I woke up to an eerie silence.
I didn’t remember when exhaustion pulled me under — whether I had cried myself to sleep or simply lost consciousness from the pain. My body felt heavy, like I had been crushed beneath a mountain. My head throbbed, sharp and relentless, like claws digging into my skull.
But none of that mattered.
Because the moment I sat up, I realized—
Aiden wasn’t in his bed.
My heart dropped violently, my wolf instantly snapping awake inside me.
Aiden?
A faint unease spread through our bond. It was weak — so faint it was barely there — but I could still sense him. He was safe.
Just… far.
Too far.
Panic flooded me anyway.
I bolted out of the room, my bare feet slapping against the cold marble floor.
“Aiden?” My voice cracked as I rushed down the hallway. “Aiden!”
I pushed open his door.
Empty.
The blankets were messy, like he had gotten up early. His favorite stuffed wolf lay abandoned on the bed.
My heart pounded harder.
I checked the bathing chamber.
Nothing.
The sitting room.
Nothing.
“Aiden!” My voice echoed through the silent estate.
The guards outside shifted uneasily, sensing my distress, but none of them had seen him. Or worse — they had orders not to interfere.
My hands trembled as I grabbed the communication stone from the table and pressed my thumb against it, calling my mother through the family link.
She answered after a few seconds.
Her voice was calm. Almost bored.
“Oh, Evelina. Finally awake?”
I could barely breathe. “Where’s Aiden?”
“With us, of course,” she replied casually. “We’re celebrating his birthday.”
My grip tightened around the stone.
“What?” My voice shook. “Without me?”
“Well, you were asleep,” she sighed. “Elira and Dorian arranged a small gathering. He’s having so much fun.”
My wolf growled weakly inside me.
“You took my son while I was sleeping?” My voice trembled with anger. “Without telling me?”
She clicked her tongue. “You were exhausted. We didn’t want to wake you.”
My pulse roared in my ears.
“Let me speak to him. Now.”
There was a brief pause.
Then she laughed softly, dismissively.
“Evelina, don’t ruin this for him. Let him enjoy himself for once.”
“Enjoy?” My voice cracked. “He’s my son!”
“Then stop making his life miserable just because your mate chose your sister.”
My vision darkened with rage.
“Excuse me?”
“Evelina,” she continued slowly, as if speaking to a child. “Elira will love Aiden more than you ever could. You’re always busy — with pack matters, with your healer visits. Perhaps this truly is for the best.”
My fingers tightened so hard around the stone I felt it crack.
“I swear to the Moon Goddess,” I whispered, my voice trembling, “if you don’t bring my son back—”
“Enough, Evelina.” Her voice turned cold. “Stop being selfish.”
The link went dead.
The stone dimmed in my hand.
I stood there, shaking.
My wolf howled weakly inside me, grief and rage tangling together.
Instead of throwing the stone, my fingers moved on their own. I reached for the crystal mirror on the table — a magical communication mirror used across territories to share updates and messages.
The surface shimmered to life.
And then—
My breath caught.
The first image that appeared was Elira’s.
She stood beside Dorian, their hands intertwined, her engagement ring — the moonstone ring — glimmering brightly beneath candlelight.
“Fate brought us together. Love kept us strong. Soon, I’ll become Luna of the Ashclaw Pack.”
Thousands of glowing runes appeared beneath the image — blessings, congratulations, praise.
— Congratulations, Luna Elira!
— The Alpha finally found his true mate.
— They look perfect together.
— I always thought he chose the wrong sister.
My stomach twisted violently.
Wolves I knew.
Pack members.
Even elders who attended my mating ceremony.
They congratulated them like this was some destined love story.
My fingers trembled.
Then another image appeared.
My vision blurred.
Aiden.
Sitting on Dorian’s lap, laughing happily. Elira leaned close, her arms wrapped around him affectionately. Dorian’s hand rested protectively on Aiden’s shoulder.
They looked like a perfect family.
Like I never existed.
A sharp pain tore through my skull.
I gasped, clutching my head as the world spun violently around me. The pounding grew unbearable, like my skull was splitting open.
My hands shook as I reached for the herbs on the bedside table — pain-relief herbs prepared by the healer.
I swallowed two quickly, barely managing to breathe.
But the pain didn’t ease.
Instead, a metallic taste filled my mouth.
Warmth trickled down from my nose.
I wiped it absently.
Red.
Blood.
Panic surged through me.
My breathing became shallow and uneven. My wolf whimpered weakly, her presence fading further.
I quickly called my mother again.
No answer.
My father.
Nothing.
My chest tightened as I reached for Dorian through the mate bond.
Silence.
He blocked me.
A weak, bitter laugh escaped me.
Of course.
With trembling fingers, I pressed the emergency rune on the communication stone.
“H… hello…” My voice shook.
“Emergency line. What is your situation?” a calm voice responded.
“I… I need help…” My vision blurred. My knees weakened. “Please… I…”
The stone slipped from my hand.
The last thing I heard was the distant voice calling my name.
Then darkness swallowed me whole.
---
Bright lights.
Soft murmurs.
The scent of herbs filled the air.
I slowly opened my eyes.
I was in the healer’s den.
Alone.
A young healer entered, startled when she saw me awake.
“Luna Evelina… you’re conscious.”
My throat felt dry. “How long…?”
“You were brought in last night,” she said gently. “The patrol wolves found you unconscious inside your chamber. Do you have family we should notify?”
Family.
The word twisted painfully in my chest.
I let out a weak laugh.
“No… there’s no one.”
The healer looked saddened but nodded quietly.
The next morning, after I was discharged, I returned to the estate.
The moment I stepped inside, my wolf stirred faintly.
He’s here.
I froze.
Then I saw him.
Dorian.
Sitting on the couch like he still owned everything. His posture relaxed, his expression impatient, like he was waiting for something trivial.
My chest tightened painfully.
“What… are you doing here?”
He stood slowly, pulling a stack of parchment from his leather case. A silver pen rested on top.
He held it out toward me.
“Sign it.”
I blinked slowly, my fingers twitching.
“What…?”
His eyes were cold.
Empty.
“The separation decree,” he said calmly.
“The mate bond dissolution papers.”
“Sign them now.”
