The communication crystal glowed faintly before Colton Riggs' sleepy voice emerged from within.
"Yes, Alpha. I still have the healer's records."
"Bring them to me."
"At once."
The connection faded.
Not long afterward, another pulse of spiritual energy flowed into the crystal. Cassian unfolded the healer's message and carefully read every line.
The examination recorded nothing alarming.
Rosalie's wolf was slightly weakened from lack of sunlight, and the Moon Healer had advised more time beneath the full moon along with a few restorative herbs, but there was nothing to suggest a life-threatening illness.
Only then did the tightness in Cassian's chest finally ease.
**
The following morning, Rosalie was surprised to find Cassian still at the manor.
He had always devoted himself entirely to pack affairs. Even after bringing Arabella back, he had rarely remained home once dawn broke. Seeing him waiting in the great hall instead of leaving before sunrise felt strangely unfamiliar.
The moment she descended the staircase, Cassian dismissed the warrior he had been speaking with and rose to his feet.
"I've arranged everything," he said. "We'll leave for the Sacred Moon Temple this afternoon. Go prepare your things. We'll set out before sunset."
Rosalie stopped halfway across the hall, unable to hide her surprise.
Seeing the question in her eyes, Cassian explained,
"Our mating anniversary is only a few days away. We can make the pilgrimage together and return before the Winter Moon Festival."
For a brief moment, Rosalie almost asked about Arabella.
If he left...
Who would remain by her side?
The question lingered on the tip of her tongue before she quietly swallowed it.
Throughout their marriage, every celebration had always been arranged by her. Whether it was their anniversary, the changing of the seasons, or the smallest festival beneath the full moon, she had been the one to prepare everything while Cassian simply appeared whenever time allowed.
Now, hearing him suggest the journey himself felt almost unreal.
Was it guilt?
Or had something changed after their conversation the previous night?
Rosalie could not tell.
In the end, she simply nodded.
If this truly became their final journey together...
...then she wished to remember it without bitterness.
After breakfast, she returned to their chamber and packed only what she needed. The northern mountains surrounding the Sacred Moon Temple were cold throughout the year, so she chose several heavy cloaks along with the medicinal herbs commonly used to ease the dizziness brought on by the high peaks.
By midday, they departed the territory.
The journey to the temple required passing through several allied packs before reaching the sacred mountain where the first Moonstone was said to have descended from the heavens.
Upon arriving at the final resting lodge before the ascent, pilgrims were required to register their names with the temple guardians before continuing on foot.
While Cassian remained behind to complete the formalities, Rosalie wandered toward a nearby spring to warm her hands with a cup of herbal tea.
When she returned...
Cassian was gone.
At first, she assumed he had merely stepped away to speak with the temple elders.
She waited patiently.
As more pilgrims began climbing toward the mountain while Cassian still failed to appear, unease slowly settled into her heart.
She reached for the mate bond.
This time, he answered almost immediately.
"Rosalie..."
His breathing was uneven.
"I can't make the pilgrimage."
Her fingers tightened around the warm cup in her hands.
"Why?" she asked quietly.
There was a long silence before he finally answered.
"It's Arabella... she attempted to sever her own wolf."
Rosalie stood perfectly still.
The bustling voices surrounding the temple faded into silence.
Without another word, the connection between them disappeared.
A long while later, she quietly joined the line of pilgrims climbing toward the Sacred Moon Temple.
Alone.
Beneath the towering Moonstone, wolves from every territory offered prayers to the Moon Goddess, turning the ancient prayer wheel with hopeful hearts.
For years, Rosalie had imagined standing there beside Cassian, praying that they would grow old together beneath the Goddess's blessing.
Instead...
She closed her eyes and whispered a different prayer.
She prayed only that she might survive.
That her wolf would endure.
That she would live long enough to return home.
During the days that followed, neither of them reached for the mate bond again.
Cassian had promised to meet her after two days.
He never came.
When the night of their fifth mating anniversary arrived, followed closely by the Winter Moon Festival, the bond between them remained painfully silent.
No greeting.
No explanation.
Nothing.
By then, Rosalie no longer felt surprised.
She had expected so little that disappointment should have been impossible.
Yet five years of loving the same man still left wounds that refused to stop bleeding. It felt as though countless silver blades had pierced her heart all at once, leaving behind a pain so suffocating that even breathing became difficult.
After returning from the Sacred Moon Temple, Rosalie sought out the legal elder Freya had recommended.
Once he had listened to everything she wished to do, the elder nodded thoughtfully.
"If you truly intend to dissolve your mate bond as quickly as possible," he said, "your Alpha must first agree before the Moonstone. Once he gives his consent, we can petition the Council of Elders to witness the severing ritual. Matters concerning estates, territory, and other possessions may be settled afterward."
