A wedding night is supposed to be the most sacred moment of union between two partners.

Yet when I awoke from my stupor, I saw neither Alexander’s tender face nor felt the gentle touch of his wolf spirit, Rex.

I felt cold all over and was unable to move.

Looking down, I was horrified to discover that I was naked, bound by several thick silver ropes to a huge, long dining table.

The silver ropes unsettled the wolf spirit within me.

I struggled violently, trying to summon the strength within me to break free from my bonds.

“Don’t waste your energy, Serena.”

A cold, sharp voice rang out from above. I looked up and saw Alexander.

He was dressed in a crisp black suit, staring at me expressionlessly; there was no warmth in his eyes, only cold detachment.

“Alexander, let me go! What is this?”

I shouted, my throat hoarse, as the wolf’s spirit within me roared with fury in my mind, trying to break through the drug’s barrier.

Alexander gave no reply, merely reaching out to adjust the tension of the ropes, as though fiddling with an object.

“Miss Isabella is hosting important partners from the northern tribes this evening. As a member of the Silver Moon Pack, you must demonstrate the appropriate level of sincerity.”

His voice was calm. “This is to repay a debt, Serena. Rest assured, although you are being presented as a ‘dish’, I have already instructed them not to actually take your life.”

Repaying a debt of gratitude?

Those two words felt like a blunt knife, savagely sawing at my heart.

Alexander and I were both orphans adopted by the Silver Moon Pack.

In this strictly hierarchical world of werewolves, we were like two weeds struggling to survive in the cracks.

Fifteen years ago, Alpha Silver had originally intended to adopt only promising male wolves as future warriors. It was only because Alexander knelt at the Alpha’s gate for a full day and night, his forehead bruised and bleeding, swearing lifelong loyalty to the Silver Moon family, that I was granted the chance to stay.

That day, the young Alexander took my hand, his eyes shining brighter than the starlight:

“Serena, I will protect you from now on. We will always be together.”

And from that day on, I entrusted my wolf spirit and my very being to him.

Yet now he dares to ‘repay’ me in this manner?

“I won’t… I won’t…” I clutched his wrist so tightly my nails nearly dug into his flesh. “Alexander, I’m your mate! How could you do this?”

Before I could finish speaking, Alexander’s expression changed abruptly.

He yanked my hand away so violently that he nearly sprained my wrist.

“Do you wish to be an ungrateful wolf?”

He scolded me, towering over me. “If it weren’t for Miss Isabella’s father, we’d have died on the streets long ago! Now, I’m merely asking you to lie on the table; even if it means sacrificing a little dignity, it’s for the good of the pack!”

Just then, the door to the private room swung open.

A wave of fragrance swept in as Isabella stepped through the doorway in her high heels.

She was Alpha Silver’s pride and joy, the future heir to the tribe, with a rare mane of silver hair, regarded as the Moon Goddess’s favourite.

Her gaze swept over my naked body, a satisfied smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

“Alex, I really like your gift,” Isabella said with a soft laugh, a teasing glint in her eyes. “I never expected Serena’s skin to be so well-preserved. It should make for quite a striking image as a platter for raw sashimi.”

When Alexander turned to face Isabella, the cold detachment on his face instantly melted into adoration.

That look in his eyes used to belong to me.

“As long as Miss Isabella is pleased,” Alexander said, bowing slightly, his tone humble.

The pain was excruciating; it felt as though my soul had been torn in two.

My wolf’s spirit howled within my mind, letting out wails of anguish; the agony was a hundred times more intense than any physical torment.

I closed my eyes numbly, two clear tears sliding down the corners of my eyes.

In our youth, we had made a pact: no matter what happened, we would give each other ten chances to make amends.

Now, on our very wedding night, he had squandered that final chance in the cruelest of ways.

……

The chopsticks did not touch my skin directly, but the raw sashimi clamped between them carried a chill that pierced straight into my lower abdomen.

“Miss Isabella, where on earth did you find such a gem?”

An obese werewolf merchant chewed on the raw meat whilst his lecherous gaze roamed over my body. “That sense of shame is truly thrilling.”

Under the bright lights, Alexander gazed at Isabella with every fibre of his being, as though she were the bride of the evening.

I clenched my fists tightly, a sharp pang of pain gripping my heart. That telepathic connection between partners now allowed me to feel, all too clearly, his admiration for another woman.

This sensation felt like slow torture.

Isabella shot me a contemptuous glance, her tone haughty:

“This is the wife of my assistant, Alexander. Gentlemen, if you wish to engage in a little interaction, do ask Alexander for permission. I’m sure he won’t refuse, for the sake of this collaboration.”

At those words, the glances that had previously been tentative instantly became brazen.

Only then did Alexander snap out of it and turn to look at me.

Meeting my gaze, reddened with humiliation, he furrowed his brow slightly and shot me a stern, warning look, as if reproaching me for behaving improperly.

Immediately, he echoed Isabella:

“The young lady is quite right. To bring you all joy is my wife’s greatest worth.”

In that instant, I felt as though I had been pierced through by an invisible knife.

This was my partner, the man who had once promised to protect me for the rest of my life, and now he was personally pushing me into the abyss.

A chorus of laughter erupted from the crowd.

More and more chopsticks hovered over me, and occasionally a drop of cold liquor fell onto my skin, sending a shiver through me.

My stomach churned; I tried to curse, but a towel was shoved roughly into my mouth, leaving me only able to utter desperate, muffled cries.

“Oh, she’s got some spirit, doesn’t she?”

The obese businessman leaned in close, extending a rough finger to touch my face. “I prefer them a bit wilder.”

I turned my head to avoid him, and the man looked a bit displeased.

“Miss Isabella, what’s this all about? Such a downer—how are we going to sign the contract later?”

Isabella shot me a fierce glare, then tugged at Alexander’s sleeve and cooed, “Alexander, keep your partner in check. If you offend the client, I won’t let you off lightly.”

Alexander panicked instantly, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

“Miss, please don’t be angry. I’ll make sure she behaves.”

He walked over to me and gently wiped the tear from the corner of my eye, his movements so tender they made me feel sick.

“Don’t move. Just bear with it for a moment, Serena.”

He lowered his voice, speaking in a tone only the two of us could hear, “These people are beasts in the business world. Just be a good girl and don’t upset the young lady. I promise they won’t actually lay a finger on you.”

“Be a good girl, eh?”

Avoiding my glare, he returned to his seat at the head table.

He clinked glasses and chatted merrily with that group of men.

Rough hands kept brushing against my skin, even wandering towards my sensitive areas.

Yet Alexander turned a blind eye.

He thoughtfully and gently shielded Isabella from the drinks, even taking the trouble to peel the prawns for her.

The business partners glanced at my bedraggled state, then at the noble and elegant Isabella, their voices dripping with sarcasm.

‘If you ask me, the difference between these two wolves is truly vast. One is treated like a treasure, whilst the other is fit only to be stripped bare and served as a dish on our dining table.’

“Hahahaha! Miss Isabella is beautiful and talented, and of pure Alpha blood—what man wouldn’t fancy her? As for some women, they’re simply born to be a source of amusement. Alexander, don’t you agree?”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Alexander raised his glass: “Indeed, Miss Isabella is exceptional—a goddess in the hearts of all wolves, truly captivating…”

As I listened to his praise, my heart felt as though it were being repeatedly crushed in a meat grinder.

Alexander had always been aloof and cold; such tenderness and attentiveness had once belonged to me alone.

The floodgates of memory burst open.

Fifteen years ago, that young man knelt for me in the rain until his kneecaps cracked, his blood mingling with the rainwater.

He took my hand, smiling so brightly: “Serena, we can finally be together for the rest of our lives!”

But later, he grew ever closer to Isabella.

As an adopted orphan, he wanted to climb the social ladder, and aligning himself with Isabella, the future heir to the tribe, was undoubtedly the best shortcut.

I don’t know when it started, but I became a dispensable shadow trailing behind them, even a pawn he used to curry favour with Isabella.

I lay on the cold dining table, staring numbly at the opulent crystal chandelier on the ceiling, listening to Alexander’s veiled and cautious confession to Isabella.

It felt as though I had died and come back to life.

I don’t know how long it took, but that nightmare of a dinner finally came to an end.

Isabella, with her arm linked through that of a business partner, smiled and left first.

It was only then that Alexander turned his attention to me.

He untied the silver cord and gently draped the clothes over me, as though the man who had been watching coldly just a moment ago had not been him.

“Right then, let’s go home, Serena.”

He said casually, his tone light, “You did very well today. When I get home, I’ll cook you the steak you like…”

Before he could finish.

With tears in my eyes, I raised my hand and, summoning all my strength, slapped him hard across the face.

“Smack!”

The sharp sound echoed through the empty private room.

Alexander was knocked off balance by the blow, his cheek swelling rapidly.

He clutched his face, staring at me in disbelief.

“Have you calmed down now?” He actually had the nerve to ask that.

My body trembled, my voice hoarse yet firm: “Alexander, I want to dissolve our bond.”

In the world of werewolves, this meant severing the soul bond—a decision that would leave both wolves in agony.

But he no longer deserves to be my mate.

...

That slap didn’t seem to have brought Alexander to his senses.

He rubbed his reddened cheek, a wry, resigned smile curving his lips, as if I were making a fuss over nothing:

“All right, stop this. I know you’ve been wronged, but this is all for the greater good…”

“I said I want to dissolve our bond!” I screamed hysterically, the wolf spirit within me pounding furiously against my chest in rage. “Otherwise, I’ll tell Alpha Silver what happened tonight!”

Alpha Silver may be strict, but he values the dignity of werewolves and the clan’s rules above all else.

If he were to find out that his beloved daughter and his assistant had done such a thing, Isabella’s position as heir would surely be in jeopardy.

Alexander, who had seemed utterly unconcerned moments before, turned ashen-faced the instant he heard I intended to use Alpha Silver to threaten Isabella.

“This has absolutely nothing to do with Miss Isabella! Stop making a scene!”

He grabbed my wrist with such force that he nearly crushed my bones. “Come home with me!”

I looked at this stranger standing before me, my eyes stinging as tears welled up. “That’s a laugh. It takes two wolves in love to make a home, Alexander. Look at us now—where is our home?”

Meeting my bloodshot gaze, a flicker of panic crossed Alexander’s eyes, before giving way to pity.

“Don’t speak in anger, Serena,” he said, trying to soften his tone. “You are the mate I’ve chosen; no one can take your place. You know that my feelings for Isabella were merely loyalty, not love.”

I let out a cold laugh, so hard that tears streamed down my face.

“Is that so? Not even Isabella? If she gave the order, you’d strip your mate naked and serve them up on a platter—and you call that loyalty?”

At the mention of Isabella, Alexander’s last shred of patience vanished completely.

He blurted out, “How can you compare yourself to Isabella? You’re not even in the same league! She is the moon in the heavens, destined to shine upon the entire tribe. I don’t understand why you’re making such a fuss over such a minor sacrifice!”

I fought back the tears, digging my nails deep into the palms of my hands.

That’s right. In the Alpha’s world, she is the moon, and I am the mud on the ground.

To be trampled upon at his whim.

Alexander frowned, his lips moving as if he still wanted to lecture me further.

Just then, a contemptuous female voice rang out from the doorway of the private room.

“Alex, you’re spoiling her far too much, aren’t you? Crying over such a trifling matter—it’s a real disgrace to our Silver Moon Pack.”

Isabella had returned without my noticing; she leaned against the doorframe, her expression brimming with mockery amidst the swirling smoke.

“Don’t worry, Serena.” She blew out a ring of smoke, her gaze sweeping over me with disdain. “My sights are set on the entire Silver Moon Pack—even the position of Alpha. I wouldn’t stoop to fighting you over a man. You really do think too highly of yourself.”

Isabella laughed defiantly, her tone dripping with condescending disdain.

Alexander looked at Isabella, his eyes instantly filling with desolation.

“Serena, Miss Isabella has had one too many. I’m worried about her, so I’ll see her home myself. You’ll have to take a taxi; we’re not going the same way.”

He immediately let go of my hand and turned to escort Isabella towards the lift.

A cold breeze swept past, and I couldn’t help but shiver slightly.

When we were marking our territory, Alexander insisted on buying our marital home next door to Alpha Manor so he could look after Isabella more easily. No matter how much I protested, it was to no avail.

Now, standing in the empty corridor, my mouth felt bitter, as if all my strength had been drained from me; I couldn’t even utter a word of protest.

I watched helplessly as their figures disappeared behind the lift doors, walking away arm in arm, as if they were the perfect couple.

After taking a taxi home, I lay on the bed in a daze, not knowing when I’d fallen asleep.

I was roused by the sound of Alexander flinging the door open.

It was already light outside, but he had clearly not slept a wink; his eyes were bloodshot.

He stormed into the bedroom and hurled a tube of ointment for treating redness and swelling at my face; the tube struck my forehead, stinging sharply.

“Did you tell Alpha Silver about what happened tonight?!” he roared.

“No, I didn’t…” I clutched my forehead, desperately trying to defend myself.

But Alexander didn’t believe me at all.

He lunged at me, grabbed me by the collar and yanked me off the bed.

“If it wasn’t you, then who else could it be? You’ve been jealous of Miss Isabella since you were a child. Serena, I’m so disappointed in you! When did you become so malicious?”

“You’re coming with me right now to explain this to Alpha Silver!”

He dragged me out.