Eight years into our mate bond, Gunnar had grown distant.

He had appointed a young and beautiful Beta, Gemma Simmons. She didn’t care for the luxurious lifestyle of the Alpha’s inner circle; all she wanted was to wander the city streets with him, savoring the simplicity of life. She seemed too innocent for this world.

It was clear Gunnar was enchanted by her.

When I brought her up just once in conversation, he responded as if under attack, cautioning me, "Gemma and I are just packmates. Don’t use your tricks to ruin an innocent wolf’s life."

At that moment, I finally understood—our bond was over.

***

"Mom, did the mermaid princess and the prince live happily ever after once they defeated the wicked witch and got married?"

Before bed, my pup Alaiya listened with her cheeks slightly puffed in frustration at the story’s abrupt conclusion. "Why do pack legends always end with the marking ceremony? They never say what happens afterward!"

Holding the storybook, I hesitated slightly. Perhaps it’s because the stories after the marking ceremony aren’t always happy. Even the deepest mate bond can wane under life’s daily pressures and conflicts.

But I wanted my pup to have a happy ending to her legend. I closed the book and tapped her nose with a smile. "Afterward, they had a pup and lived happily ever after as a pack."

Alaiya clapped her hands, beaming, "Just like you and Dad, with me. Our pack will be happy forever!"

"It’s time to sleep, sweetheart. Goodnight." I kissed her forehead and quietly left her room.

As I stepped out of her cozy den, the rest of the Alpha’s quarters lay dark and cold, consumed by the solitude of night. I composed a message to Gunnar using the pack’s mind link.

[It’s pack night. Be home by 10 PM.]

Unsurprisingly, the message seemed to disappear into a void, with no reply in sight. I wasn’t shocked and continued my evening routine, showering and preparing for bed.

When I emerged from the bathroom, still damp, Gunnar had finally returned. He leaned against the headboard with a sardonic smile aimed at me.

Ever since I mentioned his Beta at dinner, Gunnar had been distant, sulking and avoiding me. He’d taken to staying in the pack’s guest lodge, perhaps as a warning against my suspicions or as a threat.

"So, Luna," he said, his tone taunting, the curve of his lips tinged with bitterness, "it seems you don’t trust me, and you’re ordering me home to fulfill my mate duties?"

I didn’t reply, simply walked over to him.

Gunnar’s gaze grew colder as he yanked off his tie, pulling me roughly toward him.

That night was a torment—harsh and relentless. He acted as if trying to forcefully prove his innocence, more like retaliation, without any regard for my feelings.

As I stared at the blurry moonlight outside the window, I thought back to our first time together.

It was on our marking ceremony night.

During our courtship, Gunnar had loved me, respected me. I wasn’t comfortable with intimacy before the ceremony, and he patiently waited until our special night. He was gentle and considerate, checking at every step if I was okay. Even when he was nearly drenched in sweat, upon hearing me express discomfort, he’d immediately stop and apologize awkwardly and anxiously.

The tender face of the young Alpha from back then gradually faded, replaced by the stern features before me now.

I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by a deep sense of desolation and sorrow.

Clearly, before he turned thirty, Gunnar had truly loved me.

When I woke up the next morning, Gunnar was already gone. The space beside me in the den was cold, with no trace of his warmth. I sighed and pushed the furs aside.

Our pup, Alaiya, had already left for pack school. The pack Omega informed me that Gunnar had taken her early that morning.

"Alpha Gunnar, back from his patrol, went straight to Alaiya’s room when he woke up. She was thrilled to see him and teasingly asked for the honey cakes from the bakery near pack school. He wanted you to know he took her out."

A rare sense of relief eased the heaviness within me. At least Gunnar showered Alaiya with attention. We had a silent agreement to protect her from any hint of discord between us.

As I sat down for breakfast in the packhouse kitchen, my phone chimed with messages from Ashley, my Gamma friend. There was even a photo attached.

[Is Alpha Gunnar cheating?]

Those words made my heart sink. I opened the photo. It showed Gunnar with his Beta, Gemma Simmons, browsing a jewelry stall at the pack fair. Even in the dim light, the joy on her face was unmistakable. She seemed to fancy a pair of heart-shaped earrings, and Gunnar was helping her try them on. They appeared as close as mates.

Indeed, lately, he hadn’t been in the packhouse because he was with Gemma. Ashley’s messages continued.

[Gossip is everywhere! While they didn’t get a clear shot of Alpha Gunnar’s face, he’s been in the pack’s eye enough for wolves to start speculating.

Is he out of his mind?

He was once crazy about you, broke ties with his birth pack to mate with you.

And now, just a few years later?

He’s already straying?

Wolves!]

Ashley ranted, filled with righteous anger. I read her words, recalling our past as if it were a distant memory.

Yes, once upon a time, our love had been so genuine and passionate. Gunnar cut ties with his birth pack, the Silverfang Pack, to mate with me, an Omega, despite them having the perfect Luna candidate lined up for him. To prove ourselves, we built the Tran Pack from scratch.

In the beginning, it was tough. I negotiated alliances through sleepless nights, turning my life upside down, and under the pressure, I developed chronic health issues. Meanwhile, Gunnar, the prodigal Alpha stripped of his birth pack’s prestige, humbly sought support at countless pack gatherings.

I remember the day I went to pick him up. I saw him being berated by a rival Alpha, his face flush with humiliation, yet still forcing a smile as he helped the drunken wolf into a car. With tears in my eyes, I suggested, "Maybe we should give up. You could just go back to your birth pack."

But Gunnar held onto me stubbornly, his voice steady. "Monica, I won’t give up. I’ll never leave you."

Thankfully, we eventually overcame those struggles. Our pack began to flourish, and Gunnar’s birth pack, concerned for their former Alpha heir, finally accepted us. When the mating ceremony was planned, Gunnar was so excited he couldn’t sleep. He dragged me through the forest under the moonlight, as happy as a young pup.

He kept saying he was thrilled to be my mate. Back then, no one questioned his love for me.

But love, it seems, can change. Just eight years into our mating bond, he had grown tired.

The photo was bound to cause a stir in the pack, and I knew it would reflect poorly on Gunnar’s leadership as Alpha. I quickly reached out to the pack’s PR team, instructing them to issue a statement and craft a timeline to quell the rumors.

"[Alpha Gunnar was with our daughter and me that day. Please disregard the baseless rumors.]"

I did everything I could to protect Gunnar’s reputation and shield the pack from unnecessary chaos. But Gemma, his Beta, seemed to have her own agenda. She swiftly posted on the pack’s social media platform, her tone light and dismissive.

"[Haha, it was just Alpha Gunnar and me. He accidentally broke my earring and insisted on replacing it.]"

Her post ignited a wave of skepticism among the pack members.

"[Come on, everyone knows Alpha Gunnar and Luna Monica have been mates since their younger years, with a bond we all admire. Are you just trying to stir trouble?]"

"[Like Alpha Gunnar would buy you earrings from a flea market. Dream on!]"

...

To my disbelief, Gunnar couldn’t stand to see her criticized and confirmed her story in the comments. The pack’s social media erupted with speculation, and my efforts to maintain order became the subject of ridicule. My position as Luna, my carefully crafted statement—all of it was now a laughingstock.

As I had worked to build the Tran Pack’s influence, I had made enemies along the way. Rival packs seized the opportunity, and soon, I was at the center of a storm I hadn’t anticipated.

Gunnar finally seemed to realize the gravity of the situation and called, his voice laced with reproach.

"Monica, what exactly are you doing?

"Gemma and I are just packmates; it’s a simple matter. Your actions make it seem like we’re hiding something.

"Now you’ve damaged the pack’s reputation!"

I could only guess that someone had confronted Gemma, and Gunnar was rushing to her defense. My tone turned icy.

"Then why don’t you just announce to the pack that you were on a date with her?"

He hesitated, caught off guard, before snapping, "Monica, you’re being unreasonable!

"I broke Gemma’s earring and replaced it, that’s all there is to it. Do you really have to suspect me like this?

"Forget it, I’m not going to argue with you right now.

"Stay out of this mess. I’ll handle it myself."

With that, he ended the call. But before the line went dead, I caught the faint sound of a girl’s voice complaining:

"Why did Luna Monica lie to everyone? She’s just making things difficult for you and the pack.

"This whole situation is blown out of proportion because of her, and now you have to clean it up."

"Forget her, she’s just being irrational."

Gunnar’s voice was cold and detached, a tone I had never heard from him before.

I held the phone tightly, my fingers growing stiff and cold as the weight of his words settled in.

My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of frustration and pain. *He’s blind to what he’s doing to you,* she whispered, her voice tinged with anger. *But you’re not.*

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. For years, I had stood by Gunnar’s side as his Luna, supporting him, believing in our bond. But now, I couldn’t ignore the cracks that were forming. The way he defended Gemma, the way he dismissed my concerns—it all felt like a betrayal.

I stared at the phone in my hand, the silence of the room pressing in on me. Was this the beginning of the end of our mate bond? The thought made my chest ache, but I couldn’t deny the truth that was staring me in the face.

Perhaps it was time to consider whether I should continue to fight for this bond—or if it was already too late.