Chapter 1

"Elara, are you truly going to sever your ties with Kaelen and leave the Blackwood Pack?"

In the dimly lit corner of a jazz bar, Elara Vance set down her glass of whiskey and met the incredulous gaze of her best friend, Maya Stone, across the table.

"I’ve already signed the Bond Severance Agreement," Elara said. Her voice was as calm as the night outside the window.

"Severance?" Maya exclaimed, clearly blindsided by the news.

A moment later, her shock morphed into indignation on Elara's behalf. "And Kaelen just agreed to it? After three years of you pouring your healing gifts into the pack, even draining your own magic for him? Does he have absolutely no lingering affection for you?"

Elara smiled faintly, a trace of exhaustion flitting through her eyes. The truth was, she didn’t know if Kaelen had even looked at the document.

Two weeks ago, she had placed the severance papers on his desk. He was on a call with the Council of Elders at the time—his eyes never resting on her for more than a second—and he had simply nodded while handling the call, waving a hand to dismiss her. Since then, he hadn't mentioned it once.

Now, only two weeks remained. Once the full moon passed, the contract would automatically take effect; she would completely cut the soul bond with the Alpha and regain her freedom.

Elara was about to explain when a deep, oppressive male voice sounded from behind her. "Are you two finished?"

She and Maya turned simultaneously to see Kaelen Blackwood striding toward them. Clad in a dark grey tactical trench coat, his towering frame radiated a suffocating Alpha aura.

Maya, still fuming, prepared to stand up and confront him. "Kaelen, Elara just said she signed the—"

"What are you doing here?" Elara quickly reached out and pressed down on Maya's shoulder, signaling her to stop before the secret was spilled.

"Patrol reported a storm coming in. I was on my way back and stopped to pick you up," Kaelen said, his tone strictly business.

Elara smiled, hugged Maya goodbye, picked up her coat, and walked out of the bar with him.

On the drive back to the manor, the storm arrived as predicted. Rain lashed frantically against the windshield of the SUV, filling the suffocating silence inside the vehicle.

Kaelen sat beside the mate he had been bound to by accident years ago. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel several times, seemingly wanting to break the silence. But each time, the words died in his throat—perhaps remembering that he hadn't returned to the main house in half a month.

After a long, awkward stretch of quiet, he finally asked, "Elara, that document you put on my desk two weeks ago... what was it regarding? Territory expansion?"

After all this time, he had finally remembered to ask. But it made sense; he had been busy caring for the injured Seraphina, who had recently returned. Why would he bother with such trivial "administrative paperwork"?

The corner of Elara's mouth hooked into a bitter arc. She was just about to answer when the car's Bluetooth system rang.

"Kaelen, my wound has opened up. It hurts so much. Can you come over?"

A weak voice, laced with dependency, drifted through the speakers. Kaelen’s hands on the wheel tightened instantly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Panic flickered across his face, and his voice dropped low. "Seraphina, I’ve already arranged the best doctors for you—and I am currently with my wife."

Seraphina fell silent for a second before replying, "So what? That position of Luna was supposed to be mine anyway, if I hadn't left to pursue power back then..."

Her tone—entitled and undisguised—ignited a flash of irritation in Kaelen, but it was mingled with a certain guilt.

In three years of marriage, Elara had only ever seen him as the calm ruler of the pack—she had never seen him lose his composure like this. He slammed on the brakes, the tires letting out a piercing screech against the slick pavement.

"Don't move. The doctor will be there immediately," Kaelen said, trying to stabilize the situation.

On the other end of the line, Seraphina let out a suppressed cry of pain, followed by a tearful apology. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have disturbed you... I just hurt so much."

The call ended abruptly. Kaelen's mood darkened further. He tapped the steering wheel irritably a few times before finally sighing in resignation and rapidly typing an address into the navigation system.

When the familiar apartment location popped up, he glanced at Elara, a hint of apology in his eyes.

Elara had known what choice he would make long before he made it. She spoke first. "She was injured for the sake of the pack; you have a responsibility to check on her. I’ll take a taxi back."

She pushed open the door and snapped open her umbrella. A rare flicker of guilt passed through Kaelen’s heart.

"I'll handle her injuries and come home immediately," he promised in a low voice.

Elara nodded. Standing in the freezing rain, she watched his black SUV disappear into the curtain of water, emotions too complex to unravel churning in her eyes.

This was the seventh year she had loved Kaelen.

She could still clearly recall the moment she first saw him and fell instantly—on the rookie trial grounds, shirtless, defeating challenger after challenger, single-handedly defending the glory of the Blackwood family. He was unstoppable, a god of war descended.

Girls around her screamed; some chanted his name, others excitedly discussed him: Kaelen, the youngest S-rank warrior, the genius destined to be the next Alpha.

However, the eyes of this wolf clan prodigy only ever held one person—his childhood sweetheart, Seraphina. They were the acknowledged couple, the strongest spear and shield.

He had once ventured alone into a dangerous forbidden zone just to find a suitable weapon for Seraphina.

Simply because Seraphina suffered a minor injury during training, he had madly challenged the instructor who slipped up, not stopping until the man apologized.

He had once waited in a blizzard at the edge of the territory for three days and three nights for Seraphina to return from a mission. He never uttered a single complaint.

During their four years at the academy, Elara heard countless stories of their legendary romance. She had always thought she was just a background character in their epic, responsible only for bandaging wounds.

Until two years ago, when the old Alpha passed away suddenly. Kaelen had to succeed him immediately. One of the conditions for succession was that he must have a Luna—a mate—to stabilize the pack's energy.

Yet, on the eve of the succession ceremony, Seraphina vanished. She left a letter: she did not want to be bound by marriage; she wanted to pursue greater power in the outside world.

That day, Kaelen's pride finally collapsed.

He stood at the altar, looking at the restless crowd below, grabbed the ceremonial dagger, and declared loudly, "Today, I, Kaelen Blackwood, require a Luna! Is there any lady present with a healing bloodline willing to bond with me?"

Elara, usually unnoticed and silent, felt her heart beating as if it would explode. She knew many women coveted the position, but the moment his words fell, she stood up abruptly.

That day, wearing an ill-fitting white dress, she married a man who could barely remember her name.

For the next three years, they lived under the same roof like polite allies. She did her utmost to help him govern the pack until, a little over a month ago, Seraphina returned.

Watching Kaelen push Seraphina away one moment, only to soften at her injuries the next, Elara knew her dreamlike story had to end.

It was time to lay down the title of Luna. This way, he could follow his heart, and she could finally let herself go.

Standing in the pouring rain, Elara took out her phone and sent a text to Kaelen.

"The document you asked about is in the passenger side glove box. If you're curious, just open it and see."