With a mix of nervousness and excitement, I told Enzo the news.

It felt like my heart was being split in two. One half told me not to be delusional. Enzo would surely make me get rid of the pup. He didn't love me—he loved Charlotte.

The other half asked what if—what if he allowed me to keep the pup? After all, I was his true mate.

A true mate meant a resonance of souls, a call of instinct—it was the only tenderness werewolves couldn't resist. Was I truly that unappealing to him?

Enzo stared at me with a deep gaze, and I couldn't read his thoughts. After a moment of silence, he said, "I'll claim you. Let's get married."

I stood frozen, overwhelmed with joy and excitement. I even cried tears of happiness.

After years of unrequited love finally being fulfilled, I threw myself into his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

Enzo cupped my face and gently wiped my tears away. "You look ugly when you cry. Don't cry anymore once you marry me."

I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't say a word and just kept nodding.

He showed me a stunning smile and asked, "Are you that happy to marry me?"

"Yes! So happy! This is the happiest day of my life!" I replied.

I tiptoed to kiss him, and he didn't pull away—he just looked at me with indulgence.

At that moment, I truly believed he loved me too. Sadly, it was only my illusion, and I was mistaken once again.

There was no wedding, no honeymoon, not even a blessing from our parents—Enzo and I only marked each other privately, and that counted as our marriage.

Married life was nothing like the happy future I had imagined.

Even after marking me, Enzo couldn't let go of Charlotte. He often stared blankly at photos and videos of Charlotte on his phone. I was forbidden to touch the gifts they had exchanged.

Sometimes, just a polite greeting from Charlotte on the street would leave him reminiscing for days.

Because of our mate bond, I could feel it every time he missed Charlotte. Yet he made no effort to hide it from me.

Eventually, we started arguing repeatedly with each other.

Enzo was used to me pleasing him, and he never yielded to me in anything, especially not in words. Once, he even mocked me outright, "Lynn, stop bringing up the marking. You don't seriously think you're a real Luna, do you?

"You've been tagging along behind me for years, and you saw everything between me and Charlotte. You of all people should know how deep our feelings run.

"Yes, I love her. And yes, I can't forget her. I marked you just to satisfy your wish—what more do you want?"

At that moment, his words felt like a knife plunging into my heart. It was true—no one knew how much Enzo loved Charlotte better than I did.

Enzo was the Alpha heir of the Redmoon Pack. He had been admired since childhood and possessed extraordinary strength and leadership skills. After becoming Alpha, he doubled the size of the pack.

He was so powerful, so proud—it felt like no one could ever bring him to his knees.

Yet, he had fallen in love with Charlotte at first sight in school, and he was willing to break all his principles for her.

Once, when Charlotte was abducted by an enemy pack's werewolves, they forced Enzo to exchange one of his bones for her. Without hesitation, he ripped out a rib.

I was there that day too—I had secretly guided the Redmoon pack's warriors to the site. When we arrived, Enzo was covered in injuries and profusely bleeding, but Charlotte lay safe beneath him and was completely unharmed.

At that time, I was envious of her and thought that Charlotte was extremely fortunate.

But wasn't I Enzo's true mate now?

When I thought of that, my lips quivered, and I asked Enzo with a choked voice, "If you love her so much, why did you mark me in the first place?"

He sneered and shot back, "If you hadn't gotten pregnant, do you really think I would've married you?"

At that, I felt my dignity being completely shattered by him.

Enzo slammed the door and left, and I had no idea how long it took me to catch my breath again.

In a daze, I walked out of the house without taking anything with me.

I stared blankly ahead as I wandered aimlessly through unfamiliar streets.

Then, it started raining. I didn't bring an umbrella, and I also had no idea where to hide. The "home" that once brought me warmth and contentment now only suffocated me.

Without realizing it, I arrived at the lakeside. My reflection was shattered by the raindrops—just like my broken soul.

Perhaps the rain was coming down too hard, for I slipped and fell into the lake. The icy water rushed into my lungs, and I struggled for a moment before stopping.

What was the point of struggling? What was the point of living?

Maybe dying like this wasn't so bad. After all, I was just a burden to everyone else.

But the Moon Goddess must not have heard my plea—because somehow, I opened my eyes again. I hadn't died.

When I woke up, Enzo was right there by my hospital bed. He looked exhausted and worn down, with bloodshot eyes, messy hair, and an unshaven face.

He was holding my hand tightly, and the moment I woke up, he noticed right away.

"Lynn, you're finally awake…" he muttered.

At that moment, Enzo truly looked happy. Although he looked tired, he also carried the joyful look of regaining something precious that he had lost.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my throat was dry and sore.

Enzo immediately brought me water. From the look on his face, he would've fetched the moon if I'd asked.

"I'm sorry, Lynn. I shouldn't have said those hurtful things, and I never should've left you alone. I'll never treat you like that again, I swear. I'll do whatever you want—just please don't give up. I can't lose you or the pup," he pleaded.

I looked down at my belly—it was still round and full. My pup was stronger than me.

There was indeed something I wanted Enzo to do. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and said, "Enzo, reject me."

He froze, frowning as he stared at me.

"Don't be silly. This isn't the time for tantrums. What matters now is regaining your health," he said.

I persisted, "I'm serious. Go be with Charlotte."

"Don't mention her!" Enzo suddenly shouted. "You're the true mate I marked, so why would I go to her? Let's not ever mention her again, okay?"

I had to admit that his words touched me right in the heart at that moment. I shut my eyes and fought the tears threatening to spill, but they still streamed down uncontrollably.

He gently pulled me into his arms. "Alright, don't cry. I know you can't bear to part with me. Even though you love me so much, you still dared to talk about rejection? If I really rejected you, wouldn't you just jump into the lake again?" he teased.

"You don't need to worry about that!"

"If I don't worry about that, then who will? I've looked after you since we were kids—I'm not stopping now," he said resolutely.

I couldn't argue with him, so I said nothing more.

…

Honestly, I didn't really believe Enzo's words, but from then on, he seemed like a different person.

He started coming home more and constantly tended to me.

The pregnancy made me sweat often, and I usually woke up drenched in cold sweat. Whenever I stirred at night, he would come over without even opening his eyes as he fumbled to help me change. "Lynn, are you uncomfortable? Come here into my arms…"

I felt my cold heart slowly warm up to him again. Maybe he really had been scared witless—many people only realized their feelings after they had almost lost something. Perhaps he was one of them—after this accident, he finally knew he loved me.

That was until I secretly overheard Enzo talking on the phone with a friend.

"It's fine. I've already coaxed her back to my side," he said casually. "Even a dog would earn some affection after so many years. And Lynn—she's even more loyal than a dog."

I stood there behind the door, stunned as I felt my whole body turn cold.

So, this was how he saw me—a dog wagging its tail desperately for his attention?

The moment Enzo hung up the phone and turned around to see me, he froze.

I felt an exhaustion that reached the depths of my heart, so I said nothing and just turned to return to the bedroom.

After a while, Enzo came in as well. He hugged me from behind, rested his head on my shoulder, and whispered in an extremely gentle voice in my ear, "Lynn, what you just heard isn't true. I was busy, and it was just something I said to brush them off.

"I love you, Lynn. That's the reason I'm willing to do all of this for you."

That was the first time I'd heard the word "love" from his mouth, but I didn't feel the joy I had imagined—because I no longer dared to believe him.

Was his love real or fake? I couldn't tell.

Maybe my silence made him notice something, and he continued, "Don't overthink it, Lynn. I told you, I'll treat you well from now on.

"I know you mind the relationship between me and Charlotte. I promise I'll never think about her again. I'll only think about you. The two of us will live our lives—she'll have nothing to do with it."

I really wished I had the courage to say "no" to him. But in reality, after a long internal struggle, I just nodded humbly and said, "Okay."

Enzo smiled in satisfaction, and then in the days that followed, he grew cold toward me again.

He was always like this—when we were young, he'd make me cry and then patiently mollify me. Once I was soothed, he'd return to his arrogant and indifferent self.

I knew I shouldn't have forgiven him so easily. But my life was too barren—no one loved me, and even if Enzo's love was poisonous, it was the only sweetness I had.

Enzo knew I couldn't leave him, so he acted without fear—he could even throw me heartlessly into the dangerous hunting grounds.

I didn't know what he was thinking when he kicked me out of the car. Maybe he was desperate to see Charlotte, or maybe he simply thought I would be like before—coming back eagerly even after being abandoned.

But this time, he would truly be disappointed—because I had already become a ghost.

…

When I regained awareness, I was already back by Enzo's side.

I was floating in mid-air, invisible to everyone. This was different from when I fell into the lake—this time, I was truly dead.

At that point, it had been two days since he'd left me at the hunting grounds.

Even if I didn't want to do it, I still followed Enzo against my will.

What was the meaning of this? I lived as his follower in life, and now I had to continue even after death?

I didn't understand what was going on, so I could only observe what Enzo was doing.

He parked his car outside the bar where he often met his friends. Unlike before—when Enzo was always flattered by others—no one paid him any attention today.

Everyone present had strange expressions, exchanging glances but saying nothing.

"What's wrong? Am I not welcome here?" Enzo joked. He smiled, grabbed a bottle of wine, and sat down casually.

Theo Russell, his closest Beta, broke the awkward silence. He poured Enzo a drink and cautiously asked, "Alpha, why are you here too? Have you taken care of the Luna's matters?"

"Don't worry. Within three days, she'll return obediently," Enzo said in his usual arrogant tone. It was a common trait of those in power and was a symbol of his charm.

If it had been before, these people would have instantly flattered and praised him for knowing how to "discipline" his wife and balance both career and family—it was very admirable.

Enzo also enjoyed these half-truthful compliments. After all, an Alpha needed others' praise to assert his authority.

But this time, everyone fell silent, and two she-wolves who usually got along with me scowled.

Enzo was a little baffled and raised his eyebrow, asking, "You don't believe me? Want to bet on it? I bet that within three days, Lynn will definitely come back to me."

Theo looked at him with shock and sympathy. "We believe you. Of course, we do. But Alpha, didn't you feel any discomfort in your body two days ago? Or any negative emotions?"

"Nope," Enzo replied. "My body has always been healthy. As for emotions? Only Lynn could affect me emotionally, so I'd blocked the mate link a long time ago."

"I can't listen to this anymore!" someone suddenly yelled.

A she-wolf stood up and glared at Enzo viciously, asking, "Why are you showing up here with such a relaxed attitude? Are you doing this on purpose? You should just go to Charlotte—I think she's the only one who'll still welcome you."

She then walked out without hesitation, and many others followed her out. One of the werewolves even poured a glass of wine over Enzo's head before leaving.

"This is what you deserve! The Moon Goddess would approve of what I did!" The werewolf stared straight into Enzo's eyes without fear. "If you want to punish me, go ahead."

As a wise and powerful Alpha, Enzo had never been treated with such disrespect. Theo immediately stepped between them—not to mediate, but to prevent Enzo from lashing out violently.

Strangely, the usually hot-tempered Enzo didn't get angry. With his head soaked in wine, he silently looked around at everyone.

Even I thought he would explode in fury and call the guards to arrest them—but he did nothing. He just turned around and left.

Before Enzo left, he simply said, "None of you understand her. I'm the one she loves most in the world. Lynn will definitely come back within three days."