Five winters ago, when Fredrik brought me back to his side within the Graywolf territory, I tried to explain why I had ended our bond.

He shook his head. "No need to explain. It does not matter."

Back then, I believed he understood me.

Now I knew he had never believed a single word.

"Fredrik, forget it. Caylin has always been skilled at pretending in front of men. Otherwise, how do you think she made your uncle fall so deeply for her?"

Zora slipped her fingers into his, her eyes flicking toward me with clear triumph.

Fredrik looked at me, his gaze filled with disappointment so deep it almost turned to disgust.

"There is a music gathering tomorrow night. I will take Zora. She has been learning the violin." He looked down at me, his tone firm. "Give her the Mooncrest violin."

I stared at him, unable to believe what I heard.

That Mooncrest violin. Five winters ago, when I returned, he had spent an enormous fortune at auction to claim it. It was a rare relic, the only one of its kind.

I had treated it as the symbol of our new beginning. No one was allowed to touch it.

Once, one of his relatives secretly took it to play. She was expelled from the Graywolf estate that same day.

Back then, Fredrik had protected me without hesitation, warning the entire pack that anything belonging to me could not be touched.

And now, he wanted me to place it into Zora’s hands myself.

My chest tightened as if something heavy was crushing it.

I looked at his face. There was no space to refuse.

Slowly, I nodded.

"Fine. I will give it to her."

Fredrik held my gaze for a moment, then wrapped his arm around Zora and left.

The villa was well sealed, yet it could not fully block the soft cries and broken breaths from the room next door.

I was not sad. The pain in my stomach had only grown worse.

Lying curled on the bed, I saw my crystal communicator light up. A message from Dante.

[Caylin, everything is prepared. I will come for you in two days.]

I held the cold crystal communicator tightly and closed my eyes.

Two days until the mating ceremony.

The next morning, I handed the violin to Zora.

She opened the case right away and lifted the bow.

A harsh sound cut through the air, sharp enough to make anyone uneasy.

Then she took out a pair of scissors and, without hesitation, cut the strings one by one. The strings I had specially commissioned from a master craftsman.

"These strings are terrible. I cannot even play a proper note."

Zora looked at me, a mocking smile on her lips.

I did not respond. I turned and walked away.

As I passed the study, I heard Fredrik speaking with a relative.

"I heard you gave Zora the Bloodmoon Bracelet and the earrings. Now you even made Caylin give up that violin?"

"Caylin lost her pup trying to save you. Her parents died pulling you out of that fire. You treat her like this. Are you not afraid she will leave?"

I stopped walking.

Fredrik’s voice came out calm and careless.

"Leave? She has no pack. Where can she go?"

"Besides, she needs to let go of that useless pride and understand who holds power here. Once she behaves and stops troubling Zora, I will allow her to stay."

His relative sighed.

"Are you not worried she will truly give up on you?"

Fredrik let out a short laugh, full of disdain.

"She was raised to chase wealth. Whoever holds power, she follows."

"Why else would she leave me back then and go to Layne?"

"Now that the Graywolf power is mine, she clings to me like a shadow. Do you really think she would walk away?"

The other voice pressed again. "But what happened back then... will you not at least hear her side?"

Fredrik answered with a faint smile, his voice cold.

"She’s not worth it."

Cold spread through my entire body. I could not stop trembling.

So he had never understood.

All this time, he believed I left him for power, and returned for the same reason. So he kept me by his side while slowly crushing my dignity.

Five winters ago, Fredrik buried my parents, set aside hatred, and told me he would give me a home.

But my parents had died in the flames saving him. And I had spent two winters beside Layne, secretly gathering proof of his crimes, then sending it all to Fredrik.

That was why Fredrik could defeat Layne and rise as heir.

The one not worth anything was not me.

It was Fredrik Graywolf.

My nails pressed into my palms. Blood fell slowly, one drop after another. I felt nothing.

I stepped back quietly and disappeared into the shadows of the corridor.

"Lady Celviere!"

An old voice called out from deep within the hallway.

It was Edgar, the old steward who had served the Graywolf Pack for forty winters.

He had watched Fredrik grow from a young wolf into an Alpha and had seen everything that happened between us.

Edgar stepped closer, shaking his head. "Lady, why don’t you explain to Alpha Graywolf? You gave up so much for him back then."

I smiled faintly. "Do you think words would change anything? What was between him and me should have ended seven winters ago."

Edgar frowned deeply.

"I fear that one day he will regret this, Lady."

"He has nothing to regret. He has the pack, the power, and the woman he loves. He already has everything he ever wanted."

I smiled softly.

Back then, I had no choice. For Fredrik’s sake, I agreed to form a bond with Layne, who was obsessed with me.

I never thought things would connect again between me and Fredrik.

But when he fought his way to the top of the Graywolf pack and came to take me back himself, hope still rose in my heart.

I told myself that the bond we formed when we were eighteen would not break. That even if misunderstandings grew between us, our feelings would remain.

But Fredrik never gave me the chance to speak.

I returned to the bedroom and took out the old album I had hidden.

Every page held memories of us.

His smile under the sunlight. His hand slipping into mine. His jacket resting over my shoulders when I fell asleep.

I removed the framed portrait from the wall.

Two weeks ago, I had stood beside him, smiling, believing I held the whole world.

I threw both the album and the portrait into the trash.

Ten winters of misplaced love. It was time to let go.

Footsteps came from behind. Zora entered.

Her eyes drifted to the trash, and a small smile appeared on her lips.

"Caylin, I told Fredrik I fear the dark, and he said this room is the brightest in the house. He wants me to stay here." She tilted her head slightly. "So pack your things quickly. I need the space."

This room filled with sunlight carried too many memories of my life with Fredrik.

I once believed I would give birth to his pups here and remain for the rest of my life.

I looked at Zora’s satisfied expression and lowered my gaze.

"Alright. It is yours, Luna."

I packed quickly. I did not take anything Fredrik had given me. Everything I owned fit into a single case.

I moved into a storage room near the entrance. It would be easier to leave when the time came.

As I opened the door, dust filled the air, making me cough. The room was messy, the bed covered in old items.

But it was enough for one night.

One night was all that remained.

Past four in the morning, the temperature dropped sharply. Cold wind howled outside like a wounded beast.

Fredrik returned, carrying the chill of the night with him.

Edgar stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Alpha, Lady Celviere has moved to the storage room. Her health is not good. Perhaps you could..."

Fredrik’s face darkened. He walked straight to the storage room and pushed the door open with force.

I sat on the edge of the bed, taking my medicine. He stood at the door, his jaw tight, his eyes burning.

"Caylin, what are you trying to prove? Who are you acting for now?"

I looked at him, confused. "Didn’t you tell me to leave the room?"

"Zora only wanted the main room. She didn’t ask you to live in a place like this. Are you trying to make others think I mistreat you?"

I smiled calmly. "It doesn’t matter where I sleep."

He grabbed my wrist, took the medicine from my hand, and pushed me onto the dusty bed. Before I could react, he pressed his lips against mine.

I could not avoid it, so I bit down hard.

Fredrik pulled back at once. I wiped my lips again and again.

His touch felt unbearable.

His eyes turned cold and sharp. "Don’t wipe it away. Who do you think you are to feel disgusted? I have not even spoken about your past."

His words cut deeply. He always knew how to hurt me the most.

As I struggled, he tore open my clothes, revealing the scar on my lower abdomen. I got that scar before he left, when I stepped into danger to protect him and our unborn pup. The impact broke my ribs and took my five-month pup from me. I almost died that day.

Fredrik stared at the scar. For a brief moment, something like regret appeared in his eyes, but it disappeared quickly.

"You keep this scar as a reminder. Is this how you make me feel guilty?"

"Caylin, I owe you nothing. The most shameful person here is you. Do not forget what you did before."

I held back my tears and laughed.

"You are right, Alpha. I am shameful. I have never seen it so clearly before, how rotten I truly am."

Fredrik’s voice lashed across the room like a cracking whip, carrying the pressure of an Alpha’s command.

"Enough! Stop this performance. Zora is sof-hearted person. The sight of those ugly scars on your body frightened her. She has been waking from nightmares every night."

"You enjoy acting so much? Then leave this territory and stop terrifying her."

He was waiting for me to break. Waiting for me to lower myself, to beg him with my own voice.

I looked at his face, twisted by anger, his aura heavy with dominance, and felt nothing at all. My heart was still, like a lake long gone cold.

I did not argue or even cry.

"I will leave now."

I picked up my suitcase and walked past him.

Fredrik’s eyes followed my back. When he saw me open the storage room door without a single ripple of emotion, his jaw tightened so hard the sound of his teeth grinding echoed faintly.

He chased after me and tore the suitcase from my grasp.

"You really think I will not touch you, Caylin?"

"Let us see which pack in this entire city would dare shelter you once you step outside that gate."

He lifted the suitcase high and smashed it onto the ground.

The impact split a corner apart. Something rolled out and slid across the floor.

An emerald brooch, glowing faintly under the light, set with diamonds that shimmered like captured moonlight.

The heirloom of the Rydell bloodline, given to me by Dante.

I bent to retrieve it, but a pale hand reached it first.

Zora’s eyes gleamed as she lifted it. "This is beautiful. Fredrik, I love it. May I wear it?"

She had already fastened it onto her chest before finishing her words.

That brooch was the only thing in this world that truly belonged to me.

Without hesitation, I reached out, my voice sharp and cold. "I have given up everything else. Not this. Give it back to me."

Zora flinched like a frightened rabbit and hid in Fredrik’s arms.

He pulled her close, a surge of Alpha fury rising from him.

"The jade bracelet you could give away. The ruby earrings you handed over without a word. But this useless item is suddenly forbidden? Zora likes it. Give it to her."

I parted my lips to refuse, but Zora’s gaze flickered. She unclasped the brooch.

"It is alright, Caylin. Here, I will return it."

Her eyes reddened instantly.

"You may make things difficult for me if you wish. Just please stop placing Fredrik in such a hard position."

"You have always loved wealth above all else, right? I will give you everything I own. I am not like you. All I want is Fredrik’s heart."

Tears filled her eyes, her face full of devotion and sincerity. As if I were truly nothing more than a greedy and shameless woman.

She extended the brooch toward me. Then her fingers loosened.

It fell onto the marble floor and shattered into pieces. Every drop of blood in my body turned cold.

Zora covered her mouth.

"Oh no, you did not catch it. What a pity. It was such fine emerald."

I stared at the broken fragments scattered across the ground, and the pain tore through my chest like claws ripping flesh.

I couldn’t hold back any longer. My hand rose and struck her across the face.

"Ah!"

She cried out and fell into Fredrik’s arms.

The next moment, a much harsher blow struck my cheek, burning like fire.

"You are seeking death, Caylin."

My vision darkened. My body lost balance and fell into the freezing pool beside us.

Zora’s cry pierced through the air.

"It hurts. It hurts so much, Fredrik."

He held her tightly. He watched me struggle and gasp in the icy water, and the only thing in his eyes was anger.

Edgar rushed over, his face turning pale.

"She cannot swim."

Fredrik stood at the edge of the pool, his voice carrying the weight of an Alpha decree.

"Anyone who helps her can leave this pack with her."

Freezing water rushed into my nose and mouth. Through the shifting surface, I saw Fredrik lower his head to Zora’s swollen cheek, gently blowing on it, his expression filled with care and pain.

Then he lifted her into his arms and carried her inside.

He didn’t look back. Not even once.

Strangely, my heart no longer ached. I only felt tired. Tired, and finished.

In the end, Edgar could not endure it. He ordered someone to pull me out.

I knelt beside the pool, coughing out icy water, my whole body trembling as if my bones were breaking apart.

"Let me take you to the healer."

I tightened the cloth around my shoulders, my teeth shaking. "Thank you, Edgar. I am fine."

I gathered my scattered belongings and limped toward the gate. "From now on, you don’t need to serve me, because I am no longer a future Luna of this pack."

Edgar hurried after me, panic in his voice. "Where will you go, Lady?"

"Anywhere. As long as it is far from him, anywhere will do."

The old butler stopped moving. In the cold wind, a heavy sigh escaped him.

The gates of the manor closed slowly behind me.

I stepped into the howling wind, my body trembling, but I did not turn back. Not toward that golden cage where I had lived for five winters and been trapped for five more.

My feet sank into the snow. I did not know how long I had been walking when my crystal communicator lit up.

A message from Dante.

[My Luna, I arrived early. Twenty minutes away. Are you ready?]

Snow fell heavily, and the wind cut into me like sharp blades.

I kept moving, shaking so badly I could barely control my body. My legs grew numb, each step like walking on blades.

Just as my sight blurred and my knees began to give way, a carriage rushed toward me from the opposite direction.

The tires screeched as it stopped just inches away.

The door opened.

"Caylin?"

A man jumped out and ran toward me, ignoring the storm.

He caught me as I collapsed. When he saw my soaked body, my skin pale with cold, his eyes turned red with fury.

He removed his coat and wrapped it around me, shielding me from the cold completely.

"Was it that beast Graywolf? Did he do this to you?"

His voice trembled with rage and pain. "I will tear apart anyone who dared harm you."

I leaned weakly against his chest, my face numb.

"I am sorry. The brooch you gave me. I couldn’t protect it. Zora destroyed it."

The image of the shattered heirloom made the guilt unbearable.

"It’s only an object. No matter its value, it is nothing compared to you. If you liked it, I will have another made."

Dante lifted me into his arms and placed me gently in the back seat.

He climbed in beside me, ordered the driver to raise the heat, then pulled me close. He removed my wet shoes and pressed my frozen feet between his warm hands.

"Don’t cry, sweetheart. I do not want my bride to arrive at her own ceremony with swollen eyes."

Only then did I realize tears had been falling.

I raised my hand to wipe them away, then suddenly froze.

My eyes widened. I pushed myself upright, nearly hitting the roof of the car.

I stared at him, whole, strong, completely unharmed.

"You were supposed to be weak and unable to move."

The black vehicle sped toward the airport, disappearing into the storm.

Meanwhile, inside the Graywolf manor, the air had turned heavy and suffocating.

Fredrik sat on the sofa, staring at the falling snow, his expression cold as stone.

His grip tightened around his crystal communicator until it creaked. At last, he typed a message and sent it.

[Had enough? Then come back inside. Remember this. There will not be a second chance.]

He waited. Keep waited. Until the sky darkened, but still no reply. Not even a sign of me at the gate.

He tore off his tie and threw the cup of tea offered by a servant onto the floor.

The clock showed eight in the evening.

It had been nearly four hours since he cast me into that frozen pool.