Eugene returned the next day and invited me to the pack gathering, insisting company would ease my sorrow.

Before the roaring bonfire, I stared into the flames that had once lit Keshia's smiling face. The last time this fire burned, she had been here. Now, my arms were empty.

Laughter and chatter filled the air. No one approached me, their gazes flickered toward me before swiftly turning away. They understood what it meant for a mother to lose her cub.

Except for her.

Sabrina moved through the gathering with ease, her son Jason by her side. She stopped before me, her expression laced with false sympathy.

"You must be lonely without Keshia," she murmured, voice dripping with mock concern. "I can't imagine how hard it must be… to lose a child. I only hope she's doing well in the Blood Moon Pack."

I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palm. My wolf prowled beneath my skin, aching to tear her apart. But I remained still.

My silence emboldened her. She clapped, drawing the attention of the entire gathering.

"Everyone!" she called, voice sweet. "Tonight, we celebrate our safety! And that's all thanks to our Luna. The sacrifice of her daughter was not in vain. It was an act of true devotion. A mother's loyalty, her selflessness, has ensured our survival."

A roar of approval. Clapping. The very people who had turned their backs on me now cheered as if I were some saint instead of a grieving mother.

And Eugene? He said nothing. He did nothing. He merely nodded in agreement.

Then Sabrina turned to him, eyes soft, intimate, as if she had every right to stand beside him.

"Our Alpha is truly wise," she continued, voice reverent. "With Eugene leading us, I am certain my child will grow strong under his guidance, like a loving father to everyone."

Eugene looked pleased, a smile tugging at his lips, his hand landing on her shoulder. I scoffed, the sound piercing through the cheers.

"Of course," I said, voice sharp. "Then, since you understand sacrifice so well, why not send your son to the Blood Moon Pack as well? Wouldn't that make you a great mother too?"

Her mask cracked. She tried to smile, but her lips trembled. She let out a broken little laugh, lashes fluttering as though on the verge of tears.

"Sarah… Are you angry at me?" she asked softly. "I was only admiring your strength. How well you've endured after losing your daughter."

I tilted my head, my own smile sharp as a blade.

"Then why not endure the same? Wouldn't that help you… understand me better?"

"Sarah, that's enough," Eugene said firmly, a warning in his tone.

He wasn't standing by my side. He wasn't defending me. He was defending her.

"Sabrina's been through a lot," he continued, shaking his head. "We should be patient with her, Sarah."

Something inside me snapped.

"As if I haven't been through a lot?" My voice was a raging storm. "As if I'm not the one who lost a child?"

Eugene averted his gaze but didn't deny it. Sabrina, sensing victory, smiled. She reached out, brushing my arm in mock comfort, her voice gentle yet cruelly triumphant.

"You're a strong woman, Sarah," she murmured. "I just hope you understand Eugene's choices."

A violent shudder ran through me. My wolf let out a low growl, instincts screaming for blood. I looked at both of them. Eugene saw distress in my eyes. He stepped forward, as if to soothe the fire he had ignited. But I stepped back.

He froze.

"Eugene," I said, looking straight into his eyes, my voice laced with finality. "You have chosen this ending. I have made my choice too."

I would leave. I would save my daughter. And nothing, no one, would stop me.

Eugene reached for me, but before he could, Sabrina grasped his wrist, holding him back. Jason clutched at his father's leg, an anchor keeping him rooted in place.

He did not move.

He did not stop me.

And as I walked away, each step carrying me farther from him, something inside Eugene fractured. A dread settled deep into his bones.

And I would make sure he felt it until his dying breath.

I took the finished sword from the old wolf smith, his weathered hands shaping the blade that would carve my path forward. I made my way to the borders, glancing one last time at the bonfire still burning in the distance, its glow warm yet mocking.

It was a light that no longer belonged to me.

From this moment on, I was no longer part of this pack.

Without hesitation, I stepped into the darkness, unafraid of death. My only fear was failing to bring my daughter home.

Back at the bonfire, Eugene sat in silence despite the celebration around him. Laughter and howls of joy filled the night, but he barely heard them. His gaze drifted toward the way where I left as if looking for my shadow for reassurance.

Something wasn't right.

He clenched his jaw, fingers tapping against his knee. His wolf stirred inside him, restless and agitated, but he forced himself to remain still.

Sabrina noticed his unease and leaned closer, her soft hand curling around his forearm.

"You're tense," she murmured, her voice gentle. "Sarah just needs time, Eugene. She'll come back."

Eugene exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down his face.

"Did I do something wrong?" he muttered. "Will she leave me like this?"

Sabrina sighed, tilting her head. "She's stubborn. You know that better than anyone. But she'll come to her senses soon. You did the right thing."

"Did I?" His eyes darkened, flickering with doubt. "I told her we couldn't afford to start a war over this. But I know Sarah… she's not the type to sit back and accept reality."

Sabrina frowned slightly before softening her expression, her fingers tracing small circles against his skin.

"Eugene, listen to me. She's hurting right now, but that doesn't mean she'll do anything reckless. She's strong, but she's not foolish."

Eugene's shoulders remained tense. "You don't know that."

"I do," she insisted. "She'll cry it out, talk to her parents, maybe even ignore you for a few days. But she'll come back. She loves you, Eugene. You're her mate."

He didn't answer. Because deep down, something in him was whispering that she was wrong. Sabrina must have sensed his hesitation because she shifted even closer, pressing her body against his side.

"Don't let this ruin the night," she coaxed, her voice turning softer, sweeter. "We finally have our own place, our own land. You did what you had to do to protect our people."

Eugene remained silent, his eyes flickering toward the fire once more. He wanted to believe her words. He wanted to believe that I would come back, just as I always had.

But for the first time since he met me, doubt crept into his heart.

And it refused to leave.

By the time he returned home, the night had already fallen.

I wasn't there.

At first, he didn't worry. My things were still in place, my scent lingering in the air. Perhaps I was with my parents. Or with friends, trying to sort through my emotions. But as the hours dragged on, the silence of our den became unbearable. The space that once felt small was suddenly far too big, too empty without me.

Then, it happened.

A sharp, searing pain tore through his chest. He jolted awake, a strangled breath leaving his lips as he clutched his heart.

Something was wrong.