"I'd like to thank the Moon Goddess for her blessing, esteemed Elders!" Isabelle suddenly stood up from her seat, her overly sweet and triumphant voice seizing the attention of everyone present.

She stroked her pregnant belly with one hand while pulling Chief Elder Dominic’s hand with the other. She then guided his hand to rest on her belly, her features radiating a smug, triumphant pleasure. "I just felt the pup move! You have to feel this immense life force firsthand, Chief Elder Dominic!"

Chief Elder Dominic exclaimed with delight, "What a powerful Alpha bloodline! It is undoubtedly the divine blessing bestowed by the Moon Goddess!"

I gripped the chair's armrest so tightly that my fingernails sank deep into the ancient timber.

Isabelle shot me a knowing look before saying, "That's right, Chief Elder Dominic. You see, not all women are worthy of the Moon Goddess' grace—some bloodlines are simply unable to carry on the Alpha's lineage."

In that instant, the Council of Elders launched into quiet discussion, watching the two of us with assessing, calculating eyes.

Isabelle spoke with feigned pity, continuing, "It had been three long years, yet you never earned the Moon Goddess' blessing, Elena. I guess that's just how destiny intended it."

I was hit by an intense, stabbing pain in my chest, feeling as though my soul itself was being ripped apart.

Isabelle raised her glass to me with deliberate poise, saying, "It's fine, Elena. In honor of the pack's future, let's observe the time-honored custom of our kind and drink this toast of goodwill."

In that instant, everyone's attention turned to me.

I looked at the glass of wine, its deep crimson liquid shimmering like blood in the flickering flames.

Damon leaned in and whispered, "You should just drink to it and stop putting me in an awkward position, Elena."

"Why should I?" I turned to look at Damon.

He replied flatly, "It's for the sake of the bigger picture, so don't humiliate the entire gathering."

I looked into his eyes, noting that they were filled with nothing but calculation and cold indifference.

It was then that one of the Elders spoke up, saying, "Please don't keep Ms. Turner waiting, Luna Elena."

I got up from my seat and, under the fixed gaze of the entire gathering, walked toward Isabelle and accepted the glass of wine.

"You should drink up, Elena," Isabelle mentioned, her smile becoming increasingly triumphant.

I lifted the glass and surveyed the crowd. I noted the hopeful eyes of the Elders, the curious looks of the pack, and Damon's cold indifference. I then said calmly, "I suppose I really should drink this wine."

I, however, stopped just as the rim of the glass neared my lips. I looked at Isabelle and said, "I do have a question, though. Why do you assume I should remain friendly with you, Isabelle?"

Her triumphant smile instantly froze.

I then raised my voice, continuing, "You not only snatched my mate, but you're also currently pregnant with his pup. You paraded your condition before me, and now you have the audacity to offer me a supposed 'toast of goodwill,' huh?"

Damon stood up, his tone hardening with a sharp warning. "You'd better stop acting out right now, Elena! Your behavior is completely out of line here!"

"You actually think I'm being out of line here?" I turned to Damon, my eyes blazing with rage.

Damon's tone intensified, becoming even more unforgiving. "You're clearly being overly sensitive right now, Elena! You prove yourself incapable of weathering even this minor adversity!"

I completely lost it after hearing that. I shouted on top of my lungs, my voice reverberating through the entire pack. "You actually said I'm being overly sensitive? I had spent three years silently bearing your indifference and all your deception, Damon! How dare you accuse me of being overly sensitive!"

I then violently hurled the glass onto the group, causing the crystal glass to shatter on the stone floor and the red wine to spray out, leaving a striking, blood-red mark on the venerable stones.

I started chanting the ancient bond-severance incantation, and before long, a golden light surged outward from my body. "In the name of the Moon Goddess, in the glory of the First Alpha, I, Elena Johnson, with all the Elders as witnesses, formally sever my bond with Damon Slater!"

Chief Elder Dominic immediately stood up, yelling, "Stop! You'll break the alliance!"

It was already too late, though, as my voice cut through the night, yelling, "I am no longer anyone's Luna from tonight onward! I refuse to become anyone's tool of convenience!"

I felt an unseen spiritual shackle within me shatter the exact moment the incantation ended. It was the feeling of the mate bond being severed—though it was agonizing, it felt liberating.

I simply turned and walked away from the ritual site. I ignored the stunned gaze of the crowd and walked toward the parking lot. I heard a chorus of confusion, arguments, profanities, and Damon's enraged voice, but I didn't look back.

…

I already have a driver waiting for me outside, and my plane ticket was already secured. I landed in a foreign territory 12 hours later, and despite the bustling airport, I immediately located the familiar silhouette in the throng at the gate.

It was Liam, who retained his handsome features and gentle demeanor, but now with traces of seasoned maturity in his gaze.

Liam's eyes immediately welled up with tears the moment he spotted me. He strode toward me, his voice catching in his throat, filled with palpable sorrow. "It's been three years, and the wolf within you has faded so much, Elena."