Before, Ronan’s friends always said I was dragging him down.

Now, I was setting him free.

My bond with Ronan had been confirmed by the Moon Goddess herself at my coming-of-age ceremony.

Back then, I'd been infatuated with him for years, chasing him relentlessly until I finally caught the powerful Alpha's eye.

Two years ago, Ronan's patrol was ambushed. As arrows rained down, a terrifying fear for his life seized me. Without a second thought, I threw myself in front of him, shoving him aside just as a silver-laced arrow streaked toward his heart.

But the silver poison on the arrow ravaged my body, stealing most of my senses.

At the time, Ronan had stared at my broken form and howled in anguish, vowing to heal me no matter the cost.

He scoured ancient texts, consulted countless healers, and even started a foundation in my name, but nothing worked.

Until six months ago, when I felt the call of the Blood Moon—a new hope, a chance to purify the silver poison from my body.

But I wasn't certain, so I kept it from Ronan.

I planned to surprise him the day I was healed.

But what awaited me was not a surprise, but a sickening shock.

Late that night, Ronan sent Blair home. By the time I lay down, he had already changed the sheets.

After his shower, he slid into bed and pulled me into his arms, just like always. "My Veronica, you're so soft. Nothing feels better than holding you."

I stared numbly at the ceiling. "Have you ever held another woman?"

Ronan froze, then chuckled. "How could I? You're the only one the Moon Goddess gave me. My wolf will only ever embrace you."

The only one the Moon Goddess gave me.

The lie slipped so easily from his lips.

Ronan was a master of sweet nothings.

When I was blind and helpless, he would grow fiercely jealous if I so much as asked another man for help, his possessiveness flaring.

"I was just asking another wolf for directions."

"I don't care. You have me, Veronica; you don't need anyone else. I will always be by your side."

Such hypocrisy. And yet, for two long years, his sweet lies were the only warmth in my cold, dark world.

Now, the memory only filled me with disgust.

If he truly loved me, would he have used my blindness as a cover for his trysts for two whole years?

Ronan nuzzled into the crook of my neck. "Veronica, I've already spoken with the Elders. Once you're feeling stronger, we'll hold our official bonding ceremony. I'll make you the Luna of this pack."

I stared at the tell-tale red mark on his neck and said nothing. A flicker of bitter amusement coursed through me, and I nodded. "Alright. We'll hold the ceremony soon."

Ronan was overjoyed. His arms tightened around me as he whispered endlessly, "I love you, Veronica."

I was lying through my teeth.

I had already finalized the arrangements for my rejection ceremony.

In less than three days, I would vanish from Ronan's life completely.

I wanted him to feel the agony of a soul being torn in two.

But more than that, I wanted to find myself again.

The next day, Ronan was as considerate as ever, spoon-feeding me breakfast. But while he played the doting mate, he was exchanging a stream of lewd thoughts with Blair through their mind-link.

Our bond throbbed, a fresh, agonizing sting.

After the meal, he took me to an event at the charity foundation he'd established for me. It was a weekly ritual, meant to help me relax.

He supported me carefully along the way, treating me like a fragile, precious thing. The sight moved many of our pack members.

"The Alpha is so devoted to Veronica. I heard he even postponed the pack's expansion plans just to be with her. It's clear no one is more important to the Alpha than Veronica."

After a young wolf said this, Ronan just smiled. "I love Veronica. Nothing is too much to do for her."

He spoke with such saccharine devotion, but I just stared at the foundation's plaque, too disgusted to speak.

Blair's Light Fund

The foundation wasn't for me. It was for Blair. The truth of it was sickeningly obvious.

Ronan escorted me to a lounge and then left on some pretext. I couldn't stop the bile from rising in my throat.

For two years, in the name of love, Ronan had sacrificed pack interests and abandoned his Alpha ambitions. Even his closest friends whispered behind my back, calling me his burden.

Ronan's mother, an Elder in her own right, would often berate me. "You're blind, but Ronan is perfectly healthy. He's given up everything for you. Are you really going to hold him to that for the rest of his life?"

I loved Ronan, so I silently endured their scorn.

When they sneered and told me to leave him, I would always fight back, listing every proof of his love until they fell silent.

But now, staring at the name on that plaque, I could only imagine how pathetic I must have looked to them.

I couldn't stop the wave of revulsion. I shot to my feet and made for the door, but as I stepped into the hall, an intimate mind-link drifted from the next room.

"Why did you bring so many aphrodisiac herbs again?"

"I can't use them on her. Can't let them go to waste."

Ugh, you drained me last night, and you're already at it again. It's the same every time you bring her here…

The rest of their words blurred into a nauseating hum.