Chapter 1

Returning from a critical mission for the Moonstone Pack, I arrived at the packhouse late at night, eager to surprise Weston on his birthday. The air carried the faint scent of rain and something else—something floral that made my wolf stir uneasily. As I pushed open the heavy oak door, Aleah Gibson, an Omega from our pack, stood there wearing my silk robe, her blonde hair damp and her lips curved into a smug smile.

"Oh, Luna Viviana!" she chirped, her tone sickly sweet. "I just came by to discuss some pack matters with Alpha Weston. I got caught in the rain, so I borrowed your robe. I hope you don’t mind."

I stared at her, my jaw tightening. Before I could respond, Weston emerged from the bathroom, his muscular frame wrapped in a towel, water droplets glistening on his bronzed skin. His dark eyes, usually so commanding, flickered with irritation when they landed on me.

"Viviana," he said, his voice sharp. "I thought you were away on the mission. Why are you back?"

I forced a neutral expression, though my chest ached. "I needed some documents from the study."

I tossed the carefully wrapped gift—a silver dagger forged by the finest blacksmiths of the Shadowclaw Pack—into the trash bin by the door. My fingers trembled as I pulled out my phone and sent a quick message to Ryland Martinez, the Healer from a neighboring pack.

"Prepare the severing ceremony. It’s time."

---

They were too engrossed in their whispered conversation to notice me as I slipped into the study. My fingers brushed against the spines of ancient texts, pulling out the files I needed. When I returned, Aleah was perched on the arm of the couch, her hand brushing against Weston’s bare shoulder. She glanced up, her eyes gleaming with triumph, and slowly licked her lips.

"Luna Viviana," she said, her voice dripping with false concern. "Alpha Weston was feeling cold after his shower. I was just... helping him warm up. Don’t get the wrong idea."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. Weston’s gaze, cold and dismissive, met mine.

"Do you have what you came for?" he snapped. "Then leave. Must I spell it out for you?"

My chest tightened, the mate bond flaring with a searing pain. I remembered a time when Weston would walk me to the packhouse door every morning, his hand warm against my back, his voice soft as he wished me a safe mission. Now, my presence seemed to irritate him.

"Of course, Alpha," I said, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest.

As I turned to leave, Aleah called after me, her tone mocking. "Don’t forget to close the door, Luna. We wouldn’t want to disturb the rest of the pack."

I stopped, my back rigid, and turned to face her. After a long moment, I smiled—a cold, calculated smile that made her falter.

"Be gentle, Aleah," I said, my tone sharp. "The couch is an antique."

Aleah’s eyes widened, and she immediately leaned into Weston, her lips trembling as if on the verge of tears. "Alpha, I didn’t mean to upset Luna Viviana. I’ll just go—"

"Stay," Weston growled, pulling her back onto his lap. His glare burned into me. "Viviana, must you always cause trouble? Aleah is just trying to help. Can’t you stop being so hostile for once?"

I stared at him, my heart breaking beneath the weight of his words. Without a response, I turned and walked out, the heavy door slamming shut behind me.

Outside, the cool night air hit me like a slap. I bent over, clutching my chest as the mate bond screamed in agony. My wolf whined softly, a sound of shared pain and betrayal.

Five years. Five years of loyalty, of standing by his side as his Beta, then his Luna. Five years of sacrifices, of giving up my own ambitions to support him. And now, this.

As I straightened, my phone buzzed. Weston’s message glared up at me.

[Look at yourself, Viviana. You’ve become unbearable.]

[Aleah came to discuss pack matters in the rain, and I offered her shelter. Is that so wrong? Stop overreacting.]

I stared at the screen, my fingers trembling. Before I could respond, my phone rang—Weston’s number flashing across the screen. I answered, and Aleah’s voice, dripping with false sorrow, filled the air.

"Alpha Weston, I’m so upset..."

I hung up, switched off my phone, and took a deep breath. The pain in my chest was still there, but so was a strange sense of relief. It was over. The mate bond, the loyalty, the love—it was all crumbling, and for the first time, I felt free.

As I walked away from the packhouse, the weight of my decision settled over me. The next step would be hard, but necessary. The severing ceremony awaited, and with it, the end of a chapter I never thought would close this way.