After I Cut My Bond with Alpha, He Regretted It

"Sera? Sera, you're awake? How are you feeling? The healer said... when you forced your Luna power to shift, it backfired. Your face... I'm afraid it's… it's ruined. But don't you worry, even if it takes everything we have, I'll beg the Head Elder to fix it for you!"

Tears in her eyes, Mom – Lyra – squeezed my hand tight.

I tried to give her a reassuring smile, but the movement seared through the burns on my face. A pained whimper caught in my throat.

Mom Lyra panicked, quickly pressing me down, stopping me from moving.

"I gave them the pack's sacred ward! How could those Nightshade scumbags still hurt you so easily? And why is Elara perfectly fine? What exactly happened during that ambush?"

Flames flickered before my eyes, but every word Mitchell and Jax had said burned hotter in my soul.

After a long silence, I gave up on telling her the disgusting truth.

"Mom, please don't ask anymore. It's... it's all in the past."

Mom Lyra wiped her tears, her voice choked.

"You're right. We won't talk about it. Not ever again. Mitchell and Jax have already taken a team to wipe out the rest of those Nightshades. Don't worry, this kind of shame won't happen again. Now, about your face... Your mating ceremony with the future Alpha has to happen soon. We can't let other packs, the ones always watching us, think Blackwood is falling apart."

I knew what she was really worried about: that with my face like this, both Alpha candidates would ditch me completely.

After all, what Alpha would choose "damaged goods" for his Luna, someone who might mess with the purity of the bloodline?

But now, I didn't want either of them.

Even if I wasn't disfigured, I knew I’d never measure up to sweet, pitiful Elara in their eyes.

Now, I had nowhere to run, and I sure as hell wasn't going to walk back into whatever trap they had set for me.

"Mom, I don't want to be Luna anymore."

"Why? Haven't you always looked forward to being Blackwood's Luna? The Moon Goddess herself showed us through the stars that you'd be with the future Alpha. And this time, they both risked their lives, rushing into the fire to save you first. Are you worried this injury will affect your bond?"

"Don't worry. After Mitchell and Jax brought you back, they both swore on their honor as future Alphas, in front of all the elders, that this wouldn't change their choice. Whoever wins will still choose you as his Luna."

I shook my head. The faint tug of the bond deep inside me felt like it was barely there, almost gone.

"Dad's been gone for years, but haven't you held the Mooncrest pack together all by yourself, earning the respect and awe of everyone in Blackwood?"

"You used to say you hoped I'd go to the neutral Havenwood Sanctuary, to learn the ancient moon magic and come back to restore the Mooncrest pack's honor. Does that promise still stand? Mom, I, Seraphina Mooncrest, am not going to be less than any strong male wolf. Please, say yes?"

Mom was silent for a long time. Finally, with a heavy heart, she nodded, agreeing to let me go to Havenwood.

Before I left, I begged her not to tell Mitchell and Jax my decision just yet.

This was something I wanted to end myself.

No sooner had Mom left my cave than the entrance was slammed open from the outside.

Mitchell stood there, disgust written all over his face. The powerful aura of an Alpha candidate washed over me.

"Seraphina, what more do you want? Jax and I have already promised that whoever becomes Alpha will choose you as Luna. Why can't you just leave Elara alone?"

"If you hadn't recklessly sprung that Nightshade trap, Elara wouldn't have been in danger in the first place! You look like hell now, and it's your own damn fault!"

Before I could say anything, Jax Stone slammed the leather pouch of healing herbs down hard beside me.

"Alright, Mitchell, why waste your breath on her? Even if she did plan the whole ambush, she'd never admit it." Jax's voice dripped with contempt.

"Sera, I'm warning you one last time. Don't you dare try to hurt Elara in any way. Or else, I won't mind giving you an early taste of a future Alpha's fury!"

Hearing that, the disgust in Mitchell's eyes deepened.

"The ceremony is set for the next full moon. Figure out a way to cover that face of yours. Don't embarrass the Blackwood pack!"