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?"

I turned on my heel, my face a mask of indifference as I prepared to walk away. But before I could leave, Beta Ark and Leila stepped out from the shadows of the hallway, their expressions unreadable. They exchanged a brief glance before Leila spoke, her voice sweet but with an edge that didn’t escape me.

"Luna Aeliana, since you're already here, please greet the delegations from our neighboring packs, and have some dinner before you leave," Leila said with a practiced smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

I met her gaze with a cold stare. "No, I can't eat with you guys around," I replied flatly, feeling the ice in my veins harden with every word.

Their faces faltered, Leila's smile nearly slipping as she tried to maintain her composure. "Luna Aeliana, what do you mean by that?"

I didn't bother answering her. Instead, I focused my attention on Alpha Haynes, who stood silently beside her, his jaw clenched. "She calls you every time she has an issue," I said, my voice steady despite the storm brewing within me. "And you always rush to her side without hesitation. I didn’t understand why before, but now I do. Do you find it amusing to put on this act in front of me?"

His face darkened, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something—guilt, perhaps, or anger? "What nonsense are you talking about?" He snapped. "I've said it before. I see Leila as my sister."

Leila's face turned pale, her hands trembling ever so slightly as she struggled to maintain her composure. I swept my gaze over the both of them, suddenly overwhelmed by a wave of disgust.

How could I have been so blind? How could I have been so in love with Alpha Haynes when, to them, it might just be a joke?

"It doesn’t matter what your relationship with Leila is," I said, my voice sharp and unyielding. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again—we're over. Don't ever try looking for me again."

Without another word, I turned on my heel and walked away, not sparing a single glance back. My steps were brisk and determined. I headed straight for the pack house, no longer caring where my body would lead me, as long as it wasn't here.

I had no intention of showing up at my parents' pack looking pitiful, so I needed to find somewhere else to go.

This time, I would erase Alpha Haynes completely from my life.

The next day dawned quietly, the morning light filtering through the windows of my room as I packed my belongings. It seemed the feast and gathering with the delegations had kept them all occupied, and Alpha Haynes had yet to return. His absence didn’t bother me; in fact, I welcomed it. It gave me the time I needed to prepare.

As I folded the last of my clothes, a document on the edge of the bed caught my eye. It was a proposal for an alliance with a group of wolves I hadn’t bothered to review. Something about them seemed suspicious, and I hadn’t wanted to waste my time on it. But now, as I held it in my hands, unease stirred in my chest. This report said that Leila trusted them, but from my knowledge, I knew she was not affiliated with any pack. No, it was not a pack... just a group of wolves whose aim, as per this document, was to gather powerful packs for the peace of the continent.

It was... too good to be true. But then, some were idealistic, were they?

Pushing the thought aside, I decided to head to the building where my office was, where Alpha Haynes, the elders, and Beta Ark also had their offices. If I could catch Beta Ark, perhaps I could at least lend this to him since I would leave this pack already.

When I reached his office, I noticed the door was slightly ajar. I was about to push it open when I heard voices from within. Instinctively, I stepped back and masked my presence, my heart pounding in my chest. It was a gift for a Lycan like me, the ability to hide not just my scent but also my very presence. I pressed myself against the wall, listening intently.

"Are you sure the Alpha of Bloodmoon Pack knows that his daughter is suffering here? Then why isn’t he making a move? He should be here right now, demanding to have his daughter back!" Leila’s voice was sharp, tinged with frustration.

I froze, my mind racing. What did they mean? Why would my father…?

Leila's voice continued, her tone lowering into something more sinister. "Wolves with Lycan lineage are very protective of their kind. If her father knew that Aeliana was suffering, he would make everyone suffer. But he's still not doing anything! The plan—"

This time, another voice interrupted, "Calm down, Leila. We can't rush this. I know you're already losing patience but think about it... if we fail, it will be harder for us. Making her suffer here within our touch and pushing the Alpha of Bloodmoon Pack to go out of his lair is easier than ambushing them in their territory. Pushing him to step out is the only way the organization can ambush him and get his precious Lycan heart— you know it's crucial to making our leader stronger."

I stifled a gasp, my blood running cold. What were they talking about? What organization? And what did they mean by my father’s heart?