Chapter 2
When I first went to see Sylvia, Adrian wasn't there.
When Sylvia saw me, her smile vanished, replaced by a timid look.
"Luna," Sylvia murmured, lowering her head, her voice barely above a whisper. "Are you here to punish me?"
I told her, "No, I only want to see you."
She let me in. The cabin was warm, with a fire crackling in the fireplace fueled by fine pine logs, and thick furs spread across the bed.
On the table sat some half-eaten honeyed dried fruits and a mug of warm goat milk. Everything showed signs of careful attention.
Sylvia sat at the edge of the bed, wrapped in a blanket, coughing every now and then.
Her body was indeed weak. But there was nothing weak in her gaze.
"Luna." Sylvia suddenly looked up at me, her voice almost a whisper, but every word clear. "I know you hate me.
"But you stole what was supposed to be mine. Do you expect me to thank you for that?"
I blinked in surprise. "Yours?"
With her eyes turning red, Sylvia said, "The Moon Goddess meant for Adrian and me to be together.
"If you hadn't shown up at the Mating Ball, the Moon's blessing should have fallen on me.
"But I wasn't even allowed to go to the Mating Ball. Because I'm wolfless, they wouldn't let me in.
"Now I'm stuck here, hidden away like some outcast." As she spoke, her tears began to fall.
I tried to say something, but found myself at a loss for words.
Her words didn't add up at all.
The Mating Ball's light covered the whole territory. It was not like one had to be there to be chosen.
Being chosen by the Moon's blessing had nothing to do with whether one was allowed at the ball.
But with her crying so pitifully, arguing felt cruel.
When I walked out of the cabin that day, my head was spinning.
I couldn't tell if Sylvia meant to hurt me, but her words pierced my heart like a dagger.
Did I really steal her life? I couldn't help but question myself.
Three years after we got married, Adrian walked into my room for the first time.
Before I could even feel happy, he tossed a scroll of parchment toward me, and it rolled to my feet.
"Sign it," he said.
I picked it up and read what was written.
It was an application to dissolve the mating bond.
My hands started to shake.
"Why?" I asked.
Adrian stood at the doorway, not even willing to step inside. "Sylvia's health is getting worse.
"She's too weak to survive the winter. Only if she becomes Luna can she receive the Moon's blessing. That's the only way to make her better."
"What about me?"
He paused for a moment, then said, "I'll make it up to you. Whatever you want, as long as I can afford it."
"I don't want your compensation," I said, my voice trembling.
"Adrian, I'm your Fated Mate. The Moon Goddess brought us together. We—"
"Don't you dare mention the Goddess!" Adrian suddenly shouted.
His golden eyes burned with anger. His stare cut right through me. "Fated Mate? Do you have any idea how much I've suffered these past three years?
"Every time I see you, it reminds me how cruel and unfair fate is.
"The woman I truly love is right here, but I can't even give her the place she deserves." He took a deep breath, as if he was holding back even more rage.
"But you have taken the place. Because of you, I can't even love who I want.
"So you have to sign it. I owe it to Sylvia." He said his piece and left.
I sat on the floor, clutching the parchment, and wept through the night.
When morning came, I unrolled the parchment and signed my name with deliberate care.
If this was what Adrian wanted, I'd let him have it.