Days had passed, and the weight of my decision lingered like a heavy fog. As Luna, I still performed my duties. The Shadowveil Pack was mine by title, but in truth, it was a pack where I was merely a ghost—a Luna in name only, while the true throne was occupied by another.

Stepping out of my office in the evening, the familiar sight of Alpha Haynes standing outside caught my eye. He was dressed impeccably in a suit, his handsome face framed by the setting sun, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw and the confident set of his shoulders.

But despite his striking appearance, my heart remained untouched, my wolf silent and unmoved. Since the moment we first met, I felt the mate pull but my wolf was adamant about it. My wolf had been eerily quiet, almost reluctant. Perhaps she had known what kind of life awaited us, had I only listened more closely to her instincts.

I kept walking, pretending not to see him, hoping he would just let me be. But Haynes, ever persistent, quickly fell into step beside me. "It's Beta Ark's birthday today," he said, his voice even. "There's a dinner. Let's celebrate with him."

I stopped in my tracks, turning to face him. His expression was unreadable, as always. "Sure," I replied. We walked together in silence.

The night air was crisp, and as the wind picked up, a faint scent reached my nose—jasmine. The familiar floral fragrance clung to the air around Haynes, almost as if it were part of him. My heart clenched in recognition. It was Leila’s scent.

On a whim, I asked, "Do you like the smell of jasmine?"

Haynes’s eyes flickered, a brief moment of surprise flashing across his face. "It's okay," he said nonchalantly.

"Really?" I mused aloud. "Then why have I always smelled this scent on you before?"

He didn’t respond, and I didn’t push the matter further. There was no point. His silence told me everything I needed to know.

When we arrived at the villa where Beta Ark’s celebration was taking place, the warmth and light spilling from the windows did nothing to thaw the chill in my heart. The hall was filled with pack members and elders, all laughing and talking as they awaited our arrival. Leila was among them, her face lighting up in surprise when she saw us enter together.

"Good evening, Alpha Haynes, Luna Aeliana," she greeted us, her voice sugary sweet. "We’ve been waiting for you for a long time."

I forced a smile, though it felt more like a grimace. "I’m sorry. I came in a hurry and didn’t bring a gift," I said, turning to Beta Ark.

Meanwhile, Beta Ark, ever the charmer, waved off my apology.

"I’ve given him a gift on your behalf," Haynes interjected smoothly before Ark could respond. "You don’t need to feel sorry."

His hand lightly grasped mine as he led me to the table. The remaining two seats were placed opposite each other, a detail I couldn’t help but notice. It felt like a setup, a subtle jab at my position.

I released his hand and walked straight to the seat opposite him, my movements deliberate. I could feel the eyes of the pack members on me, their judgment heavy in the air.

I knew what the pack members and the elders were thinking.

The elders—they never approved of Alpha Haynes and me being together and were always cold to me. It was because my pack, the Bloodmoon Pack, even though we were mated, never really approved of any alliance with the Shadowveil Pack. The Elders took it by heart while I understood my Alpha father because, for so long, our pack remained unaffiliated with outside packs; not even the Alpha King managed to get us on his side because we remained neutral throughout the years.

Before, I wanted to get along with the Elders, and I would give them gifts I carefully selected for every holiday.

But I've never seen anyone really use the things I gave them. They probably didn't want to accept me from the bottom of their hearts. I was too naive to see such an obvious thing until now.

Alpha Haynes’s expression tightened slightly, but he said nothing, simply taking the seat next to Leila as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The tension at the table was evident, though Haynes seemed oblivious, engaging in light conversation as though everything was perfectly normal. He peeled shrimp without pause, placing each piece on a plate in front of Leila. It was a simple act, but one that felt like a dagger to my chest.

Haynes had never been one for seafood unless someone peeled it for him. It was a quirk of his—he found it too troublesome to do it himself. And yet here he was, meticulously peeling an entire plate for Leila without a second thought. The sight made my stomach churn.

Beta Ark, ever the observer, noticed the tension. He leaned over, nudging Haynes with a sly grin. "Don’t favor one over the other, Alpha. Peel some shrimp for your Luna too."

His words were meant to be a joke, but I knew better. He was mocking me, making light of my humiliation. Haynes seemed to realize this, glancing at the empty plate in front of me. "Order another plate," he said, his tone clipped.

"No," I replied, taking a sip of my drink to mask the bitterness rising in my throat. "I don’t like shrimp."

Haynes raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard by my refusal. "How about pasta then?"

"I don’t like it."

"Dessert?"

"I don’t like it either."

His surprise was evident now as if he had never truly considered my preferences before. Meeting his gaze, I calmly took a napkin, wiping my mouth before adding, "I don’t like anything you said."

There was a brief, stunned silence at the table before Leila spoke up, her voice laced with feigned concern. "Aeliana, are you angry? Why don’t you eat this plate of shrimp? Please don’t be angry with Alpha Haynes."

Leila's timid gaze pierced through the tense atmosphere, casting me as the villain. Her innocent act never failed to sway the room. But I wasn’t about to let that narrative take hold tonight.

“How could I be angry?” I forced a calm smile, my voice was soft yet firm. “Please, enjoy your meal. I just remembered some unfinished work for the full moon ceremony next month. I’ll take my leave.”

As I stood, preparing to go, Beta Ark’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “Come on, Luna Aeliana, are you still upset about Alpha Haynes setting off a grand banquet for Leila?”

His words were drenched in provocation, and I could feel the eyes of the room bearing down on me, waiting for my reaction. It was a trap—one I’d walked into too many times before. Before I could respond, Leila spoke up, her voice dripping with feigned sincerity.

“I’m sorry, Luna. I was just so sad back then, and Alpha Haynes only wanted to cheer me up.” She turned to him with a look of false remorse. “Alpha Haynes, you should apologize to Luna Aeliana.”

Haynes frowned, his confusion palpable. “I just set up a banquet. Why should I apologize?”

His words froze the room, the tension hanging heavy in the air. Leila smiled subtly from where she sat, a victorious glint in her eyes. It was a silent declaration—a reminder of who held his heart now. It was laughable, really.

The person who had wronged me was so blissfully unaware of his doings. Just like before, he couldn’t see beyond his own pride.

He always thought he could just appease me with a few kind words and move on as if I were a child to be pacified. But I wasn’t that same girl who once believed in his every word. I met his gaze, my smile holding a trace of mockery. “Yes, you’re right, Alpha. The grand banquet was quite a spectacle. Keep it up next time.”

I turned and left without another word, my heels clicking against the polished floor, echoing in the silence that followed. As the door closed behind me, I heard Leila’s voice, sweet and coaxing. “Alpha Haynes, go apologize quickly. Luna Aeliana is obviously angry.”

“Don’t mind her,” Haynes replied, his voice dismissive. “She’ll be fine in a few days.”

His words stabbed at me like a knife. What had I done to make him so confident that I’d always come back, that I’d always forgive? Was it love? Or was it the weakness of a bond that was never as strong as it should have been?

I stepped out into the night, the cool autumn breeze washing over me, a contrast to the suffocating atmosphere I’d just escaped. The streets of the Shadowveil Pack’s territory were alive with the hum of conversation, the laughter of pack members, and the rustling of leaves underfoot. Yet all I felt was a growing emptiness.

The truth was before Leila had returned to the pack, Haynes and I had been happy. We were inseparable, our hands intertwined as if letting go would mean losing each other forever. Even though my wolf had always been distant, aloof to him despite the mate pull, I was content. Happy, even, with him by my side.

So, why did things have to change? What went wrong?

As I walked, my breath grew heavy, each inhale more labored than the last. I couldn’t shake the feeling of suffocation.

When I finally reached the villa, I felt a strange sense of relief wash over me. I had barely stepped inside when my phone buzzed. Haynes.

[Have you arrived home?]

I stared at the message, my thumb hovering over the screen. But what was there to say? I let the phone slip into my pocket without replying. A few minutes later, another message came through, the tone more insistent.

[Everyone didn’t have a good meal because of you today, especially the Elders. Let’s invite them to dinner another day.]

My grip tightened around the phone, frustration bubbling up inside me. How could he not see what he was doing? How could he not see how deeply he was cutting me with every careless word, every thoughtless action?

The buzzing of the phone stopped in silence as Haynes switched to mind-linking me directly, his voice insistent in my head. I severed the connection immediately, closing my eyes to block out his voice.

I was done listening. Done waiting for things to change.

Arriving at my office, I opened the door to find breakfast laid out neatly on my desk. The sight of it made my heart clench—how many times had I tried to win him over with similar gestures? I didn’t need to wonder who had placed it there. The familiarity of the situation was almost nauseating. Without a second thought, I picked up the tray and headed for the door, my movements deliberate.

As I passed by the trash can, I tossed the breakfast inside, my actions filled with a finality that startled even me. The clatter of porcelain echoed in the hallway just as Alpha Haynes appeared, his face clouded with anger and disbelief.

"You threw away the breakfast I bought for you," he said, his tone heavy with frustration. His eyes, once so familiar, now felt like they were piercing through me, demanding an explanation.

"I’ve told you before, Alpha," I replied coolly, meeting his gaze without flinching, "I don’t want what you have to offer anymore."

His hand shot out, gripping my arm with a force that would have once made my heart race. Now, it only made me feel trapped. "Aeliana, why the hell are you still acting up?" His voice held an edge of desperation as if he couldn’t comprehend why I was pulling away.

"Acting up?" I repeated, my voice calm yet laced with the bitterness I had kept suppressed for so long. "Is that what you think this is? Just a tantrum? You’ve always seen it that way, haven’t you? You thought I was just being difficult, never once considering that maybe, just maybe, you were the one in the wrong."

He opened his mouth to respond, but I cut him off, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "Do you even know how many nights I spent learning to cook, trying to make meals you’d enjoy? And do you know where they ended up? In front of Leila, because she’s ‘weak’ and needs them more than you."

His grip loosened slightly, a flicker of something like guilt passing through his eyes, but it was quickly masked by the stubbornness I had come to know all too well. "She’s not like you," he said defensively. "You’re strong, Aeliana, you have Lycan blood. Leila…she’s different. She needed those meals more."

I let out a mirthless laugh. "Of course. One is strong, and one is weak. You two really are quite a match." I pulled my arm free from his grasp, the finality in my voice leaving no room for argument. "I don’t have time for this, Alpha. I have work to do."

I walked away from him without looking back, focusing all my attention on the tasks ahead. The phone calls, the messages, the mind-links—each one was ignored, severed before they could reach me.

The only odd thing was that my wolf, who should have been writhing in discomfort from the distance between us, remained silent and unaffected. It was like this from the very start, as if she never felt any mate pull when between us, it should be her that should be affected the most.

Days turned into weeks, the gifts, the meals—everything the Alpha sent was returned unopened, and with each rejection, I felt a little more like myself again. I almost forgot about them entirely until Beta Ark called me.

"Luna Aeliana, when are you coming? We're all waiting here. The gathering is incomplete without our Luna." His voice, dripping with mock politeness, reminded me of the role I was supposed to play.

"Waiting for me? Why?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Isn’t it you and Alpha Haynes supposed to be here with the delegations from other packs? This is important for alliances your previous pack could not even give. Please, participate in this. Hurry up and come over. Everyone’s waiting for you." He ended the call abruptly, leaving me with little choice but to comply. His text followed quickly, telling me which villa they were using.

Reluctantly, I made my way to the southern part of the territory, where the delegations were being hosted. The villa was grand and designed to impress. A wolf guard led me to the private room, and as I approached, I heard voices inside.

"Luna Aeliana has quite the temper, doesn’t she? We had to call her again and again before she finally agreed to come. She might have thought she was still some princess from Bloodmoon Pack, but Shadowveil is different. Can you believe it? After the grand banquet incident for Leila, Alpha Haynes has humbled himself, yet the Luna still won’t give him the time of day. She’s really spoiled back in her own pack; she thought we would tolerate her here." Beta Ark’s voice was unmistakable, his words biting and filled with disdain.

Leila’s soft laughter followed. "Girls are like that, a bit of a temper is normal. Luna Aeliana is just too insecure, not quite trusting Alpha Haynes. She’ll come around eventually."

"Honestly," another voice chimed in, "you and Alpha Haynes are a better match. If it weren’t for your focus on your dreams back then, you’d be the one by Alpha Haynes’s side now! I still remember visiting Shadowveil Pack in the past, and you two really were a match made in heaven! I was shocked when I found out Alpha Haynes... well, you know."

The truth hit me like a physical blow. So, this was it. This was why Haynes was so forgiving, so tolerant of Leila’s every whim. She wasn’t just a childhood friend; she was the one he had always wanted, the one he had never truly let go of.

The door creaked open from behind, and I stiffened, turning to see Haynes standing there, his expression unreadable. "Why are you still there? Go on in," he said quietly, his voice devoid of emotion. "Don’t just stand there."

I met his gaze, the weight of everything I had just heard pressing down on me. "What do you want me to go in for?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to keep it steady. "To hear you announce your new romance?"