Aiden's POV "Impossible!" I blurted, stunned by what she’d just said. My mother let out a cold laugh. "Why not? Raelynn’s just as stubborn as your father. Don’t forget—back when I was pregnant with Adam, your father vanished for six whole months. No one knows what happened during that time. Look at Raelynn—she’s the same age as Adam, isn’t she?" "That still doesn’t prove she’s his illegitimate child." It was too ridiculous—so ridiculous I didn’t even want to consider it. My mother’s voice trembled, her tone laced with suppressed tears. "I only found out about your father’s so-called ‘unattainable mate’ half a year after we mated. I was already pregnant with you. I swallowed my pride and stayed, held onto the bond. Do you understand what that cost me?" I sighed and gently patted her back to calm her down. "Mom, don’t get upset. This might just be a misunderstanding." "A misunderstanding? If it weren’t true, why would your father treat Raelynn so well? Have you ever asked yourself that?" "My father and Raelynn’s dad were sworn brothers. They fought side by side. Of course he cares about her out of respect for his old friend." "Enough. I’m not going to argue anymore. Just remember—Raelynn is absolutely not your destined mate," she urged with heartfelt seriousness. "Aiden, I would never hurt you. The girl I chose for you is the best of the best. You need to understand that—" "That’s enough, Mom. I’ll figure this out myself." I cut her off firmly. I wasn’t someone who fell for anything easily. As convincing as her story sounded, I still had my doubts. After that, I walked her out. "Don’t forget to drink your milk before it gets cold," she reminded me at the door before she left. I nodded, returned to my desk, and downed the milk in one go. Then I organized some files and headed to bed. But once I lay down, a strange heat began spreading through my body. I turned the air conditioner down several degrees, but it didn’t help. I couldn’t sleep. My body was burning like it was on fire, and I was painfully hard—so hard it felt like I was made of steel. Images of Raelynn began flooding my mind. Her delicate brows, her inviting red lips, the way she smiled and frowned… everything about her was intoxicating. "Damn it," I muttered under my breath. What the hell was I thinking? Just then, I heard the door handle turn. My mind was already foggy. The room was dark, and I couldn’t make out who entered. But a cold little hand touched my face, then began trailing downward with no intention of stopping. I gripped the wrist tightly and asked with the last bit of clarity I had, "Who are you?" Judging by the figure, it was a woman. And the only person who could get into my room was— "Aiden…" "Taylor…" Her hand stroked my lower half, then she leaned in and tried to kiss me. I pulled away with difficulty and shoved her off me. "Taylor, what the hell are you doing?" I leaned back against the headboard, gasping for breath. My whole body was losing strength. "Aiden, I love you. I want to mate with you. I want to be your Luna. Please…" she begged, climbing back onto me. This time I didn’t have the strength to push her off. She fumbled with my clothes, her voice shaking with tears. "You only have eyes for Raelynn. I can’t stand the thought of you two together. Aiden, you’re mine. You can only be mine…" I clenched my jaw, pinning her wrist to stop her from going any further. "Taylor, even if we mated tonight, you’d still never be my Luna." Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Aiden, how could you treat me like this?" "I thought you’d changed after you came back. I really believed you’d moved on," I said coldly. "But I didn’t expect you’d drug me. Taylor, you’re unbelievable." By now I’d figured it out—it was the milk. My mother wouldn’t drug me. The only person who could’ve done this… was Taylor, standing right in front of me. Sure enough, Taylor didn’t deny it. She just lowered her head. "Aiden, don’t be mad. I really like you. I didn’t want you to hate me…" I let go of her wrist and moved half a step back. "Leave. Now." "Aiden…" When I saw she had no intention of stopping, I gritted my teeth, grabbed a glass off the nightstand, and smashed it into my own head. Taylor’s POV Aiden slumped to the bed, unconscious. Blood trickled down his face. I froze in shock. I hadn’t expected this—he’d rather hurt himself than touch me? Tears rolled down my cheeks. An overwhelming wave of humiliation surged inside me. Humiliation… and hatred. I’m the young lady of the Midnight Pack, one of the most respected high-ranking werewolves in all of Varken. Dozens of noble heirs can’t even get a meeting with me. And now, when I offered myself to him—when I begged to mate with him—he turned me down like I was nothing? All because of that damn Omega, Raelynn. Staring at Aiden lying unconscious, I clenched my teeth and stripped off all my clothes. You passed out at the perfect time, Aiden. Let’s see how you explain this.I climbed onto the bed, removed his clothes, pressed myself against his broad chest, and snapped a photo with my phone—then sent it straight to Raelynn. Only after that did I get off the bed, put my clothes back on, glare one last time at Aiden, and walk out of the room.