The pack's funeral hall was cold and silent. I remained there for the full cycle of the moon, staring into the dark void.
On the third day, I gave up my place in the pack and took my brother's ashes home.
The moment I crossed the border into our territory, Vladimir was waiting. His growl was sharp and full of irritation. "Why didn't you answer my calls last night? Do you have any idea how upset Stella was? You completely ruined her birthday rite."
I kept my voice calm. "I was at the funeral hall. Waiting for my brother."
He let out a cold, mocking laugh. "Always lying. What will you say next? That the thing you are holding is really his ashes?"
I stayed silent. There was no point in defending my honor; he never trusted my word anyway.
Vladimir waved his hand as if I bored him. "Forget it. Stella did not rest well after the celebration. You owe her."
Stella's eyes lit up right away. "Luna, why don't you make it up to me with a birthday gift? That ring you are wearing would be perfect."
My wedding ring. The Barnes Pack heirloom Vladimir had placed on my finger during the moon ceremony. Out of everything he had given me, it was the only thing that ever felt true.
I raised my eyes and looked straight at Vladimir. "Is that what you want too, Vladimir?"
For a second, I saw a flash of doubt in his amber gaze.
Stella lowered her head, acting like a shy pup. "It is fine, Luna. If you wish to keep it, I will step back. It was just a small wish for my birthday. I do not truly need it."
Her weak act worked perfectly. Vladimir's expression immediately turned to stone. "If she desires it, hand it over. Do not force me to strip it from you myself."
Before I could move, Stella lunged and grabbed for my hand. In the scuffle, the urn slipped from my fingers. The ceramic shattered against the stone floor, sending my brother's ashes flying across the hall.
My heart felt like it stopped. I fell to my knees, desperately trying to save what little remained.
Just as I reached out, a gust of wind blew through the hall, sending the ashes flying everywhere.
"No! Please, stop!" My voice broke as tears filled my eyes.
Vladimir stood there, finally seeming to understand something was wrong. "Abigail, you … "
Still, Stella spoke first, cutting him off. "I am so sorry, Luna. I did not mean it," she said sweetly, yet her foot pressed down on a small bone fragment while she kept trying to pull the ring from my hand.
I pushed her away, my voice shaking with anger. "Get away from me!"
She stumbled backward, landing hard on her backside. The next second, her fake sobs filled the air. "Luna, you know I am carrying a pup. How could you push me like that? Do you hate this pup so much?"
Vladimir quickly wrapped his arms around her. "Abigail! She just wanted the ring, for moon's sake! Why would you get so aggressive?"
Tears were falling down my face. Something inside me finally broke.
"You will pay for this!" I screamed, my voice cracking. "One day, you will both pay for everything you have done to me!"
I had never been this angry in my whole life. My rage silenced even Vladimir. Stella sat frozen, eyes wide, as if she did not know me anymore.
Even so, I did not care. I did not care about either of them, for all I could think about was my brother, whose ashes now lay scattered across the floor like worthless dust.
I dropped to my knees, desperately trying to save what little I could, my hands cutting open on the sharp pieces of ceramic. My blood mixed with the ashes, turning everything into a sticky, painful mess.
Vladimir's voice softened a little, like some twisted part of him felt pity. "If you did not want to give the ring, you could have just said so. You did not need to put on this act. Anyone watching might actually believe this really was your brother's ashes."
I froze. My hands still bleeding, my chest heaving. Even now, after everything, I still could not get him to believe me.
Stella clicked her tongue, letting out a small sigh of annoyance. "Oh, the ring is dirty. What a shame."
Vladimir brushed her hair back, comforting her like she was some prized she-wolf. "Don’t worry. I will buy you a new one."
And just like that, they walked away, stepping on my brother's ashes as if they were nothing but dirt beneath their feet.
That afternoon, Stella sent me several messages through the crystal communicator.
[Vladimir gifted me twenty different gems today! All forged by the best smiths, with gold chains to match!]
[He says I deserve the highest honors. Tonight, he is taking me to the High Council vault to pick out ancient jewels!]
[Rings ... the mark of a pack bond, of loyalty, of a true mate.]
[But Vladimir's love is just like these rings, cheap and passed around like meaningless things.]
[Fine. If that is who he is, then I do not want him anymore.]
[And I do not want the filthy ring either.]
I walked into the work chamber and opened the heavy desk. Inside were the portraits of his one hundred mistresses and the severance scrolls I had quietly prepared long ago.
I took off the blood-stained wedding ring and placed it inside, along with my healer's report, the one confirming I had lost our pup.
Once everything was in place, I gently took what little was left of my brother's ashes and put them in my bag, then headed downstairs.
I left the manor keys on the dining table and wiped my scent from the territory wards. Now, every trace of me in this pack house was gone.
Under the dark sky of the new moon, I stepped into the carriage waiting at the border. I took out my crystal communicator, snapped it in half, and threw it into the deep forest. The shadows swallowed it whole.
By the time Vladimir returned to his den, I was already across the sea.
