Ever since I decided to part ways with Alpha Orion, I opted to stay in my parents' old house, not that far from the pack house.

Still, as usual, I stayed the course as Luna, fulfilling all my duties because I wasn't about to let Celeste step into my shoes.

As soon as Darius Wolfsbane, the current Beta of the pack, appeared out of the blue at the old house, he gave me a heads-up that Alpha Orion might summon me to the pack house for questioning.

Clouded with confusion, I didn't have much time to think before Alpha Orion's mind link hit me like a ton of bricks, "Get to the pack house, now!"

Only Beta Darius secretly took pity on me. Since childhood, he had known me better than anyone, harboring a debt of gratitude ever since I saved him after a brutal attack.

It was me who healed his wounds, though the scar on his face remains a painful reminder of his dark past.

With Beta Darius' lead, I went into the pack house. Alpha Orion thundered as soon as I stepped inside; his booming voice echoed through the Pack Hall.

"'How can you call yourself Luna when you've neglected your duties? You've even turned your back on the pack!" He roared in rage.

As Alpha Orion's fury grew, his glare darkened on me. It felt like he might shift into his wolf form at any second.

Though I was itching to make a break for it, I decided not to argue with his nonsense; everyone knew I did all my duties.

Meanwhile, Alpha Orion signaled the warriors guarding the door to slam it shut and lock it tight.

I defended myself against his questioning, but no one took my side.

When Celeste was called to testify, she fired back, "Everyone knows Luna Vera is lying! You've shirked your duties for four days straight, and I've been doing it all for you! You don't deserve the title!'"

Celeste wasn't finished yet. She pressed on, "I'm certain that if your mother hadn't fallen victim to that cursed illness and forced Alpha Orion's hand, you wouldn't be standing here as Luna today."

When I glanced at Alpha Orion, he fell silent, as if he shared the same sentiments as his childhood sweetheart. The way he clammed up spoke volumes; he was clearly in agreement.

When I was young, Alpha Orion lived in the pack house and once dreamed of becoming Alpha. He was as humble as they came, not even realizing that the Moon Goddess was listening to every one of his pleas.

While I shared the same dream, I never imagined that as I grew up, all my training would amount to nothing.

Instead of becoming the pack's first female Alpha, I became a commoner in our pack.

Fate turned my life upside down when my Alpha father was killed in a rival attack. Beta Martin, Alpha Orion's father, took over as Alpha. After his death, the title passed to Alpha Orion.

With my mother's help, being the former Luna and still a respected figure, she nudged me closer to him.

Once Alpha Orion ascended to Alpha, my role shifted to serving him like a king, following every command as his dutiful servant.

For all those years, my life was all about toeing the line and obeying him.

When Alpha Orion asked me to step up as his Luna, I obliged and eventually took on the role, thanks to my mother's relentless nudging.

Everything I had built crumbled when Celeste returned and reignited her old bond with Alpha Orion. It felt like he was on the brink of forgetting we were ever mates.

Since then, Celeste made herself a fixture in the pack house, which was supposed to be our sanctuary. She was there for every event, often stealing the spotlight from me. Acting like a spoiled child, she'd fool around with Alpha Orion, hold his hand, and hug him; things I longed to do but never dared.

Celeste was the spark for nearly every argument between us. Still, Alpha Orion would always brush it off, saying, "Celeste is nothing but a sister to me. You're just my Luna, nothing more!"

For the sake of our mateship and my mother's wish that one of our bloodlines continued serving the pack, I endured every wound that came my way.

Once, thinking Alpha desired someone more clingy, I tried to mimic Celeste's behavior.

Alpha Orion looked at me with sheer disgust when I tried, pushing me away with a cold, cutting stare.

He mind-linked me flatly, "Vera, I never asked you to be clingy and make a scene at this gathering."

From that day on, I never dared to be clingy again. He never took the initiative to hold my hand, and when we were together, I was always a step behind. The only person allowed to stand by his side was Celeste, and he never shied away from her touch.

With Alpha Orion, I was just a title, his Luna and mate, but nothing more. Alpha Orion and Celeste seemed more like true mates to the pack and outsiders, while I was merely a showpiece. To make matters worse, they were even too sweet in public.

Back in the present, Alpha Orion seemed convinced; indeed, my mother was putting on an act to be the way Celeste did.

Falling short of expectations, I darkened my gaze on Alpha Orion. He was the Alpha I chose to settle with, but he disappointed me.

"With everything you have done, apologize to Celeste! For letting her do your duties as Luna, or else you'll face punishment!" Alpha Orion thundered, consumed with fury.

Instead of being terrified, I burst out laughing.

"I'll never apologize to her, even if it means you'll reject me as your mate. I will be over the moon if you do. Besides, you're not my true mate."

Back in the day, my blood ran cold whenever Alpha Orion was in a rage. Even if it wasn't my fault, I would point fingers at myself as responsible and didn't want him to reprimand me.

Due to the fact that I cared for him, too careful my title would be ripped off from me, and I was scared stiff that Alpha Orion would ban me and my mother when she was alive, I had to be careful.

With my mother's death, I had nothing left to care about and no worries to hold me back.

Not satisfied with my response, Celeste said, "Alpha Orion, it will be unfair for Luna Vera not to be punished for everything she has done. You should promote fairness in this pack even if she is your Luna."

As hard-headed as I was, Alpha Orion's furious gaze fixated on me. But then again, that didn't scare me to death. Never daring to make amends to Alpha Orion and Celeste made me rebellious in their eyes.

With my defiant demeanor, Alpha Orion had a strong urge to punish me. He then signaled two warriors out of nowhere and held me down.

As much as I wanted to break free from their tight grip and shift into my wolf form, I held back. Instead, I surrendered, allowing them to force me to my knees. I knelt before them, my pride sinking like a stone.

All I thought was Alpha Orion would cite his punishment, but not until Celeste came close, bursting with confidence.

Without warning, Celeste laid a jarring slap multiple times and didn't halt even how many times I groaned in pain, with blood spilled out from my cheeks.

When Celeste ceased, Alpha Orion prompted me to beg my pardon, adding, "You'll be removed from your title as Luna, and I'll reject you as my mate, just as you want."

I burst out laughing. I dared not lower myself over Celeste, and that made Alpha Orion's blood boil in anger with me.

Alpha Orion cast a piercing look at me. He uttered, "Vera, as long as you obey me, I can give you everything you want, including marriage. If you keep being stubborn, our bond will have to end."

Right. He reminded me again how I was only an option, second to Celeste.

And it seemed my mother's last words to me before she died were saying, "I regret forcing you to be mated with Alpha Orion. It was me who blamed everything for letting you be in this false mateship."

It wouldn't be fair to place all the blame squarely on my mother's shoulders.

Back then, after my Alpha father died in my mother's arms, she was engulfed in a sea of sorrow, which eventually rotted into her cursed illness.

Even me, as Luna was blessed with lunar healing, couldn't dare to cure her curse.

Our elder back then confessed to me, "Moon Goddess has cursed your mother for the sin she has committed."

Since then, my mother was terrified out of her wits that she could be on the brink of death, but none from our bloodline had served the pack. She did all her best, pleaded to the Moon Goddess, and even served Alpha Orion and me as a matchmaker.

Clouded with confusion, it was so sudden that I developed a strange bond with him.

Alpha Orion's mind-link regained my composure, "This is your last chance, Vera."

Not only did he mind-link me, but he fired me with threats.

My face still ached, and no matter how hard I tried to stand and make my escape from the pack house, the pack warriors wouldn't let me. It felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall.

Even Beta Darius, moved by pity, approached to lend a hand. He urged Alpha Orion to let me rush into the infirmary for treatment by the pack healers. However, Alpha Orion and Celeste had none of it despite his pleas.

In the end, I reassured Beta Darius through a mind-link, "Stay out of this, Beta Darius. I've got it covered."

As I turned my face in front, I stared at Alpha Orion, declaring, "I, Luna Vera Stone of Moonveil, will not continue the marriage."

Since I had already spoken up before Alpha Orion could, I begged him to let me go. But to him, my words were nothing but empty promises.

Perhaps because I had once loved him so deeply, Alpha Orion couldn't believe I would leave. After all, he had promised me the fairy-tale marriage I'd always dreamed of.

"You didn't want to pursue the wedding? Are you sure you can when it was your mother's dying wish? To be mated to me and be Luna, so you can snatch my title as Alpha?" Alpha Orion taunted with a smirk.

Before I could react, Celeste joined in, mocking me with her usual venom. She continued to accuse my mother and me of using Alpha Orion as if we were playing him for a fool.

With their taunts on me and my late mother, I objected soon after I couldn't withstand it anymore, "No one has the right to accuse us."

My relentless defiance drove Alpha Orion up the wall. "I hope you won't be sorry," he warned, his voice simmering with fury.

Right then and there, Alpha Orion summoned Beta Darius. He ordered Beta Darius to ban my mother from the Moonveil Pack to ensure I heard every word loud and clear.

"If she so much as sets foot here," he added, "bring her to me and deal with her cursed mother."

It was as if he was wielding it as a threat. Beta Darius stared at me, stunned, before turning away and retorting, "Luna Vera's mother passed away the very day you fled from your wedding."