Ella's POV

I lay there, staring at Alpha Carson as he carried his new secretary, who had fainted at the sight of a rogue. Meanwhile, I was sprawled on the ground, drifting in and out of consciousness, my wolf urging me to wake up and fight. But how could I? I had a deep gash on my left leg from when one of the rogues had attacked me during the annual ball at the Wayvere Company resort, right outside Werewolf City.

Chaos swirled around me, the King’s warriors battling the rogues. Without their help, I knew I wouldn't make it. The pain was overwhelming, and I was drenched in my own blood, desperately hoping Carson, my mate would come to my rescue.

But when I saw how tenderly he was treating his new secretary, my heart shattered. Tears streamed down my face as the painful truth suffocated me. He didn’t care; he never truly loved me. I could taste the bitterness on my tongue before darkness finally closed in.

Healing was taking forever. If only Carson had sealed our bond, I wouldn’t be so weak. I clung to the hope that day would come, that I would finally be his Luna. But now, it felt like a distant dream.

I called Mr. Milton. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m interested in the position you offered me, Mr. Milton.”

I finally decided there was no point in continuing this relationship.

“Glad to hear that, Miss Hansen! We’re excited to have you on board,” Mr. Milton’s tone was full of enthusiasm.

After wrapping up my conversation with Mr. Milton about when I’d start, I hung up.

My eyes wandered to the bedside, landing on a lacy bra that definitely wasn’t mine. I wasn’t into that kind of thing, and red wasn’t my color. But I knew exactly who it belonged to. I picked it up, staring at it like it held all the answers.

Getting angry and crying again felt pointless. Staying here wouldn’t do me any good. Carson had no intention of sealing our mate bond. If he really loved me, it wouldn’t have taken seven long years.

What was the point? To him, I was just someone who would always stick around because we were mates, not someone he actually loved. I could see his gaze shift to Beta Anna Wesley. A year ago, he’d been head over heels for her, and it was clear he’d do anything for that woman.

But he never did anything like that with me. I smiled bitterly.

I stepped out of the room and sank onto the couch. I was at his estate in Werewolf City, and I’d only visited the Wayvere pack twice. He always left me here while he handled matters with his pack.

I still hadn’t met his parents. He promised I would, but years had passed, and it never happened.

That’s when the estate door swung open, and Omega servants rushed in to greet Carson.

His gaze was glued to his phone, and he barely acknowledged the servants. He wouldn’t have noticed me at all if he hadn’t looked my way again.

“I heard you talking to someone on the phone. Who was it?” he asked, still typing away.

Huh! No time for me, I see.

I smiled dryly. “It’s Mr. Milton,” I replied honestly. He was the owner of Alpha Carson's rival pack and the head of the company I was planning to apply to as manager.

He didn’t even glance my way as he brushed past me. It seemed he hadn’t really heard my answer, completely absorbed in whatever was on his screen, and he even smiled at it.

I didn’t make a fuss over it. Instead, I stood up and walked toward the back door, heading into the garden.

As I took a breath of fresh air, I sensed Alpha Carson approaching. He must have noticed I hadn’t prepared the steak he liked to eat every time he came back from work.

I was the only one who made his favorite meals, a way of showing how much I cared for him.

“Honey, why isn’t there any food in the dining area? Where’s my steak?” he asked, stopping in front of me.

Now he finally looked at me.

“Are you still not feeling well?” he asked, concern flickering in his eyes as they landed on my left leg, which was wrapped in a bandage. I had just gotten stitched up an hour ago and returned home two hours back from the hospital.

I came back alone, and he hadn’t even visited me. Instead, he called to say Anna needed him.

What made it worse was that I didn’t even know I was three weeks pregnant with twins. The rogue throwing me to the ground had caused the miscarriage, which explained all the bleeding.

The doctor told me that if I’d been brought to the hospital sooner, the twins could have survived.

“The doctor said you’ll be healing for two days, and you don’t need to come into the office,” he continued when I didn’t respond.

“Okay,” I murmured.

My phone pinged, and I glanced at it. It was the contract.

Carson stepped closer to see my phone. “What’s that?”

He was reaching out to grab my phone.

But his phone buzzed, and his attention immediately shifted to it. I watched as his eyes lit up, a smile spreading across his handsome face. Without a second thought, he walked away, leaving me there like I was invisible.

Grinding my teeth, I signed the contract.

Ella's POV

I headed back to the manor. When I walked in, there he was on the couch, so wrapped up in his “Miss Secretary” that he didn’t even notice me pass by. He’d even forgotten about the steak.

All his time, all his attention—it was now hers.

Strangely, I didn’t feel anything. I wanted to feel something, like jealousy or hurt. But maybe, after all the tears, the begging for his attention, I was just... done.

Everything had changed.

The next morning, we sat at the dining table in silence. I’d slept in my own room, and he’d left last night without saying a word. I knew exactly where he’d gone—Miss Secretary must’ve needed him.

I noticed a bag of bagels and caught the sweet scent of blueberry cheesecake. My favorite. It was from the bakery we used to go to. I reached for the bag, but Carson’s hand slapped mine away.

“You like bagels, right? This one has peanuts, and I got it just for you,” he said, smiling as if he thought that’d win me over.

My stomach dropped. The blueberry cheesecake wasn’t for me. It was for her.

I clenched my fists, feeling a surge of anger I couldn’t hold back. I stood up so quickly the table rattled. My wolf paced inside, growling.

“We’ve been together for seven years, and you still don’t know I’m allergic to peanuts? What a joke!” I snapped.

He shot me a dark glare, clearly annoyed. “Stop making a fuss over something so small. If you don’t want it because of your allergy, don’t eat it. There’s other food on the table.”

I couldn’t believe him. Did he even care?

I wanted to throw the plate at him, hit him, anything to get this anger out. But it was pointless—he’d just think I was being childish.

Turning my back, I stormed out of the dining room. The servants kept their heads down as I passed, treating me like an outsider. Just like their Alpha, they saw me as nothing more than some mistress.

When he was ready to leave, I handed him his bag. He grabbed it without a second look.

“When you see Miss Anna later, do me a favor and return this to her.”

He looked inside to see what I was pointing out. When he saw the lacy bra, surprise flashed in his eyes before he glanced at me. He opened his mouth to explain, but seeing my calm, indifferent expression, he simply said, “Okay, I’ll tell her to stop being so careless.”

“Alright,” I replied nonchalantly. He hesitated, then offered, “How about I give you a ride today? What do you think?”

It was the first time he’d offered. Anytime I’d asked before, he’d come up with an excuse, saying it wasn’t the right time or that his personal life was separate from work. I stopped asking after that.

But funny enough, on Miss Anna’s first day, he personally drove her, stayed by her side. Thinking about how differently he treated me, his mate, versus his secretary made my wolf roar inside, upset and hurt. But he’d never feel the pain he and his wolf were putting me and mine through with his thoughtless actions. Sealing our bond didn’t even cross his mind.

How long should I wait for that to happen? When the truth was in my eyws, why I should kept blinding myself??

Truth hurts, indeed, and what am I to you, Alpha Carson? I want to asked him if he ever loved me?

“Honey? So, what’s it gonna be?” he asked, his patience thinning.

Ella's POV

Before I could gave an answer, his phone buzzed. He didn’t even glance at me again before reading the message. “Actually, something came up. Next time, alright?” he said as he left, rushing out to his car.

I noticed the servants watching me, their nosiness clear, but I ignored them. I went outside to the gate, where my taxi was waiting.

I looked up at the gloomy sky. “Perfect,” I muttered bitterly to myself. Rain was on its way, and I’d probably be drenched by the time I got home.

Once at work, everyone noticed my limp and looked at me with sympathy and concern. Adele, one of my colleagues, came over. “How are you feeling? I heard about what happened… you were almost killed.”

I opened my laptop, staring at the hundreds of unread emails. “I’m feeling better, thanks for asking.” I forced a smile, though it didn’t reach my eyes.

“You know, Miss Wesley is so lucky. Alpha Carson saved her. Honestly, I think they’re in a relationship, even if they deny it. I’m kinda jealous of Miss Wesley,” Adele sighed.

“Yeah, they do make a great pair. Maybe she’s his real mate,” I replied, faking a smile as if I was delighted.

I had no right to tell the truth—not that anyone would believe Alpha Carson was my mate and my boyfriend. Not when he treated me like just another employee.

When the head manager called Adele over, I was left alone in my cubicle, exactly where I wanted to be: alone, focused on my work.

Later, I headed to the pantry for some tea, but I stopped in my tracks when I overheard my coworkers talking.

“Did you hear the rumor that during the meeting with the stakeholders, Alpha Carson actually carried Miss Wesley after she accidentally spilled coffee on herself? Just a little stain on her white sleeve,” one of them said, her voice practically swooning.

“Seriously? Why don’t they just make it official already? It’s obvious they have feelings for each other,” another one chimed in, sipping her coffee.

My hand trembled, and the mug slipped, shattering on the floor—just like my heart in that moment. I could feel the sadness of my wolf mingling with my anger. I was so tired of hearing rumors about my mate and his secretary.

They all turned to look at me. Ignoring the cut on my hand, I gathered the broken pieces and tossed them in the trash. They pointed out my bleeding, but I left without acknowledging their concern.

By the time I left Wayvere, it was pouring rain. I glanced down at my phone—there was a message from Alpha Carson asking what milkshake flavor I wanted.

I turned off the screen, waiting under the building’s awning for my taxi. I hadn’t brought an umbrella, no coat either, and the wind was bitterly cold. My cut still throbbed, taking longer to heal without a proper bond with my mate.

The rain only got worse, and I was already soaked from the wind whipping the rain under the awning. I was shivering by the time my taxi finally pulled up. Once I got inside, my phone rang. It was Carson.

“Honey, you’re not in your office? Your manager said you left early. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” I said, leaning back as the car pulled away.

“You didn’t answer about the milkshake. What flavor? I remember you kept asking for one.”

I closed my eyes. “I don’t want it anymore.”

“Where are you? It’s pouring outside.”

“Going home. Not like I have anywhere else to be,” I answered, but then my phone pinged with a message from Anna, clearly sent by mistake.