Chapter 2: What a weak werewolf...

Hearing it straight from his mouth, Tori felt her world crash down, but she couldn't even let out a whimper as pain consumed her body.

After being away from each other for a long time, their mate bond was weaker, but even then, she could still feel the pain in her heart as a lone tear fell from her eyes.

However, no one was paying her any attention; even her mate had already turned around in his wolf form as he made his way up.

To make matters worse, the former Luna, who hated her as much as Alpha Carlisle did, strutted toward the pregnant woman with open arms and a welcoming, gentle smile plastered on her face.

"Hello, are you my son's fated mate? Come in! Let Mom escort you inside," the former Luna said excitedly as she gently pulled the woman toward the banquet hall. Everyone surrounded her, and the woman kept gently stroking her belly while smiling beautifully at everyone.

Her golden locks matched her honey-brown eyes, which seemed to glow in the sun, and everyone adored her even more because of this.

As everyone wanted to be near the woman, they didn't even care if they pushed and shoved Tori out of the way. Because of this, Tori fell to the ground, and the gravel embedded itself under her skin, making her wince in pain.

Everyone smelled the metallic scent of blood and momentarily stopped to look at her, but instead of concern, their expressions turned mocking.

"What a weak werewolf."

"How can a weakling like her be a werewolf, let alone a Luna?"

"Do you think she's doing that on purpose to get our attention?"

"Ha! Dream on!"

After a moment, everyone returned, catering to the pregnant woman as the festivities resumed around them. The pregnant woman's gaze lingered on Tori's face for a moment before she smiled brightly, a glint of triumph passing through her eyes before she allowed everyone else to guide her, ignoring Tori, who was still on the ground.

Tori winced; her knees and palms were scraped, and she could feel the gravel lodged in her skin.

"L-Luna!" Gamma Sylas's heart nearly leaped from his chest as he saw Tori lying pitifully on the ground, her wounds healing far too slowly. His expression darkened as he extended his index finger, his nail sharpening into a claw. With slow, deliberate care, he picked out the gravel embedded in her skin, causing fresh blood to seep from the wounds.

Tori suddenly felt a heavy gaze pressing down on her. Instinctively, she looked up toward the fourth floor of the packhouse—only to meet the cold, indifferent eyes of her mate.

For a brief moment, he stared at her, emotionless. Then, without hesitation, he turned away and drew the curtains shut.

'He must have thought that the one who got hurt was the woman he brought,' Tori thought, but just the idea of it made her heart constrict with pain. It felt like torture, and her whole body trembled as she sensed pain crawling through her as the mate bond slowly deteriorated.

It didn't have to take physical cheating for the mate bond to decay; without enough emotional and physical connection, their mate bond would gradually rot and become their torment.

Let alone when their partner physically cheated, it would be severely painful enough to drive someone insane, not to mention possibly causing death, especially if they marked someone while still having a mate bond connection with another person.

For three long years, Tori was plagued by this pain, and unlike Alpha Carlisle, who could endure it because of his Alpha blood, Tori wasn't as fortunate. Her body was only slightly stronger than that of a human, so this torment almost took her life more than once.

The only person aware of her struggle was Gamma Sylas, and it was only thanks to him that she managed to get through those nights, as it was a Gamma's specialty to heal their Luna.

"L-Luna, don't cry..." Gamma Sylas's gentle voice resonated in her ear. Unbeknownst to her, Tori was already shedding tears as she recalled all the suffering she had endured.

Just when she thought she might finally have a chance to start anew upon her mate's return, it turned out that her mate would bring back a pregnant woman instead.

"Sylas..." Even before she could say anything, a whimper escaped her lips as she felt her heart constricting again, the familiar torture she experienced almost every day for the last three years she had been mated to Alpha Carlisle.

Gamma Sylas stroked Tori's back to comfort her, but it did little to alSylasate her pain. Only after some time did the pain subside, and Sylas finished removing the gravel from under Tori's skin.

As they made their way to the lively banquet hall, everyone was already toasting the pregnant woman, who was only sipping orange juice. Beta Greg served her with respect and attention while the former Luna chatted with her, holding her hand.

Tori felt weak from the pain, and with her reddened eyes, she wanted to sit down quickly.

However, the Luna's place beside the Alpha had been given to the pregnant woman. Tori bit her lower lip, trying to hold back tears as she made her way to the end of the table. Only Gamma Sylas sat with her while the others ignored her.

Tori choked back the lump forming in her throat as she could clearly feel like the outsider at the main table who was unwelcome there.

When Carlisle returned, now in his human form and dressed all in black, he entered the hall and noticed Tori sitting alone. His expression darkened in disapproval, but he merely walked to his seat without a word.

It wasn't clear whether Carlisle's displeasure was because Tori was seated at the main table, still near him, or simply because he had to see her there.

'What is she trying to pull now? Acting pitiful for sympathy?' Carlisle scoffed internally, his gaze narrowing. But his wolf, Roque, growled in defiance, unsettling him further.

'What do you want now, Roque?' Carlisle demanded, frustrated as his wolf's mood rippled through him, intensifying his irritation.

But Roque, his wolf, remained silent, only growling in defiance before retreating into the deepest corners of Carlisle's mind.

Carlisle's eyes briefly met Tori's, and in that fleeting moment, his cold, unfeeling gaze pierced through her, leaving her breathless. Tori felt a wave of weakness flood her body as if every ounce of strength had been drained away. Her heart clenched painfully. It had been years, yet Carlisle still treated her with such coldness, filled with hatred and indifference.

That single, heart-wrenching glance didn't last long, but its impact was enough. His eyes quickly shifted elsewhere, turning to the woman beside his chair.

Carlisle's eyes softened with warmth as he acknowledged her, a stark contrast to the coldness and indifference he had shown Tori.

The sharp sting of pain struck again, and Tori's eyes blurred with unshed tears, but she refused to let them fall, holding them back with all her will.

She lowered her head to hide the pain in her eyes as she pretended to eat, but her hands were trembling as she clenched her jaw to hold the sob that was about to escape her lips.

Carlisle sank lazily into his chair, his posture relaxed. No sooner had he settled that a fork laden with meat was pushed in his direction.

His eyebrows arched in mild amusement, and for a fleeting moment, his indifferent expression softened. A rare gentleness flickered in his eyes, a warmth that was almost doting.

Tori caught a glimpse of it from the corner of her eye as she hesitantly lifted her gaze. It was a look she had never seen from Carlisle, one she had only heard about from others.

Gamma Sylas, in particular, often spoke of Carlisle's warmth—how the Alpha had been loved by the pack, his charisma and leadership drawing people to him. He was always kind and caring to those around him, but to Tori, that gentleness had always seemed distant, something she could never quite imagine.

But now, watching the way Carlisle interacted with the woman beside him, there was no mistaking it—the tenderness he showed her was so evident, so natural.

His eyes sparkled with amusement and affection, and Tori's heart twisted with pain. It felt as if she were invisible in that moment, the Luna who had been overlooked and dismissed.

She, who should be sitting beside her mate, was now left in the background, while Carlisle openly showered the woman with attention. The cruel contrast felt like a slap to her face in front of everyone.

A tight knot formed in Tori's stomach, a heavy, painful sensation that felt like a punch to the gut, uncomfortable and suffocating. Her heart ached with every passing second.

Even Gamma Sylas seemed to hold his breath, his eyes flickering nervously toward the head seat as the scene unfolded before them.

It was clear that everyone around Carlisle was unfazed by the sight, as though they had grown used to it. Laughter filled the air, accompanied by playful teasing directed at the Alpha for being so attentive to the woman.

"Stop just feeding me. How about giving the pup more?" Carlisle teased the woman.

"Are you tired? Would you like to rest in the alpha's suite?" he added, his gentle gaze never leaving her face. However, Tori, who overheard Carlisle's offer, paled and looked up at them.