The next morning, a voice slammed into my mind.

Rose Blackwood—Killian's mother, the former Luna.

In this pack, no one refused her command.

“Freya, you will attend the pack alliance dinner tonight.” Her voice was elegant but firm. “Vivian has not arrived yet. Killian needs someone by his side who knows the rules.”

Someone who knows the rules.

Not a mate, not family.

Just a well-behaved servant.

...

That evening, I stood at the entrance to the manor.

I once thought this was my home.

For five years, I’d run this place like its mistress, even without the title.

Now I knew the truth.

This wasn't my home. It was just where he kept his tool.

The head housekeeper led me to a side room to change.

"Miss, your gown is in…" She stopped.

The closet was empty.

Where my custom gowns used to hang, there was now a row of pink dresses. Vivian’s favorite color.

"I'm sorry, Madam said to have it reorganized," the housekeeper explained, embarrassed. "Perhaps you could wear this?"

She handed me a plain black dress.

The kind the staff wore.

"It's perfect," I said, taking it. "Thank you."

The dining hall was buzzing.

Vivian sat at Killian's right hand, in the Luna’s seat, wearing a custom Chanel gown. Her smile was picture-perfect.

Killian looked up, his eyes sweeping over me without a hint of guilt.

"What are you standing there for?" He pointed to the far end of the long table, to a seat for the staff. "Sit. And don't say a word tonight."

Just then, an elder Alpha from a northern pack sniffed the air. His cloudy eyes locked onto me.

“That scent…” the elder murmured, his gaze flicking between Killian and me. “Alpha Killian, this Omega… she reeks of you. The scent of a Fated pair.”

The air in the room froze.

Everyone stopped.

Dozens of eyes turned on me like searchlights.

Hiding a Fated Mate was the ultimate sin. A desecration of our most sacred law.

My heart pounded. I automatically looked at Killian.

All he had to do was nod.

Just admit it once.

Killian set down his wine glass.

He didn't even look at me. He just smiled at the elder.

"You're mistaken, Elder."

His voice was smooth, without a ripple of emotion.

"Freya is my assistant," he said smoothly. "My scent is on everyone who works in my inner circle. It's unavoidable."

The elder was clearly unconvinced. "But this is more than just rubbing off…"

"Enough." Killian's voice turned cold, laced with an Alpha's undeniable command. "I think we are all clear that Vivian is my only choice for Luna."

He shot me a dismissive glance, as if looking at a piece of furniture.

"As for any other scent you're picking up," he shot me a dismissive glance, "I can't speak for her private life. But I assure you, we are nothing more than colleagues."

No connection beyond a professional one.

The words were a slap across my face, so hard my soul left my body.

He would rather slander me than risk Vivian’s position.

Under the table, my hand clenched the solid silver fork.

The silver fork hissed against my palm. Searing pain. The smell of my own burning flesh filled my nostrils, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

Only this pain could stop me from screaming.

"Miss Freya?" the elder pressed.

I unclenched my burnt hand. I looked up and gave the most perfect, practiced smile of my career.

"Mr. Blackwood is right."

I looked at the man I had loved for five years, my voice dead calm.

"I have nothing but a subordinate's loyalty for Mr. Blackwood. No other feelings. The only one worthy of being the Blackwood pack's Luna is Miss Vivian."

Killian’s tense shoulders visibly relaxed.

He shot me a look of cool approval. The same look he’d give a dog that had successfully played dead.

...

The dinner ended. The guests left.

I was putting on my coat in the foyer when Killian walked over.

He smelled of wine. As he got closer, that familiar, oppressive feeling washed over me.

He leaned in, his lips almost brushing my ear, his warm breath on my neck.

How ironic. An hour ago he was denying me, and now he was being intimate in the shadows.

"You did well tonight," he murmured, his voice a low rumble. "Very... obedient."

"Don't mind what those old fools say. After Vivian and I are mated, you'll still be the one by my side, handling my affairs."

He pulled a black card from his jacket and slid it down the collar of my dress, his fingers brushing my collarbone suggestively.

"A little bonus," he murmured, his voice a low rumble. "For your performance."

I took a step back, putting distance between us.

The card fell to the floor.

Killian frowned, annoyed by my retreat.

I looked at him, and the last shred of hope in my heart died.

"Thank you, Mr. Blackwood," I said softly, a mocking curve to my lips.

Keep it, I thought, my heart turning to ice. Consider it my severance pay.

In six days, we’ll never see each other again.

The next morning, I officially submitted my resignation to the elders, waiting only for my passport to leave.

Killian appeared.

"One last time," he ordered, buckling his seatbelt. "You've been in charge of the new East District development. Come with me for one final inspection, and then you can take your vacation."

In the back seat, Vivian was touching up her makeup in a compact mirror, her smile fake.

"Freya, thank you for everything," she said, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. "I heard Killian had your things cleared out. I feel awful, but he can be so… possessive when he wants something."

My knuckles turned white on the steering wheel.

I was their chauffeur. Brought along to watch his future Luna gloat.

The car entered a desolate mountain road.

Suddenly, a loud bang tore through the air.

The front left tire blew. The car swerved violently, spinning out of control.

I fought the wheel, but the impact sent us crashing toward the guardrail.

"Watch out!"

In the split second before we rolled, I saw Killian in the rearview mirror. He had already half-shifted into his wolf form.

Instinct took over.

He lunged, becoming a living shield for Vivian.

And me? I was nothing. A toy, forgotten in the driver's seat. Left to be crushed.

Glass shattered like a rainstorm.

Agony.

Something sharp pierced my abdomen.

A piece of the broken guardrail, plated in silver.

The metallic scent of blood filled the car.

"Killian… I'm so scared…" Vivian's voice was tearful.

She was completely unharmed, held like a precious jewel in Killian's arms.

"It's okay. I'm here." Killian's voice was so gentle it was alien to me.

He kicked the door open and jumped out, carrying Vivian.

I was trapped in the mangled driver's seat. The silver in my stomach was burning through my organs. Every breath was like swallowing lava.

Blood poured down my thighs, staining the seat red.

"Help… me…" I choked out.

Killian turned.

He saw me.

He saw the gruesome wound in my stomach, my pale face, my desperate eyes.

In the distance, the excited howls of Rogues echoed.

This was a planned ambush.

The roar of the rescue helicopter sounded overhead.

A rope ladder dropped down. It could only hold two people.

Killian grabbed the ladder, holding Vivian tight.

"Killian! What about Freya!" the rescue captain yelled. "She's badly wounded! That's silver poisoning!"

Killian looked down at a trembling Vivian, then back at me, covered in blood.

That single second of hesitation felt like a century.

Then he made his choice.

"Take Vivian first!" he roared, his voice cold and hard against the wind. "She's in shock!"

"But Freya is dying!"

"She's a warrior!" Killian roared. "Her healing factor is strong! She can take it! The next team will get her!"

The next team?

The sound of Rogue claws scraping on asphalt was already just feet away.

The helicopter slowly began to rise.

I lay in a pool of my own blood, my vision blurring.

I watched Killian hold Vivian, his most precious treasure in the world.

And I was just a disposable tool, a meat shield to be left behind.

In that moment, something inside me shattered.

Not a bone.

It was the golden thread that tied my soul to his. Our Mate Bond.

It was screaming.

The pain was worse than the wound in my stomach.

A Rogue’s claw rested on the edge of the broken window.

I closed my eyes.

If I live, I vowed to the darkness, I curse you, Killian Blackwood. You will be haunted by this. Forever.

————

In the helicopter, a violent tremor shot through Killian.

He snapped his head around, staring down at the fragile figure on the ground.

In the air, the scent that was Freya was turning into suffocating despair.

A wave of panic seized his heart, making it hard to breathe.

"Killian?" Vivian whimpered in his arms. "Your eyes… they're red…"

Killian’s hands were shaking.

His wolf was screaming. Go back. Go back to our Mate.

But a second later, he clenched his jaw, violently suppressing the insane urge.

She's strong. She'll be fine. She has to be.

He turned away and pressed a kiss to Vivian's forehead.

"Don't be scared," he said, his voice raspy. "We're going home."

When I woke up, I was in a hospital.

Maya was by my bed, her eyes red and swollen.

"You were out for two days. You're finally healing. The visa came through." She placed a passport in my hand. "Lyon, France. The flight is in three days."

I stared at my picture in the passport.

That girl was still smiling.

I couldn't remember how to do that anymore.

"I'm leaving."

"I know." Maya squeezed my hand. "It's time."

The door to my room opened. I quickly hid the passport as someone walked in.

It was Killian.

Vivian was on his arm, holding a huge bouquet of flowers.

"Freya, thank God you're okay!" Vivian's voice oozed fake concern. "If only there had been more room on the chopper. We felt so awful leaving you."

I looked at their linked hands.

"Thanks for your concern."

Killian stood at the foot of the bed, his expression cold.

"The doctor says you need to rest for a few days."

"Yes."

"Good." He cleared his throat. "I have an announcement."

Vivian lowered her head, feigning shyness.

"Vivian has accepted my proposal," Killian said, his voice full of satisfaction. "We will hold our mating announcement ceremony the day after tomorrow."

The room fell silent.

My heart didn't hurt as much as I expected.

It was just… empty.

"Congratulations," I said, my voice as still as dead water. "You're a perfect match."

Vivian’s smile widened.

"These are for you." She placed the bouquet on my bedside table. "Moonshadow, aren't they beautiful? The language of the flower is 'eternal friendship.'"

I stared at the silver-white blossoms.

Moonshadow.

My allergen.

Three years ago, at a business dinner, I'd almost suffocated because of these flowers.

Killian had carried me out of the ballroom and rushed me to the hospital.

He had looked the doctor in the eye. "She is severely allergic to Moonshadow. Remember that."

Now, he just stood there, watching Vivian place a whole bouquet of them by my bed.

The pollen began to drift through the air.

My throat started to itch.

It was getting harder to breathe.

"Take them away," I said, my voice strained. "Please, take the flowers away."

"Why?" Vivian blinked her innocent, wide eyes. "Don't you like them?"

"I'm… allergic…"

Killian’s jaw tightened. "Moonshadow is harmless to werewolves. Stop the drama."

I stared at him in shock.

"Pretending?"

I started coughing violently, tears streaming down my face.

Not from the allergy.

From the despair.

"You forgot," I whispered, a hollow laugh escaping my lips. "Three years, Killian. And you just... forgot."

Killian froze for a second.

Then Vivian cut in. "Oh my god, I didn't know! Freya, I'm so sorry!"

She immediately took the flowers away, her face a mask of apology.

But her acting was terrible.

I pressed the call button by my bed.

A nurse rushed in and gave me an anti-allergy shot.

"You should inform your visitors of your allergies next time," the nurse advised.

"I will."

Vivian and Killian left soon after.

An hour later, Killian's parents arrived.

Though they had always been strict with me, they seemed to know I was Killian’s fated mate.

"Child, are you alright?" Rose sat by my bed, her eyes kind.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking."

"We heard you're planning to leave the pack?"

I nodded. "My health isn't what it used to be. I want to leave the pack and recover in Europe for a while."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe for a long time. Maybe forever."

The old Alpha sighed. "If this is because of Killian…"

"It's not," I cut him off. "It's my own choice."

"He chose Vivian for the good of the pack," Rose said, taking my hand. "About you two, if you're willing to wait…"

"Madam." I gently pulled my hand away. "I've waited five years. That… bond… it’s all but severed."

They fell silent.

"The packs in Europe are different," I continued. "More welcoming to someone like me. A wolf with the wrong blood."

"Bloodline isn't everything. We've all seen your contributions to the pack…"

"But my bloodline will never be pure enough to produce the pack's Luna, will it?"

The two elders looked at each other. They didn't argue.

"We won't see each other again," I said, bidding them farewell. "Thank you for your kindness over the years."

Just then, the door was thrown open again.

Killian strode in, his face dark.

"Leaving?" he snarled, his eyes pinning me to the bed. "You belong to this pack. You belong to me. And you don't leave until I say you can."