Over the next few days, Kael became exceptionally attentive.

He drew hot baths for me, cooked my favorite mushroom soup, and constantly asked how I was feeling.

"Did that old shaman scare you the other day? She's reckless."

He sat beside me, his arm wrapped tightly around me. "From now on, just tell me if something's wrong. Don't go to outsiders again."

"Okay." I leaned against him, feeling the superficial warmth of his embrace.

Suddenly, a thought brushed against Kael’s mind through a link—one that wasn't mine. It was a private mind-link from another wolf.

And it was a woman's voice, alluring and seductive.

Kael's body went rigid. His wolf gave off a scent of longing.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"My Beta has an urgent matter to discuss." He stood up quickly. "I'm just going to the study."

"But it's late…"

"It'll only be a moment." He kissed my forehead, but the gesture was rushed and perfunctory.

After he left the living room, I used my sharp wolf hearing to track his footsteps.

He didn't go to the study.

He went to the back garden.

Ten minutes later, my phone buzzed with an anonymous message.

A video file.

I opened it. By the moonlit lake, Kael and Selene were locked in a tight embrace.

He was gently placing a wolf-fang necklace around her neck.

The same one I'd seen in his safe.

Then they kissed.

A deep, lingering kiss.

My weak wolf let out an enraged howl that only I could hear.

The mate mark on my chest burned—the tell-tale sign of betrayal.

The video's timestamp showed: one month ago.

The message vanished a moment later, but the image was seared into my mind.

I knew it was Selene.

She was declaring war.

Three days later was the alliance ceremony for the five great North American packs.

I dressed meticulously in a deep blue evening gown.

It was my first time appearing at such an event as a Luna.

But Kael’s attention wasn't on me at all.

His nostrils flared, searching for a specific scent.

Until Selene appeared.

She wore a silver gown, her wolf giving off a pure, intoxicating scent.

Every Alpha in the room instinctively turned to her.

Kael immediately left my side and strode toward her.

"Selene, you look beautiful tonight."

He took her hand and gently kissed the back of it.

I stood frozen, watching my mate openly display affection for another she-wolf.

"Everyone," Kael raised his glass to all the Alphas present, "I have an important announcement. The Silver Moon pack and the Red Fang pack will form the deepest of strategic alliances."

Thunderous applause.

"Alpha Selene is not only beautiful, but a symbol of wisdom and strength. She will be the most outstanding heir for the Red Fang pack."

Kael's gaze rested on Selene, full of affection. "I am confident that under her leadership, our cooperation will usher in a new era for our packs."

Selene blushed, lowering her head shyly.

"Thank you, Alpha Kael, for your trust and... support."

Just then, an Alpha from a northern pack stood up.

"Alpha Kael, I have a question."

"Please."

The Alpha brought the microphone to Kael. "Alpha Kael... you have yet to complete the final bonding ceremony with your Luna. Is it because you're waiting to mate with the Alpha heir of the Red Fang pack instead?"

The room fell silent.

All eyes were on Kael.

Kael looked at the expectant crowd and slowly raised his glass.

His wolf exuded a complex scent.

It held the confidence of an Alpha, but also a deeply hidden desire.

"Fellow Alphas," his voice was low and magnetic, "the Luna ceremony is indeed sacred. I trust that when the Moon Goddess guides me to my true mate, everything will fall into place."

He gave Selene a look so tender it was palpable, a silent vow that everyone in the room could feel.

"As for Selene..." he paused, "she is indeed a very special she-wolf. If only she weren't already mated to Alpha Ethan."

The room erupted in suggestive laughter and whistles.

Every wolf understood his implication.

I felt the mate mark on my chest burn, threatening to consume me.

"Then let us continue with tonight's festivities," an elder stood up. "It is now time to unveil this year's most important project—the new defensive rune matrix for the five-pack alliance."

A complex and exquisite rune pattern was projected onto the large screen.

I froze.

That was my design.

Three years ago, when I was still the heir of the Red Fang pack, I had designed this original rune matrix to protect our territory.

It had taken me six months of painstaking work, blending ancient Moon Goddess blessings with modern defensive concepts.

"This masterpiece was designed by the heir of our Red Fang pack, Alpha Selene," the elder's voice boomed. "Her talent and wisdom are astonishing."

Selene stood and bowed gracefully.

"A truly genius design!"

"As expected of the future of the Red Fang pack!"

"Alpha Selene is as brilliant as she is beautiful!"

Praises echoed throughout the hall.

My wolf roared within me. Even suppressed by Silver Dust, the rage made it struggle to break free.

That was my work!

My blood, sweat, and tears!

"No!" I shot to my feet, my voice ringing through the hall. "That's not her design!"

All eyes snapped to me.

I strode toward the stage.

"That rune matrix is mine! It was my original design for the Red Fang pack three years ago!"

I pointed at the screen. "Look here, this lunar phase transition rune, and this energy flow path—these are my unique creations!"

The hall erupted in an uproar.

Selene’s face turned pale, but she quickly composed herself, her eyes welling with crocodile tears.

"Clara, how could you say that… this really is my design…" her voice trembled. "I know you're upset about losing the inheritance, but…"

"Liar!" I cut her off angrily. "The core concept of this design is based on my research of ancient Moon Goddess runes. You couldn't possibly—"

"Enough!"

Kael’s furious voice thundered, carrying the full force of his Alpha command.

The entire hall fell silent. Every wolf was stunned into submission, instinctively bowing their heads.

And I, as his mate, bore the brunt of the impact.

My wolf instantly recoiled, my body trembling uncontrollably.

"Clara!" Kael strode toward me.

His eyes were completely gold, glowing with a dangerous light. "What are you doing?!"

"I'm telling the truth!" Even under his pressure, I held my ground. "That's my design!"

"You're out of control," Kael said coldly, then turned to the crowd. "My apologies, everyone. My Luna, due to the trauma to her wolf, sometimes suffers from... episodes. Delusions of persecution."

A wave of sympathetic murmurs went through the crowd.

"A wolfless mate is often mentally unstable..."

"Poor Luna..."

"Alpha Kael is so considerate, still protecting her like this..."

"Guards!" Kael commanded. "Take the Luna back to her room to rest. She needs to calm down."

Two guards immediately stepped forward, politely but firmly taking my arms.

"No! Let me finish! It really is my design!" I struggled, but it was useless.

Selene walked over and took my hand with false sympathy.

"Clara, you're tired. Get some rest. Everything will be alright."

Her voice was gentle, but her eyes gleamed with triumph.

I was escorted out of the hall.

By the time I got home, it was late.

I sat alone in the living room, a storm of anger and despair raging inside me.

At two in the morning, Kael returned.

He smelled of alcohol and Selene’s vanilla scent.

Clearly, they had spent more time together after the gala.

"Clara," he stood before me, his tone cold. "We need to talk."

"Talk about what? How you humiliated me in public? Or how you helped Selene steal my work?"

"That wasn't your design," he stated flatly. "Your wolf was damaged three years ago. You couldn't have completed such a complex rune project."

"You know that's not true!"

"What I know is that your behavior tonight embarrassed me in front of every Alpha!" His eyes began to glow gold again. "How could a Luna publicly question the heir of another pack? Do you have any idea how that affects our alliance?"

"So in your eyes, a political alliance is more important than the truth?"

"In my eyes, your health and safety are what matter most." He suddenly lunged forward, pinning me to the sofa. "Perhaps I've been too lenient with you. It's time to complete our final mating ritual."

His wolf radiated a powerful possessiveness and control.

His Alpha scent pressed down on me, suffocating.

This wasn't love. It was conquest.

"No," I pushed back. "Not now."

"Why not?" he kissed my neck forcefully, right over my mate mark. "You're my Luna. This is your duty."

Duty.

Not because of love, but duty.

I shoved him away with all my might, tears in my eyes.

"Kael, who do you really want to mark? Me, or Selene?"

After I pushed him away, a flicker of hurt crossed Kael’s eyes, quickly replaced by fury.

His scent turned dangerous.

An Alpha’s instinct was to take his mate by force.

"Clara, you can't refuse me like this," his voice was low and threatening. "I am your Alpha."

"You are, but not now." I hugged myself tightly. "I need time to calm down."

He stared at me for a long moment before finally scoffing and heading upstairs.

The next morning, Kael came downstairs, his expression all business, clearly on his way to manage the fallout from last night.

"Clara, about last night..." He sat across from me, his expression serious. "I've looked into the matter."

I put down my coffee cup and looked at him.

"He blamed a low-ranking data clerk from the Red Fang pack, a man named Marcus. He confessed to stealing your design drafts three years ago and presenting them to Selene."

Kael’s face was calm, as if he were recounting a trivial matter. "Selene is innocent. She merely used the drafts as inspiration, improving upon the original concept."

I couldn't believe my ears.

"And you expect me to believe such a ridiculous story?"

"Marcus has already signed a confession and been exiled from the pack."

Kael stood up, adjusting his tie. "The matter is closed. Clara, I need you to let it go. Selene is innocent, and you shouldn't have humiliated her in public."

"Humiliated her?" I shot up from my chair. "She's the one who stole my design!"

"Enough!" His wolf gave off an impatient scent. "The matter has been investigated. What you need to do now is consider the bigger picture."

The bigger picture.

Always the bigger picture.

"Tomorrow night is Selene and her mate Ethan’s anniversary party."

Kael picked up his briefcase. "You will attend with me, you will apologize to her, and you will present a united front for our alliance."

"I'm not going."

"You will go," his tone left no room for argument. "As the Luna of the Silver Moon pack, it is your duty."

After he left, I sat alone in the dining room, the anger in my chest about to explode.

Just then, my encrypted phone vibrated.

A message from Europe: [Extraction greenlit. Three days, midnight, North Harbor docks. Codeword: Moonlight Forest. We are go.]

The sender: A.M.

I knew it was from my grandfather's assistant, Ben.

Looking at the message, a surge of excitement washed over me.

In three days, I would be free from this nightmare.

As I was about to delete the message, I heard footsteps from the study.

Kael's back?

My thumbs flew, and I quickly switched to my spam folder, pretending to clean out my inbox.

"Forgot a file." Kael appeared in the living room, but his gaze landed on my phone. "What are you looking at?"

"Just clearing out spam," I said casually. "Shopping ads and stuff."

He walked over, his nostrils flaring slightly.

A wolf's sense of smell is incredibly keen; he could smell the change in my emotional scent.

"You were excited just now," he frowned. "Why?"

"Probably saw a good discount," I said calmly. "You know how it is with a good sale."

He stared at me for a few seconds, trying to determine if I was lying.

"Let me see your phone."

"Why?"

"I'm your Alpha. I have the right to know what you're doing." He held out his hand. "The phone."

I had no choice but to hand it over.

He scrolled through my spam, then checked my inbox and sent mail.

Thankfully, I had already deleted all relevant messages.

"Just junk mail," he said, handing the phone back, but his eyes were still full of suspicion. "Clara, if you're hiding something from me, you'd better tell me now."

"There's nothing," I shook my head. "What could I possibly hide from you?"

He watched me for another moment before finally nodding.

"Remember, you must attend the party tomorrow night."

The next evening, Selene and Ethan’s anniversary party was held at the city's most luxurious private club.

The venue was a fairytale of white roses and shimmering silver ribbons.

The air was filled with the pleasant scents of happy werewolves.

I wore a black evening gown, a stark contrast to the warm atmosphere.

"Clara!" Selene greeted me as soon as she saw me. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

She reached out to hug me, but I took a step back.

"Happy anniversary," I said coldly.

"Thank you." A flash of triumph crossed her eyes before she turned to Kael. "Alpha Kael, thank you both for coming."

"Of course," Kael smiled gently. "You and Ethan are a perfect match."

I watched them interact, a wave of nausea rising in my stomach.

An hour into the party, I noticed Kael growing distracted, his gaze restlessly scanning the room.

When he saw Selene and Ethan talking intimately, his wolf gave off a complex mix of emotions.

Jealousy, longing, and a deep sense of resentment.

"I'm going to get a drink," he said, quickly leaving my side.

But he didn't go to the bar. He went to a corner table and started drinking moodily.

Watching Kael drink alone, a terrible truth dawned on me.

He was jealous of Ethan.

He was jealous that Ethan could openly have Selene.

I wandered through the venue alone. No one spoke to me.

Everyone avoided the "mentally unstable" Luna.

Tired of walking, I decided to get some fresh air on the balcony.

The club had tiered balconies, and I found a relatively secluded one.

Just as I was about to head back inside, I heard voices from the level above.

"...I can't go on like this, Kael."

It was Selene's voice.

I quietly moved to the staircase and peered through the reflection in the glass door.

The scene made me freeze.