When I came to my senses, I realized my communication crystal was blinking.

My father's voice came through, filled with an excitement he couldn't hide.

"Anya, I've already made your favorite beef bone soup, and I've prepared roasted venison."

I took a deep breath, said nothing more, and fled.

My father and I spent the whole afternoon preparing a lavish warrior's feast, simmering his secret-recipe wild game stew.

The hot dishes grew cold on the table. Kade never showed.

The few mind-links I sent him went unanswered.

Seeing the disappointment dimming my father's eyes, I felt a pang of shame and made excuses, then stepped out onto the balcony to forcibly activate my mate bond with Kade.

This time, the link connected quickly.

I got straight to the point. "Are you here? My father has been waiting a long time."

He sounded as if he'd just remembered. "Sorry, the meeting ran long. I lost track of time..."

Suddenly, the sound of loud music and the laughter of a pack of wolves came through the connection.

It was the soft, ambient music unique to high-end private clubs.

"Kade, try this. I had the chef make it just for you," Selena's saccharine voice cooed through the link.

"Some old veteran's cooking? So dated. They probably don't even use the right spices."

"Is Selena getting jealous?" someone teased.

"Don't you worry. Anya's no competition. Her old man is a washed-up warrior. Didn't even earn any real honors in the war."

The mocking laughter of his friends made my blood run cold.

I heard Kade's impatient "Mmm," as if he was frequently checking his phone.

"Knock it off, you guys," he said, his voice laced with annoyance.

I heard the flick of a lighter, followed by his smoke-raspy voice.

"Anya, I just took over as Alpha. I can't look bad by leaving an important meeting early. I'll make it up to your father another day, okay?"

Did he really think I was a fool, that I'd believe he was holding a meeting with the sounds of a private club in the background?

I unconsciously tightened my grip on the communication crystal. Just as I was about to speak, I heard an urgent voice from the other end.

"Kade, stop wasting time. Selena's waiting for you."

Kade stubbed out his cigarette, his voice laced with false tenderness. "Be good. You're always so understanding. I'll make it up to you tonight when I get back."

After ending the transmission, I returned to the dining table, feigning a casual air. "He has an urgent meeting," I said with a forced smile.

The table was laden with the food he had prepared. The beef bone soup was still simmering over a low flame, its aroma filling the air.

"Let's eat first."

"We're not waiting?" my father asked, looking at me.

"We're not waiting."

We sat quietly at the table. My father ladled a bowl of soup for me.

"Anya, do you think the Alpha truly loves you?" he asked suddenly.

My spoon froze mid-air.

"An Alpha who truly loves you wouldn't let you face an embarrassing situation alone on an important occasion."

My father's voice was calm, but every word was a nail driving into my heart.

"He might have really had something urgent..." I tried to defend Kade again.

"Child, I've seen a thing or two," my father said, shaking his head. "Anya, I want to see you settled as a proper Luna in my lifetime. But if a mate bond isn't built on a foundation of respect, I would rather you walk alone."

He paused, looking at me. "And remember, a warrior's honor is more precious than an uncherished love."

I put down my spoon and hugged my father.

"Dad, I know what to do now."

When I returned to our penthouse apartment, Kade had somehow already returned.

He was coming out of the kitchen with a glass of blood-red, potent wolf's liquor.

When he saw me, his eyes landed on the duffel bag at my side, and his pupils constricted.

"What's this? I hear you're going to the Silver Crest Pack?"

I didn't deny it.

Kade closed the distance in a single, sudden step, pulling me into his arms.

"Anya, you're not going anywhere without my permission."

He kissed me forcefully, the movement rough, as if staking a claim.

I bit down hard on his lip. "Let me go, Kade."

He hissed in pain and stopped, but then he bent down, scooped me up with one long arm, and threw me onto his shoulder.

I was tossed onto the plush sofa, the impact leaving me breathless and dazed.

Before I could recover, Kade was already on top of me. "The Silver Crest Pack. Don't even think about it."

"You are my marked mate."

His warm breath fanned across my trembling eyelashes.

I struggled instinctively.

Feeling the resistance from the woman in his arms, Kade's grip on my wrist tightened abruptly.

His other hand clamped down on my restless waist, and his knee pinned my tense legs, completely cutting off my escape.

He then lowered his head and sealed my lips, his fingertips expertly igniting fires across my skin.

It wasn't that he was oblivious to my emotions; he was just used to solving conflicts this way, with brute, primitive force.

In four years as his secret mate, whenever friction arose, this proud Alpha would never stoop to console me.

And I had always been the one to yield to his Alpha temper.

But this time was different. He had been deceiving me from the very beginning.

I cleared the possessive fog from my head and shoved him away with all my might.

"Kade, let's end this."

Caught off guard, Kade was shoved away. His expression turned cold in an instant, a dangerous light flashing in his golden wolf eyes.

"Why? Is this about that Alpha from the Silver Crest Pack? Or is it because I missed dinner with your father?"

"You're not a child anymore, Anya. Stop throwing a tantrum."

I straightened my shirt and buttoned it, my voice steady. "When have I ever thrown a tantrum with you?"

My unyielding attitude exhausted what little patience Kade had.

He shot me a cold, annoyed glare, the pressure of his Alpha authority rolling off him in waves. "I'm giving you an out, Anya. I suggest you take it."

I looked at him silently, my eyes devoid of emotion. "I said, we're ending our relationship."

"Ending our relationship?"

Kade repeated my words, his voice a lazy drawl. A careless smile touched his lips. "And what relationship, exactly, did you think we had?"

I froze. "What do you mean?"

Kade sneered, his eyes playful. "A temporary mate. Nothing more. If you're tired of playing the part, you're free to leave anytime."

My whole body went stiff. Even though I was prepared for it, my heart still seized with pain.

So to him, we didn't even have a normal mate bond.

In his eyes, I was just a temporarily marked Beta.

"Little Beta."

Kade bent down to my level, a cruel smile on his lips. "I told you back then that you could push me away. Weren't you the one who willingly marked with me in secret?"

"You didn't actually think we were official mates, did you?"

I felt as if I'd been struck by lightning, a chill spreading through my entire body.

"I thought you understood the arrangement. I thought you were okay with it."

"I mean, look at the gap in our ranks. Our ages. Not to mention you're my sister's best friend. Did you really think I was ever going to give you a formal mating ceremony?"

I dug my nails into my palms, fighting to keep the tears from falling.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of clinging to you. Just give me a minute to pack my things, and I'll be out of your hair."

With that, I turned away abruptly, and the tears finally broke free.

I cursed myself for being so weak.

I already knew all of this, so why did it still hurt so much?

I didn't want to show my vulnerability, so I just focused on packing.

Neither of us spoke, and the living room fell into a strange, oppressive silence.

Kade held a cigarette between his fingers, but he didn't take a single puff. His gaze followed my every move.

Watching me pack all my belongings into the bag without hesitation filled him with an unfamiliar frustration. He paced the room restlessly.

It was only when I zipped the bag shut and turned to leave that Kade's deep voice finally cut through the silence. "If you walk out that door, don't you dare come crawling back."

I reached the door, then stopped and walked back.

It was the bowl of beef bone soup my father had made for Kade.

When he returned, he saw it on the dining table and assumed it was trash.

He had tossed it in the trash without a second thought. But seeing how carefully I held it, he finally understood.

Just as he was about to offer an explanation, he heard my voice, as still and lifeless as a dead lake.

"Kade, does it give you some kind of sick thrill to trample all over someone's heart?"

After saying that, I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

He was an Alpha who had been doted on his entire life, who had everything he ever wanted handed to him.

Things like genuine feelings and precious sentiments were worthless in his eyes.

Why was I even saying this, just to humiliate myself?

Kade's golden wolf eyes flickered, his wolf growing agitated on the other end of their mate bond.

The words he was about to say were cut off by the sound of the door slamming shut.

Kade stared, then let out a humorless, angry laugh.

Fine. It was rare for her to defy his Alpha authority like this.

This time, he'd see just how long she could last before she came crawling back to him.

I moved into the standard warrior barracks and spent the next few days busy with the preparations for my transfer.

Chloe tried to drag me out several times, but when I refused, she finally just cornered me at the barracks.

She took me to the pack's central celebration plaza.

A bonfire burned brightly, and werewolves danced in a circle, celebrating the Moon Goddess's gifts.

I used to love attending the pack's full moon festivals. The sense of pack unity always brought my wolf a sense of peace.

But Kade didn't like me appearing in public, saying it could expose our private relationship.

So after four years together, I had almost forgotten what it felt like to revel under the moonlight.

"Here, drink up," Chloe said, handing me a glass of strong liquor.

The alcohol burned my throat, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

"Anya, I heard Alpha Jasper from the Silver Crest Pack is very interested in you," Chloe whispered.

"At the last Pack Alliance meeting, he specifically asked about you."

I paused, then shook my head. "We haven't spoken since our coming-of-age ceremony."

Chloe pouted but didn't press the issue.

I raised my glass to toast Chloe, but my eyes locked with Kade's as he entered the festival area.

His arm was draped casually around Selena's slender waist, an intimate claim.

As our eyes met, he even arched an eyebrow in a silent, defiant challenge.

Seeing a familiar face, Chloe waved excitedly.

"Well, well. Taking things public, are we? Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Kade glanced at Selena, asking for her silent consent before gracefully leading her over.

So, for someone he truly cared about, he wasn't just accommodating, but considerate in every way.

With me, Kade had never once bowed his head. I was always the one who yielded to his Alpha temper.

Even if it was a warrior training I loved, a single displeased glance from him was enough to make me give it up.

Chloe joked, "I heard you chased her all the way to the human world. That's some serious devotion."

Kade leaned against a stone bench, smiling without a word.

It was Selena who answered, a little shyly. "Chloe, stop teasing me."

She blinked her wide, innocent eyes.

"But I truly never expected Kade, who always acts like such a cold, distant Alpha, could be so thoughtful."

"Actually, he took care of me a lot while I was in the human world. He would send me the best soothing herbs every so often."

"And so I could have food that tasted like home, he spent six months learning to cook from the pack's best chef."

Listening to their sweet history, the heart I thought was numb was torn apart once more.

I couldn't help but remember all the nights I was in agony from arrow wounds, while Kade was in the training room, drenched in sweat, oblivious to my pain.

Once, I was in so much pain I almost passed out. I told him the arrow was laced with wolfsbane and I needed his Alpha energy to ease the poison.

He had just looked at me impatiently. "How bad can a little arrow wound be? Stop being so dramatic."

I had always thought his Alpha nature was simply cold.

It turns out he wasn't incapable of caring; he was just incapable of caring about me.

"Is this really my cold-blooded brother? Anya, do you think he's been possessed by some evil spirit?"

My mind had wandered, so I didn't hear Chloe suddenly say my name.

Sensing the strange silence around me, I snapped back to reality, my eyes meeting Kade's deep gaze unexpectedly.

"Anya," Kade said suddenly, his tone dropping, "do you have a problem with Selena?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"You're not exactly looking at her with kindness."

He gave a lazy curl of his thin lips, his tone casual but threatening. "Anya, I think of you as a sister. You're making this very difficult for me by being so disrespectful."

Remembering their filthy words from the group chat and seeing his innocent, hypocritical act, the last shred of sadness in my heart vanished.

A primal fire of rage ignited from the depths of my wolf.

I put down my glass, suppressing my anger. "Kade, if you want to put on a show, go find your pack of cronies. I don't have time to play these childish games with you."

"Don't be upset, sister. The Alpha is just being protective. I'm sure he means no harm."

Selena feigned reconciliation, rising to her feet with a fragile and innocent look, deserving of pity.

Just then, a Moon Priestess was solemnly passing by, carrying a ritual basin filled with holy oil.

Selena took a seemingly innocent step back, one that put her in the perfect position to "accidentally" jostle the priestess's arm.

The scalding holy oil spilled with a splash, and flames instantly flared up.

Kade instinctively pushed Selena, who was beside him, out of the way. But when he saw the flames leaping towards me, his pupils contracted violently.

"Anya!"

He lunged forward, but his feet were tangled by the falling Selena.

To break Selena's fall, he had no choice but to catch her, watching helplessly as the holy oil flew towards me.

I twisted to dodge, but my arm was still spattered.

The searing pain made me bite down hard, but I managed not to cry out.

"Anya, are you okay?" Chloe rushed over to check my injury.

Kade stood a short distance away, holding Selena, his eyes fixed on me.

I could clearly feel the sharp pain in his own heart.

But he still chose her.

When I regained consciousness, I struggled to lift my heavy eyelids.

In a daze, I heard a low male voice in the hallway.

"Is she awake?"

"Not yet. The doctor said she needs to be observed overnight," Chloe's voice sounded tired. "Aren't you going in to see her?"

"No. Don't tell her I was here."

The voice was familiar, but I couldn't place it.

Chloe chuckled softly. "How long are you going to be her silent guardian? Why don't you just tell her..."

The urgent blinking of a communication crystal interrupted Chloe. The man answered the call and walked away briskly.

"I have to patrol the border for a while. Mind-link me if anything happens."

Chloe couldn't help but roll her eyes at his retreating back before she turned and entered the treatment room.

Seeing me lying on the bed with my arm wrapped in an herbal bandage, Chloe's eyes reddened with guilt.

"I'm sorry, Anya. If I'd known, I wouldn't have dragged you to the festival. Don't worry, after you're discharged, I'll take you to the best healer. We can't let you have a scar."

A dry, humorless laugh escaped my lips.

"You can still laugh at a time like this? I swear, I think Selena did that on purpose. She could have easily dodged, but she deliberately bumped the priestess. And she didn't even get burned, but she was still playing the victim. I feel like she's got it in for you..."

My smile faded.

I was silent for a few seconds before saying, "She's my sister."

Chloe's eyes widened in shock. "She's your half-sister?"

"And your mother is a pack elder?! My god, you kept such a huge piece of news from me. Are we not friends?"

I had to give her a brief overview of the situation, omitting my past with Kade.

Seeing her look at me with such pity and righteous anger, a warmth spread through my heart.

"It's all in the past. I'm doing fine now."

I didn't need to rely on anyone. I could live with my head held high.