Chapter 5

Clara’s POV

It’s been days since I came back, but I’ve barely seen Caleb. He kept saying he’s busy with pack affairs and comes back to our room long after I’ve fallen asleep.

Today’s the same too. Now it was almost midnight. Finally, his steps echoed down the hall.

He finally remembered that tonight, I wasn’t the Luna lying in a hospital bed—I was the mate waiting for him in this room.

The door opened. My face softened on instinct, like I always did in the past few years.

“Caleb? A busy day again?” I asked quietly. “Something difficult happened?”

“Mm.” His voice was calm. “Nothing for you to worry about. Things you wouldn’t understand.”

Right. As if I hadn’t once managed half the pack for him.

He walked over and brushed his fingers over my cheek. “Why aren’t you asleep? Did I wake you?”

That’s when I saw it.

A red lipstick stain on his white collar. Frost’s.

So all those nights… he was with her.

I looked away.

“You need more rest, love. Be good, hm?” He leaned in to kiss me goodnight, but before his lips touched mine, I caught her scent on him—sweet vanilla. Too sweet.

I'm already back, but he's still having an affair with Frost at the packhouse. In my den, my territory.

And now he wanted to kiss me with that same mouth!

Something inside me snapped. I pushed him away and avoided his lips. My body acting faster than my mind.

He froze, confusion flickering across his face. He wasn’t used to hearing “no.”

He grabbed me, roughly pulling me into his arms without saying a word. He was tall and imposing, exuding the primal power of an Alpha. He controlled me almost effortlessly, his strength making it clear that resistance was futile.

“You don’t want me to kiss you?”

“I…” I said, keeping my eyes down. “Just… not feeling well. Still getting used to being awake again.”

He studied me, suspicious. Then his hand slid down to my waist. My body tensed.

“Even if you were asleep for years,” he murmured, “you’re still mine. My mate. My Luna.”

His hand kept moving lower, pressing between my thighs through the fabric, while the other cupped my chest.

I sighed inside. It was always like this. No warmth. No patience. Just him taking what he wanted. And I had always let him.

Not anymore.

“Caleb,” I said sharply, catching his wrist. “I’m not in the mood.”

He paused. Then smiled, soft but strained. “Of course, baby. We have time.” He pulled his hand back and got off me, but I saw the irritation flash in his eyes.

“Anyway, it’s not like you’d ever break the mate bond and leave me, right?” He made an embarrassed joke.

“What if I do?” I asked.

His smile stiffened. His jaw tightened. “What do you mean?”

In a flash, his hand grabbed my chin, forcing me to face him. I couldn’t move. His grip was firm.

“Don’t ever say that again,” he said, voice low. “You’re the strongest Luna. The only one who fits the role.”

Fits the role.

Not the one I love.

My gaze became vacant, as if I were truly blind.​​ “I was only asking. It’s late. You should shower.”

He lingered by the bed for a moment, then repeated, “You’ll always be my Luna,” before walking into the bathroom.

I didn't know if that’s some kind of curse.

The sound of running water filled the silence. I stared at the ceiling, my chest tight. I knew in my heart that he didn’t love me. He loved the power I carried, the wolf he could never control, and the fear my name brought to rogues.

Luckily, I won’t have to stay heartbroken for long.

Then, a sound broke through my thoughts—his phone buzzing.

He’d left it on the nightstand.

Without thinking, I picked it up. The screen lit up while messages came in.

Frost: Tonight was the happiest birthday ever. Thank you for bringing the twins to celebrate with me 💗

Frost: I miss you already.

Frost: Thank you for staying by my side.

I stared at the words until they blurred.

A birthday party for her. What a perfect “pack business”. When was the last time he ever celebrated my birthday?

My throat burned. He even took my pups to celebrate with his mistress.  My babies, who had looked at me like I was a stranger.

I unlocked the phone. He didn’t even set a password.

I took a slow breath and swallowed the cold water from the glass beside me, trying to steady myself. Then I went through his contacts.

My name wasn’t there. Not “mate.” Not “wife.” Not even “Clara.”

But Frost’s chat sat at the top.

I opened it.

Photo after photo.Frost smiling, wearing a gold birthday crown, holding my children in her arms. The twins clung to her, faces bright, while he stood behind them—his hand resting lightly on her shoulder.

I kept scrolling. I didn’t even realize how long I sat there, frozen, staring at their faces, until the bathroom door opened.

Caleb came out, towel around his neck, hair damp. His eyes found me instantly.

For a second, everything stopped.

The air went still between us.

I lifted my head slowly and met his eyes.

His eyes widened when he saw the phone in my hands.

For a heartbeat, his entire body went still—like a predator caught mid-step.

Then Caleb moved. Too quickly.

“Clara—” His voice cracked into a low, careful tone. “It’s not what you think.”

Classic line.

He took a step forward. Steam still curled off his skin, carrying that faint sweet scent beneath the soap.

“Let me explain,” he said again, softer this time, as if the right words could fix everything.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his hands open, palms up. “Frost… she helped a lot while you were fainted. She took care of the twins. Fed them. Stayed with them. She was—she was there when no one else was.”

His voice broke slightly on that last line, almost convincing。

I said nothing. The phone screen was still lit between us, the photo of Frost and my children bright in the dark.

He swallowed. “So I took the kids to see her tonight. It was her birthday. I just wanted to thank her. On behalf of you. For everything she’s done for our family.”

He reached out, almost touched my arm, then stopped. “That’s all it was. Just gratitude.”

Gratitude.

I almost laughed. But I didn’t.

My voice came out calm. Too calm.

“I see,” I said softly. “So you went to a birthday party tonight.”

He exhaled, relieved that I hadn’t screamed or thrown the phone at him. “Yes,” he said quickly. “Just a small dinner. For her. To show appreciation.”

He tried to sound gentle again, tried to find my hand. “She means nothing to me. She was good to the twins, so they missed her."

“Nothing,” I repeated. “And you took our children with you.”

A sharp pain cut through my chest, but I didn’t let it show. I kept my tone level, my face still.

“Thank you for sharing all these details with me dear. And you're so nice to thank her on behalf of me. "

"But why are you telling me this suddenly?” I said quietly, waving the phone, “I picked up your phone because I heard it ring, It really startled me since I cannot see.”

For a split second, he finally realized what he forgot, and his composure cracked.

The air shifted—just barely—but I felt it.

Guilt. Fear. Maybe shame.

"You…You cannot see." he murmured.

“Yeah,” I said with a small smile. “But still… thank you for telling me where you went tonight.”

He let out a stiff laugh, the kind that didn’t reach his eyes. “No worries. It’s late. Let’s sleep.”

I nodded obediently and lay down. He watched me for a long moment, suspicious, like he was trying to read something in my face. Then he lifted his hand and waved it in front of my eyes.

I didn’t react. I just kept my gaze unfocused, empty—like I saw nothing. After a few seconds I slowly closed my eyes.

“Good night, Clara,” he lied by my side, said softly. “I love you. You know that, right?”

I almost gagged at those words, but I whispered, “Of course.”