Chapter 1

I swallowed the bitter red wine, forcing myself to appear calm.

My voice was barely audible. "How far along is she?"

Carlen Alvarado seemed to jolt awake from a dream. The crystal wine glass in his hand suddenly shattered.

Shards instantly dug into his palm, and blood trickled between his fingers.

However, he didn't seem to care. He rushed over and pulled me into a tight embrace, his voice trembling. "Irene, it's not what you think. The pup was an accident!"

At his words, my wolf howled in despair within me.

Suppressing the sting in my throat, I asked word by word, "So, did you really make another woman carry your pup?"

Carlen just remained silent. He didn't answer.

I closed my eyes. Tears slid down silently.

The thought of him holding another woman like this made me instinctively shove him away and turn to leave.

Carlen pursued me to the door, but his phone rang at that moment.

I heard a saccharine voice on the other end.

"Alpha Carlen, your little pup is kicking me inside. It's driving me mad…"

My heart ached sharply, and I quickened my pace.

He didn't follow me again this time.

I smiled bitterly, unsure whether to feel relieved or heartbroken.

I reached out to my mentor, Hannah Rubio, who had once guided me with such care. "Professor Rubio, I've decided to join your medical research program on Icebound Island."

There was a hint of surprise from the other end of the line.

"Really? That's wonderful. We can use someone like you, especially a medical Ph.D. But this project is highly confidential. Once you're in, you won't be able to contact your pack. Will your Alpha agree to that? He cares about you a lot. He'll search the whole pack even if you just disappear for a short while."

My gaze dimmed as I quietly said, "I'm preparing to dissolve my mate bond with Alpha Carlen."

There was a brief pause on the line.

Hannah thoughtfully didn't pry further. She just replied, "Alright, I'll process the paperwork for you. You'll join the team in three days."

The moment I ended the call, the large screen behind me happened to be playing Carlen's exclusive interview.

The host noticed his subtle movement and smiled teasingly.

"Alpha Carlen, I noticed you keep touching your ring. It looks like a simple gold band. Does it have a special meaning?"

Carlen smiled gently. "This is my wedding ring."

"What? Given your current status, shouldn't your wedding ring be crafted from moonstone?"

He replied, "Seven years ago, I made this ring myself from gold. I carved it bit by bit, and I even engraved my Luna's name and mine on the inside."

"Wow, there really are two names! It's Carlen and..."

Carlen said, "Irene. My Luna's name is Irene Chandler."

"I truly envy your Luna. She must have been blessed by the Moon Goddess to become your mate."

Carlen's smile was tender.

"Actually, I was the one begging Moon Goddess countless times before Irene became my Luna. This year marks our seventh wedding anniversary. Seven years ago, she firmly supported me even when I was just an ordinary pack member. She even lost our first pup to save me…

"Irene is the only mate I'll ever have. In three days, I'll hold a grand wedding ceremony on our seventh anniversary so that all werewolves can witness my love for her," he said.

The surrounding werewolves expressed their envy. They kept praising him as the Alpha who cherished his Luna the most.

Yes, everyone thought Carlen valued me like his own life. Even I used to believe that before today.

I stared at the gold ring I'd worn for seven years. Carlen never let me take it off.

I walked into a workshop and said, "Please melt this ring down for me."

The craftsman looked at the ring in surprise, then glanced at me again. "Excuse me, are you Luna Irene?"

Another craftsman shook his head. "Don't be silly. This ring just happens to have the names Carlen and Irene, too. Alpha Carlen loves his Luna deeply. There's no way she'd melt it down."

Listening to their conversation, I forced a bitter smile, paid, and silently left.

I wandered aimlessly through the streets. Suddenly, I spotted Carlen's car parked by the roadside. It stopped there silently, almost as if it were waiting for someone.

Standing in the cold wind, I was overwhelmed by a storm of emotion as I stared at his car.

My steps involuntarily slowed, and a complex feeling surged within me.

I hated myself for still harboring hope. What was I hoping for? Was I hoping that he parked there to wait for me?

I didn't know if I should face him or turn to leave.

After a long hesitation, I took a deep breath and slowly approached the car. Every step felt like I was walking a tightrope.

However, Carlen suddenly got out of the car and hurried to the passenger side to open the door.

A young woman gently stroked her rounded belly as he carefully helped her out.

My breath hitched.