My mate’s latest conquests have fled the pack again.

This time, Shepherd Larson, the Alpha of the Larson Pack, attempted to lure them back with a signed rejection agreement. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve witnessed this game. I’ve cried, raged, even contemplated disappearing like the other she-wolves he’s pursued. But each time, he hands me a check with another zero added, smirking as he asks, “Is this enough?”

I took the rejection papers and signed my name without hesitation. Shepherd’s smirk deepened, and he patted my head, his tone condescending. “Good girl. It’s just a formality. I’ll nullify it once the cooling-off period ends.”

“You’ll come back to me, won’t you?” he continued, his voice dripping with arrogance. “Every Alpha enjoys a challenge, especially when it involves a pair of elusive beauties. Once I’ve claimed them, I’ll settle down with you.”

I didn’t argue. Instead, I picked up the check from the floor. He didn’t know I’d already decided I was done waiting for him.

---

“Your rejection registration is complete. It’ll be finalized in a month,” Emryn Payne, the pack clerk, handed me the receipt. Shepherd snatched it from my hands to snap a photo, grinning like a lovesick pup. Emryn gave me a sympathetic glance. Shepherd and I had staged this mock rejection so many times that the staff recognized me on sight.

After a while, Shepherd looked up, his face alight with excitement. He produced a small velvet box and held it out to me. “Brinley, do you think these are stunning?”

“Will Calliope and Noemi like them?” Inside were two expensive rings. I nodded calmly. “They’re stunning.”

I instinctively touched the faint imprint on my ring finger, memories flooding back. A week ago, Calliope and Noemi had thrown fits—one cutting her wrists in a coastal town, the other overdosing abroad—demanding Shepherd propose with the same rings from our marking ceremony.

He had personally ordered these unique rings for me; there was only one pair in existence. He lied, saying he’d sent the rings for maintenance as he took them off while I slept. I knew the truth; both had been flushed down the toilet, all to appease his latest distractions.

As we got into the car, Shepherd instinctively reached for my hand. My interior design had been swapped for pastel shades. Noticing my stare, Shepherd quickly explained, “Those two are so fickle, insisting on a color change. I’ll revert it later.”

I murmured a soft “hmm,” knowing that a rejected mate’s car should naturally change its appearance. It wasn’t just the overwhelming new scent but the trunk filled with flowers that made me sneeze repeatedly, finally drawing his attention from his phone.

Seeing the rash creeping up my neck, he frowned. “I forgot you’re allergic to pollen,” he muttered, instructing the driver to head to the pack healer immediately. But as we stopped at a red light, a call changed his expression to one of concern.

“Pull over!”

He turned to me, his tone dismissive. “Calliope got a burn from hot water. She’s usually so composed about her looks, but she’s crying now and needs me.”

“Brinley, you should go to the healer by yourself.”

He nudged me out of the car, leaving me standing before the traffic, somewhat stunned. Only when my phone notified me of a successful ticket purchase did I snap out of it and hail a cab to the healer’s den.

Alayah Harvey, the pack healer, seemed surprised to see me alone. “Your mate didn’t come with you this time?”

My allergy sensitivity often meant Shepherd fretting over even a speck of dust, whisking me to the healer every time, even once delaying a pack meeting for me. I smiled and shrugged. “He’s busy.”

As I sat receiving treatment, the healers buzzed with excitement at the station.

“Wow, that Alpha is so handsome.”

“Has anyone ever brought ninety-nine roses for their mate at the healer’s den? And carried her along with the flowers!”

“It’s just a little redness from the burn; it would’ve healed on its own soon.”

Through the window, I saw the vibrant red roses and Shepherd engrossed in something.

“Ding!” A message from him. “Brinley, how are you? Feeling better?”

Looking down, I saw him pocketing his phone and walking away, hand in hand with a she-wolf. Their fingers intertwined, the rings gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

I accepted two friend requests on social media, noticing how their profile pictures matched Shepherd’s recent change. Before this, his profile picture had always been of me. The bold young she-wolf didn’t hold back. “Since you’ve already rejected Shepherd, please move out and clean up by today.”

They didn’t know that out of guilt, Shepherd had signed over eighty percent of his assets to me, including the estate I currently lived in. I sent over the section of the agreement outlining the terms, and the response was silence.

Soon, a call broke the quiet. “Aria, what theme do you want for the marking ceremony?”

Packing was quick, fitting everything into a single suitcase. As I went downstairs, I saw Shepherd lounging on the sofa, his expression inscrutable, his broad frame dominating the space. His Alpha aura was suffocating, as it always was, but I had long since stopped being intimidated by it.

Ignoring him, I poured myself a glass of water and grabbed my stomach meds before approaching him. Suddenly, he jumped up and slapped me hard, the sound echoing through the room.

“Luna Brinley, you’ve crossed the line!” he barked, his Alpha tone sharp and commanding.

“Who gave you the right to show our mate rejection papers to them?”

“I’ve told you countless times, they’re just flings. They don’t threaten your position as Luna. Once I’m done, I’ll come back to you. Why are you overreacting?”

“People like us all have a few friends on the side, even your father…” His words cut deep, and I fixed him with an icy stare, refusing to let him see how much it hurt.

His tone softened as he closed the distance and enfolded me in his arms, his strength impossible to resist. “Besides, I’ve been faithful to you during our mating. Can’t you feel my love?”

“Luna, I promise, after this, I’ll be committed to you for the rest of my life.”

Years ago, this smooth talker, the Alpha of the Larson Pack, pursued me relentlessly for three years, swearing I’d be his one true mate, promising to protect me and my family at all costs. He’d even used his Alpha command to ensure my compliance back then.

I believed him.

Now, those promises are empty echoes. When did trust begin to crumble?

Was it when his mistresses first disappeared, and he openly proclaimed his affection for them using my pack account, making me the butt of jokes among the pack?

The next day, the pack gossips besieged me. I stood alone, disoriented in the glare of their judgmental stares.

Was it on our anniversary, when he abandoned me for a thrill-seeking adventure with his Deltas, while I faced his family’s accusations for not caring about his safety?

Was it during his getaway with the mistresses, when I sent 101 unanswered mind links, begging for his attention?

Was it when he forced me to donate blood because my type matched one of theirs, resulting in the loss of our barely-formed pup, and then blamed me for not saving the child?

Was it the day before he handed me the rejection papers, when he redirected all pack healers to care for the mistresses, leaving my mother to pass away unattended?

I shuddered, drenched in water, my clothes soaking wet.

He still held me, but the scent on him was one I didn’t recognize, an unfamiliar floral fragrance clinging to his skin—something that wasn’t mine.

Turning away, I noticed a series of numbers tattooed near his collarbone—it was the mistresses’ birthdays, which also happened to be the anniversary of my mother’s death.

Recalling my mother’s last words, I quietly extricated myself from his embrace.

He pressed a deed to a pack estate into my hands. “They love this house. You should vacate.”

I accepted the deed, whispering softly, “Okay.”

I handed him the medication.

Shepherd’s gaze softened, and he reached for my hand. “Luna Brinley…”

A chilling scream pierced the air from outside.

It was Buddy, my wolf companion.

Panicked, I rushed out.

There, Calliope and Noemi, two of his Deltas, were viciously kicking Buddy, who lay barely conscious on the ground.

I shoved them aside, tears streaming down my cheeks. “Buddy, Buddy!”

Despite his weakening state, my little friend tried to wag his tail at me.

Calliope and Noemi watched with smug expressions.

“Oh, it’s your wolf? We thought a rogue had wandered into our territory.”

“Why haven’t you left yet? Didn’t Alpha Shepherd tell you?”

I stood up and slapped Calliope hard, and the next moment, she slapped me right back…

Noemi’s eyes brimmed with tears as she turned to Alpha Shepherd. “Alpha, she hurt my sister,” she accused, her voice trembling with false innocence.

Shepherd stood frozen, his expression numb, his hands hanging limply at his sides. He turned to me, guilt flickering in his dark eyes. “Brinley, I didn’t mean to…”

Calliope, standing beside him, let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Is this how the Alpha of the Larson Pack treats his mate? Even after rejection, he’s still tied to his former Luna?”

“If that’s the case, we’re certainly not interested,” she added, her voice dripping with disdain.

“We come from respectable families,” Noemi chimed in, her gaze sliding to me with a sneer. “We wouldn’t stoop to being the other woman. Unlike some who can’t move on after being rejected. Is this the dignity the Moon Goddess bestowed upon us?”

Shepherd’s jaw tightened, his Alpha aura flaring as he turned to me. “Brinley, you owe Calliope and Noemi an apology.”

The snow began to fall in thick, heavy flakes, clinging to my hair and the fur of Buddy, my loyal wolf. I held him tightly, feeling his small body grow rigid and cold in my arms.

My eyes burned with unshed tears, but I met Shepherd’s gaze with defiance. “They killed Buddy,” I said, my voice trembling with rage and grief.

Killed my companion, the last connection to my mother, the one who had been by my side since I was a child.

For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of pain in Shepherd’s eyes, but Noemi stepped forward, clutching Calliope’s arm protectively. “Alpha, that wolf attacked my sister first! We were only defending ourselves.”

Anger surged through me, hot and unrelenting. Buddy was gentle, kind—he would never attack anyone without provocation.

Shepherd leaned down to inspect Calliope’s hand, his Alpha aura softening as he spoke. “Does it hurt?”

Calliope turned her face away, her expression stubborn. “What does it matter if it hurts? The one who caused it gets off without consequences.”

Shepherd’s voice was gentle, almost indulgent. “What do you want, my dear?”

Calliope’s eyes gleamed with cruelty as she looked at me. “Since your former Luna shares such a bond with the beast, why not let her spend the night in the kennel?”

Without hesitation, Shepherd nodded. “If it makes you happy, then it’s done.”

Calliope’s lips curled into a triumphant smile, and Shepherd couldn’t tear his gaze away from her.

He turned to Andre, his Beta, who stood nearby, his expression conflicted. “Are you waiting for an invitation to follow Calliope’s orders?”

Andre hesitated, his voice shaking. “But, Alpha, it’s freezing outside. The Luna, she…”

Calliope’s face darkened, and she spun on her heel. “Even the Betas only listen to her. How can I believe she’ll treat us with respect in the future?”

Shepherd hurried after her, wrapping an arm around her waist. “Alright, everything will be as you wish,” he said, his voice soothing.

He shot a glare at Andre, his Alpha tone sharp and commanding. “Do as she says!”

I struggled against the hands that dragged me toward the kennel, but it was no use. The cold bit into my skin as I was shoved inside, the iron bars slamming shut behind me.

Noemi picked up Buddy by the tail, her smile sickeningly sweet as she turned to Shepherd. “Alpha, in this cold, how about a hearty stew to celebrate our new place? What do you say?”

My heart lurched, and I gripped the bars of the cage, my voice breaking. “No! Please! Alpha Shepherd, don’t do this to Buddy!”

I dropped to my knees inside the cage, bowing my head over and over, begging him to spare Buddy. But Shepherd was too entranced by Calliope, blowing warm breath onto her hands, his attention completely consumed by her.

He didn’t spare me a glance as he led Calliope by the waist and Noemi by the hand into the manor, their laughter echoing in the night.

I called his name over and over, my voice raw and desperate, but it was swallowed by the darkness.

I don’t remember when I lost consciousness from the cold, but the scent of stew reached me when I awoke, a cruel reminder of what had been taken from me.

A bowl of scraps had been placed in front of the kennel, the sight of it making my stomach churn.

I clung to Buddy’s leash, my nails digging into my palms until they bled. “Shepherd,” I whispered, my voice trembling with a mix of grief and fury. “I will never forgive you for this.”

But the next morning, I awoke in my room, the warmth of the fire crackling in the hearth. Shepherd sat by my bedside, his eyes red and weary, as if he’d been watching over me all night.