I was the Luna who gave everything to her Alpha—my heart, my loyalty, my dignity.

Ethan repaid me by sleeping with other she-wolves, over and over again, and every night our mate bond slowly poisoned what was left of my soul.

On our third wedding anniversary, when he suggested I could "try" sleeping with someone else too, I finally broke.

My childhood friend, a young Alpha, called me when he heard the news and proposed to me over the phone.

His gentle voice healed every wound Ethan had carved into me, so I said yes.

Now I've decided to give Ethan moonbreak herb and sever our bond forever.

But Ethan never bothered to ask what I gave him to drink. He was too busy running off to his favorite she-wolf's bed.

He has no idea that in thirty days, when the moon breaks, our mate bond will shatter completely, and the "chains" that bound us as fated mates will be gone.

This time, I'm really leaving.

Aria's POV

When I handed Ethan the Moonbreak Herb, he was busy sweet-talking his little girlfriend Lily on the phone.

"Ethan, let's break the mate bond. This Moonbreak Herb will dissolve our connection over thirty days with no pain or side effects, and then I'll leave the Blood Moon Pack and we'll be done for good."

He made some vague sound and took the cup without even looking, downing it in one gulp before immediately going back to cooing at the she-wolf on the other end.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming over to see you right now, alright?"

After he hung up, Ethan headed for the door, but then he suddenly turned around. "Oh, Aria, what was that drink you just gave me?"

I forced a smile. "Moonbreak—"

Ethan waved his hand impatiently. "Whatever. I need to go see Lily now. I'll come back and have dinner with you next time."

Then he was gone.

I still remember the first time we met at Howling Bar. I was there to pick up a friend and happened to run into a very drunk Ethan.

When he walked past me, his fingertips accidentally brushed mine, and in that instant, it felt like lightning struck through me. A tingling sensation spread through my body, and my legs went weak, and I couldn't hold back a small gasp.

Our eyes met—just that one look—and I knew I was screwed. I'd fallen for him.

I knew he was a playboy, so I turned him down right away. But as he kept pursuing me, my heart slowly surrendered.

When he proposed marking me as his mate, I said yes.

The day we completed our mate bond, I thought everything had finally fallen into place.

But just a few weeks later, Ethan changed.

He started going out constantly and came home every few days reeking of unfamiliar she-wolves. Those scents clung to him and cut into my senses like knives.

Ethan came home less and less. Even when he did show up, it was only in a passing manner.

He'd walk straight into his study without even glancing my way. When I tried to talk to him, he'd stare at his phone and give me halfhearted "mm-hmms" and "whatevers." One time, I asked what he wanted for dinner, and he looked up at me like I was a piece of furniture.

"Aren't you the Luna? Why are you asking me about stuff like that?"

I stood there frozen while the emotions coming through our bond felt colder than ice.

I'd become a decoration in this house. Cooking, managing the pack house, attending ceremonies—I did everything a Luna was supposed to do, but Ethan never looked at me once. When he needed me to show up, I was just a tool, and when he didn't need me, I wasn't even worth being a shadow.

After he met Lily, his attitude toward me turned even colder.

When I tried to talk to him, all I saw in his eyes was cold disappointment. The way he looked at me became pure indifference.

I didn't understand why his attitude had changed so drastically, and I couldn't take the cold shoulder anymore. This relationship had become toxic, and I needed to get out.

The second Ethan left, I grabbed my phone and called Cameron. The video connected, and his familiar face filled the screen.

"How'd it go?" His voice was laced with concern.

I took a deep breath and tried to keep my voice steady. "He drank it."

Cameron visibly relaxed, and a smile tugged at his lips. "That's great. Once the mate bond breaks, you'll finally be free."

Aria's POV

After the call ended, I went out and bought a calendar.

Every day that passed, I tore off another page.

From October 1st to the 10th, Ethan didn't come home once.

But I knew exactly where he'd been, who he'd seen, and what he'd done. Lily made sure to post every move on social media, subtly showcasing herself.

Afternoon tea at fancy restaurants, watching his wolf form at the training grounds, stargazing from his mountaintop villa, soaking together in hot springs.

I ignored her little games.

I was about to sever the bond anyway, so why would I care?

With nothing but time on my hands, I spent the next few days clearing out the house.

The razor I'd carefully selected, the suits I'd ironed and organized daily, the limited edition watch I'd stayed up all night to order...

No matter how expensive or small, if I'd given it to him, I packed it up and threw it away.

I tossed out everything—all the hurt I'd endured in this mate bond, and every bit of genuine feeling I'd ever had for Ethan.

I'd already decided to leave the past behind and start a new life.

Two days later, Ethan finally came home.

He looked around the villa—half-empty now—and his frown deepened. "Aria, did you throw out my stuff?"

I flipped through my magazine without looking up. "Yeah, I did. You weren't using it anyway."

Ethan thought I was throwing a tantrum because I'd skipped that dinner with him last time. He probably figured this was my way of getting his attention.

He sat down next to me and pulled a gold-embossed invitation from his pocket, then dropped it right on top of my open magazine. "Stop being mad. Tomorrow Silver Moon Pack is hosting a charity auction, and as Luna, you need to be there." He paused, and his voice softened. "Bid on whatever you want. Consider it an apology."

*****

The next afternoon at five, Ethan showed up right on time to pick me up.

I was about to get in the passenger seat when I saw Lily already sitting there. She had a massive bag of snacks and drinks in her lap, and her sickly-sweet omega scent flooded the entire car—deliberate and provocative. She looked up at me with fake innocence.

"Luna, I don't really do well in the back seat. Mind sitting back there today?"

I caught the flash of smugness in her eyes and looked down. That's when I spotted a little decorative wolf figurine on the dashboard—custom-made, fluffy silver-gray fur, with "Lily's special seat!" written across it.

When I didn't move or say anything, Ethan realized I was pissed again. He tried to smooth things over in that low voice of his. "Lily's never been to an auction before. I'm bringing her to show her how these things work. She's more delicate than you, Aria. Just let her have this." His alpha eyes fixed on me. "You're my luna. You should be more generous."

Let her have it? Sure, why not? I was done with this alpha anyway, so what was one seat?

I laughed softly and climbed into the back.

The whole drive, Lily kept eating cake after cake and feeding Ethan with the same spoon she'd been using. She was showing off like she owned him, making sure I knew exactly where I stood.

They chatted about random pack gossip the entire time, and he couldn't stop smiling at her stupid comments about omega training classes and her constant whining. His face lit up every time she touched his arm.

I didn't even bother looking at them. I rolled down the window and watched the autumn scenery fly by, letting the cold air clear out their mixed scents.

When we got to the venue, Lily started complaining that her heels hurt after just a few steps. Ethan laughed and called her spoiled, but he took her straight to the nearest mall anyway.

I smiled bitterly to myself and walked into the venue alone with my invitation.

The first item was already up for auction by the time Ethan finally showed up with Lily.

The event combined an auction with a formal dinner, and the tables were laden with elegant appetizers and cuisine. Lily whined that she wanted steak, loud enough that nearby alphas turned to look—omegas usually acted more reserved at events like this.

Ethan just laughed and adjusted her dress before cutting up her steak and feeding her himself.

I watched the whole thing in silence.

Lily kept eating and casually pointed at something on stage. Ethan raised his paddle without even looking.

"Bidder seventeen—three hundred million coins!"

The room went silent. Nobody dared bid higher. That kind of money could support a mid-sized pack for ten years.

During intermission, alphas and their lunas swarmed our table with wine glasses in hand, clearly trying to cozy up to a powerful pack like Shadowmoon. They saw how Ethan doted on Lily and noticed the temporary mark on her neck—shallow tooth marks from an alpha bite. It wasn't a permanent mating mark, but it was enough to show ownership. The guests started kissing up to her, calling her luna and the future pack mother.

Ethan glanced at me, and his alpha instincts seemed to pick up on something wrong. His scent turned sharp with displeasure and warning. He corrected them casually. "You've got the wrong person. That's my luna." His golden eyes shifted to me. "She's my true mate. The one who bears my permanent mark."

The guests who'd made the mistake looked mortified and quickly corrected themselves.

I stayed quiet and ignored their pitying looks.

They hadn't gotten it wrong.

Soon, I wouldn't be Shadowmoon Pack's luna anymore.

And the way Ethan spoiled Lily, he'd give her a permanent mating mark the second our bond broke. She'd be the new pack luna in no time.

After the break, the second half of the auction featured antiques. I didn't care about any of it, so I bought a few of the most expensive pieces and left early.

I'd just reached the elevator when I heard Lily's sugary voice behind me. "Luna, got a minute to talk?"

I stopped. "I don't have anything to say to—"

Before I could finish, I saw Lily's hand coming up.

Sharp claws raked across my face.

Aria's POV

Lily's claws tore across my cheek with full force, and three bloody scratches opened up on my face.

I grabbed my cheek instinctively. "Lily! What the hell are you doing!"

Rage flooded through me a second later, and I moved to strike back without thinking. But then a powerful alpha grip locked around my wrist, and I could feel the mate bond itself forcing me to submit.

Ethan had my wrist in his hand, and anger simmered in his voice. "Aria, Lily didn't do anything to you. Why are you attacking her?"

I yanked my numb wrist back. "I attacked her? Ethan, ask any of these people who hit first!"

Lily immediately put on this pitiful expression. "Ethan, you said I was too weak and that pack members need to build courage, so I thought I'd try challenging the luna in public to practice. I couldn't find any other opportunity. But luna was so fierce just now, and her wolf almost dominated mine. I got so scared."

After hearing this explanation, Ethan frowned. "I told you to build courage, but how could you use your claws to hurt someone? And she's my luna!"

Lily started crying. "I'm sorry, I'm just too stupid. You said luna has a good temper, so I thought even if I scratched her, she wouldn't get mad. I didn't expect..."

The moment she cried, Ethan forgot all about being angry. "It's fine, no one's blaming you. Stop crying, be good."

I snapped at him. "Ethan, I'm the one who got hurt, and you're forgiving her for me? And Lily, what kind of innocent act are you putting on? Who practices building courage by hurting their luna!"

Lily flinched at my words and cried even harder, almost hyperventilating. She looked like she was about to pass out.

Ethan felt bad for her, and he said dismissively, "How sharp can her claws even be? Do you really have to make such a big deal out of this? She feels so guilty she's about to faint. Aria, that's enough. You're a luna, act like one."

After dropping that line, he picked Lily up and left.

I never thought I'd hear something like that from him. I stood there in disbelief, and coldness seeped into my bones.

When I got home, the maid saw the blood on my face and freaked out. She kept asking what happened and if someone had bullied me, and she wanted to call Ethan to make him come home and get justice for me.

"Don't bother." I stopped her quietly.

All my pain came from his own hands.

I sat by the window with an ice pack for an hour, and the swelling had barely gone down when I got a message from Lily.

"Luna, did you make it home? I'm at the hospital now. Ethan is so worried about me. I just had an emotional breakdown and fainted, but he booked the entire VIP floor and got more than ten healers to check on me."

She continued, "Oh, how's your injury? It's my fault for not controlling my strength. It must hurt a lot, right? Why don't you come to the hospital, and I'll be generous enough to spare you one doctor to check if it'll scar? After all, as luna, it wouldn't look good to have scars on your face."

I looked at it once and forwarded it straight to Ethan.

It wasn't until the early morning that he replied with just a few words. "Lily means well."

I laughed, and tears came with it.

"You're protecting her this much? Why don't you just mark her now? I'll step aside and wish you both eternal happiness. Early mark and happy bond."

This time, Ethan replied instantly, "Aria, why are you saying things you don't mean again? I've told you so many times—you're my only luna, and my mate bond belongs only to you. I'm just playing around with these omegas, so can you please not make such a big deal out of it? Get some rest. I'll come home tomorrow to spend time with you."

I laughed bitterly at myself and started getting ready for bed. I didn't want to play along with this boring charade anymore.