“Didn't I tell you to stop doing that?” Aaron appeared, his cold face sour as he began to complain to me.

As soon as I met his gaze, which showed his dissatisfaction with me, my breathing became heavy. I became nervous again.

This wasn't the first time that harsh words had come out of his mouth without thinking, hurting me. But that didn't mean I'd gotten used to the pain just because it happened often. Not at all.

I tried to control myself, struggling to clear my throat so I could speak. It doesn't matter what I do for him; Aaron always judges my actions wrong.

The pain in my chest was really bothering me. This was our second year of marriage. I still remember very clearly how happy I was when I found out that Arron and I were bound as mates.

Unfortunately, during those two years, I felt that only my feelings for him were growing, while he felt the opposite.

I took a deep breath, exhaling the tightness in my chest as I tried to smile gently at him. I tried once again to understand and comprehend him.

“Would you like something else for breakfast?”

It was quite difficult even though I was smiling. I thought about it over and over, trying to figure out what he needed.

He coldly pushed away the plate I had prepared for him and said, “You never listen to me. You don't understand at all.”

I met Aaron when I was 10 years old, and since then, Aaron has been my crush. He's the one who gives me butterflies whenever I see his face. He just looks like an angel, with his bright green eyes and cold expression that rarely shows emotion.

But, God! When he smiled, I felt a dozen butterflies fluttering in my stomach. He was the perfect person I had ever met, and I admired him, even to this day.

He was still number one to me. And when I turned 18, I was so happy to know that he was my destiny! Aaron, the one I wanted the most, became my soulmate.

However, everything didn't turn out well. I thought that my love alone was enough. But it wasn't. Aaron didn't treat me the way I think a couple should. He treated me harshly.

Aaron didn't hesitate at all if his actions and attitude hurt me, as if that was what he wanted.

I had no idea why he was like that. I often thought that maybe I had unknowingly hurt his feelings, but everything I did seemed normal towards him.

So I really didn't understand.

I put my hands together under the table as I looked at him. “Maybe if you explain a little, I'll understand.”

I am the daughter of a very devoted Gamma to Aaron's father, who is an Alpha. The good relationship between our families made Aaron and me very close since we were children.

Aaron always caught my attention. It wasn't because he was an Alpha that I liked him. It was because I loved him. I had loved him for a long time, even before I understood what love was.

Since childhood, people have judged our compatibility, and that made me happy and gave me a clear picture of my relationship with him.

I do love him deeply, and my wolf feels the same way about him. But strangely, Aaron didn't feel the same way I did. He doesn't feel our bond as mates, nor does he feel the connection that most mate couples feel. I didn't understand when people said that soulmates were supposed to have overwhelming feelings for each other. I felt jealous. I felt strange because that wasn't entirely true for us.

Even so, our marriage was inevitable. We got married, and I should have realized that day that he didn't even smile.

I thought it was the greatest happiness in my life, but I was wrong. Since the wedding, hell has appeared in my life. That hell tortures me more than anything else.

Aaron never loved me at all. To him, I haven't changed from the little girl he thought of as a sister to the thorn in his side.

“I've explained it enough and you never understand, Maddie.” his cold voice sent a chill down my spine.

I got up from my seat and approached him, my hand reaching for his arm. I didn't want to be ignored any more than this, so I had to try. “Tell me what you like, I'll make it for you right away. You need to have breakfast, Aaron—"

Before my hand could touch him, he pushed it away roughly, leaving me stunned. My gaze wavered, I stood still, my palm burning from his slap, but more than that, the pain in my chest felt worse than anything else.

I couldn't look at him, afraid that his gaze would pierce me and hurt me even more.

“Stop, Maddie, stop.” Even without looking at his eyes, I could feel the pain from his hateful gaze raining down on my heart. “Don't make me do it again.”

I held back the pain, looking up at him with tears welling up in my eyes. My voice trembled, “Was I wrong to try to be a good wife?”

Aaron looked at me sternly. He seemed heartless. “Just be quiet and don't do anything.”

My eyes stared at him blankly, my hands clenched tightly. My heart felt like it was being crushed when I heard that he didn't expect anything from me. That meant I was nothing to him, while he was my whole world.

I gathered my courage and looked up at him. Once again, I showed him my smile, trying to hide the sadness behind it. “I'm sorry.” I needed to calm him down.

I had to fix this situation. “I'm just trying to care more and pay more attention to you because that's what I should do as your wife—”

“You're wasting your time.” Aaron interrupted and I fell silent.

Every word that came out of his mouth was like a slap, a blow, and a pull that left me devastated. He made me feel like I was being attacked, and it took me a while to calm down before I could speak again.

I was not okay. I had repeatedly accepted his insults and neglect, hoping that someday he would change his attitude towards me. But unfortunately, it only got worse.

“You can't be more greedy. Being Luna should be enough for you.” His cold gaze pierced my chest, gripping it so tightly that I couldn't breathe.

Aaron's departure after the longest sentence I had ever heard from his mouth left a suffocating cold atmosphere. The dining room, which should have been warm and filled with laughter, was now tense.

I knew the waiter's silent gaze was mocking me. I found out that they had been talking about my relationship with Aaron for a long time. Aaron's cold attitude and the arguments that occurred between us every time we were together gave them an opportunity to insult me and not fully respect me.

But I was their Luna, I didn't want to act silly by throwing a tantrum and treating them badly just because of that.

I closed my eyes and silently called out to the Moon Goddess. I truly hoped that she would end my suffering soon. I couldn't take it anymore.

I took a long breath. I was completely exhausted, and I had lost my appetite. I left the room, leaving behind the stares that were watching me.

As his luna, I wanted to give my best. I always tried to fulfill my responsibilities perfectly.

For a moment, Aaron came back to my mind. Without realizing it, I looked for the reason behind his attitude. Maybe right now, Aaron was heavily burdened by his responsibilities. Some time ago, the rogues attacked, maybe that was the reason why his attitude became worse.

“Maybe I should pay more attention to him.” I put my knitting on the table and glanced at the clock on the wall.

For me, who only sees Aaron as the sole purpose in my life, I can understand the changes in his attitude in various aspects that other people don't understand. Even though we are not emotionally connected, when the time comes, everything will be fine. I'm sure of it.

Maybe if I was a little more useful, I could make him think differently about me. His resentment might disappear. I would do it. There might be something I could do at the camp.

Right now, they needed help. Several werewolves had been injured in a fight with rogues yesterday. As Luna, it was my duty to step up and ease the burden on Aaron, who was the alpha.

Just as I arrived there, the smile on my face vanished instantly, my heart raced, and my feet froze in place.

Have you ever felt like a nightmare was chasing you?

Right now, I’m trembling, feeling like black waves are consuming me, leaving me unable to move. This can’t be… My mind freezes as the fear grows.

The woman I hadn’t seen in a long time was standing before me…

Smiling while holding his hand warmly.

“Why is she here?” I mumble as I see her standing close to him.

An uneasy feeling creeps into me, and I feel like I've lost the ground beneath my feet when I see her appear in front of me again. She is my nightmare, the one that scares me the most. It's her, Emma Swan.

The ex-lover of my mate and my husband.

Emma was Aaron's lover before we were pronounced mates. Their love story was quite passionate at the time, but then something happened between them that was unclear to me.

Without realizing it, I clenched the end of my jacket tightly when I noticed Aaron's gentle gaze on her.

Those things kinda hurt me. I was mad and so sad at the same time. Like it's unfair to me.

He never looks at me that way, no matter what I do to him. Even when I say I loved him, he just saw me like he was pissed off. But to her, he's totally different; he is someone who really knows how to treat people nicely, dearly, and lovingly. My heart sheared into pieces to know I don't deserve that kind of treatment from him.

Why all of a sudden is she back?

And why on earth did Aaron make that face when he saw her? But not me? I am his mate, the one who should be his priority.

Perhaps he is still in love with her? And if it's real, I can't even imagine. Remembering she is the one Aaron loves already makes my heart throb. I don't have the confidence to be compared to her in front of Aaron.

Even when I'm his Luna, I can't deny that I get anxious around her presence.

Everyone knows that they were lovers before, that they share deep feelings for each other, and everyone acknowledges it. They became lovers when they were in high school, and even though Aaron's family opposed their relationship, it didn't make them drift apart.

Aaron showed his deep love and care, making his warriors, the Beta, and others treat her with kindness. They have more respect for her than for me, like accepting her as his lover is more acceptable than treating me as their Luna.

I bit my lips, feeling angry but also hurt. There was so much pain in my heart that I couldn’t describe it in words. But I tried to calm my nerves and entered the room. Everyone looked at me coldly, glancing toward Aaron and Emma. They didn’t even hide their contempt for me.

“What are you doing here?” Those warm, lovely, and caring stares turned sharp and cold as his eyes caught mine.

How awful. My heart felt like it was being stabbed by his eyes, and it hurt a lot. I clenched my hands tightly and tried to smile.

“I heard what happened to the pack, so I wanted to help.”

I make up an excuse.

As their Luna, I also feel hurt; it really hurts my pride and ego, but I still want to show my best to him, so I'll do anything I think can make him look at me with pride in his eyes.

“Aaron, you shouldn't talk like that to Maddie.” Emma softens her voice; she doesn't hesitate to reprimand Aaron's attitude.

She easily gained their sympathy. And it was annoying for me.

“It's fine, Emma. You don't need to interfere.” I spoke calmly to her. I didn't want her to be part of our conversation.

“I... I just tried to calm him down, Maddie. I'm sorry.” She spoke haltingly as she held Aaron's arm tightly.

Aaron glared sharply at me as he pulled her close to him. “Watch your attitude, Maddie.”

How could he be so oblivious to my feelings, while he was so sensitive about her? I'm not even trying to hurt her, yet I get snapped at.

When Luna was treated with contempt by the alpha, no member of the pack would respect her. Aaron knew that, but he didn't even keep his composure in front of them.

That's why everyone there started gossiping about me. Everyone knows that Aaron isn't that into me. No, he's totally not into me.

They suspect that it happened because I lied about being his fated mate, considering that I had clearly shown my love for him since I was a teenager and only held back when he and Emma became lovers.

At first, everyone praised me, throwing sweet words at me as if I were his mate. But now, I don't even get a simple greeting. Their eyes turn to me with annoyed looks, with contempt that I can't even imagine.

But that's not true. On my eighteenth birthday. I knew that Aaron was my soulmate. I felt it, even though it wasn't as strong as people said it was. I just couldn't defend myself in front of them because Aaron didn't feel the same way. This relationship was ambiguous to others, something that was questioned and that I couldn't fully explain.

“Why did you come? You're not needed here. I don't want you to interfere.”

My eyes burned as I held back tears.

“Aaron, please don't be so harsh to her. You're hurting her feelings...” With a soft and weak voice, she begged Aaron.

Just like her words are chanting a magic to Aaron, that glare turns to sympathy towards her. Showing how much he cared about her, but something boiled inside him as his sympathy grew.

Aaron's brow furrowed, and he looked even more annoyed at me. “She doesn't deserve your defense, Emma.”

For the sake of anything, I never expected to get his defense. Unfortunately, none of them knew what Emma was really like. A few years ago, I had an accident that hurt my legs. Emma was the one who did it. She got mad at me and threw me down the hill. As I fell, she warned me that Aaron was hers, not mine.

But of course, no one would believe what I said. That kind of doll-eyed girl would never hurt anyone. In their eyes, she is so pure, delicate, and weak to the point that she needs their protection.

Aaron turned his gaze towards me fiercely. “She's very different from you, Maddie.”

Something in me found that his words knew how to hurt me. It made me hide a bitter smile while I stood still and looked at his face, who was throwing disgust at me.

“I'm so fed up with you. Stop being innocent because I already know what you did!”

“What are you talking about?” I asked with a trembling voice.

Emma panicked, reaching for Aaron's arm, but he pushed her away and walked towards me. “No, Aaron. Don't do it! Don't say anything to her! I beg you, it's not her fault.”

I clenched my teeth as I stared coldly at her. “No. Tell me clearly, what did I do?” I don't get it. I'm so confused right now.

Aaron grabbed my chin roughly and pushed my face hard toward him. “Said nothing to her. Your business is with me right now.”

Moon Goddess, please! Please, I can't take it. His hatred toward me hurts me a lot. Something in his eyes feels like heartbreak.

I tremble in his grip, shaking my head with stifled sobs. “Aaron, what did that woman tell you? Trust me! I never lie to you.”

"Stop that bullshit, Maddie. I won't be fooled by you.“ His cold eyes looked sharp at me, as if he saw nothing in me but disgust.

”You play innocent in front of us.“ His cold, bitter face stared at me. ”While you're the one who warned her and is the reason why Emma has been missing all this time! You made her scared of you!" He looked furious about what he said, but I still didn't get it.

I didn't do anything to her, I swear!

“Aaron, you misunderstood.” I tried to explain the situation. “Aaron, listen to me first, shouldn't we look for–”

“Enough, Maddie.” Aaron turned to me, and for a moment, I saw his eyes twitch, as if he realized something. But then he kinda wavered it. He rolled his eyes at others and gestured to them.

“I don't wanna see her anymore. Bring her to the crypt.” I swear, Aaron feels way colder than before. He doesn't see me as someone he knows me for a long time, but as a criminal who needs to be judged.

They moved quickly once they received the order.

“Aaron! Please tell them to leave me! I beg you, Aaron! Arron, please!” I tried to kneel in front of him and beg for mercy, but it was useless. He didn’t even look at me.

It felt like hell. I was burning, mad, and tortured by him. I will never forget how he turned his back on me and walked away.

There is no light coming in from the windows of the 2x3 room, which is why it is so damp, cold, and stuffy. The place is dirty and smells bad. I never expected Aaron to treat me this badly.

“I never did that.”

My hands clenched, remembering what Aaron had accused me of earlier, which felt very strange and awkward to me.

I know that Aaron never once treated me well after we got married, even long before that. But to the point of putting me in jail, while he doesn't even give me evidence about what kind of mistake I made, is crazy! He acted beyond the limits.

It's unbelievable. The truth, he said?

What kind of truth is he talking about? Did he even dig up the truth from Emma's words? Did he truly not show any bias towards her and just put the blame on me?

My body slumped. Images of Emma and Aaron's earlier closeness flashed through my mind like an attack that left me in agony. Even after all this time, I still witnessed the strength of their love.

When I was 16, that was when they were together. For the first time in my life, I spent time pursuing him with my love for him. I was so heartbroken to find out that Aaron was officially in a relationship with Emma, so I wanted to see it. I wanted to make sure he was truly in love with her, or just playing around like any other boy.

But it felt like a knife piercing my heart when I saw how he looked at her with a warm and loving gaze, how the corners of his lips moved when she spoke, curving into a gentle smile, how his hands cared for her with so much affection. He was so in love with her. And I stood there, watching them, wishing that Emma were me.

Tears welled up in my eyes at that moment as I ran as fast as I could back home before the pain in my chest made me unable to move.

I never moved on from that moment. Even when Aaron was with her, I was still in love with him. But I kept it silent. I didn’t want to ruin his happiness.

And when I turned 18, it felt like the Moon Goddess was giving me a gift for my patience, like she felt sorry for me. She made me Aaron’s mate through the recognition of our elders, who said that I was the right candidate to become his Luna.

I had been so happy at that time.

I thought that all my silent love for him had paid off.

But now, I know it's not true. Nothing has changed in the way Aaron sees her. He is still madly in love with her, not me.

Once again, I was broken and hurt. The feelings I had at 16 crept back into me, the agony from that time returning with even stronger feelings.

“Here's your water, Luna,” said a flat voice from the door, followed by the sound of a tin cup scraping the floor, diverting my attention.

There were several guards standing there, lazily averting their gaze from me.

Seeing someone of lower status than you not maintaining their composure was bad enough to hurt my ego. I looked away, not wanting to feel worse and pathetic by getting angry at his attitude because it was pointless. There was no clear light there, but the dim light in the room was enough to show that the water in the cup was murky.

My brows furrowed at the sight of dirt mixed in the water they had given me. They’re getting on my nerves.

“You’re giving me dirty water to drink?” I asked calmly.

This was an insult.

And he did it on purpose, confirmed by his rolling eyes, looking at me slackly, as if he was sick of looking at me.

“Change the water.” Since he didn't seem to want to talk, I gave him an order.

“There's no more water.” He replied in a bold tone.

There were no shouts, no curses, or even a raised voice. I faced him calmly, but he pushed my patience further.

I got up from my seat, stood with the cup in my hand, and showed it to him. “Drinking this dirty water is an insult to me—”

He grinned; my eyes weren't trying to deceive me. "So what? What can you do?“

My eyes widened at his reaction, which showed me no respect whatsoever. ”You should remember me, I'm Luna of this place.”

“The disregarded Luna.” He interrupted with disdain. His eyes looked at me without hesitation, without fear, and without the slightest attempt at politeness. “Soon, you will be replaced.”

Their laughter echoed in front of me, his eyes glancing at me from top to bottom, mocking me without a break.

As I stood there silently processing their attitude and words, one of them approached, leaning against the iron bars. “I'll give you a little update since you're here and don't know anything about what's going on there.”

I'm not curious, that's what I thought, but I found myself paying attention to him while I felt uneasy things growing in my chest.

“They're in the Alpha chamber right now, they must be sleeping together since they've been missing each other so much.”

Ah. I can't feel anything right now but my tears falling from my eyes. So, Aaron kept me in this dark, dirty place while he was having sex with her in his chamber in this camp? The one that even I, his Luna, never got permission to enter?

So much pain is creeping into me right now that I can't see anything and can hardly hear.

“They will soon have the offspring that the alpha has been waiting for for so long, and you...” That mocking smile reappeared. “You will soon disappear and be forgotten. Poor Luna.”

I stepped back. My legs were unsteady, and I fell back onto the cold floor.

My hands pressed against my chest, slowly creeping up and squeezing it. “No wonder I feel so much pain.”

It turned out that the pain I had been feeling in my chest wasn't just heartache. It wasn't enough to keep me locked up in this place and feel empty; he was torturing me with the pain of his betrayal.

No wonder my wolf had been howling and suffering. I thought he was just disappointed because we both felt the same way about Aaron.

I bent over, the pain in my chest making my ears ring. The last thing I heard was their laughter mocking me, then the sound disappeared along with them.

My body convulsed, the pain suffocating me. The oxygen in the room seemed to be running out, and I struggled to breathe.

“Aaron, you're so cruel.” Tears fell without me being able to hold them back.

Our marriage was never blessed with a child; no matter how hard I begged him, Aaron never touched me.

Except for that night. When his consciousness was clouded by alcohol, Aaron did it to me.

But I don't even want to remember that night. The first night that should have been beautiful and memorable for the rest of my life, I want to bury and forget.

I remember crying afterwards. I couldn't enjoy it; every touch was so rough. He was violent, even though I begged him, because I felt torn and burned.

Aaron lost his mind; he forced me like I was a wild animal he could use to satisfy his lust. I hurt every time I remember it, but I justified it by thinking that he wasn't himself at the time. I still give him excuses so I can forgive him.

But now, if what they say is true, then I have no reason to forgive him.

All my life, I only knew how to love him and give him excuses to accept him. So what if I have to stop?

I'm not sure I can do it.

I still want to be with him, but I don't want to drown in this stupidity forever if everything they say is true.

As I questioned all of that to myself, the sound of the door opening again reached my ears.

It might be Aaron. He must have come to see me.

I wiped my tears and quickly lifted my face to look at him. “Aaron...” My voice stopped when I saw Emma standing there.

My eyes stared blankly at the innocent smile she showed me.

“How are you, Maddie?” The woman's voice asked softly, but it felt like a knife stabbed me even deeper. “Have you gone crazy?”

She looked left and right, pretending to be looking for something there. “Aaron isn't here, he's busy making preparations and choosing a wedding dress.”

Wedding? My forehead wrinkled, and I pressed my eyebrows together as my eyelids opened wide.

“What are you talking about? Who's getting married?”

Her smug face shows up in front of me while she laughs. “Why are you asking? Of course it's us.” She is so proud. “We're getting married soon, Maddie, as soon as possible. Aaron is so excited to see me again, so he doesn't want to waste any time.”

“No!” What is she talking about? Aaron is marrying me. “You can't do that. He's my mate, Emma.”

Emma's lips curled upward, looking at me standing inside the bars as if I had said something ridiculous to her. “Why not? Aaron loves me while you're no longer needed.”

I bit my lip tightly. The word “needed” made me feel so worthless.

The woman clapped her hands loudly, and behind her appeared a group of werewolves I didn't recognize, staring at me.

I looked back at Emma. “Who are they? What are you going to do?” I took a step back.

I didn't need to try to face them directly to know that I couldn't handle them. Their aura weighed heavily on me, and I knew instinctively that I would be overwhelmed by the werewolves.

Emma smiled. “Since you're no longer needed, I need to take care of things, and they'll do it for me.”

She gave them directions, and they began to move. The iron door opened, and the werewolves rushed in and immediately attacked me.

At first, I tried to fight back, but as soon as both my hands were grabbed, and the others appeared pressing down on the back of my neck and forcing me into a kneeling position, I couldn't move anymore.

“Emma, let me go! What are you doing?” I groaned, moving to try to break free, but it was useless.

My eyes could only glance at him. “You're lying! I never hurt you, but you're hurting me right now.”

Emma came in and approached me, lifting my chin so that our eyes met. “You hurt me by taking Aaron away from me! I'm just repaying you for how you treated me.”

“Let me go. Please! Someone, please help me!” I tried to break free from her.

This time, the innocence was gone from her face. “It's useless to scream, Maddie. No one will come to help you.”

I see her eyes looking at me sharply and full of hatred. Emma, the innocent woman that everyone thinks of as a pure angel, is the real evil in disguise.