In the fifth year of their mate bond, Alpha Rodrigo Williams of the Silver Moon Pack showed no signs of change, still deeply entangled with the alluring Valery Jimenez, the mate of Gamma Grady Jimenez. It wasn’t long before Grady confronted him.

"What are you looking for, Gamma Jimenez?" Rodrigo asked smoothly, his alpha tone calm but authoritative.

Grady merely chuckled, drumming his fingers lightly on the table. "My Alpha fooled around with my mate. I want him to make it right by giving me a mate in return. Is that too much to ask?"

When Luna Camilla Crawford returned to the packhouse, she noticed Valery leaving, her cheeks still flushed. Hidden behind a tree, Camilla watched as Valery held Rodrigo’s arm fondly, her voice sultry. "My mate’s away tomorrow night. Would you like to come over?" she suggested.

Rodrigo, a cigarette dangling from his lips, smirked, his towering frame casting a shadow over her. "Does your mate know what you’re up to?"

Valery, clad in a stylish white Maxmara coat, her long hair impeccably groomed, gave a playful pout. "Him? He’s clueless. I bet he wouldn’t even notice if I disappeared one day."

Rodrigo raised an eyebrow, indifferent to their mate dynamics. "Tomorrow’s not good," he replied, putting out the cigarette. "I’ve got other plans."

Valery’s face dropped, and she pleaded, "What about the day after tomorrow?"

"You’re really that eager? Didn’t I take care of you earlier?" Rodrigo impatiently pulled his arm away, his dominance flaring. "Stop being so clingy."

"Men are so fickle. I’m ‘baby’ in bed and a nuisance outside," Valery grumbled but kept quiet after that. Before leaving, she blew Rodrigo a kiss. "Stay in touch. Call me."

Rodrigo nodded distractedly, his sharp gaze locking with Camilla’s under the tree. He jolted, and Valery soon noticed Camilla too, giving a cunning smile as she sashayed away in her high heels.

Camilla remained silent, entered the packhouse, and put her bag down. "What was she doing here?" she asked, her voice calm but laced with quiet authority.

Rodrigo hesitated, his alpha aura dimming slightly. "She’s the new Gamma’s mate. Came to say hello."

Eyeing the trash, Camilla spotted a discarded blue box. "Not bothering with a believable excuse anymore, Alpha?"

Rodrigo remained composed, settling into a seat and leaning against the sofa. His fitted black turtleneck accentuated the sturdy lines of his muscular frame, while his long legs, clad in gray loungewear, stretched casually. "Luna, at least I’m offering an excuse," he remarked, his tone tinged with indifference. "We both know the real score. Saying it outright doesn’t do any good."

Camilla said nothing, her gaze fixed downward, her Luna composure unshaken.

"Camilla, I know you care about me, but I’ve told you— I don’t feel anything for you. Bonding with you was just fulfilling my father’s wish to honor an old promise," Rodrigo continued, tossing an American Express Centurion card onto the coffee table with a laid-back smile. "Stop pouting. The PIN’s the same. Go buy yourself something nice."

He left quickly, his alpha aura lingering in the room, leaving Camilla staring at the card, unmoving. It was Rodrigo’s usual method; he’d offer her the card whenever his dalliances were uncovered, encouraging her to shop her troubles away. The black Centurion card had no spending limits, supposedly meant to let her splurge to her heart’s content.

But she never used it.

Rodrigo didn’t realize that she wasn’t jealous at all— Camilla had stopped loving him a long time ago.

Rodrigo Williams, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, reflected on the convoluted mate bond arranged by their parents years ago. Camilla Crawford’s father had been a trusted warrior in Rodrigo’s father’s pack, serving under Luke Berry, the former Alpha. During a rogue ambush in the dense forests near the Alps, Camilla’s father bravely saved Luke’s life, sacrificing his own in the process. Luke survived, but Camilla’s father did not.

In gratitude, Luke, a man of honor and loyalty, took Camilla and her mother under his protection, ensuring their safety and security within the pack. To repay the debt of life, he orchestrated a mate bond between Camilla and his son, Rodrigo, believing it would ensure Camilla’s well-being for the rest of her life. Despite Luke’s sincere intentions, Rodrigo, accustomed to privilege and authority, resented the sudden arrangement and the weight of obligation it carried. His disdain was only deepened by the strained relationship with his father, a result of Luke’s own past infidelities and the departure of Rodrigo’s mother.

Camilla remembered vividly the day she first encountered Rodrigo. He was a striking young boy, even then carrying the commanding presence of a future Alpha, dressed in a crisp white shirt and sitting with an air of superiority in the grand hall of the pack house. His words cut deep, making her wish she could disappear.

"Father, must you bring every stray into our den?" Rodrigo scoffed, his voice laced with disdain. "If you’re so desperate to repay kindness, bond with her yourself and make her my stepmother. You must be dreaming if you think I’ll ever accept her as my mate."

Luke’s face turned red with anger, his alpha aura flaring. "Watch your tone, boy! You will honor this bond, whether you like it or not!"

In this new environment, Rodrigo was Camilla’s only acquaintance, so she reluctantly followed him around like a shadow. Initially, Rodrigo treated her with cold indifference, provoking other pack members to harass her and issuing dire warnings about her place in the pack hierarchy. However, over time, Rodrigo’s attitude softened.

Eventually, their relationship evolved into something resembling a childhood friendship; Rodrigo often defended Camilla from bullies and shared his privileges with her. Yet, one issue remained: Rodrigo never developed romantic feelings for Camilla. His contempt for their arranged bond stayed strong; he preferred females who caught the attention of the entire pack, those who radiated confidence and allure.

Although Camilla found it heart-wrenching, Rodrigo’s frequent flings spared her from prolonged heartache—one female left, and another soon took her place. Privately, Camilla nurtured a hopeful fantasy: while Rodrigo didn’t love her, he might never truly love anyone else. Perhaps they’d complete their mate ceremony, and over time, he might grow to care for her.

This fantasy lasted until her second year at the pack academy. Rodrigo introduced a female to his father and earnestly requested to break the mate bond with Camilla, insisting he loved this female and intended to bond with her. Even when Luke froze Rodrigo’s access to pack resources, Rodrigo remained resolute.

Heartbroken, Camilla decided to leave the pack for a time, seeking solace in a neighboring pack’s territory. Rodrigo’s romance, however, was short-lived; they broke their bond after six months.

After returning, Camilla resumed her life within the Silver Moon Pack and eventually completed the mate ceremony with Rodrigo. Yet, Rodrigo’s flirtatious behavior persisted, and over the past two years, he had become obsessed with a mated female, prompting multiple confrontations from her mate, who demanded accountability. Camilla endlessly cleaned up Rodrigo’s messes.

Rodrigo assumed Camilla still harbored feelings for him. But the truth was, her feelings had faded during her time away.

Camilla eyed the drawer in her den. Inside were the bond-breaking papers her lawyer had prepared, waiting for the right moment to be disclosed.