"Look! Is that the Alpha Barnes and Lady Facer?" a servant whispered in surprise.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I glanced at my crystal communicator. A traveler was recording stories about fated bonds, and by some twist of the moon, they had stopped Vladimir and Stella.

That man looked cold and detached as always, but the other one was radiating joy. He stood tall beside her, playing the part of the devoted mate.

The traveler read their random question aloud, "If the Moon Goddess sent you back five winters, what would you change?"

Stella frowned, pretending to struggle for an answer.

At the same time, Vladimir drew her into his arms. His voice was soft like a whisper under the moon, yet his words cut like claws. "I would have torn apart anyone who came near me with hidden intent, and I would make sure I found Stella much sooner."

His tenderness was meant for Stella. She leaned into him, her face lit with happiness, while every trace of his cruelty was reserved for me.

I gripped the screen until my knuckles turned white. His rejection still stung like a silver blade, but I was done mourning.

I took a portrait of Stella and placed it into the leather-bound book that held all his past lovers. Beneath her image, I wrote: 100. Goodbye. Then I locked it inside the Alpha’s desk along with the signed severance scrolls.

It was my final offering to him. I thought he would at least value the truth.

After that, I began to clear out my chambers.

When Vladimir and Stella returned to the den, I had just thrown a woven fur blanket into the waste bin.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

My body stiffened for a moment. "Throwing away things that belong in the trash," I replied calmly.

Vladimir walked over and saw the bin full of handmade crafts I had once made for him, along with several expensive dresses he had gifted me. "You never even wore these dresses. How can they be trash?" he frowned.

Without stopping my hands, I replied calmly, "Some things were never meant to fit. No point in forcing them."

Like us. After five winters in this pack, I finally saw the truth.

Vladimir seemed to catch the hidden meaning in my tone, his eyes narrowing. Before he could speak, Stella grabbed his arm and whined.

"Alpha, my wolf is restless. Can I rest in the main chamber tonight?" She asked, pointing toward our private chamber.

Vladimir pressed his lips together. "Stella just went through skin grafting after her shift injury. Nights are hard for her. It will be easier for me to take care of her if she stays in the alpha chamber."

I raised my eyes and met Stella’s openly defiant gaze. She was trying to provoke me.

After all, that chamber was my last territory.

In the past, I would have shifted and fought anyone who tried to enter my sanctuary. But now, the fire was gone.

I simply nodded. "Fine. I will remove my belongings."

That room was filled with every scrap of my soul. It took me hours to strip it bare.

When Vladimir saw the empty stone walls, he looked unsettled. "Stella is only here until her wounds heal. She will move to the guest wing soon. Why did you clear out every single thing?"

"I would rather have a fresh start later than hold onto old ghosts," I said calmly.

He watched me with deep suspicion. "Abigail, you are being too quiet. What game are you playing?"

I said nothing.

Then, all at once, Stella let out a soft, delighted gasp. “Oh, this bracelet is beautiful!”

I turned sharply and saw her holding a pale pink agate charm from my table. My heart pounded hard against my chest as I stepped toward her at once. “Give that back.”

Stella turned toward Vladimir with wide, innocent eyes. "Alpha, I truly desire this treasure."

Before Vladimir could respond, I intervened sharply. "That belongs to me."

Because my voice was harsh, Vladimir's expression turned predatory and dark. "It is a mere trinket. She honors you by even noticing it. Do not cause a scene in my den," he growled.

Fury boiled in my veins. "That bracelet belonged to my pack mother!"

I was a rogue's pup, raised in secret within the distant forest borders with my younger brother. My foster mother possessed nothing. That charm was a gift she spent months gathering pelts to buy for my First Shift ceremony.

Vladimir knew its value to my soul.

His brow tightened as he hesitated, glancing at Stella.

That she-wolf, the master of deceit, quickly feigned regret. "I am so sorry, Abigail. I did not know it held such magic for you. Here, take it back."

She reached out, but as she did, her grip intentionally failed. The bracelet hit the stone floor and shattered into useless shards.

My hand remained frozen in the air as I watched the last tie to my mother break forever. Tears fell before I could mask them, but I silenced my cries and struck her across the face with all my strength.

Stella staggered back in shock, her head hitting the heavy oak dresser, a dark mark forming on her skin.

Vladimir erupted in a wolfish rage. He struck me so hard I crashed to the ground, my ears ringing with the force of an Alpha. My palm landed on the broken shards, and blood soaked the floor.

Stella began to wail, crying out, "Alpha, my face! Will I be scarred for the mating season?"

Her face, so much like my sister's, only made his anger worse. Vladimir lifted her in his arms protectively. "It is all right, my love. I will take you to the healer."

He stormed out with such force that he crashed into the stone pedestals along the wall. A heavy statue tipped over and struck my head, sending a stream of blood down my face.

He did not spare a single glance for the mate he had cast aside.

I was used to this kind of cruelty. Without a word, I reached for my crystal communicator and called for a healer from the village.

When I regained consciousness, Vladimir sat by my cot, his face as cold as winter.

Usually, he would be howling threats at me. Instead, he looked at me with loathing and said, "Tomorrow, we fly to the Moon Cliffs. You once trained in the sacred water rituals, did you not? Stella will grant you her mercy if you dance for her in the tides. This is your penance."

I had learned the water rites only because Vladimir admired the elegance of the sea fairy. That’s why I wanted to prove that I was worthy of standing in his pack. I even spent my small savings to rent a private lagoon for his lunar birthday, hoping to surprise him.

But when he saw me beneath the water, the look of disgust in his eyes struck harder than any blow.

He commanded the guards to strip away my breathing charms, leaving me gasping beneath the waves for nearly an hour. I lost my senses from the drowning weight before he finally pulled me out.

Since then, I have been terrified of deep water.

"I'm not going," I said instinctively.

Alas, he didn't even bother to argue.

The next morning, his men dragged me onto a flying craft powered by moon crystals. As it rose into the sky, my stomach tightened.

The ocean surrounding the Moon Cliffs glittered under the sun, a vast blue territory. To any other shifter, it was a paradise. But as I watched the waves rise and fall like the breath of a beast, I felt a heavy terror crushing my lungs.

The moment we landed, I bolted, running toward the furthest edge of the cliffs. Oddly, he did not hunt me down. A surge of unease crawled up my spine.

Suddenly, the bright sky turned to ash. The golden sunlight vanished as thick, enchanted storm clouds rolled in. The wind howled like a hunting predator, and I knew a supernatural gale was coming.

Terrified, I called his crystal communicator. "Where are you? Where is my shelter for the night?"

Vladimir laughed with a chilling sound on the other end. "After your crimes, you believe I would grant you the safety of my walls? You truly are a delusional stray."

My heart pounded harder. "What do you mean?"

The wind screamed, but his voice was even sharper. "The pack is leaving on the chopper. The magic here will kill the crystal's connection soon. If you wish to live, find your own way to survive the moon storm."

The bond snapped, and his words sliced through my spirit like silver blades.

Clutching my thin cloak, I heard the first rumble of thunder echo over the peaks, and then the sky tore open. Heavy rain hammered down, so the horizon disappeared as the sea churned into a furious, thrashing beast.

My eyes widened with horror, and I spun to run in the opposite direction. But thunder exploded, the gale shrieked, and waves rose like giants, crashing down upon me.

The freezing tide swallowed me whole, and the violent water muffled my screams for mercy. Lightning tore the sky apart, illuminating the world for one last, terrifying second.

And as my life slipped into darkness, I saw them. In that flash of light, my foster parents smiled at me with warmth.

"Dear pup, your true father has been searching for you. Do you wish to return to his kingdom?"

No! If this pain was the price of being a Lacroix, then I would rather spend eternity in that quiet mountain village.

I did not want blood ties, nor did I want to know Vladimir Barnes.

The sharp scent of healing herbs and moon elixirs dragged me back to awareness. I opened my eyes to a stone ceiling, the steady hum of healing crystals vibrating near my cot.

Stella's voice reached me first. "You really are stubborn. I can't believe those sea hunters actually pulled you out alive."

Turning my head, I saw her standing by my side.

Her sweet, pack-sister act was gone. Instead, she reached out and crushed my throat with her claws, squeezing with supernatural strength. "Why will you not just die, Abigail? If you were dead, I could finally be the Luna of the Barnes Pack."

"Can you not see it? Vladimir does not love you. You are like a stray omega clinging to a title you stole. Pathetic."

"It only took one whisper from me for him to exile you to that island, knowing your wolf is terrified of deep water. Do you still not understand who his heart truly beats for?"

Her grip tightened. She was not bluffing; she fully intended to choke the life out of me right there.

I could not draw a breath, and my shifting instincts surged, forcing me to claw at her to push her away.

Suddenly, she released me and threw herself backward, crashing into a tray of medical tools that clattered across the stone floor. A sharp dagger cut across her palm, leaving a deep, bleeding gash.

Stella let out a high-pitched howl. "Luna Abigail, why did you attack me?"

Before I could respond, Vladimir appeared in the doorway.

Tears immediately welled in Stella’s eyes. "Alpha, I was only checking on Abigail’s recovery, and she … "

She did not need to finish. The lie hung in the air like poison.

Vladimir did not even ask for my version of the truth. His jaw set, ready to roar at me.

But when he saw how pale my face was, for once, he stayed silent. Instead, he scooped up the bleeding Stella and rushed her out of the chamber.

Ten minutes later, he stormed back in with the fury of a True Alpha. Without a word, he yanked me off the cot.

I stumbled on weak legs. "Let go! What are you doing?"

"Stella's essence is fading because of you. She is losing too much blood. You are the same rank and type. You will give her a transfusion of your life force." His voice was low and freezing.

I froze. I had never heard of her having any wasting sickness. And after barely surviving the cold waters of Moon Cliffs, my inner wolf could hardly stand.

I struggled desperately. "I will not do it! Let me go!"

However, Vladimir gripped my wrist even tighter. "You have no choice in this pack."

He shoved me toward the healers.

One of them looked at me with hesitation. "But Alpha, she is severely drained after the exile. Forcing a blood bond transfusion now could cause her soul to shatter."

Vladimir's face remained like ice. "Stella's life comes first. Do it."

The needle directly pierced my skin. My blood drained into the vials, leaving my entire body aching, especially my lower belly.

Without knowing, something warm trickled beneath me. It was sticky and burning, but it was not my monthly cycle.

A cold sweat broke out on my brow. I clutched my stomach as a sharp pain tore through me, and then the world went dark.

When I woke again, the healer was sitting beside me with a heavy expression. "Luna, I am so sorry. After the trauma your body suffered, you lost the pup."

I went numb. "The pup?"

She nodded slowly. "You were only one moon along. With your weak condition and the massive blood loss, the little one could not survive."

I placed my hand over my empty stomach, unable to find my voice.

The tiny life I had not even known was growing there was gone. Perhaps the Moon Goddess intended this fate.

Outside, loud booms suddenly shook the sanctum, followed by a chain of magical explosions.

It was the fireworks. Those giant bursts of light painted the afternoon sky with brilliant colors, visible even in the bright sun.

A group of young pack girls crowded by the window, whispering with excitement. "Did you hear? The Alpha Barnes ordered this display to celebrate his mate's pregnancy. It is so romantic."

"If I had a mate like that, I would be the happiest wolf in the woods."

"He is planning a massive feast for the whole pack next week. Whoever the Barnes Luna is must be so lucky!"

If I were not the Luna of Barnes myself, I probably would have been moved by such a grand gesture of love. Unfortunately, I was her.

My mind drifted back to a year ago.