Chapter 2

The image was a shot of a luxurious dinner at a high-end restaurant. Though no faces were visible, my eyes caught the small detail in the upper right corner—a signet ring. The emblem of Alpha power. It was the heirloom passed down through Damian's lineage. He always wore it on the pinky finger of his left hand. Because that placement symbolized he had yet to find his Luna, his true mate. How ironic. The token of an eternal bond had become a symbol of his bachelorhood. On our son's sixth birthday, he was enjoying a candlelit dinner at an expensive restaurant—with another woman. All the bitterness I felt seemed to dissolve into a strange calm. I pressed the "like" button on the post and set my phone down. Turning, I placed the birthday hat gently on my son's head. "Leo, happy birthday." Under the soft glow of the candlelight, Leo closed his eyes and clasped his tiny hands together. "My birthday wish is to stay with Mommy forever." I picked up my phone and captured the moment. It was then that the thought of leaving turned into a full-grown tree, its roots digging deep. "Alright, Mommy promises you." That night, we didn't bring up Damian at all. It was as if this family had always been just the two of us. After Leo fell asleep, I opened the drawer and took out the prepared bond severance agreement. The last trace of hesitation in my heart vanished. At 2 a.m., Damian finally came home. When his eyes landed on the cake on the table, a flicker of regret passed through them. "I'm sorry, I forgot." I almost laughed. The messages I'd sent, one after another, to his phone—had he really not seen them? Or was he simply too drunk on the sweetness of his escapades to remember anything? Calmly, I pulled out the agreement, flipping to the last page, and handed it to him, my hands steady despite the storm raging inside me. "Sign this…" I began. Before I could finish my sentence, his phone rang. Chloe's panicked voice came through the speaker. "Alpha, I think there's a rogue wolf lurking near my place. I'm so scared. Can you come over? Please?" Damian instantly stood up, his expression tense with concern. "Don't panic. I'll be there immediately." Without a second thought, without even glancing at the document, he signed his name and hurried out the door. He didn't realize it wasn't just another territorial agreement. I stepped aside and silently watched him leave. Damian, you should always remember this moment. You chose to abandon this family. The next day, I returned to headquarters to hand over my work. Damian approached me, holding a beautifully wrapped gift box. "This is Leo's birthday present. I forgot to give it to him yesterday." I paused for a moment, taking the box and opening it. Inside was a stuffed dog. But my son's greatest fear was dogs. When Leo was five, Damian had taken him to a carnival in town. While there, he ran into an old friend and let go of Leo's hand. My son wandered off in the crowd and got lost. By the time we found him, he was trembling on the side of the road, terrified by a stray dog that had cornered him. Since then, dogs had haunted his nightmares. And now, the very culprit behind that nightmare was offering it up as a gift. I couldn't tell if I felt more anger or disappointment. Without a word, I placed the box aside. "Thank you," I said, my tone flat. Damian gave me a curious look, then seemed to remember something. "Chloe's current place isn't safe. I've decided to let her move into our house." His voice was calm, as if discussing the weather. "You don't need to work today. Go back and pack your things. Take Leo and stay in the guest room for a couple of days." The weight of his words hit me like a hammer to the chest. I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you saying you're kicking me and Leo out of our room for Chloe?" Damian frowned. "Don't put it like that. It's just temporary." "Since we agreed to keep our relationship private, we need to avoid suspicion in front of others." I let out a bitter laugh. Was it really just to avoid suspicion? Or was it because he thought Leo and I were obstacles to his pursuit of a new mate—unworthy of being seen? I didn't want to look at him anymore. Returning to my desk, I resumed my work. "Understood," I said. "I'll pack our things and move out. I won't bother you." After all, we were leaving anyway. Whether sooner or later made no difference now. My swift agreement seemed to catch Damian off guard. He hesitated, his tone unexpectedly soft. "I'll make it up to you." I didn't look up. No amount of compensation could undo the damage he'd already done. Back at home, I packed our belongings and prepared to leave with Leo. As I opened the door, I came face-to-face with Damian returning. He was pushing Chloe's suitcase with one hand, the perfect image of a doting partner. For a brief moment, our eyes met. I saw the flash of panic in his gaze, clear as day.