Perhaps because I hadn't shown any hostility tonight, Austen decided to move Seraphina into the main house even earlier than before.

"Seraphina is moving in. She just severed her bond with her ex-mate and her wolf is unstable. She needs to be looked after."

Austen stood at the bedroom door. Behind him, Seraphina clutched her suitcase, a sweet smile on her face.

In my last life, I fought him on it. Hard. We had a huge fight. He accused me of not caring about his pack members, of being unworthy to be his Luna.

This time, with only thirty days left, I didn't care anymore.

"Of course," I said, closing my book with a relaxed tone. "The main house is huge. It'll be nice to have more company."

Austen froze.

He blinked, as if unsure of what he'd just heard.

"You... you agree?"

"Naturally." I stood up and walked over to Seraphina. "Welcome, Seraphina. I'll have the maids prepare the best room for you."

Seraphina's smile faltered for a second. She clearly hadn't expected me to be so cooperative.

Austen’s expression shifted. Confusion warred with something else in his eyes… was that disappointment?

"Are you sure?" he asked again, his voice probing.

In my last life, I had begged him with tears not to let her move in, only to be harshly scolded.

This time, I agreed without a fight, and he was the one questioning me, his voice soft and probing.

"Why the questions, Austen?" I smiled, stepping closer and brushing my fingers against his arm. "Seraphina is your sister. And family should live together. Isn't that right?"

Austen stared at me for a few seconds, his eyes complex.

But he didn't say anything else.

An hour later, Seraphina knocked on my door, holding a steaming tonic.

"It’s my special herbal tea. This is the second day she’s brought it to me," she said, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Like I said yesterday, it has silvermoon grass and stardust pollen. It will significantly boost a healer's potential. Make you even stronger."

This was it. The potion that had caused my wolf to weaken and eventually shatter.

In my last life, I never noticed. I thought it was just the stress of pack duties and the miscarriage that made me lose my wolf.

But now, I couldn't expose her yet. Not with thirty days to go.

After thirty days, I could leave for good.

I looked at her, feigning surprise as I took the cup. "Thank you, Sera. I thought yesterday was a one-time thing. I can't believe you're willing to make this for me every day."

I took her hand, showing a sudden closeness.

My warmth clearly caught Seraphina off guard.

A flicker of unease crossed her face before being replaced by pure, smug satisfaction.

Just as I was about to "drink" it, Austen pushed the door open. "What are you two talking about?"

"Seraphina's amazing potion. The second cup. She said she'll make it for me every day."

Austen's gaze rested on the cup for a moment.

He nodded. "Then you should definitely drink it."

I brought the cup to my lips, tilting my head back as if to swallow every last drop.

The bitter liquid only grazed my tongue. Not a single drop went down my throat.

"It tastes amazing!" I said, setting the empty cup down, my eyes shining with fake gratitude. "I can already feel the energy flowing through me."

After they left, I immediately spat the potion out and was about to head for the basement furnace.

But Austen suddenly returned, saying he'd forgotten a document.

My heart leaped. I calmly placed the cup back on the table.

I angled my body, blocking his view of the sink, and smiled. "What important document has you in such a hurry?"

"Nothing, just pack business."

He glanced at me, grabbed the file, and left.

I let out a long breath, quickly rinsed the remaining potion down the drain, and poured the rest from the cup into the poison-detecting furnace.

The flame instantly turned a grotesque green, emitting a pungent, burnt smell.

One cup, my wolf could recover.

But a continuous dose would have destroyed me.

I dodged it.

Late that night, the full moon's silver light streamed into the bedroom. Austen pushed the door open.

The moonlight outlined the perfect lines of his chest and abs.

His Alpha scent flooded the room, thick with a primal possessiveness that once made me tremble.

In my last life, I always reveled in nights like this.

Now, I just wanted to escape.

"Evelyn," his voice was deep and magnetic, full of suggestion.

He stalked toward the bed, his heated gaze tracing a path from my face to my neck, and then to my collarbones.

"You were good today," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch my face. "I like you like this. So much more... obedient."

I smelled it.

The scent of jasmine. Seraphina's cloyingly sweet scent.

A wave of nausea hit me. I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom.

"Ugh..."

"Evelyn!" Austen followed, his voice shifting from anticipation to alarm. "What's wrong?"

I leaned over the sink, my stomach churning.

"Your scent... it's the scent of a pup. Are you pregnant?" The lust in his eyes died. He was finally calm enough to really sense me.

Yes, I was pregnant.

But I was nauseous because his scent was so thick with Seraphina.

Under his intense gaze, I nodded.

He looked at me with pure joy, as excited as the young Alpha who had first bonded with me ten years ago.

"This is wonderful, Evelyn! Our first child. I'll make him my strongest heir. I'll..."

He rushed forward, pulling me into a tight embrace, trying to soothe me with his scent.

Then, he seemed about to lift me, so carefully, afraid to cause any harm.

"Are you in pain? A healer, I need a healer... oh, wait. I forgot you are a healer."

I watched him, tears welling in my eyes.

My heart twisted. He'd been just as thrilled in my last life, too. He'd promised our pup would be the strongest heir. Then Seraphina murdered our baby, and he held me, whispering, "She didn't mean it, Evelyn. We'll have another."

The memory ripped through me, a sharp pain lancing across our mate bond. My wolf howled, as if trying to tear my soul apart.

Austen saw my distress and quickly helped me to the bed.

He was about to say something more when a piercing scream came from outside the door.

"Austen! Help me! I had a nightmare!"

Seraphina.

On her very first night here, she was already interrupting us at the perfect time.

I looked at Austen's conflicted face, and the pain in my heart began to subside.

In his past life, he chose his dear sister.

This life would be no different.

His gaze shifted between me and the door, his breathing ragged.

"Go," I said calmly. "She needs you. As always."

"Evelyn..." He reached for me, but I pulled away.

"Austen! Please!" Seraphina's cries grew more frantic.

His hand froze in mid-air for a few seconds before dropping.

He looked at me, his expression torn. "You're a powerful healer. You can take care of yourself. Sera... she needs me more."

He rushed out, not even bothering to put on a shirt.

After the door closed, I looked at myself in the mirror and laughed coldly.

Even knowing I was carrying his child, he still chose her.

"See that, little one? That's your father," I whispered, stroking my belly, my eyes filled with a bone-deep chill. "But don't worry. Mommy will protect you. This time, no one will hurt you."

Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains.

When I woke up, the other side of the bed was empty.

"Luna, you're awake." A maid knocked gently before entering. "Should I prepare breakfast?"

"Where's Austen?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

The maid looked a little awkward. "The Alpha spent the night at Moonlit Cliff with Miss Seraphina. He said he was calming her down. He only came back at dawn and is now in his study, buried in pack business."

Moonlit Cliff.

The place Austen had once promised to share only with me.

"Evelyn, this is our pack's sacred ground. Only the Alpha and Luna can feel the moonlight here on a full moon," a young Austen had said, holding my hand at the cliff's edge. "No one in the pack will ever disturb us."

"Really?" I had smiled, leaning against his chest.

"I swear. Moonlit Cliff belongs only to us."

Only to us.

Now, he had taken another woman there.

"Thank you for telling me," I said to the maid, my voice so calm it surprised even me. "No breakfast for me."

After she left, I got up and walked to the wardrobe.

Since he had already broken all his promises, there was no reason for me to hold onto anything.

I began to pack. Not clothes or jewels. Only what mattered. My healing notes.

The mementos from my past life, I hadn't kept a single one this time.

I opened my jewelry box and saw the "Moongod Stone" necklace.

It was a gift from Austen when we became mates, a symbol of my status as Luna and his love.

In my past life, I couldn't bear to take it off, even in my darkest moments.

Now, I unclasped it without hesitation and walked to the fireplace.

"Goodbye," I whispered, and tossed the necklace into the fire.

The Moongod Stone, a symbol of his eternal love, glowed red-hot in the flames, then blackened and crumbled to ash. Just like his promises.

At ten in the morning, Austen walked in.

He looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes, his clothes slightly disheveled.

"Evelyn, about last night..." he began, trying to explain.

"You don't have to explain," I said, continuing to organize the files in my drawer. "An Alpha can go wherever he pleases. He certainly doesn't need to report his movements to a mere pack healer."

He froze. "A mere pack healer?"

"What's wrong?" I looked up at him, my expression calm. "Isn't that what I am? The kind who serves the Black Forest Pack."

"Evelyn, what are you talking about? You're my Luna, my mate..."

"Am I?" I put down the files and looked him straight in the eye. "Then why did you leave your pregnant mate to watch the moon with another woman last night?"

Austen's face went pale. "Seraphina... she had a breakdown. I couldn't just leave her."

"Of course you couldn't," I said, my voice devoid of warmth. "She's more important than me, isn't she? More important than me, more important than our child."

"That's not true!" he argued frantically. "You're the most important person to me..."

"Austen," I cut him off, walking up to him. "Do you remember what you once told me? About Moonlit Cliff?"

His face grew even paler.

"Pack law says that only the true Luna is worthy to watch the moon with the Alpha on Moonlit Cliff," I said, word by word. "And now you've taken her there."

"I..." He opened his mouth, but found he had nothing to say.

"You broke your vow, Austen." I turned back to my packing. "Since that's the case, there's nothing more for us to talk about."

He just stood there, staring at my back. For the first time, I saw a flicker of genuine panic in his eyes.

"Evelyn, what are you packing?"

"My things," I said, not bothering to turn. "Seraphina is moving in. I'll move to the guest wing. I wouldn't want to be in your way."

"No!" He strode over and grabbed my wrist. "You can't leave!"

I looked down at his hand on my arm, my eyes empty of any emotion.

"Let go."

"Evelyn, let me explain..."

"Explain what?" I pulled my hand free. "Explain why you chose her after I told you I was pregnant? Explain why you shared our sacred place with someone else? Or explain why you always put her first?"

"I don't..."

"You do," I said, my voice as cold as ice. "You always have. From the first day we were together, Seraphina has always been more important than me."

I walked toward the door and glanced back at him.

"I'm just tired. I'm pregnant. I need to rest."

With that, I walked out, leaving him standing alone in the room.

Behind me, I heard his voice, tight with a panic I'd never heard before. "Evelyn! You can't just leave like this!"

But I didn't look back.

Walking down the hallway, I stroked my belly, a sense of calm washing over me.

Twenty-nine days.

Just twenty-nine more days, and I would be free.

The next morning, Austen appeared at the door of my new room.

He wore a formal black suit, his expression grim.

"Get ready. We're going to see my father."

I put down my healing notes. "The old Alpha's condition has worsened?"

"The doctors say he might not make it through the month," he said, his voice hoarse. "He wants to see you."

I nodded and got up to change.

The old Alpha was the kindest elder in the pack to me. I wouldn't disappoint him.

"Evelyn," he called out, his eyes a storm of complex emotions. "I promise, Sera won't bother us. Today is just for us."

A promise.

The word sounded so ridiculous coming from him now.

"Fine," I replied curtly.

An hour later, our car was heading toward the pack's sanatorium.

Throughout the drive, Austen kept glancing at me, as if he wanted to say something but never did.

I leaned against the window, watching the scenery fly by, feeling surprisingly calm.

The sanatorium was an old, elegant building surrounded by a dense forest.

The old Alpha's room was on the top floor, sunlight pouring in through a huge floor-to-ceiling window.

"Evelyn, my child."

The old man on the bed reached out a trembling hand.

I hurried over and took his frail hand. "Grandfather."

His eyes were still bright, but his body was clearly failing.

"I heard you're pregnant," he said with a gentle smile.

"Yes." I stroked my belly.

"Wonderful," he said, turning to his nightstand and struggling to pick up an ancient jewelry box. "This should belong to you."

Inside the box lay a magnificent necklace.

A moonstone pendant shimmered with silver light, and the entire piece radiated an ancient, sacred aura.

"This is the 'Moonlight Necklace,' passed down through generations of Lunas," the old Alpha said. "Only the true Luna can wear it."

He motioned for me to bow my head, and he placed the necklace around my neck himself.

The moment it touched my skin, I felt a warm energy flow through me.

"Perfect," the old Alpha nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Austen. "Remember your oath, Austen. The honor of the Luna must not be tarnished."

Austen nodded solemnly. "I remember, Father."

But as he said it, he wasn't looking at me. He was looking out the window.

Two hours later, we were leaving.

The necklace swayed gently on my chest, each movement a reminder of my current status.

As we walked through the sanatorium gardens, a tinkling, familiar laugh cut through the air.

"Austen!"

Seraphina, in a white dress, came gliding toward us like a butterfly.

Behind her were four or five young noblewomen, all from prominent pack families.

"What are you all doing here?" Austen frowned.

"We came to visit the old Alpha, of course," Seraphina said, linking her arm with his and pressing close. "And we were having a little get-together in the garden."

Her friends swarmed around, chirping compliments.

"Seraphina, you're looking more beautiful every day."

"Yes, as graceful as the moon goddess herself."

"Alpha Austen is so lucky to have a sister like you."

Their praise was a weapon, and every word was aimed to make me invisible.

"Oh, Evelyn is here too," one of the noble girls finally "noticed" me, her tone dripping with disdain.

I gave a calm nod.

"Heavens, what is that?" another girl pointed at my necklace, her voice sharp. "Isn't that... the Moonlight Necklace?"

All eyes instantly focused on my chest.

The air froze for a few seconds.

Then, an even more heated discussion erupted.

"Wow, Seraphina, you would look so much better in that necklace than anyone."

"Yes, her aura is practically made for it."

"It's a shame a family heirloom like that can't be tried on, or Seraphina would look stunning."

Seraphina’s expression was a masterclass in practiced innocence. Surprise melted into longing, then twisted into a pitiful, wounded look as she bit her lip, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears—a classic trick. She looked up at Austen.

"Can I just see it? Just for a moment," she pleaded, her voice soft and sweet. "I've heard grandfather talk about it my whole life, but I've never seen the real thing."

The noble girls immediately started chanting.

"Let Seraphina try it on!"

"Just for a second, it won't break."

"She'll look amazing in it!"

I felt Austen's body tense.

His gaze darted between me and Seraphina, his breathing becoming ragged.

"Austen... please," Seraphina cooed, gently shaking his arm like a spoiled child. "I really want to try it. Just for a second, please?"

The clamor around them grew louder.

Austen’s jaw was tight. This whole scene was clearly embarrassing him.

He turned to me, his voice laced with impatience and command. "You're the Luna, Evelyn. Act like it. Be generous."

His words hit me like a bucket of ice water. They extinguished the last, pathetic spark of hope in my heart.

Generous?

In his eyes, my dignity, our vows... they could all be sacrificed for the sake of being "generous."

The crowd's chanting grew louder, as if my surrender was a foregone conclusion.

I looked at Austen’s handsome, cold face and suddenly, I smiled.

I felt no anger. No sadness. Not even disappointment.

Because I already knew this was how it would end.

I raised my hands, my movements slow and elegant, and unclasped the necklace.

As everyone watched with anticipation, I held it out to him, my hand perfectly steady.

"Of course," my voice was terrifyingly calm. "Give it to her. After all, a sister's whim is more important than a Luna's honor."