LOGIN(Alina's POV)The entire courtyard had fallen silent.Every servant.Every warrior.Even the gardeners had stopped working.All because of one elegant wooden box tied with a dark blue ribbon.The messenger held it toward me with both hands."Alpha Marcus sends his regards, Luna Alina."I hesitated.Not because I wanted the gift.Because I knew exactly what would happen the moment I accepted it.Whispers had already begun."Why would Alpha Marcus send the Luna a present?""They barely know each other.""Didn't he ask her to become his Luna?""Maybe he hasn't given up."The rumors spread from one servant to another like sparks catching dry grass.Wonderful.Exactly what Clara wanted.I looked at the messenger."What is it?""I was instructed not to say."He smiled politely."Alpha Marcus wished for it to be a surprise."Before I could respond, a cold voice cut through the courtyard."It won't be necessary."Every head turned.Frederick descended the mansion steps slowly.His expression
(Frederick's POV)The image refused to leave my mind.Alina.Pinned against the stone wall.My lips hovering over her neck.One second more...And I would have marked her.I had fought rogue Alphas.Led countless battles.Faced assassins without hesitation.Yet nothing had ever terrified me as much as losing control in front of her.The servant's interruption had saved me.Or perhaps...It had saved us both.The next morning, I left the mansion before sunrise.The training grounds were empty except for a few warriors beginning their drills."Alpha!"My Beta, Damon, jogged toward me."You've been here since dawn?"I ignored the question."Fight me."Damon blinked."What?""You heard me."Minutes later, steel clashed across the training yard.I attacked relentlessly.Every strike is harder than the last.Every swing is fueled by frustration.Not Damon.At myself.He barely blocked another blow before stumbling backward."Enough!" he shouted.I lowered my sword.Damon rubbed his aching s
(Alina's POV)The question echoed through the rose garden.For a moment, I simply stared at Frederick.Not because I didn't hear him.Because I couldn't believe he had the audacity to ask.The evening breeze carried the scent of white roses between us, but it did nothing to cool the anger rising inside me.I set the silver shears down carefully."Say that again."His expression remained unreadable."Did you meet Marcus alone?"I laughed.Once.Cold.Disbelieving."You've got to be joking.""I'm asking you a question.""No."I folded my arms."You're accusing me."His jaw tightened."The pack is talking.""The pack has been talking since the day I married you."His eyes never left mine."I want the truth."I took a slow step toward him."The truth?""Yes.""The truth is that your silence created those rumors."His brows lowered."You let Clara poison the pack against me.""You don't know Clara is behind this.""Oh?"I smiled bitterly."Then who else benefits from destroying my reputati
(Frederick's POV)The question lingered in the room long after I spoke it.Alina looked at me as if she had never seen me before.Neither had I.For a brief, dangerous moment, I had forgotten who we were.Forgotten the arguments.The forced marriage.The resentment.Forgotten everything except the woman sitting in front of the fire with rain-soaked hair and trembling shoulders.Then she looked away."I don't need you to care."The words were quiet.But they struck harder than they should have.I folded the towel and placed it on the chair."Get some rest."Without waiting for her reply, I walked out.Distance.I needed distance.Because every day around Alina was becoming more dangerous than the last.The next morning...The rumors had already begun.They spread through the pack like wildfire."I heard Luna Alina spent the night alone with Alpha Marcus.""They were laughing together at the inn.""Didn't he offer to make her his Luna?""Maybe she's keeping him as a backup."Every whisp
(Alina’s POV)I hated him.That was the only explanation for why I ended up walking alone in the rain.Not because I was jealous.Absolutely not.I tightened my coat around myself as cold wind swept through the forest path outside the mansion grounds.The rain had started lightly at first.Now it poured violently from the sky.Perfect.Very fitting for my mood.Vanessa’s voice still echoed in my head.“Frederick and I have quite a history.”And Frederick—Moon Goddess.The man actually enjoyed provoking me.The amusement in his eyes at breakfast had nearly driven me insane.I kicked a wet stone hard across the path.“Arrogant jerk.”Thunder cracked above me.The rain soaked through my clothes completely now, clinging heavily to my skin and hair.I should turn back.Instead, I kept walking deeper into the gardens bordering the forest.Because returning to the mansion meant facing him again.And I still didn’t understand what was happening between us.One moment he acted cold enough to
(Alina’s POV)“I hope you don’t mind. Frederick and I have quite a history.”The woman’s smile was beautiful.Too beautiful.The kind designed to provoke other women.And somehow…It worked.I sat perfectly still at the breakfast table while every instinct inside me sharpened unpleasantly.Vanessa Vale.Even her name sounded expensive.Elegant dark hair.Confident posture.The type of woman who looked born for Alpha mansions and political games.Most irritating of all—She looked comfortable beside Frederick.Very comfortable.Frederick’s expression remained unreadable as Vanessa moved closer to him.But I noticed something important immediately.He didn’t stop her.Interesting.Vanessa lightly touched Frederick’s arm.“You disappeared for years,” she murmured. “And suddenly I hear you’re married?”Several elders suddenly became deeply interested in their food.Cowards.Frederick finally spoke.“You’ve been away.”Vanessa smiled slowly.“And now I’m back.”The tension in the room shif
The pack gathered around the training grounds as the sun dipped low, shadows stretching long and dark. Torches flickered to life, casting a restless glow through the growing night. The scent of pine and earth mixed with something sharper—tension thick enough to taste.I stood alone in the center of
The Luna trial wasn’t just a tradition—it was a sacred rite, proof that the Moon Goddess herself had chosen me as Luna. And it was one thing no one, not even Frederick’s grandmother, could say no to.Grandmother Eleanor entered the hall like a stone dropped into still water—silent but impossible to
The dining hall was still silent when the doors slowly closed behind Clara. No one moved. The air felt thick, like a storm waiting to break.Frederick remained standing beside his chair, shoulders tense, jaw tight. For a moment, it looked like he might follow her. But he didn’t. Instead, he sat dow
The morning came too soon. The tall windows of the Alpha mansion let in a lot of light, which cast long, harsh shadows on the polished floors. I hardly slept. Frederick's voice echoed down the empty hallway every time I closed my eyes. "I'll fix this... I promise." Make this better. That means me







