chapter 7

Not long after, their anniversary rolled around.

Ryan finally rushed back home, and he even threw a big party himself.

In previous years, he'd start planning half a month in advance. He'd fill their entire bedroom with her favorite pastries, jewelry, and gifts. He used to say their anniversary should be more important than the Pack's sacred ceremonies.

But this year? The rushed look in his eyes overshadowed any real care. Bella watched him from a distance as he came toward her, and it felt like she was looking at a stranger.

When Bella arrived at the venue, Ryan came out personally to greet her.

She calmly lifted her head to look at him, but she didn't reach for his hand like she always used to. Her gaze was too calm, eerily calm, like Ryan was just some random person she'd never met before.

Left standing behind her, Ryan's shock gradually shifted into worry.

He suddenly realized that Bella seemed to be getting thinner. Her complexion didn't look great either.

The Bella he remembered had always been warm and gentle, not cold and distant like this. It was like all the life had been drained out of her.

His heart clenched, and he instinctively reached out to take her arm.

But she turned away and refused him. Her voice came out dry and hoarse. "I've been sick lately. You should keep your distance so you don't catch it."

Bella didn't wait to see Ryan's reaction. She just turned and walked away.

Throughout the entire party, she stood there like an outsider, listening to everyone congratulate them.

"Alpha Ryan treats Ms. Frost so well! Even their anniversary party is amazing."

"Ms. Frost is so lucky to have this kind of mate."

The words felt like needles stabbing into her eardrums.

But nobody knew the truth—that all this devotion was just a performance for the Pack.

She watched Ryan work the crowd, his smile practiced and smooth, like he was handling Pack business. Where was even a shred of genuine care for his Mate?

Finally, the party reached its climax when Ryan pulled out an exquisite ruby necklace, a symbol of eternal loyalty.

He smiled as he fastened it around Bella's neck and made his vow. "Just like this gem, my love for you will never fade."

Bella looked down at the necklace, then shifted her gaze to Ryan. She couldn't help the sarcastic laugh that escaped her. So this was what werewolf love was worth. Cheap trinkets and empty promises.

She didn't say a word. Ryan assumed she was quiet because she wasn't feeling well, so he ended the party early.

He'd been about to get the pack doctor to check on Bella, but right as he headed downstairs, his communicator buzzed.

Ryan glanced at the screen, and when he looked back up, his face was full of apology.

"Sorry Bella, something urgent came up with the Pack. I need to head back and deal with it. Go find the doctor, okay? Call me if anything comes up."

She watched him put on that concerned expression.

Bella kept her voice steady and looked away. "It's fine. If it's urgent, you should go."

"Okay. Love you."

Ryan gave her a quick kiss and rushed off.

He seemed so sure Bella wouldn't suspect a thing that he didn't even notice he'd gone the wrong way—not toward the exit, but back into the banquet hall.

The second he left, Bella's communicator rang. It was Lina, and her voice dripped with smugness.

"Follow him. I've got a surprise for you."

Bella stood there holding her communicator for a long moment. She should just turn around and leave, like she'd done so many times before when things got messy.

But something stubborn inside her pushed back. She was tired of being kept in the dark, tired of not knowing just how far this would go. Bella bit down hard and made herself follow him.

She tracked the location Lina had sent and found the place pretty quickly.

The doors to the banquet hall were wide open—probably because more people were still coming.

Bella looked inside, and her eyes went wide with shock.

The room had the exact same anniversary decorations as hers, except these were for Ryan and Lina. Lina sat next to Ryan wearing the same dress Bella had on. The same damn dress.

And it wasn't just them. Every single guest from the party earlier was there, along with all of Ryan's friends.

This wasn't some "emergency" he'd had to deal with. This was Ryan throwing Lina her own private anniversary celebration.

Bella stood frozen in the doorway. All the blood in her body seemed to rush backward at once, pounding against the inside of her skull.

Something inside Bella screamed at her to leave, to get out of there right now. She had a sinking feeling that what came next would be way worse than anything she could imagine.

But her fists clenched tight, and her feet stayed rooted to the spot. She couldn't move even if she wanted to.

Maybe it was curiosity.

Maybe she was just tired of being kept in the dark.

Either way, Bella stayed put. She watched with cold eyes as Ryan fastened an identical ruby necklace around Lina's neck.

His friends started whooping and hollering nearby.

"The future Luna looks amazing in it!"

Ryan shot them a warning glare. "Cut it out. You only have one Luna."

His friends exchanged knowing looks and made exaggerated zipping motions across their lips.

"Relax, everyone knows Ms. Frost is your everything."

"Don't worry! We'll keep it between us. There's no way we'd let Ms. Frost find out!"

"Exactly! Our lips are sealed. Remember when you first brought Lina around? We kept that secret for you, didn't we?"

"I told you from the start. Don't waste your time on a human Mate. Get yourself some Omegas and actually enjoy life. Plus, you know, heirs."

"And honestly? Bella should be grateful she even gets a title."

"With how weak she is, who knows if she can even have pups."

She finally got it. Ryan had never cared about how she felt.

Her failure to give him pups as a human had been eating at him this whole time, so he'd found Lina—someone who could satisfy his needs and give him heirs. All those "I only love you" promises, all those vows he'd made to the Moon Goddess, they were just lies to keep her in the dark.

Turns out everyone in Ryan's inner circle knew about Lina. They'd all been helping him hide it from her, laughing at her behind her back.

Bella turned and ran before she completely lost it.

Her steps quickened until she was sprinting, like there were rogues chasing her down.

But this time, Ryan wasn't going to shift and throw himself between her and danger. The only things hunting her now were betrayal and humiliation.

The next second, a car appeared out of nowhere in the darkness. The impact sent her body flying through the air.

When she hit the ground, she didn't even feel the pain. Just relief.

Maybe this way, she wouldn't have to wait for the witch's fake death spell after all...