Chapter 21
The day after I came back happened to be my father’s birthday banquet. Lots of friends and family showed up.
Many of them asked about Alpha Knox, but my parents simply smiled without giving an
answer.
Just as dinner was about to start, Alpha Knox arrived–with an impeccably wrapped gift in hand.
He handed it to my father and said respectfully,
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My dad glanced at him coolly.
“That’s very thoughtful of you, Alpha Knox, but there’s no need.”
“After all, you and Beatrice have broken your mate bond. I wouldn’t want you to waste your
money on us.”
Alpha Knox froze awkwardly, and after a few murmurs from the guests, the room fell quiet.
He lowered his voice and replied,
“You’re still my daughter‘ grandfather—and we
still have a business relationship.”
My dad shook his head.
“Since the bond is broken, it should be a clean
cut. No loose ends.”
“As for the business partnership, it was part of
Beatrice’s dowry.”
“Now that the mate bond is over, the deal ends
too.”
And with that, he ordered a Warrior to escort
ΔΙ
pay out
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Alpha Knox gripped the gift tightly and left,
humiliated.
After he was gone, no one brought him up again. Everyone knew not to ask.
For the first time in a while, I started to feel at peace. I threw myself into shaping a new future.
I told my parents I wanted to become a Pack
doctor.
They were concerned it might be tough on me, but they supported the idea wholeheartedly and offered to help take care of my daughter.
So I chose a new school for her, then planned to
head back home for a bit to sort out the house.
The moment I arrived, I got a call from Omega Aurora, who used to work in the same department as Octavia.
She didn’t bother with small talk.
“Luna, what’s going on with Octavia? Why does she keep acting like she’s already the Alpha’s
Luna?”
I didn’t hold back. I told her the truth–that
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Alpha Knox and I had already broken the mate
bond.
“Aurora,” I said, “you can just call me Miss
Hawthorne from now on.”
Aurora snapped, clearly pissed off.
“I knew that woman was a manipulative snake!
But no one believed me–everyone thought she was some sweet, innocent little thing.”
Her words stirred something in me.
Alpha Knox and I had met back in college. We reconnected through our arranged marriage and gradually fell in love.
Not long after we became bonded mates, I got pregnant.
For Alpha Knox, and for our child, I chose to stay home and take care of the family.
As our pack population grew, Alpha Knox’s work got busier. I didn’t want him distracted, so
I worked hard to become a capable Luna.
He appreciated my efforts–no matter how swamped he was, he still tried to help with our
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To outsiders, we were the perfect couple–the ideal Alpha and Luna.
But without me even realizing it, Alpha started working late more and more, holding meetings well into the night–and sometimes, he didn’t come home at all.
A friend warned me to keep a close eye on
things.
“Alpha Knox is the strongest Alpha of his generation,” she said. “You have no idea how many women are after him.”
I told her I trusted him, but deep down, I was
anxious.
So I started dropping by his office with homemade meals, using “concern” as my
excuse.
I didn’t notice anything unusual at first.
There was always a woman nearby during his
meetings with his Beta—quietly taking notes.
Omega Octavia. She looked to be in her thirties, thin, average–looking, but with a pair of sad,
Chapter 21
fragile eyes that made people drop their guard.
She always acted shy and reserved around me.
I used to think Knox might be into capable Pack doctors or cheerful young Omegas. I never expected someone like her.
Word was, she’d already had two mates–both cheated on her, and both bonds were broken.
This was her first job, so she worked hard and cherished the opportunity.
She’d clean up the workspace early, remember everyone’s preferences, and often bring in homemade treats to share.
At one point, Alpha Knox’s Beta offered to pay her to prepare lunches and dinners, but Alpha Knox shut it down—clearly annoyed.
I used to tease him about being too uptight.
Looking back now, he wasn’t being cold. He just didn’t want Octavia working that hard for a little money.
I once asked Knox why he finally confessed.
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He said,
“Because I didn’t want to sneak around
anymore, pretending to work when I was actually going on dates.”
“And… Octavia’s birthday is coming up. I want to spend it with her–as her mate.”
Even though I no longer had feelings for Knox, it still stung to know how deeply he cared for someone else.
