Back when the Noctis Pack, a pack which I belonged to, was at its peak, we had a powerful alliance with the Crystal Blood Pack.

It was the moment I stumbled upon my fated mate, bonded by the Goddess, the sole heir of the Alpha title. Right there and then, I was thrilled to bits and was itching to be claimed under the full moon. Unbeknownst to me, being mated to him came with a heavy price—lives were lost, and years of sacrifice lay ahead.

During my mother Elara's reign as the first female Alpha, following my father’s death, she remained mateless and led the Noctis Pack to greatness.

But when she discerned that my wolf and I longed for Alpha Killian, she urged me to wait—until his wolf could feel the same way once more. Still, I aligned with her decision and held my ground, waiting patiently.

One day, Vespera, Alpha Killian’s mother, my mother, and I were en route to the neighboring pack’s turnover ceremony, and we were ambushed out of the blue. Bandits swooped in, attacking us from every direction.

We were terrified out of our wits, given the gravity of the situation that the bandits, in a tight spot for a ransom, were in a loop of our importance to both packs. In times when no one came to rescue, we would face severe punishment and be beheaded.

Once an intimidating warrior and a reigning Alpha, my mother had the courage to step forward, shielding me and Luna Vespera from the bandits.

Stunned into silence, it never crossed to all bandits that my mother had exceptional courage to counterattack. In their agitation, they lunged at her with silver daggers, aiming at her chest.

“Mom!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, seeing her struggle.

In the blink of an eye, my mother’s wolf form weakened, leaving her on the edge of death.

Before the bandits could finish us off, I urgently mind-linked all our warriors to lend a hand in our desperate times of survival.

As the bandits closed in to strike her again, Luna Vespera and I fought back desperately.

Just as things seemed to spiral out of control, not only did our warriors arrive, but reinforcements from the Crystal Blood Pack also came to our rescue.

Luna Vespera and I were safe, and all the bandits were apprehended.

Yet, my world seemed to shatter as my mother clung to life.

In a heartbeat, she was rushed to the nearest infirmary at the Crystal Blood Pack, with the incident so close at hand. I tailed the warriors carrying her as we made our way to the infirmary while sobbing my heart out.

Despite the blood that nearly covered her entire body, my mother, knowing her time was running out, was still deeply concerned for me, her only daughter.

She grasped how strong my bond with Killian was at that moment; even if she was barely hanging on, she made a heartfelt plea to Luna Vespera, "My daughter, Elysia, is mated to your son. As a final gift, please allow them to remain together."

As soon as she heard it, Luna Vespera hesitated but ultimately relented, seeing that my Alpha mother was teetering on the edge of death.

With Luna Vespera’s assurance, my mother passed away peacefully in my arms, leaving me shattered and devoid of the will to carry on.

Upon her death, the weight of leading our pack fell on my shoulders, but joy was nowhere in sight. No one knew that I’d have preferred to live a solitary life rather than endure the loss of my mother—she was my everything, and now she was gone.

With a heavy heart, right after my mother's funeral, I stood before the elders back in our pack. I declared, “I, Luna Elysia of the Noctis Pack, will accept the role as the Alpha of the Noctis Pack.”

During that very moment, Killian stepped into the Alpha role of the Crystal Blood Pack following his father’s retirement.

Under his rule, the alliance between our packs began to fray. Alpha Killian took notice of me as I worked to mend the rift, and in time, he claimed me as his mate.

At last, I was no longer overwhelmed by grief but was on cloud nine, just as my mother had wished before her passing.

Not long after our mateship spread like wildfire, our pack suffered a devastating attack, likely carried out by the bandits. Many of our members perished, and those of us who survived were taken in by the Crystal Blood Pack. I, too, settled into our new home, leaving behind the faded remnants of Noctis.

Under the full moon, Alpha Killian and I were married, and his mother whispered, "Your mom can finally rest in peace..."

At first, Killian’s sincerity and politeness had me thinking I found my destined mate. But as the years passed, he confessed, "I only mated with you because our bond was forced."

That’s when the truth struck like a bolt from the blue. It was soon laid bare that his mother had secretly let him drink to ensure we would be mated as payment for mother's sacrifices.

"I have someone I truly desire to be mated with, but I will honor her wish. I’ll be your Alpha mate in public, but behind closed doors, you’re nothing more than a showpiece," he admitted.

True to his word, he treated me with respect as his mate and Luna in public, but privately, I was nothing more than a displayed mate, bound to be rejected.

On the day we both got Thalia as our very own pup, he wasn't exactly thrilled.

Back then, I had asked the Moon Goddess, wanting all my pleas to be heard, but it turned even worse and in turmoil.

Despite my efforts to avoid crossing paths with Alpha Killian, the reality was that my mother’s sacrifice had secured this union, and now, ending this relationship had cost me my daughter’s life.

Our mateship that started with such high stakes was now falling apart, costing me another life in the process.

All I wanted was to put an end to the torment once and for all, to end our mateship, the root of all the turmoil and chaos.

In front of me, Beta Atlas stood, saying something I couldn’t quite catch, lost as I was in my thoughts.

“When will you stop torturing yourself and let Alpha Killian face reality? You’re only prolonging your pain, Luna Elysia,” he had once told me.

Despite his rank as Beta, his loyalty was always firmly with me.

From the night I wed Alpha Killian beneath the full moon, he kept a watchful eye on me, always warning that the darkest days were still ahead, particularly for my daughter, and, in the end, he was right.

Once again, Beta Atlas warned me that Alpha Killian was relentless in his pursuit of my daughter.

Alpha Killian had already dispatched warriors on the hunt, with Beta Atlas among them. Though he carried out the orders, he knew it was a fool’s errand; my daughter was long gone.

When Beta Atlas brought up how Iris had pushed Alpha to punish me for hiding my daughter and how Alpha had agreed, he warned me to be careful. He even suggested I leave the pack mansion and seek refuge elsewhere—perhaps in the old house that once belonged to my mother.

Right then and there, I took my daughter’s urn and made my escape from the pack mansion.

As the days passed, I retreated to the old house once I had wrapped up all my Luna duties.

Although Alpha Killian had been demanding my presence and Iris had returned to the pack house, I chose to keep a low profile, immersing myself in my responsibilities.

While I was doing the usual in the old house, the door was suddenly kicked open. My daughter’s urn tumbled from my hands, scattering her ashes.

Lifting my gaze, I was met with Alpha Killian’s seething glare. Iris, flanked by warriors, stood beside her.

Before I could react, Alpha Killian marched over me and stormed through the doorway.

Alpha Killian demanded Thalia show herself, but despite the swarm of warriors, she was nowhere in sight.

I was left scratching my head, wondering who had spilled the beans. All I thought was Beta Atlas turning his back on me.

Out of the blue, Beta Atlas secretly mind-linked me, revealing it was another warrior who had followed him to the old house, leading Alpha Killian straight to me.

When Alpha Killian couldn’t find our daughter, he grilled me, but I kept my lips sealed.

“You’ll never lay eyes on Thalia again!” I snapped. “Come out with your mistress! I’ve turned you down, Alpha Killian! Our so-called bond was nothing but a force!”

Alpha Killian insisted it was a pipe dream to think otherwise, claiming I was his mate and no one else. Despite his demands for my daughter to apologize, I kept tight-lipped.

Fed up, I fired back, “What did Thalia even do? Don’t think you can pin anything on her while I’m around!”

Once again, Alpha Killian clarified that the incident destroyed Crystal Blood Pack’s reputation, and he had to teach her a lesson.

As he continued to press for me to reveal our daughter, Iris, his childhood sweetheart, barged in, visibly bruised and feigning moon sickness. She jumped at the chance to lay the blame on me.

Once and for all, Iris played the victim, pointing fingers at me and my daughter as the villains.

It was alleged that it was I who masterminded the ambush, bribed the bandits, and plotted against her.

Her dissatisfaction led her to weave yet another fabrication that I had been spying from the neighboring pack’s gathering and that I had orchestrated Thalia’s return home with the elders, only for the bandits to strike.

“With everything you have done, you deserve to face sanctions!” Alpha Killian thundered. “Iris almost lost her life during the bandit's attack! Her moon sickness has been triggered!”

Alpha Killian remained relentless despite my efforts to clear my daughter’s and my name. He had already commanded the elders, who were now gearing up to impose severe sanctions on me.

The elders suggested I be sentenced to a lifetime in a cage, stripped of my title as Luna.

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that, even with Thalia gone, Iris would still create a fuss.

Alpha Killian’s anger nearly unleashed his wolf in a blaze of fury, but he reined himself in just before he got too close.

At that moment, as I denied all the accusations, an elder stepped forward and said, “The day before you went to the neighboring pack, Luna Elysia was spotted by some warriors in the woods. Later that time, bandits were seen in the area. We can easily tell they have an under the table agreement.”

It was all a fabrication. Despite my attempts to clear my name, he turned a deaf ear to me.

If I wasn’t his Luna, not wanting Crystal Blood Pack's reputation further tarnished, he kept the truth under wraps. He blamed me for something I hadn’t committed.

When I fought back, I stood firm in defending Thalia and myself against the unfounded accusations. Despite having Alpha blood, Thalia couldn't do such a scheme.

Yet, even as I roared my defiance, Alpha Killian’s voice thundered over mine.

“Don’t expect me to hold back,” Alpha Killian thundered. “Once this is proven to be the truth, I, as an Alpha, wouldn't think twice of punishing you, and treat you more like a commoner, reduced to nothing more than a common slave.”

I stood firm, meeting their gazes, and declared, “The Moon Goddess knows everything. If you prove me guilty, then let fate decide my end. But if the truth comes out and reveals this as a lie, don’t you dare hide from the sanctions you need to face, including you, Alpha Killian.”