The day I lost my pup, Bowen Murphy’s little songbird was expecting. He arranged for us to share a hospital room.

"She’s delicate, and you’ve been through this before. You need to look after her," he said, his Alpha tone leaving no room for argument. "And that good luck charm? Give it to Eleanora; she needs it more."

With resignation, I removed the charm from around my neck and handed it to Eleanora Diaz, alongside my marking band—a silver bracelet engraved with the Murphy Pack insignia, symbolizing my bond as Luna.

Eleanora eyed Bowen cautiously, while he laughed coldly: "Since she handed it over, keep it. Compared to her—a wolf who can’t carry a litter—you surely deserve to wear this symbol."

Hearing his words, I offered a faint smile and left the room. As the door swung shut, he said, "Let her throw her little tantrum. By tomorrow, she’ll come crawling back to apologize. After all the treatments and medications she’s undergone to conceive for me over these five years, she won’t depart unless the sky falls."

But this time, he didn’t know I was truly leaving.

After finalizing the discharge paperwork, I turned around to see Bowen casually leaning against the doctor’s office door, his towering frame blocking the light, his smirk sharp as a blade.

"In a rush just because I asked you to look after a young wolf?"

Ignoring the sneer, I walked past him. As we brushed against each other, he suddenly gripped my wrist, his Alpha aura pressing down on me like a weight.

"Aurelia, I’m bringing Eleanora home for her pregnancy care. You’ll need to move out of the Alpha suite."

Though he had many affairs, the Alpha suite had always remained our shared territory. But now, he had effortlessly crossed the line. His voice was cold as he explained, "Eleanora’s pregnancy is unstable. I can’t trust anyone else to care for her."

Then he added, "Since you couldn’t keep your own pup, look after this one for me. I’ll make it worth your while."

Make it worth my while? How?

In five years as Luna, I had gone through six pregnancies for him. Except for the first accidental loss, the others were due to his mistresses, directly or indirectly. As for the pup I lost this morning, I had stopped wanting it.

Our bond was poisoned, and I wouldn’t bring a pup into such a tainted environment.

I nodded slightly, whispering, "I understand."

Seeing my compliance, Bowen surprisingly showed a gentler expression: "As long as you don’t harm Eleanora, you’ll always be my Luna, and her pup will be yours too."

Before I could respond, a woman’s sudden cry from nearby caught our attention. Bowen spun around to see Eleanora standing pale against the wall, blood dripping from a cut on her finger. He rushed over, his Alpha aura flaring in concern.

Eleanora looked pitifully at Bowen: "Alpha, my finger got cut by the charm... the one Aurelia just gave me. But I’m sure she didn’t intend it."

His expression darkened as he glared at me. The situation was absurdly amusing.

Just last week, Eleanora used the same trick on me. I showed Bowen footage to prove my innocence. Yet, without a glance, he destroyed the evidence.

In that moment, I realized he was aware of Eleanora’s antics, choosing to indulge them, just as he once indulged mine.

Pondering this, I quietly turned to leave, only to be stopped by his harsh demand: "Apologize!"

When I didn’t move, his voice grew even colder: "If you don’t kneel and apologize, don’t blame me if your grandmother never rests in peace!"

Shivering at his blatant threat, I recalled how my grandmother cared for him before he returned to his pack. Now, he used her memory to force me to my knees.

My nails dug into my palms. The physical pain was nothing compared to the numbness inside my heart.

Amidst the puzzled gaze of passing pack members and hospital staff, I slowly knelt by the wall, muttering "I’m sorry" three times before looking at Bowen with vacant eyes.

"Is that enough?" I asked.

His chest heaved as he stared at my pale face. "Aurelia, you brought this on yourself. Now you’re just playing the martyr for sympathy?"

With that, he turned away, keeping Eleanora close as they left.

Back at the pack house, I intended to pack and leave, but guards suddenly appeared at the door. Bowen returned unexpectedly, though he should’ve been with Eleanora.

Before I could process what was happening, I was hauled into a car and ended up strapped to a hospital bed. Eleanora showed signs of a potential miscarriage and required a blood transfusion.

"I’m just regular A-positive. Doesn’t the hospital have reserves?"

His answer was predictably dismissive: "Who knows how long it’s been stored or if it’s contaminated? What if it harms Eleanora?"

The pack healer interjected, "Alpha, Luna just miscarried. Forced extraction could cause severe anemia or shock. The blood bank..."

He didn’t finish before Bowen cut him off: "I said draw it. Stop the chattering!"

Reluctant to oppose the Alpha, the healer gave me a sympathetic glance, then inserted a large needle into my arm.

Pain spread as my head grew heavy from the sudden blood loss. Before losing consciousness, I heard the healer’s alarmed words: "Alpha, she can’t take any more! Luna is in danger!"

There was a brief pause before Bowen replied, "Keep going."

I slipped into a deep sleep filled with memories of Bowen and me.

In the past, he was just a reckless young Alpha, protecting me alone against five rogues. I cried over his bruises afterward, but he brushed it off with a grin: "Why cry? These are my badges of honor. If I can’t protect my mate, what kind of Alpha am I?"

At our marking ceremony, with tears in his eyes, he promised: "Aurelia, if I ever betray you, I..."

"Aurelia, I’m hungry..." A sweet voice shattered my dream.

Opening my eyes slowly, I found myself back in the same room with Eleanora. What a curse.

Upon seeing me awake, Bowen, surprisingly gentle, asked, "Hungry? Want some soup?"

Eleanora, feigning concern, added, "Luna, Alpha cooked this soup for me. It’s delicious. You should try some."

Did he cook? He once promised to only ever cook for me.

But never mind. He’d said so much by now, he’d probably forgotten it all.

I turned away, unwilling to engage. Seeing this, Bowen’s warmth vanished: "Aurelia, what’s with the attitude? Don’t think donating some blood gives you the right to disrespect Eleanora!"

Eleanora tugged lightly on his sleeve: "Alpha, don’t say that. Luna saved me. It’s only right."

He scoffed, "With me here, no one can bully you, Eleanora."

"If she’s so ungrateful, then let’s not bother with her."

With that, he pettily started feeding Eleanora.

Undeterred, I reached for my phone. There were numerous missed calls and unread messages:

[Sister, are you really coming to Italy to see me?]

[Sister, why aren’t you answering? Are you having second thoughts?]

[Sister, if you don’t reply, I’ll start crying!]

Seeing that I didn’t react with jealousy or make a scene as expected, nor even glance his way, Bowen’s expression darkened. His Alpha aura, usually so commanding, felt oppressive as it radiated from him. The smile on my lips—one he hadn’t seen in years—seemed to irritate him further. Finally, he couldn’t help but ask in a clipped tone, “Who are you chatting with?”

I was caught off guard. Since the first time I discovered his infidelity and confronted him, he hadn’t shown any interest in my actions. This sudden attention didn’t stir any warmth in me; instead, it made my skin crawl. I slipped my phone into my pocket and replied coolly, “Just a friend.”

He opened his mouth as if to press further, but Eleanora’s voice interrupted, laced with a practiced sweetness tinged with grievance. “Alpha, you almost spilled that on me.”

His focus shifted instantly, his attention drawn to her like a moth to a flame. The way he doted on her, his Alpha tone softening in her presence, was nauseating. I couldn’t stand to be in that hospital room a moment longer. Without a word, I turned and left.

To my surprise, Bowen followed me out, his tall, muscular frame blocking the hallway as he stepped in front of me. “Go back to the packhouse and rest,” he said, his voice low but firm. “I’ll check in on you tomorrow.”

I didn’t respond, my indifference clear. Three days passed, and he never came. Instead, I received daily videos of him and Eleanora, along with taunting messages from her. By now, my heart had grown numb. In his absence, I used those days to clear out everything of mine from the packhouse—my clothes, my books, the few personal items that still felt like mine.

Standing in the nearly empty room, I clutched the rejection papers tightly in my hand. It was time. I left the packhouse and made my way to the Murphy Pack’s headquarters, a sprawling estate that served as the center of their operations. As I approached, I saw Eleanora surrounded by a group of pack members, basking in their attention.

“Eleanora,” one of the Deltas cooed, “look how much the Alpha cares for you. He even set up a special lounge just for you here.”

“Of course,” another chimed in, her voice sycophantic. “She’s carrying the future heir of the pack. Before long, we’ll be calling her Luna.”

I clenched my fists, the memory of my last pregnancy flooding back. A week ago, I’d found out I was pregnant. I’d wanted to share the news with Bowen immediately, hoping it might rekindle something between us. But when I called, all I heard were his frantic gasps and Eleanora’s voice, sharp and cruel. “Aurelia’s a wreck who can’t even keep her own pup. Even if she could, the pup would probably be just as weak as her. I think it’s better not to have it!”

I’d hung up without a word. That call had been the final straw. It was the moment I decided to end the pregnancy—and the moment I resolved to end our mate bond.

Bringing myself back to the present, I was about to turn away when Bowen appeared, his expression stormy. “What are you doing here?”

I hesitated only briefly before answering, my voice steady. “I’m not here to cause trouble for Eleanora. I just have some documents for you to sign.” As I spoke, the group of pack members scattered, their chatter dying down as they noticed me. Eleanora was left standing alone, her smile faltering for a moment before she masked it with her usual sweetness.

She walked over and clung to Bowen’s arm, her voice dripping with fake concern. “Aurelia, what brings you here?”

I ignored her and handed the documents to Bowen. As he began to skim through them, I spoke quickly. “I’ve found a few properties I want to invest in. You just need to sign.”

Eleanora’s eyes flashed with jealousy, but Bowen didn’t hesitate. He signed his name with a flourish, his Alpha authority radiating from the simple act. Only when the papers were safely back in my hands did I feel a sense of relief. It was one step closer to freedom.