Chapter 2

News about Claire and her pup's return soon spread throughout the Moonshadow pack.

Apparently, the last time she left the pack, she'd joined the Silverfrost pack in the north and never came back over the years.

However, everyone knew that Ryan had never truly let go of her.

Back then, Ryan and Claire were the most celebrated couple in the pack. In fact, they were about to hold their mating ceremony.

But the day before it was supposed to happen, Claire suddenly fell in love at first sight with another Alpha from a different pack. So, she abandoned Ryan despite his protests and went after the other Alpha instead.

That was how their relationship ended.

Back then, I was just the pack's healer, and I often tended to Ryan's battle wounds. Over time, I gradually fell in love with him.

Once, when Ryan was heavily injured and out cold for days, I was the one who kept vigil by his bed for three days and sleepless nights. When he finally woke up, he grabbed my hand and thanked me for my companionship.

Then he began visiting me more often and even personally escorted me home at times. He also shielded me and defended me from the other pack members' harassment during pack gatherings.

I thought that he'd finally moved past the shadow of Claire's departure.

Later, we both got drunk at a victory celebration feast, and we ended up sleeping together. Because of that, I conceived Sofia, and Ryan formed a mate bond with me.

But it wasn't until after we were bonded that I realized he had married me not out of love, but out of duty.

Seven years passed, and I finally understood that the tenderness which made me believe I was loved never truly belonged to me at all.

That was the main reason why I finally decided to leave with Sofia last night.

I packed my things, got a potion to sever the mate bond from a witch, and handed in my application to leave the pack to the Elder in charge of administration.

"Erina Talbot? Are you sure that you want to leave the pack?" the Elder asked, staring at me in shock.

I nodded. "Yes. I've received an invitation from the Werewolf Research Institute in the north, and I plan to take Sofia along with me."

The Elder sighed. "Alpha Ryan has been rather busy lately. Perhaps you could both give it another try."

I forced a smile on my lips.

If it weren't for Sofia's sake, I would have already left a long time ago. Seven years was more than enough time for me to see Ryan's true heart.

It was also enough time for me to realize that some things would never come to fruition no matter how long I waited, simply because it was never meant to be.

I'd only just walked out of the administration department when I saw Claire.

She was dressed in a long white maxi dress while holding a little pup's hand. Ryan was right next to her, and he was wearing a gentle smile on his face, something that I hadn't seen in a very long time.

He couldn't even bear to remove his eyes from Claire for a second.

While a few other pack members passed by, I heard them say, "Goodness! It's been seven years, and I still think that the Alpha and Claire look much better as a couple."

"I know, right?"

I was the Luna who had been by Ryan's side for seven years. And yet, at this moment, I felt like nothing more than an outsider.

Since he didn't need me anymore, I didn't want to continue waiting for him either.

While brushing past him, Ryan finally caught sight of me and gave me a cold glare.

"Erina. Why were you looking for me here?"

There was a warning tone in his voice, reminding me to behave and remember my place. He probably thought that I had come here deliberately to "coincidentally" run into him, but I didn't bother explaining myself to him anymore.

"Nothing," I replied bluntly.

He replied with a faint grunt and immediately averted his eyes, continuing to look at Claire as though she were his whole world.

Ryan was my mate and my pup's father, but at this moment, he chose to give his undisguised love and attention to another she-wolf right in front of me.

It was pathetic. I chuckled self-deprecatingly at this thought.

I had initially wanted to tell him that I was planning to leave the pack, but now, it seemed like it wasn't even necessary anymore. After all, he never really paid attention to Sofia or me anyway.

I turned to leave, but I received a call from Sofia just at that moment.

"Mommy, you remember tonight's parents-teacher conference night, right? Ms. Redclaw said that we could all go home early today to prepare for tonight. Mr. Warrior is bringing me to you now!"

I was stunned for a second and instantly looked around, trying to find Sofia's little figure. But I'd only taken a few steps forward before I saw Ryan crouching and tenderly smoothing Lily's hair, tousled by the wind.

And Sofia was just about five feet away, with her backpack on her back.

She stood frozen at her spot. She watched with wide, shocked eyes as her own father acted so intimately with another pup she didn't know.

The loving tenderness in Ryan's eyes was something that neither Sofia nor I had ever seen before.

My heart sank. I was just about to take Sofia away when Ryan suddenly caught sight of her as well. He froze and awkwardly withdrew his hand.

But seconds later, he shielded Claire and Lily and walked past Sofia, slowly but decisively, as though he didn't know who she was.

My heart clenched at once. I hurriedly brought Sofia over to a nearby bench, but before I could attempt to explain things, Sofia looked up at me with teary eyes.

She asked me timidly, "Mommy, is that the she-wolf and pup that Alpha Ryan likes?"

In that moment, I lost all energy to speak and could only nod mechanically while biting my lower lip.

Sofia didn't press any further. She just stood quietly before me and took the rabbit toy from her back, caressing it gently. Still, she couldn't hold back her tears, and they dripped onto the toy's fur.

She tried her best to hold back her sobs as she fiercely wiped the tear stains dry on the rabbit's fur. I couldn't bear to watch anymore and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"You still have me, baby. And I love you more than anyone else in the world, okay?"

Ryan only had two more chances before Sofia and I left the pack for good.