I relocated my parents to the Canadian border near Vancouver and seized control of the Moonshadow Pack's operations in Los Angeles.

Shawn was so completely wrapped up in the little omega that, naturally, he didn't notice the pieces I was moving into place.

"I don't know what's gotten into the Alpha lately. He's never home anymore," Betty, the housekeeper, reminded me kindly. "If you ask me, Luna, you need to pay more attention. Don't let those other she-wolves out there steal him away!"

I gave a bitter smile.

These days, Shawn had been parading the omega around everywhere, spending lavishly.

He bought a multi-million dollar yacht on a whim, docked it at the Santa Monica pier, and threw parties that raged until dawn.

The villa on the Malibu coast was more luxurious than a palace.

Even the omega's family was taken care of; her good-for-nothing brother was made a manager at the pack's company.

A mature and dominant Alpha's pursuit of a she-wolf is simply irresistible.

Seeing the pained look on my face, Betty changed her tune to comfort me.

"Alphas, you know, they tend to have a wandering eye. Alpha Shawn has been so faithful for all these years, he's already better than most. As long as he doesn't bring the trouble home, it's not a big deal..."

Just then, Shawn appeared at the door, holding Maria's hand. His gaze bored into me.

"Katrina, I thought you were different from the other she-wolves. I never expected you to gossip behind my back!"

Before I could argue, he pulled Maria to the sofa. They curled up together. In that moment, they looked like the true Lord and Lady of the villa.

"I'm not comfortable with Maria living by herself. I've been thinking, it’s safer for her to stay here."

"She's young, so you'll look after her. And make sure she's well-fed!"

I nodded with a faint smile and turned to head to the kitchen, but he called out to stop me.

"Don't bother preparing a separate room. She's staying with me."

I froze, a suffocating tightness seizing my chest.

He wasn't comfortable sleeping with someone beside him. For the five years of our mate bond, we had always slept in separate rooms.

No matter how heated our passion, the moment it was over, he would coolly detangle himself, toss a towel onto the bed, and leave.

But now, he was willing to share his room with someone else.

He had truly fallen for her.

That night, as I passed his room, I could hear suggestive panting from within.

The omega was whispering, "Alpha, if you want me, I'm willing..."

The next second, Shawn sealed my lips with a kiss. A long time passed before he finally spoke, his voice tinged with restraint.

"Silly girl, get some sleep."

With that, he rolled out of bed and fled into the bathroom. The sound of the shower gushed out.

His restraint astonished me. To think he already adored her so much that he couldn't bear to even touch her.

I bit down hard on my lower lip and crept silently into Shawn’s study.

In my past life, the key to how he destroyed my parents' Moonshadow Pack so quickly was a top-secret file.

It contained vital business information about our pack.

This time, I was going to take that file in advance and prepare for the worst.

As I sat down at his desk, I saw that the photo from my bonding ceremony with Shawn had been replaced with a picture of Maria.

The she-wolf in the photo beamed with an innocent smile. It was a stark reminder that my bond with Shawn was already dead.

I suppressed the bitterness in my heart and quickly found the file.

It was password-protected.

In a panic, I tried every password I could think of for Shawn, but none worked.

Finally, as if guided by some unseen force, I punched in a string of numbers.

Staring at the "Password Correct" prompt: 20230507, my blood ran cold.

The day Shawn and Maria first met.

"Still awake this late, Katrina?"

At some point, Shawn had appeared, leaning against the door and watching me with a playful smirk.

"You're jealous, aren't you?"

I took a deep breath, looking at him with scorn.

"Didn't you say she was just an insignificant omega?"

Shawn shrugged helplessly.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. Just seeing her makes me... happy. I want to be with her every second. I've never felt this way before, Katrina. Is this what being poisoned feels like?"

"But don't worry. In my heart, no one can ever take your place..."

"Katrina, we haven't... in so long. Do you want to?"

As he spoke, he pressed his body against mine. His earlier arousal hadn't fully subsided, and now it flared again.

I quickly pulled away, a flash of disgust in my eyes.

I seized the opportunity to pull out the document I had prepared and handed it to him.

He raised an eyebrow. "What have you set your sights on now? Fine, fine, whatever you like, I'll buy it for you!"

Without a second glance, he signed his name with a grand flourish.

My objective achieved, I ducked under his arm and slipped away, feigning exhaustion.

"I'm tired. Maybe next time."

The fire another she-wolf started, and he expects me to put it out? In his dreams!

I clutched the agreement to sever our mate bond, my heart soaring.

Soon, I would be free.

The following week, Shawn went to Chicago for a pack business conference, leaving Maria at the house.

She showed no signs of restraint, brazenly ordering the servants around and meddling in every affair.

The household was soon filled with complaints.

Betty came rushing to me. "Luna, you have to come quick! Miss Maria insists the moonbeam tree in the courtyard is an eyesore and wants it cut down. We tried to stop her, but she found an axe herself! She's threatening to chop off all the branches!"

My grandmother planted that moonbeam tree for me the year of my bonding ceremony with Shawn. She said it would watch over me, granting me a life of happiness and peace.

But Maria was determined to chop it down—a clear power play.

I rushed over, telling her to put the axe down.

She shot me a defiant glance, but upon spotting a dark figure in the distance, her foot conveniently slipped. She screamed as she fell backward.

"Ah!"

My eyes widened as I watched her fall from beside the tree, landing perfectly in Shawn's embrace.

The heavy axe, however, teetered precariously before it came crashing down on my leg. Blood gushed from the wound.

I gasped for breath, the pain overwhelming, as Shawn's furious voice roared.

"Katrina! You just had to go after her, didn't you!"

"Do you have any idea? A fall from that height could have been fatal!"

I managed to say weakly, "It was an accident... it had nothing to do with me..."

"Don't think for a second I don't know what you did! You had the axe replaced, you smeared it with oil. You wanted Maria to get hurt!"

He glared at me with such venom, as if I were guilty of the most heinous crime.

Maria didn't have a scratch on her, yet he scooped her into his arms and rushed her to the hospital.

He didn't even glance at my leg, pinned beneath the heavy axe, already a mangled, bloody mess.

My leg required ninety-nine stitches. As I was heading to pay the bill in my wheelchair, biting back the pain, I saw Maria skipping playfully beside Shawn.

She saw me too and looked up innocently. "Alpha, shouldn't you go help Luna? Maybe she really didn't mean to..."

Shawn shot me a look of disgust before pulling her protectively into his arms.

"She went too far this time. Don't mind her. Let her cool down."

"Right now, being with you is my top priority."

I stared blankly at their retreating figures, and the last shred of affection I held for Shawn burned to ash.

So be it, Shawn, I thought. I have a special gift for you, too.

I hope you like it.