chapter 2

Bella had barely made it back to Shadow Manor when her communicator buzzed with an incoming image.

Lina wore nothing but a sheer bra on top and was completely naked below, smiling at the camera with that sultry, seductive look.

The caption was even more explicit. "Ryan, if you don't get back here soon, I might just run off with another man."

Ryan's response popped up instantly. "On my way. Just wait till I get there and punish you."

Bella stabbed the screen dark and squeezed her eyes shut, fighting to control her ragged breathing.

"Punish"—that kind of intimate word was supposed to be reserved for mates. Ryan had said it to her just the other day, and now he was casually throwing it at another Omega.

She'd thought that after seeing so much proof of his cheating, she'd get used to it. That eventually, she'd stop feeling anything at all.

But the truth was, Ryan had left too deep a mark on her life. His shadow was everywhere.

He was the first person who'd given her a family's warmth after her parents died. He was the one who'd shifted into his wolf form and fought tooth and nail to protect her when Rogues came after her. He was the one who'd promised to show her all four seasons in the Pack territory.

For the longest time, Ryan had been Bella's entire world.

And now, this Alpha who'd sworn to protect her for life was sending sweet messages to another Omega behind her back.

Every time Bella saw proof of his betrayal, it felt like someone was stabbing a knife straight into her heart, twisting it until she was bleeding out.

Finally, Bella just turned off her communicator and curled up on the couch. Between the days of bottled-up emotions and skipping dinner entirely, she passed out from sheer exhaustion.

She figured sleep was better. At least when she was asleep, she didn't have to think about how pathetic she was. Everyone believed an Alpha's loyalty to their Mate was stronger than Pack law itself, but she just had to be the exception.

She didn't see her communicator flashing red in the darkness.

An unknown number kept sending photos and messages.

When Bella didn't respond, the person who sent the photos got bolder. The photos got more explicit each time.

The last message was dripping with contempt, hitting Bella right where it hurt. "Can your human body even satisfy Ryan? Last night he fucked me five times. He said he's absolutely crazy about me. You probably can't even handle one round, can you?

"I bet you make him stop before he's even done. And forget about having pups. We Omegas get pregnant easy. I can give Shadow Pack a pureblooded heir. But you? Humans have such a hard time conceiving. Are you really going to let Shadow Pack die out without an heir?"

Bella had just woken up when she saw those provocative messages.

She tortured herself by looking at the photos over and over again, at least a dozen times, like she was trying to force herself to face reality.

Of course she knew humans and wolves had completely different physical capabilities. Her body simply couldn't handle Ryan's intensity.

Every time they were intimate, she'd be completely spent after just one round, too weak to even lift her arm. She'd seen the desire still lingering in Ryan's eyes more than once—he clearly wasn't satisfied either—but he'd just pull her into his arms, gently pat her back, and soften his voice. "Go to sleep. I won't push you."

Back then, she'd felt so guilty about it. She'd even secretly asked a witch if there were any potions to strengthen her stamina. But Ryan always laughed it off and stopped her. "I want you, not some tool to get off with."

What suffocated her even more was the whole pregnancy issue. When Ryan's parents found out his mate was human, they'd opposed it immediately.

"What if Bella can never get pregnant? What happens to the Shadowmoon Pack's heir?" Every time they got together, Ryan's mother would look at her with thinly veiled disapproval.

Ryan had stepped in front of her back then and told his parents flat out, "Bella's the only mate I'll ever have. Whether or not we have an heir, I'll figure it out myself. It's not your problem."

He'd sounded so decisive when he said it. She'd actually believed he didn't care about having pups, that he was willing to go against the entire pack for her.

But now she finally understood. He did care. He just hadn't told her the truth. When he said he'd figure it out himself, what he really meant was he'd find an omega who could satisfy him and give him the pups he wanted.

When Ryan came home, he found Bella sitting on the couch, her face completely drained of color. Her knuckles were white where she gripped her communicator.

"What's wrong? Bad day?" Ryan immediately crouched down and grabbed her hand, looking up at Bella. His hand reached toward her cheek with that familiar, intimate gesture he'd done a thousand times before.

Bella silently shifted her gaze to Ryan's face, focusing on those beautiful, deep-set eyes of his.

Last night, those same eyes had been full of desire for Lena while he posed for photos with her, hadn't they? And his body had been tangled up with Lena's the whole time.

Ryan was supposed to be so perceptive about emotions, but he hadn't even asked what was actually wrong. He was just going through the motions, pretending to care.

The more she thought about it, the more disgusted she felt. Bella couldn't hold back a dry heave.

"Are you sick? I'll get the pack doctor over here right now!"

Ryan panicked and immediately tried to grab Bella's hand.

His concern right now felt like an act, a performance for her and for the servants in the villa, all to maintain his image as the devoted partner.

Bella let out a bitter laugh and said flatly, "I'm not sick. I just saw some photos that put me in a bad mood."

"What kind of photos could make you feel this awful, babe? We're not looking at those anymore, okay?"

He pretended to be annoyed about it, then kissed her cheek before continuing.

"Tell you what. The clan's car show is starting soon. How about I get you whatever car you want? Consider it my way of making up for leaving you at the dress shop last night."

The car show he was talking about featured custom vehicles made exclusively for nobles. Some could withstand Rogues attacks, others were embedded with crystals. They were all status symbols that screamed wealth and power.

Bella had mentioned once before that she wanted to "ride in a car where you can see the stars." Ryan had laughed back then and promised, "After the Mate ceremony, I'll build you one myself." But now? Now he wanted to throw money at some ready-made vehicle instead, turning his promise into nothing more than a cheap consolation prize.

Bella didn't answer, but Ryan acted like everything was fine. He grabbed her coat and scarf, wrapped them around her carefully, and pulled her out the door by the hand. He was acting like he was still that Mate who only had eyes for her.

At the car show, Ryan flagged down the manager right away and had every single vehicle brought over for Bella to see. The guy went through each one in detail.

"Bella, if you like it, we'll buy them all."

While the manager was doing his presentation, a few nobles from the Shadow Pack wandered over. They were Ryan's friends.

"I was wondering who had the clout to pull all the cars away from everyone else. Should've known it was you, Alpha Ryan."

"Ryan, you're spoiling your future Luna way too much, aren't you? There are only ten of these vehicles in the entire Pack, and you want to let her pick from all of them?"

"Ryan, Ms. Frost can't drive all of them by herself. How about you let the manager show us a few too? Otherwise, I'm gonna miss out completely!"

"Besides, it's an auction. Even you might not win them all, Alpha."

His friends crowded around, teasing him about it.

But Ryan just glanced at them once before turning back to Bella with a smile and squeezing her hand tighter.

"No way. She's my mate, so naturally, she gets the best."

"Alright, alright," his friends said with laughs, backing off.

Ryan's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't respond to them. Instead, he carefully took a cup of water from one of the staff members and held it out to Bella like he was trying to win her over.

"I'm not thirsty. You drink it." Bella shook her head, her expression completely calm.

She watched him act all serious and devoted, and it just felt ironic. He called her his fated mate, but behind her back, he was cheating with Lina and sending her flirty messages. All those promises about loving only her for the rest of his life were complete lies.

Right then, the door swung open again. An Omega wearing an animal-print skirt and high heels walked straight toward Ryan.

Bella saw Ryan's face change instantly.

She followed his gaze and looked up. Her heart felt like someone had just squeezed it hard.

The woman walking over wasn't just anyone—it was Lina, the Omega who'd been messing around with Ryan.