In a tone tinged with apology, Roan reached out through our mind link. "Lori, it's not easy for Tracy to raise a child alone. She doesn’t know anyone else here. She only has me."

His words struck me like a slap. He seemed to forget that I, too, only had him. Of course, he didn't care.

"I understand already, okay? She must have been through a lot," I replied, striving for calmness.

However, upon hearing my sarcasm, my mate's response was immediate and defensive. "Lori, what’s that supposed to mean? What's with your attitude?"

"I said I already understand," I repeated, my voice now edged with a growing bitterness. "Is there a problem with that?"

"Do you have to talk to me like that?" he snapped, frustration creeping into his voice.

I sighed. "What do you want me to say?" I countered, feeling the frustration rise within me.

Silence fell between us, thick and oppressive. Finally, the Alpha muttered a defeated, "Fine! Do as you wish," before abruptly ending the mind link.

The irony was not lost on me. When I questioned his visits to Tracy, he found me annoying. When I asked when he would return from her place, I was still the bothersome one. Now, even trying to be understanding seemed to irritate him.

With a sigh, I closed my eyes tightly, fighting the urge to dwell on the endless cycle of disappointment. I needed to focus on something more important, like rediscovering my path, even if it meant becoming a stranger to myself. Could I do that, now that I had abandoned my wolf?

The night stretched on, and I lingered in the inn, lost in a whirlpool of regrets and what-ifs. The thought of returning to the pack house was unbearable. Yet, when I finally returned, my mate was already gone. I took a shower, hoping to wash away the day's burdens, and crawled into bed, seeking the solace of sleep.

Just as I began to drift off, the tranquility was shattered by Roan’s urgent mind link.

"Lori," he sounded as if he was in pain, "my… my stomach hurts."

I mumbled a response, but exhaustion pulled me back into the depths of sleep. In a dream, I vaguely heard my mate calling my name, but the sound felt distant and unimportant.

Sometime later, I was jolted awake by the sound of the door opening. Roan stood by the bed, his face etched with pain.

"Lori, why don’t you care anymore? You used to worry when I was sick!"

His words stirred memories I had tried to bury. Once, when Roan had a stomachache, I rushed to his office with medicine, despite the pouring rain. I arrived soaked and disheveled, a sight that drew laughter from his wolf subordinates. Roan had done nothing to stop them from mocking me—the Luna! Instead, he told me not to come to his office again because, in his words, I was an embarrassment.

If it hadn’t been for Beta Gavin and his thoughtful gesture of warming me up with my favorite chocolate tea, I might have shivered all the way back to the pack house. Gavin had always been my quiet savior. Every time Roan disrespected me or treated me like a mere servant, Gavin was there, finding ways to support me.

I realized now that Gavin had transferred to the Golden Moon Pack around the same time I did. We had known each other since childhood, growing up in the same town. We spent countless hours playing together, running through the woods like normal children. We even attended the exclusive school for wolves together. That was where I first saw Alpha Roan, and foolishly, I had fallen for him long before discovering he was my mate.

Lost in these memories, I was abruptly pulled back to the present as Roan appeared before me.

"Are you feeling better now?" I asked, rubbing my eyes. "We might be out of medicine. Maybe you can get some yourself."

Roan stared at me, his frustration mounting. Without warning, he grabbed my arm, his grip tight and demanding. "Lori, how long are you going to keep fighting with me about Tracy? I’ve told you, there’s nothing between her and me!"

His outburst seemed to hang in the air, but I met it with a calm that belied the turmoil inside me. "Oh, okay," I replied evenly, my lack of emotion contrasting sharply with his rage.

Roan’s frustration boiled over, and he slammed the door behind him as he stormed out. The silence that followed was liberating, a welcome reprieve from the storm of emotions he always brought with him.

As I sat in the quiet, I thought again of Gavin. He had always been a steady presence in my life, someone I could rely on without question.

Days blurred together into a monotonous haze. After Roan stormed out, he didn’t return for several days, and I didn’t bother to ask where he had gone. On the third day, he finally mind linked me to inform me of his whereabouts.

"I’m heading to another pack for a meeting," he said.

"Okay, stay safe," I replied, a sardonic chuckle escaping my lips as the mind link ended.

Absentmindedly, I opened my social media account. A picture posted by Tracy on Twitter caught my eye:

[First holiday in what seems like forever. I never thought I'd miss the sand on my feet! Someone insisted on bringing me to the beach!]

The photo showed my mate's hand, our mateship ring still on his finger. The location tagged in Tracy’s tweet matched the place Roan had mentioned in his message.

The mateship ring on my finger suddenly felt like a burning brand. Without hesitation, I yanked it off and tossed it into the drawer. From that moment on, I buried myself in my duties as Luna, using endless tasks to distract from the emotional chaos churning inside me. I did not even care when he would come back; I just worked and worked until I could no longer think of anything else.

One day, the Alpha unexpectedly arrived at the pack house to pick me up. I was startled to see his familiar car parked outside. Exhaustion from the day’s work hung over me as I approached him.

"Why are you here?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Did you forget today is our mateship anniversary?" He responded, opening the car door for me.

"Oh," I mumbled, "Sorry. I’ve been really busy and it slipped my mind."

"You used to care about this the most. How could you forget?" Roan's voice carried a mix of disbelief and disappointment.

In the past, I had never missed an occasion—be it our mateship anniversary or his birthday. I would plan elaborate dinners and meticulously choose decorations, all to celebrate our time together and show him how much he meant to me. But those efforts, once greeted with smiles, eventually became a source of embarrassment for him.

I vividly recalled the surprise party I organized at a restaurant. Instead of joy, Roan’s reaction was one of discomfort. "Lori, you’re making such a big deal out of this. Everyone’s looking at us. It’s very uncomfortable, you know?" he had said, dragging me away in front of the pack’s warriors and his Beta.

Now, as I stood there, I realized there was nothing left to celebrate. The spark that once fueled our relationship had long since died.

"Come on, let’s go have dinner and celebrate," he urged, ushering me into the car.

As my mate drove, the silence between us grew heavy. He kept glancing over at me, searching my face for any sign of the old enthusiasm I once had.

"What’s wrong? Are you upset?" He finally asked, breaking the silence.

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"No?" he repeated, his frustration rising. "Then why the attitude? Here I am, making an effort, picking you up for dinner. Can’t you at least pretend to appreciate it?"

His words hung in the air, but I found myself unable to muster any response. The Roan who once filled my world with light and love had become a stranger, and I couldn’t pretend anymore. The effort he spoke of felt hollow, and the bonds that once tied us were fraying, leaving nothing but a chasm of indifference between us.

"I'm not angry, Alpha."

"Fine!" Roan sighed heavily. "I promise, no more contact with Tracy, okay?"

I stared at him, a myriad of emotions battling within me. Did he really believe that a simple promise could erase the months of deceit and betrayal?

"Are you happy now?" he pressed again, searching my face for any sign of relief.

I didn’t answer. The rest of the drive was cloaked in silence as we headed to a fancy restaurant. Roan had clearly gone all out, reserving a table adorned with flowers and a wrapped gift waiting beside my plate. The setting was perfect, an image of romantic bliss. Diners around us cast envious glances, but I felt detached from it all, as if watching a scene play out in someone else's life.

Before I could even unwrap the gift, Roan's phone rang. His expression shifted to concern as he answered, "Fever? Do you have any medicine? I can’t take you to the pack’s infirmary today, I have something to do. What? That high? Okay, wait for me. I'll be right over."

Hanging up, he turned to me, his eyes a mixture of awkwardness and something I couldn’t quite place. "Lori, it's Tracy. Her child has a fever. I need to..."

A lump formed in my throat, but I forced it down. "It's fine," I said, my voice a flat monotone even to my ears. "You should go. The child's more important."

He hesitated for a moment, looking at me as if searching for some hint of resistance. "Wait for me to come back and pick you up. I'll be back soon." With that, he grabbed his coat and rushed out.

I was left alone, staring at the half-eaten cake before me. The rain outside the window mirrored the turmoil inside me, but I refused to cry. After a deep sigh, I finished the cake, savoring its sweetness despite the bitterness in my heart, then got up and left the restaurant.

As I stepped into the drizzling rain, a car passed by and came to a halt. The window rolled down, revealing Beta Gavin. Without a word, he got out and opened the door for me. I slid into the car, grateful for his presence. The drive back to the pack house was silent, but it was a peaceful silence, a stark contrast to the storm that raged within me.

When we arrived, I realized I didn’t have an umbrella. The rain was still falling lightly, the cold droplets stinging my skin. I braced myself for the dash to the entrance.

"Wait, Luna." Gavin's voice cut through the rain. I turned, squinting against the drizzle to see him holding an umbrella over my head.

"Use this," he said in his deep, calm voice.

"Thank you," I murmured, taking the umbrella from him.

Once inside, I took a hot shower, trying to wash away the lingering chill. Wrapped in a towel, I sat on the edge of my bed and scrolled through my social media. Tracy’s latest tweet appeared on my feed, accompanied by a picture. It showed Roan sitting beside her and her child, their faces illuminated by the warm, golden light of their room. The scene was a striking contrast to the cold rain outside, a painful reminder of the life he chose to share with them over me.

The next morning dragged on as I waited for my mate to return home. When he finally did, he launched into an explanation immediately, his voice laden with exhaustion and concern. "Tricia had a high fever all night. It wouldn't go down."

"Is everything okay now?" I asked, trying to maintain a semblance of interest. The name 'Tricia' felt foreign and unwelcome in my ears. Yet, I knew that she was Tracy's daughter.

Funny how my mate cared about another woman's child better than his mate.

He paused mid-motion, annoyance flickering across his features. "Are you being sarcastic again?" His sigh was heavy with weariness, whether genuine or feigned, I couldn't discern. "Look, I didn't sleep all night. I'm very tired."

"Then you should get some rest. I'm going for my duties." I turned away, reaching for my bag. The duties of being the Luna demanded my attention.

"Lori..." He interrupted, pulling me gently. "What is it?"

"We'll make it up for the mateship anniversary celebration next time, okay?" His attempt at reconciliation was met with a ghost of a smile from me, devoid of any real emotion. "I'm not mad."

He hugged me, but the gesture felt hollow, his promises even emptier. "There's a Wolf gathering this weekend," he murmured into my hair. "Many packs will attend. Let's go together."

The Golden Moon Pack held a prestigious position not only in Bellflower Town but also in neighboring territories. Every gathering meant socializing with other Alphas, who often sought to curry favor with Roan. Mating with him had once seemed a blessing, but as his Luna, I felt nothing but numbness. Despite my efforts, the elders and warriors of the pack still regarded me with disdain, likely viewing me as little more than a servant.

In the past, I often brought meals or medicine to Roan, even in inconvenient situations like his office. Yet, he never respected me in front of others, especially not the elders or the Omegas.

Reality snapped back into focus as Roan gritted his teeth in frustration. "Well, suit yourself."

I didn't attend the gathering, but I hadn't expected him to take Tracy instead. My phone buzzed incessantly as I worked on Luna's responsibilities in the office. Reluctantly, I checked social media and was bombarded with pictures from the Wolf gathering. Tracy was everywhere, seemingly enjoying herself with Roan and other Alphas, blending in effortlessly.

Odd enough, Beta Gavin was not in the pictures. Perhaps, he refused to accommodate the Alpha again. Sometimes I found myself scolding him because he seemed like he did not care about serving the Alpha at all. But that stubbornness never failed to amaze me.

Now that I was looking at the tweets, I couldn't help but wonder, why didn't you become his Luna instead of me, Tracy?

One image stood out: Alpha Roan carrying Tracy like a princess across the lawn, her cheek pressed against his chest. It was a scene that elicited cheers and adoration from onlookers, who showered them with compliments and praises for being a perfect match.

Unable to ignore what I had seen, I reluctantly joined the chorus, commenting on one of the photos, "Perfect match." A single clapping emoji punctuated my indifferent acknowledgment.

I closed the app and silenced my phone. I also shut my mindlink. I just wanted peace. Night had fallen by the time I finished my tasks. When I finally checked my phone again, I saw dozens of missed calls and messages from Roan.