Chapter 4

Ana

Ema held my hands gently across the table. Her grip was firm and steady, but I could see the deep worry in her eyes. The restaurant lights reflected in her pupils, making her concern feel even more intense.

"Did Max hurt you?" she asked, her voice low. "Did he lay a hand on you or do anything to you?"

I looked back at her and shook my head slowly. The physical pain from the accident was still there, a dull ache in my side, but it was nothing compared to the weight on my soul.

"What could he possibly do that he hasn't done already?" I asked. My voice was flat. "He has decided to choose his path, so why can't I choose mine? He thinks I am just a quiet little girl who follows him. He is wrong."

She pulled me into a warm hug, her familiar scent of vanilla and spice surrounding me. For a brief moment, I felt safe in her arms, as if I were back in my father’s house. Then she pulled back and searched my face, her brow furrowed.

"Ana, listen to me," she said softly. "You just lost your daughter. It is a terrible, unthinkable thing. Do you really want to lose Max too? Are you sure you aren't just acting out of grief?"

I took a deep breath. It was time to tell her the full truth, even if the words tasted like ash.

"The lady he brought into our home... she has been his mistress all along, Ema. They have a daughter together. The same little girl he lied about and said he adopted. I saw the way they looked at each other. That child is seven years old. Do you understand? That means Max has been cheating on me for seven years. Nearly our entire marriage."

Ema’s eyes widened until they were completely round. She stared at me in absolute shock, her hands dropping from mine.

"Is it true? How can Max do this? He’s the Alpha. He’s supposed to be honorable." She paused, shaking her head. "Maybe there is a misunderstanding. A child could be from anything. Why don't you talk to him first? Give him a chance to explain."

I looked straight at her. My voice stayed firm even though my heart ached with every beat.

"What misunderstanding, Ema? I heard him with my own ears. He was in that room with her, talking about their future. He didn't even deny that he caused the accident. He killed his own daughter just to control me. How heartless can a person be?

He thinks because he is an Alpha he can do whatever he wants and I will just stay in my place. I swear, I will make him pay for Lily. I will make him pay bit by bit."

I slowly stood up from the chair. My legs felt heavy, and the bar felt too loud now. The music and the laughter of other people were making my head spin. I looked at Ema one more time.

"I'm going home," I said. "It's already late."

She stood up quickly, grabbing her bag. "I will help you get there safely. You shouldn't be alone right now."

We walked out of the restaurant section together. As we passed one of the private dining rooms, a sound stopped me in my tracks. I heard voices inside—voices I knew better than my own. I quickly turned and looked through the doorway, which was slightly open.

There he sat. Max was having a grand meal with Emily and the little girl, Mai.

They were laughing and talking easily, the table filled with expensive dishes. They looked happy. They looked like a big, complete, perfect family. There was no sign of the grieving father I had seen at the hospital.

"Is that Alpha Max?" Ema asked quietly from behind me.

I just laughed. It was a short, empty sound that had no joy in it. I did not say a word. I just watched him pour a drink for Emily, his eyes full of affection. Then I turned away, the image burned into my mind.

"Let's go," I whispered.

I walked out of the building and looked up at the dark sky. The stars were hidden by clouds. Max had never taken me out like that. Every time I asked for a date or a simple dinner, he always complained. He said he was too busy with pack business, too tired from meetings, or had no time for "human things."

But here he was, taking his mistress and their child out for a nice dinner night.

As I reached the parking lot, I stopped suddenly. A shiny, black Lamborghini sat parked nearby, reflecting the streetlights. My heart twisted.

It was the car he had bought for our third anniversary. He told me it was a gift for me, but he had never let me drive it. He promised he would take me out in it one day for a special occasion. Every time I asked, he gave excuses about the engine or the weather.

Now, he used it to take his mistress out instead.

I got into my own car, my hands gripping the steering wheel until they hurt. I looked at Ema through the window.

"Tomorrow I have made up my mind," I said, my voice cold and hard. "I'm severing my bond with that bastard. I’m done being his plaything."

I drove away before she could argue, leaving her standing there in the parking lot.

When I got back home, the whole house was dark and quiet. The silence felt like a heavy blanket. I sat down on the couch and stopped moving, staring into the darkness. Then, I saw them.

Lily’s pictures—the ones Max promised to "put away for my own good"—lay scattered on the floor near the trash bin. I leaned down and picked one up carefully. It showed her smiling face, her eyes bright and full of life. She was wearing her favorite yellow dress.

I looked at it for a long time, and then the tears finally came.

I had kept this one photo on the side table and told Max specifically not to take it away. I told him I needed it. But here it was, thrown on the floor like it was nothing but garbage.

I cried hard into the photo, holding the cold frame close to my chest. I sobbed until my throat was raw, blaming myself again and again. I was a bad mother. I should have seen the truth. I should have protected her from him.

The front door opened suddenly, letting in a gust of cold air. I looked up with tearful, blurry eyes. Max walked in, followed by Emily and the little girl. They were all laughing together, sharing some private joke.

The moment Max saw me sitting there on the couch in the dark, he looked shocked. The smile vanished from his face instantly.

He turned to them quickly. "Go on inside," he said, ushering them toward the stairs. "Go ahead."

I slowly stood up from the couch, wiping my face with the back of my hand. Emily dropped the shopping bags she was carrying and gave me a small, fake smile.

"I brought some food for you, Ana," hee said.

I laughed inside, a bitter, stinging feeling. If I had not seen them at the restaurant earlier, how could I have known? I knew exactly what was in those containers. It was their leftover food. They had eaten their fill and brought the scraps home for the "grieving wife."

I looked at Max, then at Emily. My voice was steady. "Where are you coming from?"

He stepped toward me, his expression smooth and calm again. He reached out as if to touch my shoulder, but I stepped back.

"I was busy with pack work, honey," he said easily. "I stopped to get you your favorite food on the way back. I saw Emily and the girl walking nearby and gave them a ride home. It’s a dangerous night."

I smiled back at him. It was a thin, sharp smile that did not reach my eyes. "In the Lamborghini, Max? You took them for a ride in that car?"

He looked at me and frowned a little, his eyes darkening. "You should not speak that way, Ana. I know you want to ride in it badly. I promised that next time I go out, I will take you. You're just stressed."

He ignored my look and took out the food containers, placing them on the dining table. He opened one up.

Sea crab and pizza.

I almost laughed out loud. He stood there, looking proud of himself. He said it was for me, his favorite wife, but I never ate this. I couldn't.

I was deathly allergic to seafood.

He had been my husband for eight years, and he didn't even remember the one thing that could kill me. Or maybe he did remember.

I looked at him, then at Emily, and said nothing. I didn't scream. I didn't throw the food. I simply turned around and walked upstairs, still holding my daughter’s picture tightly in my hands.

This was not the man I had married. It felt like a monster wearing his skin. This was someone else entirely.

Chapter 5

Ana

"Luna, are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure you want to sever the bond between you and the Alpha?"

I sat in the quiet, cool air of the Rejection Bond Hall. The stone walls felt heavy around me, like they were holding in centuries of secrets and broken hearts. I stared at the elder lady sitting across from me. Her face was covered in deep lines, and her white hair was pulled back tightly.

Everyone in the pack knew her. If you wanted to break a bond, you came to this room. Here, the laws of nature could be undone.

You did not even need your mate to be present to start the process. You did not need him to say the words "I reject you" for the papers to be drawn.

I looked at the elder and nodded. My voice was steady, even though my hands were cold. "Yes. I want to end the bond with the Alpha."

The lady looked at me for a long moment. Her eyes were kind, but they held a serious weight. She had seen many Mates come through these doors, but few looked as hollow as I felt.

"If you decide to sever the bond, there is no going back, Ana," she warned, her voice echoing slightly. "Once the string is cut, it cannot be tied again. You can never become his mate again, not in this life or the next. The bond of the moon will leave you both."

I took a deep breath.

For eight long years, my biggest dream had been to be with Max. I had given up my name, my family, and my future just to stand by his side. I remembered how happy I was back then, how I thought our love was the strongest thing in the world.

But as I sat there, the memory felt like a lie. Now, I did not want his love. I wished I could take a blade, stab him, and watch him bleed until he died. I wanted him to feel a fraction of the pain I felt when I realized he had killed our daughter.

"Yes," I said. I looked straight into the lady's eyes so she would see I wasn't shaking. "I want to end the bond, and I want to reject him. I have made my decision, and I am not going back."

The elder lady sighed softly and stood up. She walked over to a dark wooden drawer and brought out a thick manila file. I watched as she took a small, silver knife from the table. With a quick, practiced motion, she sliced her own wrist.

A small amount of dark red blood pooled on her skin. She touched the blood to the corner of the file, and I saw the paper glow for a brief second.

Then she handed the file to me. "Use your blood and a thumbprint right here," she instructed. "The Alpha must do the same on the line below yours. If both of you agree and mark this paper, the bond you share will shatter instantly. You will be strangers again."

I looked at the file. It felt like the heaviest thing I had ever held.

I stood up, tucked the file under my arm, and bowed politely to the elder. I didn't say thank you; there was nothing to be thankful for in a room built for endings. I turned and walked out into the sunlight.

Outside, Ema was waiting for me. She was pacing back and forth near my car, chewing on her lip. As soon as she saw me coming out, she ran over and grabbed my shoulders.

"Are you okay? Did she give it to you?" she asked, her eyes searching mine for any sign of weakness.

I looked at her and pulled the file out just enough for her to see the seal. "I have gotten it, Ema. Now I just need to get that bastard to sign it."

"Ana, are you sure?" Ema whispered. "This is final."

"I have never been more sure of anything," I replied.

I drove back to the mansion in silence. When I walked through the front door, the house felt different. It didn't feel like my home anymore; it felt like a cage I was about to break.

Max was sitting in the living room. He was focused on his laptop, his brow furrowed as he typed. He looked like the busy, hardworking Alpha I had once admired. He looked up when he heard my footsteps.

"Where have you gone? I have been waiting for you to come back. Is everything okay?"

I stood there for a while, just looking at him. I wondered how many times he had looked at me with that same "worried" expression while his heart was actually with Emily.

"I'm fine," I said shortly. "I just went to visit Ema, that's all. I needed some air."

I looked around the room. The house was quiet. Too quiet. "Where is Mai, and where is your friend?" I asked. I couldn't bring myself to say Emily's name.

Max smiled, and it was that same easy, fake smile he had been using all week. "Emily took Mai out for a walk. She thought the fresh air would be good for the girl."

I nodded. Just being in the same room as him made me feel disgusted. My skin crawled as if insects were walking over me. I wanted to scream at him, to throw the file at his face and tell him I knew everything, but I needed him to sign it first. If I got too angry, he might refuse just to spite me.

As I was about to tell him about the papers, his phone rang. It was sitting on the coffee table between us. I looked down and saw the name "Emily" flashing on the screen.

Max saw that I had seen it. He grabbed the phone quickly, looking a bit nervous.

"It is not what you think, Ana," he said, already standing up. "Emily probably just needs help with directions or something. She doesn't know the territory well."

I watched him as he picked up the call. He didn't even leave the room at first. He listened for a second, and then his entire face changed. His eyes went wide with fear, and he grew pale.

"What? Where are you? I'm coming right now!" he shouted into the phone.

He hung up and looked at me, but he wasn't really seeing me. "I have to go. Mai got injured while playing. Emily sounds frantic."

I watched him run past me. He didn't even grab his jacket. He just bolted out the door, his heart clearly racing for that little girl.

I stood in the empty living room, the silence returning like a heavy weight. My mind went back to the rainy night of the accident. I thought about the car, the broken glass, and the way I had screamed for help.

Did he run that way when my daughter was dying?

Did he feel this same panic when he heard his own blood was gasping for air in a crushed car? Or did he feel proud of himself for finally getting rid of the "mistake" that stood in the way of his secret family?

Now, he ran for his mistress's daughter. He was scared even for a small scratch on her knee, while my Lily was buried in the cold ground because of him.

I sat down on the floor right where I was standing and laughed out loud. It was a loud, jagged sound that filled the empty house. I laughed until tears ran down my face, feeling like I had finally gone mad.

I could not believe how stupid I had been. I had spent eight years loving a monster. I had given him my youth, my heart, and my child.

My phone rang in my pocket, cutting through my laughter. I pulled it out and saw the caller ID. It was my father. My heart skipped a beat. I slowly picked it up and answered.

"Hello?" I whispered.

"Ana," my father's voice came through. It was deep and authoritative, the voice of the Alpha of the Dark Rose Pack. "I have thought about what you said. I have forgiven you for leaving. You can come back and take the position you left behind. After all, you are still my daughter."

I closed my eyes, feeling a wave of relief. Then I heard another voice on the line. "Ana? Is that really you?" It was my mom. She was crying. "Are you okay? Please tell me you’re coming home."

I wanted to cry with her. I wanted to tell them how much my heart was breaking, how I had seen my husband with another woman, and how Lily was gone forever. But I couldn't. Not yet. I forced a smile into my voice.

"I am fine, mom. Don't cry. I'm okay."

My father spoke again, his tone turning businesslike. "In seven days, you should be ready, Ana. I am sending someone to get you."

He continued, "Since you have agreed to marry Desmond, the Alpha's son from the Moon Pack, he is coming to the Silverfang Pack in seven days to pick you up himself. This is a powerful alliance. You should be ready, and you must make sure the bond between you and Alpha Max is totally cut before he arrives. I will not have my daughter tied to a man like that."

I nodded, even though he could not see me. "Do not worry, Dad. I understand. Before seven days are up, Max and I will no longer be mates. I promise."

I ended the call and took a long, deep breath.

Desmond from the Moon Pack. I had never met the man, and I didn't know if I could ever love again, but it didn't matter. Anything was better than staying married to a man who could heartlessly kill his own child. I would marry a stranger if it meant I never had to see Max’s face again.

I looked at the clock on the wall. Hours passed as I sat there in the dark. I didn't turn on the lights. I just waited.

Finally, the front door opened. It was already getting dark outside, the shadows long and thin across the floor. Max walked in, carrying Mai in his arms. She had a small bandage on her elbow, but she was smiling. Emily followed behind them, looking tired but satisfied.

Max noticed me immediately. I was still sitting in the same place as before, a shadow in the corner of the room.

"Ana? Why are you still sitting here in the dark?" he asked, sounding confused. "Have you been waiting for me this whole time?"

Mai saw me and wiggled out of Max's arms. She ran toward me, her little feet thumping on the carpet. "Mummy! Look at my boo-boo!" she shouted happily, reaching out to hug my waist.

I looked down at her. For a split second, I saw Lily’s face in hers, and it made my stomach turn.

I reached down and slowly, firmly, pulled her hands away from me. I stepped back, creating a gap between us. Then I looked back at Max.

I didn't have time for games anymore. I didn't care about his excuses or his fake concern. By the look on his face, he was just going to spend the rest of the night tending to his lover and their child anyway.

I reached into the folder I had been holding and pulled out the rejection papers. I walked over to the dining table and slammed the file down on the wood.

Then I looked him straight in the eyes and spoke clearly.

"Alpha Max, I need your blood and your thumbprint on this file."

Chapter 6

Max

I walked into the room and stopped. The air felt heavy, like a storm was about to break.

Ana was standing there, and the way she looked at me made my skin crawl. Why does she look like she wants to kill me?

Her eyes were not the soft, loving eyes I knew. They felt sharp. They felt like danger. I have been an Alpha for a long time, and I know when someone is a threat. Right now, my own wife looked like an enemy.

I looked down at the table. There was a file lying there. She had pushed it toward me with a look of cold determination. She asked me to sign it with my blood.

My mind raced. Why would she want my blood on a document? Usually, pack business is done with a pen and a stamp. Using blood is old stuff.

"Ana, are you okay?" I asked her.

I tried to make my voice sound kind, like the husband she expected me to be. I needed to see if she was still the same broken woman who had been crying over her daughter just yesterday.

She didn't cry. Instead, she smiled at me. It was a strange smile—thin and tight.

"I am fine, Max. Truly. I just want you to sign this. It is important to me."

I reached for the file, my curiosity growing. What was she up to?

Before my fingers could touch the paper, Emily stepped forward. She had been standing in the corner, watching us with my daughter, Mai. Emily reached out and held my hands, her fingers trembling slightly. She looked at Ana, then back at me, her eyes filling with tears.

"I hope I'm not trying to bring issues between you and the luna," Emily spoke, her voice shaking. "I only came here because you asked me to. If my being here is causing trouble for your bomd, I will go. I will take Mai and leave right now."

I felt a rush of protectiveness. I couldn't let her leave. She was the woman I truly loved, and Mai was the child I actually wanted. I squeezed her hands to show her I was on her side.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Emily," I said firmly. I turned my head to look at Ana, my voice turning a bit harder. "Ana, if you are angry, you can be angry with me instead. Don't take it out on our guest."

I expected Ana to shout or get upset. I expected her to point at Emily and tell her to get out of our house. But she didn't.

She just smiled again. She even reached out and held my hands, her touch light and cool.

"I am not angry, Max," she said softly. "Why would I be angry? You have been so thoughtful lately. You took care of me after the accident, and you even brought Emily here to help. You adopted Mai so I wouldn't be lonely. You did all of this for me. So why would I be angry?"

I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I looked at her face, searching for a lie, but she seemed so sincere. I leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead.

For a second, a dark thought had crossed my mind. I thought she must have found out what I did—about the crash, about Lily, about everything. But as she stood there smiling, I realized I was being too worried. She was just a woman who had lost her child. She was weak and looking for something to hold on to.

"I'm glad you understand," I whispered.

I didn't want to argue anymore. I wanted this to be over so I could go back to my real life.

I lifted my hand and bit the tip of my finger. I felt the sharp sting as my teeth broke the skin. A small drop of dark red blood formed. I pressed my finger against the paper, leaving a perfect red mark right where she wanted it. Then, I wrote my name.

I gave the file back to her, feeling a bit smug. I knew she would not do anything foolish. She had nowhere else to go. She say her father had cast her out years ago. I was the only person she had left in this world.

She took the file and held it against her chest. She looked at me with an expression I couldn't understand.

"In seven days," she said, "everything will finally end."

I blinked, confused by her words. "What do you mean by that? What ends in seven days?"

Then, I remembered. I felt a bit guilty for forgetting. In seven days, it was her birthday. I thought she was talking about the end of her year of mourning or something similar. I smiled at her, trying to be the charming Alpha again.

"You should not worry, Ana," I told her. "I know what day it is. I will not miss out on your birthday. We will do something special."

She didn't answer me. She just turned around and walked up the stairs, her movements slow and graceful. She didn't look back once.

After she was gone and the sound of her footsteps died away, Emily moved closer to me. She rested her head against my shoulder, her long hair brushing against my arm.

"Did you notice Ana was acting a bit strange, Max? That smile... it didn't feel right."

I looked up at the empty stairs. The house was quiet, but it didn't feel peaceful. I felt like I was being watched by someone I couldn't see.

"I don't know," I whispered, pulling Emily closer to me. "But we are going to find out what she's thinking. Don't worry about her."

…

Later that night, the mansion was silent. The only sound was the wind hitting the glass of the windows.

I lay in bed next to Ana, watching her sleep. She looked so still, like a statue carved from white stone. Her breathing was slow and steady. I waited for a long time, making sure she was deeply asleep.

Finally, I slowly stood up. I moved quietly, not making a single sound on the floorboards. I walked out of our bedroom and closed the door behind me with a soft click. I headed down the hall to the guest room where Emily was staying.

When I opened the door, Emily was already awake. She was lying on the bed, the moonlight from the window lighting up her face. She was waiting for me. I walked over and pulled her into my arms, feeling the heat of her body.

"You took so long," she whispered into my ear. Her voice was full of want.

I looked at her, my heart beating fast. "You know Ana is still around. I have to be careful. Whatever we need to do right now, she doesn't need to find out. Not yet. We have to keep this a secret for a little longer."

Emily held my hands and looked me in the eyes. Her expression turned serious.

"When will you get rid of her, Max? When will you finally tell her the truth and send her away? I'm tired of living in the guest room. I want to be the Luna of this pack. I want our daughter to have her father's name."

When she asked me that, I felt a flash of anger. I stood up quickly, moving away from the bed.

"Never bring that up again," I snapped. "I told you, I have a plan. Ana is still useful to me. I can't just throw her out yet. People would ask questions. The pack would talk."

I was about to say more, but then I heard a sound.

It was a soft noise, like a footstep or a door closing somewhere in the house. My Alpha instincts kicked in. I ran out of the room fast, my heart hammering against my ribs. I looked up and down the hallway, but it was empty. The shadows were still. No one was there.

I walked back to Ana's room, my breath coming in short gasps. I opened the door and looked at the bed.

She was still lying in the same position, her eyes closed. She looked like she hadn't moved an inch.

I looked at the small table near the bed. There was a fruit knife lying there. I picked it up, the cold metal feeling heavy in my hand. I walked over to the side of the bed and looked down at my wife. I called her name softly.

"Ana?"

She did not answer. She didn't even twitch. I called her name again, a little louder this time.

"Ana! Are you awake?"

Nothing. She stayed perfectly still, her breath steady and slow.

I stood there for a moment, the knife gripped in my hand. I watched her for any sign that she was faking it. After a minute of silence, I realized I was just being paranoid. The stress of everything was getting to me.

I dropped the knife back onto the table with a small clatter and slowly walked out of the room.

Maybe the sound I heard was just the house settling. Maybe it was nothing after all.