From His Luna To Alpha Vance

At my bonding ceremony, my Alpha, Ethan, appeared with his childhood sweetheart, Seraphina, who was wearing a replica of my mate token.

They stood side-by-side at the temple entrance as if they were the hosts.

I carried myself with the grace expected of an Alpha's future Luna.

I strode up to them and coldly praised them as "the perfect couple."

She burst into tears and fled as if I had deeply wronged her.

For that, he unleashed his Alpha command on me in front of everyone, accusing me of being cruel.

The ceremonial banquet ended in shambles.

Ethan, who should have been consummating our bond, disappeared with her instead.

I didn't argue.

I quietly returned to my room, contacted the Sanctuary's elders, and scheduled the Moon-Waning Ritual to sever our mate bond.

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1.

It was late when I returned to the empty bridal suite.

Cold moonlight spilled into the living room, casting a desolate glow across the space.

Exhausted, I dragged myself toward the bedroom, where the laurel wreath from the ceremony still hung on the wall.

How ironic.

Moonpetal blossoms still littered the bed, but I couldn't summon the energy to care.

I swiped them aside and collapsed onto the soft mattress.

As I opened our pack's shared feed, a memory forced its way into my mind.

The caption read, "Thank you for your company. Every moment with you is precious."

In the image, Ethan held Seraphina. They gazed at each other affectionately, their lips locked, seconds away from completing their scent marking.

Two identical, faintly glowing moonstone rings adorned their hands.

In the past, my inner wolf would have been howling with rage.

But now? I just silently severed the connection, rolled over, and fell asleep.

The next few days were dead silent. I received no word from Ethan.

The pack's feed, however, was constantly flooded with Seraphina's updates—photos of them kissing, frolicking under the moonlight, and laughing together, flaunting their intimacy for the entire pack to see.

I didn't respond. No anger, no sorrow.

Instead, I contacted the Adjudicators, who specialized in supernatural contracts, and began preparing to sever our mate bond.

Ethan Blackwood and I were fated mates, designated by the Moon Goddess. Although we had just held our bonding ceremony, we had completed our initial bond under the Goddess's gaze long ago.

It was a quiet, impulsive night. No ceremony, no tokens, just the reckless passion of two young werewolves.

But now, that passion had long since faded, leaving only wreckage in its wake.

Nearly two weeks later, I was at home, reviewing the draft of the mate bond dissolution agreement the Adjudicator had prepared for me.

The house was silent until the sound of the lock turning broke the stillness.

I looked up. There they were—Ethan and Seraphina, walking in hand-in-hand.

Our eyes met. I saw a flash of awkwardness cross his face.

He quickly dropped her hand, his voice tense as he tried to explain.

"Seraphina's power was unstable, so I took her to Moonlight Falls to recover. Besides, you're carrying our heir… The healer said you need to avoid any power fluctuations."

Before he could finish, I averted my gaze, my eyes returning to the contract on the screen before me.

I feigned interest with a curt nod.

"Mm. I see," I replied, my voice cool.

"And?"

The rest of his words caught in his throat.

My calm focus on the screen, my utter lack of reaction, only seemed to enrage him.

His voice turned cold. "Do you have to be like this? I told you, her power was unstable—that's why I took her!"

"It's not a big deal. Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill? It's not like we can't solidify the bond another time! What is your problem?"

He continued to ramble, his voice thick with frustration. "How many times do I have to tell you, there's nothing between Seraphina and me—"

I cut him off, tired of the same old lies.

"That you and she are just like siblings. Yes, I know."

I looked at him, my expression a calm, detached mask.

Ethan's face grew colder, his brow furrowed in frustration.

"Then what are you so upset about now?" he demanded, his voice echoing in the room.

"I'm busy," I answered, my attention already back on the draft, refusing to meet his gaze.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Seraphina quickly stepped forward, feigning concern as she grabbed Ethan's wrist.

Her cloyingly sweet voice only fanned the flames.

"Please, Elara, don't be angry. Don't fight with Ethan because of me. He didn't take you this time, but he brought you a special gift he bought from Moonlight Falls!"

She turned to him, her voice full of false innocence. "Ethan, hurry and show her!"

Eager to smooth things over, Ethan pulled a small box from his pocket.

He opened it and pushed it toward me, as if presenting a grand prize.

"I got this especially for you. Here, take a look."

A self-satisfied gleam was in his eyes, as though he expected me to be overcome with gratitude.

I glanced at the box. Inside was a mass-produced pack insignia, devoid of any magical aura.

I gave it a single look, then pushed the box back without a second thought.

"No, thank you. I have no interest in collecting meaningless scraps of metal."

The air crackled with unspoken tension.

The atmosphere grew heavy as Ethan's face darkened.

"What's that supposed to mean, Elara Vance?"