sister.. The Alpha is only helping out of compassion for the pup. As Luna, you shouldn't be so jealous of your own family. You should be bigger than that."

"The Alpha has never pressured you about producing an heir. He has done so much for you. How can you not understand his difficult position?"

The entire hall was buzzing with the hum of the mind-link, everyone accusing me of being heartless and willful.

They all judged me from their moral high ground, as if I were the greatest sinner in the pack.

I, however, remained silent, simply pushing the papers in front of Ryder again.

"I came here today with only one purpose."

"This bond must be broken. Nothing you say will change my mind."

The moment I finished speaking, a sharp crack echoed beside my ear.

Before I could react, I felt a stinging pain on my face.

My father, a senior elder of the pack, had rushed over upon hearing the news and slapped me hard in front of everyone.

I clutched my already swelling cheek, hearing his furious growl.

"You ungrateful wretch! How dare you dissolve your bond with an outstanding Alpha like Ryder? Are you insane?"

"Ryder has spent years protecting this pack's territory, giving you the peace to manage internal affairs as Luna. Do you have any shame, wanting to break the bond now?"

"We raised Lyra when she was a child, and she has always looked up to you, always been respectful. How can you be so cruel to your own family?"

Seeing my reddened, swollen face, my mother immediately rushed forward to stop him, grabbing my arm.

"Ember, whatever conflict you two have, you should communicate properly. Dissolving the bond isn't a decision you make on a whim."

"You are the Luna of this pack. We don't want to hear such irresponsible words from you."

"Ryder is such a perfect Alpha; we've all seen it over the years. Being his Luna is a blessing for you."

"Wait..." My mother paused, then covered her mouth in horror. "You...you haven't become some rogue's bitch, have you?"

I slowly raised my head, the taste of blood filling my mouth as the surrounding condemnations poured into my mind.

Ryder immediately stepped forward to support me, gently tending to my wound. He was always so flawless in front of others.

In the eyes of the pack, he was forever the ideal Alpha, but only I knew the truth of the pain between us.

"Ember, perhaps you have betrayed me, but you must remember, I am the only mate the Moon Goddess designated for you, to protect you for life."

"Our souls have been entwined by the threads of fate since we were young, and our ten-year bond has been blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. How can it be so easily broken over a pup?"

"Even if other she-wolves try to seduce me, my loyalty to you has never wavered. If you turn back now, I can pretend none of this ever happened."

Following my mother's lead, Ryder had, in just a few sentences, shifted the blame to me, suggesting I had betrayed the bond.

In an instant, the scene grew lively again.

The pack members' gazes pierced me like daggers, and my father gripped my shoulders in fury.

"No wonder you want to tear up the sacred mate bond! So this is what you've become—entwined with rogues, fallen so low! To think I raised a daughter like you!"

"You will apologize to your Alpha right now and beg for his forgiveness!"

The surrounding pack members all urged me to reconcile, and Ryder even lowered himself to plead with me, tears in his eyes.

My gaze was ice cold as I forcefully pushed him away. "Let go. The love I felt through the bond is gone."

He didn't know that our mate bond had existed in name only ever since he started caring for that pup.

Ryder stared at me in disbelief, his lips trembling as he asked, "What... what did you say?"