Following Freya's instructions, Rosalie reached into the territory's shared mindlink, where wolves often passed along news and rumors from one pack to another.
The first thing she saw was a message left by Arabella.
"No matter how far I wander, my heart will always find its way back to you."
Beneath those words was a memory crystal that preserved a fleeting image of Cassian standing beside a great iron cauldron, quietly preparing a bowl of medicinal broth with his own hands.
The responses beneath it were overflowing.
Many wolves rejoiced, believing the pair destined to be together at last. Others spoke even more harshly, insisting that Rosalie had stolen Cassian away years ago after driving Arabella from the pack. Now that Arabella had returned and Cassian stood faithfully at her side once more, they claimed it was nothing more than the Moon Goddess restoring what should have belonged to her all along.
Some even called it retribution.
As though the pain settling in Rosalie's heart were justice.
She read every word without changing her expression.
Only Freya's voice, carried gently through the communication crystal, finally broke the silence.
"Are you going to tell me what's happening?" she asked carefully. "Have you and Alpha Cassian separated?"
After a long pause, Rosalie answered with a faint smile.
"Not yet."
"Then why is he spending every waking hour with that woman?" Freya demanded, unable to hide her anger.
Rosalie let out a tired laugh.
"Calm yourself. I was actually about to invite you to supper before you contacted me."
"Are you at the manor?"
"I am."
"Good. I'll come for you."
"That sounds nice," Rosalie replied softly. "I wasn't in the mood to ride out alone anyway."
It did not take Freya long to arrive.
By the time she reached the Alpha Manor, Rosalie had already bathed, changed into a fresh gown, and braided her hair. Together they rode into the village at the foot of the mountain, where an elderly she-wolf kept a quiet tavern they had visited countless times since they were young.
Only after the meal had been ordered did Rosalie finally speak.
"Freya... I need you to recommend an elder well versed in pack law."
Freya looked at her in confusion.
"I've decided to dissolve my mate bond with Cassian."
The color drained from Freya's face.
Before she could ask why, Rosalie continued with a gentle smile that somehow hurt even more.
"The Moon Healer found a darkness growing inside my wolf. If the Moonstone Ritual fails... I may not survive it."
Freya's eyes immediately filled with tears.
"When did this happen?" she whispered. "What did the Moon Healer say? Do your parents know?"
"It was the same day Arabella was attacked."
Rosalie lowered her gaze to the untouched tea before her.
"The ritual required my mate to stand beside me before the Moonstone. The healer asked me to summon Cassian... but he had already left to find Arabella."
Her voice remained remarkably calm.
"The ritual is dangerous. If I must face it, I'd rather do so in my birth pack, with my family."
Unable to hold back any longer, Freya burst into tears.
"Forget Cassian," she choked out. "No mate is worth facing something like this alone. I'll return with you."
Rosalie reached across the table and gently brushed away the tears on her friend's cheeks.
"I'll be alright," she murmured. "Don't cry."
When she returned to the Alpha Manor that evening, Cassian was already waiting in the great hall.
He looked up as she entered.
"Where have you been?"
"I had supper with Freya."
She removed her cloak, set it neatly aside, and took her seat opposite him.
After a brief silence, she lifted her eyes to meet his.
"Cassian... do you remember the pilgrimage we always said we would make to the Sacred Moon Temple?"
Among wolves, it was said that mates whose bonds had begun to fracture could journey together to the ancient temple where the first Moonstone had fallen from the heavens. If they offered sincere prayers beneath the full moon, the Moon Goddess would grant them the wisdom to mend what had been broken.
Rosalie had spoken of making that pilgrimage many times over the years.
Cassian had always dismissed it as little more than an old legend.
This time was no different.
He sighed quietly before answering.
"You still believe those stories? The Moon Goddess doesn't solve every problem for us." He paused before adding, "Besides, Arabella still hasn't recovered. I can't leave the territory while she's in this condition. Perhaps after the Winter Moon Festival."
The answer did not surprise Rosalie.
In the past, hearing even that small promise would have filled her with excitement. She would already be thinking about the offerings they would prepare and the route they would take through the northern mountains.
Now she merely nodded.
"Alright."
Nothing more.
Her quiet acceptance left Cassian strangely unsettled.
She had become so calm that he scarcely recognized the woman sitting before him.
His gaze wandered across the great hall until it stopped on the empty stretch of stone above the hearth.
A slight frown crossed his face.
"Our mating portrait..." he said slowly. "Where is it?"
Rosalie followed his gaze before answering with practiced ease.
"I took it down to clean the frame. It had gathered quite a bit of dust."
