For the next few days, Damien didn't come back to my hut.

I didn't care where he went. I just quietly emptied the hut of my things.

The fancy furs he’d "graciously" given me, symbols of his Alpha's mate; the moon-grass bracelet I’d woven for him, hoping to keep him safe; the cold, meaningless tokens we’d exchanged under the elders' watch when the Moon Goddess "mistakenly" linked us... and all the things I’d carefully prepared for him that he’d never even glanced at.

I left nothing, throwing it all into the abyss behind the hut.

I watched as the small, cold hut grew emptier and emptier.

I felt like I was finally free.

After tossing out the last bundle of my pathetic, one-sided love, I turned and saw Damien.

He was standing at the doorway, staring at the edge of the now-empty abyss, a look of surprise on his face.

"Why... did you throw all that away?"

"Didn't need them anymore, so I cleared them out," I said vaguely, not wanting to talk much. "What brings the Alpha back?"

Damien didn't seem to want to dig deeper. He just lifted his wrist and looked at the sunstone embedded there.

"There's an important full moon gathering tonight. All core members have to be there. I'm here to get you."

The Blood Moon Pack’s biannual full moon gathering decided the pack's future.

For the past three years, as his "mate in name only," I’d never missed one.

But this time, I refused.

"I haven't been feeling well lately, so I won't attend," I said, my voice distant.

"What's wrong? Want me to get the pack healer to check on you?"

His tone was gentle, which made me uncomfortable, even a little sick.

I shook my head lightly. "It's nothing. Just want to rest."

"Then you just stay home..." Damien was about to agree.

Suddenly, Lyra burst in like a gust of wind, giggling as she threw herself at Damien, naturally linking her arm through his, her body pressed tight against him.

Her eyes, full of challenge, met mine.

"Selena, just come with me! If you’re not there, I’ll be so bored! Right, Damien?" She blinked her seemingly innocent eyes, her voice sickly sweet.

Damien’s heart instantly softened.

He swallowed the rest of his words, nodded, and even personally lifted the fur curtain leading to the gathering place.

"Since it's a gathering, if you're not feeling well, just sit and rest. You don't have to join the discussions. Lyra's just recovered, so it’d be good for you to keep her company."

Watching his attitude change in a split second, I should have felt nothing, but my heart still ached.

Yeah, Damien would agree to anything Lyra asked.

I didn't say anything else, just bent down and got into the beast-drawn carriage that symbolized the Alpha's authority.

Lyra sat next to me, her warm body brushing against mine intentionally or not, chattering non-stop, her voice low enough for both me and Damien in the front to hear clearly.

"Selena, you purified the Shadow Spider venom for me, so your body should be recovered, right? You have no idea how much I suffered in the healing cave because of the rejection symptoms. My head was spinning, I had nightmares all the time. Luckily, Damien was there with me, or I wouldn't have made it. He hasn't been able to take good care of you because of me lately, so please don't be angry, okay?"

I looked up and saw her undisguised probing and showing off.

I said lightly, "I won't. He's your Alpha, I'm his pack member. It's his duty to take care of you. Why would I be angry?"

Lyra seemed relieved then, taking my hand like she always did, chatting casually, but every word stabbed at my heart.

"I knew you wouldn't mind! Damien gave me this moonstone claw bracelet today, isn't it pretty? I just casually mentioned once that I liked stones that sparkle in the moonlight, and he remembered! He went through a lot of trouble to get it from a dangerous crystal mine! And these fluffy wolf cub dolls, Damien specially traded for them at the human market for me yesterday. Damien's carriage is too dull, so these are perfect decorations, cute, right?"

Looking at the claw bracelet on her wrist, clearly pulsating with powerful moon energy, and the pile of wolf cub dolls on the seat, I could barely breathe.

Damien always favored simplicity and practicality. His cave and carriage had almost no extra decorations but necessities and weapon totems symbolizing power.

But because Lyra loved these "useless trinkets," as he would have called them, he had no objections, letting her decorate his carriage like a wolf cub's den.

I remembered a long time ago, I’d once painted a cute moon and wolf totem on one of his frequently used stone cups with colorful berry juice, hoping to bring him a little joy.

The next day, he’d replaced the cup.

He’d said, "Selena, I don't like these flashy things. Don't take it upon yourself to decorate my personal items anymore."

So, this was the difference between being loved and not loved.

I stayed silent, closing my eyes tightly, not wanting to see her smug face anymore.

Lyra thought I was tired and stopped bothering me, turning instead to chat non-stop with Damien.

From the weather in the territory today to some small affiliated pack, from embarrassing stories of them raiding bird nests as kids to the special roasted meat they might have at tonight's gathering.

No matter what she said, Damien had a reply, a smile always on his lips, looking at her dotingly.

I listened quietly, but my heart felt like an invisible hand was squeezing it, sending pangs of pain through me.

I remembered how, when I’d mustered the courage to share something interesting happening in the pack, he’d always respond with short, dismissive words like "Mm," "Okay," "Got it," "Fine," as if saying one more word to me was a waste of time.

But with Lyra, he was always so engaging, so patient.

Even when we were in the same small space, his gaze would drift, intentionally or not, to Lyra in the back, his eyes full of undisguised love.

His love was so blatant.

Why, for the past three years, had I been so blind, completely unaware of it?

No, maybe I had noticed, but I’d just been lying to myself.

I turned my head to the window, telling myself over and over:

It's okay, Selena, just a little longer.

Once the full moon gathering is over, once the energy in that Moonstone fully merges, our bond will be completely broken.

Everything will be over.

####CHAPTER-NAME:

At six in the evening, the Blood Moon Pack's full moon gathering officially began.

Bonfires blazed, and the moonlight was bright.

Damien sat in the main seat. Traditionally, as his destined mate, I should have been on his right.

Lyra, as Damien's "most trusted companion" and "future key supporter of the pack," sat on Damien's left, a position even more prominent than some of the older elders.

Damien was the first to raise his moon-wine cup, toasting the elders and leaders of the affiliated packs.

I also stood up, picking up the cup in front of me, which reeked of strong alcohol.

Lyra reached for her cup too, but Damien quickly stopped her.

"You haven't fully recovered. You can't drink such strong liquor."

Lyra looked at the stern-faced elders and leaders around us, nervously lowering her voice so only the three of us could hear, "But... Selena's strength hasn't fully recovered either, and she's toasting. If I don't, isn't that... against our Blood Moon Pack's rules?"

Damien frowned, took her cup without hesitation, then turned to the elders, his voice booming, "Esteemed elders, leaders. Lyra was recently severely injured defending the pack. The pack healer has advised her against strong moon-wine for now. However, the ancient traditions of our Blood Moon Pack must not be broken. I, as her Alpha, and as her closest companion, will drink this toast on her behalf!"

With that, he downed both Lyra's cup and his own.

A bold move, awe-inspiring.

It drew murmurs of admiration and praise for Lyra's bravery.

I looked at my own half-empty cup, then at Damien, who was already helping Lyra sit back down and carefully adjusting her seat cushion. A bitter taste filled my mouth.

I took a deep breath, fighting the nausea that came with drinking this strong moon-wine when my lunar energy was still weak. I tilted my head back and drained the rest of the cup.

The fiery liquid burned its way down my throat and into my stomach.

Under the intense stimulation of the alcohol, my already weak body reacted violently.

An unbearable pain shot through my stomach. I bit my lip so hard it bled, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead, soaking my bangs.

But I couldn't make a sound, couldn't show any weakness, because the etiquette at Blood Moon Pack gatherings was incredibly strict.

Before the elders and the Alpha signaled the end of the gathering, no core member could leave their seat without permission, much less show any discomfort or weakness.

So I could only grip the edge of the stone bench beneath me, my knuckles white from the pressure, and force myself to endure the excruciating pain.

All the wolves were drinking merrily, cheering for the Alpha's "wisdom" and Lyra's "courage."

No one noticed anything was wrong with me.

Even if they had, no wolf would dare to defy the Alpha's wishes at that moment for me, his out-of-favor Luna.

Damien effortlessly handled the leaders toasting, while keeping a close eye on Lyra out of the corner of his eye.

He kept piling the most tender, juicy roasted meat and the sweetest, rarest berries onto the stone plate in front of Lyra, which soon became a small mountain.

My plate, however, remained empty.

Damien's mother, an older she-wolf once renowned for her beauty and wisdom, still regal, narrowed her eyes at my empty plate.

"Damien," her voice was low but carried an undeniable authority, "don't just focus on Lyra. Selena is here too. She is your mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess. She hasn't eaten anything. Is the food not to her liking?"

Only then did Damien turn his head. His gaze rested on my deathly pale face for a second, then, as if completing a task, he casually picked a piece of foul-smelling Fire-Scale Lizard meat from the pile in front of him and put it on my plate.

That Fire-Scale Lizard meat was tough and carried a special fire-type energy. My lunar energy leaned towards the yin, inherently clashing with this fire energy.

Eating it wouldn't kill me instantly, but it would cause chaos and intense discomfort within my body.

I had mentioned this to him once when we were alone.

He’d just given a faint "Mm," and I didn't know if he'd listened or just hadn't cared.

Now, it seemed it was the latter.

Facing the concerned gazes from all around, tinged with various meanings, I was silent for a moment.

Then, I picked up my stone knife, emotionlessly cut the lizard meat, and ate it, bite by tiny bite.

Chewing the tough meat felt like gnawing on a red-hot iron.

The strong fire energy surged down my esophagus into my stomach, instantly clashing violently with my already weak lunar energy.

An even more intense pain quickly spread throughout my body.

Lyra happened to see me eat the meat. Her eyes widened in surprise, and maybe... a little bit of schadenfreude?

But she quickly lowered her head, hiding her expression.

Damien's mother nodded, satisfied. Her gaze then fell back on Lyra, and she spoke earnestly.

"Lyra, next month will be your third Pack Contribution Day after your coming-of-age ceremony. According to Blood Moon Pack rules, it's time to find a suitable mate for you. I plan to hold a grand mate-selection ceremony, inviting all outstanding unmated Alpha and Beta males from powerful neighboring packs. You can see if there's anyone you like. Settling your mating anjo sooner rather than later is good for you, and for the pack."

The color drained from Lyra's face instantly.

She looked at Damien in panic, like a frightened fawn, practically begging him with her eyes.

Damien's expression changed abruptly. He tried to maintain his composure and find a way to politely refuse.

"Mother, Elders. Lyra is still young by our pack's standards. Her choice of mate concerns her entire life's happiness and our pack's future alliances. It can't be so rushed. I will personally select for her, ensuring I find a male who can truly match her and cherish her."

Hearing this, the elders on the platform began to persuade him.

"Damien! We know you've cared deeply for Lyra since childhood, but finding a mate is guided by the Moon Goddess and is the right and duty of every pack member! You already have Selena as your destined mate; Lyra should have her own! And you're so picky, who knows how long this selection process will drag on!" one hot-tempered elder couldn't help saying.

"Ever since your bond with Selena was confirmed, the council of elders has been looking for suitable mates for Lyra. We've selected dozens of outstanding young talents from major packs. But you? You either say their strength isn't enough, their bloodline isn't pure enough, or their personality doesn't suit Lyra! You haven't approved a single one!" another elder chimed in.

"Exactly! Lyra and Selena are around the same age, and this year they're about to go through their second heat! They're not that young anymore! You, as her older brother, already have a destined mate. She must also hope to find her other half soon, to have her own warm den and a strong protector!"

Lyra panicked.

For the first time, she mustered the courage to whisper, "I... I'm not in a hurry to find a mate... waiting... waiting a few more years is fine..."

"Lyra!" Damien's mother's tone became sterner. "Although you are not and the former Alpha's biological child with me, we have always treated you as our own, investing more in your upbringing and care than even some distant relatives! We naturally hope you find a good match, marry a truly strong and responsible Alpha, bringing honor and support to our Blood Moon Pack! Now, Damien's mate has been designated by the Moon Goddess. It is both reasonable and right for us to plan for your future! This mate-selection ceremony is settled! Go back and prepare yourself, show the grace of a Blood Moon Pack she-wolf!"

Amidst the chorus of agreement from the elders, Damien's father, the quiet former Alpha who held the ultimate decision-making power, finally spoke slowly, "Do as your mother says."

Lyra trembled, her beautiful eyes instantly filling with tears, ready to fall.

Damien's face darkened completely, veins bulging on the back of the hand gripping his wine cup.

He couldn't take it anymore!

Suddenly, he shot up from his seat, his powerful Alpha aura exploding outwards.

"I said! Lyra's mate! I'll decide! It's none of your business!"

The young Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, usually calm, collected, and diplomatic in front of the elders, was actually confronting the entire council, even defying his own parents, all for Lyra!

Every wolf present, whether elder, leader, or ordinary pack member, was stunned by Damien's earth-shattering declaration, their faces turning incredibly grim.

"What do you mean, none of our business?! Damien, you're too insolent!" One of the oldest elders was so angry his whiskers trembled. "Lyra is at the prime age for choosing a mate! If we don't find one for her now and keep delaying, do you want her to become the laughingstock of the entire werewolf world?! How can we, the elders who watched her grow up, not care!"

"Exactly, Damien! We know you and Lyra have been close since childhood, but don't forget, you already have Selena, your mate designated by the Moon Goddess! You and Selena will have your pups, and you will jointly lead the Blood Moon Pack! In the future, your focus will inevitably be on your own mate and offspring! Even if you dote on Lyra, you can't put her first in everything like you do now! And you certainly can't... take the place of her future mate!"

Another elder tried to reason with him.

Damien was completely enraged by these harsh words.

Without thinking, he retorted coldly, almost roaring,

"I will never have pups with Selena in my life! As long as Lyra doesn't want to find a mate, I will absolutely not force her! As long as I'm here, the Blood Moon Pack will always be her home! Even if she never wants to find one, I can support her for a lifetime! With my Alpha status, with the entire strength of the Blood Moon Pack, I will protect her, worry-free, for her entire life!"

####CHAPTER-NAME:

The leaders of the Blood Moon Pack argued endlessly over Lyra's "marriage," powerful pheromones clashing violently in the air, thick with tension.

But I remained deathly silent.

I sat rigidly on the cold stone bench, like a soulless puppet, watching Damien lose control and challenge his parents and the entire council of elders.

I just felt like a huge stone was crushing my chest, making it almost impossible to breathe.

The pain in my stomach, intensified by the violent emotional turmoil, became even harder to bear.

I quietly got up, hoping to slip away from this suffocating place while they were arguing and no one was paying attention.

But the old Alpha, furious, slammed his palm on the stone table in front of him.

"Damien! What nonsense are you spouting! What do you mean you'll never have children with your destined mate! Do you want our Blood Moon Pack to die out?!"

With his roar, the incredibly heavy stone table, along with all the food-laden stone plates, sharp bone knives, and heavy wine cups on it, were sent flying by his immense power.

Then they came crashing down towards Damien and Lyra!

Damien reacted like lightning! Almost instinctively, he pulled Lyra, who was beside him, tightly into his arms, shielding her completely with his broad back and strong arms, protecting her from any flying debris!

And me...

I was standing less than three steps away from them.

I had just stood up, not even taken my first step.

I watched, horrified, as the burning roasted meat, scalding hot soup, sharp bone knives, and shattered stone plates...

like a sudden disaster, rained down on me.

I had no time to react at all!

The moment Damien unhesitatingly chose to protect Lyra, my body, my soul, had already frozen, unable to move.

"Ah..."

Scalding soup splashed onto my bare arms and neck, instantly raising terrifying red blisters, burning painfully.

Hard stone shards, like sharp blades, hit my shoulder, forehead, and cheek.

Dark red blood immediately seeped from the wounds, quickly staining my clothes.

I grunted and fell heavily onto the hard stone floor.

It felt like every bone in my body was about to break.

Even worse, among the flying food, a few pieces of the Fire-Scale Lizard meat I’d been forced to eat earlier, which was like poison to me, landed on my open wounds!

That scorching fire energy, through my broken skin, directly invaded my body, clashing even more lethally with my already dangerously weak lunar energy.

An unbearable itching, like countless ants gnawing at me, spread through my body, followed by a heart-wrenching.

I forced my heavy eyelids open. In my blurred vision, I only saw Damien still holding Lyra tightly, not even looking back, quickly leaving the chaotic square with her.

His back was still so straight, so... cold and heartless.

The scene before me grew blurrier.

My consciousness, like being pulled by a dark vortex, plunged straight into endless darkness...

I don't know how long passed before I slowly woke up to the sound of low sobs.

Opening my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar cave, the air thick with the scent of herbs.

Lyra was slumped by my bedside, her shoulders shaking, seemingly asleep, but tear tracks still wet on her cheeks.

And behind her stood Damien, his expression as cold as ever.

He had taken off his precious snow-wolf king fur cloak and gently draped it over Lyra's shoulders.

Then he slowly raised his hand, as if to stroke Lyra's sleeping face, but just as he was about to touch her skin, his gaze met my empty one.

His movement froze.

A moment later, he nonchalantly pulled his hand back, said nothing, just looked at me deeply, then turned and walked out of the cave, probably to call the pack healer.

After watching him leave, I used all my strength to try and pull my hand, which she’d been using as a pillow and was almost numb, out from under Lyra's arm, but I still accidentally woke her.

She groggily opened her eyes, rubbing them, her voice concerned.

"Selena, are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." I looked at my carefully bandaged wounds and gently shook my head.

My voice was so hoarse it barely sounded like me.

Lyra finally seemed completely relieved, handing me a bone cup filled with spring water.

"That's good. Last night really scared me! You were not only burned by those flying stones and hot soup, but you also had such a severe lunar energy backlash! I really regret not stopping you from eating that Fire-Scale Lizard meat! And you, really, knowing your body is allergic to that fire energy, you should have just told Damien to get you something else. Why did you have to be so stubborn and force yourself to eat it?"

She grumbled softly, subtly watching my reaction.

Damien, along with an elderly pack healer, walked in just then.

Hearing Lyra say I was "allergic to Fire-Scale Lizard energy," Damien's steps faltered noticeably, his expression complex.

I shook my head gently. "I wasn't being stubborn. It's just, the full moon gathering has too many rules, the elders and leaders were all watching, I didn't want to spoil everyone's mood because of my personal issues, and I especially didn't want to... embarrass the Alpha, so I... ate that meat."

Lyra sighed, taking my hand that lay outside the fur blanket, and said sympathetically, "Sigh, I know you don't like those stuffy occasions either. Let me tell you some good news. Damien has already agreed, and he's talked to the council of elders. From now on, except for the grandest annual Moon Goddess festival, we don't have to attend those tedious full moon gatherings anymore! You won't have to tiptoe around those rules, and... I won't be pestered by those elders to find a mate anymore!"

Remembering the chaotic scene before I passed out, and now hearing this "good news," I just felt a wave of sadness.

To stop Lyra from being forced into mate selection, Damien could fight the entire council of elders, even change pack traditions that had lasted for centuries.

It proved he loved Lyra enough to defy anything for her.

I knew, with him desperately trying to shield Lyra like this, sooner or later, he would publicly announce his forbidden love for her.

It would surely cause a huge sensation in the Blood Moon Pack, even the entire Northern wolf clans.

I didn't want to be involved anymore.

I just wanted to leave soon.

Seeing me silent, Lyra seemed about to say more, but the communication crystal on her waist suddenly flashed urgently.

It was the old Alpha.

Lyra's expression froze.

She instinctively let go of my hand and looked at Damien for help.

Damien frowned, took the flashing crystal from Lyra, said nothing, just gestured to Lyra, and then hurried out.

Lyra saw Damien's grave expression and knew something serious had happened.

She didn't dare delay and quickly followed him out.

The room fell into a suffocating silence again.

Only the elderly pack healer remained, carefully examining my wounds and my internal energy.

"It seems the external injuries are no longer a major concern. But your lunar energy, due to the previous forced exertion and the impact of the fire energy, is very weak. To be safe, you should go to the depths of the sacred spring for a thorough purification and recuperation," the healer said after finishing the examination.

I took the token from the healer, allowing me to enter the core area of the sacred spring for treatment, and walked alone towards the deepest of the pack's territory.

The core area of the sacred spring was usually only accessible to the Alpha, Luna, and heroes who had made great contributions to the pack.

The teleportation arrays to the core area were all on the summit of the sacred mountain. I didn't want to attract attention there, nor did I want to encounter Damien and Lyra again, so I planned to take a little-known path.

But just as I reached the entrance to the stone steps, I heard familiar voices faintly.

"Lyra! You listen to me! I don't care what those old fools will think or how they'll react when they find out we love each other! And I don't care what the Moon Goddess's damn decree is! I just want to keep you by my side! With my life, with everything I have, I want to keep you under my wing forever! I never want to be separated from you! As long as I can be with you, even if... even if I have to give up the Alpha position of the Blood Moon Pack and become an enemy of the entire wolf race, I'm willing!"

It was Damien!

"But Damien, have you thought about Selena? She's... she's still your mate in name! And she grew up with me, like a sister. I... I can't let her suffer so much hurt and injustice because of us!" Lyra's voice was thick with tears, sounding incredibly kind.

Damien let out a pained growl, roughly grabbing Lyra's wrist and slamming her against the coarse rock wall. His bloodshot eyes were filled with desperation, like a wounded beast.

"If you care so much about whether she'll get hurt! Then you shouldn't have let me accept that ridiculous fated bond in the first place! You shouldn't have just watched me tie that innocent woman to an Alpha who doesn't even love her! You knew I didn't like her at all! My wolf, my heart, my body, from beginning to end, has only ever craved you, Lyra!"

He screamed out years of repressed pain and torment, no longer the cold, composed Alpha, but like a madman about to be consumed by despair!

He threw all caution to the wind, lowered his head, and almost savagely, kissed Lyra's lips!

Lyra seemed startled by his sudden madness, but after struggling for only a moment, her body went limp. She closed her eyes, her arms slowly wrapping around Damien's neck, uncontrollably sinking into the moment.

In the air, their pheromones crazily intertwined, clashed, and merged, emitting a heart-stoppingly sweet scent.

Just as Lyra was about to suffocate from the kiss, she let out a tearful moan.

"Damien..."

She leaned weakly against Damien's chest, panting.

Just as she was about to say something more, her gaze inadvertently swept past the bottom of the stone steps and landed on me, standing at the entrance, looking as if I’d been struck by lightning.

The color drained from her face instantly.

"Selena...?!"

####CHAPTER-NAME: