When I was attacked by rogues and left severely wounded, my mate, Alpha Kieran of the Crescent Moon Pack, was supposedly on a business trip with his Beta, Seraphina.

His car passed by where I lay, bleeding out on the ground, yet he ignored me.

Even though I reached out through our mate bond, pleading for help, he continued on his way with Seraphina.

The lead warrior arrived just in time with his warriors and rushed me to the pack doctor.

The doctor looked at me regretfully. "Luna, your pup... is gone."

I broke down, but for the sake of the pack, for the burden Alpha Kieran carried, I chose to bear my grief alone.

But my most loyal warrior told me the truth: Kieran was never on a business trip. He had taken Seraphina on a vacation to the beach.

Pain and betrayal crushed me. When I needed him most, he chose her over me.

So, I picked up my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in years.

"Alpha Darius," I said, voice steady despite my trembling hands, "it's time for you to keep your promise."

On the other end, the Alpha of the Blue Star Pack chuckled. "I've been waiting for this day."

***

A week after the attack, my wounds finally healed.

As I unwrapped the last bandage, I took a deep breath. It was time to return home.

But the moment I stepped inside, an overwhelming emptiness filled the house. A thin layer of dust covered the furniture.

Kieran hadn't been back. Not once. He had spent the entire week with Seraphina.

Ever since the lead warrior told me the truth, I had cried all my tears in the hospital. I thought I had prepared myself for this moment. But standing in this cold, empty home, the truth cut deeper than I expected.

"Don't be sad, Lyanna. You need to hear his explanation first," my wolf, Linda, whispered.

Linda was right. If I was going to leave, I needed closure.

I let out a bitter laugh, took a shower, and changed into fresh clothes. Exhaustion weighed on me, and I collapsed onto the bed, willing myself to sleep.

Just as I was about to drift off, the door clicked open.

Kieran had returned.

The scent of perfume clung to him—

Not mine.

I recognized the fragrance. It belonged to Seraphina.

"Lyanna, I'm sorry. I should've been there when you were attacked, but you know how busy pack affairs have been." He walked toward me, voice laced with feigned guilt.

I forced myself to stay calm.

"I had Seraphina check with the pack doctor. I know you've recovered," he continued, a hint of dismissal in his tone.

I met his eyes, deep yet full of lies.

"I'm fine," I said flatly and turned away from him.

The truth was, I had lost more than just blood that night.

I had lost our pup.

A pup I never got the chance to tell him about.

When his car drove past me that night, leaving me to die, he severed the last thread between us.

Even now, he still chose to lie.

"Lyanna, what's wrong? Are you upset? I'm explaining things to you, aren't I?" He towered over me, watching for a reaction.

"I had Beta Seraphina investigate the rogues who attacked you. I promise this won't happen again."

Seraphina. Again.

"See, Linda? He trusts her more than me. He doesn't love us anymore. It's over." I spoke to my wolf, my voice hollow.

Linda hummed in agreement. "If we leave, we do it with dignity. We don't beg. We don't cry."

I smiled to myself.

Just as I was about to speak, Kieran's phone rang.

"Xixi? Oh, of course. I'm free anytime for you."

Without sparing me a glance, he left the room.

How ironic.

He had no time for his mate, but for Seraphina, he was available at a moment’s notice.

My phone buzzed.

A notification from his social media.

[A true connection is worth every moment.]

The photo attached?

Him and Seraphina, smiling at the beach.

I remembered when I asked him to post about our bond after our mating ceremony. He refused, saying he didn’t like making private matters public.

He didn’t mind it now.

I no longer felt sad.

Only resolute.

Another message arrived.

It was from Alpha Darius.

[Lyanna, send me your details. I’ll arrange everything for your transfer into the Blue Star Pack. I look forward to welcoming you.]

A small smile curved my lips as I typed my reply.

[I won’t disappoint you.]

Kieran, you had your chance.

Now, I'm walking away.

And this time, I won’t look back.

The next morning, Kieran did something he had never done before.

He got up early.

The sounds of clinking dishes echoed from the kitchen.

In all the years we had lived together, this was the first time he had ever made breakfast.

“Well, this is unexpected,” I teased, though a part of me stirred with uneasy hope.

Could it be that he had finally realized something?

Kieran turned around with a bright smile, flashing his teeth. “I made breakfast for you. Consider it a reward for my Luna.”

I picked up a slice of cheese and meat pizza, about to take a bite—

But Kieran suddenly stopped me, pressing down on my hand.

“Wait, not that one. This is the one I packed.” He pointed to another plate of seafood pizza. “That one’s yours.”

“Fresh seafood, just for you. Try it.” He spoke casually while carefully packing the cheese and meat pizza into a box.

My heart plummeted.

He had forgotten.

I was allergic to seafood.

“I’m allergic,” I said flatly.

He froze for a brief second, then shrugged. “Oh, well, that’s a shame. You’re missing out on some good seafood.”

I watched as he carefully secured the food container, treating it with more care than he had ever shown me lately.

“Who’s it for?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral.

Kieran’s hand stiffened for a moment. He hesitated before brushing the question off. “It’s nothing. Just some leftovers.”

A cold realization settled in my chest.

I had my answer.

He remembered Seraphina’s favorite food. But he forgot mine.

“Linda,” I murmured to my wolf. “I used to pray to the Moon Goddess, believing Kieran was my fated mate. That we were meant to be. But I was wrong, wasn’t I?”

“Lyanna, don’t waste your tears on him,” Linda soothed. “Perhaps the Moon Goddess has something better in store for you.”

Just as Kieran was about to leave, a glint of silver caught my eye.

I picked up a delicate earring from the bathroom counter.

A butterfly-shaped earring with long, dangling tassels.

Not mine.

I never wore earrings. I didn’t even have pierced ears.

“Alpha Kieran,” I called out, holding up the earring. “Whose is this?”

He turned to look, his expression momentarily flickering with panic before he quickly masked it.

“I… don’t know. Isn’t it yours?”

My chest tightened.

I let out a slow breath before meeting his gaze, my voice steady.

“At our mating ceremony, I wore clip-on earrings. I never pierced my ears.”

I took a step forward, watching his eyes carefully. “So tell me, Kieran—this belongs to Seraphina, doesn’t it?”

His pupils dilated.

For a second, he looked genuinely shocked that I had figured it out.

Then, scrambling, he forced a casual chuckle. “Oh… Right. Seraphina must’ve dropped it when she was here yesterday. I’ll remind her to be more careful.”

Seraphina had been here.

In my home.

I clenched my fists, but my face remained calm.

His phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen, and a look of urgency crossed his face.

“Seraphina just mind-linked me. There’s an issue with the pack’s project. I need to head to the office.”

Excuses.

Lies.

And once again, he was running away.

I said nothing as he rushed out the door, leaving me alone in the house that once held so many dreams.

The truth was undeniable now.

Seraphina wasn’t just his Beta.

She was the one he truly cared about.

And I?

I was just an obligation he had long abandoned.

But it didn’t matter.

Soon, I would be free.

I just had to wait a little longer.

After breakfast, I went to the pack’s administrative office, continuing my duties as Luna.

As I walked through the corridors, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

Warriors and Omegas cast glances my way, whispering in hushed voices.

The pack was gossiping about something.

Reaching the break room, I caught fragments of conversation drifting through the air.

“Did you see? Alpha Kieran made pizza for Beta Seraphina! He even delivered it himself. They looked so close together.”

“I think they’re already mates. They practically run the pack together, and Seraphina even took over some of the Luna’s responsibilities.”

“That poor Luna. She’s given so much to the pack, and this is how Alpha Kieran repays her?”

The words sliced through me like a dagger.

So, the pizza he carefully packed this morning—

It was for her.

I stepped into the break room, casually pouring myself a cup of coffee.

I kept my expression neutral, as if I hadn’t heard a thing.

But inside, my mind was racing.

I had spent years by Kieran’s side, working tirelessly for the pack.

Yet, he had never once stood by me when I needed him most.

When the pack faced hardships, he told me to be strong, to fulfill my role as Luna.

But when Seraphina arrived, he had no problem standing beside her. Fighting alongside her. Trusting her with everything.

My fingers tightened around the coffee cup.

Enough.

I had wasted too much time on him.

A knock at my office door pulled me from my thoughts.

One of the warriors stepped inside, handing me a document.

“Luna, I’d like to submit my transfer request. I’ve found my fated mate in another pack.”

I stared at the papers in her hand.

Then, a slow smile crept onto my lips.

The perfect opportunity had just presented itself.

“Linda, do you see this?” I whispered to my wolf. “The Moon Goddess is watching over me. This is exactly what I need.”

Linda let out a delighted howl. “Then take it, Lyanna. Take the chance and leave!”

I accepted the papers with a reassuring nod. “Understood. I’ll have Alpha Kieran sign the approval.”

That evening, just before the office closed, I slipped my own transfer request underneath the warrior’s.

Then, with calm composure, I carried them both to Kieran’s office.

“Alpha Kieran,” I said as I placed the documents on his desk, “these are transfer requests from two warriors. They’ve found their mates in other packs. Please approve them.”

Kieran frowned, hesitating.

“They’re just warriors,” I added smoothly, giving him an easy excuse. “It won’t affect the pack.”

He barely looked at me before signing both papers without a second thought.

The moment his pen touched my document, my heart soared.

It was done.

I was one step closer to freedom.

Kieran glanced at me, then reached for something on his desk.

“Here,” he said, tossing me a small, dark green wallet. “A gift for you.”

I caught it instinctively, frowning.

A designer brand. Expensive.

Odd.

He never bought me gifts.

More importantly—

I hated dark green.

I was about to question it when the office door suddenly burst open.

Seraphina waltzed in.

She didn’t knock.

She didn’t wait for permission.

And Kieran didn’t seem to mind.

Like she belonged there.

I clenched my jaw.

Seraphina’s eyes flicked to the wallet in my hands, and she smirked.

Then, lowering her voice so only I could hear, she murmured, “That was a freebie. The real gift is mine.”

My grip on the wallet tightened.

I turned without a word, walking past the trash bin.

And without hesitation—

I dropped it in.

That night, Kieran returned home late.

“I’m leaving for a business trip tomorrow,” he said offhandedly as he headed to the bathroom. “If you need anything, let me know.”

I remained silent.

“Are you mad?” He glanced back at me. “Just because I asked you to step out for a meeting with Seraphina?”

I looked him dead in the eyes, my voice calm.

“No. I understand. Work comes first.”

He smirked. “Good. That’s the Luna I expect—mature and understanding.”

As he turned away, I watched him disappear into the bathroom.

My lips curled into a smirk.

Kieran, you think you’ve won?

The real game has just begun.

"Alpha Kieran, I have an important report to discuss with you," Seraphina's sweet voice filled the room as she walked in without knocking.

I tensed.

As Beta, she should have respected protocol. Yet she acted as if Kieran’s office belonged to her.

And Kieran? He didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Lyanna, step out for a moment,” he said dismissively. “We need to discuss something important.”

Something important?

I was the Luna of this pack. What kind of pack matters required my absence?

A cold realization settled in my chest.

But I had already made my decision. There was no need to argue.

So I nodded silently and turned to leave.

Just as I reached the door, Seraphina suddenly stepped closer, lowering her voice so only I could hear.

“I’m the one he truly loves. You were just a placeholder.”

My fingers curled into fists, but I refused to give her the reaction she wanted.

Instead, I merely smiled.

If she thought she had won, she was in for a surprise.

Without looking back, I walked away.

And as I passed the trash bin, I let the expensive wallet Kieran had given me slip from my fingers.

It landed with a dull thud.

Because that’s all I had ever been to him—an afterthought.