A Genealogist's Broken Pact

My sarcasm hit its mark; a layer of frost formed at the edge of Travis's smile.

I could almost hear his dismissive thoughts bleeding through our mind-link. Too emotional. Impulsive. She has ambition, sure, but none of the submission a Luna needs. Did she really think she could be my equal in just five years? This pack isn't a charity. The thoughts softened slightly. Still… I'll make it up to her. Next time. I'll find her a more important position, as long as she earns it.

With that thought, he tried to placate me. "Aveline, the follow-up private meeting for core members is in the penthouse club. I need you there."

"No, thank you," I refused politely. "I'm heading home to rest."

Travis frowned. I wasn't the type to refuse an opportunity to consolidate power; it was a crucial part of survival in the pack. However, before he could press further, Corinne was already looping her arm through his.

In the meantime, I had called a car. As it pulled away from the curb, I stared out at the glittering East Coast nightscape, but the twinkling city lights seemed sharp and cold.

Before I even got home, my phone was already blowing up with notifications from the pack's internal network. The trending topic was "Travis & Corinne: A New Era's Power Couple." Every word burned me like a brand.

Travis had an ancient bloodline tracing project that had been in the works for three years, and now he had unhesitatingly appointed Corinne as its head. If I had been at that private meeting, I bet my expression would have twisted into a look no Luna should ever wear.

When the screen went dark, my own reflection stared back at me—tired, pale, and utterly defeated.

The moment I closed the app, a thought from Travis sliced through the mind-link, cold as ice.

Don't wait up for me. I'll be late.

I didn't respond, simply swiped the thought away in my mind. The dim blue light illuminated my face as I fell into a spiral of his excuses.

She's a diamond in the rough, I could practically hear him projecting through the bond. I need to cultivate her personally. This is for the stability of the alliance, Aveline. When will you grow up?

At first, it was, "Who is she?"

Gradually, it became, "Why her?"

In the end, there was only silence.

As I read Corinne's detailed profile on the screen, I realized he hadn't even noticed that I hadn't responded to him through our mind-link in months.

All that remained were the cold, one-sided notifications—the final, damning proof of his neglect.