I woke up to an eerie silence.

I didn’t remember when exhaustion pulled me under — whether I had cried myself to sleep or simply lost consciousness from the pain. My body felt heavy, like I had been crushed beneath a mountain. My head throbbed, sharp and relentless, like claws digging into my skull.

But none of that mattered.

Because the moment I sat up, I realized—

Aiden wasn’t in his bed.

My heart dropped violently, my wolf instantly snapping awake inside me.

Aiden?

A faint unease spread through our bond. It was weak — so faint it was barely there — but I could still sense him. He was safe.

Just… far.

Too far.

Panic flooded me anyway.

I bolted out of the room, my bare feet slapping against the cold marble floor.

“Aiden?” My voice cracked as I rushed down the hallway. “Aiden!”

I pushed open his door.

Empty.

The blankets were messy, like he had gotten up early. His favorite stuffed wolf lay abandoned on the bed.

My heart pounded harder.

I checked the bathing chamber.

Nothing.

The sitting room.

Nothing.

“Aiden!” My voice echoed through the silent estate.

The guards outside shifted uneasily, sensing my distress, but none of them had seen him. Or worse — they had orders not to interfere.

My hands trembled as I grabbed the communication stone from the table and pressed my thumb against it, calling my mother through the family link.

She answered after a few seconds.

Her voice was calm. Almost bored.

“Oh, Evelina. Finally awake?”

I could barely breathe. “Where’s Aiden?”

“With us, of course,” she replied casually. “We’re celebrating his birthday.”

My grip tightened around the stone.

“What?” My voice shook. “Without me?”

“Well, you were asleep,” she sighed. “Elira and Dorian arranged a small gathering. He’s having so much fun.”

My wolf growled weakly inside me.

“You took my son while I was sleeping?” My voice trembled with anger. “Without telling me?”

She clicked her tongue. “You were exhausted. We didn’t want to wake you.”

My pulse roared in my ears.

“Let me speak to him. Now.”

There was a brief pause.

Then she laughed softly, dismissively.

“Evelina, don’t ruin this for him. Let him enjoy himself for once.”

“Enjoy?” My voice cracked. “He’s my son!”

“Then stop making his life miserable just because your mate chose your sister.”

My vision darkened with rage.

“Excuse me?”

“Evelina,” she continued slowly, as if speaking to a child. “Elira will love Aiden more than you ever could. You’re always busy — with pack matters, with your healer visits. Perhaps this truly is for the best.”

My fingers tightened so hard around the stone I felt it crack.

“I swear to the Moon Goddess,” I whispered, my voice trembling, “if you don’t bring my son back—”

“Enough, Evelina.” Her voice turned cold. “Stop being selfish.”

The link went dead.

The stone dimmed in my hand.

I stood there, shaking.

My wolf howled weakly inside me, grief and rage tangling together.

Instead of throwing the stone, my fingers moved on their own. I reached for the crystal mirror on the table — a magical communication mirror used across territories to share updates and messages.

The surface shimmered to life.

And then—

My breath caught.

The first image that appeared was Elira’s.

She stood beside Dorian, their hands intertwined, her engagement ring — the moonstone ring — glimmering brightly beneath candlelight.

“Fate brought us together. Love kept us strong. Soon, I’ll become Luna of the Ashclaw Pack.”

Thousands of glowing runes appeared beneath the image — blessings, congratulations, praise.

— Congratulations, Luna Elira!

— The Alpha finally found his true mate.

— They look perfect together.

— I always thought he chose the wrong sister.

My stomach twisted violently.

Wolves I knew.

Pack members.

Even elders who attended my mating ceremony.

They congratulated them like this was some destined love story.

My fingers trembled.

Then another image appeared.

My vision blurred.

Aiden.

Sitting on Dorian’s lap, laughing happily. Elira leaned close, her arms wrapped around him affectionately. Dorian’s hand rested protectively on Aiden’s shoulder.

They looked like a perfect family.

Like I never existed.

A sharp pain tore through my skull.

I gasped, clutching my head as the world spun violently around me. The pounding grew unbearable, like my skull was splitting open.

My hands shook as I reached for the herbs on the bedside table — pain-relief herbs prepared by the healer.

I swallowed two quickly, barely managing to breathe.

But the pain didn’t ease.

Instead, a metallic taste filled my mouth.

Warmth trickled down from my nose.

I wiped it absently.

Red.

Blood.

Panic surged through me.

My breathing became shallow and uneven. My wolf whimpered weakly, her presence fading further.

I quickly called my mother again.

No answer.

My father.

Nothing.

My chest tightened as I reached for Dorian through the mate bond.

Silence.

He blocked me.

A weak, bitter laugh escaped me.

Of course.

With trembling fingers, I pressed the emergency rune on the communication stone.

“H… hello…” My voice shook.

“Emergency line. What is your situation?” a calm voice responded.

“I… I need help…” My vision blurred. My knees weakened. “Please… I…”

The stone slipped from my hand.

The last thing I heard was the distant voice calling my name.

Then darkness swallowed me whole.

---

Bright lights.

Soft murmurs.

The scent of herbs filled the air.

I slowly opened my eyes.

I was in the healer’s den.

Alone.

A young healer entered, startled when she saw me awake.

“Luna Evelina… you’re conscious.”

My throat felt dry. “How long…?”

“You were brought in last night,” she said gently. “The patrol wolves found you unconscious inside your chamber. Do you have family we should notify?”

Family.

The word twisted painfully in my chest.

I let out a weak laugh.

“No… there’s no one.”

The healer looked saddened but nodded quietly.

The next morning, after I was discharged, I returned to the estate.

The moment I stepped inside, my wolf stirred faintly.

He’s here.

I froze.

Then I saw him.

Dorian.

Sitting on the couch like he still owned everything. His posture relaxed, his expression impatient, like he was waiting for something trivial.

My chest tightened painfully.

“What… are you doing here?”

He stood slowly, pulling a stack of parchment from his leather case. A silver pen rested on top.

He held it out toward me.

“Sign it.”

I blinked slowly, my fingers twitching.

“What…?”

His eyes were cold.

Empty.

“The separation decree,” he said calmly.

“The mate bond dissolution papers.”

“Sign them now.”

I stared at the separation decree in Dorian’s hand, my entire body trembling.

The parchment felt heavier than it should have — as if the Moon Goddess herself had written my fate into its fibers.

“Sign it,” Dorian repeated, his voice flat, emotionless, as though the years we spent together meant nothing. As though the mate bond between us had never existed.

My fingers shook as I took the papers from him.

Then I tore them apart.

The sound of ripping parchment echoed sharply through the room.

Dorian’s eyes darkened slightly, but instead of anger, a slow smirk spread across his face — like he had expected nothing less.

With calm, calculated ease, he reached into his coat and pulled out a small velvet pouch. He tossed it casually onto the coffee table.

It landed with a soft thud.

“There’s a million gold marks in that,” he said lazily. “Your severance compensation.”

My breath hitched.

Severance compensation?

Like I was nothing more than a servant dismissed from duty.

Like I had simply outlived my usefulness.

Like I had never been his mate.

Fury surged through me.

Before I could stop myself, I slapped him.

Hard.

The crack of my palm against his cheek echoed across the quiet room.

Dorian barely moved.

He slowly turned his head back, touching his cheek with mild amusement, like the slap had been nothing more than a breeze.

“Feel better now?” he murmured.

My chest heaved.

I grabbed the velvet pouch and hurled it back at him.

“Go to hell, Dorian.”

His smirk deepened.

“Already there, sweetheart.”

Then he stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, his Alpha aura pressing down on me — not enough to dominate, but enough to remind me of the power imbalance between us.

“You know,” he said softly, his voice smooth but taunting, “Aiden has already accepted Elira as his new mother.”

My blood ran cold.

Before I could respond, the kitchen door creaked open.

Elira stepped out.

Holding Aiden’s tiny hand.

They were both smiling.

My stomach twisted violently.

Aiden — my baby — clutched a large mechanical wolf toy in his arms, carved with silver runes and moonstone accents. I recognized it instantly — an expensive toy imported from the northern packs.

His eyes sparkled as he looked up at Elira, admiration shining brightly in them.

“Thank you, Mommy Elira!” he beamed.

My heart stopped.

Mommy… Elira?

My throat tightened painfully.

“Aiden… baby… I’m…” My voice came out as a whisper.

He turned to me.

But there was no excitement in his eyes.

No joy.

Only mild curiosity.

“Mommy, why are you mad?” he asked innocently. “Mommy Elira bought me this! She’s the best!”

Elira laughed softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Oh, Aiden, sweetie, I just want you to be happy.”

Then she looked at me, her smile faintly smug.

“Evelina, don’t look so hurt. Aiden is just being honest. I’ve been the one taking care of him lately, after all.”

Aiden nodded eagerly.

“Mommy Elira is nice to me, Mommy. She plays with me. She makes Daddy happy.” He hesitated, then added softly, “You should sign the papers so we can be a happy family.”

The air left my lungs.

Before I could even process his words, Elira turned to Dorian.

And kissed him.

Right in front of me.

Slowly.

Intimately.

Like they belonged together.

Like I wasn’t even there.

Aiden giggled happily.

“Mommy Elira and Daddy love each other!”

Something inside me shattered completely.

But I couldn’t move.

I just stood there.

Frozen.

Watching my mate — my first love — kiss my sister while my son cheered them on.

This wasn’t real.

It couldn’t be real.

But it was.

Dorian pulled away from Elira, a satisfied smirk on his lips. Then he turned to me, his golden eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.

“Now, be a good Luna and sign the decree, Evelina.”

He handed me another copy.

Aiden looked at me pleadingly.

“Yeah, Mommy… sign it. Please.”

Happy?

They already looked happy.

Like a perfect family.

Double betrayal.

A blade driven straight through my heart.

I stumbled backward, my vision blurring.

“I… I need to be alone,” I whispered.

Without waiting for a response, I turned and rushed toward my chamber, slamming the door behind me.

And then I broke.

I collapsed onto the floor, my body shaking with silent sobs.

I had lost everything.

My mate.

My son.

My family.

Why?

Why wasn’t I enough?

Why was I the one suffering while they got to be happy?

I curled into myself, clutching my head as pain throbbed violently through my skull, mixing with the unbearable ache in my chest.

I didn’t know how long I stayed like that.

Minutes.

Hours.

Eventually, I reached for the small communication stone beside my bed.

There was only one person left.

With shaking hands, I activated it.

The connection formed quickly.

“Evelina?”

Cassian’s familiar voice filled the room.

A sob escaped me.

“Cassian… please help me.”

There was a sharp intake of breath.

“Evelina, what happened?” His voice tightened with concern.

“Dorian… Aiden… they…” My voice broke. “They don’t need me anymore. I have nothing left, Cassian. Nothing.”

“Evelina, listen to me,” he said firmly. “You have me. I’m not letting you go through this alone.”

Tears streamed down my face.

“Come to me,” he urged. “I’ll help you disappear. I’ll get you out of the Ashclaw territory.”

There was a pause.

Then his voice softened.

“And… there’s something else. I didn’t want to tell you through the link, but you need to know.”

I wiped my tears.

“What is it?”

“Our healer circle is conducting a trial,” Cassian said carefully. “A new experimental treatment for soul sickness — brain cancer. It’s dangerous, but… it may be your best chance.”

I froze.

“You knew?” I whispered.

“I suspected,” he admitted quietly. “I saw your healer records. I know you’ve been fighting this alone.”

My chest tightened painfully.

“Come to me,” he pleaded softly. “Let me help you, Evelina. Not just with the treatment… but with everything. Let me take you away from all of this.”

I gripped the stone tightly.

This was my chance.

To leave.

To survive.

To fight.

I took a deep breath.

“I’m coming, Cassian.”

The house was silent.

Too silent.

The kind of silence that seeped into your bones, heavy and suffocating, like the night before a full moon.

Dorian, Elira, and Aiden were gone.

They had left two nights ago, escorted by members of Dorian’s pack, moving into their newly claimed Alpha estate on the northern ridge — a grand mansion built of stone and moon-blessed timber. A place meant for a Luna.

A place that should have been mine.

Instead, it would now echo with Elira’s laughter.

With Aiden’s voice calling her Mommy.

They had left without hesitation. Without regret.

They hadn’t even looked back.

It should have broken me.

Perhaps a part of me had.

But as I sat in the empty living room, staring at the separation decree I had rewritten myself beneath the pale glow of moonstone lamps, something inside me hardened.

I wasn’t going to fight for a mate bond that had already died.

I wasn’t going to beg for a son who had already chosen another mother.

I wasn’t going to cry for a family that had never truly loved me.

No.

I was going to disappear.

And one day…

I would return as someone they would all fear.

With Cassian’s help, I moved quietly.

No servants. No pack members. No one knew.

I finalized the new separation decree through the neutral council scribes — taking nothing from Dorian. No lands. No gold. No pack privileges.

I would owe him nothing.

Not even resentment.

Then I did something even more drastic.

Through Cassian’s connections with rogue healers and shadow traders, I reached out to someone who operated beyond pack law — a quiet figure who dealt in forgotten bodies.

An unclaimed corpse.

She had been a rogue, abandoned and found near the southern forest border. Similar height. Similar build. Similar age.

Another forgotten soul.

Another woman discarded by the world.

I dressed her carefully in one of my favorite dresses — a soft silver gown Dorian once said made me look like moonlight itself.

My hands trembled as I slid my wedding ring onto her finger.

The band glinted faintly in the dim light.

Then I unclasped the delicate gold necklace resting against my throat.

Dorian had given it to me years ago, during our first winter as mates.

I had cherished it, even after everything.

Even after he stopped looking at me.

Even after he stopped touching me.

Even after he chose Elira.

Aiden used to tug at the necklace when he was a baby, his tiny fingers playing with the pendant.

“Mommy, I like this! Is this magic?”

“No, sweetheart,” I had laughed softly. “But Daddy gave it to me, so it’s special.”

“Then it’s magic!” Aiden had grinned, curling into my lap.

My throat tightened painfully.

That was years ago.

Now Aiden curled into Elira’s arms.

Now he called her Mommy.

I draped the necklace around the corpse’s neck, swallowing hard.

It was done.

The woman lying on the bed was no longer a stranger.

She was Evelina Ashclaw.

That night, before I set the house ablaze—

I picked up my moonstone communication pendant.

My fingers trembled as I infused a thread of wolf energy into it, connecting to Dorian’s mind-link.

The connection rang.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

No answer.

Of course.

I already knew why.

My mother had reached out earlier through our family link.

“Evelina… I didn’t know how to tell you… but Dorian, Elira, and Aiden left for Paris territory this morning. The Silver Crescent Pack is hosting them.”

Paris.

A honeymoon for Dorian and Elira.

A family journey for my son.

Without me.

A hollow ache spread through my chest, but I crushed it down.

I tried linking him again.

And again.

Still no answer.

Finally, I infused the pendant with a message, sending it through our fading mate bond.

To Dorian Ashclaw.

“Thank you for teaching me the most painful lesson of my life. Thank you for showing me how little I meant to you. Thank you for making it so easy to let go.”

“Congratulations on your new family. I hope Elira makes you happier than I ever could.”

I hesitated.

Then added one final line.

“Goodbye, Dorian.”

With steady breath, I released the message.

That was the last thing he would ever hear from me.

I made sure the flames consumed everything.

The memories.

The pain.

The Evelina Ashclaw that had been discarded like nothing.

As the fire spread, I stood in the shadows beneath the trees, watching the flames devour the home I once loved.

Laughter had once filled those walls.

Aiden used to run through the halls, calling my name.

“Mommy! Mommy, look at me!”

He used to crawl into my lap, wrapping his small arms around my neck.

“I love you, Mommy.”

Now he was in Elira’s arms.

Now he loved her.

The ache returned, sharp and hollow.

I buried it deep.

Emotions had no place in my new life.

By the time the pack guards arrived, it was too late.

The body inside was burned beyond recognition.

And just like that—

Evelina Ashclaw was dead.

The next morning, the news spread through the pack like wildfire.

**

Dorian'S POV

Our private wolf caravan arrived at the Ashclaw estate just before sunset.

I rolled my shoulders as I stepped down from the carriage, the long journey finally over.

The trip had been… good.

No tension.

No arguments.

No Evelina.

Just business and pleasure.

Elira looked radiant beside me, still glowing from our time in the Paris territory. She wore new silks, rare moonstone jewelry, everything she had ever dreamed of.

She clung to my arm like a perfect Luna.

Aiden had been happy too.

The kid called her Mommy without hesitation.

Didn’t look back.

And for the first time in years…

I felt peace.

Evelina was gone.

Not dead.

Just… gone from my life.

The past.

A fading ghost.

She had served her purpose.

Now she was just another chapter I didn’t need to reopen.

As I entered the estate, I rubbed my temples.

My communication crystal vibrated faintly at my waist.

I ignored it.

It pulsed again.

And again.

I sighed, pulling it out, ready to snap at whoever was bothering me.

Dozens of missed mind-links.

Unread messages.

I frowned.

Most were from council members.

Some from pack elders.

But one name caught my eye.

Evelina Ashclaw.

My grip tightened as I opened the message.

“Thank you for teaching me the most painful lesson of my life…”

“Thank you for showing me how little I meant to you…”

“Congratulations on your new family… Goodbye, Dorian.”

Something twisted in my chest.

Sharp.

Unsettling.

Before I could think further, Elira turned toward the crystal mirror mounted on the wall and activated the broadcast rune.

The announcer’s voice filled the room.

“Evelina Ashclaw, Former Luna of the Ashclaw Pack… Found Dead in Fire.”