I bore the pack’s punishment for Damian for ten long years, enduring scars that would never fade. When I returned to the Silver Crescent Pack, he had just been elevated to the position of Alpha King, a title that brought him both power and prestige.
To celebrate, he distributed small, ornate pouches to the pack members. Inside each was a single strand of his hair, a token of his newfound authority. I was puzzled but brushed it aside, joining the others in congratulating him on his ascension.
That evening, however, whispers reached my ears—whispers of Damian and Milana’s union. The strand of hair in her pouch was not just a token but a symbol of their newly established mark.
I confronted him, my voice trembling with hurt and anger. Damian, however, offered no explanation, only a cold dismissal.
“You carry the weight of the pack’s punishment,” he said, his tone icy. “The title of Luna is no longer yours to hold. Our mate bond remains intact, but the connection now lies with Milana. Keep this between us.”
With that, he turned away, engaging in discussions about their upcoming mark ceremony as if I didn’t exist.
My heart shattered, but I refused to let it break me completely. I left the Silver Crescent Pack and sought out Aiden, the Alpha heir of the Shadow Fang Pack, whose pack had been nearly destroyed in a conflict with Damian’s.
---
“I know your pack is in need of allies,” I said, meeting Aiden’s piercing gaze. “If you’ll have me, I’ll join you and help rebuild.”
Aiden studied me, a faint smirk playing on his lips. “Elaine, former Luna of the Silver Crescent Pack, offering her aid? I’d be a fool to refuse. But what about your mate? Will he allow this?”
I smiled faintly, the image of Damian and Milana’s intertwined bond flashing in my mind. “He no longer has a say in my decisions. I’ll return in three days.”
When I descended from the Silver Crescent Pack’s territory, I found the Shadow Fang Pack adorned with red ribbons and banners, a stark contrast to the somber state I’d left it in. Warriors and pack members bustled about, their laughter and chatter filling the air.
“Alpha Damian has finally made it official with Milana,” one of them said, her voice tinged with admiration. “After all these years, she’s finally his Luna.”
I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. My own mate was marking another, and I hadn’t even been informed.
Damian came to me late that night, carrying a box of sweet treats from the human world and a delicate lily hairpin—my favorite flower.
“Elaine,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “I’ve been so busy with my new position, I haven’t had time to see you. You’re not upset, are you?”
I stepped back, avoiding his embrace. “Not at all.”
He seemed pleased, misreading my indifference for acceptance. “The Lycan King has been pushing for me to solidify my position, and a mark with Milana is merely a formality. It’s all for the pack’s sake.”
In the past, I might have argued, demanded to know why he refused to acknowledge our bond publicly. But now, I knew better. His excuses were nothing but honeyed lies meant to pacify me.
He claimed it was for my safety, to protect me from the enemies his position might attract. But ten years of suffering had shown me the truth: he no longer cared for me.
As I turned away, he spoke again, his voice casual, as if asking for the simplest of favors. “Elaine, to make this arrangement believable, give Milana your lily necklace.”
My heart clenched. The necklace had been a gift from my grandmother before her passing, the only connection I had left to my family. He knew its significance—he’d once spent weeks searching for a jeweler to repair it when it broke, just to see me smile.
I laughed bitterly, shoving him away. “No.”
His expression darkened, irritation flickering in his eyes. “Elaine, I thought you’d grown wiser. You’re still carrying the burden of the pack’s punishment. Do you really think you can cling to the title of Luna?”
His words cut deep, but I refused to let him see it. He seemed to have forgotten why I’d been punished in the first place—because of his reckless ambition, his unauthorized attack on the Shadow Fang Pack that nearly destroyed them. I’d taken the blame to save his reputation, and this was how he repaid me.
Exhaustion washed over me. “If you want the necklace, you’ll have to give me a rejection.”
I handed him the rejection papers I’d prepared earlier. He stared at them in disbelief before crumpling them in his fist.
“You’re willing to throw away our bond over something so trivial? I won’t allow it!” he snapped, storming out of the room without another word.
