After Eight Winters of a False Mate Bond, I Walked Away

(Marisel’s POV) This kind of unfair treatment had already become normal ever since Frista returned to my life. Trevian bought her expensive enchanted bags and rare moonstone watches, yet he forgot my birthday completely. Because she had been insulted during a banquet, he broke his own rules for the first time and canceled an alliance that had taken months to build. He even declared hostility against a powerful foreign pack just to protect her pride. Meanwhile, I wandered through my brother’s funeral like an empty shell. After scattering his ashes into the Moon Tide Sea, just as he wished, I finally received Trevian’s so-called reply. Seven whole days had passed since the last time he hung up on me. “Marisel, do not worry. A healer from the western kingdoms is already on the way. As for the healing resources that were redirected, I still urgently need them right now. Wait a little longer.” Hearing his serious yet hollow tone, I laughed while tears ran down my face. “You used an enormous amount of sacred herbs and moon healers just to save a useless animal. That’s what you call urgent?” The bond stone fell silent except for the sound of his heavy breathing. “Marisel, do not speak like that. Marcellus is my brother too. How could I not care about him?” Yes. Back then, when we were poor and struggling in the lower territories, Trevian used to secretly fight in underground wolf arenas just to buy one bottle of medicine for my brother. But when Marcellus truly needed him the most, all he could tell me was to wait a little longer. Just after he spoke, a bright female voice sounded from the other side. “Trevian, the kittens finally opened their eyes! Come quickly!” Footsteps echoed through the call. He was probably walking somewhere quieter. But I had already heard enough.Both the things I should have heard and the things I never wanted to hear. “You don’t need to explain anymore.” I cut him off before another one of his fake excuses could leave his mouth and ended the call. Back in my chamber, I took out the locked separation agreement. When we completed our mating ceremony, Trevian had signed it himself before placing it into my hands. “You will always have the right to leave me.” At that time, I laughed at his fear, believing that document would never be used. But now, that same agreement became the courage I needed to walk away. I signed my name calmly. Through special pack channels, the severing certificate would be completed within twenty days. After sending the documents away, I finally returned to the old rental cottage where I once lived. Many of my brother’s belongings were still there. The dead should at least leave something behind for the living to remember. What I did not expect was to see Trevian’s exclusive black moon carriage parked outside. I froze and almost stepped forward, until I noticed the carriage moving strangely. Disgust twisted violently inside my stomach. When the carriage door finally opened, I quickly hid inside the alley like a guilty pup. Inside, I saw Frista. Her robes were messy, and she complained softly about wanting to get out. Trevian’s cold voice ordered her to wait. Only after fastening the buttons across her exposed chest did he finally allow her to step down. To keep her shoes from touching the dirty rainwater, he even removed his cloak and spread it across the ground for her. Holding tightly onto his arm, Frista pouted. “Why did you bring me to a place like this?” He rubbed her hair gently, full of indulgence. “Didn’t you say you wanted your own business within the territory? This old district will soon be rebuilt by the Silverthorne Pack. Once reconstruction begins, the profit will be enormous.” Excited, Frista stood on her toes and kissed his lips. But this so-called old district was more than broken buildings to me. It held seven winters of memories. It held my entire life with him. And yet, to make Frista happy, Trevian never even mentioned the reconstruction plans to me. If I had not returned today, I might not even have been able to keep my brother’s belongings. A sharp pain spread through my chest, as if the cold wind had ripped my heart wide open. I turned around, desperate to escape. But beneath my foot, a plastic bottle cracked loudly. The sharp sound echoed through the narrow alley and interrupted their embrace.

(Marisel’s POV) Trevian’s cold eyes immediately turned toward the sound. The moment he saw me, his hand quickly left Frista’s waist. Almost like a guilty man, he rubbed between his brows before walking toward me. “Why did you suddenly return here? This district is dangerous and filled with rogue wolves. Why did you come alone without guards?” The concern in his voice sounded the same as before. But after seeing him hold Frista so closely, every bit of care from him only made me sick. The hand that once always reached for me now stopped awkwardly in the air. “I simply wanted to come back. What about you?” My calm question instantly stopped the lecture he had been about to give me. He parted his lips, but before he could speak, Frista interrupted sweetly. “I only recently returned to the kingdom. I asked Alpha Trevian to accompany me around the territory. You are not jealous over something this small, are you?” Seven winters had passed. I had become the Luna of the mighty Silverthorne Pack. Yet the way Frista looked at me remained exactly the same. Full of contempt and arrogance. Because of her powerful family, she always believed she had the right to take what belonged to others. “Marisel, why are you silent?” Pouting, she tugged lightly on Trevian’s sleeve. “Please explain it to her for me. I was young and foolish before, and I already apologized. Tell Marisel not to stay angry with me anymore…” Her fake and delicate voice made my hands shake violently. Finally, I could not hold back anymore. “Are you done speaking?” Seeing that she finally got a reaction from me, Frista instantly burst into tears and buried herself against Trevian’s chest. “I already admitted I was immature back then. Besides, many things were done by my friends, not me alone. Why do you still hate me so much?” Pain filled Trevian’s eyes as he gently wiped away her tears. “Marisel, enough. Don’t go too far.” The anger burning inside me was instantly crushed by his sharp words. Even though I had already decided to leave him, why did my heart still hurt this much? Why… when he knew better than anyone how deeply I hated her, would he still ask me to forgive her and pretend the past never happened? Back during our final winter at the Royal Moon Academy, Frista targeted me simply because the boy she liked spoke a few extra words to me. Every morning, disgusting things covered my desk. Dead rats. Bloody pads. Even used condoms. The assignments I handed in would mysteriously disappear. Rumors spread throughout the academy that I sold my body outside the school grounds. Male students from other classes approached me shamelessly, asking how much one night with me cost. After classes ended, Frista’s followers would drag me into the girls’ washroom by my hair. They took humiliating crystal photos of me. They burned off my eyebrows with fire magic. They pressed lit cigarettes against my skin as though I were an ashtray. The smell of burning flesh mixed together with their cruel laughter. Scars were left across my back forever. When Trevian first saw those scars, the man who never cried even after having both legs broken trembled while kissing every wound. His hot tears fell against my back and burned straight into my heart. He whispered softly, “Marisel… give me a little more time. I will make every person who hurt you pay the price.” And he truly fulfilled that promise. The powerful and feared Trevian took revenge for me against everyone involved. Everyone, except one person. The only one who escaped punishment was Frista, who conveniently left the kingdom to study overseas. And at the final step, Trevian lost himself because he fell in love with the very woman who once destroyed me. My silence lasted too long, and he mistook it for dissatisfaction. His eyes stayed on me for several seconds. The harsh words he wanted to say softened in the end into only one sentence. “Get into the carriage.” Frista wiped away her fake tears and smiled sweetly. “I knew Marisel was kind. She will definitely forgive me.” She reached her hand toward me. Her nails were painted the same blood red color I remembered too clearly. Instinctively, I stepped backward. But like the poisonous snake she had always been, her fingers suddenly dug hard into the flesh at my waist. I gasped and immediately shoved her away. Taking the opportunity, Frista deliberately stumbled backward. And in Trevian’s eyes, the scene became something completely different. Not her cruelty, but my petty revenge.

(Marisel’s POV) Trevian immediately pulled Frista into his arms, his voice filled with worry. “Are you hurt anywhere?” His eyes anxiously checked her body before he carefully wiped away the dirt staining her calf. Frista bit her lip and softly insisted she was fine, yet her timid eyes kept glancing toward me. Only after confirming several times that she was unharmed did Trevian finally turn toward me, his brows tightly furrowed. “Marisel, you have gone too far. Frista already apologized. Why can you not let go of the past? Besides, those things back then were done by others. Frista was only watching at most.” Hearing his unfair words, my fists tightened hard. My nails dug deeply into my palms, and only the pain stopped me from collapsing completely. “A watcher?” I laughed coldly. Of course, Frista never dirtied her own hands. As the precious daughter of a noble pack, she only needed one look, and countless students would rush to obey her commands. Trevian knew every truth. He knew every single detail. Yet because of a few tears from her eyes, he erased all my suffering as though it meant nothing. “Enough, don’t fight anymore. Everything already happened long ago.” Standing behind him, Frista acted like a peacemaker. Her lips spoke gentle words, but mockery filled her eyes. I swallowed my anger and knelt down to gather the scattered belongings from the ground. Frista pretended to help me. Then she deliberately stepped onto the small model airship. Crack. The fragile toy shattered instantly. Looking at the broken pieces, I finally lost control. My hand lifted, ready to slap her. But Trevian moved faster. His foot slammed hard against my leg, sending me crashing into the pile of keepsakes I had just collected. Sharp plastic pierced my back, and burning pain spread through my body. “Enough!” he shouted angrily. “Why do you keep targeting Frista? What is the point?” He did not notice the blood soaking through my clothes. He also did not notice my pale lips or my trembling body. “Those were my brother’s belongings!” My voice broke painfully. “And she destroyed them like that!” For a brief moment, Trevian froze. But very quickly, his expression turned cold again. “It is only a model. I will buy him a better and more expensive one.” I stared at the man I had known for seven winters and suddenly felt like I was looking at a stranger. He had forgotten. Forgotten that he was the one who gifted that model airship to my brother during his birthday celebration. Forgotten that Marcellus once dreamed of becoming a proud sky rider who flew across the kingdoms. But my brother was already gone. No matter how expensive the new model was, it could never reach his hands again. The desire to argue slowly disappeared from my body. Silently, I turned around to leave. But Trevian had already entered the driver’s seat of the carriage. When he saw me walking away, he quickly drove in front of me and blocked my path. “I already told you to stop being stubborn. Look at your face. You are so pale. You skipped breakfast again, did you not? Come. Let’s eat lunch together.” I pressed my lips together tightly. The severing certificate was already being processed, so I no longer had the energy to fight him. Numbly, I entered the backseat. The seat beside the driver had long become Frista’s place. Even the scent inside the carriage had changed into the sweet perfume she liked so much. The entire ride was filled only with their voices. Frista’s silver laughter pierced my ears like needles. Ever since Frista returned to the kingdom, I had not experienced a single peaceful night. To steal my place, she attacked me endlessly. She bribed servants to place allergens into my meals. She sent dead rats covered in blood to our estate, trying to frighten me into divorcing Trevian immediately. She even drugged me unconscious, staged shameful photos, and spread them throughout Moonbook. She kidnapped my brother and forced me to sign a severing agreement. Every time, Trevian swore he would punish her. Every time, he promised me it would never happen again. Yet in the end, he still climbed into bed with the woman I hated most. Leaning back against the seat, I closed my eyes. The wound on my back hurt so badly that I could barely think clearly. Suddenly, the sharp scream of brakes tore through the air. My eyes snapped open. A massive transport carriage was rushing straight toward us from the side.

(Marisel’s POV) Trevian sharply turned the steering wheel, but the collision could not be avoided. The violent impact made the entire carriage shake brutally, and the protection spells burst open instantly. My head slammed hard against the seat, and dizziness flooded my mind. Instinctively, I wanted to check if Trevian was safe. But he did not spare me even a single glance. All of his attention was focused on Frista. He even wrapped his body around hers, protecting her tightly in his arms. “Frista, answer me. Are you alright?” His voice trembled with panic I had never heard before. Blood ran down from his forehead, yet he did not even bother wiping it away. In his embrace, Frista whimpered weakly, trembling like an injured bird. “Trevian, my hand hurts… my head hurts too…” In the front seats, they looked like the tragic lovers from an old tale. And I, the one injured the most, was forgotten in the back. Without the protection of the spell barrier, the force of the crash threw me violently against the carriage door before slamming me back again. My head crashed into the glass window, shattering it into countless sparkling pieces. The wound on my back tore open further, and warm blood quickly soaked through my clothes. Only then did Trevian finally glance toward the backseat. Hesitation flickered briefly in his eyes. But in the next moment, he turned back toward Frista again. In the distance, emergency sirens echoed closer and closer. Nearby wolves rushed forward, pulling at the damaged carriage doors and shouting for help. “Save Frista first!” Trevian’s urgent voice cut through the chaos as though he had completely forgotten that I was still trapped inside, bleeding heavily and barely conscious. My vision slowly blurred as crimson filled every corner of my sight. I struggled to cry for help. I wanted him to remember me. Just once. I wanted the man I once saved winters ago to save me in return. But Trevian carefully carried Frista out of the carriage, softly comforting her the entire time. He never looked back. Not once. Not even for a single moment of hesitation. The numbness from blood loss slowly spread through my body. As darkness swallowed me whole, one final bitter thought rose inside my mind. When he proposed to me beneath the Moon Goddess, he promised he would never allow me to be hurt again. Yet he could not keep that promise for even one winter. *** When I opened my eyes again, I found myself lying in a healer’s ward. “You are finally awake!” The healer sounded excited and relieved. “If you had not woken up soon, Alpha Silverthorne was prepared to purchase this entire healing hall for you!” Her eyes were filled with envy. “You are so fortunate to have a mate who loves you this much. He even ordered people to redecorate your room so you would feel more comfortable. Every day, he brings fresh flowers too. Never the same kind twice.” I slowly turned my head. On the bedside table sat a vase filled with blooming crabapple flowers. The very flower I hated the most. “Really?” A cold smile curved across my lips. “He loves me that much?” Without noticing anything strange, the healer excitedly took out her crystal communicator crystal and showed me a video that had already spread throughout Moonbook. “Of course. Look at this. It proves how deeply he cares for you. He even risked his own life to pull you out from the wreckage.” The shaky recording, taken by a bystander during the accident, showed Trevian carefully carrying someone out from the passenger seat. He held her gently and protectively in his arms. Although her face was hidden, her slender figure was unmistakable. The comments beneath the video overflowed with admiration. Everyone praised Trevian as a devoted mate. “A loyal mate.” “A man who treasured his Luna more than his own life.” Yet the woman he rescued so carefully… was not me. While the entire kingdom envied the love I supposedly possessed, I had been abandoned inside that carriage, left bleeding and dying alone. A bitter laugh escaped from my throat. “Yes… he truly loves me.” The healer’s smile stiffened awkwardly. She quickly excused herself before hurrying out of the room. A few moments later, Trevian entered carrying another fresh bouquet of flowers.

(Marisel’s POV) The moment Trevian placed the flowers into the vase, I violently swept them onto the floor. “Get out! I said get out!” Glass shattered across the tiles. Trevian did not become angry. Instead, he crouched down quietly and began picking up the broken pieces. A sharp hiss escaped him when one shard cut into his finger. Instinctively, he looked toward me. But I did not even spare him a glance. I kept my face turned toward the window. A heavy silence filled the room. Finally, he stood up, walked closer, and sat beside the window before holding my face firmly in his hands. “I know you are angry with me,” he said quietly. “But at that moment, I could only save one person.” “Frista was closer, so I rescued her first. Besides, you are fine now, aren’t you?” As though trying to soften his excuses, he pulled a piece of chocolate from his pocket like a small surprise. “Eat something sweet. It will help your mood.” He unwrapped it and tried feeding it to me. Disgust rushed through my body, and I slapped his hand away. “Are you deaf? I told you to leave!” The chocolate rolled across the floor before stopping near the wall. After being cursed at repeatedly, the last bit of guilt inside him finally disappeared. His face turned cold as he stood up abruptly. “If you continue acting like this, I will stop your brother’s treatment!” My trembling hand slowly lifted and pointed toward the door. “Get. Out.” This time, he slammed the door hard behind him. I buried myself beneath the blankets and cried until my throat burned raw and my lungs ached painfully. During my stay in the healer’s hall, Trevian came almost every day. And every single time, I forced him out. Our arguments became sharper each day. He was the one who broke every promise and crossed every line. Yet to outsiders, I looked like the unreasonable Luna who never knew when to stop. I covered my ears tightly and whispered to myself again and again. “Fifteen more days. Just fifteen more days until the severing certificate is complete.” But I never expected that on the day I was discharged from the healer’s hall… Frista would dare appear before me. She looked beautiful as always with elegant robes and perfect makeup. Such a graceful appearance. But the poison hidden behind her smile had never changed. Her eyes slowly swept across me before she clicked her tongue in disdain. “A crow will always be a crow, even if it sits inside a phoenix nest.” “Marisel, your luck is truly disgusting. First, you acted weak and pitiful to seduce Ardyn Vaultere. Then you clung to Trevian back when he was still only a rising young wolf.” Her sweet face twisted with cruelty. “But none of that matters. I crushed you once before, and I can destroy you a thousand more times.” Frista sneered as she waved an old crystal recording proudly in front of me. “Back then, didn’t you look exactly like a filthy stray wolf dragged into the light?” Inside the crystal screen, my face was pale with humiliation, and my body had been stripped bare. Countless crystal communicators and crystal devices pointed toward me while cruel laughter echoed around me. Some people even reached out to mock me openly. I thought I had already escaped that nightmare. But the moment it replayed before my eyes, my body shook uncontrollably. The old wounds buried inside me began burning painfully once again. My gaze slowly moved toward the fruit knife resting on the table nearby. “What’s wrong?” Frista’s voice dripped with mockery. “Does it hurt to watch?” “I heard after you were expelled from the Royal Moon Academy, you fell into depression and even tried taking your own life.” Her laughter sounded like a curse ringing through the room. “You are insane, and your crippled brother is already dead. No wonder the two of you are siblings.” She leaned closer and shoved the crystal screen near my face, forcing me to watch every second. “Do you know? I have many recordings like this. When I studied abroad, I watched one every night before sleeping.” Her smile slowly widened as she enjoyed my suffering. “Oh, right. There is one more thing you probably never knew…” She paused deliberately, savoring my trembling silence. “The day your brother died… I was in bed with Trevian.”

(Marisel’s POV) My fingers secretly tightened around the fruit knife. Hidden beneath the blanket, my hand was already covered in shallow cuts. The pain was the only thing keeping me barely sane. “You came all the way here just to tell me this? What exactly do you want, Frista?” I asked hoarsely. I will leave Trevian. You do not need to force me like this.” Her eyes widened briefly in shock before anger immediately filled her face. “Leave him? Do you think I need you to move aside for me? You are nothing more than a filthy parasite!” Suddenly, she shoved me hard off the bed. I never expected her to attack me so openly. My body slammed heavily onto the cold floor. The wounds that had only recently healed tore open again, and sharp pain spread through my body. Darkness blurred my vision. The knife slipped from my hand and crashed loudly against the tiles. Grinding my teeth painfully, I tried forcing myself back up. But Frista’s sharp heel immediately pressed down onto my wrist. The stiletto dug cruelly into my flesh. “Did you truly believe trash like you could ever compete with me?” she sneered. At that moment, footsteps echoed outside the room. Instantly, Frista smeared my blood across her own face before collapsing into fake sobs. When Trevian pushed open the door, all he saw was me lying in a pool of blood while Frista cried pitifully beside him. “Trevian,” she sobbed while grabbing his sleeve, “I only came to congratulate Marisel for leaving the healer’s hall. But she suddenly grabbed my hand and… she… she tried throwing herself onto the knife!” He froze. Instinctively, he stepped toward me as though wanting to help me up. But Frista’s trembling cries stopped him midway. Pressing his fingers against his temple, he spoke tiredly, “Marisel, can’t you stop making things difficult for me just once? Because of you, I have not slept properly for days.” I stared silently at the dark circles beneath his eyes. Bitter laughter rose inside my throat. “Unable to sleep well… is that truly because of me? Or is it because you have been sleeping in Frista’s bed?” He stiffened briefly. Then he crouched before me and gently wiped the blood from my face. His voice softened, almost coaxing. “Marisel… sometimes it is better to pretend you understand nothing. It makes things easier for both of us.” “I love you. But loving you does not mean I cannot like another woman too. When I eventually grow tired of her, I will avenge you. I promise.” The final sentence was almost whispered. I immediately backed away, but his lips still brushed lightly against the corner of mine. No emotion stirred inside me anymore. Only disgust. Such deep disgust that for the first time, I regretted ever meeting him. *** After they finally left, my crystal communicator rang. “Lady Wolfhart,” a staff member said from the other side, “we have checked the national registry. Both you and Alpha Trevian Silverthorne are registered as unmarried.” I froze completely. “What… what did you just say?” “The mating certificate you submitted is fake. There is no official record of your marriage within the kingdom registry.” My mind instantly went blank. Even the pain in my body seemed to disappear. “Lady Wolfhart? Are you still there?” “I…” My throat felt painfully dry. “You are saying… the certificate was fake?” “Yes.” The answer was merciless. “The registration number does not exist, and the details do not match. Legally, you and Alpha Silverthorne were never recognized as mates. Which means the severing agreement cannot be processed.” “I understand. Thank you.” I ended the call numbly. The crystal communicator slipped from my hand. Fake. That single word pierced straight through my chest. Trevian had handed me a false mating certificate. He gave me the empty title of Luna Silverthorne while allowing me to devote my entire life to him, wait endlessly for him, and endure humiliation after humiliation. From the very beginning, he never intended to give me a rightful place beside him. Disgust rose violently inside me. Even stronger than the revulsion I felt when he kissed me earlier. My stomach twisted painfully. I gagged violently, yet nothing came out. Only tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. But within this devastation, there was at least one small blessing. Now I finally saw clearly what kind of man he truly was. Rotten to the core. And because of that, leaving became far easier. After treating my wounds at the healer’s hall, I went directly to the healers’ station and demanded the surveillance crystal from earlier. Frista still believed I was the same weak Marisel she once bullied. When she returned from abroad, I never fought back because I trusted Trevian. Because I believed his promises. But now, I finally understood. Everything owed to me, I would reclaim with my own hands. Using the surveillance recording and every piece of evidence of Frista’s harassment, I gathered everything into a single file. Then I scheduled all of it for timed release. *** After returning to the alpha estate, I packed my belongings. All the luxurious things Trevian bought for me remained untouched. When I first moved into this place, I had brought only one small suitcase. And now that I was leaving, even half of it was not filled. Without looking back again, I headed straight toward Crimson Howl Skyport.