Chapter 1

My fated mate, Alpha Felix, had always put his adoptive sister, Serena, first.

Whenever danger struck, his first instinct was always to pull her into his arms.

The night our pack was attacked by rogues, he smashed through three doors just to carry Serena out of her room first.

Only after making sure she was safe did he remember I was still trapped in the thick smoke. He then sent someone to find me.

That incident left a bad burn scar on my shoulder. For the very first time, I forced him to choose between me and Serena.

He looked at me in confusion. "Nova, Serena is just my sister. Besides, she is much weaker. Why are you competing with her?"

"I swear to you, I'll treat you both equally from now on, okay?"

Yet, on the day we were supposed to step onto the altar to take our vows, Serena followed us all the way to the Moon Goddess statue. Her first words were:

"Brother, this is your first time taking a vow before the Moon Goddess. Shouldn't I go first?"

Felix chuckled, ruffled her hair, and told her this time was different.

But Serena refused to let it go. She tugged at his sleeve and begged him over and over.

I watched the resolve in Felix's eyes crumble. Just as he was about to turn around to comfort me, I simply laughed.

Our bond of seven years was meaningless.

Without waiting for him to speak, I pulled the pack token out of my bag and shoved it into his hand.

I lifted my chin toward the altar.

"Go ahead."

Chapter 1

I agreed so quickly that a flash of shock crossed Felix's eyes.

"Nova, you..."

Before he could finish, Serena was already impatiently tugging at his shirt, pulling him toward the center of the altar.

Felix swallowed his questions, instinctively trying to comfort me.

"Nova, Serena grew up outside the pack and doesn't know the rules. Just play along with her."

"I'll explain everything to the Pack Council in a few days. I promise to give you the biggest bonding ceremony later. You're the only mate I acknowledge."

But I didn't want to be his Luna anymore.

My eyes burned as I watched them stand close together. I turned around and walked away.

As soon as I started my car, I called the pack Beta.

"Send out a notice. Cancel tonight's mating party immediately. Charge all the cancellation fees to my personal account."

After handling that, I opened my email and replied to the job offer I had planned to decline.

[The contract is signed. I'll arrive on time for the wildlife shoot in the Northern Uncharted Territory next week.]

Right after I switched screens, Serena posted an update on the pack feed.

[Sharing my first altar vow with Felix.]

The attached photo showed two mating tokens placed side by side in front of the Moon Goddess statue. The spot where my name should have been carved now belonged to Serena.

I gave a bitter smile and casually liked the post.

My phone blew up with messages from Maya at that exact moment. I picked a few to reply to while scrolling through her messages calling Felix a complete jerk.

She had also sent a stack of high-quality photos featuring Alphas she carefully selected.

Maya ran the most exclusive mate-matching service on the continent, boasting a roster of the top single Alphas in North America.

I used to joke with her that the day I dumped Felix, the very first thing I would do was pick the hottest guy from her list to spend the night with.

Now that the day had actually come, I couldn't muster up any interest.

But seeing how hard she was trying to distract me, I didn't refuse her kindness.

[Alright, send me the one with the best body.]

Maya happily agreed. Then she cautiously asked if I was still going to the elite pack party tonight.

I knew her concerns too well. For an inner-circle gathering of this level, she wouldn't even get past the door if I didn't show up.

Felix had prepared this party to celebrate the ceremony. Everyone attending was a powerful Alpha or a wealthy investor, making it the perfect hunting ground for Maya's business.

Maya wanted to use the opportunity to expand her Alpha database. I couldn't let her down, especially since I had paid for half of that party anyway.

[I'll be there.] I replied to her.

Perhaps Felix also vaguely realized he had gone too far today. Before the party, he had a rare moment of conscience and actually went out of his way to pick me up first.

It was also his first time leaving Serena outside the pack headquarters, making her stand in the cold wind for a full twenty minutes.

Serena was furious. She released a sour scent from the backseat during the entire drive to the party estate.

I had zero interest in getting involved in the weird tension between them. The moment the car parked, I pushed the door open to get out.

Felix grabbed my wrist right then, his tone helpless. "Nova, are you still throwing a fit?"

Just as I was about to say no, a muffled sob came from the backseat.

His warm grip on my wrist instantly vanished. In the time it took for the car door to open and close, Felix had already climbed into the back. He pulled Serena into his arms and whispered words of comfort.

I watched these two act like real mates through the rearview mirror. I couldn't help but scoff before slamming the car door shut.

It took a full ten minutes before they finally stepped out of the car.

Their fingers were tightly intertwined. My hands instinctively balled into fists.

My first instinct was to turn around and look for Maya, but then I remembered she had a last-minute VIP client and couldn't make it. I could only stiffly look down.

Felix noticed my gaze and immediately dropped Serena's hand. He had just opened his mouth to explain when a voice cut in first.

"Alpha, since you both stood at the altar today, shouldn't you share a kiss right here?"

Chapter 2

The shout caused the entire estate to erupt into applause. That single voice drew every eye toward us.

I pressed my lips together tightly, instinctively looking up at Felix, who was standing a few steps away.

But his eyes weren't on me at all. Instead, he looked helplessly at Serena beside him, as if asking for her help.

My heart seized violently, feeling like it was being crushed. I blinked hard and looked away.

I must have been crazy to expect anything from him. The person who stood with him on the altar today was Serena, not me.

Facing the excited gazes of the surrounding wolves, I spoke coldly.

"Why are you looking at me? I wasn't the one on the altar today. You should be cheering for Serena."

The room went dead silent instantly. Everyone in the pack knew exactly how much Felix spoiled his adopted sister.

Felix's face darkened.

"Nova, do you have to be so hostile on an occasion like this?"

"I already explained that the altar thing was just for fun. She's just my sister. As the future Luna, do you really have to be this petty?"

His eyes were full of irritation, making it seem as though I was the one being completely unreasonable.

But over these seven years, have I really been the unreasonable one?

He said Serena was just his sister, so washing her designer clothes by hand at twenty-two was perfectly fine.

He always held her hand when they went out. When other packs mistook her for the Luna, him refusing to clarify was also perfectly fine.

Giving her the Luna ring, the Luna gown, and even his very first vows to the Moon Goddess. All of it was perfectly fine.

Then where exactly was the line?

Was my heartbreak the only thing that didn't matter?

And now, even telling the simple truth was considered unreasonable.

It was absolutely absurd.

Feeling the tears welling up in my eyes, I quickly turned my head away, forcing them back down.

Just as I was about to speak, Serena started crying first.

"Felix, did I do something wrong to upset Nova?"

Her eyes were completely red, tears hanging on her lashes. "I really didn't mean to. I just wanted to share this first experience with you so badly."

"If Nova minds, I can give the ring back right now."

Before she could finish, Felix interrupted her with a pained look. "Stop that. You did nothing wrong. I gave you three days to do whatever you wanted, and I won't take that away from you."

He let out a long sigh and turned to me. "Nova, you agreed to let her experience it. Now you're causing a scene in public and humiliating her. Apologize to her, and we can put this behind us."

The tone Felix used made it sound like asking me to apologize was his greatest act of mercy.

I laughed.

This was far from the first time he had forced me to bow my head to Serena.

In the past, I would always argue with him.

I would argue until I was red in the face, trying to make him see that Serena wasn't the only one who felt wronged. I desperately tried to prove that I was the one actually getting hurt.

Every time we fought, he would end up hugging me guiltily. He would apologize and swear he would never let anyone cross the line again.

But the moment he turned around, everything went back to the way it was.

After a full seven years of this toxic mess, I was completely exhausted.

I pressed my lips together, took a deep breath, stood up, and spoke slowly.

"Fine. I was wrong."

I was wrong for not seeing his blatant favoritism toward Serena sooner. I was wrong for believing he would change.

Thankfully, I woke up before it was too late.

Felix froze for a few seconds when he heard that.

He had gotten exactly the result he wanted, yet a rare flash of panic crossed his eyes.

While he was dazed, I grabbed my bag and walked toward the door.

He suddenly snapped out of it, instinctively stepping forward to chase after me. But Serena wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. "Felix, the pack elders are still waiting for us to make an appearance."

I didn't hear the rest of her sentence. I just suddenly remembered something I had left behind.

The moment I turned my head, I caught Serena standing on her tiptoes, pressing her lips against his.

Felix stood rooted to the spot. He didn't raise a hand to push her away.

My hand froze in my bag. A loud buzzing sound rang in my head, like something had violently exploded.

Intense pain ripped through my heart along the mating bond. My chest felt like it had been torn open by claws. Even breathing hurt.

Felix seemed to finally notice my gaze. He violently shoved her away, took a huge step back, and walked quickly toward me. "Nova."

I coldly dodged his hand. Right now, even his scent made my chest ache.

I reached up and unclasped the amber moonstone from my neck, slamming it hard onto the table. The loud noise completely cut off whatever he was about to say.

"Consider this my mating gift to you both. Keep it safe."

It was originally the anniversary gift Felix had given me. Now, I was returning it to him.

After those words, I practically fled the scene.

The moment I stepped out the door, tears fell uncontrollably. Behind me came the sound of frantic footsteps.

"Nova!"

Chapter 3

I didn't stop walking. Instead, I walked even faster, but he still caught my wrist in a tight grip.

"Nova, what exactly are you so mad about?"

As an Alpha, Felix usually had great control over his emotions. But this time, his eyes burned with real anger.

I didn't understand what he meant. Just as I was about to ask, he spoke first.

"I thought you actually realized you were wrong, but I didn't expect you to be so spiteful."

"You know perfectly well that Serena and I are just brother and sister. You and I are the ones who will ultimately have the bonding ceremony. Yet you purposely brought up the altar in front of everyone, and then threw the moonstone back at me. What is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you have to twist our bond into something dirty just because of your petty jealousy? If you cause the whole pack to gossip about her, how is Serena supposed to survive here?"

Every word slammed directly into my chest, making my eyes burn.

And here I thought he chased after me to explain why he didn't push Serena away.

It turned out he didn't care at all. He was only afraid that Serena would face pack criticism because of it.

I gave a bitter smile, laughing at myself for actually holding onto a sliver of hope.

Had I not gotten used to this over the last seven years?

Whenever something involved Serena, Felix would always put her first. He never noticed who was standing beside him, whether I was heartbroken, or whether I was hurting.

Just like the time we encountered a rogue ambush at the edge of our territory.

Serena had wandered into the battle for no reason and was cornered by several rogues.

When Felix and I rushed over, her arm had already been torn open with two bloody gashes.

Felix charged in like a madman, shielding her fiercely behind his back.

Seeing that he was a powerful Alpha, the rogues didn't dare fight him head-on. They immediately turned all their attention to attacking me.

I was trembling in fear, relying entirely on the mind-link to beg him for help.

But he never responded to me. His entire focus was on checking if Serena had been hurt.

That wasn't all. As if he had completely forgotten I was even there, he picked Serena up and bolted for the pack clinic.

If the patrol team hadn't arrived in time, my throat would have been ripped out.

Afterward, Felix was consumed by guilt for an entire night. He held me tightly and swore he would never leave me alone again, even if it cost him his life.

But later, when a massive avalanche hit the territory, he bypassed me, even though I was only a few hundred meters away.

He braved the blizzard to pick up Serena, who was already waiting in a safe zone.

And later still, when a wolfsbane outbreak hit the pack, Serena claimed she was scared. He gave her all the healing herbs in our home.

Because I had no protection, the poison seeped into my system. Now, every full moon, my lungs still ache as if they were being ripped apart.

Things like this had happened far too many times. I couldn't even remember them all.

And I didn't want to remember anymore. I definitely didn't want to keep waiting for the day he would finally put me first.

I yanked my arm out of his warm grip. Even though my heart was breaking, I felt too exhausted to even speak.

In the end, I just closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and replied in a hoarse voice. "Felix, think whatever you want."

Felix froze, completely thrown off by my indifference. His jaw tightened.

It wasn't until he looked down and saw my red eyes that the irritation in his gaze instantly faded, replaced by a surge of remorse.

"Nova, I didn't mean to yell at you."

He hesitated for a long time before his tone softened. "Don't let what Serena did just now upset you."

"She's just a child. She doesn't understand that she shouldn't cling to me so much at twenty-two. When I get back, I'll talk to her. Don't let it ruin your night."

Listening to Felix easily making excuses for Serena, I surprisingly didn't feel sad anymore.

I merely smiled as I recalled how many times he had said these exact words over the last seven years.

On the night of Serena's coming-of-age ceremony, she insisted on wearing my evening gown. She danced publicly at the party, demanding Felix as her first dance partner. I refused.

Instead of backing me, he ruffled my hair and told me not to make things difficult for a girl who had just come of age. It was just a dance.

Later, when we moved into the main Packhouse, Serena claimed she was scared to sleep alone. Late at night, she would slip into our bedroom in a thin nightgown and demand Felix keep her company.

I felt uncomfortable and told her to move to another floor.

But he frowned and said I was making a big deal out of nothing.

Serena just lacked a sense of security and was too dependent on him. There was no need to be so mean to a fragile girl.

Now, the two of them had openly stood at the altar and kissed in public. Yet he was once again telling me, his actual mate, to be more generous.

I shook my head with a bitter smile. Even when Serena grew old and her hair turned gray, would Felix still righteously say:

"Serena is still young, stop targeting her."

It turned out that in the eyes of this powerful Alpha, an adult woman would always remain a pure, innocent child.

It didn't matter. This time, I genuinely had no intention of competing with her anymore.

I tried my best to calm my emotions and sent a single, difficult message through the mind-link.

"Felix, let's call off the bonding ceremony."

Chapter 4

Just as I sent it, Serena's voice echoed from a distance. "Felix, the elders are telling you to hurry back."

Felix turned around instantly, his feet subconsciously stepping in her direction.

After taking two steps, he finally remembered I was still behind him. He froze for a second, then turned back. "Nova, what did you just say to me?"

Before I could repeat it, he chuckled, brushing it off dismissively. "Whatever it is, you make the call. You're going to be the Luna anyway."

He reached out and pinched my cheek. His movements were rushed, as if he was strapped for time.

"I know you hate these noisy events, so go back to the Packhouse and wait for me. Mind-link me when you get home. I won't walk you back, okay?"

He spoke like it was a discussion, but he had no intention of listening to my answer. As soon as he finished speaking, he strode away without looking back.

Watching his back as he jogged toward Serena, a cold numbness settled in my heart.

I finally understood that those seemingly caring words were never meant to comfort me.

He just wanted to shut me up quickly so he could return to Serena's side. He truly didn't care if I was sad or not.

He didn't care about what I had just said, and he didn't care whether I made it home safely.

He was just going through the motions, treating his mate duties like a chore.

But if I really did obediently report my safe arrival, he wouldn't even glance at it.

Because as long as he was by Serena's side, Felix's mind-link was always closed off to me.

Fortunately, I had no intention of humiliating myself any further.

I had said what needed to be said. Whatever happened next had nothing to do with Felix anymore.

That night, neither of them returned to the Packhouse. The other end of the mind-link remained completely silent.

And just as I expected, he couldn't care less whether I had died on my way home.

As for where they went, I didn't care at all anymore.

I spent the entire day clearing out my belongings. I packed everything I didn't immediately need and shipped it to a storage unit.

It wasn't until this very moment that I realized how few traces of my life actually existed in this massive mansion.

On our first day moving in, Felix had quickly given Serena the largest room with the best light.

So she ended up with an entire walk-in closet and a custom vanity overflowing with expensive perfumes.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom I shared with Felix, the closet was stuffed full of his suits. My clothes had to be folded neatly just to occupy a tiny corner.

My few bottles of affordable skincare products had to be squeezed onto the nightstand. I didn't even have a place to sit down and look in a mirror.

I never felt anything was wrong before. I only occasionally sighed about how carelessly Serena spent Felix's money.

Whenever Felix heard that, he would always chuckle with an indulgent look on his face. "She just likes buying useless junk. One of these days, I'll throw it all out for her."

Only now did I understand that no matter how much he complained, as long as Serena wanted something, he would buy a hundred of them at once.

And as his mate, I had never experienced a single day of that kind of blatant favoritism.

My eyes started to burn again. I tilted my head back and blinked.

There was only one thought left in my mind. If something wasn't meant to be mine, I shouldn't force it anymore.

After checking that I hadn't left anything behind in the room, I booked a moving service to pick up the boxes.

Just as the movers took away the last box, my phone lit up.

"Is this Nova? I'm the real estate agent for the Starfall Lake Resort. Regarding the high-end interior designer you asked me to find earlier, I..."

The voice on the other end was eager, and I froze for a moment.

Too much had happened these past few days. I had completely forgotten that the luxury resort I was preparing for our honeymoon was still waiting for blueprints.

That plot of land was purchased with joint funds from me and Felix. I had practically drained all my savings to cover the bulk of the cost, treating it as my investment in our future.

It was the first time in my life I had spent a massive amount of money without hesitation. I had personally drawn every single design sketch.

However much hope I had back then, that was how cold my heart felt right now.

Since the mating bond was about to be broken, keeping this lakefront property had no meaning anymore.

"I'm sorry, I don't need the designs anymore. Put this resort property on the market and sell it for me. The sooner the better."

The non-stop chatter on the other end instantly halted.

I thought my sudden request had put her in a difficult position, but then I heard her ask cautiously:

"Nova, is this... is this also the current owner's decision?"

I was stunned. Wasn't I the owner?

When we bought this land, it was clearly registered under both our names. As the one who paid the majority, I held the majority share.

I pressed her on what she meant. After the sound of a few keyboard clicks, her voice came through again, carrying a trace of hesitation:

"Nova, the ownership of this private Starfall Lake Resort was transferred to Serena last month."

Chapter 5

The agent's words made my mind go completely blank. I even thought it was a prank call.

I had personally gone to the Pack Council to register the territory of the Starfall Lake Resort. How could the owner suddenly become Serena!

Sensing my silence, the agent sighed helplessly and forwarded the digital deed transfer to my email.

I clicked open the document. The dense legal clauses made my eyes sting, but I still managed to instantly catch my own familiar signature.

My whole body stiffened. I searched through all my memories but couldn't recall when I had ever signed this transfer agreement.

It wasn't until my eyes landed on the date that the memory flooded my brain like an explosion.

It was the night before Serena's coming-of-age ceremony. Felix had suddenly handed me a thick stack of documents.

"Nova, these are the applications for tax exemptions and border defense upgrades for the resort. They need your consent as the co-owner. Just sign here for me."

I was busy processing a batch of film negatives I had just shot. I didn't even look up, assuming it was the boundary defense planning he had mentioned adding to Starfall Lake.

Because it was Felix, I signed my name without hesitation.

I never expected my trust in him would be met with such cold calculation.

It turned out he had tricked me into signing a contract, giving up my joint ownership and transferring the territory to Serena for free.

The next day at Serena's coming-of-age ceremony, I even wondered why Felix hadn't prepared a massive gift. He usually spoiled her rotten, so it was completely out of character.

But when I asked, Felix just rubbed his chin against my neck and chuckled. "You already gave her one. What's yours is mine. We don't need to be so formal."

Back then, I naively thought he was finally planning to keep his distance from his sister. I happily let my gift count as a gesture from both of us.

But I forgot that Felix could never change. In his heart, Serena would always come first.

So when he said he already gave her one, he really meant it. He didn't put his name on my gift. He took my life's work and my savings and handed them over to her on a silver platter.

I stared at the cold clauses on the screen, every ounce of strength draining from my body.

I used to be so infatuated with his sharp negotiation skills as an Alpha, but I never imagined he would use those very same skills against me.

To prove she wasn't lying, the agent on the phone was still detailing the specifics of when Felix processed the transfer that day.

Every single word felt like a silver needle piercing my eardrums. I swallowed hard against my tight throat.

"Fine. I understand. I'll talk to the current owner."

After hanging up, I slammed on the gas pedal and sped straight toward the Pack headquarters.

Ignoring the shocked looks of the staff at the entrance, I kicked open the door to the Alpha's office.

But I never expected that the moment the door bounced open, I would see two people tightly embracing each other. Their scents were intimately intertwined.

Felix almost instinctively pulled her behind him, taking a protective stance. The movement was so practiced that it looked like it had been rehearsed a thousand times.

Seeing the fleeting guarded look in his eyes, my heart seized violently.

Just how crazy did Felix think I was? For him to assume I would hurt Serena the second he saw me.

I scoffed coldly and looked away, not even bothering to question him. I just slammed my phone onto his desk, displaying the digital contract.

"Felix, give me an explanation."

He clearly didn't expect me to come for this. He frowned, picking up the phone in confusion.

After seeing what it was, he actually let out a sigh of relief and spoke dismissively.

"Is that what this is about, Nova? We're Serena's only family. What does it matter whose name the resort is under?"

"Besides, didn't I let you look over it back then? You signed it yourself. Serena's coming of age is a big deal. A defenseless girl needs a property to rely on. What exactly are you mad about this time?"

Felix furrowed his brows and looked at me in confusion. He looked exactly the same as he had every time Serena was involved over the past seven years.

He would never understand why these little things broke my heart, and he didn't understand where my emotions came from.

He could never see his own bottomless favoritism, much less care about my pain of being ignored.

My hands clenched into tight fists by my sides, yet I didn't feel a trace of pain.

He felt that his sister needed a property to rely on. But did he forget that I was also a mate who needed a sense of security?

That land at Starfall Lake wasn't just any random territory.

That resort wasn't just some barren wasteland we bought on a whim. It was the sacred place I had joyfully prepared for our honeymoon and vacations after our bonding ceremony.

I took a deep breath and stared unblinkingly at Felix. The longer I looked, the more unfamiliar the face in front of me became.

We really weren't like this in the beginning.

Serena always clung to him back then too, but Felix wasn't like this.

While he was used to taking care of Serena and always giving her the best, he never forgot about me.

During the winter photoshoot, he held onto my wrist desperately at the edge of the cliff and refused to let go.

When our camp was attacked, he pressed me into his arms and used his back to shield me from falling rocks.

On nights when I was terrified of lightning, he would sit with me under the stars all night.

But I didn't know exactly when his eyes only had room for Serena.

And as the future Luna, I was supposed to be generous enough to step back at every turn. Even if it meant giving up my fated mate, my savings, and my territory.

I gave a bitter smile, feeling that fighting over who owned this land was nothing but a joke.

I just wanted to leave this office as fast as possible. I wanted to get away from these two people who constantly suffocated me.

"Felix, I'm not throwing a fit."

"Since you think she needs the resort to rely on, I don't want the land anymore. Buy out my half of the investment and wire me the money. Two million dollars, as soon as possible."

Chapter 6

After saying my piece, I didn't look at Felix's furrowed brows again. I turned around and walked toward the door.

I had barely taken one step when Serena blocked my path.

"Nova, it's just a resort. I'll give it back to you. Why do you have to make things so hard for Felix?"

Her big, round eyes were brimming with tears. She looked so fragile, as if she could be crushed at any moment.

But I felt absolutely no sympathy.

I looked at her coldly. "Move. When you begged for this land, you didn't care about putting him in a tough spot. Why act so considerate now?"

Serena's face drained of color.

I knew I had hit a nerve. If she hadn't purposely asked for it, Felix wouldn't have gone out of his way to process the transfer.

Her tears spilled over instantly.

The next second, my wrist was clamped by a tight grip.

I tried to forcefully break free, but Felix violently yanked me aside.

An Alpha's furious strength was terrifying. I stumbled backward several steps. My lower back crashed hard into a massive ceramic vase, knocking it over.

Pain shot up my leg as broken porcelain shards sliced into my calf. I gasped.

Before I could even process the pain, Felix's angry voice crashed down on me.

"Nova, when did you become so bitter? Why are you speaking to her so horribly?"

"You signed the deed transfer yourself. It's just a change of name. It's not like she is stopping you from going there for vacation. Just because of the bonding ceremony, how long are you going to keep targeting her?"

He immediately turned around and reached out to wipe Serena's tears. The way he treated her was a complete contrast to how he treated me seconds ago.

Being comforted, Serena's tears fell even harder. She sobbed, "I'm sorry, Felix. I was never your biological sister to begin with. Since Nova hates me, I'll just leave the pack. I don't want to put you in a difficult position."

She turned to grab the door handle, but Felix violently pulled her back into his arms.

"Serena, do you have to stab a knife into my heart? You're never allowed to say such stupid things again. The one who should leave is someone else, not you."

Those words were piercing to the extreme. Even without him naming names, I knew he was talking about me.

Sure enough, the very next second, the hand that had just thrown me aside grabbed my arm tightly, shoving me toward the door.

"Nova, you have truly crossed the line this time. I have to give Serena an explanation."

He looked at me with zero warmth. Those amber eyes that used to overflow with love now held nothing but freezing disappointment.

But strangely, my heart didn't hurt anymore. Only a dead pool of silence remained.

I smiled, propping up my bleeding leg to stand straight. I didn't want to spare him another glance.

But just as I was about to turn around, the crisp click of a tranquilizer gun sounded by my ear.

I instinctively turned my head. Before I could even see who it was, a tranquilizer dart laced with diluted wolfsbane slammed into my back.

The excruciating pain of the toxin suppressing my wolf swept through my body, followed by intense paralysis. A voice came from above. I struggled to lift my eyes and recognized the guard who always followed Serena.

"Apologies, Alpha, for interrupting you. I was afraid the Luna might lose control and hurt Serena. I'll escort her out right now."

Felix's eyes darkened.

Even knowing it was complete treason for a guard to shoot the future Luna, he didn't utter a single word of reprimand. "There is no Luna here at headquarters. Right now, she's just a trespasser. If you make a rookie mistake like this again, you can pack your bags and go become a rogue."

Terrified, the guard nodded repeatedly and roughly dragged me toward the elevators.

My bleeding calf dragged against the freezing marble floor, leaving a trail of blood. All I could hear were the hushed whispers of the pack elites.

So this was his so-called explanation. He was publicly trampling my dignity to give her peace of mind.

I really wanted to laugh, but the corners of my mouth wouldn't move.

In a daze, I thought I saw a flash of regret in Felix's eyes. But the heavy wooden door closing shut immediately told me it was just an illusion.

The guard did exactly as told. Even though cold rain was pouring outside, he still threw me onto the street behind the building.

I didn't know when I passed out. When I opened my eyes again, I was staring at the stark white ceiling of the pack hospital.

Someone was holding my right hand, which rested on the edge of the bed.

"You're awake, Nova?"

I turned my head. Felix's exhausted face entered my vision.

He had a layer of dark stubble on his chin, and his eyes were bloodshot. I didn't know how long he had been keeping watch.

If this had been in the past, I would have cupped his face with an aching heart. I would have scolded him for not resting because it was bad for his wolf, and pushed him to go catch up on sleep.

Now, I didn't even blink. I coldly pulled my hand back and looked out the window.

Felix stared at his empty palm and froze for a few seconds. He actually forced out a smile.

"Still angry? Don't worry, I already talked to Serena. She moved back to the annex building, and the paperwork to liquidate the resort transfer is being processed. You should be satisfied now, right?"

His deliberately lowered stance seemed like a compromise, but his light tone felt like an accusation that I was being unreasonable.

I gave a bitter smile. Every ounce of desire to even get angry had vanished. I just gave a soft "Hmm."

But Felix didn't look happy. Instead, he frowned in displeasure.

He vaguely felt that something was wrong. But before he could dig deeper, the hospital room door was gently pushed open by a nurse.

"Alpha, your mate's fertility check is complete. You can head to the testing room to prepare for the mate compatibility exam."

The nurse's polite, business-like reminder froze the air in the entire room.

Even though my feelings for Felix had long turned to ice, my fingers still dug fiercely into the bedsheets the second I heard the words mate and fertility.

They were just standard medical terms. But put together right now, they felt so absurd I thought I was listening to a fantasy.

I slowly raised my eyes to look at Felix. He avoided my gaze.

It wasn't until he awkwardly coughed and dismissed the nurse that he lunged forward again, grabbing my hand. He looked incredibly sincere.

"Nova, listen to my explanation. Don't get mad just yet."

"Serena just wanted to check early if her body could bear pups. She was too scared to face it alone, so she dragged me along to do a compatibility exam together."

"I rarely bring you to public events. The nurses don't know you, and they certainly don't know she's my sister. Calling her my mate was just them guessing blindly. Don't take it seriously."

Felix was genuinely trying to explain, and he truly believed from the bottom of his heart that this was just a trivial matter.

I stared at him blankly. I thought my heart was completely dead, but it actually managed to hurt one last time.

And I never expected that every worst-case scenario I had imagined over the last seven years was slowly turning out to be true.

Everything I had repressed for so long exploded in that moment. I raised my hand and slapped Felix hard across the face.

"Why?"

Felix's head snapped to the side from the slap. He was stunned for a full two seconds. He had just opened his mouth to speak when the hospital door was pushed open again.

It was Serena.

Felix swallowed his rebuke instantly. With a tense jaw, he subconsciously stood up and started walking toward her.

When he reached the door, he finally stopped. "Nova, calm down first. Once you have calmed down, we'll talk."

With a bang, the door shut.

And with it, the very last bit of warmth in my heart died.

Actually, I wasn't angry at all. I just felt sorrow and endless despair.

So Felix, you'll never see the day I calm down.

My tears didn't stop falling until the moon rose high outside my window.

After I finished the discharge procedures and returned to the Packhouse to pack my last bit of luggage, I still took the check for 880,000 dollars sitting on the desk. He had originally prepared it as funding for our upcoming Luna ceremony.

I treated it as selling that completely rotten resort back to him at a depreciated price.

Just as I was about to close the drawer, something clattered out from the hidden compartment.

A leather-bound diary.

The cover was Serena's favorite milky white color.

I hesitated, but flipped open the title page. The more I read, the more bone-chilling it got. But by the time I reached the end, I actually laughed, feeling like a heavy fog had finally lifted.

I didn't put it back where I found it. Instead, I placed it neatly dead center on the coffee table in the living room.

Consider it a grand parting gift from me to the great Alpha before I leave.

From this moment on, I was done with this pack, with Felix, and with the sister he treasured so much.