Chapter 4

From the back seat, I could hear their fitful laughter. My mind, however, had already drifted blank.

I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I could hear the ease in their voices—the lightness, the joy.

And Noah’s deliberately restrained laughter.

I stared out at the dim moonlight beyond the window. How long had it been since I’d heard him laugh like that?

In my previous life, ever since he met Ann, he had always been distant with me. His wolf never stirred again.

But now, none of that mattered anymore.

When we returned to the Pack House, some of the Pack members noticed Ann sitting beside Noah.

The looks they cast at me turned strangely meaningful.

After all, the Alpha and Luna hadn’t completed their marking yet. And the Alpha allowed an Omega to sit so intimately beside him.

I simply smiled, as if nothing had happened, stepped out of the car, and walked back to my own house.

In my previous life, I had entered that House decorated with wedding ribbons and flowers.

My heart overflowing with sweetness. But no one knew that on our wedding night— Noah hadn’t marked me. He had simply turned off the lights and lain quietly beside me.

There had been none of the intimacy expected between wolf mates.

I lay awake the entire night.

And countless nights after that were the same.

But in this life, I would never again wait for a mark that would never come.

I opened the drawer and took out the Alliance transfer order.

It was called a transfer. But in truth, it was an appointment back to the core division of the main Pack, a position as Beta.

In my previous life, I had given up this opportunity in order to complete the mate bond with Noah.

Yet only three months later, we were still assigned to different territories.

Until I became pregnant. Until Noah “disappeared.” The Alpha bond remained unbroken, yet his bloodline could no longer be sensed.

I raised our pup alone. I held the Black Moon frontier alone.

In the werewolf world, strength ruled everything. A Luna without an Alpha was already walking a dangerous path.

Gradually, I lost the main Pack’s support. Step by step, I was pushed to the margins.

When my son finally grew up and his wolf awakened with overwhelming power, he looked at my busy, ordinary life with open disdain.

He said, “Other Luna mothers are powerful and elegant. Why can’t you be like A… like someone else?”

A?

Ann?

Thinking back now, by then he had already established contact with his “missing” father through bloodline resonance.

He helped him hide the truth from me for a lifetime.

How ridiculous.

That evening during dinner, Noah knocked on my door—with Ann beside him.

He cleared his throat. “Mia, I want to discuss something with you.”

I looked at him. He glanced back at Ann before continuing.

“She just returned from another Pack. Her house hasn’t been lived in for a long time and needs cleaning. Since we haven’t completed the mate bond yet…”

He hesitated. “The bedroom prepared for you in my House… could Ann stay there for a few days?”

So not only had he let her sit beside him. Now he even wanted her to live in the place meant to be mine. Even sleep in our wedding bed.

I looked at Ann. She looked like a frightened rabbit, but the flash of provocation in her eyes couldn’t be hidden.

Suddenly, I found it amusing. This man— I no longer wanted him.

No matter how hard she fought for him, it meant nothing to me anymore. “Sure,” I said lightly.

“That’s your House to begin with. Your decision.”

Noah froze on the spot, clearly not expecting me to agree so easily.

“But,” I added calmly, “I don’t like people touching my things. I’ll go fetch my belongings.”

He hurried to respond, “you don’t have to. I already moved them to another room for you.”

Later that night, I went to gather the few things I had left there.

Noah was making the bed. The sheets were the ones I had personally chosen.

He looked surprised when he saw me.

“Mia, I’ve already moved your things.”

“Mm.” I walked into the room next door.

He followed after me, his expression complicated. Softly, he called out, “Mia…”

At that moment, Ann suddenly ran out. “Noah,” she said softly, “isn’t that the sheet meant for your bonding ceremony? Would it be inappropriate for me to sleep on it?”

Her voice sounded gentle. But her eyes were searching.

Noah instinctively looked at me. I replied calmly, “You paid for it. You decide.”