Chapter 3

It was deep into the night when I left my adoptive parents' estate.

Mia was curled against my chest, her eyes swollen and red, not making a sound.

I lifted my hand and gently stroked her hair, assuming she'd just cried herself into exhaustion, and hurried to find a hotel for the night.

By then, I was already in a wretched state.

"Hello, I'd like to book a suite, please."

I handed over the supplementary card Elias had given me.

The clerk swiped it, then looked up, expressionless.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. This card has been frozen. It can't be used."

My heart plunged. I fished out my own bank card.

Only to discover that the savings on my personal account had also been transferred out.

My fingertips went cold. A wave of nausea rose in me.

Elias didn't just want me to bow my head—he wanted to cut off every retreat.

The clerk's tone was flat.

"Ma'am, will you still be checking in?"

My throat tightened. I quickly called my closest friend.

"Can you lend me a little money? Or book a room for me? I just need somewhere to spend the night with Mia."

She was silent for a couple of seconds, then dropped her voice.

"Willa, it's not that I don't want to help you."

"It's just that my firm is in the middle of a partnership with Elias's company right now. Your name is being dragged through every corner of the territory. If I step in, every deal we have on the table will be terminated by the Alpha unilaterally."

Before she'd even finished, I understood. I hung up in silence.

Watching my own bedraggled reflection ripple across the polished marble floor, I couldn't help finding it darkly funny.

Twenty-some years of living, and in the end I had nothing at all.

The only one who would still stand by me without a moment's hesitation was Mia, right there in my arms.

Then, the next second, Mia's small body swayed against mine.

I pressed a hand to her forehead—and my heart dropped straight into ice water.

She was burning up.

I scrolled through every contact I had, and finally called a wolf I had never wanted to trouble.

After some difficulty, I managed to borrow enough money, and I carried Mia back to the front desk to check in.

The clerk suddenly rolled her eyes at me.

"No wonder all your cards got frozen. So you're the Luna who's been sleeping around with an outsider."

"Oh no, wait—you're not the Luna anymore, are you? The Alpha's already decided to dissolve the mate bond with you."

She looked me up and down, her tone growing more vicious.

"Not enough to have a messy personal life—you had to bring some mongrel of unknown parentage along to embarrass yourself in public."

"Get out of here. Our hotel does not accommodate whores like you!"

Moments later, security shoved us out the door.

Guests all around turned to stare.

Mia was burning with fever, half-conscious, her face pressed into the hollow of my shoulder, murmuring:

"Daddy… don't leave me…"

That single sentence tore my whole heart apart.

I bit down hard, then finally pulled out my phone and dialed Elias's number.

Ten calls in a row. No one picked up.

My fingers trembling, I finally typed out a message and sent it.

*Mia has a fever. Can you please come?*

A long stretch of silence, and then a reply.

*The kid isn't even mine. I don't have time to act out some sob story with you.*

I stared at that cold, cold line.

At that moment, I couldn't even cry out.

In the end, I took Mia to the werewolf clinic alone—and there I saw a familiar figure.

Elias was carefully supporting Liane, walking her into the maternity consultation room.

The werewolf doctor handed a bloodline examination report to Elias, his voice tinged with reproach as he issued his instructions.

"There's bleeding in the first trimester. There's a threat of miscarriage."

"The first few months are critical. As the father, you need to be careful. No mating for now."

Elias instinctively drew Liane closer.

"Does it still hurt?"

Liane gave a small shake of her head.

Elias's brow furrowed. He lowered his voice.

"Don't go home tonight. Come stay with me. I'll take care of you."

Liane bit her lower lip, gave a quiet murmur of assent, and leaned into his chest.

I stood there, feeling the blood in my veins slowly turn to ice.

Years ago, when I was pregnant with Mia, he'd held me just the same way.

The morning sickness had been so bad I couldn't even keep water down.

He'd handed all pack affairs off to another wolf and stayed with me, focused entirely on the pregnancy.

He had held me, that thick Alpha scent wrapping around me, and made me a solemn promise: *"Willa, you and our pup are the most important things in this life."*

Now, the one trampling Mia and me into the dirt was that same man.

I suddenly found it almost funny.

So this was it. However true a person's love ran when they loved you—

that was how cruel they could be when they didn't.

Mia was still burning against my chest.

My phone buzzed.

*Willa, I don't want to drag this out any longer. Meet me at the Moon Goddess Temple in three days. Let's dissolve the mate bond for good.*