The next morning, the pack headquarters was buzzing with energy.

Chloe, beaming, was handing out chocolates to everyone in the office.

"It's my birthday tonight! The Alpha is treating everyone to dinner, so please come!"

When she saw me, she lifted her chin and held the box out to me. "The Luna should come too, right?"

I ignored the chocolate she offered. "I won't be attending my Alpha's birthday party for his mistress."

Chloe was young, after all. Her face turned green on the spot, and she slammed the chocolates onto a desk. "Who are you calling a mistress?"

Jaxson emerged from his office, his face grim.

"Chloe landed a huge project for the pack last week," he explained. "This dinner is being paid for with pack funds. Can you please not overthink this?"

He put his hands on my shoulders, trying to placate me, and whispered in my ear.

"She'll be gone in a few days. Just think of it as a farewell party from the pack."

I looked at Jaxson's pleading expression and said nothing.

But Chloe wasn't having it. She started crying right there in the office.

"Why would she say that about me? The Alpha and I have done nothing wrong! Is it just because I'm younger, prettier, and more capable than her?"

The other pack members, aware of my presence, didn't dare comfort her openly.

I walked right up to Chloe, in front of Jaxson.

"You've done nothing wrong? Then why did you manipulate him into taking you to the Ferris wheel on my birthday?"

"Nothing wrong? Then why did you call him to your house to rub your stomach when you had your period?"

"Nothing wrong? Then why did you accept a necklace worth hundreds of thousands of dollars?"

Chloe's face was flushed with anger, but I wasn't finished.

"Chloe, don't you forget, every single dollar Jaxson spent on you belongs to the Blackwood Pack's communal assets. As the Luna, I have every right to make you pay it all back."

"But for someone who relies on her youth to attract the Alpha, consider the money a little gift from me, little girl."

"You are young and pretty. But don't you forget, when I mated with him, I was a thousand times better than you are now!"

The first time I met Jaxson was at a high school football game.

I had just started my freshman year. Jaxson, handsome and tall, was the star quarterback of the school team.

He won the adoration of countless girls after his very first game.

During halftime, my cheerleading squad took the field to perform.

That one dance was all it took. Jaxson was mesmerized.

Right there, in the middle of the game, he yelled towards the cheerleaders, "Hey, captain! Do you have a boyfriend?"

"If not, will you consider me?"

I was arrogant back then. I glanced at him casually.

"Whether you can win me over depends on what you've got."

Jaxson just laughed.

In that ten-minute halftime break, we became the talk of the entire school.

After that, Jaxson pursued me like a man possessed.

He used every spare moment to check in on me.

I was the daughter of a wealthy Alpha; he was just a poor boy from a lesser pack.

Everyone said, "Give it up, you're from different worlds."

But Jaxson never gave up. "Aurora, I've chosen you for this life."

He would work odd jobs for an entire month just to take me to a movie.

To buy me a birthday present, he'd wash dishes at a restaurant on weekends.

I told him, "If you win the championship for the entire season for me, I'll think about it."

From then on, he fought with everything he had in every single football game.

He battled on the field, and after every victory, he would proudly shout to the stands, "Aurora, will you be my girlfriend?"

He chased me for three whole years. The year we graduated, I finally said yes.

That night, the three-year war Jaxson had waged finally ended in victory.

But when my father found out, he said Jaxson's pack background wasn't worthy of our family and refused to let us be together.

For me, he gave up football and threw himself into starting a business as soon as he got to college.

And for him, I gave up my dream of studying dance at Juilliard and cut ties with my family.

The reckless love of our youth had finally been eroded by reality.

That night, the entire pack went to celebrate Chloe's birthday.

I stayed at the office, working late by myself.

Just as I was about to head home, my assistant sent me a message.

"Luna, it's bad. Chloe tried to end her life!"

My heart sank. I rushed to the hospital, only to be met by Jaxson's dark, thunderous expression.

"You knew she was proud! Why would you say those things to her in front of so many people?"

"Nothing physical ever happened between us! What more do you fucking want?!"

I stared at his furious face, speechless.

We had been together for ten years, and he had rarely even raised his voice at me. Now, he was screaming at me for Chloe.

"She provoked me first."

Jaxson let out a cold laugh.

"Aurora, are you still an eighteen-year-old girl?"

"When did you become so fond of winning arguments with cheap shots?"

I looked at him, numb.

He didn't even want to look at me.

"Go home. Chloe doesn't want to see you."

"I'll be staying at the hospital with Chloe for a while. I won't be coming back."