Chapter 1 Chapter 1

The Rogues attacked me. But Grayson abandoned me when I needed him the most, all to tend to Bella Gleeson's pup, Lili Reid. "Freya was moments from death, and yet he still had the nerve to fuss over Lili.""You don't understand. Bella's husband died protecting Freya. Ever since then, Grayson has treated Lili like his own. He thinks caring for Bella and Lili is how he atones for Freya." Vidar sighed. "He was right here in the hospital, but he ignored the Luna and his own pup just to tend to Lili. No matter how much I tried to reason with him, he refused to even look at Freya." I overheard Vidar and his men talking just outside my hospital room. Tears spilled down my cheeks. I never thought the father of my pup could be so cruel. I forced myself up, desperate to find Grayson to know what I even meant to him. I stumbled out of bed, and a searing pain ripped through my stomach. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor. When I looked down, blood was running down my legs, spreading beneath me. I screamed for help. Vidar heard me and hurried over, lifting me onto the hospital bed before quickly calling the doctor to check on me. But after the examination, the doctor sighed in resignation. "The silver knife wound caused severe blood loss, and with the Luna's unstable condition… I don't think we can save the pup. You should inform the Alpha immediately." His words left me reeling. I'd waited three years for this pup. With raw desperation, I pleaded, "Please, Doctor, save my pup. I don't care about the pain. Use whatever medicine you need." But the doctor remained silent. Vidar pulled out his phone to call Grayson, but the call ended abruptly after two rings. Seeing Vidar's stiff expression, I felt a dull pang of disappointment. Trembling, I held out my phone to him. "Use mine. He'll come." Even then, I still clung to the hope that Grayson would stand by me in my darkest moment. Even if Bella's husband, Stephen Reid, had saved me before and he was in Bella's debt, I was still his mate. But the truth was, when the Rogues attacked, it wasn't Stephen who came for me. It was Vidar. The call connected, and I finally heard Grayson's voice, thick with impatience. "I already checked. You're not in actual danger. Lili's scared right now, and I can't spare the time. Whatever this is, we'll talk tonight." Vidar frowned, his voice rising. "Freya's in bad shape. The pup inside her could die any minute. You need to come." Silence stretched from Grayson's end. Then, after a beat, he replied dismissively, telling Vidar to hand the phone to me. I took it, and Grayson's voice came through cold. "Freya, you're not seriously hurt. You're just using this as an excuse to cling to me. Stop being jealous. Lili's running a fever, and I don't have time for this. Don't be so petty. I'll be with you when I'm free." Gritting my teeth against the pain, I tried to explain the situation to him when a childish, saccharine voice cut me off on the other end of the line. "Mr. Atwell, I want to eat moonberries.""Alright, I'll have someone bring them for you. "Enough talking. I've got urgent business to handle. I have no time for your nonsense." His so-called urgent business was buying moonberries for his childhood sweetheart's pup. Meanwhile, his Luna and pup were fighting for their lives, and he had the nerve to call that nonsense. After Grayson hung up, they led me to the operating table. Time blurred until I felt a sudden rush of warmth leaving my body. Just like that, the life I'd carried for seven months was gone. The pain in my abdomen burned, but the crushing weight in my chest was worse. I closed my eyes in despair, unable to bear the sight of the bloodied mass in the doctor's hands. It writhed, clinging to life briefly before going still. I lay on the hospital bed. My heart ached as if it were being torn apart, and my tears flowed endlessly.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

My pup was gone after all. The doctor explained that the Rogue's silver knife had damaged my womb, and the emotional turmoil I'd endured had caused the wound to reopen, leading to severe bleeding. In the end, I couldn't keep my pup. Vidar stayed by my side, comforting me. "There'll be other chances to conceive. For now, just focus on healing.""Where's Grayson?" I asked. He hadn't shown his face once since I'd gotten hurt. Vidar looked away, and I knew. I scoffed. "So, Lili matters more than our pup?" I grabbed my phone and called Grayson again. The moment the call connected, a hospital announcement echoed in the background, calling out a patient's number. "You're at the hospital?" I asked. "Yeah. Lili's still running a slight fever, so we brought her in to get checked and pick up some meds." I told Grayson I was at the OB-GYN and was just about to share the devastating news that we'd lost the pup when he cut me off, his voice sharp with irritation. "I already checked with Bella's doctor. Your injuries aren't serious and nowhere near life-threatening. Freya, stop faking it. I don't have time for your games." His words cut deeper than any physical pain. He'd rather trust Bella's doctor than come see me himself. Clenching my teeth against the searing ache in my abdomen, I dragged myself out of bed and forced my way toward the pediatric ward. I reached the door and peered through the glass, watching as Grayson comforted Lili during her shot, his face soft with affection. Beside them, Bella smiled, pacifying Lili with moonberries. They fit together so easily, like a true family. The warmth between them stabbed straight through me. There was a time when I had dreamed of building a happy family life with Grayson, of feeling the warmth of the three of us together. But now my pup was gone, and here he was, playing father to another's pup. I pushed the door open and stepped inside. Bella glanced up at me and then turned to Grayson, her expression instantly shifting into one of practiced innocence. "Grayson, Freya seems much better now. Why don't you go home and keep her company tonight? Don't worry about us," Bella said, her voice dripping with false concern. "She's always paranoid and petty by nature. No matter what I do, she finds fault with it. I should just ignore her. Let her stew for a few days until she cools off. Maybe then I'll go back." After lulling Lili to sleep, Grayson pulled Bella into his arms. "Freya hasn't had my pup yet. I still have time to make things right with you two. And even after she does, I'll find a way to take care of you both." Bella pressed her face into Grayson's chest, flashing me a smug look the moment he couldn't see her. I walked out without a backward glance. As I reached the stairwell, I saw Vidar searching for me in a panic, his face slick with sweat. "You've met Grayson?" he asked. I nodded and replied flatly, "Yeah. We're over. I'm done with him." My mind was made up. I was leaving him behind and moving on. Back then, the Eastvale pack wanted me to join as their healer, but I refused because I was Grayson's Luna. The Eastvale pack was the biggest pack in the East, and I knew if I went there, I could prove myself. Once I'd decided, I called Floyd Thacker, the Alpha of the Eastvale pack. "Fantastic! The hospital's doors are always open for you!" With Floyd's promise in hand, I booked my train ticket for the following week.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Three days later, I was discharged from the hospital. I turned back to look at the pack I'd lived with for so many years, and memories came flooding in. That year, reckless and young, I'd gone exploring in the forest, only to get caught in a landslide. I ended up dangling from a tree at the edge of the cliff, with two massive vultures circling above me, waiting to make me their next meal. As I fought against the vultures, the branch snapped. Below me was a sheer drop. If I fell, it would've meant certain death. But just then, at my most desperate moment, Grayson stepped in and saved my life. The memory of him grabbing my hand and soothing me gently as he told me not to be afraid was still sharp in my mind. That was the moment I'd fallen head over heels for this tall, imposing werewolf, and I launched into an all-out pursuit. But no matter how hard I tried, he wouldn't give me the time of day. Just when I'd given up hope that we'd ever be together, he accepted me in my third year of chasing him and even proposed a mate-bonding ceremony. Back then, I was so overjoyed I couldn't sleep all night, convinced he'd finally been won over by my devotion. We had our mate-bonding ceremony soon after, and married life was blissful. We were even expecting our pup. Just when I thought our happiness would last forever, disaster struck in our second year. I was away for diplomatic talks with another pack when Rogues ambushed us. Stephen, a Beta sent by Grayson to protect me, broke protocol by secretly bringing his Omega, Bella, along. The Rogues captured Bella, intent on assaulting and killing her. Stephen fought desperately to save her, taking on the Rogues alone until their claws tore him apart. When Bella saw Stephen's mangled body, she turned on me, screaming that his death was all my fault. I ignored her hysterics and focused solely on breaking free from the attack. Just as the Rogues closed in, Vidar showed up with his guards, driving them back and escorting me safely the rest of the way. But when we got back to the pack, Bella twisted the story, claiming Stephen had died protecting me. Grayson, consumed by guilt, became completely devoted to her and Lili from that moment on, catering to their every whim. The moment I showed a hint of disapproval, Grayson would silence me, reminding me that Stephen died because of me. I tried telling him the truth, but he wouldn't hear it. The idea of Bella lying to him was unthinkable. Eventually, I just stopped trying. I once overheard Grayson's maid say that he and Bella had been childhood sweethearts. They'd always been close, ever since they were kids. But Bella was just a lowly Omega, deemed unworthy of a high-and-mighty Alpha like him. Under her family's relentless pressure, Bella ended up marrying a Beta and had a pup. That same year she got married, Grayson finally gave in to my advances. Now it was obvious that the truth of what happened back then didn't matter to him. He just wanted an excuse to stay close to Bella.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

I went back to the house I shared with Grayson to pack my things and leave. Just as I finished zipping up my suitcase, the front door clicked open. There was Bella, rolling her own luggage while carefully holding Grayson's coat for him. Grayson gripped Lili's small hand in one of his and reached for Bella's suitcase with the other. They looked like the perfect family. The second Grayson saw me, he stiffened and then said coldly, "Go clear out your room. You're moving to the guest room. Lili just got over her fever. She can't catch a chill, so she needs the sunny room." Without a word, I walked out, dragging my suitcase behind me. When I didn't respond, Bella stepped forward and slipped her arm through Grayson's, cooing, "Forget it. I only moved here because I thought Freya might need help during her pregnancy. But since she doesn't want me around, I should just leave." Grayson turned on me with a snarl. "Freya, what the hell is your problem? Bella's just trying to help. This is for your own good. Don't be ungrateful." I scoffed. For my own good? When I was dying and losing our baby, he abandoned me. When I was weak after the miscarriage, he threw me out of my own room and gave my place to Bella. That was really thoughtful of him. Grayson noticed my pale expression and stepped closer as if he wanted to say more. But then he went completely still when his gaze dropped to my stomach. His hand trembled as he pressed it against my abdomen, as if he couldn't believe it was truly flat. A disbelieving whisper slipped out. "What happened? You're too strong for this to just be from the Rogues' attack. I sent guards to protect you. How? Unless you…" He'd truly believed he'd kept me safe. But his blind favoritism toward Bella had chipped away at the pack's respect for their Luna. The guards had been slow to act, and the Rogues had gotten close enough to drive a silver knife into me. Grayson's entire body shook. Bella took one look at Grayson's face and gasped, "Oh my goodness, Freya! I can't believe you were so petty over Grayson not being there when you got hurt that you aborted the pup just to spite him! How could you? That was a life!" Grayson snapped out of his trance, his eyes blazing with fury as he glared at me. "Freya, this is too much. I've been breaking my back trying to make up for what you did, and instead of understanding that, you aborted the pup we worked so hard for just to hurt me? Are you insane?" I didn't even try to explain. He never listened to me. But Bella's lies? He believed every word. "Then let's break the mate bond," I said. Grayson went completely still. He clearly hadn't seen that coming. Then he snapped, "Freya, what the hell are you talking about? Are you out of your mind? I'm not breaking the mate bond.""Then think it over," I replied, and walked away without a backward glance.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

I had just closed the door when Bella's sickly sweet voice floated out. "Grayson, no matter what, Freya is still your Luna. It's not safe for her to be out this late alone. You should go after her. Don't worry about me." Grayson scoffed. "She'll come crawling back once she's had enough. A Luna who abandons her duties and would even abort her own pup over something as petty as jealousy? She's just a failure." For three years, I'd given everything to his pack. I worked myself to the bone without a day off, not even while pregnant. And just like that, he wiped it all away with a few words. Every sacrifice and effort I'd made meant nothing to him. I took a deep breath, grabbed my suitcase, and walked away without looking back. I was heading deep into the woods to find the witch. I was afraid Grayson wouldn't agree to break our mate bond before I left, so I decided to force an end to our relationship with a potion instead. After getting the bond-breaking potion from the witch's place, I set out for the Eastvale pack to become their healer. But as I made my way there, I hesitated before finally reaching out to Grayson through the mind-link. I asked him if he'd made up his mind and if he was ready to break the mate bond. Grayson exploded at my words. "Haven't you caused enough trouble? Don't push your luck. Bella's heartbroken because you won't come home. She's sick in bed now. Get back here and take care of her." Then his voice softened, like he was afraid I'd refuse. Trying to placate me, he added, "Just listen to me. Once Lili's better, I'll send them away. Didn't you always want to go to the beach? We'll go together after she recovers." We? Did he mean me, or Bella? My heart went cold. I cut off the mind-link again, grabbed the bond-breaking potion, and downed it in one gulp. It was time to end this for good. The potion burned bitterly as it slid down my throat, setting every inch of me ablaze. My muscles twisted in agony, like countless ants were devouring me from the inside. I clutched my chest, curling into a ball as sweat poured out of me in rivers. But none of that pain compared to the ache in my heart. I knew this suffering was necessary. It was the only way to cut Grayson out completely and start fresh. When the torment finally faded, relief washed over me. Even the air felt fresh. I pulled off the ring he'd given me at our wedding and tossed it into the street, watching as passing cars crushed it. It was time for a new life.