The day after I gave birth to Alpha Albert’s pup, while our son was still fragile and my own wounds still fresh, he demanded I give up the Luna Suite.

For his old flame, Chloe, and her unborn child.

His reason? Chloe was close to her due date, and the suite’s unique moonlight energy was known to soothe expectant mothers and their pups.

I stared at him in disbelief. "But that's the Luna's suite. And our son? Doesn't he need that energy?"

Albert’s expression was hard as stone. "I owe her."

His voice was ice. "If I hadn't been forced into this mating with you, she never would have married that abusive bastard out of spite. You're the Luna. A small sacrifice won't kill you."

A small sacrifice.

He’d used that excuse to hurt me countless times since our union.

He missed our anniversary to play nursemaid to a sick Chloe. He forced me to give up my position as the pack's Head Healer for her…

This time, I didn't scream or fight. I just looked at him, my voice eerily calm. "Fine. I'll move."

Then I sent a message to my father, the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack: Father, come get me. I'm rejecting my mate bond with Albert.

"Eileen, Chloe's due soon. Her wolf is unstable. I need you to give up the Luna Suite and move into a guest room for now."

Albert's voice was an Alpha's command, leaving no room for argument.

I clutched our newborn pup to my chest. He was born just a day ago.

He was so fragile. The slightest thing could take him from me.

My body was still weak, the wound from childbirth still raw. Each movement sent a fresh jolt of pain through me.

And he wanted me to give up the Luna Suite.

"What?" I asked, sure I had misheard.

"The aura in there will be good for her and the pup," Albert said, avoiding my eyes. "She's fragile right now. She needs the best environment."

The Luna Suite was the most potent nexus of energy in the entire estate. It was a sacred space for the pack’s matriarch, a room that no one but the Luna had ever been allowed to use since the Silver Moon Pack was founded.

"Albert,I gave birth yesterday," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Our pup needs that energy to soothe his wolf. You can't—"

"Eileen!" he snapped, his voice sharp with impatience. "You're the Luna. Don't you have any compassion? Chloe was abused by her husband, and now she's pregnant. Can't you show her some sympathy?"

Abused?

I remembered seeing Chloe a while back. She’d had bruises on her face, it was true. But in her eyes, I saw more calculation than fear.

"I know this is difficult for you," Albert said, his tone softening slightly, but his decision was final. "But I owe her. If I hadn't been forced into this political marriage with you, I would have... She wouldn't have married that gambling, abusive bastard out of spite. Just put up with it for a little while."

I knew what he didn't say. I would have chosen her.

The Silver Moon Pack had been in crisis, forced to form an alliance with my father's Blood Moon Pack. And Chloe? The moment she heard Silver Moon might fall, she’d fled in the middle of the night, abandoning Albert completely.

But now she was back, crying about her abusive husband, and suddenly Albert was the one who owed her.

So he told me, again and again: Endure it.

Those words were like silver blades twisting in my heart.

I thought of all the other sacrifices. He’d missed our mating anniversary because Chloe was "sick." He’d given my position as the pack's top Healer to her...

Every time, he’d said, "Just this once." But there was always another "once." It never ended.

And now, when I was at my most vulnerable, he was asking me to give up the last shred of dignity I had as Luna.

"Okay," I heard myself say, my voice surprisingly calm.

Albert looked taken aback that I’d agreed so easily. A flicker of guilt crossed his face, and he reached for our pup, but I turned away.

"I'll move now."

He tried to help me pack, only to realize he had no idea what I needed. He ended up just standing there awkwardly, watching me.

An hour later, I stood in the guest room, holding my son.

Through the window, I saw Albert personally escorting Chloe into our home. He held her arm gently, as if she were his real mate.

"I feel so terrible, taking Eileen's room," Chloe's voice drifted up, dripping with fake guilt. "Maybe I should just stay in the basement? I know it's dark and damp, but…"

Albert cut her off immediately. "Don't be ridiculous," he said, his voice laced with concern. "Making this sacrifice is her duty. You're pregnant. You need the best care."

Chloe’s satisfied smile was audible in her voice. "Then… can you stay with me tonight? I'm scared to sleep alone."

After a few seconds of silence, Albert answered, "Okay."

Hearing that, I felt my heart shatter. But no tears came. Instead, a cold clarity washed over me.

This man would never, ever put me first. To him, my only value was in how much I could sacrifice for his guilt.

I looked down at the sleeping pup in my arms and made my decision.

I sent a text to my best friend, Sarah, a high-ranking enforcer and lawyer on the Werewolf Council.

Sarah, I need you to look up the legal process for severing a mate bond.

I'm done with Albert.

"Eileen, are you sure about this? This isn't a game."

Sarah's voice came through the phone, full of shock and concern.

"I've never been more sure of anything," I replied softly, not wanting to wake the baby.

Later that night, after I heard Albert go into his own room, I slipped into his study. My body ached with every step, the bones protesting, but my mind was sharper than ever. If I was leaving, I was taking back what was mine.

The security panel on the study door glowed red.

I typed in a series of numbers: our mating anniversary.

BEEP. ACCESS GRANTED.

The lock clicked open. I couldn't help but scoff. A man who clung to the past so much that he wouldn't even change a password could so easily betray his present mate.

I pulled up the pack’s most confidential files: "Pack Resource Allocation."

As I scrolled, my blood ran cold.

The records were clear. My dowry—the rare moonstones and dozens of chests of top-grade healing potions from the Blood Moon Pack—was mostly listed as "depleted" or "used for border support."

But when I dug deeper, I found that Albert had secretly given almost all of it to Chloe.

I took out my phone and photographed every piece of evidence of the theft of pack assets.

Then, I did something I never would have done as his "supportive Luna." I used my Luna ring to claim my highest authority and accessed his private messages. I had always trusted him, always deferred to his status as Alpha.

Not anymore.

That's when I found the conversation that sealed his fate.

Albert: [Image]

The photo was of a plant that glowed with a soft, ethereal blue light.

Albert: Chloe, I just found a prime Moon-Soul Herb in the pack vault. It works wonders for difficult pregnancies. I'll have someone send it to you tomorrow. Don't worry, even though you're carrying that bastard's child, I'll raise the pup as my own. I won't let you suffer.

Chloe: Thank you, Albert… You’re the only one who’s ever truly cared for me. But if you give this to me, won't Eileen be upset?

Albert: She doesn't need it. Her wolf is strong enough.

I stared at the picture of the Moon-Soul Herb, my knuckles white as I gripped the phone.

I took a sharp breath, the memory of my own near-death experience during the last trimester flooding back.

Just two months ago, carrying a pup with a powerful Alpha bloodline had nearly drained my life force. There were days I could barely hold my human form.

I had begged Albert to find me a Moon-Soul Herb to stabilize my pregnancy.

And what had he told me then?

He’d held my shoulders, his voice full of gentle regret. "Eileen, one of our respected elders needs it more. Just this once, let's give it to her. I know it's a sacrifice."

And I’d believed him. I’d told myself he was an Alpha putting his pack first, that it was the right thing to do.

But it was all a lie. In his eyes, my suffering—and the life of his own son—meant less than Chloe and her child.

Albert’s hypocrisy and deceit shattered the last bit of feeling I had for him.

I quickly bundled the chat logs and sent them to Sarah, erased my digital footprints, and slipped back to the guest room.

The next morning, Albert must have felt a sliver of guilt for kicking me out. For the first time in ages, he brought me breakfast himself, a plate of my favorite French omelet.

"Eileen, did you sleep well?" he asked, trying to make peace. "I was a bit harsh last night. Here, eat something."

I sat on the edge of the bed, nursing our son, and didn't even bother to look at him. My face was a calm, distant mask. He was nothing but air to me.

My silence clearly bothered him.

Albert's expression darkened, and he opened his mouth to speak, but a piercing scream from outside cut him off.

"Albert!"

The color drained from Albert’s face. The plate in his hands crashed to the floor, and he bolted out the door.

I followed him to the Luna suite, only to find Chloe lying on the bed, ghostly pale. The sheets beneath her were soaked in blood.

She was in premature labor.

She clutched her stomach, moaning in pain. “Albert… help me, it hurts so much…”

Albert grabbed her hand, his voice tight with panic as he yelled to the servants outside, “Get the Pack Healer! Now!”

The raw panic in his eyes was worse than anything I’d seen when I was bleeding out during my own labor just two days ago.

The Alpha’s personal healer arrived quickly and examined Chloe.

Albert immediately cornered him, demanding to know the cause.

The healer stammered, refusing to speak, and shot a strange glance in my direction.

A knot of dread formed in my stomach.

Finally, he spoke. “It-it’s the incense in the room. It was laced with Darkmoon herb… it harms a pregnant wolf’s spirit.”

Albert’s head snapped toward me.

My heart went cold under his judgmental gaze, and a bitter laugh escaped my lips. “You think I poisoned her?”

Even though my heart had already died for him, his instant suspicion still sent a sharp pain through my chest. I straightened my spine and met his eyes. “We’ve been mated for three years. Have you ever once seen me hurt anyone?”

He looked away, unable to meet my gaze. “That’s not what I meant…”

Just then, Chloe started calling for Albert from the bed.

He rushed to her side, letting her collapse against his chest as she sobbed.

“It’s all my fault,” she cried pitifully. “I shouldn’t have taken the Luna suite… but my baby is innocent, Eileen, how could you…”

“I didn’t!” I shot back, my voice loud and clear.

Chloe’s sobs grew more frantic. “Would I really risk my own baby’s life just to frame you?”

Before I could say another word, Albert roared, “Enough!”

He turned to me, his eyes filled with disgust, as if he were looking at a monster. “Eileen, I am so disappointed in you. To think you’d try to murder a pregnant woman out of jealousy!”

There were no cameras. And he refused to believe me.

He, my Alpha, my mate, had already condemned me.

I knew there was no point in arguing.

So I fell silent. My silence seemed to confirm his verdict. His voice was ice.

“In that case, you will take the pup and move to the house on the outskirts. You are not to set foot in the main pack house until you have reflected on your failures as a Luna.”

“Guards!”

At his command, several pack warriors entered, standing behind me like I was a criminal. “Luna, if you please.”

After being forced out of my own suite, I was now being thrown out of my home.

I swallowed the humiliation and took one last look at the man I had loved for three years.

“Albert, you will regret this.”

He just stared back at me, his face a cold mask.

I turned and walked away.

On the way, the guards watched me like a hawk, even though I had no strength left to run.

They brought me to the rundown house and left me with a final parting shot: “The Alpha says you are to reflect on your own. No one is permitted to serve you.” Then they were gone.

I looked at the dilapidated house, the dusty yard and furniture, and let out a sarcastic laugh.

Albert was so arrogant. He really thought I’d just roll over and take it, that I’d sit here and endure this shame like I always had.

I looked down at the sleeping pup in my arms. He seemed to sense my sorrow, his tiny brow furrowed.

I gently stroked his soft fur.

“Mama promises,” I whispered, “this is the last time. We will never bow to anyone again.”

Then I took out my phone and sent a text to my father, the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. "Father, come take me home. I'm breaking my mate bond with Albert."

His reply was a single word: [Wait.]

It wasn’t long before the powerful roar of engines grew louder. A convoy of six black, armored SUVs pulled up in front of the derelict house.

The doors opened in unison, and twenty of the Blood Moon’s elite guard stepped out. They were in full combat gear, the pack’s blood-red crescent moon emblazoned on their armor. Their eyes were cold, and the powerful aura of their wolves radiated from them.

The captain of the guard strode inside. The moment he saw me, the killer instinct in his eyes vanished. He dropped to one knee, placed his right hand over his heart, and bowed his head respectfully.

“My lady, on the Alpha’s orders, we are here to escort you home.”

I nodded, clutching my son, and walked past him without a second glance. I climbed into the extended Rolls-Royce Cullinan in the center of the convoy.

Once inside, I looked back through the window at the house, a symbol of my shame.

I would never come back here.

“This place is filthy,” I said calmly. “Burn it to the ground.”

“Yes, my lady!” the captain replied without hesitation.

The convoy pulled away. Behind me, flames erupted, swallowing the sordid past and turning it to ash.

Then I sent a message to Albert. "Albert, I am rejecting our mate bond."

"We're done. And I'm taking back what's mine. My lawyer will be in touch."

Meanwhile, the healer had determined Chloe’s poisoning wasn't severe. Despite the premature birth, she had delivered the pup safely.

But Albert’s relief was short-lived. The moment he saw the newborn pup, his face turned black with fury.

The pup’s unnaturally white fur and reddish eyes screamed a single, undeniable truth: this was the child of a rogue.

Humiliation and rage shattered his reason. A terrifying wave of his Alpha’s dominance exploded from him, making the glass in the room vibrate. The healer and servants buckled under the pressure, their legs giving out as they struggled to breathe.

He’d been played for a fool.

And for this lie, for this rogue’s bastard, he had thrown out his true mate—the Luna who had just given him a pure-blooded heir.

Just as he was about to give in to the urge to strangle Chloe, his phone buzzed. It was a message from Eileen.

“…rejecting our mate bond…”

“We’re done…”

Albert froze.

In that moment, Eileen’s last words to him echoed in his mind.

He truly, deeply regretted it.