Ethan Klein has never shown me a shred of tenderness despite being with me for three years.

He's the prestigious and untouchable Alpha King of Eclipse Kingdom. I, on the other hand, am just a fragile human replacement of his mate.

All the wolves know that Ethan's fated mate is my older sister, Nora Mueller, who has fled from the altar.

In the past three years, Ethan has shown me his wild and domineering side at night. But whenever he's done taking from me, he abandons me ruthlessly without a second thought.

I'm really tired of this life.

But one day, Nora, who has gone missing for three years, sends me a text to announce her eventual return.

The entire Kingdom can't wait to watch me humiliate myself. But the truth is, I'm secretly pleased when I see the text.

Finally, Ethan's fated mate is here to take over her responsibilities! There's hope for my busted hip!

In order to ensure that Ethan will break the bond with me, I send Ethan a few fabricated photos of me cheating on him under the guise of my lover.

"Ethan, I'll gladly take your replacement mate off your hands."

It was 3:00 am.

In the master bedroom of the palace, the air was thick with the scent of cedarwood and musk. That was the smell of an Alpha King after a passionate romp.

"Ugh…"

I lay there, limp on the disheveled bed, feeling as though a truck had run over me. I didn't even have the strength to move my fingers.

I turned to the male wolf, who was panting with his back to me.

Just a few minutes ago, he had pinned me down and pressed his scorching lips to my ear, growling over and over, "Freya, you're mine… only mine…"

His voice was so tender it almost made me believe that maybe his cold heart was actually beating for me.

I gave in again.

Maybe it was the hormones in the air messing with my head, but as I looked at his broad back, I felt a strange urge to touch his heaving spine. I even found myself longing for a hug, even if it only lasted a second.

"Ethan, I—"

But before my fingertips could brush his skin, the mattress beside me suddenly lightened.

Ethan Klein got up and climbed out of bed. There was no tenderness, no embrace, or even a single word of concern.

Under the wall lamp, I saw Ethan's broad shoulders and narrow waist as he walked away. His back was marked with red scratches from my loss of control.

He coldly glanced at my hand, which was still hovering awkwardly in the air.

At that moment, my heart sank.

I'd asked him before, naively, if those sweet words were real.

He had said, "Human, don't take the things said in bed seriously. That's just instinct."

The sound of a belt fastening snapped me back to reality. The sharp, cold click felt like the signal of a deal coming to an end.

"Go back to your own room."

Ethan didn't turn around. His voice was raspy and brooked no argument as he said, "Don't sleep here."

He said it again. It had been like this every single time for over a thousand nights.

No matter how wild the act, he remained indifferent once it was done.

He seemed to loathe my presence in his territory. The second it was over, he wanted me gone.

Enduring the ache in my waist, I lowered my eyes to hide the spark of hope that had been snuffed out as soon as it flickered to life.

I just never learned.

I grabbed the torn nightgown off the floor, slipped it on, and silently left the room, which was filled with his possessive scent.

The door clicked shut.

Unbeknownst to me, the usually cold Alpha King threw himself onto the pillow I had occupied the second I was gone. He buried his face in the sheets, greedily inhaling my lingering scent.

Back in my room, I sank into the bathtub.

I was so exhausted. I might be an adult with normal needs, but who could withstand three years of this, night after night?

If this kept up, I'd be drained dry in five years by that insatiable mate of mine and die from pure exhaustion.

Just then, my phone, left on the sink, lit up.

It was a text from my sister, Nora Mueller. I was shocked.

Trembling, I opened the message.

She wrote, "Freya, I'm so mad! That blond jerk actually shouted at me! I'm heading home to give him the cold shoulder for a while. My flight is tomorrow. Don't tell Mom and Dad. I need you to pick me up."

In that instant, all the exhaustion, pain, and frustration vanished.

I sat up straight in the tub, splashing water everywhere.

Nora was coming back? Ethan's supposed fated mate was coming back?

Everyone knew the bond between fated mates was irresistible.

Three years ago, Nora ran away with her boyfriend-turned-husband, Reynold Shaffer, before Ethan could meet her. That was how he ended up with me as his mate.

But if they met, it would spark a soul-binding connection!

Did that mean that…

"I'm free?"

I shot up from the water.

Suddenly, my waist didn't hurt, and my legs weren't shaky. Even the feeling of being drained dry was blown away by pure adrenaline.

I grabbed my phone and kissed the screen, wishing I could jump through the screen to give Nora two big hugs.

"Hahaha! I'm finally off the clock!"

Sorrow of a discarded woman? That was non-existent!

To a lust-quencher who hadn't had a good night's sleep in three years, nothing felt better than "quitting".

Sure, Nora was only coming back to spite Reynold, but once she met Ethan, that fated bond would show itself.

Once that happened, I—the "ex-mate"—would gracefully pack my bags and step out!

But… Ethan had a strong sense of duty and was incredibly stubborn.

What if he forced me to stay as a mere decoration for the sake of "the greater good", even after finding his true love?

Then I'd still be stuck carrying out my "duties".

No way! I wouldn't let that happen!

I needed to break his attachment for good. I had to make him loathe the very sight of me at this critical moment.

Only when he thought I was "tainted" would he kick me out without a second thought and run into Nora's arms.

A brilliant idea flashed through my mind.

I bolted out of the bathroom and rifled through my closet for the men's shirt I had bought for Ethan's birthday but never had the chance to give him.

I sprayed it with a strong men's cologne.

And just like that, I had created a "secret lover".

Tomorrow, after Ethan left and met Nora… While his mind was in total disarray…

Clutching that shirt, I took a massive hit of the cheap perfume. Was it suffocating? Absolutely.

But this was the fragrance of freedom! A victory anthem for being single!

I was so excited I started wriggling like a worm on the bed, even humming a little tune of pure joy.

This was the kind of thrill that came only from breaking free after being trapped for so long.

At this moment, I wasn't just the strategist. I was the prisoner about to be granted a pardon!

I kissed the shirt and said, "My dear 'secret lover,' I'm counting on you tomorrow."

The next morning, as soon as Ethan left, I slammed my foot on the gas and sped straight to a love hotel.

I changed into a black men's shirt. Facing the full-length mirror, I twisted my fingers into the delicate skin of my collarbone and neck.

"Ouch…"

It hurt, but it had to look real.

Ethan was a top predator. Only the deep, purplish bruises of subcutaneous bleeding could serve as proof of a night of passion.

Next came the main act—smell.

As the stand-in trying to quit, my goal wasn't to hide but to make my "adultery" known to the world. I had to project a betrayal that simply couldn't be hidden.

I sprayed cheap men's cologne and sickly sweet rose fragrance all over me.

The cheap scents tangled together. It was murky, suggestive, and utterly nauseating.

"Ugh…"

It was too much, like black ink spilled over a blank page.

Once Ethan got close, this provocative scent would invade his senses, directly challenging his pride as an Alpha King.

Now, the final step.

I left the buttons of my shirt undone to expose my skin marked with bruises. Then, with a glassy look in my eyes, I sprawled across the messy bed.

I raised my phone and adjusted the angle. The shot had to capture the perspective of a secret lover taking a photo of their conquest after the deed.

I took the photo and saved it.

Back in my own clothes and carrying the "evidence", I headed for the airport humming a tune.

…

At the airport, when Nora stepped out with her suitcase, she was glowing.

No wonder she was Ethan's fated mate. Just standing there, she had this magnetic presence that made it hard to look away.

"Freya!" She rushed over to me, but in the next second, she looked like she had hit an invisible wall.

She pinched her nose and took three steps back.

"Oh my god, Freya! Did you fall into a chemical plant? The smell on you is so overwhelming! How is Ethan's sensitive nose going to stand this?"

I tossed my hair with total indifference. "You don't get it. This is the smell of freedom."

Nora gave me a complicated look but didn't ask further.

In the car on the way back, she fidgeted nervously, her face etched with worry.

"Freya, I'm actually really scared to see Ethan. When I ran away from our bonding ceremony, I ruined his pride. I came back to spite Reynold this time. What if Ethan still hates me?"

"Don't be scared." I gripped the wheel, speeding while giving Nora a pep talk.

"Don't forget. You two are fated mates! What if you meet, and it's love at first sight? You could find out that he's your true love! Ethan is an Alpha King. He's way better than that idiot Reynold, who only pisses you off! Also…"

I glanced at the rearview mirror with a sly smile. "I also hope someone more suitable can take care of him."

Nora was left stunned by my words. "R-Really? But he already has you as his mate…"

I flashed a bright smile and said breezily, "As long as you love each other, I don't mind him becoming my brother-in-law."

…

Soon, we arrived at the palace.

Perhaps it was fate, or maybe the Moon Goddess herself was helping me set up this perfect scene.

Because not long after I parked my car, a black car pulled up behind me. Its presence radiated a murderous intent.

Ethan was back.

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

Nora's face went pale. "It's him… He's in the car… I can feel the pressure."

As I gazed at the black vehicle, my heart pounded rapidly, but it wasn't due to fear.

It was excitement! It was thrill! It was the rush of an atomic bomb about to destroy a prison door!

At this moment, his destined mate sat on the left, exuding an innocent charm.

On the right, I—his ex-mate with a heartbreaker vibe—held a nuclear weapon in my phone.

This was the perfect timing!

Reaching for my burner phone with its anonymous card, I pulled up the "lewd photo" I had just taken.

I entered Ethan's number and attached the photo. Then, I edited the message with the most provocative, infuriating words I could muster, aimed directly at Ethan's Alpha King pride.

"Ethan, your stand-in partner is so soft and tight. When she moans, gosh, she's a total slut. I heard your fated mate is back. Perfect. Break your mate bond with Freya and let me have her. We're a match made in heaven. I really can't wait."

The car door opened slowly. A long leg in suit trousers stepped out, cutting through the air with lethal intensity.

Now!

I slammed the "send" button, and the message was sent.

I turned off the phone, my smile stretching wide with glee.

"Come on, Ethan," I thought.

On the left was his fated true love, and on the right was his cheating mate. He'd better brace himself for the ultimate double blow!

In the living room of the palace, Nora nervously twisted her fingers.

Outside of the floor-to-ceiling window, Ethan stood next to his car. I could clearly see him take out his phone and start reading the message.

One second passed, then two.

His previously indifferent expression froze the moment he saw the screen. First came shock, then his pupils contracted violently.

He stared at the photo as if he could burn a hole through it, and a storm of suspicion began to brew in his eyes.

After that, his thin lips slowly curled into a dangerous, mocking smile. The veins in the back of his hand were bulging.

Even from this far away, I seemed to hear the sound of the expensive phone screen cracking.

A terrifying, palpable rage swept through the entire courtyard, so powerful that even the crows perched on the trees scattered in a panic.

He saw it!

Now, all he had to do was step inside. Once he saw Nora, that fury would transform into a blaze that incinerated his past love for his fated mate.

Just then, the door slammed open with a kick. Ethan stormed in, bringing a hellish chill with him.

"Fre…"

But the moment his eyes landed on Nora, the angry man froze, and his pupils shrank. A strange, sweet scent suddenly exploded in the air. It was the unmistakable signal of the fated bond activating.

His long-dormant instincts were screaming, pushing him to rush at Nora, mark her, and claim her.

Nora, clearly feeling it too, shyly stood up to greet him. "Hi, Ethan. Long time no see."

As I watched the scene unfold, my heart swelled with excitement. I nearly burst into applause right there.

This was it! The sheer, awkward tension! Love was in the air! This was exactly what it looked like when love began to bloom!

"Now that the real deal is here, I'll leave you two to catch up," I said, struggling to hold back a grin as I played the part of the considerate ex.

I grabbed my bag and tried to slip away.

Freedom, here I…

"Stop right there." A cold, deep voice, void of any warmth, froze me in my tracks.

I turned around, surprised.

Ethan was staring at me. In his bloodshot eyes, there wasn't a trace of the tenderness he should have felt for his mate.

They held only the lethal fury of a beast whose domain had been trespassed upon.

Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. That was a sign of the sheer willpower he was using to fight back his body's instinctive biological response.

"Ethan?" Terrified, Nora looked at him with a look of utter helplessness.

Ethan took a deep breath and averted his gaze before instructing his butler, Romeo Sparks, "Take Ms. Nora to the guest room in the West Tower. No one is to disturb her without my permission."

The West Tower?

That was the most isolated part of the palace and the furthest from the master bedroom.

"W-What?" I was dumbfounded. This wasn't how the script was supposed to go! "Ethan, she's Nora! She's your—"

"To the study. Now."

Ethan ignored my protests entirely. His hand clamped around me like an iron vice, and he dragged me straight toward the second-floor study.

With a loud bang, the door to the study slammed shut, and I was thrown onto the couch. My heart pounded in my chest.

I curled into the corner of the couch, rubbing my wrist. I tried to comfort myself, thinking that at least we were in the study and not the bedroom.

We would be discussing something important in the study, right? Like breaking our mate bond?

But before I could calm my thoughts, his towering figure loomed over me.

Ethan didn't head for his desk chair like he usually did. Instead, he dropped a knee onto the couch and forced his long leg between mine with overwhelming dominance.