Chapter 1

I jokingly told my mate, Ethan, that I had stepped out on him.

Instead of getting angry, he let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Summer, thank goodness! To be honest, I've been keeping a secret from you for a long time too."

The relieved smile on his face made my stomach drop.

"Since you cheated on me, let's just reject the mate bond. Your pack sister, Claire, is pregnant—with my pups. She lives right downstairs. Every time I told you I was on patrol duty, I was actually taking her to her prenatal checkups."

"I felt so guilty before. But now that you've found someone else, I don't have to carry that burden anymore. This pack apartment goes to me—consider it compensation for breaking your vows."

That night, he shamelessly announced he was going downstairs to stay the night with Claire.

Watching him practically sprint out the door, I let out a cold laugh.

He wants to reject the bond? I’m definitely not letting him off that easily.

A month later, Ethan fell to his knees in front of me, eyes bloodshot.

"Summer, I'm begging you... please, reject the mate bond with me!"

"What's with that face?"

Seeing me stay silent, Ethan’s smirk grew more obnoxious.

"We're both grown wolves here. You slept with another male first, so leaving this pack apartment to me as compensation is totally fair, right?"

He smoothed down his collar, dripping with smug calculation.

"Besides, you've always been dull and boring. In bed, you just lie there like a dead fish. Claire is so much sweeter than you. She's gentle, caring, and knows how to keep things exciting—unlike you."

Listening to his shameless bullshit made my stomach violently churn. I wanted to throw up.

"When did this start?"

I choked back the tremor in my voice, glaring holes through him.

He shrugged, throwing it out like it was nothing.

"About two years ago. Right around the time your dad died."

Two years ago.

Those words hit me like a sledgehammer, freezing the blood in my veins.

Back then, my dad died suddenly from a heart attack, and my entire world collapsed. I couldn't even keep food down.

I spent every day crying until I could barely see.

I thought Ethan was working day and night on pack patrols just to support our home.

Turns out, while I was drowning in grief, he was rolling around in bed with my close friend!

"You walked around with a miserable face every damn day back then. It was depressing, and frankly, annoying," he said.

"Claire saw how stressed I was and invited me downstairs to comfort me. One thing led to another, and well, we slept together."

He talked about his betrayal like it was casual dinner conversation, making himself out to be the victim.

Looking at the wolf I’d shared a bed with for five years, he felt terrifyingly like a stranger.

He didn't care whether I lived or died. He turned toward the door and slipped on his shoes.

He was desperate to rush down to his cozy little love nest, unwilling to waste another second here.

With his hand on the doorknob, he suddenly paused and glanced back at me.

"Oh, right. Remember to make some chicken soup for Claire tomorrow."

"Her morning sickness is terrible lately. She can't keep anything down, and she's already lost so much weight."

"When I was in the hospital, the soup you made tasted amazing. Claire will definitely love it."

Those words made the rage inside my chest erupt like a volcano.

When he was in the hospital?

That was a year ago, when he got into a horrific car crash, snapped two ribs, and almost died.

When the Pack Healer called me, I was terrified out of my mind. I rushed to the clinic and cared for him around the clock without sleeping.

To make that restorative soup, I peeled raw nuts without gloves, triggering an allergic reaction that left my hands blistered, swollen, and red.

I endured the agonizing itch and burning pain to simmer that soup for four straight hours, feeding him spoonful by spoonful.

"That car crash... were you on your way to see her?"

I forced my voice to stay level.

He froze for a second, then waved his hand in irritation, totally dismissive.

"Ugh, that's ancient history! Why bring it up now?"

"Claire said she was craving macarons from that bakery across town that day. I was rushing to meet her, drove too fast, and hit the guardrail."

"Anyway, the cards are on the table now. Let's just move on. I wish you and your new lover the best."

He tossed out the truth without a second thought, obliterating the very last shred of affection I held for him.

The accident that almost killed him happened because he was desperate to spoil his little side piece.

And the scars on my hands from that night felt like a massive, humiliating slap in the face!

I stood rooted to the spot, entirely drained, without the energy to even scream at him.

Before stepping out, he couldn't resist barking one last set of orders.

"Pack up my stuff from the study tomorrow."

"I'm living downstairs from now on. Won't be coming back up, so you can have your little fun with your new male wolf in peace."

"I'll have the pack Beta draft the mate rejection papers and send them over. Sign them as soon as possible."

*Slam!*

The door shut violently.

Only silence remained in the empty room.

I walked to the window, watching the warm lights switch on downstairs, and let out a cold, sharp laugh.

Did he really think a few casual excuses could erase two years of lies and betrayal?

Did he honestly believe he could snatch my apartment and happily play house with his little home-wrecker?

In his dreams.

Rejecting the mate bond?

That's way too merciful for those two scumbags.

Since he’s so sure I betrayed him, I might as well make that joke come true.

I'm going to make them pay a much bloodier price. I'll personally tear down their beloved romance and smash their little fantasy to pieces.