"Sera, apologize to Elara right now! Or don't blame us for temporarily stripping some of your future Luna privileges, according to pack law!" Mitchell's threat was loud and clear, leaving no room for argument.

Before I could speak, Elara tearfully grabbed Mitchell's strong arm, shaking her head desperately. Tears rolled down her face, making her look even more pitiful.

"It's not Sister Sera's fault, I came to apologize myself. If it weren't for me… Sister Sera wouldn't have ended up like this…" she sobbed, her body trembling slightly.

Jax, always direct, was fuming. He pulled Elara into a tight hug, murmuring comforts.

"Alright, Elara, stop defending her! We know what Sera's like. She's just jealous of you!"

"With us backing you up, you don't have to take anything from her! No one in the Blackwood pack will dare bully you again!"

Mitchell snorted, his deep wolf eyes shooting me a vicious glare.

"Who else would force you to kneel if not her? Was there a third living soul in this cave just now?"

"We just had the artisan bring your Luna gown for Elara to try on for size. You sure get news fast!"

My gaze turned icy, a hint of wolfish ferocity in it, as I stared straight at Elara, who was huddled in Jax's arms but secretly peeking at me from the corner of her eye.

That Luna gown… Mom Lyra had started preparing it for me three years ago. It symbolized the status and glory of the future Luna.

Handmade by the pack's most experienced artisan, blessed by the Moon Goddess, it was priceless.

Mom had poured her heart and soul into making me the most dazzling Luna Blackwood had ever seen.

And now, it had fallen into the hands of Elara, this Omega of unknown origin.

Elara seemed stung by my gaze and cried even more despairingly.

"I'm sorry, Sera, I… I just mentioned it casually… I didn't mean it. I'll bring the gown back to you right now…"

With that, she tried to struggle out of Jax's arms again, to kneel before me.

But before her forehead even touched the stone, Jax yanked her up more forcefully, pulling her possessively against his broad chest.

"You don't need to apologize to her, Elara! It's just a stupid gown! Big deal! For the materials of this gown, I, Jax, will pay her back with all my future Alpha savings!" Jax's voice was full of disdain.

Mitchell's face hardened, his eyes filled with anger and warning as he looked at me.

"Elara is just a homeless orphan, Sera. Do you really need to react like this? Where's your generosity?"

"We were the ones who asked the artisan to bring the gown, and we were the ones who asked Elara to try it on. If you want to blame someone, blame us!"

"But I'm warning you, Seraphina, if you dare let this affect the upcoming ceremony, and the new Alpha is left without a mate at his own bonding ritual, let's see where the Mooncrest pack will hide its face!"

After throwing down their warning, Mitchell and Jax left my cave with a still-sobbing Elara, without a single look back.

Leaving me alone on the cold stone bed, silently licking the wounds deep in my soul.

Mitchell, Jax, you don't have to worry this time.

I'll leave on my own.

Because of my facial injuries and the magic backlash, my mating ceremony with the future Alpha was postponed by half a month.

I spent a week recovering in my pack cave before I could barely walk.

During that time, Mitchell and Jax never showed up once.

Elara, however, was often seen in the pack's common areas.

Either playing with young wolves under the moonlight or by the stream, accepting food eagerly offered by other male wolves.

In those images circulating within the pack, you could always see her with either Mitchell or Jax.

Elara's face always glowed with a happy, shy smile. Her smooth, fair complexion was a stark contrast to my hideous scars, a constant, painful reminder.

I fought to keep my composure.

Closing off those images, I pushed open the stone door of my cave.

I just didn't expect to be greeted by almost every member of the Blackwood pack gathered in the square outside.

"So this is the future Luna, Miss Sera, right? Heard good things are coming with the Alpha soon?" a malicious voice called out.

"More than that, I heard Blackwood will soon have two 'mistresses,' and the other one is Miss Elara!" another voice sneered.

"It's not even the ceremony yet, why is Miss Sera still wearing a mask? Is she… shy?"

Wearing the special mask Mom made for me, I looked helplessly at the pack steward.

He hurried over, explaining in a low voice, "It was Alpha Mitchell and Alpha Jax. They said, to celebrate your initial recovery and also to dispel rumors, they gathered all the pack members to… announce the date of your bonding with the future Alpha ahead of time, and also… to elevate Miss Elara's status in the pack."

I turned to flee, but Elara quickly stepped in front of me, her eyes welling with tears.

"Sera, this gathering is especially for you. If you leave, does that mean… you still haven't forgiven me?"

I scowled.

"Cut the act. Move."

I tried to walk around her to get to the stone steps.

But Elara suddenly grabbed my wrist and yanked hard.

I fell heavily onto the stone ground, and the mask on my face slipped off completely.

Instantly, gasps echoed all around.

"Moon Goddess above! Is… is that even a wolf's face? It's scarier than a hellhound!"

"I heard Miss Sera was captured by Nightshades and forced a shift in magical fire… Is it true?"

"Poor future Alpha, having to marry such a… monster as Luna!"

The moment the words were out, Elara expertly dropped to her knees in front of me again.

She raised her hand and started frantically slapping her own flawless face.

"Sister Sera, I'm sorry! I didn't do it on purpose! I'm really sorry…"

Her mouth was saying sorry, but her foot was firmly planted on my mask.

Rage blazed within me. I shoved her away hard, trying to get my mask back.

The next second, a powerful force from behind sent me sprawling.

My forehead slammed hard against the stone steps. The barely-healed skin split open instantly, wolf blood trickling down my cheek.

Without even a glance at me, Alpha Mitchell darted forward and carefully pulled the weeping, damsel-in-distress Elara into his arms.

"Seraphina! What do you think you're doing?!" Mitchell's roar silenced the square.

"We're about to publicly announce the bonding date today! Do you have to keep picking on Elara?"

Jax's wolf eyes widened, staring daggers at me, his face a mask of grim warning.

"Sera! I never thought you'd turn into this! If I'd known then what I know now, I never would have agreed to bring her back to the pack!"

"She's just an Omega orphan! Is that any reason for you to target her again and again? You were born with everything! Elara Thorne has nothing! Why can't you show her a shred of pity?!"

The surrounding pack members, already sympathetic towards Mitchell and Jax because of my disfigurement, now completely sided with them, speaking up for them and that "weak, pitiful" Elara.

"Looks like Miss Sera ruined her own face, and now she can't stand to see anyone else happy, huh?"

"A wolf this petty deserves to be Blackwood's Luna? The future Alpha is truly merciful."

"I heard wolves with physical defects tend to have mental problems too. Maybe Miss Sera's gone psycho?"

The group of werewolves stepped back a few paces, as if I were some kind of plague.

I bit my lip so hard I tasted the metallic tang of my own blood, just to stop the tears from falling.

Numbly, I picked up the mask Elara had stepped on and dirtied, and put it back on.

Mitchell let out a contemptuous snort.

"Who are you trying to look pitiful for? Didn't think about the consequences when you made your move, did you?"

"I told you, Seraphina, if you dare touch a single hair on Elara's head again, the bonding ceremony is off! Blackwood will absolutely not have a lunatic as its Luna!"

Jax immediately leaped onto a rock, roaring at all the werewolves:

"Did you all know? That Nightshade ambush last time, that magical fire – it was all planned by our 'esteemed' Miss Sera here!"

"She was jealous of the Alpha candidates' attention on Elara, afraid of losing her Luna position, so she colluded with Nightshade to try and get rid of Elara! A wolf like her not being executed is only because Elara was merciful and pleaded for her! And now she still has the nerve to bite at Elara like a rabid dog! Her bonding ceremony – would you even dare to attend?"

His words hit them like thunder.

"Miss Sera hired Nightshades to kidnap herself and Elara? Just to fight for the Alpha's affection? Is this woman insane?!"

"How is this any different from treason? Calling her names is the lightest punishment, far from enough!"

"Her father, Elder Mooncrest, died young. No one taught her what a Luna's responsibilities are!"

"No wonder she was so desperate to announce the bonding date as soon as she could walk. Afraid the future Alpha would run off! Too bad her face is ruined!"

The mocking words, like poisoned arrows, pierced my heart.

My nails dug deep into my palms. My eyes red, I stared hard at Mitchell.

"Don't worry, Mitchell. I won't bother you anymore, and I will absolutely not be your Luna." My voice was quiet, but firm.

Mitchell actually laughed, as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world. He slowly walked over to me, roughly grabbing my chin.

"Not be Luna? Sera, isn't everything you've done been to become the mistress of Blackwood? Who are you trying to impress with these noble-sounding words now?" His warm breath on my face made me sick.

"In my entire life, I've never seen such a shameless bitch! If I announced the cancellation of our bonding right now, would you slit your throat in front of me to threaten me next?"

"I've seen too many of your tricks, Sera. Don't think I'll fall for them again! You'd better behave!"

With that, Mitchell and Jax, protecting a still "trembling" Elara, left the square without looking back.

The shaken pack members scrambled to get away.

Two minutes later, Beta Jax's "revelation" had spread throughout the entire Blackwood territory.

I, Seraphina, became public enemy number one for all the packs.

I sat collapsed on the cold stone slabs for a long time, until night fell.

Only then did the pack steward dare to approach cautiously, his voice trembling:

"Miss… Madam… she's coming back soon, you—"

"Help me pack my things. I'm leaving tonight, through the secret passage, to Havenwood."

I didn't want to stay in this place for one more second.

Just as I was about to step into the secret passage, Mitchell's mind-link pierced my thoughts.

"Tonight was just a warning, Seraphina. I won't make your plotting of the ambush public, but there won't be a next time. From now on, you should know what you can and can't do. The bonding ceremony can still happen, on one condition: you kneel before Elara and beg for her forgiveness."

Mitchell, there really won't be a next time between us.

And no 'from now on' either.

I decisively severed all mental links with him.

Dragging my bag, I stepped into the dark secret passage without a backward glance.

Goodbye, and good riddance, to my laughable, so-called destined Alphas.