Aria's POV
Going home, the drive is silent. He didn't speak to me and I didn't start a conversation either.
Soon, we pull onto the main trail of the silver moon mansion. Immediately we got into the house, Mateo glanced my way, his tone too casual.
"What were you and Jonas discussing back there? You two seemed deep in conversation."
"Oh, just your childhood sweetheart."
Mateo goes quiet, sensing the sarcasm in my words. Then he reaches over, his hand wrapping around mine. His voice drops, unusually soft. "I've never mated with her," he says.
I take a step forward, Kira, my wolf, whines low in my mind at his lie but I know the truth.
"Really?" I say.
Mateo's gentleness is nothing but a tactic, timed with my fertile phase. It's not affection, not even desire. just a calculated move to secure an heir for Silvermoon Pack.
And that heir has nothing to do with me, Aria.
If he knew I can't bear pups anymore, would he still keep our bond? Or would he eagerly accept the rejection, scouting for the next she-wolf worthy of being Luna and ready to give him an heir?
My mate doesn't love me. To him, I'm a tool, a strategist for pack alliances, a vessel for the next alpha bloodline. He doesn't even seem to crave our intimacy, except when the fertile Lunar calendar demands it.
Each full moon phase, the routine repeats, cold and instinct-driven, like two wolves in a forced rut.
When Mateo tries to kiss me, I turn my head away. My voice comes out thin, with sorrow I can't hide. "Mateo, when I said I want us to dissolve this bond, I meant it. If you think my demands are too steep, we can bargain."
Mateo's eyes lock on my face, dissecting every twitch. Silence stretches, before he speaks. "I already told you, we're not rejecting each other."
His words carry the weight of an alpha command. "Aria, once we have an heir, you'll drop this foolishness."
"And if I can't conceive, Mateo?"
He scowls, brushing it off. "That's impossible. We had all the healer checks before our bonding ceremony, remember?"
I let out a bitter chuckle.
Those premarital exams from four years ago are as outdated as Mateo's faded promises. Long before his heart was lost into Bella.
When we get back to the main Silvermoon mansion, it's almost ten. Mateo heads to the guest room to freshen up. As usual, he plans to convince me to share our bed, but a ring from his phone pulls him away, an urgent pack call, or so he claims.
I suspect he's off to see his mistress.
It doesn't bother me. At least tonight, I'm free from dealing with him.
All night, the mansion lights stay on, but Mateo doesn't return.
Over the next week, he makes his absences a habit, vanishing each evening. He avoids any talk of rejection.
And me? Those chilly autumn nights, I stand by the tall windows, wondering what life would be like if I'd chosen differently. If I hadn't bonded so young with him. If I'd never dove into the ruthless world of pack politics.
Would I be freer? Happier?
As for Mateo, I didn't bother calling or texting him. Let him waste away with his fling. In my heart, he's already gone, like a ghost in the mist.
We don't cross paths again until pack business forces us together.
At The Eclipse Lodge.
A lavish neutral ground, the most elite gathering spot for alphas in Moonhaven Valley.
I step into the private only to stumble upon Bella pressed against Mateo's chest. When she spots me, she doesn't even look afraid, instead, she lowers her gaze and fiddles with her phone, acting like I'm just a passing wind.
Leah, my assistance, tenses up, ready to snap at the girl.
I raise a hand to stop her, my voice steady and cool. "She's the Alpha's current fixation. Let her enjoy it while she can."
There's no spot next to Mateo, and I won't sit with the rival packs. I excuse myself and head to the washroom, giving Mateo time to handle his little pet.
In the washroom, I stand at the basin but then, the sound of footsteps breaks my thoughts.
I look up in the mirror and see Bella approaching.
She stops beside me, her tone suddenly sharp, laced with arrogance she hides from others. "I've moved back into the mansion, the one you never visit. Mateo said I can stay as long as I want."
I turn off the tap. My eyes in the mirror fix on Bella's face, youthful, fresh.
It hits me that she's only twenty-two.
I drop my gaze.
When I speak, my voice is calm.
"Sweetheart, if I were you, I'd settle for being the pampered omega in a silver cage. Don't howl. Don't disturb the pack. Just latch onto his power and drain the resources. And above all, don't flaunt the dirty secrets of your moonlit romps. Especially here, a territory way above your rank."
Bella's lips twist into a smile, but her voice wavers. "Mateo protects me. He wouldn't let me…"
"Oh, really?" I cut in, my smile faint but cutting. "Sweetheart, you don't get it. To Mateo, pack strength is everything, women come last. Honestly, if it helped his goals, he'd offer you a tainted chalice and expect you to drink it without a whimper."
By the time I'm done, Bella's face is pale. "I don't believe you." She says.
My smile fades, satisfied.
When Bella leaves, I stare at my reflection. For a long beat, I stand frozen, doubt flickering over my features.
All this bravado, this tough act, it feels like a cruel farce, even to me. I know, with some push, I could crush her and stay as a Luna forever.
But that's not what I crave.
Not this bond. Not this alpha.
I'm exhausted. So done and ready to break free, no matter the cost.
When I return to the inside, the spot beside Mateo is clear. I slide in smoothly, slipping back into my role as his loyal Luna. Our display of mated affection is flawless.
Bella sits across the room, her face stormy with hurt, eyes glistening like she's about to cry.
"Why do you have to torment the poor girl like that?" Mateo mutters, disapproving in his tone.
I don't answer.
Mateo, clueless as ever, doesn't see that every defense of Bella stabs me deeper. He pities her but what about me? What are my years of devotion worth?
What, really?
My heart aches silently, but my face stays and now, we both forgot. Forgot we were once young, impulsive wolves who bonded too soon thinking I was in love.
Night came so soon.
Leah, holds my arm, guiding me to the SUV's back seat. "Watch your step, Luna," she says softly, opening the door. "You drank more than usual tonight."
I press my fingers to my temple, murmuring, "My head's okay. My spirit isn't."
Leah understands it. Mateo crossed a boundary today.
From the start, the Lunar Alliance was my creation, my strategies, my connections, my vision built from scratch for the betterment of this pack. Yet tonight, Mateo shows up with Bella hanging on him like a trophy.
If I were Leah, I'd be raging too.
As I lean in to slide into the seat, a strong hand grabs my wrist, yanking me back.
The thud when my body hits the sleek black SUV hurts.
For a breathless second, pain stuns me silent. When I look up, Mateo's storm-blue eyes bore into me coldly.
"Leah," I whisper, voice faint. "Wait in the lobby for a bit."
Leah pauses, worried clearly. "Luna, you're not well…"
"Leah." My tone sharpens, leaving no debate. I meet her eyes briefly before she nods and walks off.
Alone now, his grip tightens. "Where is your tolerance as Luna? Where is your rationality? She's just the daughter of an alpha I respect, like a younger sister. Why make her suffer like this?"
I let out a hollow laugh drunkenly. "And why does that matter? Young girls get over fits, especially spoiled ones like her."
"She's just the daughter of an alpha I respect!" Mateo snaps, but his eyes show he barely buys his own lie. "I've told you, I'm just guarding her, nothing else!"
I stay silent. Instead, my hand flies, slapping his face.
My palm burns numb. My body shakes wildly. For years, I've held back, but no more. I laugh low, bitter, tears welling.
"Guarding her? Is that the term now? Or does 'guarding' include the bed in our other villa? Tell me, Mateo, are you that bold, or do you think I'm that blind?"
Mateo's head snaps from the slap, but he turns back slowly. His tongue probes his cheek. When he meets my eyes, his calm is deadly ice.
"Are you so hungry for my attention," he asks quietly, "that you'd stoop this low?"
My voice matches his chill. "Don't kid yourself. You mean less than dirt to me now."
For a beat, his fury fades.
He leans in, brushing my cheek with faint scorn. "This isn't you, Aria. You used to handle being Luna with poise. Why resist? Why complicate it? You could just bear me an heir and lock in your place as a Luna. Why not keep it easy?"
Tears spilled down my face. "Really? Do you think I am still that little naive girl, Mateo?
"Tell me, Mateo," I whisper. "Have I changed, or have you?"
Mateo's face hardens as he holds my stare, our shared past dissolving.
Minutes drag before he speaks: "Starting now, you're off the Lunar Alliance. Your role gets reviewed at the next elder council."
I smile sharply, hiding the pain. So, this is his opening strike, stripping my influence, the first cut to trap me fully.
The reality hurts.
We both know Bella isn't the only fracture in this marriage. Mateo doesn't want just a side girl. No, he's breaking me down, forcing me back to a Luna with no life of her own. A she-wolf who births heirs only and nothing more.
My life feels like a savage joke.
The truth rips my heart as I lock on Mateo's cold gaze.
"Fine," I say boldly. "If you want the truth, I'll spill it all."
Let's be real for once, Mateo.
"I can't...."