Chapter 6

Sorenna played the helpless maiden to perfection, her amber eyes shimmering like a doe’s.

But while pretending to be fragile, she made sure Riven—looming right behind her—could see the faint bite-marks peeking from her collarbone.

“Enough. Freya isn’t the kind who clings to petty jealousy,” Riven muttered, rubbing his temples as irritation seeped into his voice. “There’s nothing here for her to misinterpret. Nothing happened.”

Before Sorenna could feign another excuse, he cut her off sharply, “Don’t you have a summit with the pack member? You should go now.”

“Alpha Riven… but you said you’d… today you promised you would—”

Seeing she was about to reveal something dangerous, Riven’s tone dropped into a cold growl, “Sorenna, that’s enough. Don’t test my patience.”

Her lips tightened into a small defiant pout, but one look at his expression made her back down.

As she slipped on her veil, she cast a concealed glare at Freya before leaving, reluctance written all over her movements.

Kael, using his youthful charm, hurried to Freya’s side. “Mom, Sorenna came to help me pick a gift for you! I wanted to give you the most amazing present in the whole Moonlands.”

Freya replied evenly, “I’m not upset. It’s… simply unexpected to run into the three of you here.”

She appeared distant. “If you don’t need anything else, I’ll return to the packhouse.”

“It’s rare for the three of us to be out together,” Riven said in a softer tone. “There’s a charity gathering tonight at the Alpha Council. Will you accompany me?”

Freya stayed silent, but her silence was enough for him to assume she’d agreed.

Without hesitation, he slid an arm around her waist.

“You’ve gotten fuller,” he murmured absently, then corrected himself, “That’s good. You used to be too thin. No matter how you look, I love you just the same.”

A cold, faint smile touched her lips, yet she didn’t reply.

Her figure hadn’t changed in years. The comment came only because his hands were used to tracing Sorenna’s narrow waist.

Perhaps driven by guilt, Riven took her to one of the elite boutiques reserved for high-ranking wolves and personally chose a crimson gown for her.

When Freya stepped out wearing the tailored dress, hair styled and makeup done, a flicker of astonishment crossed his gaze.

Kael clapped excitedly, “Mommy, you look so beautiful!”

But as Freya looked in the mirror, the image of Sorenna—recently seen on the Pack Broadcast wearing a similar red gown—flashed in her mind. In all these years, she’d never worn red.

Yet when choosing a dress for her, Riven had instinctively picked Sorenna’s favored color.

In the past, she would have confronted him directly, demanded answers, maybe even threatened separation within the pack. But now… she couldn’t be bothered.

With less than a moon cycle left, she let him do as he pleased.

At the evening auction hosted by the Alpha Council, Freya wasn’t surprised to see Sorenna again.

This time, she stood on the stage as the host—graceful, confident and adored. Her witty lines earned laughter from the entire hall.

When she stepped down, Sorenna deliberately took the seat beside Riven and even pinched Kael’s cheek with sickening intimacy.

Freya, seated slightly apart, remained utterly detached from the father and pup. She paid no mind to Sorenna’s provocations.

Her attention drifted to the stage—her eyes slowly reddening as she recognized the final item displayed Beneath moonlight crystal lamps.

If she wasn’t mistaken… It was her mother’s necklace—the Eternal Heart.

The gem symbolized the purest, eternal bond blessed by the Moon Goddess.

Her mother once teased her, saying she would pass it down as Freya’s mating heirloom.

Noticing her strange expression, Riven was the first to raise his bidding paddle. “Seven hundred and fifty thousand moon credits.”

But immediately after, a crisp female voice echoed, “One thousand five hundred.”

Riven’s brows knit together; clear displeasure flashed in his eyes at Sorenna’s recklessness.

Yet the spoiled beauty pretended envy and sweetness, “Luna Freya lives such a blessed life now. Alpha Riven adores you endlessly. You wouldn’t mind me taking this necklace, right?”