The next morning, the house is full of noise. Footsteps. Voices. Laughter that doesn't reach my part of the hallway.
I sit by the window, watching the mist roll across the trees. The Crescent Ash Pack lands stretch far, quiet and beautiful. I’ve walked every path. I’ve bled on some of them. And yet somehow, I feel like a stranger in my own world.
They’re getting ready to leave.
Callan’s voice filters through the corridor, directing the Omegas. “Make sure Elias’s suit is steamed. And someone check the gifts—we’re not showing up to the Bloodfang summit empty-handed.”
His words are clipped and efficient. That’s who he’s always been—a leader. A respected Alpha. Powerful, magnetic. I once thought I was lucky to stand beside him.
Now I know better.
“Selene?” a soft voice calls from the doorway.
Anaiah.
She steps into the room, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She’s lovely. Gentle. Elias adores her, and I’ve tried—really tried—to do the same.
“I just wanted to say… I hope you’re okay,” she says. “I didn’t know Astrid was coming until yesterday. I thought you were going too.”
I nod, managing a strained smile. “Thank you, Anaiah.”
She hesitates, then crouches beside me. “Elias is confused. He doesn’t understand why his father is doing this. I don’t either.”
Her eyes are warm, searching my face for answers I don’t have. “If there’s anything I can do—”
“There isn’t,” I say gently. “But thank you.”
When she leaves, I remain by the window, hands clenched in my lap. The old Selene would have cried. The old Selene would have gone to Callan, begging for an explanation, for kindness.
But she’s gone.
I rise slowly and walk to the Alpha’s study. The door is half-open. Inside, Callan and Astrid stand close, too close. She leans into him, her hand resting on his chest, her laugh sweet and poisonous.
“I can’t believe she still thinks she has a place here,” Astrid says.
“She won’t be a problem,” Callan replies. “She’s always been too proud to beg, and too obedient to rebel.”
My nails dig into my palm. I should walk away. But instead, I push the door open fully.
Callan flinches. Astrid doesn’t.
“Selene,” she says with a smile. “I was just telling Callan how excited I am for the tour. So many Alpha councils to impress.”
“You’ve always been good at putting on a show,” I reply coolly.
Astrid tilts her head. “Still bitter, sister?”
I step forward, my voice low. “You can have the pack, the title, and even the man. But don’t mistake my silence for weakness.”
Callan scowls. “Watch your tone.”
I look at him, really look, and something inside me begins to harden, like ice. “I watched you steal my life piece by piece and still stayed loyal. But you’ve confused endurance with submission.”
His jaw tightens, but I’m already walking away.
I head for the greenhouse behind the Luna quarters. It’s the only place that still feels like mine. Rows of moonflowers stretch up toward the glass ceiling, pale and beautiful.
I press my hand to the earth. I used to believe that if I just gave enough, the bond would be enough to hold everything together. I believed in duty. In honor. In Callan.
But bonds can rot. Mates can lie. Wolves can be silenced, but not forever.
I close my eyes. My wolf stirs again, louder this time. Not a whisper. A growl.
“I hear you,” I whisper. “I’m still here.”
For so long, I ignored her. I buried my instincts beneath duty and motherhood. I wore the Luna mask so well, I forgot who was underneath.
But she never left.
The door to the greenhouse slams open. Elias rushes in, breathless. “Mom, Astrid said you broke into the study and threatened her.”
My mouth goes dry. “Is that what she told you?”
He frowns. “Is it true?”
“She’s lying.”
He looks torn, unsure of what to believe. I reach for him, but he pulls back.
“Why would she lie?” he asks. “She’s part of this family.”
I laugh, and it cracks through the still air. “No, Elias. She’s always wanted to replace this family.”
His lips part, stunned. “Why are you being like this?”
I don’t answer. Not because I can’t—but because I realize it doesn’t matter anymore. Even my own son doubts me. That hurts more than anything.
He turns and walks away.
That night, I can’t sleep.
I lie in the dark, the bed cold beside me. The ceiling looms like a coffin lid. I think of the tickets again. Of the smile on Astrid’s face. Of Callan’s indifference. Of Elias’s hesitation.
They’re leaving tomorrow.
I sit up slowly and reach beneath the bed. My old journal, dusty and worn, rests in a box of forgotten things. I open it, flipping through memories. Letters. Clippings. A map of the world with circles drawn on the places I used to dream of.
I was going to see the northern lights. I was going to climb the western mountains. I was going to shift to every continent.
I press my hand to the page.
Then I hear it. A knock on the door.
I stand, heart pounding, and open it.
There she is. Astrid.
Smiling.
“I just wanted to say goodbye, Selene,” she says. “And don’t worry. I’ll take good care of everything you left behind.”
She turns to leave, but I step forward, voice steady.
“You didn’t win, Astrid. You only inherited a shell.”
She glances back, lips curling.
“You’ll find that even a shell can still crack.”
And then she’s gone.
I close the door and lock it.
And for the first time, I began to pack.
