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.

Aria's POV

The next day after lunch, I drove over to Ethan's parents' house. Felicia and Keiran had always been kind to me, but today I wasn't there for a visit. I brought the moonstone necklace Felicia had given me at our wedding—the one she'd called a family heirloom, passed down through generations.

The house was quiet when I arrived, and the staff told me Felicia and Keiran had left for Bali that morning. They wouldn't be back for a month. I handed the necklace to the housekeeper and left without another word.

When I got home, Ethan was sprawled on the couch with gift boxes piled on the coffee table. He glanced up from his phone as I walked in.

"The housekeeper called. You returned the heirloom?"

"Yeah."

He sighed and walked over to me. "Still mad? Come on, I got you all these gifts. Can't you forgive me just this once? I'm sorry, my luna."

Even after I'd returned his family's heirloom, his first thought was that I was still angry. It didn't occur to him that I wanted to cut him entirely out of my life.

He was so sure of himself, so certain that I loved him and would never leave. That's why he could be so reckless, why he thought we could have an open relationship, and why he kept parading other omegas around, breaking my heart over and over.

I didn't answer. I just looked at the familiar logo on the boxes, and something cold twisted in my chest. "The things I want have to be mine alone."

Lily had texted me earlier, showing off the jewelry Ethan had bought her—from the same brand.

Ethan didn't even look embarrassed. "Aria, you've got it wrong. I really wanted to apologize, so I asked Lily to help me pick something out. She liked what we found, so I bought two sets. Don't make a big deal out of nothing, okay? We're mates, bonded for life."

I swept my arm across the table and sent the boxes crashing to the floor. "You can buy endless gifts and split your love into a thousand pieces, can't you? Ethan, I only regret—"

I regret ever believing you.

I didn't finish, but Ethan understood. His expression shifted, and he grabbed my hand. "Aria, you have to know—you're the only one I really care about. I wouldn't have marked you in front of the Moon Goddess and made you my mate if that wasn't true. Just give me a few more years. Once I've had my fun, I'll come back to you. I'll be yours alone."

The same empty promises, over and over.

I didn't want to hear any more of it.

I pulled my hand away, my voice flat. "Fine. I'll wait."

My calm tone reassured him. His face relaxed, and I could tell he thought I'd given in again, that I was willing to sit around while he played with other women.

He had no idea I was just counting down the days until our mate bond broke.

Since my birthday was coming up soon, and even though Felicia and Keiran were traveling abroad, they still remembered. They had someone deliver an expensive crown as my birthday gift.

When I got the message, I wanted to tell them I'd taken the severing potion and was planning to break the mate bond. But I didn't want to ruin their vacation, so I kept quiet.

I came home and pushed open the door, and there was Lily with the gift already unwrapped. She had that dazzling crown sitting on her head.

The moment she saw me, panic flashed across her face, and she put on this timid, frightened look. "Luna, what are you doing here?"

I wasn't interested in watching her little performance. I walked over and reached up to take the crown off her head. "That's mine."

Something jealous and bitter flickered in Lily's eyes, and she grabbed onto the Luna's crown with both hands. She wouldn't let go.

I was about to release it when I saw her deliberately press her finger down onto the sharp silverstone at the top.

Bright red blood welled up from her fingertip, and she immediately went limp and collapsed onto the couch. She started crying softly.

"Luna, I just thought the crown was beautiful and wanted to look at it a little longer. Why would you do this to me?"

I hadn't even figured out what game she was playing when someone shoved me hard. My back slammed into the edge of the table, and my forehead hit the surface. Something warm instantly trickled down from my brow bone.

The metallic scent of blood spread through the air.

I sucked in a sharp breath and looked up to see Ethan hovering over Lily, asking her in a low voice if she was okay.

He didn't even glance at me. His entire focus was on Lily.

That's when I finally understood what performance Lily had just put on.

I got up from the floor, trembling, and bent down to pick up the blood-stained crown. I held it out to Lily.

Ethan thought I was showing off and asserting my position as Luna. His pheromones started going wild, and the scent of pine and ice carried a clear warning.

But I didn't give him a chance to explode. "If you like it so much, you can have it. Take it."

Lily froze.

Ethan frowned too, his voice dropping low. "Mom and Dad gave that to you."

To me? No. They gave it to Ethan's Luna.

And I wouldn't be that much longer.

I set the crown on the table, my voice eerily calm. "I'm particular about cleanliness. Blood-stained things are bad luck. It's hers now."

I turned and walked out without looking back.

Behind me, I could hear Ethan speaking softly to Lily. I caught him saying, "Why is she acting so strange today?"

I stopped in the hallway and touched the wound on my forehead.

Before, whenever I got hurt, Ethan would notice immediately. He'd gently lick my wounds with his tongue to help them heal.

Now, he didn't even notice I was bleeding.

I let out a bitter laugh and stepped into the elevator.

Aria's POV

On my birthday, I threw a party at home. But when it was time to start, Ethan still hadn't shown up.

Everyone at the party kept asking where he was and whether he was planning a surprise. After all, every year before this, he'd stayed by my side the entire time on my birthday.

I didn't answer their questions. I just grabbed a bottle of champagne and popped it open like a firecracker. "Happy birthday to me!"

Everyone laughed and raised their glasses.

"Happy birthday to our most beautiful and powerful Luna!"

I smiled. "I'm ready to tell Ethan that we should—"

The sound of the door slamming open cut me off.

All the guests in the living room turned around, and then everyone gasped at the same time.

Lily stood in the doorway, supporting a very drunk Ethan. When she noticed everyone staring at her, her face flushed red, and she started stammering. "S-sorry to interrupt. I just brought Ethan home."

Today was my birthday, and he'd gotten drunk with another woman.

I set down my glass and walked calmly to the door. I reached out to help him inside.

But he shoved my hand away.

He clung tightly to Lily, and right in front of every pack member, he kissed her forehead.

The guests stared in shock. A few of the older wolves even started growling low in their throats—their anger at an Alpha publicly humiliating his Luna.

But I just stepped back and cleared the way.

Ethan buried his face in Lily's neck and breathed in deeply, his voice thick with satisfaction. "God, you smell so good. How do you smell this good?"

The entire living room went silent.

Lily's face turned even redder, but her eyes gleamed with triumph. Still, she kept up her act of looking troubled. "Luna, Ethan's drunk and talking nonsense. He's just been so busy with work that he forgot about your birthday..."

I kept my voice calm. "The bedroom's upstairs, last door on the left. You can take him up."

Lily froze. She clearly hadn't expected me to stay this composed.

She gave a stiff nod and helped Ethan up the stairs.

After they disappeared, I picked up the champagne bottle again and smiled at the guests around me. "Anyone else want a drink?"

People stayed for a few more drinks out of politeness, then started making excuses to leave. A few she-wolves I was close with gave me pitying looks on their way out, but they didn't say anything.

In the pack, that was just reality—the Alpha could do whatever he wanted, and the Luna had to endure it silently.

I leaned back on the couch and sipped my wine alone.

The burning in my chest started again. That was the Moonbreak Herb kicking in, reminding me that the mate bond was breaking apart piece by piece.

*****

Lily finally came downstairs at eleven.

With no one else around, she dropped the act completely. She slammed the door on her way out, head held high, strutting like she owned the place.

She was marking her territory.

I watched her leave, my face blank.

The second she was gone, my phone rang.

Cameron's name flashed on the screen, and I smiled—my first genuine smile all night. I picked up. "Didn't we just talk this morning?"

His voice came through the line, a little sulky. "It's your birthday, Aria. You won't even come see me, and I can't call to wish you happy birthday?"

I thought about how hurt he'd looked this morning when I told him I couldn't make it, and my heart softened. "Don't pout," I said gently. "This is the last birthday I'll ever spend in this bond. If it makes you feel better, you can plan all my birthdays from now on. Deal?"

I could hear the smile creep into his voice. "Celebrate however I want? Aria, you better not back out."

I laughed softly. "I'm severing a mate bond for you. When have I ever lied to you?"

We talked for a long time after that. Just before we hung up, I heard fireworks exploding outside my window.

I turned and saw the night sky burst into color—fireworks blooming one after another, so bright they turned the darkness into daylight.

Cameron's voice came through the phone, soft and serious. "Happy birthday, Aria."

"From now on, I'll be right there beside you. Every single year."

I froze.

Cameron did this?

I rushed to the window and realized the fireworks stretched across the entire city skyline. This must have cost a fortune.

Cameron was just a regular wolf. How could he possibly afford something like this?

It had to be just a coincidence.

But my heart warmed anyway, and I couldn't stop it.