Seraphina POV

I could not stop reading the forum.

Every word was a fresh spadeful of earth thrown onto the grave of my twelve-year relationship.

My eyes scanned past the repetitive photos of stolen gifts until they landed on a close-up of Elara's wrist. A crude wolf-fang bracelet was tied around it. A cold dread washed over me. It was not a bracelet. It was a makeshift Omega pleasure collar, a degrading symbol of submission used during mating. One of the fangs was chipped. I remembered that chipped fang perfectly—it was from the alpha rogue Kaelen had killed to 'protect' me last winter. He had presented the fang to me as a trophy, and I had woven it into a bracelet for him. Now it was a leash on his Omega's wrist. The betrayal was so much deeper than just sex. It was a ritual. My gaze drifted to another photo, this one of Elara showing off a moonstone pendant. I remembered that winter solstice, when Kaelen insisted we visit his family. His mother, a woman who had always looked down on me, had pulled Elara aside and gifted her that pendant, calling it a family heirloom meant for her son's true mate. I had been standing right there.

Instead of wallowing in the humiliation, I forwarded the forum link to my family's private security team. Within minutes, my lead hacker confirmed what I already knew: the IP address bounced from the slum borders straight to Kaelen's private server.

The betrayal was not just a secret; it was subsidized by my own network.

My inner wolf whimpered, a pathetic, broken sound echoing in my mind.

The clock struck 1 AM.

At one in the morning, a low groan came from the hinges in the entryway, followed by the faint scuff of a sole dragging across the rug.

He smelled of cheap, overpowering cologne.

My sensitive wolf nose easily picked apart the scent.

Beneath the cologne was the unmistakable, sweet aroma of Elara's unique Omega scent.

"Still awake, my love?" Kaelen asked softly.

He walked over and wrapped his arms around me, trying to use his Alpha body heat to warm my shivering frame.

His touch, which once sent a current across my skin, now made my flesh crawl.

Before I could push him away, my phone rang.

It was a holographic video call from Elara.

I answered it, projecting her image into the center of the room.

She looked flushed, her clothes slightly wrinkled, acting completely drunk.

"Sera!" Elara slurred, giving a fake, sweet smile. "I just wanted to say happy birthday! I know I could never afford a real gift for you, so I just... wanted to see your face."

Kaelen suddenly tightened his grip around my waist.

He deliberately released his heavy Alpha aura, letting his dominance fill the room to compete for my attention.

On the hologram, Elara's eyes widened in shock as she felt his aura through the screen.

She let out a sharp, dramatic scream.

The phone tumbled from her hands, and the screen went black.

Kaelen's face turned completely pale.

"What the hell was that?" Kaelen gasped, his voice trembling with fake panic. "A Rogue breach at the border camp! I have to go!"

He did not even wait for my answer.

He turned and sprinted out of the manor, desperate to reach his hidden lover.

But right before the call disconnected, my enhanced hearing caught a sound.

It was a soft, smug chuckle from Elara.

I sat alone in the dark, pulling up the forum one last time.

Elara had just posted a new update.

"Just released my mating pheromones to call my Alpha away from her," she typed. "He came running like an obedient dog."

It felt as though the oxygen had been vacuumed from my chest; a dull ache bloomed beneath my ribs, forcing my mouth open to a gasp that drew in nothing but cold, stagnant air.

I stayed awake all night, watching the moon cross the sky.

At 8 AM, I picked up my phone and sent Kaelen a single text message.

"We're done. I'm severing the bond."

An hour later, the front doors opened again.

Kaelen and Elara limped in together. Their clothes were strategically torn, smeared with mud and fake blood, playing the part of exhausted survivors.

They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw me sitting rigidly on the sofa.

The atmosphere in the room turned to dead silence.

Kaelen checked his phone.

I watched his arrogant Alpha posture crumble instantly.

All the color drained from his face.

Elara crossed her arms, rolling her eyes with a dramatic sigh.

"Are you seriously throwing a tantrum right now, Sera?" Elara said in a mocking tone. "We were nearly killed by Rogues, and you're acting like a spoiled brat."

I stood up slowly, my voice deadly calm.

"There was no Rogue attack," I said. "You ripped your own clothes to cover up the fact that you spent the night together. And that fresh bite mark on your neck, Elara? You did not even try to hide it."

Elara gasped, her hands flying to cover her neck.

"I want out," I declared, staring straight into Kaelen's terrified eyes.

Elara immediately dropped to her knees, squeezing out fake tears.

"Sera, please, it's not his fault!" she cried pitifully.

Kaelen rushed forward, wrapping his arms protectively around the kneeling Omega.

He glared at me, his eyes full of disappointment.

"You're being completely irrational, Seraphina," Kaelen snapped. "You let your jealousy blind you. She was terrified and needed her Alpha's protection!"

I looked at the man I had loved for twelve years, and a sour bile rose in my throat. I took an involuntary half-step back, away from the stench of his breath.

I did not raise my voice. I did not cry. Instead, I smiled—a cold, quiet curve of my lips that made Kaelen's eyes widen with the first flicker of genuine fear.

"The banquet is tonight," I said softly. "Don't be late. We wouldn't want to disappoint the Elders."