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.

On the third day, Tharina left the healer’s hall despite the healers trying to stop her. She still had a final trial to attend.

This was something she had prepared for her unborn pup. It was the path she would use to build a future for both of them.

Behind the stage of the grand hall, she crossed paths with Elodie Wildmoor.

Elodie walked past her slowly, her eyes filled with victory.

"Tharina, you didn’t expect to see me here, right? It doesn’t matter that you grew up with him. It doesn’t matter that you stayed by his side when he was wounded. In the end, you lost everything. His body, his heart, and your place as Luna. All of it belongs to me now."

She paused, her smile widening.

"And today, I will take the last thing you have left."

The final trial followed a random order. Elodie was called before Tharina.

She stepped onto the stage and revealed her work. The moment Tharina saw it, her blood turned cold.

The pieces Elodie presented were the Midnight Bloodstone series.

Elodie held the speaking stone and calmly explained every idea and meaning behind the designs. Every word was taken from the thoughts Tharina had spent countless nights shaping under the moon.

Among the crowd, Malven sat in the front, within the honored seats. Pride showed clearly on his face.

"Elodie has true talent," he said.

The judges nodded, their voices filled with approval.

Tharina felt her mind go empty. She never thought Malven would take something she had created with her own hands and give it to another.

Her name was called several times before she finally stepped forward.

She walked onto the stage, took a slow breath, and faced the crowd. Her voice was steady.

"Honored judges, greetings. I am Tharina Steelhowl. The Midnight Bloodstone collection belongs to me. What Lady Elodie Wildmoor has shown is a direct copy of my work."

The hall broke into noise the moment she finished speaking.

The judges looked at one another, unsure. Their eyes moved toward Malven, waiting for his decision.

Malven rose slowly. His gaze fell on Tharina, cold and sharp.

"Tharina, what are you doing?"

He looked at her with clear displeasure.

"Look at yourself. Causing a scene in front of everyone. You still call yourself a Luna? This is shameful."

Tharina swallowed the pain rising within her.

"I am causing a scene? You took the work I created through endless nights and handed it to your chosen one. And I am the one at fault?"

Malven’s face didn’t change.

"Is your heart so narrow? Just because you are bound to me, no other woman can stand beside me? When did you become like this?"

Tharina let out a laugh.

"Who changed, Malven? You or me?"

"In your eyes, I have no value. Of course. You cannot even remember what you once promised."

Her voice lowered slightly.

"You said you would love me until your last day. It seems that day came sooner than I thought."

She turned to Elodie, who stood there with satisfaction clear in her eyes. A faint smile touched Tharina’s lips.

Then, before anyone could react, she walked to the fire station at the side, took the extinguisher, and struck it down onto the display.

The fake pieces shattered across the floor.

Elodie screamed as soon as she understood what had happened. Her supporters rushed forward, shouting and cursing at Tharina.

The hall fell into chaos. Tharina was surrounded and pushed to the ground.

Malven’s first reaction was to pull Elodie close and lead her away from the crowd.

Tharina curled on the floor, both hands pressed over her lower abdomen as objects struck her body. Pain spread through her, but she didn’t move her hands.

Only when the guards forced the crowd back was she pulled away. Her hair was a mess, her clothes ruined, and a thin line of blood ran from her forehead.

Reporters raised their recording devices, capturing every moment. Voices filled the air with mockery and harsh words.

Tharina seemed not to hear any of it. She simply stood and walked forward, step by step, toward the exit without stopping.