Bounovel, Kansas City, MO (2026)

11/20/2025

I got MARRIED.
But NOT to Jake Ryan—the man I chased for 7 YEARS.
To a STRANGER I just met. ⚡
Our wedding day at City Hall? I WAITED from sunrise to sunset.
He NEVER showed.
Instead, SHE sent me THIS:
"I'm 8 weeks PREGNANT. It's Jake's baby. Still think he'll choose YOU?"
I called 108 TIMES. ALL declined.
Then I saw the NEWS:
"Ryan Group CEO Spotted at Pregnancy Checkup with Girlfriend."
I threw my engagement ring in the TRASH.
Blocked his number.
And 7 minutes later... I said "I DO" to ANOTHER man. ✨
Jake Ryan, this time it's ME who DOESN'T want YOU.

09/29/2025

I handed my husband divorce papers at his brother's funeral.
He chose to protect another woman—the one I suspected of murder.
So I vanished.
I rebuilt myself as a medical genius and a pharmaceutical CEO.
Now, he’s on his knees.
And I’m walking toward the altar… to marry his "dead " brother.
“Congratulations,” I’ll whisper. "Your brother makes a far better husband."

On our wedding anniversary, I finally learned the truth everyone seemed to know: my husband's heart belonged to another… his brother's wife.
That day, I'd flown to his city, dressed to kill, my heart fluttering with a stupid, hopeful anticipation. I was imagining the surprise on his face. But the surprise was all mine. I heard them arguing, his voice and his friend's, sharp and clear right outside his office door.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re still not over Amelia? She was your brother’s wife! For her, you bail on Elara every anniversary? That’s disgusting.”
“Well, whose problem is that?” he retorted, utterly unfeeling. “If I didn’t leave, Amelia would get it into her head that Elara and I were actually doing something. She’d be devastated. And just so you know, Elara’s still a vir/gin.This marriage has never been consummated."
“How can you treat Elara like this… Aren’t you afraid her brother Gavin will make you pay?”
A dismissive snort escaped him. “He won’t. They cut ties right after we got married. It’s been three years.” He added with a mocking smirk, “No one thinks Elara is unhappy. Not even she does.”
I stood frozen outside that door, my breath catching in my throat. I bit down hard on my lip to keep silent, the metallic taste of blood blooming as my fists clenched until they ached. Then, feeling hollowed out and numb, I turned away—a puppet with its strings cut.
A memory, sharp and sudden, surfaced: Before the trip, I’d confided in Amelia about my troubles with Zane. She had simply smiled and said, "Go on. Give your husband a surprise. I'm planning a little surprise for his brother, too."
In that moment, standing in that hallway, I felt like the biggest fool on earth.
When I stumbled out of the building, the sky had opened up. A cold, relentless downpour drenched me instantly. I walked into the deluge, numb to the bone, moving on nothing but pure, mechanical instinct.
I took a red-eye back to New York that night and fell ill the moment I got home.
I was sick for three days straight.
Three days later, I learned that Zane's elder brother, Ethan Grayson, had died in a skydiving accident.
Ethan. the golden boy, the designated heir since forever. I knew him as my senior back in the Ivy League.
The accident happened because Amelia had insisted they go skydiving together. The equipment malfunctioned. He fell.
By the time they brought him to the hospital, it wasn't for treatment. It was for reconstruction.
The Grayson family's fury toward Amelia was a storm waiting to break.
I had to watch as my husband defended another woman. Right in front of me. And I was powerless to stop him.
Worse, I couldn't tell a soul that after I woke up from that high fever, I got a text—from the dead Ethan Grayson.
Absolute calm was required. I had to execute my plan.
The funeral ended. I started the car. Then, the rear door flew open.
Zane, tall and elegant in his tailored black suit, looked uncharacteristically awkward. "Elara," he said. "Are you heading home?"
"Yes," I replied.
As soon as I did, I saw her. Amelia, standing beside him, with a boy around four years old in tow—Max, her son with Ethan.
He was a round-faced boy, but his eyes held a sharp, calculating look that didn't belong on a child. It was a pure, undisguised disdain——
the spitting image of his mother. There was absolutely nothing of his late father, Ethan, in him.

Before I could even process it, Max had barged into my car and commanded, “Aunt Elara, take me and Mommy home now!”
I frowned and shot a look at Zane.
He pressed his thin lips together. “My parents… they’re still furious with Mia. So, she and Max will be staying with us for a while.”
Sensing my refusal, he quickly added, “Haven’t you always said you wanted kids? Think of this as a perfect chance to practice with Max, alright?”
…
What a perfect reason.
So, he wanted me to chauffeur his lover Amelia and her son home while he alone faced his angry parents? Right after his brother Ethan died because of Amelia?
…Fine. I’d do what needed to be done. Arguing with this madman was pointless. He was going to regret this.
Back home, the guest room was ready—Zane must have called ahead. I took a long, scalding shower and collapsed onto the bed, falling into an exhausted sleep.
I woke up at 9 p.m. My phone buzzed the moment I picked it up. Chloe’s name flashed on the screen.
“I’ve drafted the divorce papers per your instructions,” her voice was crisp and professional. “Should I send them over for you to review?”
"Good." My voice was hoarse but calm. "Don't email it. Have the papers delivered."
"That's sudden. Are you sure?" Chloe, my lawyer, sounded concerned. "Look, Zane's a terrible husband, but—"
I switched on the lamp, my eyes clear. "We haven't had se/x once in three years. I thought he had no desire. Then I caught him getting off to pictures of another woman. Still think I'm being rash?"
The line went silent. I could almost hear the gears grinding in her head. Reserved, quiet me had never used language that blunt.
"That bas/tard," she finally hissed, her tone turning cold. "I'll deliver them myself. Then I'm working late."
After hanging up, I sat frozen on the bed. I hadn't expected to say it like that, either. I guess some humiliations just fester until they spill out.
Who would believe I was still a vir/gin after three years of marriage? I'd even wondered if he had a problem.
But the truth was worse. I'd seen him in his study, an album in his lap, his hand moving underneath. His choked gasps felt like slaps across my face.
Once, he noticed me and pulled me into a tight embrace. "Elara, I'm sorry," he'd whispered against my neck. "I'm afraid I'll hurt you. I can't bear to touch you... I can only... look at your pictures like this."
Absurdly, I'd believed him. I'd even blushed.
But the night I flew back to New York, feverish and desperate, I'd pried open his locked cabinet.
That album was filled with pictures of Amelia. My sister-in-law. Ethan's wife.
Every smile was a treasure to him. And I was the punchline of a joke I never agreed to be in.
I even remembered all those years I’d trailed after Zane like a little puppy. It wasn’t that I was deliberately following him—it was just that my brother was always with him.
After watching for so long, I’d started to fantasize—if I could marry a man so gentle and patient, I’d probably be very happy.
Back then, Zane was refined and elegant, always bringing me little gifts when he visited my brother. Among my brother's friends, he was the most steady, the most reassuring.
And this same man would rather get off to pictures of his sister-in-law than touch the wife sleeping right beside him.
I hadn’t expected Chloe to move so fast.
I’d just finished washing up and hadn’t even gone downstairs when the doorbell rang. The urgency suggested that if the courthouse weren’t closed, she’d have dragged me there to finalize the divorce immediately.
I had just taken the thick envelope of divorce papers, feeling a strange sense of settlement, when a sharp crash came from upstairs.
Before I could react, the maid, Mary, hurried down, her face troubled. “Ma’am…”
“What happened?”
“Your… the family portrait in your bedroom… Young Master Max broke it.”
I thought it was just the frame. But what Mary handed me was an old photograph, torn into several pieces.
My face instantly lost all color.
This was the only photo I had with my parents from before I was five. After they died in the accident, this family portrait was all that remained—my most precious, my only keepsake.
Clutching the torn fragments, I turned and strode upstairs.
I ran right into Amelia coming out of my bedroom, holding Max.
My voice was ice. “Amelia. You went into my room.”
She looked utterly composed. “Zane said this will be Max’s home from now on.”
Max looked up defiantly and shouted, “Uncle Zane said he’ll take care of me and Mommy, just like Daddy did!”
Looking at Amelia, seeing she had no intention of correcting him, I suddenly smiled lightly.
I crouched down to Max’s level. “You know Christmas is only a few days away, don’t you?” I asked, my voice soft. “Do you know what Santa Claus does to naughty little boys?”
Max nodded proudly. “He brings me lots and lots of candy!”
I shook my head, my smile gentle but edged with danger. “Wrong. He cuts off the hands that broke my picture and bakes them in the oven to feed to the monsters.”
“Wahhhhh—!!!”
Max, just a child after all, burst into terrified tears and buried his face in Amelia’s neck.
Amelia frowned, looking at me with displeasure. “He’s just a child. You didn’t need to scare him like that.”
I remained expressionless. “If you can’t even teach a child basic manners, what can you do besides risking your life skydiving?” A part of me couldn't help but wonder if that "risk" was ever just a cleverly disguised intention.
With that, I turned and went back to my room, shutting the door decisively behind me.
Late that night, the sound of an engine purred in the courtyard. A black Maybach slid smoothly into the garage. Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, I watched the car door open. Max happily pulled Amelia toward Zane. The three of them stood together, looking indistinguishably harmonious. Like a family.
A little while later, the doorbell to my room rang. Zane entered. He was still elegant in his white shirt, but the air around him was cold.
His gaze was sharp, his voice low and tight with accusation. "What the he/ll did you say to him, Elara? He's been hysterical since I got home, crying that monsters are coming for him. He's a child who just lost his father. Was that really necessary?"
“Yeah,” I said, my voice flat. I pointed to the nightstand. “He ripped up my family photo. The only one I had.”
Zane froze for a second. You could practically see the gears grinding in his head as he realized this wasn’t just some kid’s tantrum.
He reached out like he was going to touch my hair, some half-baked gesture of comfort. I je/rked my head back. Seeing me still pi**ed, his tone got all soft and placating.
“My fault. I’ll make sure Max apologizes too. Okay? Look, I’ll make it up to you. Whatever you want.”
I looked up at him and felt a cold smile twist my lips. “Anything?”
“Name it,” he said, nodding, already looking relieved. Like this was just another problem he could throw money at.
“Then I want these two things.” I handed him the two documents I’d been holding.
He glanced at the first one—a property transfer deed. Didn’t even blink. Just scrawled his signature across the bottom. No hesitation. When it came to paying people off, he was always generous.
For the second document, he didn’t even bother reading it. Just flipped straight to the last page and signed with a flourish, like he was too important for the fine print.
Once he was done, he let out this sigh, like a huge weight was off his shoulders. Then he slid his arm around my waist and pulled me into his ch/est. “Elara,” he murmured, his voice all smug. “How did your brother manage to raise you to be so… understanding?”
The touch made my skin crawl. I was about to shove him off when there were two quick knocks on the half-open door.
The second it swung open and Zane saw who was there, his arms unlocked. He didn’t just let me go—he pushed me away from him. Like I was something contagious.
It took me a second to process the shove. Then it hit me. Of course.
To prove his loyalty to his true love, he could go three years without laying a hand on his own wife. Now, with her living under the same roof, he couldn’t risk being caught in anything that looked even remotely intimate.
At the door, Amelia stood looking all sweet and concerned. “Zane, Max is asking for you. He says he can’t sleep without you.”
“I’ll be right there,” he told her, his voice dropping into that gentle tone he never used with me. He glanced back at me. “You’re… not mad, are you?”
“Of course not,” I said, my voice even.
The moment he turned and left, I pulled out the second document he’d signed without a second thought.
The divorce agreement.
I guess I really was well-behaved and understanding. I’d even done him the courtesy of drafting the papers myself and handing them to him personally.

【8986】

09/22/2025

A prophecy warned me to flee Derek when I turned 25.
I thought it was nonsense—until I realized it was written in my own handwriting.
Two years ago, my fiancé chose another woman in front of every pack in the territory.
Just when I was publicly humiliated, Derek Stone—the most powerful Alpha in the region—knelt before me and said he'd been waiting for me for a decade.
I thought I'd finally found true love.
Until last night, when I overheard him talking to his Beta:
"How much longer do we keep giving her the suppressants?"
"Ruby doesn't want Aria bearing my pups."
"Everything I do is for Ruby."
He's been secretly feeding me disguised, letting me believe I was infertile.
For two years, every tender moment—it was all LIE.
The most terrifying part? That mysterious prophecy parchment grew a third line yesterday:
"Above all, avoid the Silver Crescent Territory. Take your hidden resources and run."
What he doesn't know is that the "helpless" Luna he's been manipulating has secretly amassed a fortune through years.
This time, I'm disappearing on my own terms.

The night before my Pack Binding Ceremony with Luke Blackwood, an ancient parchment materialized in my chambers.

Unmarked and unsealed, it lay deliberately placed upon my desk, bearing no pack sigil nor territorial mark.

Two prophecies were etched into the weathered surface: "When the moon marks your eighteenth year, guard your heart from Luke Blackwood; when your twenty-fifth moon rises, flee from Derek Stone's path."

I frowned, not at the cryptic message, but at the haunting recognition of my own handwriting - each stroke carrying the weight of profound sorrow and rage.

My phone's ring shattered my contemplation.

Seeing Luke's name, I hastily tucked the parchment into my family's old book of pack records. I'd purposely avoided his pre-binding celebration tonight, knowing full well how these gatherings could turn.

Luke's voice was heavy with lunar mead - the potent drink reserved for pack celebrations. "Come get me. Now."

Worried, I grabbed a vial of moonflower extract - an ancient remedy that could clear even an Alpha's head.

But when I pushed open the heavy wooden doors to the pack's ceremonial den - a sacred gathering space where generations of Blackwoods had celebrated their most intimate pack rituals - the scene before me froze my blood: Luke was entwined with Ruby Forest, their scents mingling in an unmistakable way.

"Aria," Ruby said smoothly, "our Alpha's just had too much lunar mead. Don't worry about it."

Ruby Forest - a lone wolf cub taken in by the Blackwood Pack years ago, marked with their pack sigil despite her foreign blood.

After showing unusual strength, she was sent to the Arctic Crescent Pack for advanced training. Before she left those years ago, her parting words still bu//rned in my memory: "Aria, you'll never be his true mate. An Alpha's blood calls to its own kind."

I moved to separate them, but Luke pushed me away. "Leave me alone! I want Ruby here."

The pack members around us shifted uncomfortably, their wolves sensing the rising tension.

"Alpha, the lunar mead clouds your judgment. Let me help you home," Ruby's voice was sweet, but her hands possessively traced the pack mark on his neck.

"My little wolf," he breathed, nuzzling into her touch, "you've returned to our pack at last. My wolf has yearned for your presence."

His words cut deep, humiliating me before the entire pack.

"Aria, you're suffocating me! Yes, I agreed to the binding, but can't I have one last moon of freedom?!"

Swallowing my pain, I whispered, "You called me here..."

"Aria, it's my fault. I saw our Alpha was affected by the mead and suggested he call you... I never thought..."

"Ruby, you're not to blame."

"Just go! Your presence disturbs the pack's celebration."

Fighting back tears, I set down the vial and retreated in silence.

It doesn't matter, I told myself.

Tomorrow I would still be the one completing the Pack Binding Ceremony with Luke.

I would be his Luna, not Ruby Forest.

But I never imagined Luke had orchestrated an even crueler surprise for our binding day.

Under the full moon's witness and before the gathered packs, Luke Blackwood's voice rang out with cold finality: "I, Luke Blackwood, Alpha of the Midnight Crest Pack, reject Aria Winters of the Winter Moon Pack as my mate. My wolf has chosen another, and I will not bind myself to one whose blood does not call to mine."

I stood frozen at the ancient binding stone, a mockery before every pack in attendance, my entire bloodline - the proud Winter Moon Pack - reduced to whispers and sneers.

The wolf I'd yearned for through nearly a decade was now publicly declaring his love for Ruby Forest at what should have been our binding ceremony.

"My parents always opposed my connection to Ruby, even sent her to the Northern Territories for training. But so what! We only live one life, and I refuse to be bound to someone my wolf rejects - someone whose very scent repulses me. I won't take a Luna my wolf despises!"

"Ruby, you are my true mate, the other half of my soul!"

I looked at Ruby Forest, catching the triumphant gleam in her eyes even as she masterfully played the role of the shocked, innocent wolf - afraid and overwhelmed by the situation.

As my tears fell, Derek Stone emerged from the crowd.

The powerful Alpha of the Storm Valley Pack, known throughout the territories for his strength and honor, moved with the grace of a born leader. Whispers rippled through the gathering - what business did such a formidable Alpha have with this situation?

With gentle hands that had led his pack through countless battles, he wiped my tears away, then knelt before me at the binding stone, offering his Alpha mark in front of all assembled packs.

"Aria Winters, you know the depth of my devotion. For every moon you've loved Luke, my wolf has recognized you as its true mate. I've waited in silence, respecting your choice, but I can no longer deny what my heart and wolf have always known."

"Let me bind my life to yours. Let me prove that my pack, my strength, my very soul belongs to you alone. Be my Luna, my mate, my equal in leading the Storm Valley Pack. Every full moon that rises will witness my dedication to your happiness."

Like a wolf who'd finally found her true pack after a long winter, I accepted.

In one moon's turn, I transformed from the pack's whispered joke to the revered Luna of the Storm Valley Pack.

After our binding, thoughts of that mysterious parchment would occasionally surface,

but Derek's devotion and protection made those warnings seem distant and meaningless.

Until two years after our binding, I overheard a conversation between Derek and his Beta Marcus.

I was bringing him moon-blessed broth, planning our anniversary hunt, when I heard his Beta, Marcus’s voice through his study door.

"Alpha Stone, here's the new batch. As always, I've replaced her fertility herbs with suppressants."

Suppressants?

My heart clenched.

Was Derek hiding another mate?

I couldn't hear Derek's response, but his Beta's hesitant voice continued: "Alpha Stone, these suppressants... prolonged use will weaken her wolf. You keep telling Luna Aria they're strengthening herbs, but if she discovers the truth..."

"She hasn't noticed for two years. Why would that change now?"

I stood frozen, my world shattering. It wasn't my wolf that was unable to conceive - Derek had been feeding me fertility suppressants disguised as strengthening herbs!

The same Derek who would hold me after our intimate moments, whispering tenderly, "My Luna, when we have pups, they'll have your fierce spirit."

I leaned against the stone wall, my legs weakening beneath me.

"Ruby said she cannot accept Aria having my pups."

"But Alpha, everything you've done for Ruby, while she still runs with Luke Blackwood... You deserve better!"

Derek's voice carried that familiar softness reserved for Ruby: "Let her do as she pleases. I removed Aria as an obstacle for her. She'll remember my loyalty."

"You've been orchestrating this since we were young wolves, deliberately getting close to Aria, even challenging for her multiple times. Ruby takes your devotion for granted! Meanwhile, Aria has been nothing but loyal these past two years, caring for your pack elders, maintaining pack harmony. Why not embrace the mate bond you have with her..."

Every hunt, every shared moon, every gesture of protection - it was all for Ruby.

What a noble martyr he played, willing to help Ruby secure her bond with Luke while performing this decade-long deception before me!

A crash sounded from within. "Never speak of this again. Ruby would be furious if she heard."

"Ruby's moon-blessing ceremony approaches. Book me passage to the Silver Crescent Territory. The ancient packs there still hold power, and she wishes to celebrate among them."

"And withdraw our alliance with the Winter Moon Pack. Ruby's displeased - transfer those resources directly to her accounts."

His Beta's voice grew urgent: "Alpha, that's no small matter! The Winter Moon Pack relies on that alliance for survival."

Derek's voice turned cold: "Their survival is not my concern."

"This will devastate Luna Aria. Her former pack already treats her as an outcast."

After a moment's silence, Derek's voice hardened: "If her pack falls, she'll be even more dependent on me."

Tears streamed down my face as my body trembled, barely able to stand.

What a fool I'd been, believing he was my salvation, my protector,

Never suspecting it was all an elaborate performance!

What I'd proudly called happiness must have been quite the entertainment for Ruby.

As the study door opened, I hastily wiped my tears away, forcing a smile to my face.

"Beta Marcus, I brought the moon-blessed broth."

His eyes held sympathy I couldn't bear to acknowledge.

"Aria, my love, haven't we agreed to let the pack servants handle such tasks?" Derek's voice was gentle as he grasped my hand. "You shouldn't be working in the kitchens yourself."

I maintained my smile with effort. "I worried about your strength after the territory negotiations. I'll wait downstairs while you finish your work."

I fled, but something made me turn back. Through the door, I heard Derek's cold command: "Like always, dispose of it."

My throat tightened painfully.

So this was where my carefully prepared offerings ended up - in the refuse pile.

I stared at the small cuts on my hands from preparing the herbs, feeling utterly foolish.

Derek joined me soon after, taking my hand with practiced tenderness. He held up the empty container with a playful grin.

"All gone, my Luna. Thank you. Having you as my mate makes me the most blessed Alpha in all the territories."

"But please, no more kitchen work. These cuts pain my wolf to see."

How could such convincing concern be mere pretense?

I looked at the empty container in his hands,

Never again. I would never prepare another meal for Derek Stone.

He held me close as we entered his vehicle, still attentive as ever, ensuring my safety belt was secure.

"Do you still keep contact with Ruby?" I asked casually.

He paused. "Why do you ask about her now?"

When I stayed silent, he stroked my hair affectionately. "Still upset about Luke and her?"

"She had a hard life as a pup - a lone wolf cub, neither sire nor dam, until the Blackwood Pack took her in. When they discovered Luke's affection to her, they sent her to the Arctic Crescent Pack for advanced training to avoid eliminate their love."

I swallowed my bitterness and said, "That's long past. I have you now. It's good to know you three shared a pack bond from such young ages."

His relief was palpable. "My sweet Luna, binding with you was a blessing earned through multiple lifetimes."

Trying to keep my voice steady, I said, "Our binding anniversary is coming up. We should explore some new territories together."

His lengthy silence told me he'd forgotten - yet remembered Ruby's moon-blessing ceremony.

I turned away, discretely wiping a tear.

"Let's visit the Silver Crescent Territory. My Luna hasn't seen those ancient lands yet. We'll make it a romantic journey."

My heart shattered completely, but I forced a smile, nodding. "Yes, the Silver Crescent Territory sounds perfect."

Back in our den, while Derek attended his pack video council, I desperately searched for that prophetic parchment from years ago.

After moving dens once, I had lost track of where I'd placed that prophetic parchment.

I searched our entire chambers until finally discovering it tucked away in a shadowed corner.

My hands trembled as I unfolded it. The two prophecies had faded slightly in the past two years.

Then my breath caught - there was a third message that hadn't been there before, written shortly after the first two, judging by the ink's age:

"Above all, avoid the Silver Crescent Territory. Take your hidden resources and flee both the Winter Moon Pack and Derek Stone."

The familiar handwriting carried an unmistakable rage beneath each stroke.

I collapsed to the floor, shaken.

This mysterious parchment was undeniably written by my own hand.

Everyone believed I was just a dependent wolf - first relying on Luke Blackwood, now seeking protection from Derek Stone. Just a submissive Luna with no power of her own.

None knew that since my young wolf years, I'd been a renowned writer among the packs, amassing considerable wealth in secret.

The chamber door opened and Derek entered, bare-che//sted from training. Seeing my distressed state, he rushed to my side.

"Aria, what's wrong?"

I quickly concealed the parchment. "Just feeling weak. My wolf needs nourishment."

Derek sighed, gathering me tenderly into our bed. "You need to take better care of yourself, my Luna. I'll have the pack kitchen prepare meals for you."

I listed a few traditional dishes absently, my mind churning with unease.

In the depth of night, while Derek slept, I secretly arranged passage, far away from The Silver Crescent Territory, scheduled for the day before our binding anniversary.

The Silver Crescent Territory was now forbidden to me.

It was time to break free.

This elaborate charade Derek had orchestrated around me -

It was time to end it.

【5877】

09/16/2025

Three months before the rejection, she applied for a pack transfer.
One month before, she mailed him the bond-severing papers.
Three days before, she vanished from his world.
When Alpha Kane appeared on live TV, voice breaking: "My wolf is dying without her!"
Her phone buzzed with his desperate call. She just answered calmly:
"Hello Sir. What can I do for you?"

Three months ago, the hospital director, Dr. Marcus Reed, held Aria's transfer application and looked at her in astonishment. "Aria, are you certain about transferring to Crescent Moon Medical Center?"

Aria's lashes fluttered as she smiled faintly, her expression tinged with the sorrow. "I've made up my mind."

Her wolf whimpered softly in her ch//est, sensing the finality in her decision.

Seeing her determination, Marcus sighed and signed the paperwork.

As Aria left the director's office, she ran into Kane and Seraphina Cross in her white coat, with a little pup.

She paused in her tracks.

The scene before her could have been a perfect pack family portrait.

Seraphina walked beside Kane, the boy beaming as he held both their hands.

The sight pierced Aria's heart like silver.

Kane's patience and tenderness toward them were things she'd never experienced, not even during their heat cycles.

She knew he resented their forced bond.

Seraphina had been Kane's first love. Aria only learned they'd separated after she was bonded to Kane through a deal with his grandmother.

To Kane, she was the scheming wolf who'd stolen him away through manipulation. He never knew the truth—that she'd met him long before Seraphina, though he didn't remember their first encounter under the blood moon.

She'd believed their mating bond would make him recall their past and win his heart.

But she was completely wrong.

He despised her with the fury of a caged Alpha.

How could love grow from such hatred?

For six years, he'd claimed to be unmated in public, pretending not to recognize her scent. The proof was undeniable.

"Dr. Ashworth?" Seraphina greeted her.

Kane frowned, his amber eyes sharp as if warning Aria against revealing their bond.

The distance in his gaze sent a pang through her heart, but she maintained her composure. "Ms. Cross. Alpha Ravencrest."

The formal address made Kane's jaw tighten almost imperceptibly.

Kane had recently become an investor in Silverstone Medical Center. Aria knew he hadn't done it for her, but for Seraphina.

Seraphina's return from studying abroad, her immediate position at the hospital, and her appointment as head of surgery made his motives clear as moonlight.

Everyone in the hospital knew she had Alpha Kane's backing, and the recent rumors that he was Seraphina's chosen mate had never been addressed by him.

Seraphina looped her arm through Kane's with practiced ease. "No need for formalities, Dr. Ashworth. At the hospital, you're a veteran, and I still have a lot to learn from you."

Before Aria could respond, the boy tugged at Kane. "Alpha Daddy, I'm tired. Can you carry me? Please?"

Aria's expression dramatically changed at the term "Daddy".

Seraphina feigned scolding. "Jasper, you can't call him that!" She turned to Kane apologetically. "I'm sorry. He doesn't know better."

Kane glanced at Aria briefly, before effortlessly lifting the boy with neutral efficiency. "It's fine."

"I like you. I wish you were my real daddy!" Raven Cross clung to Kane's neck.

Seraphina tapped the boy's nose playfully. "Silly boy."

Aria clenched her fists until her nails drew blood, the metallic scent sharp in the air.

This gentle, patient side of Kane was one she'd never known.

Aria decided not to dwell on it.

She wouldn't warm his heart anyway.

Perhaps this was the Moon Goddess's way of setting her free.

Swallowing her pain like bitter wolfsbane, she stepped past them into the elevator.

***

Aria hadn't made her job transfer application public, nor had she told Kane, because she thought it was unnecessary.

He likely wouldn't care anyway. His wolf had never shown interest in her movements.

Her car pulled up to Ravencrest Manor, where she rang the bell with hands that trembled slightly.

In no time, the housekeeper, Margaret Hayes, came out to open the door. "Luna Aria, you're back."

"Is Elder Ravencrest home?"

"Yes, she's inside. Please come in." Margaret treated Aria with utmost respect due to the Alpha's mate.

Kane's grandmother, Eleanor Ravencrest, was a highly respected elder in the Ravencrest pack. Since her mate's passing, Eleanor had been the true power behind the pack's affairs.

Eleanor was born into a powerful pack that controlled vast territories. In her youth, she had been a formidable Luna and shrewd pack politician. Even if Kane's mother disliked Aria, she wouldn't dare cross Aria in Eleanor's presence.

Margaret led Aria to the meditation room where Eleanor knelt on a cushion, praying to the Moon Goddess.

"Elder Ravencrest, Luna Aria is here."

Eleanor opened her eyes slowly, her wolf-sharp gaze assessing. "Come sit."

After Margaret left, Aria knelt beside Eleanor, bowing devoutly before the silver statue of the Moon Goddess.

"Elder Ravencrest," Aria began, her voice steady despite her racing heart, "I want to sever our bond with Kane."

Eleanor froze momentarily before meeting her gaze. "This wasn't our agreement when we made our deal. Are you having second thoughts?"

Yes, she was.

Aria lowered her eyes, suppressing the bitterness in them. "I've disappointed you."

Eleanor closed her eyes briefly and sighed. "Well. If that's what you want, go ahead and end your bond with him. Since I gave you the opportunity, but you still couldn't win his heart. Now our pack owes you nothing more."

A heavy weight settled in Aria's ch//est like stones in a river. "Thank you," she replied hoarsely, her wolf whimpering at the finality.

***

Returning to Moonrise Apartments, she coincidentally encountered Seraphina, her son, and Kane downstairs.

They had arrived in Kane's black Porsche, the scent of his cologne still lingering in the evening air.

Aria stood frozen.

Seraphina looked at her in surprise. "Dr. Ashworth? Do you live at Moonrise Apartments too?"

Instinctively, Aria glanced at Kane, but he showed no reaction.

His coldness cut deeper than silver claws.

Moonrise Apartments was a luxury complex in Boston, one of the Ravencrest pack's properties. Kane had offered it to her as compensation for their forced bond.

It was close to the hospital, so she accepted it.

She never imagined he would move Seraphina and her son here as well.

How eager his wolf must be.

"What a coincidence," Aria murmured, suppressing her emotions.

As she turned to leave, Seraphina spoke again. "Dr. Ashworth, I heard you're mated. Why haven't we seen your mate around?"

Aria's steps faltered.

Her gaze flickered to Kane, whose amber eyes darkened with displeasure.

Aria sneered inwardly. Was he really that afraid of Seraphina finding out about their mating bond?

"I don't have a mate," she stated flatly.

A shadow passed through Kane's normally controlled eyes.

"But Dr. Ashworth, your records list you as mated," Seraphina said, her smile still in place but her eyes sharp as a blade.

Her hospital records did indeed list her as bonded. Yet no one had ever seen her supposed mate.

Aria forced a mocking smile. "I just wrote that for fun. I don't have a mate."

Kane's eyes narrowed dangerously at her denial.

Since she'd already decided to leave, she didn't care anymore about keeping her mating status a secret.

Without another glance at the group behind her, Aria strode into the apartment building.

In the evening, Aria packed all her personal belongings into two large suitcases and stored them in the walk-in closet.

Her gaze fell on the photo frame of their mating ceremony, in which she was wearing a white dress, holding Kane's hand, smiling beautifully, in stark contrast to his cold, serious face.

Back then, she'd simply thought he just didn't like showing emotion. Though it was their only photo together as bonded mates, she'd treasured it.

But now, it just seemed like a mockery of the Moon Goddess's gift.

It wasn't that he disliked showing warmth. She just hadn't been worthy of his smiles.

Picking up the photo for one last look, she tossed it into a cardboard box with other discarded items, sealing them away in the closet.

As she exited the bedroom, sounds and familiar scent from the living room caught her attention. Kane had returned.

Entering the living area, she saw him hanging his coat on the entryway rack and changing his shoes.

Aria took a deep breath and approached him.

"Don't you have any explanation for today?" she asked, referring to his decision to move Seraphina and her son into Moonrise Apartments, too.

Kane removed his tie, his amber eyes cold. "Explain what?"

"The apartments are close to the hospital. If you can live there, why can't they?"

He draped the tie over his arm and stared at her. "Aria, you got what you wanted. Don't be petty."

Aria was devastated by his words. Her wolf whimpering inside.

Got what she wanted?

In his eyes, she had already obtained the position of Luna. Any objection to Seraphina and her son moving in must seem like petty jealousy to him.

As he turned toward the bedroom, Aria stopped him. "We need to talk."

Kane paused and turned back impatiently, his gaze indifferent. "What now?"

"Let's sever our bond." Aria slowly removed her Luna ring and clenched it in her palm. "I'm setting you free."

【7014】

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