Chapter 3

(Rietta’s POV)

After work, several packmates joined Glyneth in practically dragging me into a carriage bound for a tavern.

I had not even been seated for five minutes before Fredrik arrived.

He moved through the crowd without hesitation and headed straight toward Glyneth. His brows were tightly furrowed as he picked up the moonfruit cocktail sitting in front of her.

"Have you lost your mind? Do you even remember what time of the moon this is for you? And you're drinking moonwine?"

Glyneth immediately reached for the glass.

"Stay out of it, Alpha. Give it back."

"Absolutely not."

Fredrik lifted the drink higher, keeping it out of her reach, before calling toward a nearby server.

"Bring her a cup of warm moonmilk."

With one hand holding the glass away from her and the other pressing her gently back into her seat, he spoke in a sharp scolding tone. But the concern in his eyes was impossible to hide.

"If you're curled up in pain tomorrow because of your cramps, don't come crying to me."

The packmates around us exchanged meaningful glances.

One of the women leaned toward the person beside her and whispered softly.

"Wait, is Alpha Fredrik Glyneth's future mate?”

"No way. Our future Luna is Rietta, right?"

The entire table fell silent.

Several pairs of eyes immediately shifted between Fredrik and me.

I lowered my gaze to the glass of lemon water in my hands and suddenly realized how familiar this scene was.

Over the winters, at countless gatherings across various pack territories, Fredrik had peeled river shrimp for Glyneth, filled her bowl with soup, and taken care of her in ways that naturally made others assume they were a bonded couple.

At first, they always corrected the misunderstanding.

But after hearing it enough times, they eventually stopped explaining.

Fredrik's only response had always been the same.

"If other people misunderstand, that's their problem. As long as you know what we are to each other, nothing else matters."

Only then did Fredrik finally notice me.

A frown appeared on his face, and there was clear reproach in his voice.

"Rietta, why didn't you stop her? You know perfectly well she shouldn't be drinking during these few days, but you just let her do whatever she wants?"

The unfair accusation ignited a wave of anger inside me.

Before I could respond, Glyneth spoke first.

"Alpha, why are you blaming her? I was the one who insisted on coming."

She glared at him.

"Rietta is about to become your Luna. What kind of attitude is that?"

Fredrik paused. A trace of discomfort and guilt crossed his face.

With a sigh, he reached out and tried to place an arm around my shoulders.

"Rietta, that's not what I meant. I just panic when I'm worried about someone. Don't take it personally."

I quietly shifted away.

His hand landed on empty air.

"Sit down," I said calmly. "You're already here."

Fredrik sat beside me, but his eyes naturally drifted back toward Glyneth. The way he looked at her was open and unguarded.

My presence felt less like a future mate and more like a barrier standing between them. A barrier separating two people who truly belonged together.

Halfway through the gathering, one of the tavern servers approached Fredrik and Glyneth with a bright smile.

"Alpha, since you two are mates, we’re holding a special event this week. The couple who shares the longest kiss tonight wins a custom pair of enchanted moonstone rings. Would you like to participate?"

Fredrik looked ready to refuse at first, but the hopeful light in Glyneth's eyes made him hesitate.

After a long moment, he stood anyway and took her hand, leading her toward the center of the tavern.

Beneath the glow of the moonlight crystals overhead, all eyes turned to them as Glyneth rose onto her toes and pressed her lips to his.

Fredrik stiffened for a brief second before slowly closing his eyes and kissing her back.

I remained seated in the booth, quietly watching as whispers spread through the crowd and curious stares landed on me from every direction.

But unlike before, I felt nothing. No embarrassment, no heartbreak, not even pain.

Perhaps my heart had been wounded too many times, and the place that once hurt had already gone numb.

A moment later, applause broke out across the tavern.

They had won.

The server smiled warmly and handed over a small box containing the pair of enchanted rings.

Glyneth finally pulled away from Fredrik, her cheeks slightly red, before hurrying back toward me.

"Rietta!"

She opened the box, removed the male ring, and placed it in my hand.

"This one is for you. You're not upset, are you? I just really wanted the rings. It didn't mean anything else."

I lowered my gaze to the ring resting in my palm and quickly realized the silver band was far too large. It would never fit my finger.

With a calm expression, I held it out and returned it.

"It's too big, Glyneth. I can't wear it. Give it to someone it actually fits."

Glyneth immediately turned toward Fredrik. Without the slightest hesitation, she tossed the ring in his direction.

"Your lucky day."

Fredrik caught it with ease. A quiet laugh slipped from him before he casually returned to his seat beside me.

"My future Luna has always been easygoing and understanding. She'd never make a fuss over something this small."

He glanced at Glyneth playfully.

"Unlike you. You're always causing trouble every other day."

The scent of Fredrik's cologne drifted toward me.

Instead of warmth, it only made my stomach turn.

But I truly did not care anymore.

After all, a friendship that had lasted twenty winters and a love that had survived ten winters apart had finally reached its end tonight.

Completely and forever.