Chapter 3

Camelia's POV

When it came to Aileen, Lonnie made her his number one priority, every single time.

He'd only just gotten his hands on my signed papers the day before, and by the next morning, he'd already called an emergency pack meeting in his name as Alpha.

I was sitting under a dead tree in the back garden, trying to comfort a fading Andrea, when a guard in a black uniform marched up to me, led by the old butler.

He gave a stiff, formal bow.

"Luna Camelia, Alpha Lonnie orders you to report to the pack square immediately for the general assembly."

I didn't even look at him. I just kept tracing the rough bark of the tree. My heart felt just as hollow and dry as the wood under my fingers.

The guard stood there, awkward and unsure of what to do with my cold shoulder.

Then, Lonnie's arrogant voice cut through the mind link. He didn't even bother with privacy; he broadcasted it to the whole pack.

"Camelia, it's bad form for the Luna to miss a general assembly. If you try to pull a disappearing act, this pack will eat you alive."

I froze for a second, then let out a tiny, sharp laugh.

There it was again. Using my "duty" as Luna to threaten me. He was banking on my loyalty to the pack and my sense of honor to force me into line.

To protect his "fragile" little she-wolf, he was perfectly happy to throw me into the line of fire, making me face the pack's judgment while he forced me to bow my head.

He was so damn desperate to scrub our history clean just so Aileen could have a legitimate spot by his side.

I had to wonder: in his head, was I his fated mate, or his worst enemy?

Fine. If he wanted a circus, I'd give him the headliner.

The black sedan rolled toward the Great Hall at the center of the territory.

The square was already packed. Everyone was there—from elite warriors to the lowest-rank omegas.

The air was thick with a suffocating mix of anxiety, curiosity, and doubt.

As the guard led me through the crowd, snatches of whispers hit me like stones.

"Is Luna Camelia really getting dumped?"

"I heard she can't produce strong heirs anymore..."

"Aileen is just a commoner. Why is she standing next to Alpha Lonnie?"

"Make way, please."

Lonnie's voice came from behind, and the crowd went silent instantly, parting like a tide.

I stopped and turned around.

Aileen was wearing a long, pure white dress, clinging to his arm.

They stood there in the sunlight like they were the ones running the show.

When our eyes met, I felt strangely calm. Lonnie, on the other hand, let out a tiny, almost invisible flinch.

He looked away fast and squeezed Aileen's hand even tighter.

Aileen was radiating pheromones laced with Lonnie's scent, a blatant middle finger to my status in front of everyone.

I didn't get angry; I just felt pathetic. This was the one I had died for in my last life.

"Luna Camelia... is it true? Have you and Alpha Lonnie really broken the bond?"

The question came from a young wolf who'd just come of age. He was at the front of the crowd, his eyes full of fear and confusion.

The whole place went dead silent. Every ear was up. Even the dust in the air seemed to stop moving.

"Yes," I said, looking at the kid and nodding calmly. "The Mating Dissolution Agreement went into effect yesterday."

He looked like he couldn't wrap his head around it. "But... everyone knows you and Alpha Lonnie grew up together! You were fated back at the academy. Twelve years of history..."

"At the Bloodmoon Festival last month, Alpha Lonnie spent a fortune to win that 'Midnight Star' ruby for you! He lit the blessing fire for you in front of everyone!" he continued, his voice shaking. "Only someone truly loved gets that kind of honor!"

The mention of the "Midnight Star" sent a ripple through the crowd.

Lonnie stood on the high platform, his gaze heavy on me.

I kept smiling, but my eyes were dead cold.

"You've got it wrong," I said. "That wasn't love. That was just hush money."

The truth? That night, Aileen had whimpered about being "scared of the thunder," and Lonnie had ditched me while I was presiding over the sacred ritual.

He spent the night by her bed while I finished the hours-long ceremony alone, making excuses for him to the Elders. I sat on that altar under the cold moon until dawn.

In my last life, I was so moved by that ruby. I thought it meant he cared.

I didn't find out until I was literally dying that Lonnie didn't even buy it. Chandler had seen how much I was hurting and arranged the whole thing behind Lonnie's back.

Lonnie didn't even know it happened.

"Luna Camelia, you say it was hush money..."

The light in the young wolf's eyes died out, but he tried one last time. "But what about your wolf? What about your feelings? The mating bond doesn't lie!"

Nobody was breathing.

Aileen's fingers tightened on Lonnie's arm, and Lonnie stared at me, unblinking.

He probably thought I was going to break down and cry, or at least show some of the agony that comes with a snapped bond.

I smiled and touched the faded mark on the back of my neck.

I looked at every single person there and spoke slowly, my voice carrying across the entire square.

"My wolf is dormant."

"And I don't love him anymore."