Elena POV
The following afternoon sun beat down with an oppressive glare, casting long, distorted shadows across the life I was rapidly losing.
I stood on the balcony, gripping the cold stone railing as I overlooked what used to be my sanctuary: the Luna’s private garden.
Down below, Victoria extended a gloved finger, pointing accusingly at my moonflowers. Those white, luminous blooms were rare, painstaking transplants from my father’s lands—a piece of home.
"Cut them down," she ordered the gardener, her voice shrill against the quiet hum of the afternoon. "They look too pale. Like weeds. Plant red roses instead. Damien prefers red."
The gardener hesitated, his shears hovering over the delicate stems. He glanced up at the balcony, meeting my eyes, caught between his duty to his Luna and the commands of the Alpha’s favorite.
But then, Damien walked into the frame.
My breath hitched in my throat. Even now, after the months of coldness, the mere sight of him triggered a phantom ache in my chest. He was tall and broad-shouldered, radiating that raw, dominant Alpha energy that forced the air to bend around him. Every wolf in the vicinity lowered their heads instinctively.
He looked at the moonflowers. Then he looked at Victoria.
He didn't look up at me.
"Do whatever she wants," Damien said, his voice carrying effortlessly in the crisp air. He turned back to his Beta immediately, resuming a discussion about border patrols without breaking stride. It was as if erasing my existence was just another mundane item on his checklist.
I gripped the railing until my knuckles turned white, the stone biting into my palms.
It wasn't just the garden. It was everywhere.
Later that evening, seeking a moment of peace, I retreated to my private sitting room. I wanted to read, to escape into a world where I wasn't invisible. But the moment I crossed the threshold, I froze.
A silk scarf, bright crimson and reeking of that cloying, synthetic musk she wore, was draped carelessly over my reading chair. A book I didn't recognize lay open on the table, spine cracked.
She was nesting. Like a cuckoo bird pushing the rightful egg out of the nest, she was systematically filling my spaces with her scent, her things, her presence.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway. Damien walked in, with Victoria following a step behind like a second shadow.
"Damien," I said, stepping forward and trying to keep my voice steady. "We need to review the winter supply manifest. The pack is short on grain and medical—"
"Oh, Damien!" Victoria cut in, her voice like syrup. She placed a hand on his forearm—a touch that was casual, performative, and deeply possessive. "The Seer mentioned that the winter will be mild this year. We don't need to worry about hoarding supplies. You look so tired, darling. Let’s sit."
She guided him to the sofa—*my* sofa.
And Damien let her.
He looked at me then, his eyes dark and unreadable pools. For a second—just a fraction of a second—I saw a flicker of something behind his gaze. Guilt? Annoyance? Or was he testing me? Waiting for the Luna to finally bare her fangs and fight for her territory?
But I was tired. So incredibly tired.
"Fine," I whispered, turning away to hide the sudden sting of moisture in my eyes. "I will handle the manifest myself."
I moved toward the door, desperate to flee, but his voice arrested me.
"Elena."
I turned. He had risen from the sofa and crossed the room in two long strides.
Victoria remained seated, watching us with a predator's satisfied grin.
Damien stood close. Too close. His scent—that intoxicating blend of rain and pine that used to be my home—assaulted my senses. My Inner Wolf whined, desperate for his attention, pathetic in her longing for a mate who no longer wanted us.
"You look unwell," he murmured. His hand reached out, his knuckles brushing the curve of my cheek.
The spark—the *Mate Bond* electricity—snapped against my skin like a live wire.
My body betrayed me. I leaned into his touch, my knees going weak. It was instinct. Biology. The cruel, cosmic joke of the Moon Goddess.
He stepped closer, his intention clear. The air thickened. He wanted to initiate intimacy. Here. Now. With *her* watching.
"Damien..." I breathed, torn between the starving desire of my wolf and the revulsion of my human heart.
Suddenly, a wave of violent nausea rolled over me. The room spun. The smell of him, now inextricably mixed with Victoria’s perfume from across the room, triggered a revolt in my gut.
I gagged, pulling away sharply as bile rose in my throat.
"I... I can't," I gasped, covering my mouth with a trembling hand.
Damien’s hand dropped to his side. His face hardened instantly, the moment of connection shattering like glass.
"Alpha!" A warrior burst into the room, chest heaving. "Border breach in the North sector! Rogues!"
Damien didn't even look back at me. The Alpha mask slammed back into place, cold and impenetrable. "I'm coming."
He strode out, his cape billowing behind him. He didn't ask if I was okay. He didn't verify if I was sick. He just left.
Victoria stood up, smoothing her skirt with exaggerated grace. "Poor thing," she sneered softly as she passed me. "Maybe you're just not built for this life."
She followed him out.
I was alone. Again.
I stumbled into the bedroom, my heart pounding a frantic, erratic rhythm against my ribs. I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to breathe, when I saw it.
On the nightstand, buried under a pile of useless prophecy scrolls Victoria had left, was a manila folder.
I pulled it out. *The Sterling Pack Transfer Protocols.*
Damien must have seen it. He must have known I would look there. Earlier that morning, he had asked, "Are you thinking of visiting your father? Maybe a break would be good."
He wanted me gone. He was paving the road for my exit so he wouldn't have to be the villain who broke the bond.
I picked up a pen from the nightstand.
I flipped open the document. My eyes landed on the signature line.
*Title: Luna of Blackwood Pack.*
With a hand that shook from rage rather than sorrow, I drew a thick, black line through the title.
Beside it, in my sharpest, most deliberate handwriting, I wrote:
*Elena Sterling.*
Not Blackwood. Sterling.
The pen clattered onto the table. My soul felt a strange, terrifying calm settle over the chaos. The nausea passed, replaced by cold resolve.
"You want me gone, Damien?" I whispered to the empty, silent room. "Be careful what you wish for."
