I gently touched my stomach, feeling a wave of sadness wash over me. The emotional weight of the pregnancy test was something only I could truly comprehend. It was my own flesh and blood, my pup, making it hard to let go.

Since I became pregnant, Harrison, my mate and the Beta of the Hall Pack, hadn’t bothered to stay by my side. Instead, he let his assistant, Anastasia, an ambitious Delta, flaunt herself in front of me repeatedly. Every time I asked him to stay with me, to give me a little motivation, he’d cite pack duties as an excuse while gallivanting around with her. Meetings turned into spa hotel getaways with Anastasia; business trips became beachside holidays in the Caribbean. Incidents like this happened more times than I could count.

I cried and fought, but he never took it seriously. He’d dismiss me with, “She’s just an assistant, what could we possibly have? I want to understand you better, so I connect with her because females understand females better. It’s strictly professional—nothing more than friendship at best.” But today, catching them in our bed, naked, and hearing their whispered words, I realized it was time to end it all.

As the cold liquid coursed through my veins, I gradually lost sensation in my limbs. After the procedure, lying in the hospital bed, I took my phone from the nurse. Instantly, a barrage of missed calls and messages from Harrison appeared on the screen.

“I’m fed up. You’re not answering calls or texts. I’ve just been busy with pack duties and couldn’t join you for the pregnancy tests. I promise I’ll come next time!”

“Besides, you’ve done so many of these already, you should be used to it. I even had Galilea, our Omega housekeeper, make spiced honey cake for when you return. Don’t say I don’t care and pick fights with me.”

“Come on, Lina, I’m tired too. Don’t throw a tantrum, okay? And don’t use the silent treatment to get my attention. You know I love you.”

Had I not witnessed what I saw this afternoon, I might have actually believed he loved me. In the past, receiving such messages would have made me happy that he reached out, and I might have even apologized. Now, I closed out of the chat, set my phone to Do Not Disturb, and pretended I hadn’t seen anything.

“Ding,” a new message popped up.

“Hey, my boyfriend accidentally tore all my stockings this afternoon. Do you have any recommendations for brands? And if you have suggestions for lingerie, that’d be great, too! You’ve been mated for so long, you surely know what males like better than I do.”

Attached was an image of torn stockings littering the floor and a familiar corner of our room. Was she unable to contain herself any longer, aiming for a higher position in the pack by flaunting this at me? Waves of heartache crashed over me.

The searing pain in my heart overshadowed the post-anesthetic discomfort. Looking at my bloodstained palm, I let out a surprising chuckle of relief.

The pack Healer, Jose, checked on me and said everything was fine; I could go home and recover. I packed my things and left the hospital. At home, there was no one. Oddly, I didn’t feel disappointed or angry, only a sense of release. Hadn’t I foreseen this outcome?

I walked into the bedroom, where the mess from this afternoon had been tidied up, leaving no trace of what had occurred. Still, I couldn’t bear it and decided to replace everything in my room.

Once everything was sorted, I felt an unusual lightness, as if I were walking on clouds. Opening the fridge, I found nothing but drinks and beer. The sight of leftover pulled pork didn’t stir my appetite. In the kitchen, I found a pack of near-expired pasta and started boiling water.

My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of pain and anger. She had been quiet for so long, but now she was awake, sharing my heartache. *He doesn’t deserve us,* she whispered, her voice a faint echo in my mind. I agreed. Harrison had betrayed not just me, but the bond we were supposed to share.

As I stirred the pasta, I thought about the marking ceremony we’d had years ago, his teeth sinking into my neck, claiming me as his mate. Now, the memory felt tainted, like a stain I couldn’t wash away.

I would end this. I would end *us*. But not yet. First, I needed to gather my strength, to prepare myself for the pain of severing the bond. Harrison might have forgotten his duty as a mate and a Beta, but I would not let him forget the consequences of his actions.

"Miss Lawson, you’re back! Why didn’t you let me know? I could have come over to cook for you..."

I turned to see Galilea, the Omega housekeeper Harrison had hired from our pack. Her submissive posture and lowered gaze were a stark reminder of the hierarchy I was born into—and the one I’d tried to escape with Harrison.

"Miss Lawson, the chicken soup has gone cold. Let me warm it up for you. You don’t look well; some soup might do you good..."

Harrison always said I was his Luna, his queen, and a queen shouldn’t have to do menial tasks. He’d insisted on hiring the best Omega to take care of my meals and daily needs. Since I valued peace and quiet, Galilea would only come over for cooking and cleaning, living next door the rest of the time.

"Miss Lawson... Miss Lawson?"

I snapped back to reality, taking a deep breath and calmly instructing, "No need to reheat it. You can have the soup yourself; I’m not really hungry. Could you make me a light pasta dish instead?"

Galilea nodded, her head still bowed respectfully, and headed to the kitchen. Before long, she brought the pasta to me, her movements careful and deliberate.

"Miss Lawson, I used the skimmed fat from the chicken soup as the base. After all, Beta Harrison called this afternoon before he left to ask me to come over. He cares so much for you, so you should at least taste his effort."

I quietly accepted the dish, the title "Beta" lingering in my mind like a bitter reminder. I’d once been proud to be his mate, his Luna, but now it felt like a hollow title. Slowly, I ate the pasta, the flavors doing little to soothe the ache in my chest.

"I see. You can head home now; come back tomorrow to clean up."

After she left, I found the chicken soup pasta to be a bitter irony. Yet, there was no point in dwelling on it; soon enough, our ties would be severed completely. The mate bond that once felt unbreakable was now a frayed thread, and I was ready to cut it.

After finishing the bowl of pasta, I lay down on the bed and gradually drifted off to sleep...

Around three or four in the morning, the door creaked open, filling the room with the overpowering scent of perfume mixed with alcohol.

"Darling, did I wake you? I’m so sorry. Just got back from a pack meeting and it’s late..."

He stared at the ceiling in a daze as he approached me, his Alpha aura filling the room even in his drunken state. He wrapped his arms around me, his touch once comforting now repulsive. There was a hint of guilt in his eyes as he kissed my cheek.

Thinking about how those lips had been entangled with someone else just hours before made me feel nauseous. I pushed him away, rushing into the bathroom to frantically scrub the spot he had kissed.

Seeing this, he followed me in, his Alpha tone softening as he tried to soothe me. "What’s wrong? Are you feeling sick again? You’ve been through this several times now; it’s common, right?"

He reeked of the custom cologne I’d gifted to his assistant, a scent that now felt like betrayal. I closed my eyes briefly, fighting back the urge to vomit, and shook my head while pushing him away.

"I’m fine, just a bit uncomfortable."

"Is it the pup causing you discomfort again? I’ve told you, being pregnant can be such a pain. You’re going through all this suffering without knowing if the child will even pass any tests... I mentioned before, we don’t really need a pup. We could just be a childfree couple, and now..."

His words faded as he noticed my pale face, a flash of pity crossing his eyes. He left to fetch me a glass of warm water, then attempted to carry me to the pack Healer.

"Don’t touch me!"

"I’m fine! I just need to rest, no need for the Healer."

Caught off guard by my resistance, he paused, perhaps thinking I was simply tired of the frequent visits to the den.

He set down the water and went to grab a variety of snacks. "See if there’s anything you might want to eat. Is morning sickness bothering you? Maybe eating something will help."

"Is there anything else that’s bothering you? How can I help?"

He had no idea that after the procedure, there was no more pregnancy, no more sickness. What made me sick was his very presence.

"Take those away. I don’t want anything. I just need to lie down and rest."

I sidestepped him, heading back to bed.

"You should take a shower. You smell awful, honestly."

My words were pointedly clear.

"Pregnancy makes you so sensitive. If you don’t appreciate it, fine..."

He muttered under his breath, his Alpha tone slipping slightly. Before, I might have fought him on that, but now, I saw no point...

Harrison noted my lack of response and began cleaning up the snacks he’d brought, then went to shower.

Afterward, he quietly sat next to me, placing a hot water bottle on my legs and covering my hands with his own. His touch was warm, but it only made me feel colder inside.

If I hadn’t seen with my own eyes, heard with my own ears, and felt his behavior, I might still have thought of him as a good mate. But now, all I could see was the Alpha who had betrayed me, the mate who had shattered our bond.