Three years of marriage, and every time we make love, he does it from behind.

“Aidan! Why do you always avoid looking at my face? Is it because you're afraid of seeing the person you're sleeping with is me, not my sister?”

“You want me to look at you while we do it? Then let me give you what you want.Anyways, Zoey is nothing like you. She is pure and innocent.

Maybe Aidan is right. He was originally my sister's mate, 'stolen' from her, and he will never truly belong to me.

But when I decided to break the mate bond with him, I found out I was pregnant.

Freya POV

I was in a deep slumber when I felt a hand sliding under my nightgown and the weight pressing down on me.

Instinctively, I grabbed the hand—it felt hot on my body, and the familiar scent of cedarwood mixed with whiskey made me fully awake.

He is drunk again!

“Aidan,” I shoved him away and sat up, my face red with anger.

Ever since my stepsister Zoey had returned, he came to my room only when drunk.

“What the hell are you doing? And why do you always prefer to fuck me with my face down? Is it because you’re afraid to see that the person you’re sleeping with is me and not my sister?”

I thought of the text Zoey sent me this afternoon:

#Every time Aidan fucks you, he’s thinking about me!#

When I saw that message, I thought It wouldn’t affect me. I had always known that Zoey was his true mate, the one he truly loved.

But on reading her message, the armor I had carefully built around me shattered within a second.

I always loved Aidan. I craved him. I wanted him. But I didn’t need his love out of pity or wish to be Zoey’s replacement.

Aidan climbed off my bed and stared at me, his expression distant. The desire in his eyes had already faded.

And along with it, the light in my eyes also dimmed.

He instantly turned to leave, and a surge of anger and despair overwhelmed me. I got up and wrapped my arms around his waist.

“You’re not allowed to leave. Look at me—I’m your mate now! It’s been three years! Why can’t you accept me?”

Bringing up what happened three years ago, Aidan’s eyes darkened.

He grabbed my chin tightly as if trying to crush my bones.

“Three years ago, if it weren’t for your tricks, I never would’ve marked you! Only Zoey is meant to be my mate!”

“I didn’t use any tricks, Aidan!” I said, my voice laced with hurt. “You believe me or not! That night, I was drunk—I didn’t know anything!”

Aidan looked at me with contempt.

Of course, he had heard this explanation countless times before. He would never believe it.

I can’t help but chuckle bitterly. “You know what Aidan? No matter what you have marked me in the end!” I said, putting up a proud facade.

“Yeah, but I’ll never love a thief!”

“I don’t care about your love!” I screamed hysterically, deliberately keeping my voice louder to show myself strong.

“And my love for you had long ago drained dry in this lifeless marriage!”

Aidan’s contempt turned into rage. He shoved me onto the bed and tore off my silk nightdress.

“Aidan, let me go!” I struggled against the weight of his body.

“Why? Didn’t you want me to look at your face?” he said, his voice grating. “Then let me take a good look at your shamelessness!”

He carried me to the windowsill and pulled open the curtains. Moonlight gradually illuminated the room.

It bathed his tan skin, turning it to burnished gold, highlighting every curve of muscle, every scar that told a story. He stood by the window, one hand resting on the frame, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the night sky.

Then the cold light diving into his deep, emerald-green eyes, which looked like lakes.

“You’re staring,” he said, his voice rich and deep, carrying a note of amusement.

“Can you blame me?”

He cupped the back of my neck and pressed his lips to the spot where he had once marked me.

His hands found my waist, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us.

Shadows danced across the walls, the room a sanctuary of whispered promises and shared desire.

"Ahhh..."

Our argument dissolved into moans and entangled bodies.

An hour later, as usual, Aidan got onto his feet and turned to leave.

I sat in bed, wrapped myself in a blanket, and sighed as I thought about these three years of a loveless marriage.

He is right! What is stolen can never truly belong to me!

“Aidan, let’s break the mate bond,” I sputtered with determination.

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. “Break the mate bond?!” The mockery in his expression was laced with a hint of confusion.

“Yes, I’ll give up the position of Luna of the Nightblade Pack to Zoey. That is what you want. Isn’t it, Alpha Aidan?” I forced a smile.

“Yeah, finally you understood!”

He put on his robe and walked away, slamming the door behind him.

The tears didn’t fall from my eyes; they flowed straight into my heart. The salt stung the wounds already carved into it.

Despite my determination, I couldn’t help but think of three years ago when I woke up beside him for the first time. Seeing the shadow of his eyelashes, for one fleeting moment, I had felt he was entirely mine.

Freya POV

The next day, I decided to go home and talk with my father, James, about breaking the mate bond.

My father was once the Beta to Aidan’s father. My mother came from a noble lineage. She was the daughter of the Alpha of the neighboring Starlight Pack.

I grew up with Aidan and never hid my feelings for him. Since the afternoon of my 14th birthday, when I secretly kissed Aidan on the cheek, every year, my birthday wish had been the same:

#Moon Goddess, please let me grow up quickly and make Aidan my mate!#

Aidan had always treated me well.

Every morning, he would have his bodyguards take a detour to pick me up so we could go to school together.

But all of that changed when Zoey entered our pack.

Five years ago, after my mother passed away, my father brought Zoey home. It was then I found out that my father had long ago fathered an illegitimate daughter with my mother’s maid, Sophia.

The care and attention Aidan used to show me gradually shifted to Zoey, who appeared delicate and beautiful. She had soft, long black hair and big, watery eyes.

What shattered me the most was when Zoey shifted for the first time at 18. Aidan had held her in his arms and had said to her with deep affection,

"You are mine! My little wolf."

Aidan’s mate turned out to be Zoey!

I had watched Aidan kissing Zoey on the lips. Unable to bear the sight, I had turned and ran into the forest, shifting into a white wolf and howling in anguish alone at the mountaintop.

I couldn’t understand why the Moon Goddess hadn’t heard my prayers.

Zoey’s mother had stolen my father, and now Zoey had stolen my Aidan!

I did hate Zoey, but I could never use deceitful or dirty tricks to steal Aidan for myself.

***

I drove to my father James’s house.

The house was eerily quiet, and I guessed he was probably in his study.

As I reached the study door and was about to knock, I overheard Zoey and my father talking.

"Dad, I’ve already dealt with that child. I promise no one will ever know." Zoey said.

"You’ve been so foolish! If it weren’t for that child, you would already be the Luna of the Nightblade Pack by now!" My dad snapped.

"Dad, stop blaming me! I personally sent my own mate to Freya’s bed. No one is more upset about it than I am!"

"But that’s only got you all of Freya’s mother’s inheritance. If it weren’t for Freya’s guilt towards you, we would never have gotten such a fortune in our lifetime! Freya’s mother was truly cruel—leaving everything to Freya alone and not a single cent to me, her husband.”

"Dad, now that we’ve gotten all of Freya’s mother’s inheritance and I’ve dealt with that child, I think I still have a chance to become the Luna of the Nightblade Pack. I want Aidan to break the mate bond with Freya."

"Zoey, wait a bit longer. Don’t rush. Anyway, Aidan was originally your mate, and he likes you."

"No! I can’t just wait any longer. I’ve been back for nearly a year now. Although Aidan has been good to me, he’s always kept his distance. If I don’t take him back now, I’m afraid I’ll lose my chance!"

I stood frozen outside the door, my head spinning, nearly collapsing to the ground.

Three years ago, that night... it was all planned by my father and Zoey to force Aidan to mark me.

They had tricked me out of my mother’s entire inheritance, and now they were plotting to take my Luna status, too?

I wanted to burst in and confront them, but I quickly calmed myself down.

They mentioned “that child”–the reason for sending Aidan to my bed.

What did they mean by “that child”?

I turned and walked downstairs, supporting myself against the wall.

Until I uncover the truth, I won’t let Zoey and my father succeed. Never!

Just as I got into my car, my phone chimed with Aidan’s name on the screen.

“Hello,” I said.

"Where did you go? Weren’t you planning to break the mate bond with me?"

Freya POV

"No, I have changed my mind. I don't want to break it now!"

"Freya! Are you playing with me again?!" Aidan roared on the other end of the phone.

"Aidan! Listen to me! Zoey isn't who you think she is! She's a liar! She..." I felt desperate to explain to him.

"You’re accusing her again! She wandered for two years because of you, suffering so much. Why can't you be kinder to her? When did you become so heartless?"

"I..."

Before I could finish, Aidan hung up.

You don’t even have the patience to hear me out, Aidan

I stared at myself in the rearview mirror, my eyes blurred with tears.

That evening, I went alone to a French restaurant Aidan and I often visited as children.

However, someone had already reserved the window seat we used to sit at.

I walked closer, only to see Aidan and Zoey sitting there.

Aidan was gazing at Zoey with tenderness, carefully cutting a piece of cake and placing it on her plate.

Zoey looked radiant in her opulent red dress, her face glowing with the happiness of the evening. Her eyes sparkled as she laughed, a playful, almost mischievous glint to them.

So, he was here to celebrate Zoey’s birthday!

Huh…In these three years together, he had never celebrated my birthday.

It was clear that Zoey had already taken my place, even though we hadn’t officially broken the mate bond. .

I wanted to turn and leave, but Zoey called out to me just in time.

"Freya, today’s my birthday. Aidan made this strawberry ice cream cake himself for me. Why don’t you join us and have a taste?"

Seeing the provocative look in Zoey's eyes, a wave of competitiveness surged in my heart. Without a second thought, I walked over to their table and confidently sat down.

"I don’t like sweets," I remarked.

"Oh, I don’t know about that." My sister grinned, teasing me as she scooped a spoonful of cake. "Aidan loves them, though."

She brought the spoon up to his mouth, and without missing a beat, Aidan leaned in, accepting the bite.

My eyes narrowed slightly. It wasn’t just that he ate it—it was the way he did so, the way he let her feed him. He wasn’t like this with me, not once in all the years I had known him.

The knot in my stomach tightened as I glanced at the red ruby necklace glistening on my sister’s neck, catching the light from the chandelier above.

"Look, Aidan gave me this necklace. Isn’t it beautiful?" Zoey said, tracing her fingers over her necklace.

I looked at her fair neck, where a ruby necklace sparkled under the light.

"It’s beautiful. But don’t forget, Aidan used our shared marital assets to buy it. I think I’ll take it back now!"

I grabbed the necklace around her neck and tried to pull it.

Zoey screamed, unprepared for me to be so brazen.

"What are you doing?!" Aidan roared and grabbed my wrist.

"Apologize to Zoey right now!"

"No, I will not!"

Zoey, looking pitiful, tried to push Aidan's hand away. "Aidan, it’s fine! Don’t be upset. “Freya might just be in a bad mood today."

"Zoey, you're too kind. Does it hurt?" Aidan gently touched the red mark on Zoey's neck, his face full of concern.

He then turned to me, his expression furious.

"Today, you must apologize to Zoey!" He roared.

“I will not!” I replied sternly.

He raised his hand to hit me, but then he slowly lowered it.

He wanted to hit me?!

My lips twitched as I held back my tears and rushed out of the restaurant.

But I didn’t expect Aidan to chase after me.

He caught up quickly, his hands grasping my shoulders with a force that made my body freeze.

"Get in the car," he ordered,

"Why are you following me? Go back and stay with Zoey! " I rubbed my arm, which he had grabbed too tightly.

"I'm taking you back to apologize to Zoey!"

"Hahaha." I suddenly burst into laughter, tears spilling out. "Aidan, are you blind? I love you so much, but all you care for and love is that woman with a venomous heart.”

"Freya, if you want to stay as my mate, you better treat Zoey with respect! I don’t want to hear you slander her again!"

"Ha…As if it matters if we break or stay as a mate. Have you ever fulfilled your duties as a mate?"

I pushed open the car door to leave, but he yanked me back inside and pinned me against the seat.

"If that’s the case, I’ll fulfill my duties as your mate right now!" He leaned down and began kissing me.

"Aidan, what are you doing? If you love Zoey, then go f*** her! I’m not your sex toy!"

"My relationship with Zoey is pure and innocent. She’s nothing like you—so shameless!"

He sealed my lips with his, silencing me completely.