My father, the Alpha King, believed he was unworthy of me—a mere rogue wolf with no bloodline, no rank, no future. 

But I loved him. So, I abandoned my inheritance, hid my true identity, and ran away with him. 

I never imagined our bond would shatter in just five years. 

Now, I was leaving. 

I could still remember my father’s golden eyes darkening in disappointment, his voice like thunder: 

“You are my heir, Mia! You cannot tie yourself to a wolf who is not an Alpha!” 

I had been stubborn. Blinded by love. And now, I was paying the price. 

A familiar, overpowering scent of roses suddenly filled my lungs, choking me. 

Leo’s arms wrapped around me from behind, his breath warm against my neck. His voice was soft, coaxing. 

“Did I wake you? It’s still early. Sleep a little longer.” 

He didn’t know. 

He didn’t know that every night he slinked off to Jasmin, I was awake. Lying in the dark, waiting. 

Lately, he hadn’t even bothered coming home before dawn. 

His entire body reeked of her—a suffocating floral stench that had no place on a male werewolf. 

I shoved him away with disgust. 

“Go shower. You stink.” 

His golden eyes flashed with momentary embarrassment before he stepped back. 

“Mia, I—” he hesitated. “I know I’ve been with Jas a lot. Has that been bothering you? I’ll spend more time with you for the next few days, okay?” 

The next few days? 

“I’m sure Jas will understand.” 

I stared at him in silence. 

Since when did spending time with me require Jasmin’s permission? 

To outsiders, I must have looked like the mistress—the desperate she-wolf clinging to an Alpha who had already chosen his Luna. 

But he had never Marked me. 

That night, five years ago, when our mating bond should have been sealed, he hesitated. 

“Mia, let’s wait.” 

I had been a fool not to question it then. 

Now, as he stepped out of the bathroom, steam curling around his bare torso, I saw him for what he truly was. 

Not the wolf who had saved me years ago. 

Not the warrior who had fought for me, bled for me. 

Just a male who no longer belonged to me. 

I remembered that night clearly—how I had snuck out of Windmere, reckless and free, only to be ambushed by an enemy pack. 

How Leo had appeared from the shadows, his wolf feral, his claws dripping blood as he tore through my attackers. 

He had been injured, and I had tended to him. The scent of his blood mixed with the earthy musk of his wolf had made my heart race. 

“I saved you,” he had whispered, his gaze dark with possession. “That means you’re mine now.”