Chapter 1

The day I lost my pup, Alpha Liam suddenly tensed up, his eyes staring off into the distance.

Then, he looked at me with pain in his eyes.

"Emma, something happened to Chloe. I have to go."

I gently stroked my lower belly and stared at him quietly.

"Do you really have to go?"

Liam’s voice trembled. He didn't dare to look me in the eye.

"Emma, I’ll be back soon. The three of us... we're going to be fine. I promise."

With that, he left without looking back.

He didn't see me collapse to the floor. The sting from our mate bond sliced through my heart like a knife.

The Healer shook her head, looking at me with pity.

"The Moon Goddess did not bless this little one."

I closed my eyes and nodded.

My pup was gone. And I was done with Liam.

Chloe was Liam’s former lover. Her name was a taboo between us.

No one had mentioned her in a long time.

Hearing it again today felt like a lifetime ago.

Liam’s expression was conflicted and painful.

Just like when he knelt before me, begging for my forgiveness.

He had sworn to the Moon Goddess that he would cut all ties with Chloe.

"Do you really have to go?"

My voice didn't sound like my own. It was surprisingly calm.

But Liam was already gone.

His retreating figure was firm and resolute.

But I laughed.

A sharp pain tore through my abdomen. The agonizing backlash of a betrayed mate bond surged through my body. Blood pooled on the floor.

In the end, I couldn't save my pup.

I returned to the packhouse, pale as a ghost.

The house was pitch black. Liam wasn't back.

No calls. No texts.

My lips curved into a mocking smile.

It was obvious where he was.

Just as I was about to head to the bedroom, the front door swung open.

Liam was back.

He looked at me, a flicker of surprise and guilt in his eyes.

"Emma? Why are you in the living room? Why aren't you resting? How did the checkup go today?"

He stepped forward, reaching out to hug me.

But I smelled a scent that didn't belong to either of us.

As my eyes drifted to his neck, I saw a faint red mark.

I should have been furious. Instead, I felt a strange sense of relief, like a storm had finally passed.

It was as if our mate bond had died along with our pup.

My wolf nodded in my mind, guiding me to take a step back in disgust.

"Liam, I reject you as my mate."

Liam froze. Then, irritation flared in his voice.

"Emma! What the hell are you doing? I told you, this was the last time! Why can't you just be understanding for once?"

I stared at the frustrated Liam, my mind drifting.

He rarely lost his temper with me.

In everyone's eyes, Liam loved me to death.

And I used to believe that too.

He never hesitated to spend a fortune on high-end jewelry for me.

To make me happy, he set off grand fireworks on my birthday.

There were countless things like that.

Until Chloe, an Omega in our pack, entered the picture.

Just because I asked Chloe to get out of the passenger seat of Liam’s car.

Chloe’s eyes welled with tears, looking deeply hurt.

And Liam snapped at me.

That was when I knew Liam had crossed the line with Chloe.

I cried, screamed, and even threatened to banish Chloe from the pack.

Liam, a man so proud, actually knelt and apologized to me.

He promised he would cut things off completely.

He said he was just temporarily lost.

He said he would make Chloe leave the pack and never see her again.

Back then, rubbing my belly, I decided to give him one more chance for the sake of our pup.

But now, I knew. I didn't want this man anymore.

Liam was still making excuses.

"Emma, I said this was the last time. She’s already leaving. Stop throwing a tantrum, okay? Didn't we agree never to bring up rejection again?"

I looked at him. The man before me felt like a complete stranger.

He had turned into a liar, spitting out nothing but falsehoods.

My stomach started to ache again. I didn't have the energy to argue with him anymore. I turned around and walked back to the bedroom.

A loud slam echoed from the front door.