With Alpha Rowan by my side, I felt safer in his company. Not only did he put my mind at ease, but he also seemed more determined to lead me back to my true mate.

Yet, I was in the dark about who my mate was and why Alpha Rowan knew my life better than I did.

When I questioned Alpha Rowan, he shot back, "Time will tell all. Your true mate has been searching for you for years, but it's too little, too late. You're already tied to Alpha Ryder."

It was still unclear what Alpha Rowan truly meant, but one thing was certain: I knew Alpha Ryder wasn't my destined mate but a forced one.

The day Alpha Rowan informed me about the Ravenwood Pack hosting a gathering and that he was one of the guests, I was taken aback.

It was surprising that no one from the pack had bothered to keep me in the loop, not even daring to mention the event to me.

Out of the blue, Alpha Ryder, still cold as ever that day, mind-linked me and said, "Zion, our son is sick. Get to the main pack house before six o'clock."

The pack was hosting the gathering at the same time, yet he used our son as a pretext for the invitation.

Worried sick, I mind-linked him to ask if he had already taken our son to the healer, but he didn't bother to respond.

Right then and there, as I made my way to the pack house, fully dressed, I realized I hadn't been mistaken—I had walked straight into the pack's gathering completely in the dark.

All the elders and Alpha Ryder's invited Alphas and Lunas from neighboring packs, including Alpha Rowan, to show up in full force.

Everyone was having dinner as usual, and my son was seated between Alpha Ryder and Selene. Anyone looking at them could see they were Alpha's son and wife, where I was supposed to be seated.

In no time, I approached my son, over the moon, to see him after a long stretch of focusing on his training. I asked if he felt under the weather, just as Alpha Rowan had mind-linked me.

Yet, my son's features were a mini-me of Alpha Ryder. Zion's face twisted with disgust as he brushed my hand away, eyeing me cautiously and seeking refuge with Selene.

It broke my heart to see my son, the future heir of Ravenwood Pack, feel disgusted over me, his mother.

Selene cradled my son affectionately and said sweetly, "Zion isn't sick. Where did you get that?"

Her slightly raised voice caught everyone's attention, and they turned to look at me with disdain. Gossip spread like wildfire, and I was labeled a careless Luna who couldn't even manage her son.

Everyone quietly chuckled, and embarrassment washed over me as I became the center of attention.

It felt like the whole pack, even some guests, were laughing at me, viewing me as a second-rate Luna, nothing more than a pawn on display, except for Alpha Rowan.

In the past, everyone in this pack gave me a hard time, knowing full well that I had become Luna to settle an unpaid debt. But I chose to grin and bear it for the sake of this forced mateship.

Fuming with anger, I confronted Alpha Ryder about his mind-link, especially since his true destined mate, Selene, had already told me Zion wasn't sick. My boldness stunned everyone, as I usually zipped my mouth when embarrassed.

In a flash, Alpha Ryder tossed aside his spoon and fork, his face turning icy as his eyes burned with intensity, asking, "It is true. Zion has been sick for days. Do you even have concern for him as his mother?"

"I said it was six o'clock, but you arrived late. Since you are late, you better leave this packed hall and have dinner with the servants," Alpha Ryder announced with authority.

As an Alpha of this pack, none could disobey his orders. When Alpha Rowan stood, he attempted to halt him. Still, I mind-link him, stopping him from interjecting, "Do not interfere, Alpha Rowan. Remember, this ain't your pack."

Not only did Selene, but also the elders, wait to see a good play.

With everyone's eyes on me, I stood my ground, keeping my composure. Then, smirking, I glanced around and said, "You disgust me."

As I was making my way out of the packed hall, Alpha Ryder finally lost his cool. In a flash, he stood up, seized my wrist, and darkened his stare at me.

In a loud voice, Alpha Ryder yelled, "No one, not even me as an Alpha, has permitted you to leave the packed hall!"

As stubborn as I was, I pushed him, causing the other guests to react, calling me an uncouth Luna with no manners.

Upon hearing that, Alpha Ryder reacted and even yelled more at me. When he had attempted to slap me in the face, Alpha Rowan's loud voice roared in rage, "Alpha Ryder, why in the first place have you mated to Luna Aria only to be embarrassed?"

"No one has the right to put my mate in shame, nor did I! My mate is mine, and anyone who attempts to hurt her will be punished!"

Shaking my head in fury, I thundered, "I, Luna of Ravenwood, will step down. Rest assured, I'll repay all my father's debts to you."

Ever since the day I relinquished all my duties as Luna and dared to reject the Alpha, things had been tense. As expected, my rejection wasn't accepted. To him, I was still his mate despite the heartache that pierced me deeply.

Still, my life in the pack dragged on, though I didn't dare make a run for it, even if I wanted to. Alpha Ryder had me over a barrel, threatening to attack Moonshadow if I tried to flee.

As the days rolled by, I heard that Selene had been appointed as the acting Luna of the pack. She took over every duty I left behind, including the custody of my dear son, Zion, who was taken away from me.

As my son's birthday would be next Friday, I tried to invite him to a private dinner with just the two of us, but Selene stepped in and blocked me.

"Didn't you want to reject and abandon the pack? You lost all custody rights once you made that decision," Selene said confidently. "And let's not forget, Zion isn't your son. Alpha Ryder only kept you around as a breeder to settle a debt. Have you forgotten that?"

It disheartened me deeply, but slowly, I accepted it as reality. Though Alpha Ryder never said it directly, the gossip was that I wasn't just taken as payment for a debt but as a breeder to produce pups for him.

My entire existence remained a mystery, with no memories of my childhood. No one could say if I had once been part of the rogues.

My foster Alpha father would often remind me, "I found your body lying in the middle of the woods, and since no one claimed you, I adopted you as my daughter. With your exceptional strength that can surpass even an Alpha's, I intended to grant you the title of Luna."

All my rights as a mother had been ripped away. The pack guards were put on high alert, ready to lock me up the moment I tried to take my son and slip away from Ravenwood Pack.

It was unfair treatment, but the blame would still fall on me even if I complained.

As Zion's birthday celebration approached, Alpha Rowan arrived and told me he was invited. However, he was caught off guard when he discovered I was blacklisted from the guest list.

When Alpha Rowan learned I wasn't invited, his gaze darkened as he looked at the main pack house. He then invited me to join him as his female escort during the event.

"If Alpha Ryder can have a concubine, then you can have me too," he said, calm and composed.

Unsure, I declined his generous invitation, fearing it might stir up trouble and disrupt the celebration, something I didn't want my son to experience.

On the day of the celebration, Alpha Rowan arrived in a suit and extended another invitation, presenting me with a red dress that perfectly fit my curved body.

Hesitant, I accepted it, driven by the desire to see my son one last time, even if it meant a lifetime of separation.

Since I aimed to see my son, I went into the Pack Hall, wearing a red, eye-catching dress, and made Alpha Rowan the center of attention as we came.

As soon as we stepped inside, every eye turned to us in astonishment, and whispers quickly spread through the crowd.

When Alpha Ryder, the elders, and even Selene caught a glimpse of us, their gaze darkened, questioning my presence.

Before I could defend myself, Alpha Rowan came to shield me behind me as he countered, "Luna Aria, or shall I say, your ex-mate, is entitled to attend her son's birthday celebration, Alpha. None of you dared to invite Luna!"

In the end, I once again seemed to ruin the celebration meant for Zion.

In a cold voice, I thundered, "And besides, I came here to be Alpha Rowan's escort. It is you who ruined the celebration, not me."

When Alpha Rowan confirmed it to be true, Alpha Ryder darkened his stare at me and at Alpha Rowan. He wouldn't dare accept that I was with him.

"I already have told you, Aria remains to be a mate!" Alpha Ryder roared, reverberating at each corner of the Pack Hall.

In a blink of an eye, Alpha Ryder jumped into the air, shifting into his majestic white wolf, attempting to attack Alpha Rowan from his standing.

With a low growl rumbling in his throat, he pushed all tables aside and made all guests scream in horror.

No one dared to stop Alpha Ryder, frozen with fear that they might also be attacked, given his reputation as the feared Alpha.

Before everyone's eyes, Alpha Ryder laid siege to Alpha Rowan, even as Rowan tried vainly to calm him down. His claws ripped through him, with blood escaping from his skin.

As terrified as I was, I attempted to mind-link Alpha Ryder, but my efforts were in vain.

Unable to stand still, watching Alpha Rowan was attacked, I moved closer, hoping to intervene.

He was poised to attack when Alpha Ryder's irritation turned toward me. However, as he locked eyes with me, his fury began to diminish, and he gradually calmed down until he finally shifted back to his human form.

As anticipated, the blame fell on me, and whispers spread that I had used Alpha Rowan to incite hatred against Alpha Ryder.

"Being mated to you for eight years has been my biggest regret, Alpha," I uttered, my voice filled with bitterness, then continued, "Let us formally end our forced mateship."