Chapter 4

Returning from the mission took about two weeks. The Moonstone Pack organized a welcome-back feast in my honor. At the gathering, Aleah Gibson, who had fashionably arrived late, casually took the seat next to Alpha Weston Robinson, clearly intended for her. The previously lively atmosphere immediately cooled down. Everyone fell silent, their gazes collectively on me.

In the past, such a situation would have made my wolf bristle with anger. But now, I merely smiled and found an empty seat, sitting down without making a fuss. Throughout the evening, I didn’t waste a single word on them. Apart from Aleah and Weston, the pack breathed a sigh of relief. They needn’t have worried, though. During my time away, I reached a realization. I didn’t care anymore.

As everyone continued to socialize and enjoy their drinks, Aleah suddenly stood up. "Luna Viviana, you're truly the backbone of this pack. This successful alliance owes at least half its success to you. I raise this glass to thank you for securing such a strong bond for us." With that, she downed her glass of wine in one go.

"I’ll pass, but feel free," I replied, staying still in my seat. Weston’s displeasure was evident. "Aleah is toasting you, and you’re not responding. Is it her you’re disrespecting, or is it me?"

I glanced at him calmly. So, he was defending her now? "I took a healing tonic earlier; I can’t drink," I said.

"Who are you kidding?" Weston retorted, his alpha tone sharp and commanding. "You knew there’d be a feast and took the tonic on purpose, didn’t you?"

I sighed, feeling utterly drained by his unreasonable behavior. Picking up a fork, I was about to eat something to settle my stomach when Weston slammed the table. "Luna Viviana!"

"Are you deaf or something?" The room fell silent, the tension palpable. Everyone looked at us with a mix of awkwardness and anxiety, hardly daring to breathe. The weight of his alpha aura pressed down on the room, but I refused to flinch.

Just then, Aleah spoke up. "Oh, Alpha, don’t be mad." She got up and approached me with her glass. "Luna Viviana, whether you drink or not today, this is my sincere apology. You wouldn’t leave me with no options, would you?"

I looked up, smiling faintly. "I said I took a healing tonic. Didn’t you hear?" I flicked aside her extended glass, spilling the wine all over her.

That was it for Weston’s composure. "Are you out of your mind?!" He charged over, his towering frame looming over me. "Do you think securing this alliance makes you invincible?"

Invincible? I shook my head and chuckled softly. "Think whatever you like."

My attitude only further provoked him. He grabbed a nearby bottle of wine, filled a glass to the brim, and shoved it in front of me. "You might refuse Aleah’s toast, but you can’t refuse mine, right?" His gaze was intense, his tone threatening. "If you don’t drink, pack your things and leave the pack! Starting tomorrow, you’re no longer Luna of the Moonstone Pack!"

The room buzzed with shock. Everyone knew how crucial my contributions had been to the pack’s current standing. Yet, Weston seemed oblivious to this fact.

Faced with his aggressive stance, I simply smiled. In front of everyone, I pulled out the resignation letter I had already prepared. "I won’t drink. Here’s my formal request to sever our mate bond. Starting tomorrow, I’ll no longer be Luna of the Moonstone Pack." The room erupted into whispers, but I held Weston’s gaze, my voice steady. "I, Viviana Robinson, former Luna of the Moonstone Pack, reject you, Weston Robinson, Alpha of the Moonstone Pack, as my mate. May the Moon Goddess witness my words."

The bond between us, once unbreakable, now felt like a thread snapping in the wind. Weston’s eyes widened, his alpha aura faltering for the first time. But I didn’t wait for his response. I turned and walked out of the room, my head held high, ready to rebuild my life elsewhere.