The day after my first shift, my Alpha mate Marcus Stone couldn’t wait to mark me as his Luna.

He was the most powerful Alpha in Northern Regions. Rumors said he kept his distance from every beautiful she-wolf. Only I was the exception.

Every anniversary, he would give me an exquisite red haute couture dress and a carefully arranged bouquet of moonflowers.

I thought he loved the scent of moonflowers, so even though I was allergic to them, I happily accepted the gifts every time.

Until at our mating ceremony anniversary banquet, I saw Marcus's childhood sweetheart Rose wearing a red dress, adorned with moonflower decorations.

That's when I realized it was Rose who loved red dresses and moonflowers.

Even when I was attacked by rogue wolves and lost our baby, he was by his first love's side. After learning the truth, I decided to leave him completely.

The day after my first shift, my Alpha mate Marcus Stone couldn’t wait to mark me as his Luna. But later I discovered I was nothing more than a substitute for his childhood sweetheart.

Even when I was attacked by rogue wolves and lost our baby, he was by his first love's side. After learning the truth, I decided to leave him completely.

He was twelve years older than me, a top-tier Alpha whose territory ranked in the top 5 for power in the Northern Regions.

Rumors said he kept his distance from women—almost every beautiful she-wolf in the Northern Regions couldn't shake his cold, commanding presence. Only I was the exception. With me, he acts different. Soft. Gentle.

I casually mentioned wanting to see fireworks, and that very night Marcus ordered a sweep of the entire territory for the finest and rarest fireworks.

I said I wanted to see the northern lights, but our territory didn't have them. When Marcus found out, he spent 100 million dollars on a luxury private jet, saying he'd take me to Northern Europe to see the aurora.

Every anniversary, he would give me an exquisite red haute couture dress and a carefully arranged bouquet of moonflowers.

I thought he loved the scent of moonflowers, so even though I was allergic to them, I happily accepted the gifts every time.

Until at our mating ceremony anniversary banquet, I saw Marcus's childhood sweetheart Rose wearing a red dress, adorned with moonflower decorations.

That's when I realized it was Rose who loved red dresses and moonflowers.

No wonder every anniversary, when I wore the red dress he gave me, Marcus would get especially excited and be particularly passionate with me. It was because only dressed like that did I look more like Rose.

…

So I was just Rose's substitute. This realization left me mentally dazed. On my way home, Marcus's enemies—a group of rogue wolves—surrounded me. Their goal was to kidnap me and use me and the child in my womb to threaten Marcus.

They swarmed me, tearing at my arms and legs with their claws. I fought back desperately, but there were too many of them. Soon I was overpowered.

The rogue wolves' leader, seeing my fierce resistance would make it difficult to take me quickly, decided to kill me instead. He cruelly drove his claws through my abdomen. Excruciating pain instantly swept through my entire body.

In that critical moment, I tried to reach Marcus through our mind-link for help, only to discover the connection was blocked. I immediately called his phone.

The call was answered and immediately hung up. But in that brief instant before he hung up, I clearly heard Rose's laughter on the other end.

My strength to resist quickly drained away, and I fell unconscious.

When I woke up again, the healer sadly told me that my child had been clawed out alive by the rogue wolves and lost his life.

I gritted my teeth and didn't cry, but when the healer asked "Do you want to see the baby?" I broke down and shook my head.

When I was discharged from the hospital, I immediately drafted a mate bond dissolution agreement.

As the pack's Alpha and his mate, we couldn't directly sever the mate bond—we needed to submit a dissolution application that would only be processed after the Alpha Council's approval.

Then I called Marcus.

Before, he always answered my calls instantly, then asked in a gentle voice: "Baby, what's wrong?"

But this time, I called eighteen times, and no one answered.

So I went directly to the hunting forest Marcus had mentioned yesterday. Before leaving, he'd told me: "I'm going hunting tomorrow. It's too dangerous there, and you're pregnant, so just stay home and wait for me to come back."

At the hunting forest, I finally found him after much searching. Just as I was about to walk toward him, I heard the guard wolves talking:

"How destructive is a first love? Rose comes back, and the Alpha immediately abandons his four-months-pregnant mate at home."

"Well, his mate is just a substitute anyway. Don't you see how much the Alpha loved Rose back then? When they broke up, he was devastated every day, nearly killed by rogue wolves. He never forgot her all these years, and he brought his current mate back as a replacement."

"His mate is still in the dark about it, clinging to the Alpha every day. Last time I saw them embracing tightly, the way she looked at the Alpha so lovingly was really touching. If it were me, I would've forgotten about Rose long ago."

"Who can blame the Alpha? He looks cold on the surface, but he's actually a romantic fool who only loves Rose in this lifetime. Look, Rose casually mentioned wanting French food, and the Alpha spent millions of dollars to poach a Michelin three-star chef and created a private kitchen team just for Rose. We get to enjoy the good food too."

How ridiculous. I naively thought that chef was specially hired because I was pregnant. I never imagined it was my own wishful thinking—he did it for Rose.

I watched Marcus pick up an escargot and intimately feed it to Rose. How laughable—he said he was an Alpha who needed to maintain his dignified image in front of pack members, so he never showed such intimate gestures with me in public.

At that moment, Marcus's wolf detected me hiding behind the tree.

Marcus suddenly snapped coldly at his Gamma: "Everyone stop talking!"

Footsteps approached from that direction, then quickly returned to silence.

I crouched on the ground, face buried in my arms, and heard Marcus's voice that I'd been intoxicated by speaking gently from above: "Baby, why are you here? Did you miss me?"

I took a deep breath: "I came to ask you to sign the dissolution—"

Before I could finish, a woman's voice interrupted: "Marcus, I want steak..."

He was silent for a moment, then hurriedly said to me: "Be good, go home first. I still need to discuss the autumn hunt. I'll come back later to keep you company."

Then he turned and left. I looked back and saw him walking quickly toward that woman.

I smiled. Today finally confirmed my suspicions. After wiping away all my tears, I resolutely went home.

Back home, after adjusting my emotions, I prepared two things, both for Marcus.

One was the mate bond dissolution agreement. The other was our wolf pup that the rogue wolves had clawed out alive.

People who lie to those who love them should suffer. I'm young, but I won't accept this betrayal.

I love deeply. But I can also let go completely.

I am Serena Cross. I won't keep someone who deceives me.

I sat for hours before I finally sent the box by mail. That's when I heard Marcus's car in the driveway.

"Baby, why are you still awake?" He took off his jacket and loosened his tie. "What are you doing?"

I just looked at him. How was he so good at pretending?

Marcus seemed bothered by my silence. He waved to his assistant, who brought out shopping bags. "Didn't you want those purses last week? I bought you the whole set."

He pulled out expensive leather bags. Different colors and sizes. All exactly my style. Marcus still knew what I liked.

Before today, I would have thought this proved he loved me. Now I knew it was just part of his act.

"Why aren't you saying anything? Is the baby making you feel sick?"

He reached to touch my stomach. It was flat now. Empty. The baby was gone.

I pushed his hand away. I gave him the divorce papers. "Sign these."

He looked confused. He was about to read them when his phone rang. Rose was calling.

I couldn't hear what she said, but his face changed. After he hung up, he signed the papers without reading them.

He grabbed his car keys and headed for the door.

"Baby, I have to handle something urgent. Go to sleep."

At the door, he turned back. "If you need anything, just ask my assistant. You don't have to find me to sign things. We're mates. What's mine is yours."

He signed our divorce papers without even looking at them.

I held the signed papers in my hand. I smiled for the first time in days.

"Marcus Stone, very soon, we won't be mates anymore."

I sent the divorce papers to the Alpha Council by email. For the first time in months, I could breathe properly.

My mind went back to when I first met Marcus Stone.

I was seventeen. My wolf was new and wild. I couldn't control her yet. During pack training, I ran into a trap made of silver wire. The metal was about to cut into my skin when Marcus found me. He pulled me out just in time.

My wolf went crazy for him right away. We looked at each other for what felt like hours. Then I did something bold. I kissed him.

He didn't move for a second. Then he laughed quietly. "Little one, you don't know how to do that yet."

He put his hand on my neck and showed me how to kiss properly. My heart beat so fast I thought it might stop.

That kiss felt like it went on forever. I couldn't breathe. Even now, it seems like something I dreamed up.

I woke up with my face wet from tears.

Morning light came through my window. I lay there for a long time before I called my dad.

"Dad, I sent in the divorce papers." My voice sounded rough. "When the Council says yes, I'll come home to you and Mom."

"Did that Stone boy hurt you?" Dad's voice got loud and angry. "You come home right now. I'm a strong Alpha. I can keep my daughter safe."

"No," I said, looking outside. "I just don't love him anymore."

Really, Marcus didn't love me. And I would never love him again.

I didn't say that out loud. The words stayed stuck in my throat like broken glass.

After I hung up, someone sent me a friend request. I don't know why, but I said yes.

Right away, they sent me a video file.

The video showed Marcus in bed. The expensive shirt I made him by hand was ripped up. A button was missing. There were bite marks on his neck. His eyes were closed and he was saying a name. "Rose, don't leave me again."

After the video, a photo and long message came.

"Hi, I'm Rose. Marcus's real love. I left five years ago, but you can see he still wants me. He remembers everything I like. He breaks his own rules for me. He won't eat with you in front of other people, right? He told me he would only do that with one person in his whole life. Me."

"We look the same, don't we? You're just someone to fill my place. Marcus only kept you because you were pregnant. But I'm back now."

I read the whole message. My heart hurt so much I couldn't feel anything else.

I only wrote back: "What do you want?"

She didn't answer for a while. When she did:

"I want you to leave him. He loves me. He's going to wake up soon. I bet you one thing - if I ask him to, he'll spend all his time with me. He won't even call you."

I didn't write back.

Ten minutes later, Marcus texted me:

"Baby, there's fighting at the border. I have to patrol for a few days. Call my assistant if you need anything. Take care of yourself and our baby."

I looked at my phone and started laughing. Tears ran down my face while I laughed.

For seven days, Marcus didn't call or text me once.

But Rose never stopped sending messages.

"Serena, I know you like fireworks. Sorry you missed the special ones Marcus lit for me today."

"He wanted to fly me somewhere to see pretty lights, but I said no. So he got rid of the expensive plane. I guess you can't use it anymore."

"Marcus showed me how to catch white rabbits in the snow. We danced together on a frozen pond. He carried me when we jumped over rocks." The message kept going. "He took you to these same places when he was pretending to love you."

I stared at all her messages. I realized the fireworks, the plane, the trip - none of it was really for me.

The snow fields, the pond, the rocks - I never liked those places. I just pretended to be happy. These were all places Rose loved first.

"Serena, so what if you're his wife? The Alpha loves me, not you. His heart belongs to me."

"Sorry you have to stay home alone while you're pregnant. After your baby comes, at least you'll have something to keep you busy. Then you won't be so lonely."

I read every message she sent. I never answered back. But they made me more sure that leaving was right.

On the seventh night after Marcus left, I started packing my things.

The matching jewelry he gave me, the gifts from every holiday - everything that meant we were supposed to be together forever - I threw it all in the fire.

When Marcus came home, covered in dirt from traveling, half the house was empty.

He looked shocked. "Baby, what are you doing?"

I didn't look at him. "Nothing much. Just getting rid of old stuff."

Marcus didn't seem worried. "You shouldn't do work like that. The servants can do it. I'll get you more help tomorrow." He smiled and gave me a fancy bag. It had cookies from the bakery I liked.

I mentioned wanting them once. He remembered. Still being nice and caring. But it just made me sick.

"Baby." He put his arms around me. His big hand touched my stomach. "Have you been feeling sick? You have a doctor visit tomorrow. I'll come with you."

"No," I said, pulling away. "You don't need to anymore."

Marcus finally noticed something was wrong. "What do you mean I don't need to? Are you feeling bad?"

One of the servants said, "The Luna hasn't been eating much. She barely touched her food all week."

Marcus started taking off his tie. "What do you want to eat? I'll go buy food and cook for you. Please, eat something."

As he walked away, he told the servants, "Watch her carefully. Don't let her get hurt or fall down."

The servants whispered to each other. "The Alpha is so good to the Luna."

"When you look for a husband, find an older man who knows how to take care of you."

I listened to them talk. I almost wanted to laugh at how wrong they were.

I used to think I had found the perfect love story.

Now I knew it was all just a game where I was pretending to be someone else.

Marcus had just left when I heard the doorbell ring.

I opened the door and saw a woman with long black hair. She wore a blue dress with white flower pins and held a fancy box of sweets.

"Hi, I'm Rose. The one who's been texting you."

Four big men in guard uniforms stood behind Rose. These were Marcus's special guards. I only had two guards, but Rose had four. That told me everything about who mattered more to Marcus.

Rose smiled in a fake sweet way. "Marcus has been staying with me all week. He forgot something at my place, so I'm bringing it back. You won't be rude to a guest, right?"

She pushed past me and walked into my house without being invited. When she saw the white flower garden, she got excited. "My favorite white flowers! Marcus grew so many just for me!"

I looked at the red bumps on my arms from being allergic to these flowers. Then I went back inside.

I thought Marcus just liked these flowers. But really, he liked the girl who loved them.

By the front door, some small birds sat in the sun.

"Oh, they're still here!" Rose sounded happy. "I got these birds when I was young. I moved away and thought they died. Bella will be so excited to see them when I bring her next time." She looked at me. "Bella is my cat."

I remembered how Marcus fed these birds every single day. My chest hurt.

In the living room, Rose looked at the books on the shelf. "These are all books I love to read. I can't believe Marcus saved them for me for so long."

She looked around the room. "White couch, brown tables, gray chair - everything matches perfectly. Just like I told Marcus I wanted. Light colors that go together nicely. This looks exactly right."

No wonder Marcus picked all this furniture when we went shopping. I kept saying I didn't like it. He always said, "Try something new. You'll learn to like it." But I still hated all this light-colored furniture.

Walking behind her felt like stepping on broken glass.

This house I'd lived in for two years suddenly felt like it belonged to someone else.

In the bedroom, Rose touched the shirts and ties in the closet. "All of these are presents I gave him. He's taken such good care of them."

I remembered Marcus washing and hanging these clothes carefully every day. My throat felt tight.

So he never let me wash them - not because he was worried about me working too hard, but because these clothes were from Rose.

Marcus's voice came from downstairs. He walked in fast, looking upset.

Rose put on a sweet smile right away. "I made some cookies and came to share them. Serena was so nice to invite me in. She even asked me to stay for dinner."

Marcus looked less worried and said, "This is Rose. She's like my little sister. We grew up in the same neighborhood. She was living in another country and just came back, so you haven't met her yet. Rose, want some tea?"

"That sounds nice," Rose said.

I watched him go to the kitchen and make tea. He knew exactly how to make it, even making the tea look pretty with foam on top.

Rose smiled when she took the cup. "Your tea still tastes exactly how I like it. You remember after all this time."

All these years, Marcus never forgot Rose. Standing there, I felt like I didn't belong. I looked stupid and out of place.

Rose kept playing along with his lie. "Yes, Marcus always looked after me when we were kids. I was sick a lot and got hurt often. I spent lots of time in the hospital. Marcus was afraid my muscles would get weak, so he learned how to do special exercises from the pack doctor. He came to help me every day."

My nails dug into my hands. It hurt, but not as much as my heart.

After I got pregnant, Marcus did exercises with me every day. He was really good at it. I thought he learned it just for me and the baby. But it was all for Rose.

I tried to smile but couldn't. So I said I felt sick and went upstairs.

A little later, Rose knocked on my door and came in with a bowl of soup.

"Marcus said you haven't been eating much. He had the cook make chicken soup and asked me to bring it up." She smiled like she was being helpful. "Drink it while it's warm."

I took the bowl. The smell was strange and bitter.

"Oh, one more thing," Rose said suddenly. "You didn't pick the names David for a boy and Emma for a girl, did you? Those are names Marcus and I chose a long time ago."

My hand shook and I almost dropped the soup.

Those were exactly the names Marcus picked when I first got pregnant.

So even my baby would have been used to remember Rose?

I lifted the soup and drank it, but right away I knew something was wrong. There was silver dust in it - it burned my throat and made my wolf go crazy inside me. When I saw Rose's big smile, I knew she put something bad in the soup.

My stomach started hurting really bad. I fell on the floor and couldn't move or call for help. She wanted to kill my baby, but she didn't know my baby was already dead.

Then Rose picked up the rest of my soup and drank it all at once. She fell down next to me and started screaming.

The hair on my neck stood up. I felt danger coming, but before I could turn around -

Downstairs, Marcus heard the screaming and ran up fast.

When he saw us both on the floor, his eyes got really big. "Rose!" He ran to catch Rose when she almost fell, checking her all over. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... I'm fine," Rose said in a weak voice. "Quick, help Serena..."

Then Marcus looked at me lying in blood on the floor. But Rose suddenly "passed out" in his arms, crying, "There was silver dust in the soup. Someone tried to hurt both Serena and me. Marcus, please save us. What do we do?"

His voice was scared and worried as he picked up Rose and carried her outside. He didn't even look at me again.

I watched them leave as everything went dark.

When I woke up, bright white lights hurt my eyes.

The doctor was checking her while Marcus stood close by, looking serious.

"How is the baby?" he asked the doctor.

The doctor looked confused. "The baby? What baby, Luna…"