On their third mating anniversary, Lyra Stormvale gave Fenris Blackthorn a gift: a formal petition to the Pack Council.

"I want to report Alpha Fenris Blackthorn for forced bond-claim. He violated me against my will during heat!"

The Council scribes looked at each other in disbelief, their eyes darting between Lyra and the Alpha sitting calmly beside her—Fenris Blackthorn, the legendary "Living Yama" of Pack Law, the Enforcer-Lord whose command voice had broken stronger wolves than her. Then, their gazes turned cold as they stared Lyra down.

"Omega Stormvale, filing a petition requires evidence. If you're fabricating this, it's a false accusation. You could be bound in silver for this."

This time, Lyra was prepared. She produced the healer's ledger documenting the torn bonding marks on her neck, the scent bruising across her skin, and the heat-suppressant damage to her system. "This is the evidence."

Fenris sat to the side, his Alpha presence rolling off him in lazy waves as he held a lit cigarette between his fingers. He smiled, a look of casual indifference on his face. "Lyra, you've been planning this for a long time, haven't you?"

He then moved closer and spoke with false warmth, "We're bonded. Isn't this natural between mates? Please stop making things difficult for the Council scribes."

The moment Fenris tried pulling her away by the bond-mark, Lyra broke free and shouted at the scribes, "I have healer evidence! Why don't you bind him?"

Before the scribes could speak, Fenris activated a scry-stone.

It was Lyra's voice from last night in their den, the sounds she made when her heat overwhelmed her resistance.

Lyra's face turned pale. She grabbed the stone and shattered it. "Fenris, how shameless can you be?!"

Fenris smiled. "Destroy it if you want. I have echo-copies stored in the Central Den."

"Come on, Lyra, you responded to me last night. Now you pretend nothing happened. That really hurts me."

"I know you're angry because I didn't honor your boundaries. I promise to be gentler next time."

Fenris looked relaxed. He even spoke to the scribes politely, "Sorry for wasting Council resources. My mate gets emotional during post-heat. I need to comfort her."

The scribes nodded at Fenris's words.

After all, they were frequent visitors. Every few moons they came and every time it ended with "insufficient scent-trace—return to your den and resolve this privately."

Everyone thought that Fenris loved Lyra.

Yet, only Lyra knew the truth. The one in Fenris's heart was never her.

They were sent out of the Council Hall. Cold wind carried the scent of pine and frost into Lyra's lungs. She felt frozen inside.

She failed again. No matter what she did, Fenris always stayed calm.

In everything, he followed her wishes, except for their bond severance. But Lyra didn't want to give up that one goal she had: freedom from this mating.

They had been bonded three years. She had asked for bond severance for two of them and she failed every time.

At the beginning, Fenris said he would love her forever. They would grow old together, their scents intertwined until death.

Lyra believed him. In the second year of their bond, reality hit her hard.

Fenris's first scent-choice, Selene Nightbloom, returned to New Metro territory after her own bond was severed. She wanted to reclaim Fenris's heart.

Fenris refused her clearly. Yet, that night, Selene drank too much moon-wine at a pack gathering. Lyra's brother, Kael Stormvale, kindly escorted her to a guest den.

Out of the blue, Selene accused him of trying to force-claim her. She somehow obtained Kael's scent-essence as proof. In the end, the Pack Council had to cage him in silver.

Due to the incident, Lyra's father collapsed from the shock to his Alpha heart. Her mother fell into a wasting illness from grief.

Within three days, the Stormvale territory holdings were seized by creditors, and the crushing weight of lost hunting rights eventually destroyed Lyra.

Fenris stayed by her side. "Lyra, I'm here. I'll handle your brother's case and restore your family's territory."

Lyra believed him. She even thought she had gotten so lucky that she had bonded with a good Alpha. But on the Council Hearing day, Fenris destroyed her.

Fenris stood against her, as Selene's Pack Law advocate. In the Council Hall, he coldly accused Kael.

See, Fenris Blackthorn was a legend across the entire territory alliance. With him there, Kael had no chance and was sentenced to five years in an iron-silver holding den.

After the hearing, Lyra cried and screamed at Fenris, "That's my brother, Fenris! Do you know what you've done?!"

Fenris, neat and calm in his formal pack attire, frowned slightly. "Lyra, if your brother committed a violation, he must face pack justice. I presented scent evidence. I can't mix personal feelings with Pack Law."

Lyra knew her brother so well. "Kael doesn't even desire females! There's no way he'd force-claim Selene! You grew up with him too and you know about it!"

Fenris replied calmly, "I only believe in the evidence."

Lyra cried in despair, "Do you believe evidence... or do you believe Selene?"

Fenris tried to leave as a response.

However, Lyra stopped him. "Today, you must choose. Me or Selene."

Fenris said nothing but left with Selene instead.

That moment, Lyra knew: it was over for them. She kept petitioning for bond severance after that. Every time, it ended in failure.

Each time, Fenris brought her gifts and said gently, "Lyra, in our mating, you only leave in a burial shroud, not through severance."

Two moons later, Lyra found out she was carrying a pup. As revenge, she sought a healer to end the pregnancy and gave the remains to Fenris.

Fenris was heartbroken, but still comforted her, "If you don't want pups, then we won't have them. We're still young."

Lyra couldn't stand living beside her greatest enemy. So, she planned to escape across the territory border with her mother. But the night before leaving, her mother threw herself from the highest tower of their ancestral den to avoid burdening her.

Both parents were dead. Her brother was caged. Every pack avoided the Stormvale name.

Lyra lost all hope. So she tried to end her own life.

That night, she lost too much blood. Only Fenris had the matching blood-bond type. He nearly drained himself to save her.

When Lyra woke, the first thing she said was, "Let me go."

For the first time, Fenris looked truly pained.

But he threatened her, "If you try to flee again, if you try to harm yourself again, your brother will die in that cage."

The threat worked. After that, Lyra stopped resisting. She lived like a lifeless body. Her smile disappeared.

Later, Selene claimed she had developed a wasting sickness from the assault and stayed in Fenris's den every day. Fenris even appointed her as his personal Omega Scribe.

When Lyra burned with fever and handled her mother's burial rites alone, Fenris went running through distant territories with Selene. When Lyra hurt herself in their den, Fenris was hosting a grand moon-feast for Selene's naming day.

Fenris always said he loved Lyra, but everything he did clearly showed that Selene was the one he treasured most.

Lyra was tired. Fenris didn't know—she was quite ill. Each time he chose Selene and hurt Lyra, her sickness grew worse.

The healer said she had severe spirit-sickness and bond-rot. If things continued, she would either lose her mind or fade entirely.

Lyra wanted to live, however. She still hadn't taken revenge for her brother. The only way to do that was to leave this territory, seek healing, and completely forget Fenris and everything here.

So, Lyra planned another escape. Cold wind brushed her face through the carriage window as her tears fell quietly.

"Fenris, I'm exhausted. Let's sever the bond."

Suddenly, Fenris slammed his claws against the carriage brake, sending the bone-wheeled transport lurching to a halt.

Heat-suppressant vials on the dashboard rolled to Lyra's feet.

At some point, Fenris had started keeping heat-dampening medicine in his carriage every day, because Selene's cycles were unpredictable and her scent grew distressed during travel.

In recent years, Selene spent more time with him than Lyra did. So everything around him was prepared for Selene's comfort. There was even moon-sage incense burning in the carriage. Fenris forgot that Lyra was allergic to it—that it made her throat close and her omega instincts spiral into panic.

But none of that mattered anymore. She didn't want him anymore. How he lived had nothing to do with her.

Lyra looked at Fenris quietly, waiting for his answer. For the first time, the Alpha who always wore a mask of gentleness let his true coldness show through. His dominance pressed against her like ice water.

"Lyra, you've been fighting this bond for two years. Do you really want the severance?"

Her answer was firm, despite the way his Alpha voice tried to curl around her spine. "Absolutely."

Fenris suddenly smiled with sarcasm, his fangs catching the light. "Fine. I'll grant your wish."

Soon, Fenris took her to the Council Registry Hall. He presented their bond-marks to the Elder Scribe and emerged quickly from the stone building. Each of them was holding a Moon-Count Notice—the formal acknowledgment that bond severance had been requested.

The Elder Scribe had explained, "There is a thirty-day moon-count waiting period. After thirty days, the bond severance becomes recognized by pack law."

As soon as they walked outside into the territory's central square, Fenris said, "I've already gone through the process with you. Don't keep talking about severance. Even I get tired of hearing it."

Then his communication stone pulsed with Selene's scent-signature. She said she felt unwell. Her illness seemed to be acting up again—the mysterious weakness that had plagued her for years, that no healer could quite explain.

Fenris didn't hesitate to climb into his carriage and drive away. The dust from the bone-wheels snapped Lyra back to reality and made her laugh quietly.

In Fenris's eyes, she was just being emotional—an omega having a tantrum. He thought this bond could never end. But oh, he was so wrong. This severance was something Lyra was determined to get.

To avoid later trouble, Lyra didn't return to their shared den that night. She stayed at a neutral waystation and arranged passage out of New Metro territory for the next day—a border-crossing to Ironcrest, where different laws held sway.

Early the next morning, she went to the territory gate.

As soon as she arrived, she received a message through the pack-link from Fenris: [There's going to be a Moon-Market tonight. Get ready.]

She didn't reply. In thirty minutes, she could board the border caravan. She would finally leave this cruel territory.

Just as she boarded and the caravan was about to depart through the warded gates, the protective barriers suddenly shattered. A group of Pack Guards in black leather rushed in, their wolves half-shifted and snarling.

Fenris then walked in slowly, one clawed hand in his pocket, and stopped in front of Lyra. His Alpha presence flooded the enclosed space, making the other passengers whimper and bare their throats. "Lyra, come home with me. I'll forget what you did today."

Lyra's heart sank. She had underestimated him. She didn't expect him to come directly to the border gate, to make such a public display of dominance.

She said firmly, fighting against the instinct to submit, "Fenris, we are severing our bond. We are in the moon-count period, remember?"

Fenris smiled lightly, raising his eyebrows. "Lyra, you're so naïve. Do you have a severance mark? If not, we are still bound by pack law." He continued, his voice dropping into command register, "Before I get angry, come back with me."

Lyra didn't move. "No."

The caravan became completely silent. No one dared to speak. Even the border guards looked away, unwilling to interfere in what pack law deemed a mate-dispute.

At that moment, Selene walked in. She naturally helped Fenris adjust his rank-collar, her delicate omega fingers lingering on his throat. "Fen, you forgot to wear your Alpha sigil this morning. I brought it for you."

While doing this intimate gesture, she looked at Lyra with clear provocation, her scent deliberately mingling with his in a display of closeness.

Fenris's expression stiffened. He explained, "Selene was sick last night, so I stayed with her in the healer's den. Don't misunderstand."

Lyra showed no reaction at all.

In the past, she would have questioned him. She would have been hurt by the scent of another omega clinging to her mate. But now, she was too tired of it all. She didn't care anymore.

"It doesn't matter. It has nothing to do with me. If Alpha Blackthorn has nothing else to do, please leave the caravan. Don't waste other travelers' time."

Lyra's calm attitude made Fenris's dominance flare with anger. He lowered his voice and threatened her, his Alpha command bleeding through, "Lyra, I heard you're looking for an Elder Advocate to petition for your brother's case."

Lyra's face tightened. She looked up and stared at him.

Seeing her finally react, Fenris smiled faintly. "In New Metro territory, without my permission, no Elder dares to take your petition. No Council member will hear the Stormvale name."

It was clearly midsummer, but Lyra felt like her heart had fallen into an icy pit.

Her body trembled. Tears streamed down her face. "Fenris… are you threatening me?"

Fenris bent down and gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, his touch possessive rather than tender. "Lyra, as long as you come home with me obediently, I'll handle your brother's case. I'll speak to the Council myself."

Hearing this, Lyra laughed coldly. Back then, Fenris had said the same thing. He promised to take care of her brother. He said everything was under his control—that his influence with the Pack Council would protect Kael. But things resulted with her brother caged in silver chains, his life and bloodline honor ruined on falsified scent testimony.

She was no longer the Lyra from two years ago. "Fenris, I won't believe a single word you say anymore."

Fenris sneered and turned to Selene behind him. "Spread the word to every Elder and Advocate in New Metro territory. Anyone who dares take the Stormvale bloodline's petition will never survive in this territory again. Their hunting rights will be stripped. Their dens will be seized."

Then he looked back at Lyra. "Lyra, I'm the only person you can trust now. Either come home with me and I'll pretend nothing happened, or keep fighting me."

He added, his Alpha voice wrapping around her like chains, "You choose."

Lyra felt as though she had fallen into an ice cave carved from silver.

Her fists clenched tightly, claws threatening to break through skin. Fenris controlled New Metro territory with absolute dominance. Once he spoke, no wolf in any den dared help her. His command voice echoed through every pack runner, every elder, every guard who might have offered sanctuary.

In the end, the path she had worked so hard to find was blocked again. The familiar darkness crept through her chest—the bond-sickness that came from a forced claiming, from years of having her will crushed beneath his Alpha authority. Her whole body shook, even her voice trembled.

"Fenris… if you keep forcing me like this, aren't you worried you'll be pushing me to death one day?"

Fenris's expression stiffened for a moment, his amber eyes flickering with something that might have been concern—or possession. Then he said softly, "Lyra, I love you so much. How could I ever push you to death? Since you're begging anyway, why beg outsiders instead of begging me?"

Lyra couldn't say a word. His love was too heavy. It crushed her until she couldn't breathe, until her wolf cowered in the depths of her soul, until her own scent turned bitter with submission she had never chosen.

She couldn't bear it anymore. "I'm begging you. Can you show me mercy?" She looked up at him in despair, letting him see the hollow emptiness in her eyes.

For the first time, the proud Omega of Stormvale blood lowered her head to Fenris Blackthorn. Everything was going exactly as he wanted, yet seeing Lyra give in still made Fenris uneasy. Something in his chest tightened—a warning he refused to acknowledge.

He lowered his eyes and pulled her up, his grip firm on her wrist. "Come back to the den with me first. I'll take care of your brother's case."

Lyra accepted her fate. As long as Kael could be cleared of his charges. As long as her brother could walk free from the iron-silver holding den where he'd been caged for crimes he never committed.

Her lips parted slightly. "Fenris, if you break your word again, our story will only end when one of us is in a grave."

But Fenris didn't hear her.

All of a sudden, Selene suddenly collapsed for no clear reason—her body going limp, her scent turning sharp with distress that seemed too perfectly timed. All of his attention went to her. He gathered Selene up in his arms and rushed out of the private chamber, his command voice booming for healers.

Watching how carefully he held Selene, how his entire being oriented toward protecting her, Lyra laughed softly. The sound was hollow.

She didn't understand. If he loved Selene so much, why wouldn't he let Lyra go? Why wouldn't he sever their bond and release her from this cage of teeth and territory?

Fenris, could you really see your own heart clearly?

That evening, Fenris didn't come to escort her to the Moon-Market rite. He sent word through a pack runner that she should go first.

Before Selene returned, Fenris never let Lyra be alone. His scent was always nearby, his guards always watching, his presence always pressing against her like a weight she couldn't shake. Right after Selene came back, everything changed.

As soon as Lyra entered the grand hall where the Moon-Market was held—a cavernous space lit by silver-touched lanterns and thick with the mingled scents of a dozen bloodlines—she saw Selene holding Fenris's arm as they walked in together.

So it wasn't that he had no time. He just had no time for her.

The market broker, Balthazar Gravesong, flattered Fenris eagerly, his oily voice carrying across the gathering. "This must be Selene Nightbloom. Seeing you in person is even better than rumors. You're beautiful and capable—your scent-weaving talents are spoken of in every den."

"Everyone says that if you hadn't left Alpha Blackthorn's side back then, the position of his bonded mate would surely have been yours."

"No wonder Alpha Blackthorn takes such good care of you. You two look perfect together—your scents practically sing in harmony."

Selene smiled proudly, her delicate features arranged in perfect humility that didn't reach her eyes. "You flatter me, Balthazar. I owe everything to Fenris for giving me a chance to serve his pack. If not, how could an Omega with a severed bond like me stand here today?"

The crowd stepped on Lyra to praise Selene. Every word was a blade, every glance a judgment. Fenris didn't say a single word to defend Lyra—didn't release even a hint of protective scent, didn't acknowledge her existence.

In their first year of forced bonding, someone once spoke badly about Lyra. Fenris had broken that wolf's jaw on the spot, his dominance crashing through the room like a storm. Now, these wolves mocked her word by word in front of him, and Fenris showed no reaction at all.

So this was the difference between love and no love.

Lyra took a deep breath, steadying her wolf, and turned to leave. But Selene deliberately stopped her, her voice pitched to carry.

"Lyra Stormvale, you're here. Why didn't you greet me properly?"

Everyone's eyes turned toward them. The broker, who had just insulted Lyra, looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and bury himself beneath the stone floor.

Lyra couldn't leave now. So she walked over calmly, her cold eyes sweeping across everyone present. She let her noble bloodline show in her bearing—the ancient Stormvale dignity that no forced bond could strip away.

"Selene Nightbloom, I am Fenris's bonded mate. My Alpha is here. Why shouldn't I be here?"

"As for you—you left Fenris back then to chase after foreign Alphas with larger territories. After your bond was severed, you ran back to this territory to find him again."

"One thing you said is right. Fenris has patience. If I were him, I would stay far away from an Omega like you, not keep you by my side as a scribe."

"As an Omega, let me give you some advice, Selene. If you want to bond again, find an unmated Alpha."

"Stop clinging to a bonded male every day. It's embarrassing, and it only makes people think no Alpha wants your scent."

Every word cut sharply. Lyra showed Selene no mercy at all. The gathered wolves shifted uncomfortably, scent-pressure rising in the hall.

Before Selene could arrange her features into hurt submission, Fenris spoke first, his command voice crashing through the room as he angrily scolded Lyra, "That's enough!"

"Selene is my person. If you have a problem, take it up with me. Don't bully her."