LOGIN(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
(Frederick’s POV)One second.That was all it would have taken.One second closer and my mouth would have touched hers.The realization hit me like cold water.I pulled back instantly.So did Alina.The movement was sharp.Almost violent.Like both of us had suddenly remembered we were enemies.The storm still raged outside, thunder shaking the windows, but the louder chaos was inside my head.What the hell was that?Alina moved first, climbing backward across the mattress so quickly she nearly tangled herself in the sheets.Her breathing was uneven.Good.Mine was too.For a moment neither of us spoke.The darkness wrapped around the room heavily, charged with everything we almost did.Then Alina laughed once.Short.Shaky.“That was a mistake.”The words irritated me immediately.“Yes,” I answered coldly.Her expression changed instantly.I saw it even in the dim lightning flashes.Hurt.Small.Quickly hidden.Interesting.Why should that expression bother me?I stood from the bed a
(Alina’s POV)The mansion felt different now after Clara left.Not warmer.Not kinder.Just… quieter.As Frederick and I stood there together, every servant in the entrance hall lowered their heads instantly.But I still caught the looks.Shock.Curiosity.Fear.Because everyone knew what had happened.I had left.And the Alpha himself brought me back.Frederick removed his gloves slowly, his expression unreadable as always.Yet the tension around him felt sharper tonight.More dangerous.Like his wolf still hadn’t calmed down since the inn.Grandmother Eleanor appeared near the staircase almost immediately.Her silver eyes moved between us once.Then toward Frederick.“You found her.”“I was not lost,” I replied before he could speak. “Greetings grandmother.” I added.A faint smile touched the old woman’s mouth.Frederick exhaled quietly beside me.Annoyed already.Good.Eleanor’s gaze sharpened slightly.“And the conditions?”Frederick’s jaw tightened.“Handled.”Interesting answer.
(Clara’s POV)Humiliation burned hotter than fire.Every servant in the mansion was watching me.Pretending not to.But I saw the glances.The whispers.The satisfaction hidden behind lowered eyes as maids carried my suitcases down the grand staircase.Unbelievable.After everything I had done for this pack…After years beside Frederick…I was the one being thrown out.Clara tightened her grip on the railing hard enough for her nails to hurt.No.Not thrown out.Replaced.By her.Alina.That manipulative little actress.A servant passed carrying another luggage case.“Careful with that,” Clara snapped sharply.The girl nearly dropped it in fear.Good.At least someone still feared her.The front doors of the mansion stood wide open, letting in the cold morning air. Outside, warriors and servants moved around the courtyard slowly, pretending they weren’t watching.But everyone was watching.Because this wasn’t private.It was public.Deliberately public.And there was only one reason F
(Alina’s POV)The entire inn remained frozen after the slap.No one breathed.No one moved.Frederick stood exactly where I hit him, his head slightly turned from the force. The mark on his jaw darkened slowly against his skin.A lesser man would have exploded.Frederick only stared at me.And somehow, that was worse.Marcus broke the silence first.“Well,” he murmured, clearly entertained, “I think I like her even more now.”Frederick ignored him completely.His eyes never left mine.The intensity in them made my pulse shake despite my anger.Then, slowly, he straightened his head.The room tensed instantly, waiting for violence.Instead, Frederick spoke quietly.“Are you done?”I blinked.That was not the reaction I expected.“You don’t get to drag me back like property,” I snapped.“And you don’t get to disappear without consequences.”Marcus folded his arms lazily.“You two argue like mates already.”“We are not mates,” Frederick and I said at the exact same time.Marcus burst int
(Frederick’s POV)The mansion felt wrong.I noticed it before I even opened my eyes.Too quiet.No footsteps in the corridor.No servants whispering outside the doors.No faint scent of jasmine drifting through the room.My eyes snapped open.Jasmine.Alina.I sat up slowly on the couch in my room,
(Alina’s POV)The entire inn had gone silent.Every conversation.Every movement.Every breath.All because Frederick Blackwood stood in the doorway looking like pure violence wrapped in a dark coat.Rainwater dripped slowly from his shoulders onto the wooden floor.His eyes were locked on me.No.
(Frederick’s POV)The entire pack was staring at me.I could feel it as I crossed the training grounds toward the front gates.Warriors stopped mid-conversation.Servants froze carrying baskets.Even younger wolves paused their sparring.Whispers followed behind me like smoke.“The Alpha is leaving
(Alina’s POV)I didn’t cry.I wanted to—Moon Goddess, I wanted to scream, to break something, to tear this place apart until all the humiliation bled from me.But I didn’t.Instead, I stared at the wedding ring lying in my palm.A perfect circle.A perfect lie.Necessary.The word echoed in my skul







