Juliette’s POV
"I want to break our mating bond, Alpha Helios," I whispered.
He blinked, confused. "What... what are you saying?"
"I am finished."
He stepped closer, frowning. "Is this about the pups? They are just acting wild, Juliette. You know how their wolf spirits are."
I let out a bitter laugh. "Acting wild? They almost sent me to the Moon Goddess."
"They are just young wolves..."
"They are feral beasts, Helios. And you let them become this way."
He opened his mouth to speak, but I held up my hand to stop him.
"No more, Helios. I gave you ten years of loyalty. I gave you everything. And all you did was take, take, take... You never even looked at me as your true Luna."
His face turned hard. "Do not be dramatic. You know I had to take you as my mate because of the pups. Elara commanded it."
"And I stayed in this pack. For them. For you. But not anymore."
I pushed past him, tears blurring my vision.
"I am leaving this territory, Helios. Forever."
A loud knock on the heavy wooden door made us both jump.
"Alpha, it is time. The Elder Alpha is making his entrance," an Omega servant called from the hallway.
Helios straightened his formal collar, fixing his mask of perfect Alpha control. "Come on, Juliette. Clean yourself up. You are still playing the moonlit melody for the Elder Alpha. We can discuss this nonsense after the Full Moon ceremony."
"No, Helios. I said I am finished."
His hand twitched like he wanted to grab me with his claws but stopped himself.
Instead, he gave me one last cold glare and walked out, closing the door softly behind him like nothing had happened.
That was Alpha Helios Darkhowl. Always pretending. Always hiding dark secrets in the shadows.
I sank onto the edge of the bed, exhausted, broken... defeated.
But then my eyes caught something strange.
A small piece of parchment sticking out from beneath my sleeping pillow.
I frowned, pulling it out with shaking fingers.
Magic portraits. No... my only magic portrait.
The picture of my birth parents. The one I kept hidden, tucked away safely from everything in this cruel pack house.
But now... shredded. Torn by sharp claws into a hundred tiny pieces.
Each cut sharp. Clean. Done on purpose.
My breath hitched as I covered my mouth with my hand, but a sad whimper forced its way out anyway.
Then I noticed the warning letter.
Written in messy pup handwriting.
"We told you to leave our territory. Next time, it will not just be a picture."
I crushed the pieces into my fist, shaking without control.
Why? Why do this?
That picture was all I had left of my former pack. My true bloodline. My past.
I pressed the torn paper to my chest and let the deep sorrow swallow me.
Memories flooded my mind. Cyra crawling into my den when she had dark dreams. Caius holding my hand tightly when he felt nervous around other wolves. Calla hiding behind my legs when she was scared of the thunder.
All those nights I stayed awake to guard them. All those tears I licked away. All those moon songs I sang to them.
But they never saw me as their true mother. Not even for a single heartbeat.
And now they wanted me banished. Like I was a worthless rogue.
I stood up shakily, wiping my face, and began packing my bags.
Only the most important things.
My leather pouch. My communication crystal. My mother's old woven scarf.
At the back of the heavy wooden wardrobe, I found a small velvet box I had forgotten about.
The moonstone bracelet.
My mother's silver moonstone bracelet.
I opened the box, only to find it crushed. Broken clean in two pieces.
More of my soul... destroyed.
I placed the broken silver carefully in my travel bag. No tears this time. My heart was already frozen like winter.
Downstairs, the pack celebration was very loud. Howls of laughter. Clinking ale glasses. Alpha Helios smiling with the visiting Alphas.
Like I never existed in his world.
I wrapped my long sleeves tightly over the insect bites still burning on my skin. There was nothing I could do about my swollen hand as I opened the bedroom door.
I heard their cruel whispers before I saw them.
"The dark witch changed her dress," Cyra laughed meanly.
"That does not fix her ugly face," Caden barked with laughter.
"Quiet," Circe smiled with an evil look. "She still has to play the grand piano. Let us not ruin the Elder Alpha's party... yet."
Their cruel words stabbed me like silver claws, but I kept walking forward.
Fake smiles. Fake Luna grace.
I sat at the piano, my hands shaking as I forced my fingers to play the moon melody I had practiced for weeks, even though my swollen skin hurt like fire.
All glowing wolf eyes focused on me. Whispers. Shocked gasps.
But I kept playing the music.
After the final note, I sneaked out into the moonlit pack garden.
I needed fresh air. I needed to breathe. I needed Mewmew, my sweet pet pup.
But the Elder Alpha's voice stopped me.
"Juliette."
I turned around, blinking back tears as I faced the only older wolf in this royal family who ever treated me with a little bit of kindness.
"Happy Naming Day, Elder Alpha," I whispered.
He frowned, looking at my bruised face. "On my most joyful day, you look the most broken. What happened to you?"
Before I could speak a word, they appeared from the shadows.
All six pups. And Alpha Helios.
My heart sank into my stomach.
The Elder Alpha turned to them. "Did you attack your stepmother?"
Alpha Helios sighed, already feeling annoyed. "Juliette, not tonight. I told you, we would talk after the moon rises higher."
The Elder Alpha held up his heavy hand, forcing him to be silent. "Pups?"
"It was just a harmless pack game," Caden lied very smoothly.
"Say you are sorry," the Elder Alpha commanded with his strong voice.
Cyra stepped forward, making her eyes wide and innocent. "We are sorry, Lady Juliette. We did not mean to cause harm."
"Yes, we apologize," Caius added. "We even brought you a peace offering."
I froze in place as Cyra handed me a perfectly wrapped red gift box.
"You will love it," she said with a sweet voice.
My inner wolf screamed at me not to take it.
But Alpha Helios glared at me with glowing eyes. "They said they are sorry, Juliette. Do not act like a stubborn rogue."
The Elder Alpha nodded his head. "Accept their apology, Juliette. Young wolves make mistakes."
With shaking hands, I pulled back the silk ribbon, my breathing very shallow.
The moment the heavy lid opened, my whole world spun around.
I let out a horrified scream.
Mewmew, my sweet little pet, was lying cold and dead inside the box. His pure white fur was stained deep red.
And underneath his body, another warning letter.
"You will be next if you do not leave our territory."
I stumbled backward, the terrible box falling from my hands.
Alpha Helios froze in shock. The Elder Alpha mumbled a prayer to the Moon Goddess.
The royal pups... they just smiled an evil smile and turned away.
I could not breathe. I could not see clearly. Just Mewmew's dead eyes haunting my soul forever.
