“Ravenna will remain in the Ashveil Manor for a while,” Xander’s voice echoed through the stone hall, cool and commanding. “Until the Moon Council’s unrest settles, she is to be treated as our honored guest. Elara, she has endured enough already and I expect you to make her comfortable. Can you do this for me?”
Once, such words from her mate and Alpha would have made Elara flinch. The old her would have bowed, her tail lowered, her heart desperate for his approval. Now… she only nodded faintly, eyes calm as a frozen lake.
“She can stay as long as you wish,” she said softly, her voice stripped of warmth. “And I will offer her an apology, if that will please you.”
Her hands trembled as she rose from the wolfstone bench, the faint glow of her inner Moonfire dim under her skin. She reached for a parchment embossed with the royal seal and slid it toward Xander.
“Sign here,” she murmured. “I wish to establish a healing sanctuary for pups afflicted with moon-sickness. I will oversee it personally, but your approval is needed.”
Her voice was steady, but her knuckles turned white.
This—this was her turning point. The severing of the bond.
The Divorce of the Alpha Pair.
Xander stilled. For years, Elara had followed him with unshakable loyalty, her heart bound to his shadow. Now, her sudden detachment struck him like an unfamiliar scent carried by the night wind. It unsettled him—though he couldn’t say why.
“If you don’t want to, forget it. I won’t force you.”
Elara’s tone was light, detached—as though she were discussing the weather, not the end of a sacred bond blessed by the Moon Goddess herself.
The faint disappointment in her voice pierced him like a claw to the chest. Xander grabbed the quill and pressed it hard onto the parchment.
“I was merely surprised,” he said slowly. “You’ve never asked for anything before. If this is your wish, I’ll grant it.”
The silver ink shimmered faintly as he signed his name—unaware that his signature sealed their Divine Severance.
“After years as my Luna,” he continued, “this is your first request—and even now it’s for another’s sake. You’re still too softhearted, Elara. I don’t know what made you so cruel to Ravenna, but if it’s those rumors, you’ve disappointed me greatly.”
He turned away with a weary sigh. “You should learn from Ravenna—she carries the grace of a true Luna. Though she’s the princess of the Silvermane Pack, she never abuses her power.”
Elara bowed her head, swallowing the ache that burned her throat.
Foolish...
How foolish to think love could be earned through devotion.
Hours later, the heavy oak door creaked open. Three small figures padded in—their silver eyes gleaming in the dim moonlight.
Kael whispered, his wolfish ears twitching.
“Mom’s boring. She doesn’t know anything about racing wolves. She’s kinda dumb. She could at least tell us a bedtime story.”
“She only got lucky to have us,” said the second, snickering softly. “If we sleep here, she’ll probably nag again. But she won’t say no.”
“Yeah,” the third chimed in. “She never says no. Even if we mess up her bed.”
Their words sliced through her chest like frostbitten air, but Elara only drew a slow, steady breath.
“Mom, can we stay here tonight?” they chirped, bounding forward with their small pillows, fur cloaks dragging behind them.
Her face was unreadable. The tenderness that once warmed her eyes had vanished.
“No need,” she said quietly. “Go back to your rooms.”
No anger. No affection. Just command.
The triplets froze, shock flashing across their faces.
“B-but—”
The door closed softly but decisively. For the first time, they were the ones left outside.
That night, the Moon Messenger crystal blinked faintly on her desk.
A single rune glowed across its surface:
[In three nights, I will come for you. Until then, do not let anyone break you again.]
A small smile curved her lips.
The one she once called her rival now understood her more deeply than the mate who shared her bed for five long winters.
Later that night, Xander returned late. The triplets lay asleep on the stone floor, clutching their pillows.
“Why aren’t you in your beds?” he frowned.
“Mom didn’t want us,” one mumbled, half-asleep.
Xander’s step faltered. He turned toward their chamber—only to find the Luna’s door locked.
For the first time since their mating, she had shut him out.
He stood there for a long moment, hand raised… then lowered it again.
He left without knocking.
At dawn, Elara descended the grand staircase of the Ashveil Manor, the hall bathed in pale moonlight filtered through crystal panes. She halted at the sight before her.
Ravenna stood in the kitchen, damp hair curling against her cheeks, Xander’s cloak draped loosely over her shoulders. She hummed softly, stirring a cauldron of moon-brew, while the triplets clung to her like pups to a new mother.
“We want you to be our mom, Aunt Ravenna!” Kael cried, tail wagging.
The air stilled as Elara appeared. Ravenna’s lips curved into a cruel smile.
“So, you still dare show your face?” she sneered. “Now that the true Luna is here, shouldn’t a discarded bitch like you crawl away before I toss you out myself? Maybe you’ll find a lonely old wolf who’ll keep you as his mistress.”
Elara’s chest tightened—but before she could reply, Ravenna’s scent shifted sharply. Her eyes widened as she dropped to her knees, tears welling.
“I–I didn’t mean to offend you, Luna Elara,” she cried. “I only wore the Alpha’s cloak because mine hasn’t arrived yet. Please don’t misunderstand!”
Xander, who had just entered, froze mid-step. But Elara only laughed softly—a sound that silenced the room.
“You start crying even if I breathe near you,” she said coldly. “I only came down to eat, yet you act as though I’ve struck you. Perhaps you should visit the healers. Crying this often might be a sickness.”
A stunned silence filled the kitchen. The triplets looked between the two women, wide-eyed.
Ravenna stared, speechless, as Xander’s eyes clouded—not with anger, but with suspicion.
Elara turned to him, her expression empty.
“I came to apologize, I’m sorry. This will be my last favor. Don’t push your luck further.”
Ravenna blinked through her tears.
“T-then... will you return the necklace you tore from me? It was my brother’s last gift before he fell into a moon coma saving Xander from a silver chariot crash…”
