It was late when I got back to the pack house.

But I didn't rest. I went straight to clearing things out.

Ethan’s Alpha ceremonial robes, the cubs’ wolf toys, family scent markers…

I threw them all into boxes, one by one.

“Aria, what are you doing? Have you lost your mind?” Ethan’s low voice came from behind me.

I turned. He was standing in the doorway with the two cubs.

His golden wolf eyes looked particularly cold in the moonlight, his brow furrowed.

“Why is Mother throwing away our hunting practice dummy!” Maya ran over, her little legs pumping.

When she saw her favorite little deer, woven from wolf-tail grass, tossed into a basket, her face flushed red with anger, and her wolf ears even perked up warily.

Mason also bared his pup fangs at me, snarling, “We just went to Auntie Isabella’s place for a little while. Do you have to challenge Father’s authority like this?”

Ethan’s sharp gaze landed on me, like he was examining a disobedient, lower-ranking wolf. “The cubs like being close to Isabella. As the pack’s Luna, are you going to cause a scene over something so small and disturb the whole pack?”

“I’m not causing a scene,” I replied calmly, my voice flat.

“Liar!” Maya shrieked. “You’re just jealous that Auntie Isabella gets Father’s attention! That’s why you threw away my toy! You’re a bad mother!”

“After my coming-of-age ceremony, I’m moving to Auntie Isabella’s place,” Mason said, grabbing his sister’s hand and growling fiercely. “And I’m never coming back to see you!”

Ethan didn’t stop the cubs’ rudeness, just frowned slightly, his deep wolf eyes sweeping over me.

It was the look he’d give a strange, petulant wolf.

“Enough.” His lips barely moved, his low voice carrying the natural authority of an Alpha.

His long fingers idly adjusted his wolf-tooth necklace. “The council of elders has an important meeting. Throw away whatever you want, just don’t make too much noise and disrupt the pack’s harmony.”

The moment the door closed, my tears finally fell, silent.

My heart felt like it was being ripped apart by wolf claws.

Every breath was a stab of pain.

I wiped my tears and looked at the mess all over the floor.

Suddenly, I laughed.

Don’t worry, I won’t bother him.

Not for the rest of my life.

…

Ever since Ethan had put his mark on that contract, I’d stopped taking care of any pack business.

I no longer got up at dawn to mix herbal juices with morning dew to strengthen the cubs.

I no longer waited up late for Ethan to return, to prepare moonflower dew to restore his energy.

All those things I used to see as my Luna duties were now neglected.

At first, no wolf in the pack noticed anything wrong.

Not until Mason was late for cub combat training because he was out of energy and got a harsh scolding from the Beta instructor.

Not until Maya couldn’t find her special prayer bone at the Moon Goddess sacrificial ceremony.

Not until Ethan’s Alpha mark, the totem representing his power and authority, somehow started to dim, losing its usual shine.

The Omegas in charge of daily pack life were scrambling, but they just couldn't meet the previous Luna's standards.

The kitchen sink was piled with unwashed dishes.

The cubs’ toys were scattered around the living room.

Even Ethan’s Alpha ceremonial robe, which needed to be scented with special herbs, always carried a strange smell.

This pack house, once so orderly under my care, filled with my healing Omega scent, gradually became a mess, thick with chaos and anxiety.

When Ethan pushed open the wooden door to my side bedroom, I was by the window, reading an ancient werewolf herbal guide.

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on me.

“How long are you going to keep testing my limits?” He stood in the doorway, his voice low.

I closed the book and looked up at him, my eyes calm and empty. “I’m not testing your limits.”

“Then why aren’t you doing your duties as Luna anymore?” He took a few steps closer.

His familiar Alpha scent filled the air, but it just made me feel suffocated. “Still sulking about Isabella?”

“I’m not sulking.” I put the guide aside. “I just don’t want to do it anymore.”

Ethan narrowed his dangerous golden wolf eyes, his long fingers tapping lightly on the stone windowsill. “Reason.”

“I’m tired,” I said calmly. “There are plenty of Omegas in the pack. If I don’t do it, someone else will be willing to.”

I remembered my past life, how I’d get up before dawn every day, using my healing wolf ability to harmonize the pack's energies.

Ethan’s drinking water had to come from the place where the moonlight was strongest.

His roasted meat had to be the tenderest elk heart.

The cubs’ fur had to be washed with specific flower and herb juices.

Even the grass they played on had to be purified with my scent to ward off evil spirits.

And what did I get in return? Ethan’s undisguised gentle scent for Isabella.

The cubs’ complete reliance on "Auntie Isabella’s" sweet Omega scent.

My lonely death on a full moon night at sixty-two, my wolf soul scattering.

“Aria.” His voice turned cold, carrying an Alpha’s warning. “If you have a problem, solve it the werewolf way. Don’t act like an immature cub throwing a tantrum.”

I curled my lip in a sarcastic smile. “I’m not throwing a tantrum. I just want… to rest.”

Before I finished speaking, the door was thrown open violently.

Mason and Maya stormed in, their little faces full of anger towards me.

“Mother is too lazy!” Maya shrieked, her voice almost a howl. “We want Auntie Isabella to take care of us! Her scent is the most comfortable!”

Mason chimed in, “Auntie Isabella is nicer than you, stronger than you, a million times better than you! She’s the real Luna of our pack!”

Ethan’s eyes stayed locked on my face, as if waiting for me to give in, to release my calming Omega scent again.

But I just took a deep breath and said softly, “Since you think she’s so great, then bring her to the main house. I have no objection.”

The air instantly froze.

Even the moonlight seemed to stop moving.

Ethan’s face darkened completely.

The Alpha’s pressure was almost suffocating.

“Are you sure?” he asked, one word at a time, a storm brewing in his golden wolf eyes.

I fought against the pressure, taking a difficult but firm deep breath. “Very sure.”

“Father, let’s go!” Maya tugged at Ethan’s clothes impatiently. “I want Auntie Isabella to come over right now! Her place is too small!”

“With Auntie Isabella, we don’t need you!” Mason made a snarling face at me. “You can leave! Leave this pack! Our pack has no use for a worthless Omega!”

Ethan gave me one last look.

Seeing I was still unmoved, not even batting an eyelid, he finally turned and strode away with the two cheering cubs.

I stood there, listening to their retreating footsteps and the cubs’ excited yips, and gently closed my eyes.

Soon, I would give them what they wanted.

I would leave them completely, leave this pack, leave this suffocating mate bond.

The first day Isabella moved into the main house, she was already bossing around the lower-ranking Omegas, redecorating the living room Ethan’s mother had left.

"This black leather seating is too gloomy." Her slender fingers brushed over the leather, then she turned to Ethan with a soft smile. "Ethan, what if we switch to moonlight vine woven furniture? It would suit your Alpha status much better."

Ethan didn't even blink, just told the Beta steward beside him, "Do as Miss Isabella says."

I stood on the landing of the stairs leading to the second floor, watching as strong pack warriors carried out the traditional wolf blanket I’d woven myself six months ago.

I’d made it from snow wolf fur, decorated with glowing moss, to celebrate the cubs successfully completing their first trial.

Mason and Maya trailed after Isabella like little shadows, excitedly pointing things out, their high-pitched voices calling out, "Auntie Isabella, this cushion made of starflowers needs to go too! Mother's weaving is so ugly and not soft at all!"

Isabella gently stroked their heads, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Alright, we'll change it all."

My fingers tightened slightly, nails almost digging into my palms, but then I relaxed them.

Those blankets and cushions…

I’d woven and stitched them myself, thread by thread, infusing them with my healing wolf ability while I was pregnant with them, enduring the discomfort of the new mate bond.

They were filled with the softest snow rabbit down and calming moonflower seeds because, as pups, they were allergic to many common materials.

Now, they were being thrown into the trash without a second thought.

Over the next few days, this once-familiar main house became increasingly strange, filled with Isabella’s overly sweet Omega scent.

Ethan and the cubs absolutely doted on Isabella, as if she were the true Luna of this pack.

"Isabella, you shouldn't be touching these rough tasks." Ethan stopped Isabella as she was about to tidy up some clutter, his long fingers gently resting on her delicate wrist, his tone softer than I'd ever heard. "Your hands are for mixing rare herbs and caressing the cubs, not for this."

"Auntie Isabella, I'll carry this basket of moon berries for you!" Mason eagerly took the basket from Isabella's hand, his fawning expression something I'd never seen on my proud Alpha cub's face.

"Miss Isabella just needs to rest well and tend to her Omega scent, to prepare for... the future." The Beta steward respectfully handed her a pair of slippers made from snow fox fur.

" Leave it to us."

How ironic.

I once thought I was this pack's Luna, silently protecting every member with my healing ability, but they took it for granted, never noticing.

And Isabella walked in, did nothing, and became the princess everyone doted on, every wolf carefully pampering her.

The Omegas whispered among themselves.

Their mind links were discreet, but my lingering Luna senses could still catch snippets.

"The Alpha is so good to Miss Isabella. That look in his eyes, so gentle it could melt you. He was never like that with Madam Aria."

"Yeah, and the cubs only cling to her, calling 'Auntie Isabella' this and 'Auntie Isabella' that all day. I reckon this pack will have a new true Luna soon enough!"

My heart was already dead.

I ignored all of it, just quietly packed my few personal belongings, waiting for the full moon night.

Until that afternoon, my phone, which I used for non-urgent pack messages, started vibrating non-stop.

It was all messages from Isabella, sent through the pack's public group chat.

A stream of photos and short videos, taken on her phone, documenting her so-called "fun times" at the cub training camp.

In the videos, Mason and Maya stood proudly among a group of cubs, introducing Isabella, who was beside them: "This is our… new mother! She's a very powerful she-wolf!"

Gasps of envy rose from the other pack cubs. "Wow! Your new mother is so pretty! Her scent smells so good!"

"Your Alpha father is handsome and strong, and your new mother is beautiful and gentle. Your pack is so lucky!"

"So who usually takes care of you at the main house, prepares your food and herbal baths?" a cub from a smaller affiliated pack asked curiously. He clearly hadn't figured things out.

In the video, Mason and Maya's expressions stiffened for a moment, their little wolf ears twitching uncomfortably.

Then they mumbled, "Oh, that's… that's an omega in our pack who looks after us. She's not high-ranking."

My hand suddenly trembled, and the warm water infused with calming herbs in my cup spilled all over the floor.

I slowly crouched down, looking at the wet leaves on the floor, and suddenly laughed, a laugh filled with endless desolation.

So, all these years, in their hearts, I was nothing more than a convenient, low-ranking omega—a glorified nanny.

But it didn't matter.

This "omega nanny" was about to resign.

From now on, let their "true mother," with her noble bloodline and sweet scent, take care of them.

A week later, the Beta steward brought Mason and Maya back to the main house after their training camp ended.

The two cubs burst into the house and headed straight for the kitchen area, their faces full of unconcealed pride and a desire to show off.

"Mother!" Maya shrieked, her voice full of glee. "Did you know? Auntie Isabella twisted her ankle leading our trial, and Father was so worried!"

Mason eagerly added, his tone full of adoration for Isabella and contempt for me, "Father immediately called the entire pack's medical team and personally cleaned Auntie Isabella's wound, applied the most precious moon-dew balm. He even postponed an emergency pack meeting and stayed by her side, soothing her with his Alpha scent!"

I stood in front of the oven, silently listening to the cubs' grating boasts, my fingers steadily pulling on oven mitts.

"Mother, are you even listening to us?" Maya stomped her little foot impatiently, making a dull thud. "Father is so good to Auntie Isabella, much better than to you—"

The oven timer dinged softly, cutting off her endless complaints.

A rich, sweet scent of honey and oats instantly filled the kitchen.

Both cubs' eyes lit up immediately.

They sniffed eagerly and crowded around.

"It's honey oat cakes!" Mason stood on his tiptoes, trying to see what was on the baking sheet. "It's the traditional offering for the Full Moon Festival! I want some!"

I took out the baking sheet.

On it were several golden-brown honey oat cakes, but one of them was slightly burnt on the edge and not perfectly shaped.

I frowned, and without any hesitation, I tipped the imperfect oat cake into the nearby trash can.

"Ah!" Maya shrieked, her voice piercing. "Why did you throw it away! That's a gift from the Moon Goddess!"

"It's burnt, and the shape is bad. It can't be used to worship the Moon Goddess, and it can't be eaten," I explained calmly. This was pack tradition.

"You're lying to us!" Mason angrily stuck out his little paw, about to kick the trash can.

But he got burned slightly and quickly pulled it back, glaring at me with even fiercer eyes. "You did it on purpose! Just because we like Auntie Isabella more, you're jealous of her, so you don't want to give us honey oat cakes! You're a bad mother! You're unworthy of your healing gifts!"

Maya's little face turned bright red, even showing a hint of a pup's snarl. "Our pack doesn't have a mother like you! The Moon Goddess won't bless you either!"

I took off my gloves.

My heart felt like an invisible wolf claw was clenching it hard; even the sting of the mate bond felt numb.

I looked at these two cubs, born from my very life force, my blood running in their veins, yet they seemed so alien and vicious now.

"Good," I said softly. "I don't have cubs like you either."

"From now on, go find your perfect Auntie Isabella. Let her make you honey oat cakes that please the Moon Goddess."

With that, I didn't look at them again and turned towards the stairs leading to my side bedroom.

Behind me came the cubs' hysterical screams and threatening growls. "We hate you! We'll always hate you! We'll tell Father you insulted the Moon Goddess!"

My steps faltered slightly, but I didn't turn back.

Just as my foot landed on the third step, a huge force suddenly shoved me hard from behind—

"Go die! Useless Omega! You're not fit to be Luna!" It was Mason's hateful roar. He had actually shifted briefly into his pup-wolf form and rammed his head into me!

The world spun.

I completely lost my balance and fell heavily from the edge of the not-so-low staircase landing!

Intense pain shot through my whole body.

Warm wolf blood seeped from my forehead, blurring my vision.

The two cubs, in their half-wolf forms, stood at the edge of the landing, looking down at me, their faces twisted in malicious grins.

"Serves you right!" Maya's shrill voice was full of glee.

"That's what you get for not giving us the perfect honey oat cakes! That's what you get for upsetting Auntie Isabella!" Mason growled viciously, baring his sharp wolf teeth.

I struggled to push myself up, but the searing pain in my back kept me from moving.

Blood dripped from my chin onto the cold floor tiles.

I looked at these two little demons, unable to connect them with the frail cubs I had nurtured in my womb, nourished day and night with my healing wolf ability, and fought to bring into the world.

The main door of the house was suddenly thrown open.

"What's going on? What's all this noise!"

Ethan's low voice came, tinged with annoyance.

Behind him was Isabella, smiling sweetly.

When they saw the scene before them, all three wolves froze.

"Father!" The two cubs instantly dropped their ferocious act, shifting back into innocent human forms, and rushed towards Ethan, crying. "Mother… Mother threw away the honey oat cakes for the Moon Goddess, and she wouldn't let us eat them, and she said… she said she doesn't want us anymore, boo hoo!"

Ethan's gaze first fell on the burnt oat cake in the trash can, then shifted to me, covered in blood and looking wretched.

"Aria, why do you have to pick on two cubs? They're just children!"

His voice was icy, judging me. "Saying such things to your own cubs, even hurting them. Do you even deserve to be a mother?"

I leaned against the cold wall, slowly, painfully, getting to my feet.

Blood stained my dress red.

I looked at Ethan, at his handsome yet cold face, and suddenly, I smiled.

"In your eyes, I have never been worthy of anything."

My voice was weak from blood loss but clearer than ever before.

"I see that now. I see my place in this pack."

Ethan's pupils constricted sharply, as if he hadn't expected me to talk back so bluntly.

"Since the Luna you want is Isabella," I wiped the blood from my face.

With every word, the pain in my chest intensified. "And the cubs only want her as their mother, then I'll step down. I'll make your perfect Alpha family whole."

The air instantly froze.

Even the wind seemed to stop blowing.