Chapter 1

I had been with Alpha Ethan for five years. Every time we had sex, I would beg him to mark me. But he would always tell me gently, "Not yet, Mia. The Council has arranged a political alliance for me. If I mark you now, they’ll see it as a direct challenge to their authority."

"Just wait a little longer. Once my position is stable and I can stand up to those power-hungry Elders, we can be together."

I believed him. I suppressed my inner instincts, waiting for the day he would finally declare me his Luna.

Until our fifth anniversary. I had prepared a surprise gift for him.

Instead, I walked into the VIP lounge at the bar and saw him pressing Summer, an Omega from our pack, against the wall. He was kissing her with a wild, desperate passion.

Summer gasped, weakly pushing against his chest. "Ethan, stop... Your girlfriend will be furious if she finds out..."

Ethan let out a casual, low chuckle. "Let her be. I’m exhausted from all this Council mating drama. I need to relax."

"She’s obedient. I’ll just throw a few sweet words her way, and she’ll stay. She’s not going anywhere."

Standing outside the door, my hands and feet went cold. My heart squeezed so tightly I could barely breathe.

All those times I had tolerated his coldness, believing his excuses, he was just using them to seek thrill and novelty with someone else.