Severing My Alpha's Mark

For the past two months, I’ve been getting photos. Photos of my fated mate, Andrew, fucking his mistress, Crystal—a sultry omega. 【Dear Luna, Andrew left so many marks on me last night. He said I'm the only one who's ever made him feel a real orgasm.】 【Oh, and that famous soothing ability you're so proud of? I have it too. He says I can replace you completely now.】 【Don't worry, I'll take good care of your mate for you.】 In the photos, a smudge of Crystal's lipstick was a glaring stain on Andrew’s mate mark. Looking at those messages, disbelief curdled into despair, and finally, into a cold, hard numbness. Until tonight, when the Moon Goddess finally answered my desperate prayers. I could sacrifice half of my soothing gift for one chance to sever our mate bond on my own. In seven days, I will finally leave Andrew for good. Chapter 1 It was the dead of night by the time I dragged my body from the dilapidated warehouse on the outskirts of Seattle back to our estate. The ritual had drained me of almost all my strength, leaving me feeling like half my soul had been ripped from my body. But it was all worth it. I glanced down at my left shoulder. The laurel tree mark, which once shimmered with a silver light, was now as dull as ash. It was the symbol of my eternal bond with Andrew, but now it just looked like a festering wound. "In seven days, the bond will be severed completely." The Moon Goddess's voice, majestic and filled with unyielding authority, still echoed in my ears. Seven days. I just had to endure for seven more days, and I would be free. I applied a special herbal paste over the mark, completely hiding its lifeless state. I couldn't let Andrew suspect a thing, not when I was this close. On the living room TV, a familiar figure was giving an interview. It was my husband, Alpha Andrew Blackwood. That handsome face, the one that drove countless she-wolves wild, was wearing a perfectly charming smile as he answered the host's questions. "Mr. Blackwood, as the leader of the most powerful pack on the West Coast, what do you believe makes the Silver Moon Pack so stable?" The corner of Andrew's mouth lifted into that captivating smile I once adored. "My bond with my wife, Lucia, is the bedrock of our pack's stability. It's a gift from the Moon Goddess. Her unique, Moon-blessed soothing ability allows me to maintain my sanity during the full moon. That power is priceless." Priceless power. A bitter laugh escaped my lips as I collapsed onto the sofa. If my power was so precious, why was he letting someone else take my place? My phone buzzed again. Another message from Crystal. For two months, she had sent me these taunting texts almost daily. 【Did you see the TV, Luna? I was right in the front row when Andrew mentioned you. He’s such a good actor. If I hadn’t felt him pounding into me just last night, I might have actually believed him.】 My fingers tightened around my phone, my nails digging into my palm. On the TV, the host pressed on. "There are rumors that you and your wife have been seen in public together less frequently. Is there any trouble?" Andrew’s expression turned serious. "Our bond has never wavered. I love her very much. There is no doubt about that." The sheer hypocrisy of it made me laugh, a short, sharp, ugly sound. Just then, I heard the lock turn. Andrew was home. A mixed scent immediately hit me—his cologne, and another cloyingly sweet perfume. Crystal’s scent. My stomach churned. "You're back," I said without turning around, my voice flat. "Yeah, just finished up with some pack business." Andrew's voice was tinged with fatigue. He walked toward me, about to wrap his arms around me from behind like he always did. I sidestepped his embrace. The air in the room froze. "What's wrong?" He frowned, confusion flashing in his gray eyes. "Are you not feeling well?" "I'm fine. Just tired." Andrew walked around to the front of the sofa, those eyes that once made my heart race now scrutinizing me. Suddenly, his gaze locked onto my left shoulder, and his pupils constricted. Even with the herbal paste, as my mate, he could still sense that something was off. The air in the room crackled with a sudden, dangerous tension. Andrew spoke slowly, his voice low. "Lucia, what's wrong with your mark?" Chapter 2 Facing Andrew’s suspicious gray eyes, I forced myself to stay calm. "Nothing's wrong," I said dismissively, then deliberately changed the subject. "Do you remember what today is?" Andrew’s expression froze, a flicker of panic in his eyes. I saw his Adam's apple bob as he scrambled to remember. "Today is..." His voice was uncertain. "Our fifth anniversary," I said softly. "The fifth anniversary of our mating." The color drained from Andrew’s face, replaced by a wave of guilt and panic. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but all that came out was a barely audible sigh. "Lucia, I—" "It's okay," I cut off his apology, my voice still unnervingly calm. "I know you're busy. Pack business is important, isn't it?" My unnatural calm clearly unsettled him. Normally, if he forgot an important date, I’d be upset, demanding an explanation. "I can make it up to you," Andrew said eagerly. "What do you want? Jewelry? A new purse? A trip to Paris?" I stared at his anxious face, a wave of sadness washing over me. "I only want one thing," I said slowly. "Anything." "Do you remember the promise you made when you proposed to me five years ago?" Andrew searched his memory. "You said," I continued, "that you would plant me a field of rainbow moonflowers, our symbol of true love." He remembered. His expression grew even more guilty. For five years, he had been so busy with pack affairs that the promise had been completely forgotten. "I'll do it right now." Andrew immediately pulled out his phone. "I'll have the seeds delivered." After hanging up, he looked at me. "They'll be here within the hour. I'll plant every single one for you myself." I nodded, saying nothing. An hour later, his assistant arrived with a dozen bags of rainbow moonflower seeds. Andrew changed into gardening clothes and began digging in the moonlight. His movements were clumsy. I stood on the terrace, watching him quietly. Once, this scene would have moved me to tears. Now, it just felt ironic. "In seven days, these will bloom into the most beautiful colors," he said as he planted. "We'll watch them together, babe." I gave a faint smile. In seven days, I probably wouldn’t be here to see them bloom. Two hours later, Andrew had finally finished. "Go take a shower," I said. He nodded, kissing my forehead tenderly. "Anything to make you happy, Lucia. I'd do anything for you." After Andrew went upstairs, I noticed something had slipped out of his jacket pocket. A pair of black lace panties. They reeked of Crystal's scent. Worse, my keen senses instantly picked up fragmented images left on the fabric: Andrew pinning the woman down on his office sofa, her legs wrapped around his waist as he tore at her clothes... Bile surged up my throat. I couldn't hold it back. I bolted to the bathroom and retched, emptying what little was in my stomach. Bile burned my throat as tears streamed from my eyes. Not from heartache, but from pure disgust. I was utterly disgusted by this man. "Lucia?" Andrew's voice called from upstairs, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. He rushed in, a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still dripping. "What's wrong? Are you sick?" Chapter 3 "I'm fine," I said, wiping my mouth and trying to look like I was just feeling ill. "I'm probably just exhausted lately." Andrew frowned, reaching out to touch my forehead. "Should I call the pack doctor? You look pale." "No," I said, gently pushing his hand away. "I just need some rest." He carefully helped me back to the bedroom, treating me as if I were a fragile doll. "Get some sleep," Andrew said, tucking me in and placing a soft kiss on my forehead. "If you're not better tomorrow, we'll go to the hospital." I closed my eyes and gave a tired nod. The lights went out, and the mattress dipped as Andrew lay down beside me. I could feel his warmth and smell his fresh, clean scent, but it all just made me sick. About half an hour later, once he was sure I was "asleep," Andrew carefully slipped out of bed. His movements were silent, clearly trying not to wake me. Through my lashes, I watched him walk to the balcony and slide the glass door shut. Then, he took a call. Even through the glass, my wolf hearing picked up his hushed voice. "I told you not to call when I'm home. Lucia might hear." Crystal’s coy voice purred from the other end. "But I miss you... Aren't you craving me?" "Guess I didn't tire you out enough last night," Andrew let out a low, husky chuckle. My stomach churned again, but I forced myself to keep listening. "Of course not. I'm still starving for more," Crystal said, her voice dripping with triumphant provocation. "Same place tomorrow? You can tell me what to wear, anything you want." The desire in Andrew's voice was obvious. "I want you wearing nothing. I'll dress you myself." They continued their graphic flirtation, every word a shard of glass in my gut. Ten minutes later, Andrew ended the call. He tiptoed back to the bed and placed another gentle kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight, my wife." I instinctively flinched away, turning slightly in my sleep. Andrew didn't suspect a thing, assuming it was just an unconscious movement. The next morning, Andrew was up early, making me breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and my favorite Blue Mountain coffee. The perfect breakfast from the perfect mate. Just then, the doorbell rang. It was Logan, his beta, holding a discreet black bag. "Boss, the stuff you asked for," Logan said, avoiding my eyes as he quickly handed it over. My sharp eyes caught the logo of an adult novelty store on the package. It must be the "new clothes" he mentioned on the phone last night, for his rendezvous with Crystal this afternoon. Andrew returned to the dining room as if nothing had happened, hiding the bag behind his back. "Who was that?" I asked casually. "Just Logan, dropping off some work files," he lied smoothly. "Boring pack business." I nodded, not calling him on it. We ate in silence. To an outsider, it would have looked like a scene of domestic bliss. Halfway through the meal, I put down my fork and looked up at him. "Andrew, can I ask you a question?" "What is it?" he asked, his gaze soft. I looked into his clear, gray eyes and asked softly, "Could you ever cheat on me?" The question caught him off guard. He put down his coffee cup and took my hand. "Why would you ask that?" His expression grew serious, earnest. "Just curious," I said, keeping my expression innocent. "We've been mated for five years. Don't you ever get tired of me?" Andrew squeezed my hand tighter, using his other hand to point to the mate mark on his chest. "Listen to me, Lucia. If I ever betray you, may the Moon Goddess strip me of my wolf and leave me a powerless outcast. I swear on my life, I will never cheat on you. I will never betray our bond." His solemn, gut-wrenching vow echoed in the dining room. His expression was so sincere, his eyes so truthful, that if I didn't know the truth, I would have been moved to tears. Now, all I felt was deep, biting irony. Just last night, he was planning today's tryst with another woman. Just minutes ago, he accepted a package of sex toys for his affair. And now, he could swear the most sacred oath to the Goddess without flinching. I looked up at his handsome, deceitful face and slowly broke into a smile. "Okay. I believe you." Chapter 4 After Andrew left, I sat alone at the dining table. Suddenly, a searing pain exploded in my chest. "Ah—!" I clutched my chest, feeling as if something was tearing my very soul apart. It was the backlash from the ritual, far more violent than I had anticipated. Waves of agony crashed over me. My vision blurred, and my body began to tremble uncontrollably. Deep inside, I could feel my wolf whimpering. Instinct took over. I reached out to Andrew through our mate bond, a primal cry for help from the depths of my soul, like a drowning person grasping for a lifeline. 【Andrew… help me… It hurts so much…】 The connection opened. But what I found on the other side was a vision that made my heart turn to ice. In a lavish presidential suite, Andrew was on top of Crystal, pounding into her with fierce intensity. Her nails raked across his back as she let out shameless moans. Andrew's face was completely lost in a sea of lust. My cry for help, my agony, was nothing in the face of their carnal feast. The moment he severed the mental link, a cold, profound despair washed over me. That feeling of being utterly abandoned cut deeper than any physical pain. I don't know how much time passed, but when I woke up, I was in a bed in the pack hospital. White ceilings, the sharp smell of antiseptic, and the hum of complex medical equipment. "You're awake," a gentle voice said. I turned my head to see Dr. Wilson, the pack’s head physician, standing by my bed, his face etched with worry. "Lucia, your wolf's spirit is extremely weak. You need your mate’s presence and the nourishment of his spiritual energy. The Alpha's vitality can be channeled through the mate bond to help your spirit stabilize." I couldn't help but give a bitter smile. Andrew's presence? When I was on the brink of death, he was screwing another woman. When my wolf's spirit was fading, he cut me off without a second thought. And now I was supposed to rely on his presence to save me? It was a cosmic, cruel joke. "Don't worry too much, Lucia," Dr. Wilson said, mistaking my despair for fear. "Alpha Andrew will be here soon. With him by your side, you'll recover in no time." I stared out the window as the sky began to darken, thinking that Andrew was probably still enjoying himself with Crystal. Maybe they were finished and were now playfully splashing in a bathtub together. "It doesn't matter," I said calmly, still looking outside. "He won't be my mate for much longer." Just as the words left my lips, the door to the room swung open. Andrew stood in the doorway. He had clearly rushed here; his hair was a mess and his shirt wasn't fully buttoned. He frowned, looking at me with confusion. "What do you mean, not your mate?" Chapter 5 "Lucia, I know you're angry," Andrew said, sitting by my bed, his face a mask of remorse. "I'm so sorry. I was dealing with a difficult situation and had to cut the link. I didn't know..." He reached out to touch my face. The cloying scent of sweat, cheap perfume, and sex rolled off him, and I had to fight the urge to gag. I couldn't take it anymore. I shoved his hand away. "Don't touch me!" My reaction stunned him. He stared at his rejected hand, then back at me, his eyes filled with confusion and hurt. "Lucia, what's gotten into you? I'm your mate. Why won't you let me touch you?" I took a deep breath, fighting down the rage and disgust. It wasn't time for a confrontation yet. I had to keep up the act. "I'm sorry," I softened my tone. "I'm just not feeling well. It's not you." "Then tell me," he pressed, "why is your wolf's spirit so weak?" "It's probably a side effect from the last full moon," I said, feigning nonchalance. "I used too much of my power to soothe you, and I never fully recovered." It was a partial truth. During last month's full moon, Andrew's wolf had been unusually feral, and I had indeed exhausted myself calming him. Hearing my explanation, a complex expression flickered across Andrew's face before he nodded. "I see." He reached out and stroked my hair, his touch as gentle as if he were handling a priceless piece of art. "It's my fault. I've put too much of a burden on you." "It's not your fault," I said, the lie tasting like ash in my mouth. "It's my duty as Luna." Andrew was quiet for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "Maybe for the next full moon, you won't have to use so much of your power." I knew what that meant. He had already found my "replacement." He was already planning to let Crystal anchor him during the next full moon. "Oh? That's good," I forced myself to smile. Seeing me smile, Andrew seemed to relax. He leaned in, about to hug me. But just then, his phone rang. The sound was jarring in the quiet hospital room. Andrew glanced at the caller ID, and his expression shifted slightly. From the corner of my eye, I saw the name "Crystal" on the screen. "I have to take this outside," he said, standing up hastily. "It's an urgent pack matter." Pack matters. His all-purpose excuse. He’d used it a thousand times. A few minutes later, Andrew returned, an apologetic look on his face. "Lucia, I'm so sorry. There's an emergency with the pack. I have to go deal with it right now." He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "You get some rest. I'll be back as soon as I'm done." "Go on," I said, nodding obediently. "The pack is more important." But just as I expected, Andrew didn't keep his promise. He never came back. Instead, I got another message from Crystal. It was an ultrasound photo, with a triumphant caption underneath: 【Dear Luna, I'm pregnant. Andrew was so happy, he's rushing over to be with me for my appointment.】 Chapter 6 Another picture followed. A grainy, black-and-white image of a tiny embryo. In the top right corner, the text read: 6 weeks. 【Surprised? You know, when I told Andrew the news, he was so excited he acted like a wild beast.】 【Oh, and by the way, he really is a beast with me. Not so… restrained, like he is with you. Is he always gentle when you two are together? Hahaha, that’s because he doesn’t even want to touch you! But with me… God, I can barely handle how feral he gets!】 I leaned back against the hospital bed, the world spinning. Andrew had once looked at me with that same hopeful excitement, saying, "Our pup will be the happiest child in the world." But the child we had waited five years for was now growing in his mistress's womb. Maybe I should congratulate them. Another message popped up: 【By the way, he said he wants to keep his pregnant mate happy, so he's taking me to New York tomorrow. We're going to have a romantic little getaway~】 I shut off my phone and left the hospital, my face a blank mask. No one stops a Luna, even one who looks like she's about to collapse. Back at the estate, I started packing. I took out all the gifts Andrew had ever given me—the jewelry, the clothes, the designer bags—and threw them one by one into trash bags. These things, once symbols of love and commitment, were now just hollow props in a one-woman show. As I was packing, my phone buzzed. A message from Andrew. 【Babe, I have to go to New York to handle some urgent pack business. I'll probably be gone for three days. I wanted to take you with me, but you're too weak. You should stay home and rest.】 I sent a simple, two-word reply: 【Okay.】 A few minutes later, my phone rang. It was Andrew. "Lucia? You're quiet today," he said, a hint of suspicion in his voice. "Usually when I have to travel, you ask a million questions and pout until I promise to come back soon." "I'm probably just not feeling well," I said calmly. "You go handle your business. I'll be fine resting here." There was a pause on the other end of the line before he asked tentatively, "Are you sure you're okay? You seem a little off today." "I'm not off," I said. "Just tired." Another silence. I could hear the muffled sound of an airport announcement in the background. He was already on his way to New York. "Andrew," I heard myself ask, my voice detached, "if one day you woke up and I was gone, what would you do?" A confident laugh came from the other end. "Don't be silly, babe. You're my mate. You have my mark. I could find you no matter where you run." His voice was filled with absolute confidence and possession, as if I were his property. "Is that so?" After hanging up, I went back to my packing. Andrew would never imagine that in three days, when our mate bond shattered completely, he would lose track of me for good. And then, no matter how powerful he was, he would never find me again. Chapter 7 Three days until the end. My phone started buzzing in the morning and didn't stop. All messages from Crystal in New York. The first was a picture of her and Andrew in a hotel lobby, hugging each other tightly like a couple deep in love. The second was a photo of them at a Michelin-star restaurant, with Andrew tenderly cutting her steak. There were more, with even more explicit details. I saved every single message, my face devoid of expression. These photos would be the perfect "souvenir" to leave for him. For the next two days, I methodically erased every trace of myself from the house. I packed away or destroyed my clothes, my books, and anything else that proved I had ever lived there. I even repainted my room and took down all our photos, making the space look as if it had never been occupied. On the afternoon of the final day, I called my only friend, Maria. "Lucia? You sound... strange," Maria said, her voice full of concern. "What's going on?" "Maria, I need to see you," I said. "There's something important I need to tell you." An hour later, we met at a quiet café. She gasped when she saw me. "Gods, Lucia, you've lost so much weight, and..." "And what?" "Your aura... it's changed," she said with a frown. "You seem… colder. Like a different person." I took a sip of coffee. "Maybe this was the real me all along." "What did you want to tell me?" Maria asked, worried. I took a phone out of my bag and placed it on the table in front of her. "If Andrew asks where I am, give this to him." "What do you mean?" Maria picked up the phone. "Where are you going?" "Somewhere far away from here," I said calmly. "Maria, this might be the last time we see each other." "Don't worry. This is my choice. The phone has the answers he'll want. When he wants to know why, he'll understand." I stood up and gently stroked her hair. "Take care of yourself, Maria." After leaving the café, I returned to the house that would soon no longer be mine. As the sun set, I stood alone in the backyard, staring at the field of rainbow moonflowers. This was the beginning of our love, and it would also be the end. Midnight approached. The final moment before our mate bond snapped for good. I lit a torch and tossed it into the center of the flowerbed. Flames spread quickly, the rainbow-colored petals twisting, withering, and turning to ash in the inferno. Just as the fire roared at its peak, a searing agony shot through the mark on my shoulder. The pain was more intense than I could have ever imagined, like a white-hot branding iron peeling the mark from my very soul. "Ah—!" A pained cry escaped my lips as I collapsed to my knees. But the agony lasted only a few seconds before it vanished completely. In its place, an unprecedented feeling of lightness filled my body. The spiritual chains that had bound me for five years finally shattered. I got to my feet, gave the burning garden one last look, and walked away without a backward glance toward the car I had parked by the gate. I stomped on the gas and drove toward freedom. At that same moment, in a luxury hotel in New York, Andrew, wrapped in the arms of Crystal, suddenly felt a sharp pang in his chest. He shot up in bed, clutching his heart, feeling as if something vital had just been ripped from his life. He tried to reach for me through our mental link, but found nothing. The connection that had been a constant hum in the back of his mind for five years... was silent. Gone.