Chapter 1 Chapter 1

When I faint due to my hemophobia after seeing blood on the training grounds, my mate, Alpha Yves Golding, is busy applying medicine to his assistant, Renee Lawson, who has only scraped her skin. After I wake up, the first thing I do is drag my weak and exhausted body to the Elders' Council to request something I never imagined I would ask for—to break my mate bond with Yves. Yves swiftly approves the request, then turns confidently to his Beta and says, "Come on, she's just throwing a tantrum. She's an orphan. Other than staying by my side, she has nowhere else to go. She can't possibly leave me for real. "Besides, aren't there three days left until the Council processes breaking a mate bond? When she comes back regretfully to beg me, I'll withdraw the application. As long as the process isn't finished, she's still mine." Then, Yves uploads a photo on Wolf Net. It features him and Renee standing shoulder-to-shoulder while showing off their muscles in the mirror. They are also gazing at each other with smiles on their faces. The caption reads, "Every bead of sweat deserves to be remembered." Everyone showers him with praise, teasing compliments, and blessings, and every single one stabs into my chest like a dagger. Still, I don't fall apart. I calmly pack my belongings and then pick up my encrypted phone. "Uncle Harrison, it's me. Please arrange a flight back to the Silvermoon pack for me as soon as possible." However, after my departure, Yves is the one who falls apart instead. ... That's great, Tiffany! After all these years, you're finally willing to come back. I'm really happy for you!" On the other end of the line, a middle-aged man's calm voice rose, but soon, he turned worried. "Why so suddenly? Does Yves know you're coming back? Or… Is he treating you badly?" I swallowed the bitter feeling in my mouth and forced out a lighthearted tone. "It's nothing. I just want to clear my head." My uncle, Harrison Burke, let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. But if you ever feel wronged, you must tell me." I answered softly, "Okay." The moment the call ended, Yves Golding pushed the door open, and the sweet scent of another she-wolf on him instantly engulfed me. I instinctively held my breath and felt my heart squeeze in pain. "Who were you talking to?" he asked casually. His eyes stayed fixed on his phone screen, never looking at me. Just as I was about to answer, his phone buzzed, and a coquettish voice came through. "Alpha, thank you for bandaging my wound the other day. If it weren't for you, the arm I injured during training would definitely scar. What would I do without you?" The voice sounded so sweet that it was cloying. Yves instinctively lowered the volume and then glanced at me. I lost interest in answering and shut my mouth. If this were before, I probably would've seized on his guilty look and made a scene. But now, I just felt too drained to even argue. We were already going to break our bond anyway, right? I silently packed my things, and when I got to the herbs, I used them to brew myself a calming cup of evening primrose tea. Yves stopped talking tenderly into his phone and sat on the couch, reading through the pack's defense report. He reached out his hand habitually, but his hand came up empty—I hadn't prepared the refreshing tea I'd always made for him. He finally looked at me then, with a trace of helplessness and impatience in his expression. "Wasn't it just that I couldn't catch you in time at the training grounds? You're still throwing a tantrum over that? Renee knows the pack healer. He said your hemophobia isn't a big deal at all. Don't make such a fuss. "Besides, you suggested breaking our bond, and I agreed. Do you really need to keep having that cold expression on all the time?" That day, during the pack's quarterly combat tournament, a young warrior was accidentally injured, and his fresh blood splattered at my feet. My hemophobia struck me instantly. My body trembled as gasps rose around me, and my vision was turning black. As I trembled, I reached out to Yves through our mind link for help, only for him to say, "Can't you go find a healer yourself? I'm busy right now." After that, my consciousness slipped into darkness. Later, I learned that his being "busy" was because he was tending to Renee Lawson's scraped skin. "It's okay. Once the Elders' Council finalizes breaking our bond, you'll never have to see my cold expression again," I simply replied, not stopping what I was doing. I thought Yves would feel relieved because of this, but instead, he suddenly raised his voice. "You'd better not regret this!" Seeing that I remained silent without responding, Yves slammed the door and left. I no longer had the energy to think deeper about his feelings. After finishing what I had to do, I took a hot shower and prepared to rest. On my phone, Yves sent me a message. "I drank too much at the campfire party. Come pick me up, and bring a sobering potion." I didn't want to go. But the next second, he sent another text. "Our mate bond hasn't been officially broken yet, so you must fulfill your duty as the Luna." At that, I helplessly dragged my exhausted body up, picked up the sobering potion, and left. When I arrived at the campfire grounds, the sound of Yves and Renee's laughter seemed especially harsh in the night. I recalled the night I first submitted the application to break our bond. He was also drunk like this. His Beta asked, "Yves, are you really willing to break the bond with Luna Tiffany?" Yves answered indifferently, "She's just throwing a tantrum. Her parents died early, and her original pack has already fallen. How could she actually leave me? "Besides, the Elders' Council has a three-day process, right? When she regrets it and begs me, I can still withdraw the application in time." As I hid in the shadows, I listened as he indifferently exposed the deepest scars of my life—losing my parents and the downfall of my pack. In that moment, it felt like I lost all my senses—only a cold chill spread from my heart throughout my body, leaving me unable to move. Every word he said was indeed true. But what I didn't expect was that my beloved mate didn't think of cherishing me. Instead, he treated it as leverage that I could never leave him.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

I approached the center of the campfire, and Yves was visibly taken aback to see me. "Why are you here?" He frowned slightly, as if he hadn't expected me—who should have been resting by now—to show up here. I shook the sobering potion and my phone, indicating that it was his text that brought me here. Renee, standing beside him, immediately clung to Yves's arm and said coyly, "Alpha, I was only worried you'd feel unwell after drinking, so I used your phone to ask Luna Tiffany to bring the sobering potion. You won't blame me, will you?" Yves' tightly knitted brows instantly relaxed. Strangely, even after seeing Renee's provocation and Yves' indulgence, I didn't feel my heart stir. My wolf didn't whimper either—she was just deathly quiet. I swept my gaze over the excessively close distance between them and said, "So, you don't really need me. Can I leave now?""Tiffany, are you jealous?" Yves smiled lazily. "Renee and I just signed a big deal with another pack. We're just using the campfire party to celebrate. Don't overthink it." I shook my head and silently handed him the sobering potion. Upon seeing that I didn't react, Yves' expression turned slightly disinterested. He then announced the party was over and that everyone should head home. He ignored Renee's attempts to keep him and walked up to me in a few steps. He kissed my forehead, saying, "Alright, don't be mad, my Luna. Let's go home together." His scent and warmth enveloped me. My wolf started rolling inside me restlessly at that. I could feel her conflicting emotions, because they were mine too. My wolf couldn't understand why Yves could hurt us so deeply and yet still use the most intimate gestures to get closer to us. But I knew why. It was because Yves loved me. However, his love was far too fragile, so fragile that in the face of anything, I was always the first to be sacrificed. As I walked forward, lost in thought, Yves suddenly yanked me back. I felt my heart pound in shock, and only then did I notice a speeding car had nearly grazed me as it passed. If not for Yves, I probably would have been hit. "Don't you know to watch where you're walking? What if you got hurt?" he snapped. Yves' tone carried urgent reproach as he tightly enclosed my hand in his warm palm. In a daze, I remembered how he used to hold my hand like this whenever we hunted through the dangerous Shadow Forest. It had been so long since I felt this warmth that I found myself feeling uncomfortable with it. Just after crossing the street, I calmly pulled my hand back. … The next morning, I packed my things, preparing to head to the pack's headquarters to handle unfinished business. However, Yves slipped his arm around my shoulders and offered with a smile, "I'll take you." I had slept very late last night and was indeed running short on time now, so I didn't refuse him. But when I opened the passenger seat door, a wave of Renee's sickly-sweet pheromones hit me. The car's seat cushions had been replaced with fluffy white ones, and there was also a cute little wolf plush sitting on the seat. A small metal plaque was stuck on the back of the passenger's seat, engraved with the words, "Renee's exclusive seat". It was extremely ironic that the Alpha Yves, who had always had a strong sense of territory, actually allowed these things to appear in his car. These childish and domineering decorations were clearly displays of blatant provocation from Renee. I felt my heart, which had only just begun to thaw, instantly plunge back into an icy abyss. I told myself not to harbor any more unrealistic fantasies. It would only make me look more pathetic. A flicker of unease crossed Yves' face as he explained, "Renee is very young, and young she-wolves like these things. Don't take it to heart." I opened my mouth, wanting to say to him, "Yeah, I'm not young anymore, but didn't I give you the best years of my youth?" But in the end, I said nothing. I knew even if I did, the only reply would be to not make a big deal out of it. With him, my emotions were always easily dismissed, as if they were utterly insignificant. I tactfully opened the back door of the car and didn't touch "Renee's exclusive seat". "Drive," I said. "You haven't had breakfast yet, right?" Perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere, Yves handed me a box of milk from the glove compartment. When I glanced up, I saw the compartment was filled with all sorts of snacks and dried fruits. I recalled that Yves had an extremely strong territorial instinct and would never allow anyone to leave the scent of food in his car. One time, my lips had turned pale, and I felt weak all over due to overtraining and exhaustion. I just wanted to take a sip of honey water, yet he coldly refused, saying, "The scent of food isn't allowed in my car." Yet now, he could so easily indulge in Renee. I shook my head, declined the milk, and turned to look out the window. I didn't want to glance at him even once more. For the first time, I understood what it felt like to no longer be loved.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

"Did you hear? The Alpha ordered an afternoon snack for everyone!""You don't get it. It's just because Ms. Renee lost weight from training. The Alpha feels bad for her, so he used the excuse of rewarding everyone to give her extra food. We're just benefiting from this!""Huh? But doesn't the Alpha already have a Luna…""Keep your voice down. The Luna is still here!" I stayed silent as I listened to the young warriors gossip. Even though Yves and I were about to break our bond, I was still the Luna until the final paperwork was issued. I looked at the premium steaks still streaked with blood that were prepared for the warriors. They were right. It must have been Yves feeling sorry for Renee training so hard, so he used the excuse of rewarding everyone to give her extra food. It wasn't that I didn't want to have a bite of his "thoughtful gesture". Unfortunately, my hemophobia made my stomach churn violently the moment I saw the bright red colors. Back when Yves was pursuing me, he had been just as passionate. As he was afraid I would forget to eat while busying myself with the pack's affairs, he would use reporting things as an excuse to keep me and have meals with me. When I got hurt but still forced myself to work, he would secretly mix the bitter healing herb powder into the sweet moonflower nectar. He would deliberately trick me into drinking it, and then always laugh endearingly at the way I frowned from the bitterness. The extremely disciplined pack headquarters had once been vibrant and alive because of the unconcealed love between us. Sadly, that affection ultimately no longer belonged to me. I didn't have time to overthink things, as there was still plenty of work at hand. To prepare for the upcoming full moon celebration, I had already been sorting through files for several nights in a row, and today was no exception. … As the night gradually deepened, it wasn't until Yves walked over to me that I lifted my head from the documents. "Tiffany, are you still busy?" he asked. I didn't know why he had suddenly come to see me. "Alpha, do you have any instructions for me?" I asked politely. He seemed a little uncomfortable with my distant attitude, but he still said, "Hand over the planning of the full moon celebration to Renee." Although my heart had long been numbed by pain, I still felt a tightness in my chest appear in that moment, and an endless feeling of suffocation spread through me. Yves went on incessantly, "Recently, there have been some rumors in the pack about Renee that are unfavorable to her. If she successfully hosts this full moon celebration, it would prove her ability and shut them up." The full moon celebration was one of the pack's most important annual rituals. It was both a time to pray to the Moon Goddess and a grand event to showcase the pack's strength to the outside world. The planning of the celebration was usually handled by the Luna, and it also served as a stage for her to demonstrate her capability. Yves was well aware of how much effort I had put into planning the full moon celebration to earn the Elders' recognition. And now, with just one offhand sentence, he'd demanded that I give it up. Every word he spoke was in defense of Renee, worried she would face criticism, but he forgot that I would also feel hurt. I smiled bitterly, finding this whole thing utterly ironic. "Fine. She can have it. Tell her to come tomorrow and take it over from me," I said curtly. I had already done everything I could for this pack. Yves was surprised at how readily I agreed, and a faint sense of unease rose in his heart. He pulled out a jewelry box from his pocket and handed it to me. "Alright, I know you're upset, so I bought you a moonstone bracelet as compensation. Do you like it?" It was indeed in a style I liked. But he hadn't given it to me when I wanted it most, and now, the bracelet had lost all meaning. I nodded and dutifully reached out to take it. Yves took that as a sign that I had been convinced, and his tone noticeably softened as he draped his coat over my shoulders. "Stop sulking. Last time was my fault. In a few days, we'll go to the Elders' Council to withdraw the application. Haven't you always wanted to visit the Moonlight Waterfall in the southern lands? After the celebration, I'll take you there." I still said nothing. Yves took my silence as my consent, and he excitedly began planning for the future. On the way back, I scrolled through the pack's social media page and saw Renee's new post. It showed a necklace made from the same material and in the same style of packaging. The difference was that the moonstone on her necklace was bigger, clearer, and more intricately carved than mine. The caption read: "Thank you for the gift, Alpha. This is too precious. I didn't want to accept it at first, but Alpha said I was excellent and deserved the best, so he insisted I take it. I suppose it's only polite to obey." That was when I realized that the bracelet Yves gave me was only the complimentary gift that came with the necklace. I suddenly laughed, so much so that tears blurred my vision. It turned out that what I had dreamed of for so long was nothing but leftover charity. All the tenderness and affection he had shown me were just scraps left behind by Renee. It was just like my place in his heart—a free gift that was something worthless and never the first choice.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Tomorrow would be the last day of the mate bond breakage process. After that, Yves and I would have nothing to do with each other. I had been watering the moonflowers I'd planted on the balcony when the ring on my finger—the one that symbolized my status as Luna—suddenly slipped off and fell through the gap of the balcony. It was a ring Yves had crafted by hand for me, and I loved the design, so I had always worn it. I instinctively bent down to reach for it. "What are you doing!" An arm suddenly yanked me back. "Do you know how dangerous that was?" Yves' eyes were filled with genuine concern and urgency, as if he still cared about me. "The ring fell," I said softly. Yves let out a sigh of relief. "It's just a ring. I'll buy you another one. There's no need to do this." Just a ring? He had already forgotten it was the mate ring he'd made for me with his own hands. I looked at his finger, which was empty. So, he had already taken his ring off long ago. "Tomorrow is the anniversary of our mate bond. I'll come pick you up, and we'll spend the day together." I agreed, simply thinking of it as a proper closure to this relationship. … The next day, I sat in the private room of the restaurant we had booked, debating whether I should tell Yves about my leaving the pack. However, I waited for a long time, to the point where I was starving, and yet he still hadn't shown up. I pulled out my phone to ask him where he was, but then I saw an anonymous post on Wolf Net. "Renee seduced the Alpha to climb her way up, shamelessly stealing the Luna's duty. She's the shame of the pack!" Evidence of the work handover was even attached below. Although the post condemned Renee, every line hinted that I was the one spreading the rumors behind her back. Not long after the post appeared, Yves kicked the private room door open in a fury. He yelled, "I thought you willingly gave up the celebration planning, but I never expected you to be so vicious, resorting to such petty tricks to slander Renee! Tiffany, how could you be so despicable?" Renee was hiding behind him. Tears streamed down her face as she said, "I can give up this opportunity. I don't care what people say about me… But Luna Tiffany, I always saw you as the one I respected the most. Why would you treat me this way…""It wasn't me," I stated the fact calmly. "Since I'd already agreed to give her the planning duties for the full moon celebration, I wouldn't stoop to doing such things." Yves didn't believe me. "Who else but you would target Renee? You hypocritical she-wolf! I already told you that Renee and I are just work partners! Renee even carefully chose this restaurant for us, but you don't deserve it!" His Alpha presence suddenly burst out, shattering the glass tableware and sending shards flying everywhere. One shard cut across the corner of my eye, leaving a bloodstain that resembled a crimson tear. The scent of my own blood instantly triggered my hemophobia. A wave of dizziness hit me, and my body stiffened up. So, even after all these years together, Yves still hadn't come to trust me in the slightest.. I forced myself to stay conscious as I took out the breakage document issued by the Elders' Council, which required both parties' final confirmation. "Since that's the case, now that the three-day process is over, sign it," I said. Underneath it lay the request to leave the pack that I had written long ago. Yves frowned. Then, he laughed coldly, quickly grabbed the pen, and swiftly signed his name. "Do whatever you want! Don't crawl back crying and begging me later!" After saying that, he hugged the crying Renee and left. It seemed that it was no longer necessary to celebrate this last anniversary. I looked at the table full of dishes I had carefully ordered for us, all of which were now completely cold. My stomach churned due to my hemophobia, which made it impossible for me to swallow anything. The wound at the corner of my eye still ached faintly, the bloodstain still lingering before my vision. Waves of dizziness attacked me and almost consumed my entire consciousness. I forced my staggering body to hold on, pulled up the suitcase that had been placed in the corner, and staggered out. While on the road, I took out my phone and tapped my trembling fingers several times on the screen before finally dialing the encrypted number. When Uncle Harrison's familiar, steady voice came through the phone, the defenses I had held up all night finally collapsed. My tears broke free, sliding silently down my cheeks. On the other end, Uncle Harrison seemed to notice something was wrong, and his tone instantly turned anxious. "Tiffany? What's wrong?" Accompanied by the sound of my sobs, I used up the last of my strength to make a request. "Uncle Harrison… Come pick me up." After saying this, I could no longer hold on to my consciousness. My vision faded completely into darkness as the phone slipped weakly from my hand. In the final moment before my consciousness sank into the abyss, I thought about how nice this was. The past that had caused me so much unfair suffering was finally about to end. Yves, you would never see me again.