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.

During my stay in the clinic, I didn't stop preparing for my transfer to the Silver Crest Pack.

All I wanted was to finish the handover quickly and leave this place of heartbreak.

Kade did visit once during this time.

He was dressed in black casual clothes and holding a bouquet of flowers.

"What are you doing here?" I looked at him coldly.

"To see your injury." He walked to the bedside, his gaze dropping to my bandaged arm.

"Seen enough? Then you can leave."

"Anya, about last night..." He paused, his gaze dropping to my bandaged arm. "You shouldn't have been at the festival."

I froze for a second, then let out a cold laugh. "So it was my fault?"

"I didn't mean that," Kade frowned. "But you know Selena isn't used to pack life. You should be more understanding."

"Understanding?" I could hardly believe my ears. "I'm the one who got burned, and you want me to be understanding toward the person who did it?"

"She didn't do it on purpose!" Kade's voice rose. "Why do you always have to be so difficult?"

"Get out." I closed my eyes. "Get out now."

Kade stood there for a few seconds before finally slamming the door on his way out.

We parted on bad terms, and he never showed up again.

As I was leaving the healer's office with my final test results, I ran right into Kade, who was carefully helping Selena out of the fertility healer's office, a service exclusive to Alpha bloodlines.

At the sight of me, a flash of panic crossed Kade's golden wolf eyes. He almost instinctively dropped his hand from Selena's waist.

Seeing his hesitation, Selena's expression faltered for a moment before she recovered and said,

"Our mother's birthday party is in a few days. You should come, sister. Mother has been missing you. She would be so happy to see you there."

I didn't say a word and turned to leave, but my wrist was suddenly grabbed.

"What were you being tested for?"

"Let go." I tried to pull away.

"Tell me, what were you being tested for?" His grip was strong, and my arm ached.

"Just an old injury," I said coldly. "Why the sudden concern, Alpha? I'm not a pup anymore. My wounds heal slower these days."

My retort left Kade speechless.

He couldn't understand why he always lost control of his emotions around me.

Perhaps he wasn't used to me being so prickly.

He even found himself missing the adoration that used to shine in my eyes whenever I looked at him.

"How long are you going to play this little game of hard to get? Take it too far, and it stops being cute."

I didn't answer and just turned and walked away.

I could feel Kade's complicated gaze following me, but I had no intention of looking back.

I finished all my transfer preparations ahead of schedule.

Just as I was about to go to the pack elder to say my goodbyes, he gave me another last-minute task.

"An invitation for your mother's birthday banquet has arrived, and it specifically requests your presence. If you refuse now, you'll be making things difficult for me..."

I knew my mother better than anyone.

On the surface, she valued so-called "family image" more than anything.

I understood that pack diplomacy was part of a warrior's duty.

I had no reason to refuse, so I agreed.

"After this banquet, I plan to head to the Silver Crest Pack early to get familiar with the territory."

"Fine. I originally gave you two weeks for the handover. Since you've finished your tasks early, you can take the remaining days as leave. Go relax."

I nodded and went downstairs.

On the day of the banquet, I wore the formal warrior's dress uniform and entered the grand hall.

I was never good at these situations. Social gatherings packed with the powerful and elite always made me uncomfortable.

It wasn't until a servant came to summon me to a side hall that I went as instructed. There, I saw my mother sitting in the main seat.

I stood a respectful distance away and offered a formal warrior's salute.

My mother ignored my distant attitude. Instead, she tried to pull me into small talk, leveraging our blood ties to dissolve the awkward tension.

I mostly remained silent.

This so-called mother felt like a complete stranger to me.

I didn't need a late performance of maternal love.

Especially since this performance was only to assuage her own guilt.

It wasn't until she went on stage to give a speech that my mother finally let go of my hand.

She hadn't aged a day over the years, looking radiant on stage.

I couldn't help but think of my own aging father, who had fought and bled for the pack, only to be left with a body full of scars.

As I was lost in thought, a shocked howl erupted from the crowd.

I snapped back to reality and saw that every wolf in the room was looking at me with strange eyes.