“Elara! Stop!”

Kael's roar tore through the night. His eyes, bloodshot, locked on me as he charged like a wounded beast.

That Alpha power, Kael's power, which I hadn't felt for five years, suddenly exploded.

The air grew heavy. Finn let out a terrified whimper.

Alina clapped a hand over her mouth in horror, Susan crying in her arms.

“You have no right to order me!” I raised the Soul-Severing Blade, my voice like ice, the Blood Moon's light glinting on its edge.

“My bond with Kael is over. It has nothing to do with you, Ronan.”

“Our bond!” Kael roared, trying to snatch the dagger. “You can't!”

His fingers almost brushed my wrist.

I spun back, claws shooting out, and raked them across his arm.

“Kael betrayed it first!” Each word was a shard of ice. “He died in battle, abandoning me and Finn! I have the right to find a new mate, to break my ties with him.”

Kael couldn't dodge in time. Beads of blood welled up on his arm. He froze, staring at the unfamiliar, fierce determination in my eyes.

“He did it for…” he started to argue, his voice hoarse.

“For Ronan? Or for Alina?” I scoffed, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Alina's face was pale.

Suddenly, Finn darted in front of me, arms spread wide, letting out a small but ferocious growl at Kael. “Don't you hurt my momma!”

It was like a hammer blow to Kael's heart.

He looked at Finn, his eyes filled with unbearable pain.

In that split second of hesitation, I raised the dagger again. Without a pause, the blade sliced across my palm.

Blood welled up, dripping onto the cold stones of Moon-shadow Falls.

“Moon Goddess, witness!” I vowed, my voice cutting through the roar of the waterfall. “I, Elara, hereby sever my Mate Bond with Kael! From this moment, we are done, our souls separate!”

“No—!” Kael let out a desperate howl and lunged.

His Alpha aura completely lost control, raging like a hurricane.

I felt a violent tearing pain deep in my soul. My vision went black, and I swayed.

The ritual… was interrupted.

Or rather, at the most critical moment, it was hit with a brutal force.

The sharp pain almost made me drop to my knees.

Kael's hands clamped onto my shoulders, his grip so tight it felt like he'd crush my bones.

“What have you done? Elara! How dare you!” His eyes were bloodshot; he'd lost all reason.

“Let go of me!” I shoved him away with all my might.

The soul-wound made me weak, but a mother wolf's instincts kept me going.

Finn lunged, sinking his small teeth hard into Kael's arm.

“Get away! Don't bully my momma!”

Kael yelped in pain and instinctively flung Finn off. Finn hit a nearby rock with a dull thud.

My fury exploded. “You dare hurt Finn!”

I launched myself at Kael, claws aimed for his throat. He scrambled to block, and we wrestled.

Alina screamed, trying to pull us apart, but Kael's raging aura threw her back.

It was chaos at Moon-shadow Falls.

I knew I had to get out of there! Now!

I whirled around, snatched up Finn, and ignored everything behind me. I didn't even want to bother exposing Kael's pathetic lie.

“We're leaving!”

Ignoring the searing pain in my soul and my exhaustion, I bolted towards Silver-Moon territory.

“Elara! Don't go!” Kael roared, chasing after me.

He was incredibly fast; the distance between us was shrinking rapidly.

Despair washed over me. Was I doomed to fail today? But I couldn't stop.

Just then, several sleek, silver-grey shapes shot out of the woods like lightning.

They carried Alpha Lucian's distinct scent.

The wolf in the lead was my cousin, Leon, Head Beta of the Silver-Moon Pack.

“Protect the Luna!” Leon's command was a low growl.

Instantly, the Silver-Moon warriors formed a protective circle around Finn and me.

Kael was forced to stop, facing off against Leon and his warriors.

“'Ronan' of the Stone Creek Pack,” Leon's voice was ice cold. “You're trespassing. And you're chasing our future Luna.”

Kael panted, his eyes darting between me and Leon.

He looked at Finn, still shaken in my arms, at my pale face and the blood on my lip.

The madness in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by an even deeper despair.

“Elara, I'm…” he mumbled, his voice full of helplessness and pain.

Leon didn't give him a chance. “Take the Luna and the young master back to Silver-Moon territory!”

The Silver-Moon warriors escorted us, vanishing quickly into the night.

Leaving Kael alone, standing before the blood-soaked Moon-shadow Falls, like a forgotten stone statue.

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