Chapter 8

The evening breeze whipped through my hair as I walked across the healing center's parking lot, my small box of healing supplies clutched against my chest. My decision was made. After four years of emotional neglect, I was finally taking control of my life.

"Aurora! Wait!"

I recognized Ethan Gray's deep voice instantly. Turning, I saw him jogging toward me, his steel-gray eyes filled with concern.

"Are the rumors true?" he asked, coming to a stop before me. "Are you really leaving the Blackwood Pack?"

I adjusted my grip on the box. "Not the pack entirely. Just Alexander."

Ethan's eyes widened slightly. "That's a significant distinction."

"I've given him four years of my life," I said quietly. "I won't give him another day."

The evening sun cast long shadows across the parking lot, highlighting the sharp angles of Ethan's face. He stood close enough that I could detect his familiar scent—pine and steel, comforting in its steadiness.

"Thank you for that night at Silver Moon Bar," I said, meeting his gaze directly. "Not many wolves would have shown such discretion."

A small smile touched his lips. "Not many wolves are worth that discretion."

The compliment warmed me unexpectedly. I couldn't remember the last time someone had valued me for myself rather than my healing abilities or my position as Alexander's mate.

"I should go," I said, stepping back. "There's much to do tonight."

Ethan watched as I climbed into my car. "Take care of yourself, Aurora."

As I drove away, I glanced in my rearview mirror to see him standing exactly where I'd left him, a pensive expression on his face as I disappeared into the distance.

The drive to the den Alexander and I had shared on the edge of pack territory felt surreal. This place had never truly been home—just another symbol of my place as the future Luna Blackwood.

Entering through the main door, I was greeted by several pack members responsible for maintaining the Alpha family's residence.

"Luna," a young wolf named Sarah greeted me with a respectful bow. "Shall I prepare dinner for you and the Alpha heir?"

I shook my head. "No need. I won't be dining here tonight. Or any night, moving forward."

Her eyes widened in shock, but she knew better than to question a direct statement from her Luna.

Walking through the den's main corridor, memories assaulted me from every corner. Here was where Alexander had first brought me after our mating ceremony. There was the dining room where we'd shared countless silent meals. And down that hallway lay the bedroom where I'd realized, night after night, that our mating bond was built on nothing but strategic advantage.

My hand drifted to my abdomen, feeling the raised scars beneath my clothing. Three years ago, when that rogue wolf had attacked our territory, I hadn't hesitated to throw myself between it and Alexander. The pack healer's words afterward still echoed in my mind.

"The damage to your reproductive system is severe, Luna Aurora. The chances of you ever bearing pups are... extremely slim."

I had kept the truth from Alexander, afraid that my inability to provide an heir would make me even more dispensable in his eyes. What a fool I had been, believing that someday he might look at me the way he looked at Ivy—with genuine desire and tenderness.

In our bedroom, I systematically packed my belongings—clothing, personal items, and especially my healing herbs and ancient texts passed down through my grandmother's lineage. Everything that was truly mine would leave with me.

My gaze fell on Alexander's ceremonial Alpha cloak hanging prominently on the wall. I had spent countless hours embroidering protective runes into the fabric during our first year as mates, back when I still believed our bond might grow into something meaningful.

Rage surged through me suddenly—hot and cleansing. Grabbing my red healing paste used for marking critical wounds, I slashed bloody marks across the cloak, rendering the sacred symbols unrecognizable.

"You never deserved my protection," I whispered, breathing heavily.

Next, I found our mate-marking ceremony photos—beautiful images that had captured a moment I once treasured. With a low growl, I extended my claws and tore through them, shredding the smiling faces into unrecognizable pieces.

Each destruction felt like cutting away a piece of the chains that had bound me to Alexander. My hands trembled as I gathered the last of my belongings, fighting back tears that threatened to fall.

The final act was removing my Luna pendant—the silver symbol of my position as Alexander's mate. I placed it carefully on the bedside table, a silent statement that I was relinquishing not just the jewelry, but everything it represented.

With one last look at the room that had witnessed so many tears and disappointments, I walked away.

(Alexander's POV)

"Alpha heir, there's an urgent situation at your den."

The mind-link from Sarah interrupted my conversation with the healer attending to Ivy. Ivy's blue eyes watched me curiously as I frowned at the interruption.

"It can wait," I replied dismissively. "I'm dealing with pack business."

"Sir," Sarah's mental voice was strained. "Luna Aurora has taken multiple travel sacks and all her possessions. She said she won't be returning."

A chill ran down my spine. Aurora had threatened to leave before, but she'd never actually packed her belongings.

"I'll return shortly," I told Ivy, ignoring her pout as I strode from the healing room.

Shifting into my wolf form outside the healing center, I raced toward our den, my mind racing. Aurora wouldn't truly leave me—she was my mate, bound to me by pack law and the mate bond itself. This was merely another emotional outburst, a ploy for attention.

When I reached our den, I shifted back to human form, quickly pulling on the clothes stashed in the hollow tree nearby for emergencies. Sarah met me at the entrance, her expression anxious.

"Alpha heir, I tried to stop her, but—"

"Where is she?" I demanded.

"Gone," Sarah whispered. "She left about twenty minutes ago."

I pushed past her, striding swiftly to our bedroom. The sight that greeted me stopped me in my tracks.

Chaos. Absolute chaos.

Our mate-marking ceremony photos lay in shreds across the floor. Aurora's herb closet stood empty, its doors hanging open like a gaping wound. Worst of all, my ceremonial Alpha cloak—a symbol of my birthright—hung in tatters, slashed with red marks that mimicked bloody claw marks.

"What the hell?" I growled, fury building in my chest.

This wasn't just an emotional outburst. This was deliberate destruction—a declaration of war against our mating bond.

I couldn't understand it. Aurora had an enviable position as Luna Blackwood. We had worked together to achieve pack dominance, to secure my position as future Alpha. Why would she throw that away now?

Closing my eyes, I reached for her through our mate bond.

*Aurora, return to our den immediately,* I commanded, putting the full weight of my Alpha authority behind the demand.

Instead of the submission I expected, her response was calm and collected.

*No, Alexander. I've already drafted mate-bond severance papers. You'll receive formal notification from the pack council soon.*

*This is ridiculous,* I snarled through the bond. *You can't just walk away from a mate bond.*

*Watch me,* she replied, her mental voice distant. *Alexander, we're finished.*

Before I could respond, she severed our mental connection, blocking the mate bond between us—something I hadn't believed possible.

I roared in frustration, my wolf clawing beneath my skin, demanding release. A mind-link from Ivy Lawrence pinged at the edge of my consciousness, but I furiously rejected it. She was the last person I wanted to speak with right now.

As my anger began to subside, I noticed something unusual peeking out from beneath our bed. Bending down, I retrieved a yellowed paper that must have fallen during Aurora's hasty packing.

My blood ran cold as I read the title: "Fertility Assessment Report." The pack healer's signature was at the bottom, dated three years ago—shortly after the rogue wolf attack.

My eyes scanned the medical jargon until I reached the physician's conclusion: "Severe damage to reproductive system. Pregnancy highly improbable."