Kingsley's POV
"Well, I mean you two look so different."
I had just reached the office door when I heard this.
Could someone please explain what was happening here?
I'd only been gone for a moment, and now my Luna was talking animatedly to someone about her Alpha?
Finley's voice rang out, "Kingsley is exceptional. As the eldest son of the Lycan King, he was raised to uphold the highest standards and has never tarnished the Lycan bloodline since becoming the Alpha of his pack. He is well-tempered, patient, and has diligently trained each and every one of the pack, leading the pack to its current state. I won't lie, everyone in the pack trusts him."
Just as my heart warmed at Finley's words, Freya's voice suddenly interjected, "Wait, are you sure you're talking about the same person I know?"
"In all my life, I've never encountered someone with a worse personality than him, who seemingly would get angry about everything. Every time he gets upset, he wears a stern look on his face, and when you ask him what's bothering him, he lists a bunch of things and gives you a lot of crap; and if you pretend you can't see it and don't inquire about it, he can stare at you like that all day long, looking at you as if you're the strangest thing."
I couldn't resist pushing the door open, but Freya was evidently engrossed in a conversation and even started mimicking what I looked like when I was angry. She totally didn't notice my appearance in the doorway.
Seeing me, Finley shifted his expression, tucking away his smile and standing up, his nose reddening in embarrassment.
Only then did Freya turn her head and spot me. She coughed and said sheepishly, "How are you finished with the meeting so soon?"
I gave her a cold, sidelong glance. "How could I have known that my Luna would still be such a masterful mimic if I hadn't returned earlier?"
Finley reassured, "Alpha, Luna Freya has always been warm and humorous; she was just joking."
Naturally, I understood it was a jest. It was just that I disliked the way Finley was deliberately explaining to my Luna, fearing I might punish her.
I walked over and sat down beside Freya with a casual demeanor, ensuring that she was in my area. Then I lightly addressed Finley, "Why did you come over so early in the morning? Our meeting should be in the afternoon."
Finley spoke in a gentle tone, "My mother went shopping this afternoon and asked me to be her chauffeur. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to get through the afternoon, so I came over in the morning."
I nodded and then got down to business with Finley.
There were a couple of packs that were interested in forming a partnership with my pack, and there were some clauses involved in the partnership contract. So, I asked Finley to come over and review the contract.
While we were talking, Freya sat in my office chair, jotting down notes and doodling with a pen.
Sunlight streamed through the window, creating a halo over her hair, and I found it nearly impossible to take my eyes off her serious expression.
The conversation between Finley and me finally came to an end, and the atmosphere suddenly grew quiet.
Sensing that our conversation was over, Freya stopped her pen and looked up at Finley, asking, "Are you two done talking?"
Finley nodded.
"Well then, let's have lunch together," Freya suggested cheerfully.
Suddenly, I didn't feel very comfortable.
Freya had never been much of a socializer with other people, but she made an exception for Finley. She seemed to genuinely enjoy his company.
The conversation between Freya and Finley continued all the way to the restaurant.
Finley inquired, "Do you still keep flowers?"
Upon hearing this, Freya seemed especially proud. "I have dozens of them; the balcony is almost full."
She had always loved tending to these flowers and plants, relishing the fresh scents they emitted.
"Have you ever grown lilies?"
"Yes, I have. There are two pots at home now, and they should bloom in another month or two."
Finley remarked, "I used to have a pot of lilies at home. This year, I'm not sure why the leaves suddenly started withering and developing spots. It's frustrating."
"Could it be due to insufficient nutrients?"
"I'm not sure."
Freya then engaged in a serious exchange of flower care tips with Finley.
Finley listened attentively, interjecting with questions from time to time.
Freya delved into extensive detail about everything, from the growth habits of lilies to the appropriate frequency for watering and fertilizing, as well as methods for preventing and controlling various diseases.
I couldn't manage to slip a word in edgewise.
Why hadn't she ever shared this much with me?
I looked up and carefully appraised Finley. Finley indeed looked just like a model of a gentleman.
I felt more upset.
However, my Luna Freya appeared oblivious to my emotions, engaging in lively conversation with Finley as they ate, their faces adorned with constant smiles.
I cut into the steak forcefully and chewed with intensity, my heart brimming with jealousy as I noticed my Luna's smiles directed towards someone else at that moment.
Before departing, Freya spoke to Finley on the side of the road, her voice exuding warmth and softness. "Finley, where are you headed? We can drop you off later."
Finley grinned and replied, "No need, you guys should head back soon; it's getting late."
"Very well then, let's stay in touch when we find the time."
After Finley left, Freya handed me a piece of gum and asked, "Want some?"
I tensed my face, declining the offer while speaking in a low voice, "Could you explain how you and Finley originally met?"
Freya's hand twitched, and she responded faintly, "Didn't I already tell you? We happened to meet each other."
"Stop lying. Finley told me he first encountered you at the hospital. He even mentioned that you provided a false name when you met him!"
Freya's demeanor suddenly cooled, and she fixed her gaze on me, asking, "What do you mean?"
What did I mean? All I could recognize was that the jealousy surging within me was on the verge of consuming me.
In a cold tone, I asserted, "In short, no matter what strategies you employ, they're futile. He's devoted to me, his Alpha, for eternity. There's no way he'll choose you as his mate, even if we weren't together."
There was a sharp sound.
I stood frozen, my face burning as the reality sunk in that I had just been slapped by my Luna.
Freya's gaze bore into me, her eyes ablaze with anger and exasperation.
She uttered with a hint of bitterness, "Don't fill your mind with such impure thoughts about me! When I made the decision to reject you, the last thing I desired was a mate. I would have preferred a lifetime of solitude over the possibility of falling in love only to face rejection. The reason I treated Finley kindly was solely because he genuinely respected and cared for me as a friend. Unlike others who may feign respect due to my status as the Alpha's Luna, he never pretended. They don't truly respect me; even you, my Alpha, have you ever genuinely respected me? In our relationship, I've felt like a mere ornament to you, no different from the furniture in your house. I truly can't comprehend why you chose me to be your Luna if you don't love me."
As I gazed upon an enraged Freya, for the first time, my wolf whimpered in response to her pain. Her anguish coursed through me, leaving me utterly speechless.
Freya's voice remained cold as she continued, "And do you want to know the truth Finley and I first crossed paths at the hospital? Let me tell you. That day was also the day we had agreed to meet under the moonlight and mutually reject each other at Moon Plaza. I didn't show up not because I had a reluctance to part ways, but because my mother was critically ill."
My hands trembled as I stared at her in disbelief.
"He was taking photographs on the rooftop, and I mistakenly thought he was capturing images of me. That's when I took his cellphone away. It's as simple as that."
I stood frozen, a sudden realization ringing in my mind—it was the very day Finley had excitedly shared news of meeting an exceptional girl. Little had I known that girl was Freya.
A tightness gripped my throat as Freya's inquiries left me breathless.
"You never took my feelings or circumstances into consideration. All the time, you're free to leave me at any time and go to see Tracy, allowing the pack to ridicule me. You refused me to carry your own child, leaving me to navigate that situation alone, but you never went to explain to your mother about that. You permitted your mother to force me into consuming that repugnant concoction and treated me like a just as unqualified breeder among your family. While you might have been an authoritative Alpha, you never exhibited the qualities of a true husband or mate in my eyes."
With that, Freya coldly glanced at me and then turned away to leave.
I looked at her leaving back, and a fear of losing my mate gripped me.
The pain came from my limbs to my heart, making it almost impossible to remain upright. My wolf whimpered in agony, wounded by the deny of his mate.