Chapter 1 Chapter 1

After returning to the villa from the banquet, I called my friend from the Lunaria pack to explain my plans to leave the Lycus pack in three days. Once the call ended, I looked at the wedding photo on the wall. In the picture, I was wearing a beautiful wedding dress, smiling sweetly and happily. Standing next to me, Nick Grange wore a well-tailored suit, his features sharp and handsome. He looked nervous, clearly unsure how to handle such intimacy. My fingertips gently brushed across his face in the photo as a suffocating ache settled in my chest. "Zora is back, and the agreement is about to end. You must be really happy, huh?" I murmured. The sound of the front door unlocking came from the entryway. I quickly withdrew my hand and walked toward the door. "You're back," I greeted. I took out Nick's slippers from the cabinet and was about to help him put them on. But he grabbed my hand and said with a frown, "Didn't you come home early because you weren't feeling well? Why aren't you resting in the room? What are you doing out here?" He took the slippers from my hand and put them on himself. Then, he wrapped a rabbit-fur scarf around my neck before grumbling impatiently, "It's been snowing the past few days. Why aren't you dressed warmer? You'll get sick, and then you'll start whining again. You're such a pain." I lowered my head as tears formed, stinging my eyes. "My birthday banquet is in three days. Ask Wayne to get you a few warmer dresses. If you get sick again, my parents will scold me for not taking care of you," Nick ranted. He took out his phone and texted his assistant, Wayne Garcia. Once that was done, he casually tossed his phone on the table and walked into the kitchen. My mouth opened and closed a few times. I really wanted to ask about Zora, but I didn't have the courage to do so. Just then, Nick's phone lit up on the table. My eyes flitted to the screen, and I unintentionally glanced at it. I froze. It was a message from Zora. The text read, "Nick, thank you for the apartment. I wouldn't even know where to go tonight if not for you. I'm treating you to dinner tomorrow, and you're not allowed to say no!" Even though I had prepared myself, my heart still throbbed with pain. Three years ago, Zora had suddenly left the Lycus pack to chase her dreams. Nick, who had been her lover back then, was disappointed and heartbroken. Thus, he accepted the alliance marriage between the Lycus and Lunaria packs. That marriage was something I had begged my parents to arrange for me. When I was 18, I got lost in the misty forest during a playful excursion. It was Nick who led the patrol team to rescue me. He finally found me after searching all day and night. The moment I saw him, my wolf danced with joy inside me. My heart skipped a beat. I knew then that Nick was my fated mate. But he already had a lover. So I kept my feelings to myself until she left. Only then did I dare to stand by his side, under the guise of marriage. The last three years had felt like a beautiful dream. But a dream built on lies was still a lie. Stolen happiness always came with a price. As I was lost in my own sorrowful thoughts, a cup of warm water suddenly appeared in front of me. Nick handed me the water, along with a fresh deer heart. When he saw me staring, he immediately put on a serious expression. "I figured you're not feeling well because you're hungry," he said. "You never eat on time, and you're ridiculously picky. I honestly don't know how you even managed to grow." I stared blankly at the deer heart, only then remembering how I'd casually mentioned this morning that I hadn't had one in a long time. I never expected him to actually find someone to hunt one down for me. It was very hard not to fall for Nick when he did thoughtful little things like this. He didn't love me, but he remembered all my preferences. He tended to think I was a hassle, but he still fulfilled all my needs. Nick was perfect in every way. But the terrible truth was that no matter how good he was, he didn't belong to me.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

"What are you spacing out for? Eat it while it's hot!" Nick's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up and mustered the courage to ask, "Nick, do you still remember three years ago when we—" Before I could finish, the chime of a message notification cut me off. Nick picked up his phone. And in the next moment, a smile spread across his face. His fingers moved quickly across the screen, and he seemed to be uninterested in hearing what I had to say. I silently closed my mouth, feeling a bitter pang in my heart. I didn't even need to look. It had to be Zora. Nick would only smile with such tenderness when he was talking to her. Had he forgotten about the agreement? For the past three years, I counted the days. I was terrified that once the deadline arrived, Nick would leave me without hesitation. But now, he acted as if he had forgotten it altogether. As I watched him text animatedly on his phone, I gave up on reminding him. Forget it. Once the agreement ended, our mate bond would dissolve automatically. Whether I reminded him or not didn't matter anymore. That night, as we got into bed, Nick pulled the blanket up for me before lying down. I instinctively snuggled closer to his arm. His body stiffened, and he quickly pulled away. My face burned with embarrassment. To ease the awkwardness, I blurted, "Nick, I got a reservation at Lycus Restaurant. I booked it three months ago. Will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I recalled the message I had seen earlier. I knew for a fact that Nick would be having dinner with Zora. So, I was just making a fool of myself by inviting him to dinner tomorrow. Sure enough, Nick fell silent. Then, he replied impatiently, "I have a meeting with the pack elders tomorrow. So, I don't have time to eat with you. Go with one of your girlfriends or something." A moment later, he picked up his phone and transferred me some money. "If that's not enough, let me know. I don't want the others to think I've been mistreating you." I forced a smile and swallowed my disappointment. With some difficulty, I murmured, "Okay. Got it." So, he was going to see Zora tomorrow. Well, it was to be expected. His long-awaited lover was finally back. It made sense that they'd want to spend time together. I kept trying to comfort myself, but the dull ache of watching the person I loved choose someone else still kept me awake all night. When I opened my eyes the next morning, Nick was already gone. The sheets beside me were cool, so he had left a long time ago. After I washed up and came downstairs, the maid placed breakfast on the table. Nick's seat was empty. The maid informed me he had left early that morning. I stood there in a daze for a long while before slowly taking my seat. Nick used to eat breakfast with me every day. Now that Zora was back, he'd probably be having breakfast with her from now on. I should start getting used to days without Nick. After that, I spent the whole day packing up my personal things in the villa. But once I started, I realized that I had more things here than I expected. I looked blankly at the rabbit-fur throw pillows on the couch, the wolf-shaped wood carvings in the display case, and my charcoal sketches on the living room wall. They were all small items that carried incredible warmth. This was the home I had carefully built over three years. I felt a lump in my throat. On impulse, I threw away my suitcase. Sighing in exasperation, I decided that there was no point taking these things along. Bringing them back with me would only make it hurt more when I looked at them. In the afternoon, I made plans with my best friend, Kitty Murray. Since I was leaving the Lycus pack, I at least needed to give her a proper goodbye. I had really made a reservation at Lycus Restaurant, but I had always known Nick wouldn't come and eat with me one way or another. He rarely accompanied me to non-essential events, as if to constantly remind me not to dream about occupying a place that was never mine.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Kitty was thrilled to see me. "You're amazing!" she gushed. "I've always wanted to come here, but I could never get a reservation. You really pulled it off!" She reached out to pinch my cheek playfully. But in the next moment, she frowned and said, "You've lost weight. Has Nick not been taking care of you? Why have you gotten so skinny?" I gave a bitter smile but didn't explain. No one knew about the agreement between Nick and me. As far as Kitty was concerned, we were a loving couple. While I was still trying to figure out how to tell her I was leaving the Lycus pack, she suddenly grabbed my arm and pointed toward the restaurant entrance, her face aghast. She exclaimed incredulously, "Eva, isn't that Nick? And who's that woman standing next to him?" My heart dropped. I looked up. Nick and Zora were standing by the entrance. They weren't exactly close, but their smiles matched perfectly. So he had gone to meet Zora, and he even brought her here. The owner of Lycus Restaurant was a good friend of Nick's. But when I had wanted to dine here, Nick told me to get on the waiting list like everyone else. No matter how much I begged or whined, he insisted on sticking to principles. But now, he must've called in a favor to bring Zora here ahead of schedule. It seemed that for his old lover, he could even toss his principles out the window. When Kitty noticed how heartbroken I looked, she stood up furiously. "Unbelievable! Is Nick cheating on you? Who is this slut of a she-wolf trying to seduce him? I'm going to beat them both up!" I clung to Kitty's hand tightly to stop her from storming over. Before I could speak, tears were already running down my cheeks. I whimpered, "Don't… Please don't go to them. They're the true couple…" With that, I told Kitty everything about my relationship with Nick. I went on to tell her I was about to leave the Lycus pack too. Kitty hugged me tightly. I could see how sorry she felt for me. "Don't cry," she said, trying to console me. "A man like that isn't worth it. I'll find you someone way better!" Then, she grabbed my hand and led me out of the restaurant. She even thoughtfully guided me through a different exit. Kitty spent the evening with me. We watched the moon in the secluded forest garden, went surfing under the moonlight, and danced around a bonfire. By the time I went back home to face Nick again, there were no more signs of a breakdown or grief on my face. With my emotions in check, I began preparing for Nick's birthday banquet. By the time the banquet happened tomorrow, I would probably already be back at the Lunaria pack. Though I wouldn't be attending, I still wanted to organize one last event for him. Every year, I had been the one to plan Nick's birthday party. Nick was actually very particular. He had extremely strict standards when it came to food. To please him, I had always overseen everything personally. Every dish, every bouquet… Everything was prepared according to his preferences. This year was no different, except I had our butler, Carl Nord, follow me the entire time as I meticulously passed on all the details. "The cake must have blueberry filling and not anything else. "For the decorations, use moonlight roses… He hates lilies. "No lemon in the drinks! He's allergic to it. "Make sure to remember all this. In the future, don't get it wrong." Carl looked puzzled. "Won't you be organizing it next time, Luna Eva?" I looked down and didn't respond. Next time, I wouldn't be Nick's mate anymore. How could I possibly organize an event for him? Once everything was arranged, I received a message from Nick. He texted, "Eva, I won't be coming home tonight. Wayne will bring you the dresses for tomorrow's banquet. See you there." I quietly set my phone down and walked into the bedroom to grab my suitcase. Nick was probably going to celebrate his birthday privately with Zora tonight. That was fine. This way, I wouldn't have to face him when I left. After taking one last look at the villa, I dragged my suitcase behind me and left in silence.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Nick's POV After sending Eva the message, I tossed my phone aside in frustration. Just then, Wayne walked in with several gift boxes in his arms. "Alpha Nick, these are the evening dresses you picked out," he said. "Should I send them all to Luna Eva?" I waved my hand and replied, "Yeah, send them all. Let her pick the one she likes." Wayne nodded. Then, he spoke up hesitantly. "There's a woman named Zora Knott asking to see you. Should I let her in?" My hand paused, and the irritation I'd been feeling all day deepened. Yesterday, after my meeting with the elders, I had somehow ended up outside Lycus Restaurant. Through the glass door, I saw Eva chatting cheerfully with a friend. A surge of anger arose in me. Hadn't she invited me for dinner? I'd turned her down, and she actually just went and had a good time with someone else? She was certainly enjoying herself, alright. So she wasn't serious about the invitation after all. Fuming, I turned to leave, but Zora's delighted voice rang out from somewhere nearby. "Nick!" Zora called enthusiastically. "Did you come here just to see me? I sent you a message yesterday. Why didn't you reply?" I frowned. I'd been talking with the elders last night and hadn't noticed her message. Zora complained for a bit and then pulled me toward the restaurant entrance. But we were quickly stopped by the staff on duty. "We're friends with the owner. Let us in already!" Zora lifted her chin proudly, signaling me to talk to the staff. As I observed how she acted so entitled, Eva's demure doe eyes suddenly popped into my mind. She would never behave like this. In fact, I had never seen her so overbearing and forceful. She always spoke gently in a soothing tone. Seeing that I remained unmoved, Zora nudged me. "Go on. Don't you know the owner? Tell her to let us in." I took a step back and coldly rejected her request. "You need a reservation to get in. We don't have one. It's reasonable that she isn't letting us in." Zora glared at me angrily, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're always like this! You're so stubborn about your so-called principles. That's why I left you three years ago!" Upon seeing her cry, I thought I'd feel something. But why was my mind filled with Eva instead? Eva never complained about my principles. Even when I rejected her harshly, she would just lower her head and reply softly in her sweet and subdued voice. Why am I thinking of her again? Wasn't Zora the one I loved? … Wayne's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Alpha Nick, should I let Ms. Knott in?" I waved him off and said curtly, "Tell her I'm busy. I'll get back to her later." I grabbed my coat and slipped out the back door, heading straight to my parents' house. I stayed there for the night. The next morning, I went with them to my villa, where my birthday banquet was held. The moment I saw the beautifully decorated area, I nodded in satisfaction. I knew I could always count on Eva. But why didn't she come out to greet me like she usually did? Guests started arriving, but there was still no sign of Eva. A strange unease crept up on me. When Zora arrived holding an invitation, that unease reached its peak. "Who said you could come?" I asked coldly. Zora flinched at my frigid tone. She waved the invitation in her hand with a hurt expression. "Your butler sent this to me. What's that supposed to mean? Why can't I come to your birthday banquet?" Zora retorted. I ignored her and turned to grab Carl, who was bustling about. "Where is Eva? Where did she go? Why haven't I seen her?" I asked sternly. Carl froze for a moment before rushing upstairs to look for her. Moments later, he came back down all pale and flustered. "Alpha Nick… Luna Eva is gone!"