Chapter 1 Chapter 1

When I returned to the day I had been floating in the freezing sea, a wave of sickness and dizziness washed over me. My wolf whimpered weakly inside me, broken and shivering after being soaked in the icy water for so long. As I struggled to open my eyes, the only thing I saw was Luke—shifted into his massive black wolf—standing on a raft, staring at me with eyes like ice. The moment our eyes met, he didn’t even flinch. He turned away immediately and paddled straight toward Elsa and her son, who were stranded on a drifting slab of ice. The waves crashed around me, wild and unforgiving, nearly sweeping me away. I gritted my teeth, clung to a floating piece of wood, and forced myself to keep swimming toward shore. Just as I was nearing safety, Luke passed right by me with Elsa in his arms. She slipped—losing her balance—and fell back into the sea, her son falling in with her. Again, he didn’t hesitate. He leapt into the water after Elsa and her son. But in that same moment, the abandoned raft came hurtling toward me, slamming into my belly with crushing force. That terrible blow almost made me lose my grip on the floating wood, but Luke acted as if he didn’t see me at all. Instead, he rushed to pull Elsa into his arms, clutching her close before paddling toward the shore without even glancing back. By the time I finally dragged myself onto the icy land, collapsing and vomiting uncontrollably, he had already brought Elsa and her son safely out of the sea. Then, he came to me—expression cold, voice colder. “Aria,” he said, “couldn’t you get out of the water on your own? Was the whole point of staying there just to make me save you first, so I wouldn’t have time to rescue Elsa and her son? Isn’t that what you wanted?” His words cut through me like a blade, ripping open wounds I thought I had already sealed. He didn’t even know—I had returned from the past just like he did, by drinking the same cursed potion. “So you're trying to slander Elsa again—right in front of my mother? Want to make me look guilty in front of my pack? You can slander me all you want, Aria, but if you dare drag Elsa into it—this won’t end well for you!” My claws extended as I fought back the pain clawing through my belly. Sweat poured from my forehead, my wolf seething inside me but my voice came out cold and clear: “I want to sever our bond.” A flush of confusion crossed Luke’s face. He stared at me, mouth slightly open, as if he hadn’t heard me clearly. But in the next second, he recovered his usual indifference. His brows furrowed with irritation as he snapped, “I’ve been so busy lately that I haven’t had time to respond to your jokes.” I didn’t flinch. My voice was steady, even sharper than his. “I’m serious, Luke.” I remembered—before returning to the past, he told me he had two deepest regrets. The first is that he failed to save Elsa and her son. The second is that he had listened to his mother and claimed me as his mate. So this time, I won’t repeat the same mistake. I will fix both regrets—his and mine. But not for him. For myself. However, Luke didn’t believe a word I said. I could feel his wolf growing more and more impatient. “Aria, what a brilliant actress you are. Threatening to break the bond—just to turn my mother against Elsa, weren’t you?” he snapped. He took a step closer, voice laced with coldness. “Listen carefully. Stop playing these pathetic games. Our bond was blessed by the entire pack—and the Moon Goddess herself. You’re the Luna. So act like it, and don’t disgrace your title.” His words cut through the air as he silenced me with a cold, dismissive glance. “Now, I’ll take you to the infirmary.” I reached out to grab the hand he extended—but before I could, pain tore through my belly like a thousand knives. I didn’t even have time to steady myself when Elsa appeared, clutching Luke’s arm like she always did. Tears welled in her eyes as she whimpered, “Luke, please… take my son to find something to eat first. Peter is so young—he swallowed seawater just now. His wolf is too weak to move. If he collapses… I-I could lose him.” Without hesitation, Luke placed Peter on his back. Then, as if remembering me for the first time, he glanced back, caught between choices. Elsa turned to me next, her voice trembling as she gently touched my arm. “Aria… You’re strong. You’re the Luna. Please, help Peter first. He hasn’t eaten in hours. He’s all I have… I can’t lose him.”“Aria, I'll go with Elsa to find something for Peter to eat. Please wait here, and I'll take you to the infirmary after I get back.” I smiled bitterly. My voice came out calm, too calm. “Of course. Don’t worry about me.” Luke gave me a strange look, almost surprised. But he turned away and ran off with Elsa—without another word. The moment they disappeared, I felt something warm trickling down my legs. I looked down and saw my skirt soaked in blood. When I finally staggered into the infirmary, I was too late. The healer looked at me with pity in her eyes. “I’m sorry… your twin pups didn’t make it.” And just like that, everything shattered.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Before we returned to the past, Luke chose to save me first—and because of that, our twin pups were born safely. But after they were born, he never once held them in his arms. He barely looked at them, treating them like strangers. All he did was give us a cold, empty den. Even the handmade gifts from our pups—small tokens of love made with their tiny hands—Luke would toss aside without a second glance. One day, they came to me in tears. “Why can other pups run with their fathers under the Full Moon, but ours doesn’t even remember our birthday?” I didn’t understand his mind—until I witnessed the day he snapped at them: “Don’t call me Father. I will never acknowledge you.” The pups broke down in tears. Then, with shaking hands, Luke took out a single yellow hair—delicately wrapped, kept for years. “That day, you both had a fever. All the servants were focused on rushing you to the infirmary. Because of that… Peter got lost. I failed to protect Elsa. I failed to protect her son.” His voice trembled with guilt as he said, “If I could go back again… I’d protect Doris and Peter. Even if it meant losing my own pups.” Those old memories still haunted me, bringing sorrow that I quietly wiped away. From the very moment I returned from the past, I had made up my mind—I would break the bond with Luke. I never intended to carry our pups to term. Just as I finished drafting the agreement to end our bond, Luke walked in, holding a box filled with magical toys. “These are the latest toys for pups across the packs,” he said, smiling. “Our pups can play with them once they’re born.” There was a spark in his eyes—a gleam of expectation for our unborn children. “Is Peter feeling better now?” I asked. Luke’s smile faltered, and he nodded, visibly embarrassed. “His wolf recovered after he ate something,” he said. “But... about what happened today, could you not tell my mother? I’m worried she’ll misunderstand Doris again. If you help me keep this a secret, I’ll do anything you ask of me.” So that was it. The toys weren’t a gift of love for our pups. They were a bribe—an exchange for my silence, to protect Doris. Then I noticed something that made my heart clench. A small tag on the box read: “Free gift with purchase.” The toys weren’t even bought for our pups. They were a bonus, a leftover from the toys he had carefully chosen for Peter. I had seen the Alpha King’s son playing with these very toys before. Luke must have gone through so much trouble to get them—for Doris. “You’ll agree to anything I ask?” I asked, turning away to hide the tears brimming in my eyes. He nodded again. I pulled out the Breaking Bond Agreement, covered the top with my hand, and pointed to the signature line. “What’s this?” he asked. “Just something a true mate should do—to prove you’ll never betray me.” He didn’t question it. In his eyes, I was still the same foolish, naive mate I had always been—always doing silly, harmless things. He smiled as he signed it. The moment his name appeared on the page, I let out a silent breath of relief. Luke once held my heart. Now, I was finally giving him what he always wanted—freedom. We had once been childhood neighbors. I used to have a happy family. But when my mother died and my father marked another woman, everything changed. My stepmother schemed, and soon after, my father drove me out of our den. Homeless, scorned by the entire pack, I had nowhere to go. It was Luke who gave me shelter. Luke who stood up to those who bullied me. Luke who comforted me through endless nights. Slowly, our bond deepened. Until that one day—I was surrounded by a rogue wolf. Luke arrived just in time, saving me from death. He took me to his mother and said firmly, “I will claim her.”

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Luke had pulled me back from the edge of the cliff time and time again, making me believe that the bond between us was strong and unshakable—perhaps even fated. But I was wrong. So very wrong. And by the time I realized it, it was already too late. Thankfully, fate gave me another chance—one that allowed me to make a different choice. “Mom made you some herbal tea,” Luke said softly. “She hopes you can visit her—she hasn’t seen you in a while.” But just as we stepped into the house, Doris called. “She said her tire burst and she couldn’t make it home alone. I’m going to get her,” Luke said hurriedly, already heading out the door. Alice’s face darkened the moment he left. “Didn’t Luke just go to find Doris?” she asked sharply. When she saw how calm I was, she slammed the cup of herbal tea down on the table. “You told me Luke was handling important affairs for the pack. Then why did I overhear Doris bragging to her friends in the herbal shop that Luke would be taking her home? Like it was something to show off!” Alice’s voice trembled slightly, laced with disbelief and frustration. “I don’t understand what makes Doris so special that Luke treats her this way. Back when he was injured after the battle, I was afraid he would collapse if he learned the truth about Doris’s misbehavior. Alice lowered her voice, revealing a bitter truth. “Doris isn’t the innocent she-wolf she pretends to be. She seduced a rogue wolf from another pack and was ultimately rejected and driven out. She became the shame of their entire pack. But she hid it all so well—even covered her tracks—so no one here would ever know. I discovered the truth by accident. And I didn’t dare tell Luke. I was afraid he wouldn’t believe me, and instead, would cling to her even more stubbornly.” Hearing those words, my heart remained as calm as still water. The truth didn’t shock me—it only confirmed what I had come to accept. I hadn’t known about his affair with Doris until after he marked me. Before returning from the past, I had never even considered breaking our bond. However, this time, I chose to let Luke go. What he did was his own choice. I no longer wished to be entangled in such complicated, exhausting emotions. “Aria,” Alice said gently, “I know you’ve been hurt deeply by this bond. I once insisted he mark you because I thought his feelings for you were special. But the truth is... sigh.” I looked at her calmly, a soft, almost bitter smile on my lips. “I think Luke marked me out of kindness—because I was poor, alone, and in need of a family. None of us truly knew what he wanted, or who he really loved. We pressured him into something he didn’t desire. Now, all that’s left is regret. That’s why I’ve decided—it's better to end this bond before we fall any deeper.”“End the bond?” Alice gasped in disbelief. “Yes. Luke already signed the agreement to sever it. Once I submit it to the Werewolf Council, our bond will be officially broken.”“But... please don’t tell him just yet,” I added. “I don’t want him to stay out of guilt or pity. Let him make his choices freely.” I remembered the happier days—how we once ran together under the full moon, how he marked me, slid the ring onto my finger... But now, my wolf whimpered in sorrow. Everything had changed. That night, just as I was about to sleep, the door slammed open with a violent crash. Luke stormed in, fury blazing in his eyes. “Aria! You went to my mother and slandered Doris, didn’t you? Do you want Doris to be forced out of the pack?!”

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

“If it weren’t for you, my mother wouldn’t have blamed Doris—and Peter wouldn’t have gotten lost during their argument!” Peter… was lost? Dread clawed at my chest. Hadn’t I returned from the past to prevent this very tragedy? “You always think about yourself,” Luke snapped. “You’re pregnant—imagine the pain of losing your pups. That’s what Doris is going through! Can’t you stop being so selfish?” He glared at me coldly. “This is your fault. You owe Doris. And if Peter isn’t found… then forget about your unborn pups too.” His words cut through me like knives. My wolf howled in agony—I knew all too well the heartbreak of losing pups. But he still didn’t know… ours were already gone. “I’ll find Peter and bring him back,” I said quietly and walked past him. But Luke just sneered. “Don’t act so noble. It’s your responsibility to find him. Don’t expect me to forgive you even if you do.” I searched near Doris’s den. Her lights stayed on all night. Through the window, I saw her and Luke, holding each other tightly. The cold bit through me. My body, still fragile from the miscarriage, felt weak and faint. But I pushed on, searching for Peter for two long hours. I had to find him. I couldn’t owe Luke anything—not after what he lost for me in the past. It wasn’t until dawn that I finally found Peter. He was curled up, trembling in an abandoned den. I carried him back to Doris’s place. As I approached, I saw Luke tenderly wiping Doris’s tears. “Doris, look—Peter’s back!” Luke called out. She rushed out and clutched Peter in her arms. When Luke turned to speak to me, she quickly interrupted with a sob: “Peter—your body’s still burned! Luke, please take Peter to the infirmary with me. I can’t lose him—he’s just a child!” Luke hesitated. I saw the conflict in his eyes. Struggling to remain upright, I leaned against the wall and forced a small smile. “I’m fine. Go—take Peter to the infirmary.” The moment they left, I collapsed. Darkness closed in around me. When I opened my eyes again, I was in the infirmary—and Luke was sitting by my side, staring at me with a look of deep concern. Why did you insist on looking for him, even if your body was weak?” Luke’s voice trembled with barely worried. “Didn’t you think my mother would cause trouble for Doris if she found you unconscious here?” From his reaction, I could tell—he still didn’t know our pups had died. That, at least, brought me a strange sense of relief. “I’m sorry about last night,” I said softly. “My attitude wasn’t right, but I acted that way because I was truly afraid Doris might do something reckless… Her son was missing, and I couldn’t leave her alone. That’s why you had to search for Peter on your own.” Luke’s eyes softened with guilt. “I’m sorry for that,” he said, sincerely meeting my gaze. His expression shifted as he studied me, searching for something in my eyes—perhaps doubt, or pain, or forgiveness. “You’re always so kind,” I said with a faint smile. “Didn't you take me in just because you felt sorry for me? Do you regret marking me your Luna? If you hadn’t helped me back then, maybe you would’ve been happier now.” Luke froze for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “I’ve never—ever—regretted marking you,” he said with quiet conviction. “Don’t let those thoughts eat away at you. I made you the pasta you love. Come on, eat while it’s still warm.” Just as I was about to take a bite, Doris stepped into the room. “Luke,” she whimpered, clutching her stomach, “my wolf is too weak… she’s growling in pain. Can I have the pasta instead? Aria’s wolf is stronger than mine, isn’t she?”

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Even though my own wolf was growling in fury, desperate to eat first, Luke handed the bowl to Doris without hesitation. “She was soaked in the ocean for hours. Her body’s still fragile. Let her have the hot meal. Aria, you can have the sandwich instead.” Just as he finished, Doris gave me a saccharine smile and said sweetly, “Of course, Aria. You can have mine—though it did fall on the floor earlier. But don’t worry, the floor was just cleaned.” Luke quickly added, “I’ll make you another bowl of pasta, Aria—” But Doris interrupted again. “Luke, can you go out and get some herbal tea? The healers said Peter needs it to recover.” Luke hesitated for a moment, then nodded and left. It was several hours before he came back. When he saw the uneaten food still on the table, guilt flashed in his eyes. “Thank God you ate something... I’m sorry I forgot to make your meal again.” Then he looked at me, serious. “I promise I won’t break our bond. And I hope you won’t cause trouble for Doris, either.” My wolf urged me to tell him the truth—that our pup was gone—but I stayed silent. The words were too heavy. They turned bitter in my throat. Maybe Luke felt bad for neglecting me, because that night, he talked to me more than he had in days. “Our pups would be so cute,” he said with a soft smile. “Do you think they’ll be boys or girls?”“You’re expecting twins?”“Of course. I can’t wait to be a father. I know they’ll be strong enough to be future Alphas one day.” His tenderness made my heart ache. He was looking forward to becoming a father… but for five years, he had hated the very idea of having children with me. Just then, a servant rushed in, breathless and worried. “Alpha Luke—Doris’s wolf suddenly lost control and started attacking others!” Before the servant even finished, Luke bolted from the room. In his panic, his claws grazed my hand—he didn’t even realize he’d shifted partially. I looked down at the bleeding scratch, and all I could do was smile bitterly and shake my head. When I stepped out, I saw Luke holding Doris in his arms, comforting her. He looked down at her like she was his whole world. Then he saw me. And the fury in his eyes… was almost enough to burn me alive. “Aria, how dare you slander Doris as a dissolute she-wolf! Don’t you know you will ruin her reputation in the pack?”“If you can throw around such vicious accusations, then why can’t I question whether your pups were fathered by another wolf?” When he saw the injury on my hand, something flickered in his eyes—perhaps a realization. But not even a trace of apology appeared on his face. My healer stepped forward, trying to say something, but he ignored her completely and walked away with Doris in his arms. In that moment, I knew—truly knew—I had to leave him. Forever. I quietly checked out of the infirmary and left our den without a word. Meanwhile, Luke took Doris back to her house. Only when she finally calmed down did he remember I was still in the infirmary. When he returned to the infirmary, he was met only by my healer. When he was told I had checked out of the infirmary, he snapped, furrowing his brows. “She’s ridiculous! Doesn’t she know she’s pregnant with twins?”The healer’s voice was calm but cold. “Pregnant? You didn’t even know? Her abdomen was severely injured by the raft after she returned from the seashore. She was too late to receive proper care. Your pups… they didn’t make it.” Luke’s expression froze. “What... what did you just say? What happened to my pups?”