Ariana Damian’s first love, Lily, suddenly returned to the pack after six long years. But this time, she didn’t come alone; she brought her pup along with her, a child whom I suspected to be my mate’s because of how he dotes on the little boy. For the past month, Damian had been finding reasons to stay away from home. Most times he’ll call me to say he had urgent pack business and needed to keep traveling from one territory to the other but I wasn’t stupid and I knew quite well he was avoiding me. However, I still hoped that today would be different because tonight was our three year anniversary. “Pheewww” I sighed, staring at the already set dinner table. I couldn’t believe that it was already three years. I mean three whole years since my mating ceremony to the Alpha of my dreams, my mate. It’s been three years and a few months since we found out that the Moon Goddess had bound us as mates but tonight marks it officially three years since our mating ceremony. I had prepared a candlelit dinner and a small gift, hoping maybe… just maybe he’d come home this time so we could at least celebrate. But I was terribly wrong because by nine o’clock, I was still alone and the food I prepared had already gone cold. I sniffled and quickly cleaned my eyes, trying to put myself together in case the moon goddess touched his heart and he decided to come home. I was about to call him again when I received a mind link from Riley, Damian’s younger sister. Was she close to the house? And why was she mind linking me, I thought to myself. “Hey,” I whispered. “Ariana,” she called softly, “check your messages, I sent you something a few minutes ago,” she said, and then the mind link cut. What was so urgent she had to mindlink me? I didn’t know what to think. Or did something bad happen to Damian and that was why he was yet to be home for the anniversary dinner? I thought to myself and quickly went to search for my phone. I took a deep breath and then opened our chat expecting to see something harmless but a bile rose in my throat and I immediately dropped the plate in my hand letting it shatter to the floor immediately the image popped on my screen. A shard scraped my ankle, drawing a thin line of blood, but I could barely feel anything. I cleaned my eyes hoping that my eyes were deceiving me and I was mistaken but when I opened it again the image was staring back at me making me believe it was real. Riley had sent me a screenshot of Damian’s public post on Instagram. It showed that he had booked out the entire Moonshore Bay, lit up the night sky with fireworks, and celebrated Lily’s birthday with her and their pup. My hands were shaking as I swiped through the screenshots one by one with tears in my eyes. The beach, the yacht, the fireworks, the bouquets of roses, and finally Damian, smiling proudly, holding the boy in one arm and resting his other hand on Lily’s w***t. My eyes burned with hot tears as I lingered on the photo of him holding Lily’s w***t. This Dam mate of mine was holding another woman’s w***t with our wedding ring still on his finger. The caption read: “A blueberry cake made with my own hands, for the loves of my life.” Was he really being serious right now? The loves of his life?? If they were the loves of his life then what does that make me his Luna and fated mate? My chest tightened painfully and I went to his profile only to see that it was gone and that he had blocked me from it. Still, I refused to give up because maybe he might have a good explanation so I tried calling him. Once. Twice. Three times. He didn’t answer and kept hanging up on me. Then a single message came through: “Busy.” One word, cold and detached like I was nothing to him. Something inside me cracked. I couldn’t breathe. My heart pounded against my ribs like it wanted to escape. I clutched the dining table, my body trembling with helpless fury. “Ahhhhhhhhhhh” I screamed, pushing the food and drinks on the table to the floor. I didn’t care, I grabbed my own hair and broke down crying. “Ariana, Ariana, Ariana. ... .open the door” I heard someone knocking but I didn’t need to open up to know it was Riley. A few minutes later she was beside me patting my hair. “I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have sent it. I just wanted you to see for yourself. If you want I can go to Moonshore and find him right now!” She said. I shook my head. “No, Riley. I’ll handle this myself.” I replied, cleaning my tears. My mother was still recovering from her surgery at the hospital and no matter how heartbroken I was right now I knew now was not the time for me to fall apart. Riley stayed with me till midnight before finally leaving me to think and sulk into the night. Damian and I had grown up together. Everyone in the pack knew I had loved him since childhood, but they also knew he had never stopped loving Lily, the she-wolf who left him behind. I, on the other hand, I was so elated when I found out he was my fated mate because I already had a long lasting crush on him. And I knew he only took me as his Luna out of obligation because as an Alpha, he needed a Luna. But I didn't mind, I believed since he was my mate, if I stayed by his side devotedly he’d one day grow to love me, only that I was terribly wrong. ……………….. For the next three days, I stayed at the hospital caring for my mother. Damian never called, never sent a message. It was as if I’d already been erased from his life. When my mother’s condition finally stabilized, my father begged me gently to go home and rest and so I went home to rest. It was a bit late when I got to the house and I was half-asleep when I heard the door creak open. After a short while, I heard the sound of running water in the bathroom. Moments later, the mattress dipped beside me, and I caught the familiar scent, the one I knew too well, the scent of my mate. Damian, but there was another smell beneath it. A soft, floral note that didn’t belong to me and even my wolf whimpered in the back of my mind, unable to understand why our mate smelled like another. Before I could react, his arm slid around my w***t, pulling me close. His l**s brushed my n**k, warm and possessive. He slid his hands into my nightwear and f*****d my brests. For the first time in weeks, he’d come home and normally I should’ve felt relief and be happy but instead, I felt nothing but emptiness. He kissed my skin again, tracing a path down my shoulder and teasing me with his l**s. Throughout our three years together, the only time Damian ever showed affection was in bed. Every t***h had fooled me into believing he might love me even if just a little. But not tonight. “Don’t,” I whispered, my voice trembling. He didn’t stop, instead, his l**s grew hungrier and his hands rougher. He used his hands to tease my nuts and he n*****d softly on my ears and I almost melted when the image of him with Lily, the fireworks, the roses, and all flashed in my eyes. Immediately, a wave of nausea surged up inside me and I pushed him away racing to the bathroom to throw up. “Are you sick?” Damian asked calmly, joining me in the bathroom only a few seconds later. “I’m fine,” I replied because I was in fact fine. I was only disgusted by him, by myself, and by the life I’d been clinging to. I left him there and went to the bedroom and when he came back, he handed me a glass of water and said, “I’ll book a place tomorrow to make up for our anniversary.” Just like that, no apology and no guilt. “No need,” I said, staring at him. He looked a bit confused but I didn’t even bother explaining to him. I mean why should I? He clearly remembered our anniversary yet he didn’t think it was important to celebrate it with me or even acknowledge it yet he spent the entire evening with an ex-girlfriend. He had even baked a cake for them with his own hands, something he’d never done for me even though I had served him, cared for him, and loved him faithfully for the past three years. I looked at him and for the first time ever I saw him clearly, not as Damian the man I had been in love with since childhood, or as my fated mate but as a hypocrite which he was. And just like that, I just knew it was over

Ariana I was about to say something to him when his phone binged and his screen lit up. He immediately rushed to glance at his phone and the look in his eyes after told me all I needed to know. He kept looking at me to see if I'd react and when I didn’t, he quickly typed a reply and tossed it aside. “Let’s just sleep,” he said and turned to face the other side of the bed. But the thing is, I couldn’t sleep because even when I closed my eyes all I could see was Damian holding his first love in one arm, and his son in the other hand. The image was far too engraved into my mind and no matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t erase it. A part of me wanted to grab his phone right then and there, to demand the truth, to ask why she still had such power over him. But another part of me, the part that had learned to endure, remained still. It wasn’t going to be very wise of me to seek a rejection right now knowing fully well that my mother was recovering from her surgery and she didn’t need to hear about my mate troubles on top of that. At 4 a.m., while I was still struggling to sleep, his phone lit up again and five minutes later, Damian got out of bed, grabbed his jacket, and left the house without a word. I waited until I could no longer hear the hum of his car engine before I opened my eyes. A single message. That’s all it took for him to run to his ex-girlfriend and so called first love. I used to think the Moon Goddess made no mistakes when she bound two souls together, but now I wasn’t so sure. Maybe she had turned away from us long ago. I was angry, I wanted to scream, shout, shift, throw something, or let my rage consume me, but instead I just lay there in silence staring at the door he left open. Even my wolf, Nara, stayed silent in the back of my mind and I knew too well that she was hurting too. It was as if she had retreated deep inside, too wounded to speak By morning, I dragged myself out of bed and went to the infirmary wing of the pack hospital where my parents were resting. My mother, Lyra, was lying weakly on the bed, tubes still running from her arm. “Ariana,” she whispered when she saw me, “are you all right, sweetheart?” “I’m fine, Mom,” I lied, forcing a small smile. “I just didn’t sleep much but don’t worry about me and just focus on getting better.” My father, Seth Volkstane, peeled half an orange and handed it to me. “The doctor said your mother’s healing nicely and we just need to stay here for another week before she’s discharged.” I let out a sigh of relief hearing that her surgery was a success and she’d soon be discharged to go home. I helped my mom finish eating her breakfast before I went looking for my mom's attending healer. On my way back, I unexpectedly ran into Damian standing at the payment counter. Even in a crowd, he was impossible to miss, the way he carried himself, tall and composed, with that calm dominance only Alphas had. For three years, I’d told myself that I was proud to be his Luna. But now, the title just felt meaningless to me. Our eyes met briefly and his brow furrowed as he walked toward me. There was a small stack of receipts in his hand, but I didn’t say anything because I no longer cared enough to ask. It was a weekday morning and he should’ve been in a meeting with his pack council, not here so I already kind of guessed why he was. He reached out, as if to take the papers from my hand, but at that moment his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and his expression softened in a way I hadn’t seen in years. “I need to take this,” he said, already walking toward the elevator. Then, in a low, gentle tone that stabbed straight through my chest, he murmured into the phone, “Be good now, don’t be upset.” I stood there frozen and in shock because not once had he ever spoken to me that way. My throat burned and I had to quickly run into the restroom so I could cry without anyone seeing me. After I was done I wiped my face and fixed my makeup as if nothing had happened before I stepped inside my mom's hospital room. “Sweetheart, are you okay?” she asked softly, “Did you and Damian fight?” I shook my head, staring at the floor. “No, Mom. Everything’s fine.” But the lie didn’t even sound believable to me. A moment later, the door opened again and there he was, right behind my father, carrying a bouquet of peonies. “Mrs. Volkstane,” he called out politely, “I’ve arranged a private consultation with one of the best healers in the territory. You’ll make a full recovery soon.” “You’ve always been reliable, Damian. We’re lucky to have you as family.” My father said, smiling proudly. Damian gave a small nod, his gaze flicking briefly to my swollen eyes. “There’s no need to thank me,” he said quietly. “We take care of our own.” I looked away, unable to stand it any longer. He had been my savior once, the Alpha who lifted my family from ruin after our pack fell. He paid off our debts, gave my brother a place to train, and married me to seal the alliance after finding out we were mates. For years, I’d believed he’d chosen me out of love. But one conversation I overheard between him and his father had shattered that illusion. He had told his father, “Reputation is everything, and taking in the fallen Volkstane heir will make us look honorable. Besides she still happens to be my mate so think of it as killing two birds with one stone.” But still I stayed even after finding out he didn’t love me and had only married me out of duty. But recently I’ve come to realize that he didn’t love me because there was only one woman in his heart, his first love and I was certain her return only meant one thing. My face grew so pale and I could tell my mother noticed the change as she begged him to take me home. I refused to talk to him, I hadn't said a word to him since he got here. In fact, his scent I used to love and find soothing now only made me want to throw up Just before the elevator doors opened, Damian caught my wrist. “You look pale,” he murmured. “Did you not sleep well last night?” A bitter smile touched my l**s. How could I have slept well when my mate had spent the night with another woman and her child? So that was the reason he had refused to mark me all these years even after sleeping with me countless times. It was because he hoped one day she’d return. I had told myself it didn’t matter if he marked me or not, but now it was clear to me that he didn’t want me, and neither did his wolf. “Don’t worry about me, go back to… whatever’s keeping you busy,” I said, gently pulling my hands away. He didn’t answer. When the elevator opened, I tried to step aside, but his hand tightened around mine, guiding me inside. “I’ve booked a table for tonight,” he said. “Your favorite place.” I just hummed in reply, too tired to pretend I cared. He held me close as more people stepped in, as if he didn’t want anyone to notice the distance between us. I could see him frowning at me from the corner of my eye. He must be wondering why I was so quiet when I’d always been so full of life, bubbly, and always throwing myself at him. “Well….he didn’t have to worry about that any longer,” I whispered to myself before slipping away from him when the elevator doors opened. That same morning, I went to the high council office. By noon, the formal rejection request was ready to be presented. If Damian Zeus wouldn’t let go of his old flame……then I’d end the bond between us myself and get him to reject me officially since his heart already has.

Ariana By 8 p.m., I arrived at the restaurant to see that Damian was already waiting. As always, he stood the moment he saw me, pulling out my chair with that same quiet elegance he was known for. I couldn’t deny the fact that he looked extraordinarily handsome tonight and his aura was commanding but calm. He was the kind of Alpha who didn’t need to raise his voice to remind others who led the pack. I mean he was born to lead and control and was raised as the heir to the Blood Moon Pack, trained in diplomacy and strength from childhood. I had never once heard him curse, or lose his temper. Even when he was angry, his tone stayed calm and measured, as if emotion was something beneath him. “He’s perfect in every way, except for the fact that he doesn’t love us.” My wolf whispered to me bitterly, as we watched him order for us. When the waiter left to get our food, I watched as he reached into his jacket and set a small box beside my plate. “For our third anniversary,” he said. I froze for a moment, my hand tightening around the glass of water. I gave a small nod, staring at the box without opening it. Three years as his Luna, more than a decade of loving him. And yet, I still couldn’t reach his heart. When I was younger, I used to beg him for gifts, any small thing just to see him look my way. He’d sometimes give in, and I’d cherish it for days. But after my pack fell, and my family lost everything, my mother told me something I never forgot: “You’re not his equal anymore, Ariana. You’re just a girl from a fallen pack. You’re not worthy of him.” From that day, I stopped asking, I stopped expecting anything. Even so, Damian always kept up appearances. Birthdays, anniversaries, pack ceremonies, every occasion came with a gift, perfectly chosen and wrapped with care. He had this image of a perfect and devoted mate to the other members of the pack but only I knew better. When I didn’t reach for the box, he opened it himself, showing me the sparkling diamond bracelet in his hand and just by merely looking at it I could tell it cost millions. He took my hand so he could clasp the bracelet around my wrist and when I tried to pull away, his grip on my hand tightened. “Don’t you like it?” He asked. “It’s fine,” I said quietly, not daring to say another word. He fastened the bracelet and looked at it with faint satisfaction. “It looks beautiful on you.” “Thank you,” I replied politely. He frowned and I knew he was probably wondering why I wasn’t acting like my old self, the girl who used to chase after him, laugh too loud, and fill every silence. He must think I was sulking, maybe he even believed this was about his distance and him missing our anniversary dinner. “Your favorite steak,” he said, cutting a slice and placing it on my plate. “If I said I wanted one cooked by you, would you ever try to make it for me?” I asked, smiling faintly. “Everyone has their strengths, Ariana, you know I’m not a good cook but don’t worry you can order anything you like and I’ll pay for it immediately.” He replied, still eating his food gracefully. I lowered my gaze so he wouldn’t see the tears burning behind my eyes. Everyone has their strengths, sure, but he once made a blueberry pie himself for Lily, and their pup, and even posted it proudly on Instagram. Yet he couldn’t lift a finger to do something for me. Not once. The difference between love and indifference had never been clearer. I took a bite of the steak into my mouth and chewed on it but it only tasted bitter. My wolf whimpered quietly inside me, restless and suffocated by the tension between us. Damian rarely spoke during meals, but tonight, the silence was more intense than usual. He kept looking at me in a way that suggested he was trying to study me, as if trying to figure out what had changed. When I was a child, I couldn’t sit still. I’d talk through every meal, laugh too loudly, or find some excuse to t***h him. Even when we fought, I’d cry or yell and never go silent like this so I could understand why he looked so unsettled. We continued eating his silence until his phone lit up with a notification. He glanced at it briefly before turning the screen face down and tried distracting himself by refilling my wine, but the phone buzzed again. Once, twice, and a third time. I didn’t have to ask who it was, because his whole demeanor shifted, first, there was a flicker of hesitation but it was quickly followed by urgency and I knew without needing to look that the only one who could get such a reaction from him was Lily. I had known him for years and for me a single call was enough, I only had to keep texting him if it was too urgent because that was the boundary he had set for me claiming he was an Alpha often locked in on tense meetings with elders or out handling rogue business and he didn’t have time to respond to calls all the time and I had respected it as I never wanted to come off as needy or as a distraction. The fourth ring came, and he finally sighed, setting his utensils down. “I’ll leave the car for you. Go home and rest early and please don’t wait for me.” My heart twisted painfully, but I kept my face calm. “Don’t worry, I’ll take a cab home”. I replied, standing up immediately to pick up my bag and phone. He turned to leave, not bothering to explain and I didn’t bother to ask, not like I cared any longer either. As I turned to leave, I bumped into a passing waiter and my bag opened, its contents scattering across the floor. My blood ran cold. The rejection papers I had drafted earlier in the day were among the scattered contents on the floor. Damian bent down to help me pick up my things from the floor, but I quickly gathered the papers before he could t***h them. My pulse raced. It wasn’t time yet, I couldn’t tell him to reject me or give him the rejection notice yet, not until my mother recovered. “What’s that?” He asked as his eyes caught hold of the document I was trying to hide. “Just… some instructions from the healer,” I said lightly. I knew he didn’t buy it from the way his gaze hardened so I turned to leave immediately but his hand caught mine and he tried snatching the paper but I held onto it strongly, not letting go. Thankfully his phone rang again almost immediately and he shot me one last glance before releasing my hand and walking away. I smiled bitterly as realization dawned on me of the power another woman had over my mate, and Alpha. I touched the bracelet still on my wrist. It sparkled beautifully under the restaurant’s light while I stood frozen in the middle of the restaurant, my pulse racing from the tug of the wall over the papers. “End it now before it ends us,’ my wolf whispered in my mind, her voice low and broken. ‘Let him feel what it’s like to lose his Luna.’ I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and walked out of the restaurant calmly.

Ariana After Damian left, I ditched the car he’d left behind and flagged a taxi down. I initially thought of following him, but I knew doing that would be stupid. Moreover, I didn’t want to be known as the “foolish jealous Luna, who was shadowing her faithless Alpha” so I changed my mind. “Take me to the pack’s infirmary,” I said to the driver and turned to face the window. I stayed silent throughout the ride just thinking of everything and the pitiable condition I was in. Would it have been easier to leave if my pack hadn’t fallen? I thought to myself. “We’re here.” The driver announced and I nodded, stepping down to pay him. I stood there watching as he drove off contemplating if I was in the best state to go see my mother like this. After taking a moment to compose myself I brought out a mirror, dabbed some powder on my face and when I was sure that I had successfully concealed every trace of tears, I headed towards my mother's ward. “Ariana,” my mother screamed happily. Her face lit up immediately when she saw me. “Come my child”, she said and I reached to hug her. “Are you okay? You look a bit pale, tell me honestly is everything okay between you and your mate?” She asked with a concerned look. Hmmmphh, so despite all my efforts she still managed to see beyond the facade. I sat beside her wearing the best smile on my face. “Mom we’re fine, you don’t need to worry about us.” The lie made my mouth bitter but I couldn’t help it, it needed to be told. “Ariana, you and Damian make such a lovely couple. These past 3 years he’s been so helpful to our family, honestly I have no idea what we would have done if he hadn’t helped us. Maybe we’d be rogues by now.” He paused to drink water. “What you should be more concerned about now is stability and how you can produce an heir for him soon so you can secure your future.” My father said and I smiled faintly. “I’ll try my best, Father,” I said and he nodded curtly. The mere thought of having Damian’s pup made my skin crawl. Once it had been a lifelong dream of mine but ever since I found out about his infidelity and his pup with Lily I was only disgusted by the thought of it. “Or have you not been performing your duties as his mate and Luna?” My father asked with questioning eyes. “I have, I have father,” I quickly replied so he wouldn’t suspect anything. I had been performing my marital duties religiously up until our 3rd anniversary night. It wasn’t me who didn’t want to have a child, it was Damian. I closed my eyes thinking about the time he’d force me to drink a herb some months back because he’d forgotten to pull out and he didn’t want to have a child anytime soon. I had taken the herb at the time thinking I was doing it for us but now it was clear to me, it was not that he didn’t want a child, he just didn’t want a child with me. “Ariana, I just ran into Alpha Damian outside. Did you guys come together?” My brother Liam asked, jolting me out of my reverie. “No, maybe he came to see a friend or he’s here on his own.” I scratched my nape, avoiding their piercing gaze. I needed to go find Damian to get him to at least come greet my parents. Why was he here? Did he follow me here or had he come to see the healer about my mom? “Excuse me please, I need to go find Damian,” I said not waiting to hear their response. This was the VIP floor so if Liam said he saw him outside he should still be around here. I began strolling around the walkway trying to find him through his scent, then I got a whiff of it and I trailed it. It led me to the front of another ward. Why was Damian here? Was Riley sick or did something bad happen? I was about to knock on the door when I heard his voice. “How are you feeling now?” He asked softly. Who was he talking to in such a soft manner? I knew this wasn’t right but I still peeped inside the room since the door was partially open and then I saw him with a she wolf I was guessing was his precious Lily. She was clinging to his w***t and she rested her head on his stomach, dangerously close to his V line. “Damian, will you stay with me tonight?” She asked, her soft voice quivering. “Sshhhhh ... .you don’t have to be like this, of course I’ll stay with you.” He cooed, stroking her hair softly. The scene in front of me made me want to puke as bile rose to my chest. When was the last time he was this soft to me or looked at me with such tenderness? “Confront him now,” Nara growled in my head and I wanted to, not until I saw the familiar bracelet. It was the same one he’d just given me at the dinner and I still had it around my wrist, he’d worn it on me himself. I smiled bitterly, my mind numb. So not only was he cheating, he was giving the same gifts to his Luna and his mistress. Was I really worth nothing to him? So when he said it looked beautiful on me earlier it was a lie? It must have been. Maybe he was even thinking about Lily when he said that. Rage washed over and in a burst of fury, I ripped the replica bracelet from my own wrist and flung it away. I couldn’t stay here, I couldn’t let them notice me in such a pathetic state, so I ran. I kept running till I was outside the infirmary, I didn't even bother to say goodbye to my family, I couldn’t let them see me like this. I whimpered when the cool air touched my skin. I didn’t even want to order a ride home. So I shifted, I let the rage consume me and Nara began running all the way back home. I could feel her breaking too, she was right when she said we should leave before he kills us because if I didn’t get a rejection from him or get to reject him soon, I’d be as good as dead. “I do not want him anymore, one more day, and I’ll tell him about the rejection papers I sought from the high council.” I concluded racing into the night .

Damian After I made sure Lily was calm and asleep, I stepped out of the room as quietly as possible. It’s been a hectic week for me, dealing with Lily and her pup and also dealing with Ariana’s troubles. I felt like there was something different about her, she seems more stiff now and not like the mate I knew who wanted to run into my arms all the time. She might just still be angry about me missing the anniversary dinner she’d prepared, after all she was nothing but a spoiled Luna. I’d make it up to her when I got home, maybe she was being cranky because we haven’t had sx of recently, after all she couldn’t stay without me. I thought to myself and smirked. I just stepped out of the ward and immediately I caught a whiff of her scent. She was here… Ariana was here but why?? Oh, she must have come to see her mother. I forgot for a brief moment that her mom was still yet to be discharged by the healer. I was about to proceed walking my eyes caught sight of the bracelet on the floor. How come it was here? I bent down to pick the bracelet and my jaw tightened. This belonged to Ariana. It was the gift I just gave to her at the dinner. Why was it here? I decided to go look for her, maybe she was still around and was now in her mother’s ward. I barged in forgetting to knock and they all turned around to look at me with a stunned expression on their face. “Ohh Alpha Damian, pleasure to have you here.” Seth Volkstane, Ariana’s father stretched his hands out to shake me. “No need to be so formal Mr Volkstane, we’re all family,” I said, collecting his hands. “Where’s Ariana?” I asked and for a moment I could see the confusion in their eyes. “She left about 30 minutes ago stating she was going to find you,” Liam said and I immediately tensed. She left to look for me about 30 minutes ago. Does that mean she found out about Lily and me? I hope not because with her temper she was bound to cause problems for Lily and I didn’t want anything happening to Lily. She was hurt badly and was still yet to recover her wolf, she was no match for someone like Ariana. I needed to find her immediately. “Maybe something came up and she left already.” Her mother said and I nodded and left immediately. Maybe she didn’t find out, I could be wrong because with her temperament there was no way Ariana wouldn’t cause a scene if she truly found out. Maybe her bracelet ending up there was just a coincidence. Still, I wasn’t settled so I pulled out my phone to call Riley, she was the closest person to Ariana, and if Ariana indeed found out anything it would be because Riley couldn’t keep her mouth shut. “Hello,” I said coldly into the phone. “Hello, brother, why did you call me at this time of the night? Have you finally agreed that I could go abroad to visit my friend in her pack? You know I could……” I palmed my face as I listened to her ramble, this was the kind of person Riley was. Always talking without pausing to listen. “Hello, brother are you there??” She asked once she realized I’d been silent for a while. “Yes, just waiting for you to finish your nonsense. Did you say anything to Ariana?” I asked. “Anything like what? I tell her a lot of things.” She replied. “Anything about me or anything that could make her angry at all,” I answered. She paused for a moment before she responded. “Nothing at all. Is she upset? Did you cause any problems for her? I hope you didn’t do anything to make my friend mad.” She fired back. “Did she mention anything to you lately? Anything strange or suspicious?” I inquired. “No” she responded and I cut the call before she got the chance to keep on rambling. “Pheeww” I sighed in relief. That means I was wrong and Ariana’s bracelet being here was only a coincidence. Thank God, this means my cover with Lily was not blown and we could keep up with our little arrangement. I still needed to go home to give this to Ariana before she starts looking for it. I knew the bracelet was going to look so good on her so I decided to get one for her when buying one for Lily and true to my words it looked beautiful on her. I went back to Lily’s room to see if she was already awake. “Hey, I thought you were asleep already,” I said rushing to her side. “I was but I woke up when I couldn’t feel you by my side. Where did you go?” She asked. “To settle some things, you seem okay on your own so I have to go back home tonight,” I said. She looked clearly displeased. “But you promised to stay by my side tonight. What if something happens? You know I don’t have my wolf and powers for now… I’m scared.” “Don’t worry, nothing will happen to you, I’d also get someone to stay with you but for now I need to rush back home to take care of something,” I said. “It’s your mate isn’t it? You’ve been neglecting her because of my pup and I. I hope she didn’t misunderstand anything and won’t cause problems for us?” She asked her voice breaking. “There’s no need to cry Lily, she won’t cause any problems, and besides she doesn’t know about you both okay?” I cooed and she nodded. “I’ll take my leave now but I’ll be back in the morning,” I said and left before she could say anything to change my mind. I rushed back home to find the place in total darkness. That was weird because Ariana loved the lights being on. I was the total opposite though. I switched on the lights and made my way to the room, since she wasn’t waiting for me in the living room she was obviously asleep by now. I approached the room and heard the sound of running water and soft music, and I smiled to myself. She couldn’t have found anything out if she was here at home taking a bath with music playing. I quickly removed my clothes and stripped n@ked so I could join her in the shower. I quietly entered the bathroom but she was so lost in the music and singing that she didn’t notice my presence. “Hey” I greeted kissing her n**k and hugging her from the back and she tensed in my arms immediately.

Ariana By the time I got home, my wolf had already calmed down. But now more than ever, she wanted the rejection as much as I did. I had sustained some bruises while running but they were already healing themselves. Since I was already n@ked, I decided to take a long cool shower before retiring to bed tonight. Damian was probably not coming home and to be honest, I didn’t even want him to either. I turned on my playlist and entered the bathroom to shower. I didn’t know how long I’d spent in the shower and I didn’t seem to care because I felt peace and I was singing my heart out. The water fell down my body and the cold from it calmed me down in such a way that made me not want to leave the shower. I kept singing my heart out when I felt warm pair of hands wrapping around my w***t. “Hey,” he greeted, planting soft kisses on my n**k making my body tense immediately. When did he get back and why didn’t I hear him come in? shift, I was still so mad at him and I didn’t want to be in this position with him. I mean we were both n@ked under the shower and the b***e of his hard length was already pressing down on my back. He turned me to face him and began kissing me roughly immediately. I tried so hard to shut my l**s but he bit my bottom l*p softly and I gasped making him get access. He pushed his tongue into my mouth and kissed me hard. The k**s was rough and filled with urgency like he couldn’t contain his desire. “fk”, he gasped breaking the k**s and breathing down my n**k. He traced his hands down my body and when his hands found the heat between my t****s I couldn’t help but gasp softly. He was my mate after all, he knew my body better than anyone. He immediately pushed a finger into my wet core and I threw my head backward, the water still pouring on us. It all felt divine, us like this under the shower, his fingers working magic inside me. His tongue found my n**k and he began n******g on it. “Mark me Damian”, I m****d out before I could stop myself and he froze, just like he’d always done whenever I slipped up. I was just about to apologize for it like I had always done when something inside me snapped. What the hll was I doing letting him t***h me in the first place? Was my desire that bigger than his betrayal? And just now when I mistakenly asked him to mark me again he froze just like always. Of course, he didn’t want to claim me or place his mark on me. He had Lily, the one he truly loved and she was back for him with their pup, their family of three was complete. As if I just regained my senses I pushed him immediately and left the bathroom. I immediately grabbed a robe to wear on my body before he came out. Shortly after, he came out. “Do you want us to continue in the bedroom? You know it’d have been spicier if we just got to it in the bathroom” he said. “Why did your fingers freeze inside me when I asked you to mark me?” I asked. I already knew the answer but I couldn’t help but ask and I wanted to hear what he had to say. “Can we not argue about this today?” He asked tiredly like I was some whiny child asking some irrelevant question. “I’ll mark you when the time is right but for now I just want to bend you over and fk your brains out.” He said, his eyes dark with desire. If it was before seeing him standing there rock hard and hinting to have sx with me would have me spreading my legs the widest for him but now I felt nothing but disgust. Had he always seen me as nothing more than a sx tool to satisfy his desires? “I’m not in the mood. I don’t feel like it.” I said and he frowned. “What’s wrong? What’s been going on with you lately?” He said. “Maybe you should ask yourself that question,” I replied lying on the bed to sleep after I changed into my night gown. “Come on, don't be like that now,” Damian said changing into his drawls. “Is it about the anniversary? I tried making it up to you today at dinner and……” he paused to look at me as if suddenly remembering something. “Where’s your bracelet?” He asked and I just shrugged. So he had noticed? “I don’t know, I probably lost it somewhere,” I replied casually. He stood up and handed the bracelet back to me. How did he find it? “I found this on the floor in the hospital, you must have dropped it when you were visiting your mom.” He said, searching my eyes as if to see my reaction. “I don’t want it, throw it away,” I replied and he tensed. “Why? I got this specially for you for our anniversary ....” “I SAID I DON’T WANT IT YOU LIAR” I screamed, cutting him off. I really couldn’t bear any more of his lies. He was hurting me with them and my wolf was suffering because of him. How dare he sit there and lie to our face as if we were stupid just because we loved him? “Don’t be like this, if you don’t like this one, don’t worry I’ll buy you whatever you want tomorrow.” He tried to hold me but I waved his hand. “I don’t want any more gifts from you, I hate anything you give me. I don’t even want you anymore, I don’t want anything that’s not exclusively mine including you.” I screamed, breaking down in tears. All the anger and resentment I had been holding in burst and I couldn’t hold the tears anymore. He looked relieved to finally see me lose my temper and I knew why. He felt that anytime I was like this it meant I cared and that I still loved him. He tried to k**s me thinking it’d calm me down as usual but I growled my claws coming out as I screamed like a madwoman. “DON’T t***h ME, DON’T YOU GET IT? I DON’T WANT YOU.” I screamed loud enough for him to hear as I sobbed uncontrollably. He tried to calm me down again but his phone started to ring aloud and I immediately knew who it was because he had set a special ring tone for her. He didn’t pick up but he immediately started to dress up and I knew he was no longer going to spend the night. “We’ll talk when you’ve calmed down. Something came up, pack business.” He said as he struggled to reply to her while he dressed up. My wolf whimpered softly, shocked that even now our mate was still lying to us. He was going to leave us this way, heartbroken and crying while he ran to the arms of another she-wolf. “Pack business you say? Go, Damian, you liar, get out. Answer your call. I don't care, just get out.” I screamed, pushing him. “We’ll talk tomorrow once you’re calm.” He said and just walked out like that. I slumped on the floor crying. I knew I wasn’t supposed to be crying but I couldn’t help it. “Serve him the rejection notice, or better still reject him yourself. Don’t wait until his betrayal kills us before you do that.” My wolf warned, but I couldn’t help but cry. If only it were that easy. There were too many things at stake. My family still depended on him so I needed to wait until my mother was discharged before I gave him the rejection notice. And even if I wanted to, I couldn’t reject him myself, it wouldn’t work for me…..because of the oath…the blood oath.