When I returned to the pack villa, the living room lights were on.

Ethan was sitting on the sofa loosening his tie. When he saw me enter, he immediately came over.

"Ivy, where have you been? I tried to mind-link you, but you blocked me out."

He smelled faintly of Moonflowers, mixed with the cheap, cloying perfume of an Omega in heat.

My sensitive nose stung. Instinctively, I took a step back, holding my breath to avoid his embrace.

"I went for a walk on the edge of the forest."

Ethan didn't notice anything wrong. Excitedly, he pulled out a black-and-dollar access card. "By the way, the Manor is finally finished. Shall we go stay there for two nights this weekend? You’re going to love it."

Go where? To that patch of mud he and Daisy rolled around in?

I suppressed the urge to shift and tear his throat out. "I’m busy this weekend."

Ethan paused, then noticed the gift box in my hand.

His displeasure vanished instantly, replaced by a bright look. "Is that for me?"

"Mhm."

I handed him the box.

Ethan took it and started to open it. "What is it? Wolf-tooth cufflinks? Or an obsidian tie clip? It’s rare for my Luna to be this romantic."

"Don't open it yet."

I pressed down on his hand, the corner of my mouth curving into a smile that held no warmth. "Open it in a week."

"Why?"

"Because it’s a big gift. You need to pick a good day, ideally a full moon."

It was the "surprise" I had prepared for him. Naturally, it would be most stimulating if he opened it the moment I disappeared completely.

Blinded by my rare smile, Ethan was curious but compliant. He placed the box on the top shelf of the display cabinet. "Alright, I’ll listen to my Luna. I’ll open it in a week."

He didn't notice that the platinum blood diamond ring on my ring finger was gone.

His mind had long since left this den.

The next evening.

Ethan mysteriously blindfolded me and led me to the car.

"To make up for being so busy with pack affairs lately, I’ve arranged something special tonight."

When the car stopped, I opened my eyes.

It was the largest fantasy theme park in the territory.

There were no tourists tonight, only dazzling magical lights and a slowly rotating Ferris wheel.

"I rented the whole place out." Ethan took my hand, looking at me with deep affection. "I remember you said you wanted to ride the Ferris wheel once without other wolves bothering us."

Nearby, the wolf guards looked at us with envy.

"The Alpha is totally whipped."

"Is this what top-tier love looks like? It’s so sweet."

I let him hold my hand, acting like a puppet with its strings cut.

Ethan was attentive to a fault. He bought me hot deer milk, crouched down to tie my shoelaces, and even protected my head on the roller coaster, afraid the strong wind would mess up my hair.

If I hadn't seen that video, I really would have believed he was the male who loved me most in this world.

"Ivy, I’m going to buy some ice cream. Sit here for a bit."

Ethan settled me on a bench and turned toward a stall not far away.

I watched his retreating back. I was about to reach for my phone when I noticed Ethan had left his phone on the bench.

Just then, it rang.

No contact name. Just a symbol of a pink paw print.

I didn't answer it. Instead, acting on impulse, I grabbed the phone, lowered my breathing, and stalked after him silently like a hunter.

Ethan hadn't gone to buy ice cream.

He was standing in the shadows behind the ice cream stall, holding a phone, talking to someone.

His usually commanding voice was now frivolous and explicit.

"What is it? Little slut, in heat again?"

I stopped, hiding behind a massive statue of the Wolf Progenitor. My sharp claws dug deep into my palms, piercing the skin.

I couldn't hear what the other side said, but Ethan chuckled low in his throat. "Jealous? Tonight is just to pacify her. Be a good girl."

"I wanted to go to the theme park too... You never take me..." Daisy's voice came through the speaker, sugary and whining. In the quiet night, my heightened hearing caught every word.

"Okay, okay, I’ll take you."

Ethan glanced at the Ferris wheel nearby and said casually, "Since you like it, I bought the park. It’s your toy now. You can come play whenever you want, mate wherever you want. It’s up to you."

"Really? Ethan, you’re the best! I want to do it on the carousel..."

"You little slut. Just wait. I’ll send her away in a bit, and then I'll satisfy you tonight."

Ethan hung up, rearranged his facial expression, and turned to buy the ice cream.

I stood in the distant shadows, watching this hypocritical, nauseating Alpha, and felt my heart finally turn to stone.

The drive back was suffocating.

The interior of the Range Rover reeked of a she-wolf in heat, It was fermenting in the enclosed space, turning my stomach.

I felt bile rising in my throat.

I rolled down the window, letting the cold wind slap my face, barely suppressing the urge to vomit.

"Why are you opening the window? You'll catch a cold. Werewolves heal fast, but you shouldn't sit in a draft like this." Ethan reached over to close it, his face wearing a mask of impeccable concern.

I turned my head, looking at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "The car smells strange. Like... the musk of a low-rank Omega in heat?"

Ethan’s grip on the steering wheel tightened visibly, his knuckles turning white. He let out a dry, nervous laugh. "How is that possible? We probably just drove past the Slave Market, and the scent drifted in."

"Is that so?" My fingertips traced the leather of the passenger seat. "And here I thought some other bitch had been sitting in my seat, leaving a scent mark she shouldn't have."

Ethan immediately raised three fingers, his expression as solemn as if he were swearing an oath to the Moon Goddess. "Ivy, this passenger seat is your exclusive Luna throne. Besides you, no female is qualified to sit here."

His eyes were so sincere. If I hadn't seen that video, I would have believed him.

Halfway home, Ethan suddenly pulled over to the side of the road.

"Ivy, something urgent came up with the Border Patrol. I need to go handle it. We aren't far from the pack lands; I'll have a Beta guard drive you the rest of the way, okay?"

I looked at his anxious expression, feeling nothing but ice in my heart.

Border Patrol emergency? Please.

It was obvious Daisy had mind-linked him, demanding he get rid of me so she could hop into this "mobile mating shack."

"Sure," I said.

I got out of the car and watched the vehicle—the one that was supposed to belong only to me—carry the Alpha who swore he only loved me. He made a U-turn with desperate urgency, racing toward another Omega’s bed.

That night, Ethan didn't come home.

When he returned the next day, his tie was knotted perfectly, but it couldn't hide the dark red hickey on his collarbone—a mating mark left during the height of passion.

The moment he walked in, he hugged me, nuzzling his chin into the crook of my neck. "Ivy, dealing with those rogues last night was exhausting. I missed you so much."

I fought the urge to shift and rip his throat out. My gaze drifted over his shoulder, landing on the exquisite gift box on the top shelf. "Rough night, huh?"

Ethan let go of me, following my gaze to the box. He asked, a little eagerly, "Ivy, about that gift... can I really not open it now? The moon is beautiful tonight."

"No." I took a step back, creating distance between us. My eyes held a meaningful, mysterious glint. "We agreed on one week."

"Why? Since when are you so principled?" he teased.

"The more precious the sacrifice, the longer the wait. Don't you agree?"

Ethan was curious, but he nodded indulgently. "Alright, I'll listen to my Luna. One week."

6:00 AM.

The silence of the bedroom was shattered by the sharp ring .

Ethan practically ejected from the bed. He grabbed his phone, a flicker of panic crossing his face.

He glanced at me, checking if I was still "asleep," then answered in a hushed voice as he hurried out to the balcony.

I opened my eyes. My wolf hearing sharpened, picking up every sound through the glass doors. I listened to him standing in the freezing wind, his voice so gentle it could drip honey, pleading with whoever was on the other end.

I didn't need to smell the air to know who it was.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Ethan pushed the door open. As he changed his clothes, he said, "Ivy, what do you want for breakfast?"

I rolled over. "Whatever."

Ethan rushed out the door.

Half an hour later, he returned, looking travel-worn. In his hands were two roasted deer legs that had gone stone cold and a cup of goat milk that had lost all its steam.

"Ivy, the line at that specialty restaurant was too long, so I just bought something from a roadside stall. Eat it while it's... well, try to eat."

Roadside stall. Cold goat milk.

So this was his "deep affection."

I didn't touch the breakfast. I just watched as he took out his phone, snapped a photo of the dry, unappetizing deer legs, and posted it to the Werewolf Social Network.

[Ran across half the territory just to buy Luna breakfast. It was hard work, but as long as she likes it, it's worth it.]

Almost instantly, the post was flooded with likes and comments.

"The Alpha is such a simp for her!"

"Is this what a fated mate bond looks like?"

"Ivy is so lucky, truly blessed by the Moon Goddess!"

Ethan replied to the comments with satisfaction, a smug smile on his lips.

However, I noticed that among all those likes, Daisy's name was missing.

That was because, at this very moment, Daisy was posting a photo in a "Close Friends" group—visible only to him.

The photo showed a steaming, top-tier steak, rare and bloody. The caption read: [Even though he had to cross half the territory, he still delivered the fresh kill straight to me. Love you, my Wolf King.]

The timestamp? One hour ago.

It turned out his "running across half the territory" was to deliver fresh meat to his mistress. On his way back, he just grabbed some cold scraps fit for a stray dog to shut his wife up.

I stared at the cold goat’s milk—thick, pungent with that overpowering gamey stench—and felt the irony slap me hard across the face.

"Why aren't you eating? No appetite?" Ethan put down his phone, asking with feigned concern.

"I'm full."

I stood up. "I'm not going to the Alpha Gathering tonight."

"You have to," Ethan objected immediately. "All the other Alphas are bringing their mates. If you don't go, they'll laugh at me. Besides..."

He paused, his eyes shifting shiftily. "Besides, I want to show them how beautiful my Luna is."