It took a long time before Tharina could gather enough strength to rise. Her limbs felt weak, her spirit even more so. At last, she pushed herself up and went to collect her belongings.

Inside the carved wooden wardrobe lay everything she had prepared for her unborn pup. Tiny garments woven from soft fur cloth, small boots meant for first steps, and a thick patchwork blanket her mother had sewn during many full moons. Each stitch carried a blessing from the Moon Goddess.

She meant to take every single piece with her.

But the moment she pulled the doors open, a cold dread spread through her chest.

The space had been turned upside down. Nothing remained. The garments were gone, as though they had been taken by the wind.

Her steps grew sharp as she descended to the lower hall. She found the servant wolf nearby, her voice low but shaking with anger.

"Where have my things been taken?"

The servant lowered her head at once, unable to meet her eyes. Her voice faltered, and without thinking, her gaze flickered toward the training grounds outside.

Tharina felt her heart sink. She followed the distant laughter echoing across the territory, each step pulling her closer to something she didn’t wish to see.

When she reached the open field, her blood seemed to burn.

Elodie stood upon the grass, smiling as she played with a young hound. The beast was dressed in the very clothes Tharina had prepared for her pup, the soft fabrics stretched across its body in cruel mockery.

The blanket her mother had sewn was no longer whole. It had been torn into strips, its blessing ruined. One piece was tied loosely around the hound’s neck.

And the charm her mother had received from the sacred altar, meant to guard both her and her pup, was clenched between the beast’s teeth, being ripped apart.

Elodie laughed softly, stroking the hound with delight.

"My Rina is so lovely. You look perfect in these."

"Such a good girl, Rina."

Rina?

That name struck deep into Tharina’s heart. It had once belonged only to her, spoken in quiet nights by Malven, filled with warmth and closeness.

Now it sounded like a curse.

Her hands curled tightly at her sides, claws almost breaking through skin. Rage rose within her like a beast ready to break free.

Every insult, every silent wound she had endured within this pack, shattered all at once.

She stepped forward without hesitation and struck Elodie across the face. The sound echoed sharply through the territory.

"Tharina, have you lost your mind??"

Elodie cried out, clutching her cheek as tears fell instantly.

Malven rushed out from the alpha hall, drawn by the noise. His eyes went first to Elodie, trembling and in tears.

The moment she saw him, she ran into his arms.

"Alpha, the Luna struck me, and she even hurt Rina."

Malven’s expression darkened as he turned toward Tharina.

"Tharina, what are you doing?"

Her voice came out rough, filled with anger and pain.

"You allowed her to touch what belongs to me."

His face turned cold.

"Those useless scraps? That hound wearing them gives them more value than they ever had."

Tharina’s breath grew uneven. She pushed past him, rushing toward the hound, desperate to save the charm.

Before she could reach it, the beast growled low and lunged. Its fangs sank into her leg, tearing into flesh. Pain shot through her body. Its claws pressed against her as it tried to climb higher.

In that moment, she ignored the pain. Drawing on what strength she had left, she struck the beast away with force.

The hound yelped and rolled across the ground, curling into itself.

Blood flowed from her wound, warm and steady. At the same time, a sharp pain twisted in her lower abdomen, forcing her to bend forward.

"Tharina!"

Malven stepped toward her, clearly shaken. He had not expected her to fight back like that.

But before he could move closer, Elodie grabbed his arm, her voice filled with fear.

"Malven, Rina is bleeding. What if she dies?"

His movement stopped. His gaze shifted to the injured hound. He hesitated for a long moment, then steadied Elodie.

"Don’t be afraid."

He lifted the hound into his arms, held Elodie close, and walked away from the field without looking back.

Tharina stood there, watching his retreating figure. She bit her lip until she tasted blood, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall. In her heart, she repeated the same truth again and again. He was not worth her pain.

With unsteady steps, she forced herself to move. She left the territory and called for a carriage, making her way to the healer’s den alone.

The moment she stepped inside, the strength she had been holding onto finally broke. Darkness swallowed her sight, and she collapsed.

When she opened her eyes again, a new day had come. Her wound had been treated, and she was told she could leave.

When Tharina stepped into the pack house, the air already felt wrong.

Elodie was seated close against Malven, almost leaning into him like a Luna beside her Alpha. She spoke with ease, giving orders to the servant wolves as if the authority already belonged to her.

Malven heard the door open and lifted his gaze. His eyes fell on Tharina, cold and distant, without a trace of the bond they once shared.

"From this day forward, Elodie will oversee this house. All of you will answer to her." His gaze didn’t leave Tharina. "That includes you."

There was no warmth. Only command.

Because she had fought back against Elodie’s hound, he once again hid behind his so-called lost memory, stripping her of her place and handing it to another.

He expected her to break. To grow angry, to cry, to cling to him as she always had. He believed her heart still belonged to him.

But Tharina no longer wished to stand as Luna of this pack. And she no longer cared whether his memory was gone or not.

She said nothing. She turned and began walking toward the upper floor.

Elodie moved quickly, blocking her path. Her eyes shone with pride and quiet cruelty.

"There is still much I must learn about managing a pack house. I was hoping you would teach me, sister."

Before Tharina could answer, Elodie seized her wrist and pulled her toward the side counter.

Tharina’s custom coffee device, brought from a far-off human city after months of waiting, was ruined beyond repair.

A spark of anger rose at once. She pulled her hand free.

"Who gave you the right to touch it?"

Elodie only smiled, slow and satisfied, lifting a cup filled with steaming liquid.

"You still think you are the Luna here? Malven stopped caring for you long ago. You have no place anymore."

Before the last word settled, she threw the hot drink straight at Tharina.

The burning liquid struck her neck and slipped beneath her clothes. Tharina flinched, her skin stinging.

The scent filled the air. Her body reacted at once. Her stomach turned violently, weakened by the life growing inside her. She covered her mouth and bent forward.

She could not stop it. Everything came out, spilling onto Elodie.

For a moment, Elodie froze. Then her scream broke through the hall like a sharp howl.

Malven rushed in at once. He saw Tharina nearly collapsed, her body trembling, her breath uneven, tears forced from her eyes without control.

Without thinking, he moved toward her, reaching out to steady her.

It was instinct. Something tied deep within the bond they once shared. For a heartbeat, he forgot the lie of his lost memory.

Elodie saw it clearly. Fear tightened her chest, and she cried louder.

"Malven, I only asked her how to use that thing, and she threw it at me. Then she did this to me."

Her voice shook as she continued.

"I know she hates me. If she wants me gone, I will leave. But why humiliate me like this?"

Malven’s expression changed. The concern faded, replaced by cold displeasure.

"Tharina, you never learn. I told you, she stands as the mistress of this house now."

Tharina wiped the tears from her face. She lifted her head and looked straight at him, her voice sharp and steady.

"The mistress of this house? Tell me, whose name is bound to yours under the Moon Goddess, Malven? Hers?" She didn’t look away. "Did you forget how to read the bond as well?"

Malven fell silent. He had never seen her like this before.

Elodie quickly stepped in again. "Malven, she is provoking you on purpose. She doesn’t respect you at all."

That was enough. Anger took hold of him completely.

"Take her outside. She will kneel for one hour and reflect on her behavior."

Two guard wolves stepped forward at once, gripping Tharina’s arms firmly.

She struggled, her eyes locked onto Malven’s cold face. For a moment, another image rose in her mind.

The Malven from before.

The Alpha who once held her gently. Who stayed by her side through long nights when she was weak. Who noticed every small change in her.

The one who had once whispered softly, "Tharina, I will love you until my last breath."

That promise had not lasted long.

Pain and emptiness filled her as the guards forced her down onto her knees outside the great doors of the pack house.

The wind brushed against her skin as she knelt there, alone.

Then Tharina lifted her voice, clear and firm, carrying back into the hall.

"Malven Ashbourne. If you force me to kneel here, and your mother learns how you have treated your Luna, do you truly believe your little secretary will survive the night?"

Her voice was not loud, yet it carried weight.

Malven’s eyes narrowed. His mother had always stood with Tharina. And within the laws of the pack, no outsider like Elodie had the right to step into the Alpha’s home, much less claim it.

The air grew still.

They faced each other across the distance, neither willing to yield.

The sky broke apart without warning, and heavy rain poured down across the pack territory.

Within moments, Tharina was drenched. Her clothes clung to her skin, cold as winter water. Still, she stood straight under the storm, her eyes fixed on Malven through the tall windows of the pack house. There was no pleading in her gaze. Not even a trace.

For a brief second, something stirred inside Malven’s chest. A sharp, uneasy feeling.

A thought crossed his mind.

Did she truly want to leave him?

He pushed it away at once. That was impossible. She had always loved him too deeply.

His expression hardened.

"Tharina, do you think this is your place to act however you wish? Do not try to use my mother to threaten me."

He wrapped an arm around Elodie and turned away, leading her upstairs without another glance, leaving Tharina alone beneath the rain.

The storm grew stronger. Each drop struck her like a blow.

The guards stepped forward, ready to force her down. Tharina lifted her head and looked at them, her gaze sharp enough to cut.

"You know what Mrs. Ashbourne can do. If I kneel today, do you believe you will still be alive tomorrow?"

Their faces turned pale. They looked at each other, fear clear in their eyes. In the end, they stepped back and released her.

Tharina walked back inside, her steps unsteady. A deep pain pulled at her lower abdomen with every movement.

She reached the upper floor. Malven’s door was not fully closed. Through the small opening, she saw something that made her world tilt.

Malven was close to Elodie on the bed. Their bodies pressed together, their movements leaving no doubt about what was happening.

Elodie lifted her head. Through the narrow gap, her eyes met Tharina’s.

A slow smile appeared on her lips, filled with pride and mockery. Then she wrapped her arms around Malven and let out a soft, exaggerated sound.

Tharina felt something rise in her throat. A sharp, bitter taste filled her mouth. She covered her lips quickly, barely holding it back.

She could not stay. She turned and ran to her own room.

The moment the door closed, blood spilled into her hand. Bright red against her pale skin.

Her strength gave out. She slid down to the floor, still soaked from the rain. Cold spread through her body while pain tightened around her stomach. Her vision slowly blurred.

Time passed without shape. The cold sank deeper.

With trembling hands, she reached for her crystal communicator and called Malven. Once. Twice. Again and again.

No answer.

She forced herself to crawl out of the room. From behind his door, the sounds continued, rising and falling without pause.

When she opened her eyes again, she was lying in a healer’s bed. A healer stood beside her, his face serious.

"Luna, your fever reached a dangerous level. The rain and your emotional state have made your condition unstable. Your pregnancy is at risk. You must avoid any further distress, or we may not be able to protect the pup."

Tharina stared upward and gave a faint nod.

Soon after, noise filled the hallway. Healers rushed past her room in a hurry.

Their voices carried through the air.

"Lady Wildmoor has been brought in. Something happened in the Alpha’s chamber. He called every healer to attend to her."

"And look at the Luna of Ashbourne Pack. She is here alone, burning with fever, carrying a pup, yet no one stays with her. Alpha’s memory loss seems very selective."

"In the end, the one without love is the outsider. Lady Wildmoor is the one the Alpha truly cares for now."

Each word struck clearly, leaving no room to escape.

Tharina turned her head toward the window. The rain outside had already stopped. Her eyes held nothing.

In the days that followed, Malven remained by Elodie’s side, caring for her without rest.

He never once knew that his own mate had been lying in the healer’s hall as well.