LOGINTrista's POVLooking back at those days now—remembering how I'd spend half the morning just trying to get him to wear something I'd picked out—it actually hurt my chest.I worked so hard to leave even the tiniest mark on his world. I thought if I could just change the color of his collar, it would prove that I truly belonged by his side, within his scent and his territory.I picked out an outfit from the closet—suit, shirt, tie—aligning everything with clinical precision before handing it to him.He didn't pull away, but he didn't give me much of a reaction either.He just changed right there in front of me, buttoning his shirt all the way to his Adam's apple with steady, disciplined movements before methodically knotting his tie.His scent began to fill the small space—that base note of fire and iron. It was cold, hard, and carried that innate Alpha dominance, like a silent warning.I turned to leave the dressing room, but his arm suddenly hooked around my waist.I tried to keep walk
Trista's POVWrapped in Cassian's arms, I felt completely numb.I tried to force a smile, but my throat was so dry it felt like I'd swallowed sand.I couldn't make a sound. From now on, I wasn't his childhood playmate anymore—the girl who wrestled and bled with him on the pack square, the one who got scolded alongside him for being "wild pups." I wasn't the mate who had sworn her life to him before the Moon Goddess, the she-wolf he'd promised to protect forever.From now on, I was just a she-wolf with a title: Luna Trista.I had to play along. I had to be "reasonable," "understanding," and "forgiving."I wasn't allowed to cry or make a scene. I couldn't afford to break down in front of anyone.My job was to maintain his image as a stable Alpha, to uphold the dignity of Ironthorn, and to tolerate Samantha and her son living comfortably in LA. I had to watch them walk in and out of our house, bringing a scent into our territory that made my wolf want to snap, and I had to act like it wa
Trista's POVHe used the gentlest tone to say the cruelest things. It was like a velvet-wrapped ice blade driving straight into my heart.I forced down the surge of emotion and picked up the silver spoon, but the warm broth felt like lead in my mouth. I couldn't swallow.Just then, the comm-stone on the table buzzed.I glanced at the screen. Samantha's name was glaringly bright under the moonstone light.Cassian looked up at me, hesitated for a few seconds, and then—right in front of my face—he answered it.I sat there in silence, listening to him use that same soft, attentive tone with her. It made my eardrums ache.My hand was shaking so hard from the strain of holding that spoon that I could feel the sharp sting of my claws wanting to burst through my skin.This was my future. I'd have to endure Samantha and her son constantly invading the boundaries of our mating bond, eroding the territory that belonged to me as the Ironthorn Luna. I'd have to be like one of those weak she-wolves
Trista's POVI fought with everything I had to keep my emotions from boiling over. I didn't push him away this time; I just gave a small, defeated nod.Every time I cave, it feels like another scar on my heart.Cassian shut the door with a satisfied click and led me toward the kitchen. "Paisley heard you were coming back before the Blood Moon Festival tomorrow. She's been slow-cooking Moonlake fish with Silverthread grass—says it'll help level out your pheromones."Paisley, who was busy in the kitchen, quickly wiped her hands and hurried out. She gave me a respectful Luna bow. "Luna Trista, dinner is almost ready. Please, take a seat and rest. I'll brew you some Primrose tea."Paisley was a senior omega housekeeper from the ancestral Ironthorn estate. She'd been serving the family for over twenty years; she'd watched Cassian and me grow up. She knew the pack rules—and Cassian's mind—better than anyone.It was obvious. Cassian had been betting on the fact that I'd eventually surrender
Trista's POVI looked down, my fingertips trembling.Whether it was intellect, tactics, or raw Alpha strength, Cassian had me completely outclassed.Every time I took a single step, he had already calculated the next three. I never even stood a chance at setting the board."Trista," Alaina said, her voice softening with the weary wisdom of someone who had seen it all. "For a Luna, knowing when to endure is how you gather strength. It's like a pack hibernating through a brutal winter. I'm not taking sides here; I'm just telling you that sometimes you have to use your 'sacrifices' to pave your own way. That's how you go the distance."I stayed silent, her words echoing in my head."Think about your parents. Think about Attwater," Alaina sighed. "I just don't want to see you throw away your entire future just to win an argument."She kept pushing. "Every pack alliance is built on a balance of power and interests. The mating bond is no different. The reason Cassian can keep you under his
Third Person's POVHe seemed to drift for a split second, but his voice remained maddeningly calm. "If you hadn't started making a scene about terminating the bond in the first place, none of this would have escalated to this point."Trista let out a sharp, bitter laugh—one that held no warmth, only a bone-chilling coldness. "So, in your eyes, I'm just supposed to accept being betrayed? I'm supposed to clean up the mess for all of you and carry the full weight of your schemes? Is that it?"Cassian's patience had worn thin. His voice was laced with blatant irritation. "It's not betrayal; it's my past. You are my mate—you were supposed to accept it from the start."The second those words left his mouth, the air in the room felt like it had been set on fire.Trista snapped. Like a fuse reaching a powder keg, she lost all control. She slammed her fists into his chest over and over, every strike fueled by a wolf's primal, suppressed rage. "Why should I have to accept it?! Why the hell shou







