Cecilia's pov

5:00 PM. Parking garage.

I had just reached my car and was opening the door when my eyes inadvertently drifted across the lot. A sleek black SUV was already running, and through the window, I could see Xavier in the back seat. Pressed against him was a girl with short hair and a round, youthful face, radiating the boundless energy of youth that apparently my Alpha mate found irresistible.

"Alpha Xavier!" Beta Henry's panicked voice rang out as tires screeched. He slammed on the brakes, but it was too late.

Through the thick pane of glass, Xavier's eyes locked with mine. His gaze flared, black with fury.

Mine stayed flat. Dead. Hollow.

Across that silence, the girl noticed me-but instead of pulling away, she doubled down, looping her arms around his neck, her lips brushing his ear with a whisper.

My eyes burned as if someone had thrown acid into them. The partial mate bond, even incomplete as ours was, made witnessing his betrayal physically painful. I know it - she's publicly challenging my position as Luna..

I tore my gaze away, slipped into my car, and drove off without a second glance in their direction. Every instinct in my body screamed at me to confront them, to challenge her-but I wasn't a wolf. I was just a human who had been foolish enough to believe in forever with an Alpha.

When I arrived home to our spacious apartment, I barely had time to set down my bag before movement outside the window caught my eye. Xavier's car pulled into the garage below, its headlights sweeping across the concrete. The sight of it made my stomach clench with a mix of dread and simmering anger.

I stood in our walk-in closet, removing the diamond necklace he'd given me last month-another guilt offering I now realized-when a wall of muscle pressed against my back. The familiar cedar cold scent that had once brought me comfort now made my skin crawl.

Xavier braced his hands on the glass cabinet on either side of me, leaning down to peer at my face from the side. "Are you angry?" His voice carried that commanding Alpha tone that had once made me weak at the knees.

Without looking at him, I carefully placed the necklace back in its box with deliberate slowness. My voice was ice when I finally spoke. "Angry enough to commit murder. You'd better watch your back."

Xavier stared at me in silence for a long moment, his wolf clearly assessing the threat in my words. Finally, he spoke again, his tone carefully measured. "The White family is interested in collaborating with us on the Nova Star project. I've been in discussions with Gavin, their eldest son. The girl you saw is his sister."

"What, you need to get cozy with his sister to secure his business?" I turned to face him, my gaze piercing. "Is that how Blood Moon Pack conducts business now?"

"Cecilia, I'm trying to explain. Stop with the attitude!" His Alpha voice slipped out, a desperate attempt to control the situation.

"There's nothing to explain," I finally turned to look at him, my eyes clear and cold, peering into his soul. "Xavier, if you're tired of me and want she to be the Luna of this pack, I'm willing to step aside."

Xavier's face darkened instantly. "What did you just say?" His wolfish side is about to appear, eyes flashing with gold.

I sighed. "I said, we can get divorced."

When I tried to walk away, he grabbed me and pulled me back forcefully. Xavier gripped my chin, his fingers pressing into my skin as he growled a warning. "You'd better not even think about that."

I remained silent.

Not only had I thought about it-I'd already set it in motion.

I.

Was.

Done with him.

Xavier stayed home late that night, but was summoned away by a phone call. I clearly heard a soft, feminine voice on the other end, whimpering like she was crying.

The next morning, my lawyer friend and confidante, Harper sent me a screenshot: his little girlfriend's latest social media update. It showed a sunrise from a mountaintop, with two hands forming a heart shape-one large, one small. The caption read: "Sunrise hearts with my soulmate. "

I recognized Xavier's hand immediately. The bond between us may have been incomplete, but I knew every inch of him-every scar, every callus.

I sat there, holding my water glass for who knows how long.

For several days after that, Xavier didn't come home.

We only saw each other at company meetings. He sat in the center seat as Alpha, while I sat with the other executives. We never once made eye contact during those meetings.I didn't bother going to his office.

In my spare time, I busied myself with finding a new place to live, viewing apartments, and getting rid of all the gifts he'd given me over the years-anniversary presents, birthday gifts, Valentine's Day tokens, wedding gifts... I even sold my wedding ring.

When you no longer want the person, what's the point in keeping the emotional garbage of your past?

...

That evening, Ana, the owner of the Jade Palace club, invited me out. It was nearly eleven o'clock, and I initially didn't want to go, but considering that after divorcing and leaving Blood Moon Pack's company, I would need my own network of connections to start my business, I decided to accept.

As soon as I entered the club, I spotted Ana.

"Ana, I could have found my way up. You didn't need to come down," I said with a smile that didn't reach my eyes.

Ana linked her arm with mine affectionately as we entered the elevator. "I was worried you might get lost, honey. You've never been here before, right?"

That was true. This was my first time here.

We went upstairs, and Ana led me into a large private room divided by an ornate Chinese-style screen in the center.

Upon entering, I noticed several people on the other side of the screen, but Ana didn't lead me there. Instead, she took me to the side where only one person sat-someone who looked vaguely familiar. I recognized her as the girlfriend of one of Xavier's friends.

She seemed to recognize me too, and her expression turned awkward, though she managed a small smile.

After I took off my coat and sat down, Ana left again.

I took a sip of the drink placed before me, and gradually the boisterous conversation from the other side of the screen reached my ears. As they continued talking, they began discussing me.

"When it comes to this, Xavier hasn't brought that human to the party lately," a voice said with contempt.

"It's obvious. Cici has purebred Alpha heritage-young, gorgeous, and the real deal. Xavier flaunts her at every event like she's some prize jewel. He doesn't bother hiding his human wife anymore." Another voice echoes.

"I finally got my idea. After eight years, Xavier finally figured out the importance of bloodline."

"No matter how beautiful a human is, it's just a plaything. Eight years, tsk, it's so patient. What can human women have? They can't even mark it."

"And she is so stupid, she has been fooled for so long and kept in the dark. She think she can really be Luna? She has been useless for so many years except for a beautiful face and a good figure."

Someone laughed, "I want to say that when Xavier is completely tired of it, I don't mind taking over to show her what another wolf is like.. I've been coveting that slim waist for a long time."

"Be careful, human women cannot withstand the power of our werewolf," another voice joined in teasing with a nasty hint.

I stood around the corner, my eyes cold. I was very familiar with these voices - they were all Xavier's friends, and they called me "Luna" intimately when they saw me. Now that they had revealed their true faces, and just treated me as a joke in their circle.

The woman sitting with me looked so uncomfortable she couldn't even meet my eyes. When she saw me stand up, she probably thought I was going to flee in humiliation.

Instead, I cleared my throat, picked up my drink, and walked toward the screen. I leaned against it casually and joined their conversation in a relaxed tone.

"Gentlemen, I couldn't help overhearing-and I think you've got the story a little backward."

Their laughter choked off.

"When Xavier first got with me," I continued, tilting my head with mock sweetness, "He behaves average...all awkward fumbles and wide-eyed promises. After all, only women know whether a man is good or not. Am I right?"

Silence.

Absolute, stunned silence.

Everyone on the couch stared at me in horror.

And then-

Two tall figures stepped into the room behind me.

I didn't turn. I didn't need to.

Their presence spoke for itself.

And judging by the looks on their faces, everyone else in the room got the message loud and clear.

Damn.

Cecilia's pov

Xavier stood behind me, his face ice-cold with rage.

My wolf mate-no, soon-to-be ex-mate-was watching this whole scene go down.

I turned back to face the group, my eyes landing on the pixie-cut girl sitting in the corner of the sofa. Just moments ago, she'd been crossing her legs confidently, twirling her hair around her finger with a smug expression. Now her face had completely soured, looking at me like she wanted to rip my head off.

So this was where they'd been having their little meetups. From the casual way these men spoke, this wasn't the first time. They were already showing up in public together without any attempt to hide their relationship.

Xavier stepped forward, his Alpha presence taking over the room.

Suddenly, like puppets yanked by their strings, everyone sprang into motion.

"Luna Cecilia, we're so sorry, we were just talking trash," one of them stammered, the title 'Luna' ringing hollow now.

"Luna Cecilia, there's nothing going on between Xavier and Miss White," another added desperately.

"Luna Cecilia, please don't read into any of this."

Xavier grabbed my wrist, his grip firm as he tried to drag me toward the exit. Our partial bond sparked painfully at his touch, a cruel reminder of what we once had.

I spun around and threw my drink directly into his face.

The room went dead silent.

Everyone watched with bulging eyes, their shock obvious. How dare a human challenge an Alpha wolf in public?

My wolf instincts should be screaming at me to submit if I had any-but I didn't. I was just a human who had finally hit her limit.

The next moment, I smiled sweetly and said, "Go ahead and keep partying with your little sweetheart. I won't crash your fun anymore."

I tried to pry his fingers from my wrist, our bond crackling with each touch.

Xavier's face turned dangerous, his wolf clearly going nuts beneath the surface. Without warning, he hoisted me up and threw me over his shoulder.

Everyone in the room: "..."

In the hallway, I fought like hell against his grip, dangling over his shoulder.

The elevator doors opened right on time.

As Xavier hauled me into the elevator and turned around, I saw a man-his tall frame took up half the damn elevator. The tailored black suit showed off broad shoulders and a powerful silhouette, and expensive leather shoes complemented his long, lean legs. Even his casual stance showed the power contained within, and his presence was overwhelming.

The elevator instantly felt suffocating.

I couldn't help but look up at him as we prepared to leave. What hit my eyes was a handsome, angular face with deep-set eyes beneath steel-gray werewolf eyes that radiated danger. He surveyed me with obvious disdain, his thin lips slightly pursed, his jawline sharp as a blade. Such an intensely aggressive face, but with an aristocratic elegance and cold detachment.

I quickly covered my face and looked down again. My human senses might be weak compared to a wolf's, but even I could feel the power radiating from that stranger. An Alpha, definitely-and not just any Alpha.

Outside the club, Xavier tossed me into the back seat of his car before climbing in himself.

I struggled to sit up, dizzy from being carried upside down and then thrown around. My head was spinning, and I felt like I might have a concussion.

Xavier grabbed wet wipes from the car's glove compartment and started cleaning his face.

My sharp eyes caught sight of what looked like a condom package behind the tissue box. Evidence of his cheating was literally everywhere. His accusatory voice filled the car, "What were you doing there? Trying to catch me red-handed?"

I opened the car door, intending to get out. This car felt toxic.

"Cecilia!" Xavier growled, yanking me back inside. "Where do you think you're going? Don't you know when to quit?"

My breathing quickened as I pressed my fingertips together to calm myself. "I want to go home," I managed to say.

Xavier called Beta Henry, who had been waiting outside the club, to drive us.

The entire ride home, neither of us spoke. I sat as far away from him as possible, my face pale as if I might puke any moment. The scent of alcohol clung to him-sharp, heady, and laced with a perfume that definitely wasn't mine.

At home, I immediately got out of the car.

In the kitchen, I chugged an entire glass of ice water before I felt somewhat better.

When I came out, Xavier was sitting in the living room. I went over and sat down.

Another crushing silence fell between us until Xavier finally spoke. "I was there for business. You storming into the club and causing a scene like that-you've really embarrassed me. Don't you realize how stupid and pathetic you look right now, making a scene like that?"

"That it?" I responded calmly, my emotions locked away behind walls of ice.

"If you still want us to have a future together, drop these paranoid suspicions. I don't have time to deal with your drama."

"Got it. That it?" My voice remained steady.

"..." Xavier scowled deeply. "Cecilia, do you know how irritating you're being right now?"

I stood up with a slight smile curving my lips.

Soon enough, you won't have to deal with me anymore.

I went upstairs.

After showering, Xavier slid under the covers beside me. In the darkness, I lay on my side facing away from him, shifting further toward the edge of the bed to avoid any physical contact. Among wolves, touch was sacred-it strengthened the bond between mates. But we weren't true mates, were we? Our bond was never real, and now it was falling apart completely.

Xavier turned and pulled me forcefully into his arms, dragging me from the edge of the bed into his embrace with barely controlled anger.

His tall, strong body easily overpowered mine. Once he tightened his grip, I couldn't move at all.

I spent the entire night stiff as a board in his arms, imagining the same arms wrapped around Cici White.

In the morning, I made breakfast just for myself.

Xavier came downstairs and saw me sitting alone eating toast. He was about to leave but turned around and approached the dining area, leaning down to whisper in my ear with a gentler voice, as if trying to sweet-talk me: "This weekend, let's go out on the boat for a couple of days. Just the two of us."

I continued drinking my milk and gave a noncommittal "Mmm" under my breath.

Not surprisingly, by the day before the weekend, he canceled again, saying he needed to fly to Hong Kong.

I felt nothing. Not even a hint of disappointment.

Perhaps he hadn't even realized how long it had been since we'd shared a meal together or truly spent time with each other. His words warned me against thinking of divorce, but in reality, he treated me like I was invisible. If I disappeared one day, he probably wouldn't even notice.

That weekend, I removed my books from our shared bookshelf and packed them in a suitcase to take to my new place.

While sorting through them, I received a rare call from Dora.

I answered politely, "Hello, Luna Dora."

Dora responded with cold arrogance, "Get over here. About what we discussed before-let's make it official."

"Is that really necessary?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"I say it is, so it is," she snapped, her authority as Elder Luna evident in her tone.

"Fine, I'll come by this afternoon."

"Be here at noon."

"Fine."

Hanging up, I could almost imagine Dora's nasty face. I bet she'd cooked up some petty scheme to mess with me, nothing more than a sick display of Xavier and that little homewrecker getting intimate. She was probably hoping for me to see those two scumbags going at it, wasn't she? After all, in her eyes, only a pureblood werewolf was worthy of her precious son. But sadly, that wouldn't break me.

I didn't care what kind of game she was playing. Bring it on, my dear mother-in-law Dora!

Cecilia's pov

At 11:40 a.m.

My silhouette appeared in front of the Grimm family mansion, the territory of the Blood Moon Clan. The scent of pine and earth hit my nostrils, uncomfortably familiar.

This had been a second home, and now every visit made me feel like a stranger. The pack's werewolf steward's pupils went wide when he saw me at the door.

"Lu...Luna Cecilia." He stammered out, his eyes darting around nervously. Obviously he knew someone was coming today, but didn't think it would be me. He was already sweating bullets.

In the social circle of the wolves, our civil marriage was like a dirty little secret.

The marriage certificate was hidden away, as if it were some kind of embarrassing liability, known only to both parents, Beta Henry and a few inner circle members.

In the world of the wolves, one is never truly accepted without a formal mate ceremony. For the past eight years, I've been nothing more than an oddity, a barely tolerated human woman. Every time I attended a wolf gathering, the dirty looks reminded me: you're just an outsider, someone who could get tossed aside at any time.

"Please... Follow me." The butler approached reluctantly, as if he was about to walk to his execution.

Before we could reach the living room foyer, a sickeningly sweet flirtation pierced the air: "I win again! Xavier, are you going easy on me?"

My footsteps stopped cold. My brain went blank for three seconds before all the clues clicked into place. This was why he bailed on our weekend date - the so-called "business trip".

"Ha." A cold laugh escaped my lips as I continued to walk forward.

Xavier's eyes went huge when he looked up and saw me, "What are you doing here?" His tone sharp as a blade. "Your mother invited me." I said coldly, sarcasm dripping from my voice, "That's rich, shouldn't you be in Hong Kong right now? Since when did you develop teleportation powers?"

His eyelashes fluttered rapidly - a telltale sign of guilt I knew by heart after our years together.

The Shadow Pack she-wolf on the couch - Cici White - deliberately sauntered over to extend her hand.

The room reeked of her mingling with Xavier, and the nausea made my stomach lurch. "Hi~ I'm Cici!" She flashed a fake smile, clearly trying to get under my skin.

I didn't even look at the outstretched hand. In the pack hierarchy, even as a human, I'm still nominally the Luna of the Blood Moon Pack - even if it's just a title.

No point in stooping to her level. Dora Green, The Blood Moon Pack' elder Luna, appeared at the door right on cue.

She gave Cici an affectionate, warm greeting before looking me up and down with trash-can eyes: "Having fun dear? Just make yourself comfortable." her voice to Cici was sweet as honey.

Turning to me, her tone immediately turned to ice, "This is a manager from our company, Cecilia, here on work stuff." Everyone in the room knew my identity perfectly well, but she deliberately demoted me to a regular employee.

This was her way of announcing to everyone that for Xavier and Cici's possible marriage, I, a human wife, wasn't even a speed bump.

Cici lifted her chin smugly, "Oh~ so she's just an employee." Every word carried the attitude of a wolf marking territory.

I ignored their stares, locking my gaze straight onto Xavier's face. I wanted to see how he would react-would he stick up for me? Would he acknowledge my position?

But his face was cold and hard as marble, he didn't even flinch. He didn't care that his mother had publicly humiliated me.

"Luna Dora," I looked directly at Dora, keeping my voice level, "Since you brought me here on purpose, why don't you just say what you want to talk about?"

"Some other time." She dismissed me arrogantly, as if shooing away a servant, "Since you're here, stay here for lunch." She didn't even look at me when she said this, as if I only deserved this kind of brush-off.

"Thanks, but I have plans." I felt a dull ache in my chest as I turned, but I still kept my spine straight. For eight years, I had gotten used to pretending not to see their contempt in this house.

"When an elder tells you to stay and eat, what's with the attitude? No manners whatsoever." Dora Green snapped behind me, her voice loaded with contempt and disdain.

I stopped. Twenty days, I silently calculated to myself. Twenty days left to file the divorce papers. What was another twenty days of humiliation?

"Fine, I'll stay." I turned to meet her eyes and sneered. I walked straight to the table and sat down off to the side.

But Dora clearly had no intention of letting me off the hook. She looked around proudly and suddenly said, "Why don't you make yourself useful and pour tea for everyone."

A few snickers went around the dinner table. I balled my fists - that's what she really wanted me to stay for, to serve tea like a servant was a deliberate demotion, a public stripping of my status.

"What, you won't even do that much?" She scoffed, "Humans really can't be trusted, they don't even know the most basic etiquette."

I slowly stood up, picked up the teapot, and walked over to her with a sweet smile. To everyone's shock, I poured hot tea over her perfectly styled hair.

"I'm sorry, Luna Dora," I said, setting down the teapot in the sweetest voice, "my human hands are just so clumsy. Hope you enjoyed this cup of 'tea'?"

The dining room went dead silent, save for the sound of tea dripping down Dora's frozen cheeks.