Chapter 2

(Rietta’s POV)

"Are you sure, Lady Wildmoor? Changing the bride's name at this stage..." The Moonbond Overseer sounded stunned. "I have arranged sacred mate ceremonies across many pack territories for years, and this has never happened before."

"Sure. Completely."

My answer came without the slightest hesitation.

"Everything else remains unchanged. The same ceremony date, the same sacred grounds, the same arrangements. Only change the bride's name to Glyneth Ravenhurst."

Silence filled the communication crystal for a few seconds before she finally agreed.

After a brief pause, I gave one final instruction.

"Do not tell either of them until the day of the Moonbond ceremony."

The following morning, I went to the Moonclaw Alliance Hall and submitted my resignation.

I had barely stepped outside the building when the communication crystal in my pocket vibrated.

A message from Fredrik appeared.

[I'm downstairs.]

I stared at the message for a long moment before finally getting up and heading downstairs.

When I reached the entrance, Fredrik immediately came toward me and held out a small paper bag. The faint scent of moonwine still clung to his cloak from the night before, and the smell made my stomach twist.

I did not reach for the bag. I already knew what was inside.

Ginger tea, a sealed packet of pain relief herbs, and two warming rune patches.

Every moon, on this exact day, the same things appeared without fail, whether rain covered the territory or snow buried the paths.

But I already knew the truth.

None of them had ever been meant for me.

As expected, Fredrik spoke first.

"Glyneth drank too much moonwine last night, and her cycle should start today. She's probably feeling awful. Could you bring this to her for me? You sit near each other anyway. It saves me the trip."

I remained silent.

Fredrik then pulled a half empty packet of pain-relief herbs from his pocket.

"Your cycle should be coming soon too. I left your medicine in my carriage, so I brought it while I was here."

He casually handed it toward me.

"Go on. Glyneth's waiting upstairs."

My gaze moved between the heavy paper bag and the nearly empty packet of herbs.

The whole situation felt ridiculous.

That packet was something I had purchased for myself the previous month after cramps became so painful I could barely stand.

At the time, Glyneth had been comfortably sipping the hot drink Fredrik prepared for her while enjoying a special massage technique he had learned specifically to ease her pain.

As for me, his future mate, curled up from agony and barely conscious, the only thing he said was: "Drink more hot water."

Why had I never felt truly wronged before?

Maybe it was not because I felt nothing. Perhaps I had simply grown used to breaking every hurt into smaller pieces, swallowing them one by one until there was nothing left to say.

But this time, I did not want to swallow it anymore.

I stepped back and looked at him with a coldness I could no longer hide.

"From now on, if you want to give something to Glyneth, contact her yourself. I have work to do, so I'm going back upstairs."

Fredrik froze, clearly surprised by the sudden chill in my attitude.

By the time he understood what had happened, I had already turned away and climbed the stairs without looking back.

When I returned to the pack hall, the Pack Attendant had already delivered the paper bag upstairs.

Glyneth was sitting at her desk opening it while several packmates gathered around her with excited smiles.

"Wow, another gift from your future mate? That's so thoughtful."

"Every moon without fail. Glyneth, you're so lucky."

The tips of Glyneth's ears turned red as she waved her hands frantically.

"No, no, it's not from a future mate."

As she spoke, she glanced toward me.

When I did not react, she raised her voice slightly.

"He's just... a really good friend."

I did not look up. My attention remained fixed on the transition documents displayed on my crystal screen.

But Glyneth leaned closer.

"Rietta, want to go to a tavern after work tonight?"

"In a few days, you won't be single anymore. We should celebrate before your Moonbond ceremony."

I frowned, preparing to refuse, but before I could speak, Glyneth clapped her hands together.

"My treat tonight. It's a pre-Moonbond party for our future Luna. Anyone who wants to join can come."

The entire pack hall immediately came alive.

Seven or eight packmates raised their hands at once.

Clearly, I no longer had room to refuse.

After the group was settled, Glyneth leaned closer again, lowering her voice.

"Rietta, could you add my name to the new alliance project?"

She smiled sweetly.

"I mean, I'm organizing your celebration and everything. I only need one more project to qualify for promotion. You're my best friend, so you'll help me, right?"

My fingers paused above the keyboard.

She always did this.

Since a long time, she would disappear whenever a project entered its most difficult stages. Then, right before completion, she would appear and ask me to add her name.

Every previous time, I had agreed.

She contributed nothing, but still became a permanent member of the alliance and received promotion after promotion.

But this time, I did not feel like helping.

I narrowed my eyes and looked at her expressionlessly.

"There's only one open position left in the project. Are you sure you want it?"

Glyneth laughed without concern.

"Of course. You're the best."

I nodded.

Then I typed Glyneth's name directly beneath the position of Deputy Project Steward.

Glyneth never bothered to check which position I selected. She had already turned away to continue chatting with our packmates.

Well, she had agreed to it herself. None of this would be my responsibility.

Once I left, the final project presentation would belong to the Deputy Project Steward.

I simply wondered how someone who had never spent a single day working on the project was going to stand before the Alpha Council and explain its results.