"I'm fine," I said, wiping my mouth and trying to look like I was just feeling ill. "I'm probably just exhausted lately."

Andrew frowned, reaching out to touch my forehead. "Should I call the pack doctor? You look pale."

"No," I said, gently pushing his hand away. "I just need some rest."

He carefully helped me back to the bedroom, treating me as if I were a fragile doll.

"Get some sleep," Andrew said, tucking me in and placing a soft kiss on my forehead. "If you're not better tomorrow, we'll go to the hospital."

I closed my eyes and gave a tired nod.

The lights went out, and the mattress dipped as Andrew lay down beside me. I could feel his warmth and smell his fresh, clean scent, but it all just made me sick.

About half an hour later, once he was sure I was "asleep," Andrew carefully slipped out of bed.

His movements were silent, clearly trying not to wake me.

Through my lashes, I watched him walk to the balcony and slide the glass door shut.

Then, he took a call.

Even through the glass, my wolf hearing picked up his hushed voice.

"I told you not to call when I'm home. Lucia might hear."

Crystal’s coy voice purred from the other end. "But I miss you... Aren't you craving me?"

"Guess I didn't tire you out enough last night," Andrew let out a low, husky chuckle.

My stomach churned again, but I forced myself to keep listening.

"Of course not. I'm still starving for more," Crystal said, her voice dripping with triumphant provocation. "Same place tomorrow? You can tell me what to wear, anything you want."

The desire in Andrew's voice was obvious. "I want you wearing nothing. I'll dress you myself."

They continued their graphic flirtation, every word a shard of glass in my gut.

Ten minutes later, Andrew ended the call.

He tiptoed back to the bed and placed another gentle kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight, my wife."

I instinctively flinched away, turning slightly in my sleep.

Andrew didn't suspect a thing, assuming it was just an unconscious movement.

The next morning, Andrew was up early, making me breakfast.

Scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and my favorite Blue Mountain coffee.

The perfect breakfast from the perfect mate.

Just then, the doorbell rang. It was Logan, his beta, holding a discreet black bag.

"Boss, the stuff you asked for," Logan said, avoiding my eyes as he quickly handed it over.

My sharp eyes caught the logo of an adult novelty store on the package.

It must be the "new clothes" he mentioned on the phone last night, for his rendezvous with Crystal this afternoon.

Andrew returned to the dining room as if nothing had happened, hiding the bag behind his back.

"Who was that?" I asked casually.

"Just Logan, dropping off some work files," he lied smoothly. "Boring pack business."

I nodded, not calling him on it.

We ate in silence. To an outsider, it would have looked like a scene of domestic bliss.

Halfway through the meal, I put down my fork and looked up at him.

"Andrew, can I ask you a question?"

"What is it?" he asked, his gaze soft.

I looked into his clear, gray eyes and asked softly, "Could you ever cheat on me?"

The question caught him off guard. He put down his coffee cup and took my hand.

"Why would you ask that?" His expression grew serious, earnest.

"Just curious," I said, keeping my expression innocent. "We've been mated for five years. Don't you ever get tired of me?"

Andrew squeezed my hand tighter, using his other hand to point to the mate mark on his chest.

"Listen to me, Lucia. If I ever betray you, may the Moon Goddess strip me of my wolf and leave me a powerless outcast. I swear on my life, I will never cheat on you. I will never betray our bond."

His solemn, gut-wrenching vow echoed in the dining room. His expression was so sincere, his eyes so truthful, that if I didn't know the truth, I would have been moved to tears.

Now, all I felt was deep, biting irony.

Just last night, he was planning today's tryst with another woman. Just minutes ago, he accepted a package of sex toys for his affair.

And now, he could swear the most sacred oath to the Goddess without flinching.

I looked up at his handsome, deceitful face and slowly broke into a smile.

"Okay. I believe you."

After Andrew left, I sat alone at the dining table.

Suddenly, a searing pain exploded in my chest.

"Ah—!"

I clutched my chest, feeling as if something was tearing my very soul apart.

It was the backlash from the ritual, far more violent than I had anticipated.

Waves of agony crashed over me. My vision blurred, and my body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Deep inside, I could feel my wolf whimpering.

Instinct took over. I reached out to Andrew through our mate bond, a primal cry for help from the depths of my soul, like a drowning person grasping for a lifeline.

【Andrew… help me… It hurts so much…】

The connection opened.

But what I found on the other side was a vision that made my heart turn to ice.

In a lavish presidential suite, Andrew was on top of Crystal, pounding into her with fierce intensity.

Her nails raked across his back as she let out shameless moans.

Andrew's face was completely lost in a sea of lust.

My cry for help, my agony, was nothing in the face of their carnal feast.

The moment he severed the mental link, a cold, profound despair washed over me.

That feeling of being utterly abandoned cut deeper than any physical pain.

I don't know how much time passed, but when I woke up, I was in a bed in the pack hospital.

White ceilings, the sharp smell of antiseptic, and the hum of complex medical equipment.

"You're awake," a gentle voice said.

I turned my head to see Dr. Wilson, the pack’s head physician, standing by my bed, his face etched with worry.

"Lucia, your wolf's spirit is extremely weak. You need your mate’s presence and the nourishment of his spiritual energy. The Alpha's vitality can be channeled through the mate bond to help your spirit stabilize."

I couldn't help but give a bitter smile.

Andrew's presence?

When I was on the brink of death, he was screwing another woman.

When my wolf's spirit was fading, he cut me off without a second thought.

And now I was supposed to rely on his presence to save me?

It was a cosmic, cruel joke.

"Don't worry too much, Lucia," Dr. Wilson said, mistaking my despair for fear. "Alpha Andrew will be here soon. With him by your side, you'll recover in no time."

I stared out the window as the sky began to darken, thinking that Andrew was probably still enjoying himself with Crystal.

Maybe they were finished and were now playfully splashing in a bathtub together.

"It doesn't matter," I said calmly, still looking outside. "He won't be my mate for much longer."

Just as the words left my lips, the door to the room swung open.

Andrew stood in the doorway. He had clearly rushed here; his hair was a mess and his shirt wasn't fully buttoned.

He frowned, looking at me with confusion. "What do you mean, not your mate?"

"Lucia, I know you're angry," Andrew said, sitting by my bed, his face a mask of remorse. "I'm so sorry. I was dealing with a difficult situation and had to cut the link. I didn't know..."

He reached out to touch my face. The cloying scent of sweat, cheap perfume, and sex rolled off him, and I had to fight the urge to gag.

I couldn't take it anymore. I shoved his hand away. "Don't touch me!"

My reaction stunned him. He stared at his rejected hand, then back at me, his eyes filled with confusion and hurt.

"Lucia, what's gotten into you? I'm your mate. Why won't you let me touch you?"

I took a deep breath, fighting down the rage and disgust.

It wasn't time for a confrontation yet. I had to keep up the act.

"I'm sorry," I softened my tone. "I'm just not feeling well. It's not you."

"Then tell me," he pressed, "why is your wolf's spirit so weak?"

"It's probably a side effect from the last full moon," I said, feigning nonchalance. "I used too much of my power to soothe you, and I never fully recovered."

It was a partial truth.

During last month's full moon, Andrew's wolf had been unusually feral, and I had indeed exhausted myself calming him.

Hearing my explanation, a complex expression flickered across Andrew's face before he nodded. "I see."

He reached out and stroked my hair, his touch as gentle as if he were handling a priceless piece of art. "It's my fault. I've put too much of a burden on you."

"It's not your fault," I said, the lie tasting like ash in my mouth. "It's my duty as Luna."

Andrew was quiet for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "Maybe for the next full moon, you won't have to use so much of your power."

I knew what that meant. He had already found my "replacement."

He was already planning to let Crystal anchor him during the next full moon.

"Oh? That's good," I forced myself to smile.

Seeing me smile, Andrew seemed to relax.

He leaned in, about to hug me.

But just then, his phone rang.

The sound was jarring in the quiet hospital room.

Andrew glanced at the caller ID, and his expression shifted slightly.

From the corner of my eye, I saw the name "Crystal" on the screen.

"I have to take this outside," he said, standing up hastily. "It's an urgent pack matter."

Pack matters.

His all-purpose excuse. He’d used it a thousand times.

A few minutes later, Andrew returned, an apologetic look on his face.

"Lucia, I'm so sorry. There's an emergency with the pack. I have to go deal with it right now." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "You get some rest. I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

"Go on," I said, nodding obediently. "The pack is more important."

But just as I expected, Andrew didn't keep his promise. He never came back.

Instead, I got another message from Crystal.

It was an ultrasound photo, with a triumphant caption underneath:

【Dear Luna, I'm pregnant. Andrew was so happy, he's rushing over to be with me for my appointment.】