My mate had a peculiar taste—he preferred mated she-wolves, especially those older than him by three years.

In the three years since our mate bond was established, he had seduced nearly every high-ranking mated female in the city. That day, I caught the Luna of the Lycan King straddling his lap, her crimson gown tangled with his black suit.

"She's so dull, your mate," the Luna purred, her voice dripping with mockery. "Always standing there like a lifeless statue."

Ryatt chuckled, his tone dismissive. "Bland and uninteresting. She could never compare to your charm."

"Then let her kneel outside the door," the Luna suggested, her fingers lazily unbuttoning his collar. "We could use a servant to fetch water for us. And tonight, let’s try those silver bells from the West."

Ryatt ordered me to kneel outside the door, forcing me to listen to their shameless whispers and the clinking of those silver bells. When they were done, he demanded I fetch water for them.

Three days later, the Lycan King surrounded our pack territory with his warriors. Ryatt shoved me out the door, his voice desperate. "Take whatever you want. Just leave me alone."

The Lycan King, his face obscured by a black helmet, sat atop his horse, his curved blade tilting my chin upward.

"Oh? He mated my Luna. Should I take his mate in return?"

=======

I stood there for a moment, then nodded.

"That seems fair. When’s the marking ceremony?"

"Three days from now."

"I’ll be there."

Surprised by my immediate agreement, Jack hesitated, but then quickly pulled a bracelet from his pocket.

"A token of our promise," he said, his voice rushed, as if he feared I might change his mind. He mounted his horse clumsily, nearly tripping in his haste.

I couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Behind the cold mask of the Lycan King, there was a hint of… awkwardness.

When I returned to the pack house, I ran into Rayne. She was leaning against the doorframe, her face still flushed, clearly satisfied. She shot me a contemptuous look.

"Are you stupid? Come help me inside."

When I didn’t move, she glared at me before disappearing into Ryatt’s room. My eyes lingered on the discarded lingerie by the door, but Ryatt showed no guilt. Instead, he demanded,

"What did his mate say?"

"Never mind. Whatever he wants, as long as he signs Rayne’s release from her mate bond."

I responded calmly.

"He said he’ll do it in three days."

The same day I would mark with Jack.

Ryatt walked up to me, his tone casual but commanding.

"Make me some tonic. Rayne’s been rather… demanding these past few days. I need to replenish my strength."

He even had the audacity to smile fondly, as if his infidelity were something to be proud of.

I replied indifferently,

"The pack has servants for that. If you’re truly that exhausted, there’s a healer right outside the territory. Send someone to fetch him."

Ryatt frowned at my calm demeanor, his voice growing impatient.

"You’re so jealous. If I hadn’t mated with you, Rayne wouldn’t have been forced to mate that cold-hearted Lycan King, left to suffer in loneliness!"

"This is your fault. Instead of learning how to please your mate, you’re here sulking. Is this the upbringing of the West family?"

When I didn’t react, his tone softened slightly.

"Don’t worry. I’ll just mark her for fun. When I’m done, I’ll demote her and take you back."

His words were meant to sound generous, but they no longer stirred any emotion in me.

My father had only me as his heir. When Ryatt rose through the ranks, my father chose him as my mate. His family was in decline, and they pressured him into the bond. His childhood sweetheart, Rayne, cried and protested, but her family forced her to mate the Lycan King.

Ryatt used my family’s influence to climb higher, but deep down, he resented me. He believed I was the reason Rayne was taken from him. After gaining power, he delayed marking me, turning me into a laughingstock among the packs.

When he said he would mark her, he meant he would reject me and establish a new mate bond with Rayne, fulfilling his childhood obsession. As for what would happen to me after rejection, he never cared.

I didn’t bother arguing.

"If that’s the case, give me my release from the mate bond now. I’ll step aside for the Luna."

Ryatt’s face darkened, his eyes filled with an anger I couldn’t understand. He grabbed my chin roughly.

"What? You used to cling to me like a lost puppy. Now you want to run away?"

I turned my head, avoiding his touch.

"No."

I didn’t understand. When I used to follow him everywhere, he found me annoying. Now that I was letting go, he was furious.

"Don’t worry," he said, his voice cold. "I’ll give it to you before I mark Rayne."

Perfect. On that day, he would mark Rayne, and I would mark Jack.

The next morning, as I was having breakfast, Ryatt stormed into the room wearing his nightclothes, his face twisted in anger. He flipped the table over with a loud crash.

"Did you not prepare Rayne's and my clothes for today?" he snarled.

Back when I still loved him, I refused to let the Omegas handle his things, so I would wake up early every morning to lay out his clothes and shoes myself. He used to tease me, calling me a jealous little she-wolf.

But now that I no longer cared, I didn’t bother lifting a finger for him.

The bowls and cutlery shattered, and scalding soup splashed across my face, leaving angry red blisters in its wake.

Ryatt froze for a moment, then grabbed my arm roughly. "Are you an idiot? Why didn’t you dodge? You’re covered in soup—it’s disgusting."

He leaned in to inspect the burns, but Rayne’s voice called out from the bedroom.

"Ryatt, I can’t find the silver necklace from last night! It’s your fault—you kept putting it on and taking it off, and now I’m sore!"

Ryatt’s expression faltered, but he quickly turned toward the bedroom, urgency in his steps. Before leaving, he hesitated and muttered, "I’ll call the Healer for you later."

I wiped the soup off my clothes and brushed past him. "Don’t bother."

His face darkened. In the past, his concern would have made my heart flutter, but now I avoided him like the plague.

He glared at me, his tone sharp. "What’s your problem? You didn’t prepare my clothes this morning. What kind of Luna doesn’t do that? And now you’re giving me attitude because I accidentally spilled soup on you?"

"Alpha," I said, using his title coldly, "I’m not giving you attitude."

He grabbed my arm roughly, and I stumbled, falling into the pile of broken dishes. Shards of porcelain dug into my skin, and I winced in pain.

"Sister, what’s going on?" Rayne’s voice purred from the doorway. She had wrapped herself in a sheer robe and stepped out, her foot landing on my hand. The shards dug deeper, and I hissed as blood pooled in my palm.

"Oh, Ryatt, there’s the necklace!" Rayne pointed to the silver charm hanging from my waist, her tone mocking. "Looks like someone’s been lonely, hmm? No wonder you stole this little trinket while we were busy last night."

She leaned in, sniffing dramatically. "Hmm, I can still smell your scent on it. How scandalous! Who knew a respectable Luna like you could act like a little she-wolf in heat?"

My body trembled with rage, and I yanked the necklace off, hurling it at her. "Get out!"

"Ah! Ryatt, it hurts!" Rayne stumbled back into Ryatt’s arms, though the necklace was light and couldn’t have hurt her. She sobbed dramatically, her tears flowing freely.

"Ryatt, does your Luna hate me? I was just teasing her, trying to be friendly, but she got so angry."

Ryatt’s expression darkened, and his gaze turned icy as he looked at me. "Josephine, you’re just embarrassed because she called you out. You’re acting like a disgrace. Kneel and apologize to her, or you’ll strip and kneel in the courtyard under the sun as punishment!"

I knew he wouldn’t let this go unless I apologized. Clenching my teeth against the pain in my hand, I started to kneel.

"Today’s incident…" I began, but before I could finish, Rayne lunged at me. I stumbled back, grabbing her robe to steady myself.

Ryatt caught her before she could fall, and she clutched her chest, sobbing theatrically. "Sister, I just wanted to help you up, but I guess you’re still mad at me because Ryatt made you apologize."

"Enough!" Ryatt snapped, his Alpha tone sending a shiver through the room. "Josephine, you’re done here."

His words were final, and I knew there was no escaping his wrath.

Ryatt didn’t hesitate—his hand swung toward me with brutal force. The slap cracked through the air, and the momentum sent me sprawling onto the shattered pieces of a glass vase on the floor. Warm blood pooled beneath me, staining the tiles red. My ears rang, drowning out all sound.

He yanked me up by the collar, his Alpha aura radiating fury. “Josephine, get up! Stop pretending!” His voice was sharp, commanding, and laced with disgust. He barked at the nearby Omegas, “Take her outside. If she wants to act like she’s dead, let her kneel in the courtyard until she learns her place.”

Rayne stepped forward, her voice soft but laced with mock concern. “Ryatt, she’s still the daughter of the former Alpha. Don’t be too harsh on her. I can handle whatever she throws at me—I’ll endure it for you.” She cast a sidelong glance at me, her scent—a mix of rosemary and something bitter—filling the air.

Ryatt pulled her into his arms, his voice softening as he spoke to her. “You’re always so understanding, Rayne. Josephine may have been born into a high-ranking family, but she’s nothing compared to you. I only want you.” His words cut deeper than any physical blow.

The sounds of their laughter and whispered affection echoed behind me as I was dragged outside. I knelt in the courtyard, the cold ground biting into my knees, the pain crawling up my legs like a relentless tide. The Omegas nearby exchanged pitying glances, their whispers reaching my ears.

“Poor Josephine. She was once so respected, but without her father’s protection, she’s nothing now.”

“She’s got no mate to stand by her side, no pack to call her own. It’s tragic.”

“Shh! Do you want Ryatt to hear you? He’s not in the mood for sympathy.”

Their words twisted in my mind, stirring memories I’d tried to bury. Four years ago, Ryatt had been a rising star among the younger Alphas, his reputation untarnished. I’d overheard a group of Deltas mocking high-ranking she-wolves, their laughter crude and dismissive.

“Those high-ranking she-wolves are all the same—stiff, boring, like Josephine West. I’d rather have someone like Rayne.”

“They’re only good for one thing, anyway.”

Before my assistant, Lena, could intervene, Ryatt had stepped in, his Alpha tone cutting through their laughter. “Enough. You’re speaking out of line. Every she-wolf deserves respect, regardless of her rank.” His words had struck me then, and I’d foolishly believed he was different. I’d agreed to the mate bond, thinking I’d found someone who saw me for more than my lineage.

But on the night of our marking ceremony, he never came. I’d waited, the scent of lavender and pine—our shared mate bond—fading with every passing hour. I’d sewn his name into the hem of my dress, stitched his words into the fabric of my heart, but he’d never seen it. He’d never cared.

When I woke the next morning, the sunlight streaming through the windows, Ryatt was there, his dark hair tousled, the red mark on his nose standing out against his pale skin. He looked tired, but his eyes lit up when he saw me awake.

“Josephine, you’re up!” His voice was soft, almost tender, but his gaze flickered away, unable to meet mine. It wasn’t until Lena rushed in, her eyes red from crying, that I understood why.

“Josephine,” she whispered, “your face… the burn. It’s not healing properly. You might… you might have a scar.” Her voice trembled, and her anger toward Rayne was palpable.

Ryatt’s tone shifted instantly. “Lena, watch your tongue!” he snapped, his Alpha tone sharp and commanding.

I caught his arm, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “Leave her alone.” My words were quiet but firm, and for a moment, the room fell silent.