Chapter 2

The leaves Kael gathered from the forest paths, the moon-blooms he plucked along the way, or the crooked stick-wolf drawings he made in pup school—anything that caught his eye, he would proudly present to Freya like rare treasures.

But ever since she forbade him from eating sweet moon-berries because of his worsening fang decay, the warm bond between mother and pup had quietly begun to fray.

Thinking of this, Freya swallowed her tears and packed all those little keepsakes away.

When the courier from the Pack arrived, she handed him the bundle and instructed calmly, “Deliver this to Manor Fourteen exactly one lunar week from today. The recipient is Sorenna. Tell her she may enjoy the mate and heir now. I’m throwing out this worthless pair.”

“What pair are you throwing out, Freya?”

As the words left her lips, Alpha Riven approached, holding Kael in his arms. The boy clutched a bouquet of bright crimson fire-roses.

The moment Riven set him down, Kael sprinted toward her. “Mother, I picked these just for you! Do you like them?”

He tiptoed, offering the roses with both hands—his eyes sparkling with anticipation, desperate for her praise.

Riven’s gaze followed the leaving courier. His wolf sharpened with suspicion. “What did you send just now?”

Freya offered no detail. “Nothing important. Just some useless clutter.”

“You should’ve let the house servants handle that,” Riven chided softly, brows knitting as if deeply concerned. “Your health isn’t strong. You need more rest.”

“I’m not crafted from moon-glass. A bit of lifting won’t break me,” she replied.

Riven exhaled helplessly. “Always stubborn. Leave those tasks to me from now on.”

Then he added, “For our anniversary, Kael and I picked a jade moon-bracelet for you. Do you like it?”

He handed her a small bag, his expression full of apology.

“I wanted to take you out for a proper feast tonight, but something urgent came up in the Alpha Courts. I had to bring Kael with me. Let’s reschedule for next lunar week, all right?”

Kael nodded eagerly. “Daddy was super busy! I even fell asleep waiting for him at the office!”

Freya studied Riven’s face long and hard. The look he wore was the same tender devotion he used to show her—not a flicker of guilt, not a shadow of remorse.

As for his so-called dinner plans, she already knew he had taken Kael to visit Sorenna. There was no way he could divide his time to celebrate with her—even if he tried to pretend otherwise.

Freya let out a soft, cold laugh. She glanced briefly at the bracelet and said lightly, “I understand. Let’s go in. Look—Kael’s freezing.”

Once, she would have wrapped her little wolf in her own cloak, shielding him from the icy wind. Now she didn’t bother. The excuse simply helped her shift the topic.

Inside, the moment father and pup stepped into the den, their confusion deepened. The living chamber looked noticeably emptier.

Riven’s brows lowered. His voice steadied, cautious. “Freya… was something removed from the house?”

Kael noticed it too—the absence of the framed drawing he’d given her. He tugged at her sleeve, panic rising. “Mother, where’s my picture? Where did it go?”

Freya gently shook off his hand. She took a drink of water before replying, unhurried, “Those things were cluttering the place. I sold them to the scrap collectors.”

Hearing that, Riven quietly exhaled in relief. As long as his secret stayed buried, nothing else mattered. Even if he betrayed her, in his heart Freya was still the only Luna he acknowledged.

His expression eased. He leaned down and lightly pinched Kael’s somber cheeks.