(Moira’s POV)

Three years after becoming mates, I uncovered a secret.

My mate, Alpha Axton of the Graveclaw Pack, the ruler who once swore before the Moon Goddess that he loved me more than his own life, had been hiding another woman inside a secluded manor near the borders of the territory.

I followed him there in silence.

From the shadows of the frost covered trees, I watched him slip his hand beneath another she wolf’s clothes right in front of his Beta warriors. His golden eyes burned with the same hunger I once believed belonged only to me.

The warriors nearby exchanged dark smiles.

“You crave Lady Daciana Frostvein this much, Alpha. Why not make her your true Luna already?” one of them laughed. “For years, the healer has mixed moonroot into your mate’s medicine so she cannot carry a pup. Aren’t you only waiting for her to give up the Luna title on her own?”

Axton’s face darkened at once.

“Enough.”

His voice carried the sharp pressure of Alpha command.

“And tell Healer Rhett to watch the amount carefully. I will not allow the medicine to harm Moira’s body.”

After a moment, he spoke again, colder this time.

“If my Luna hears even a whisper of this, every one of you will answer to me.”

The warriors immediately lowered their heads.

Then they watched as Axton wrapped an arm around Daciana’s waist and guided her toward the private chamber deeper inside the manor.

Not long after, muffled sounds drifted through the closed wooden door.

My body turned colder little by little, as if ice had entered my bones.

So the mate who treated me like the center of his world had already given his heart to someone else.

Fine then.

Whether beneath the moonlight or deep within the abyss, I would disappear somewhere he could never find me again.

***

I fled from the manor in panic.

I wandered through the snowy forest for hours without knowing where I was going. Only after the silver moon stood high above the kingdom did I finally return to the Graveclaw Pack castle.

Rietta waited for me in the kitchen, holding the usual cup of warm tonic prepared by the pack healer.

The familiar scent of blood drifted into my nose, making my thoughts grow distant.

After our mating ceremony, the pack healer once examined me and claimed my body was too weak to conceive an heir easily.

Axton refused to let me lose hope.

He summoned healers from distant territories, from Shadowclaw Kingdom to Mistveil Pack, until one finally created a forbidden remedy. A tonic brewed with an Alpha’s blood, said to strengthen a Luna’s body beneath the Moon Goddess’s blessing.

Without hesitation, Axton cut open his own chest.

Every single day, he let blood flow from near his heart to brew the medicine for me.

Many nights, I traced the scars across his chest while my heart ached unbearably. I could not bear wasting the pain he endured for me.

So for three years, I drank the bitter tonic without missing a single night.

I truly believed he wanted what I wanted.

A pup born from both our bloodlines.

Yet he would rather carve open his own flesh than allow me to carry his pup.

The castle doors opened just as I sat there staring blankly at the cup in my hands.

Axton walked toward me quietly and rested his hands on my shoulders.

“What are you thinking about, Moira?” he asked softly. “The medicine will grow cold soon.”

I lifted my eyes toward him carefully.

At some point, he had already changed clothes. His silver hair still carried the clean scent of fresh water and frost herbs. He must have bathed before returning.

But despite how careful he was, the faint crimson stain near his collar exposed everything.

The lingering perfume on his skin instantly brought back the image of him tangled together with Daciana.

My stomach twisted painfully.

“It’s nothing,” I replied quietly. “I rode near the abandoned borderlands today. Maybe the cold wind got to me. The medicine tastes more bitter than usual tonight.”

For a split second, panic flashed across Axton’s face.

“The borderlands?” His brows tightened immediately. “Why would you go there? The snowstorms are dangerous this season. Did you meet anyone?”

“No.”

I shook my head slowly before placing the cup onto the table.

Then I pouted slightly like a spoiled mate.

“Do I really need to keep drinking this? It’s been three years already. Maybe that healer lied to us.”

The tension in his body finally eased.

Axton pulled me gently into his arms and tapped the tip of my nose.

“Moira, don’t act childish,” he said with a helpless smile. “Don’t you want to give your Alpha a pup?”

He picked up the cup again.

“Be good. I’ll feed you myself.”

His dark eyes looked so warm and tender that they almost made me forget everything I had seen.

My eyes slowly reddened as I asked one final time in a trembling voice,

“Do I really have to drink it?”

Axton paused briefly before smiling softly and nodding.

Then he lifted the spoon to my lips again and again, feeding me the blood tonic one mouthful at a time.

I swallowed everything numbly.

The bitterness spread through my throat until tears gathered in my eyes.

He truly was determined.

No matter what happened, he would never allow me to bear his pup.

If he had fallen in love with another she wolf, he could have simply told me the truth.

I would have surrendered the Luna position willingly.

There had never been any need for this cruelty.

(Moira’s POV)

After I finished the blood tonic, Axton leaned down and kissed away the tears clinging to my lashes.

Then he dismissed the servants personally before helping me remove my clothes and preparing my bath with skilled hands.

He had cared for me this way countless times over the years without ever showing impatience.

At first, I used to grow embarrassed and tried asking the servant wolves to help instead.

But Axton would always stare at me with shameless affection.

“My Luna is too beautiful,” he would murmur against my ear. “I will never allow another wolf to lay eyes on you.”

“You belong only to me.”

No matter how small the task was, he insisted on handling everything himself. From brushing my hair to fastening my cloak, he enjoyed caring for me as though it were his greatest joy.

What made it even rarer was the fact that during our three years as mates, he never kept another woman near him.

Every servant inside the castle was male. Not a single she wolf was allowed within the inner grounds.

Axton was young, powerful, and stood at the top of the northern Alpha Kingdoms.

Even Alpha Zyon Riverfang once tried gifting him two beautiful she wolves after a successful alliance gathering between packs.

Axton rejected them immediately in front of every Alpha seated in the council hall.

The humiliation nearly caused war between their territories.

Later that night, several of Alpha Zyon’s warriors cornered Axton near the underground passage beneath the city and beat him brutally before his guards arrived.

I still remembered seeing him afterward.

His white shirt had been drenched in blood. Nearly every rib in his body had been cracked.

I cried while cursing him for acting recklessly.

Yet even while injured, he only smiled and pulled me tightly into his arms.

“Don’t cry, Moira,” he whispered gently. “I would rather betray the entire world than betray you.”

Back then, I truly believed I was the happiest Luna alive.

Every wolf in the kingdom knew Alpha Graveclaw treasured his mate more than his own life. Countless noblewomen envied me.

But Daciana Frostvein had shattered everything.

For the first time, the mate I had loved for years suddenly felt unfamiliar to me.

Every gentle touch, every loving gaze, every sweet promise now felt like part of a carefully crafted lie.

By the time I returned to my senses, I was already wrapped in soft silk robes and sitting in Axton’s lap.

He buried his face against my neck affectionately, clearly wanting more.

Instinctively, I turned away.

“I’m tired tonight,” I whispered softly. “Not today.”

Axton looked surprised for a moment before his expression softened again.

He rubbed my head gently before laying me carefully onto the bed and tucking the blankets around my body himself.

Only after his breathing became slow and steady did I open my eyes in the darkness.

Even in sleep, his arms remained tightly wrapped around me as though he feared losing me.

He loved me so deeply.

So how could all of it possibly be fake?

The next morning, Axton seemed unusually happy.

He spoke excitedly about taking me to the moonvine vineyards outside the capital. The land belonged secretly to the Graveclaw Pack, hidden far away from warriors and political matters.

Before I could answer, someone appeared outside the study requesting an audience.

The messenger had barely spoken before Axton frowned coldly.

“Today is my rest day,” he snapped. “I already ordered everyone not to disturb us inside the castle.”

I gently tugged on his sleeve.

“Don’t be angry,” I said quietly. “Maybe something urgent happened.”

I allowed the visitor to step closer.

But the moment the figure lifted their head, Axton immediately strode forward and blocked my view completely.

His throat tightened uneasily.

When he looked back at me, guilt flickered across his face.

“I suddenly remembered an important matter I need to handle,” he said quickly. “I’ll return soon. I promise I won’t miss our trip to the vineyards.”

I silently studied him.

The visitor wore the dark uniform of a castle servant, but the figure underneath looked slim and delicate.

Seeing how shaken Axton became, I already knew who it was.

Daciana Frostvein.

My fingers pressed tightly against my ring until the skin around my knuckle hurt.

Still, I kept my expression calm.

“If it’s urgent, then go handle it first,” I replied lightly. “There’s no need to hurry back because of me.”

The moment the words left my mouth, Axton turned and left immediately without another glance.

I watched his figure disappear beyond the castle hall while the warriors guarding the entrance lowered their heads respectfully as he passed.

A bitter feeling slowly spread across my chest.

This was the first time he had ever abandoned me for another she wolf.

The unease inside me grew stronger and stronger until I could no longer endure it.

After hesitating for a long while, I quietly chose an unmarked carriage from the castle stables and followed after him myself.

The moment Axton’s carriage left the road outside the Graveclaw castle, it suddenly stopped.

I watched him yank the hood off the servant beside him.

Long dark hair instantly spilled over slender shoulders.

Axton’s expression darkened.

“Who allowed you to appear anywhere near my Luna?”

The woman shrank back fearfully, looking like a frightened deer caught beneath a hunter’s blade.

“I didn’t mean to,” Daciana said softly, her eyes already wet with tears. “Please don’t be angry with me.”

(Moira’s POV)

Daciana’s face instantly brightened with happiness as she gently placed a hand over her stomach.

“The pack healer confirmed it,” she said softly. “I’m carrying your pup. I was so excited that I rushed here to tell you myself.”

Then she lowered her head pitifully.

“Please don’t be angry, my Alpha. You’re frightening me.”

Axton froze completely.

A long silence passed before his voice finally softened.

“You’re pregnant?”

His eyes immediately fell to her stomach.

“Then why did you leave the manor instead of resting properly?” he scolded in a gentler tone. “What if something happens to you or the pup?”

Daciana lifted her watery eyes toward him while pouting sweetly.

“I only wanted to share the news with you first.” Her voice turned softer. “Will you stay with me today, darling? Please?”

Axton frowned slightly before shaking his head.

“I already promised Moira I would spend today with her.”

But Daciana clearly had no intention of giving up.

Her cheeks slowly flushed red as she stepped closer and whispered softly beside his ear.

“Don’t you miss me at all?”

The restraint inside Axton finally shattered.

He suddenly pulled her into his arms and pressed her body tightly against his chest, letting out a low laugh filled with desire.

“You little troublemaker.”

Then he lowered his voice near her ear.

“Same as before. Don’t leave marks on me.”

I watched everything clearly.

Every shameless moment felt like claws tearing deeper into my chest.

During all our years together, Axton had always appeared calm and noble before me.

The powerful Alpha everyone feared was always controlled and restrained, even during our most intimate moments.

I had never seen him lose control like this before.

Axton carefully helped Daciana into the back seat of the black carriage as though she were the most precious thing in the world.

The carriage moved away from the castle.

But before it traveled far, it suddenly stopped at the end of the street.

The windows slowly fogged over from the inside.

They could not even wait.

I did not know how much time passed before the carriage finally started moving again and blended into the crowded roads of the capital.

I followed them silently the entire way.

I watched Axton gently slide a golden moonstone pin into Daciana’s messy hair before fixing it carefully in place.

I watched them walk together through the old district of the kingdom, passing taverns, bakeries, and gathering halls while pack members lowered their heads and pretended not to notice them.

I watched them sit together inside a small restaurant beneath glowing moon lanterns, sharing food from the same plate while his large hand covered hers atop the table.

Finally, they returned to the carriage while laughing softly together.

Soon, the road began leading toward the outer borders of the capital.

Toward the hidden manor.

So Axton was capable of being this gentle and caring toward another woman after all.

I stared until my eyes burned painfully before finally looking away.

“Take me back to the castle. And no one speaks about today. Not a single word,” I ordered quietly.

During the ride home, my mind remained trapped on one image.

Daciana’s hand resting protectively over her stomach.

That glowing smile on her face.

Then I remembered the moonroot poison Axton had secretly fed me for three entire years while pretending it was medicine meant to protect me.

The grief inside me became so overwhelming I could barely breathe.

Until today, part of me had still been deceiving itself.

Even if Axton lied about the tonic, maybe he still loved me in some way.

Maybe he simply did not want pups.

But the way he looked at Daciana’s stomach just now…

The warmth in his voice…

He cared deeply about that pup.

Suddenly, I remembered something he once told me before our mating ceremony.

“Only mates who truly love each other should bring a pup into this world.”

So that was the truth.

He never loved me from the very beginning.

That was why he had done everything possible to stop me from carrying his heir.

But if he truly felt nothing for me, why continue this lie for so many years?

I returned to our chambers like a wandering spirit.

Without hesitation, I threw every object connected to him into the fireplace.

The moonbird folding screen he once gifted me.

The rare ancient books he searched for across every Alpha territory because he knew I loved reading them.

The countless letters we exchanged during the early years when I still believed every word he said.

I watched the flames slowly consume everything until nothing remained except ashes.

Only then did the suffocating pressure inside my chest lessen slightly.

But then I suddenly remembered something else.

Not enough. Still not enough.

Like a madwoman, I rushed toward Axton’s private study and found it resting exactly where it always had been.

The journal.

He began writing in it the day we first met.

Every little thing I liked. Every habit. Every preference.

Year after year, page after page, until the journal had grown thick.

My trembling fingers opened the worn pages.

Every sentence made my eyes sting painfully.

“Moira loves sweet desserts and dislikes sour flavors. Every meal must include something sweet for her.”

“Moira fears the cold. The fireplaces inside her chambers must be lit before autumn arrives.”

“Moira dislikes sleeping alone in darkness. She falls asleep easier in my arms.”

Then the final line appeared before my eyes.

“I love Moira more than my own life.”

“Never make her cry.”