Chapter 3

"Did you hear? The Alpha ordered an afternoon snack for everyone!"

"You don't get it. It's just because Ms. Renee lost weight from training. The Alpha feels bad for her, so he used the excuse of rewarding everyone to give her extra food. We're just benefiting from this!"

"Huh? But doesn't the Alpha already have a Luna…"

"Keep your voice down. The Luna is still here!"

I stayed silent as I listened to the young warriors gossip.

Even though Yves and I were about to break our bond, I was still the Luna until the final paperwork was issued.

I looked at the premium steaks still streaked with blood that were prepared for the warriors. They were right.

It must have been Yves feeling sorry for Renee training so hard, so he used the excuse of rewarding everyone to give her extra food.

It wasn't that I didn't want to have a bite of his "thoughtful gesture". Unfortunately, my hemophobia made my stomach churn violently the moment I saw the bright red colors.

Back when Yves was pursuing me, he had been just as passionate. As he was afraid I would forget to eat while busying myself with the pack's affairs, he would use reporting things as an excuse to keep me and have meals with me.

When I got hurt but still forced myself to work, he would secretly mix the bitter healing herb powder into the sweet moonflower nectar. He would deliberately trick me into drinking it, and then always laugh endearingly at the way I frowned from the bitterness.

The extremely disciplined pack headquarters had once been vibrant and alive because of the unconcealed love between us.

Sadly, that affection ultimately no longer belonged to me.

I didn't have time to overthink things, as there was still plenty of work at hand. To prepare for the upcoming full moon celebration, I had already been sorting through files for several nights in a row, and today was no exception.

…

As the night gradually deepened, it wasn't until Yves walked over to me that I lifted my head from the documents.

"Tiffany, are you still busy?" he asked.

I didn't know why he had suddenly come to see me.

"Alpha, do you have any instructions for me?" I asked politely.

He seemed a little uncomfortable with my distant attitude, but he still said, "Hand over the planning of the full moon celebration to Renee."

Although my heart had long been numbed by pain, I still felt a tightness in my chest appear in that moment, and an endless feeling of suffocation spread through me.

Yves went on incessantly, "Recently, there have been some rumors in the pack about Renee that are unfavorable to her. If she successfully hosts this full moon celebration, it would prove her ability and shut them up."

The full moon celebration was one of the pack's most important annual rituals. It was both a time to pray to the Moon Goddess and a grand event to showcase the pack's strength to the outside world.

The planning of the celebration was usually handled by the Luna, and it also served as a stage for her to demonstrate her capability.

Yves was well aware of how much effort I had put into planning the full moon celebration to earn the Elders' recognition.

And now, with just one offhand sentence, he'd demanded that I give it up.

Every word he spoke was in defense of Renee, worried she would face criticism, but he forgot that I would also feel hurt.

I smiled bitterly, finding this whole thing utterly ironic.

"Fine. She can have it. Tell her to come tomorrow and take it over from me," I said curtly.

I had already done everything I could for this pack.

Yves was surprised at how readily I agreed, and a faint sense of unease rose in his heart.

He pulled out a jewelry box from his pocket and handed it to me. "Alright, I know you're upset, so I bought you a moonstone bracelet as compensation. Do you like it?"

It was indeed in a style I liked. But he hadn't given it to me when I wanted it most, and now, the bracelet had lost all meaning.

I nodded and dutifully reached out to take it.

Yves took that as a sign that I had been convinced, and his tone noticeably softened as he draped his coat over my shoulders.

"Stop sulking. Last time was my fault. In a few days, we'll go to the Elders' Council to withdraw the application. Haven't you always wanted to visit the Moonlight Waterfall in the southern lands? After the celebration, I'll take you there."

I still said nothing. Yves took my silence as my consent, and he excitedly began planning for the future.

On the way back, I scrolled through the pack's social media page and saw Renee's new post.

It showed a necklace made from the same material and in the same style of packaging. The difference was that the moonstone on her necklace was bigger, clearer, and more intricately carved than mine.

The caption read: "Thank you for the gift, Alpha. This is too precious. I didn't want to accept it at first, but Alpha said I was excellent and deserved the best, so he insisted I take it. I suppose it's only polite to obey."

That was when I realized that the bracelet Yves gave me was only the complimentary gift that came with the necklace.

I suddenly laughed, so much so that tears blurred my vision.

It turned out that what I had dreamed of for so long was nothing but leftover charity. All the tenderness and affection he had shown me were just scraps left behind by Renee.

It was just like my place in his heart—a free gift that was something worthless and never the first choice.