Chapter 3

The evening air was thick with tension as Eric tried to play the caring mate, his every gesture feeling like a mockery of what we once shared. I could smell her on him even stronger now – Jessica's scent woven into his clothes, his hair, his very skin. "If an Alpha no longer loves his Luna—" I began, testing the waters, needing to hear what he'd say. "The mate bond is sacred!" Eric interrupted, his voice filled with false passion. "I would never betray that! Never, Isabella!" His golden eyes blazed with manufactured sincerity, but before I could respond, a haunting howl echoed through the forest beyond our territory. It was a mating call – wild, desperate, and unmistakably female. Eric's pupils dilated instantly, shifting from human brown to the predatory gold of his wolf. The transformation happened so fast I almost missed it, but the mate bond made me hyper-aware of every change in his body, every spike of desire that wasn't meant for me. "I need to patrol the borders," he said quickly, already moving toward the door. "Rogue wolves might be testing our defenses." I nodded, playing the obedient Luna even as my heart shattered. "Be careful." The moment he left, I shifted into my wolf form and followed his scent trail through the darkening forest. My paws moved silently over the familiar terrain, leading me deeper into the woods where the moonlight filtered through ancient trees. What I found destroyed the last fragment of my faith in our bond. Eric had shifted into his massive black wolf form, his dark fur gleaming in the silver light. Beneath him, a stunning silver she-wolf writhed in obvious pleasure, her coat shimmering like starlight as they moved together in the most primal of dances. I watched from the shadows as my mate performed the sacred mating ritual with another wolf, their movements synchronized in a way that spoke of practice, of familiarity. This wasn't a moment of weakness – this was an established relationship. The silver she-wolf threw back her head and howled in ecstasy, and Eric responded with his own deep, rumbling call of satisfaction. I remembered that sound from our own mating nights, when he would claim me with the same passionate intensity. Now he was giving that part of himself to her. My wolf wanted to attack, to tear them apart and reclaim what was mine by right. But my human mind held me back, calculating, planning. This betrayal was too complete for simple revenge. As I slunk back through the forest, my heart breaking with every step, I made my decision. Eric wanted to play games? Fine. But he was about to learn that Luna Isabella played for keeps. ---