Chapter 1

The moment I found that photo of Nyx Thorne and his ex tucked away in his safe, I gave up on him.

No matter how late he stayed out handling pack business, I stopped waiting up.

When he came home carrying another woman's scent, I stopped asking questions.

He told me there was nothing between him and his first love. I said I believed him.

Then the pack was ambushed. Lisa and I were both attacked, and Nyx's instinct drove him to protect Lisa... leaving me covered in bite wounds.

After that, he gave the Luna crest necklace, the one meant for me, to Lisa Carter. I slipped off his engagement ring and disappeared from his life.

Six months later, he tracked me down overseas, eyes rimmed red. "Alice, the one I love isn't Lisa, it's you."

I gave him a faint smile. "Nyx, the one I love isn't you."

*****

Everything changed the day I found that photo of him and his first love hidden away in his safe.

When he came home late from pack duties, I no longer made him a midnight snack. I no longer waited up.

When he led the pack on hunts, I no longer worried whether he'd been hurt.

Even when he came home carrying another she-wolf's scent, I no longer asked about it.

When another man asked me to dance at the bonfire, I no longer refused.

A little girl spotted me and said, "You're the Alpha's girlfriend, right? I've seen you before. How come you're not dancing with the Alpha? He's right upstairs."

I was Nyx's girlfriend, but not his fated mate. He rarely brought me to public events. This little girl only knew me from a chance encounter.

She'd bumped into us once when Nyx and I were out on a date. She asked him if I was going to be the pack's future Luna, and Nyx had laughed, looking genuinely happy, and said yes.

I shook my head at her. "No need. He doesn't like dancing with me."

The little girl blinked, looking confused.

Half an hour later, after finishing my dance with someone else, I saw Nyx walking toward me.

His eyes were tinged red as he caught another wolf's scent on me. "Why were you dancing with someone else?"

I smiled. "It was simply a dance. Why so worked up?"

Nyx frowned, clearly irritated.

I knew he was possessive. Before, I'd kept my distance from every other male to keep him from getting jealous.

But now, there was no point.

Nearby, people were whispering.

"Was the woman dancing with the Alpha upstairs his girlfriend?" someone asked.

"No idea. Doesn't the Alpha have a girlfriend though?" someone murmured.

"You didn't hear? Lisa was the Alpha's ex. She rejected him on his coming-of-age day. Apparently he was heartbroken for ages." another added.

"Really? Lisa is the Black Rose Alpha's daughter, and their hunting grounds are enormous. Many packs want an alliance to share that land. If our Alpha took her back, we'd gain access too." someone said.

"That would be amazing! I'm praying to the Moon Goddess to bring them back together. They look so perfect for each other!" another chimed in.

Nyx looked at me. "Don't listen to them. Lisa and I are in the past. You're my girlfriend. Besides, she's here representing the Black Rose Pack to negotiate an alliance with the Silver Moon Pack."

"Okay. I know," I replied.

Nyx studied my reaction. "Are you upset?"

I smiled at him. "I'm not. You're the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack. Negotiating with the Black Rose Pack is perfectly normal. Why would I be upset?"

"You're really not upset? You used to always ask if I still had feelings for Lisa. What's with the sudden understanding?" Nyx asked.

I almost laughed. When I used to get upset and confront him, he accused me of being unreasonable. Now that I'd stopped, he still wasn't satisfied?

When I didn't respond, Nyx was about to say something else, but caught a glimpse of someone asking Lisa to dance.

With my wolf hearing, I could make out the man asking Lisa if she had a partner and whether he could have a dance.

Lisa said she didn't have one and extended her hand, accepting his invitation.

Nyx walked straight over, took Lisa's hand, and told the man, "I'm her partner."

The man immediately bowed his head, murmured a respectful "Alpha," and walked away.