Chapter 7

[Elara POV]

Lucian froze. The color drained from his face, and his eyes widened in shock. His wolf stirred beneath his skin, making his shoulders tense. He stared at me as if he had just seen a ghost.

"How... how do you know that?" he whispered, his voice shaking.

"I heard you at the hospital," I said quietly. "I know everything."

"Elara, listen to me," Lucian said, reaching out to grab my arms. His grip was tight, his breath coming fast. "It was a mistake. It happened during her heat. I didn't mean for it to happen. I will fix this, I promise you. I will make things right now. Just don't look at me like that."

"Don't bother, Lucian," I said, pulling my arms out of his hold. "It's too late to fix anything. I am leaving."

Lina stepped up beside Lucian, resting her hand on his arm. She looked at me with tears in her eyes, but her voice held a small victory. "Luna Elara, please don't be mad at Lucian. It was my fault. I was weak during my heat."

Lucian didn't even look at Lina. He pushed her hand away and kept his eyes locked on me. "Elara, don't say that. You can't leave me. You are my Luna. You are my mate."

"I was your mate," I said, taking another step back toward the front door. "But I don't want you anymore."

"No, Elara, please!" Lucian dropped his head, his voice breaking as he reached for me again. "Don't do this to us!"

I took a deep breath, clutching the jacket around my body. I looked at the man I had loved with all my heart, the man who had let me break while he built a life with another she-wolf. I stood up tall, pulling every bit of strength left inside me.

"I, Elara, reject you, Alpha Lucian of the Blood Moon Pack, as my mate and my Alpha," I said, my voice echoing through the quiet house.

The moment the words left my lips, a sharp pain sliced through my chest. The bond between us snapped like a thick rope being pulled apart. The pain was so strong that my knees bent, and I gasped for air, feeling as if a piece of my soul had been ripped away.

Lucian let out a loud roar of agony. He grabbed his chest with both hands and fell to his knees on the floor. His wolf cried in pain inside his head, the rejection hitting him with full force. Tears fell from his eyes as he looked up at me, his face pale and twisted in pain.

"Elara... no... please..." he gasped, coughing as the mate pain choked him.

Lina gasped and dropped down beside him, trying to touch his shoulder, but Lucian shoved her away, his eyes fixed on me. "Elara, don't leave me like this! My life is ruined without you!"

I looked at him kneeling on the floor, holding his chest in pain. The pain inside me was bad, but looking at him didn't make me want to stay anymore. The love I had held for him was gone, replaced by a cold, blank feeling.

"Goodbye, Lucian," I said quietly.

I turned my back on him and walked out the front door into the cold air. Behind me, I could hear Lucian calling my name, his voice filled with pain as he begged me to stop, but I kept walking.

Ares was still leaning against the car. The moment he saw me walking out, he stood up straight and opened the car door. He looked at my face, seeing the tears I could no longer hold back, but he didn't ask any questions.

I got into the car and pulled the belt across my chest. Ares closed the door, walked over to the driver's side, and got in. He started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

I looked out the window as the pack house grew smaller and smaller in the distance. Lucian came walking out of the front door, leaning against the door frame as he watched the car drive away, but I turned my head and looked straight ahead.

"Are you ready?" Ares asked quietly as we reached the border line of the Blood Moon territory.

I took a slow breath, wiping the tears from my cheeks with the back of my hand. The pain in my chest was still there, but for the first time in three years, I felt like I could finally breathe.

"Yes," I said, my voice growing stronger. "Take me to Boston."

A small smile pulled up on Ares's lips. He reached for the stereo and turned on soft music as the car drove down the road leading to the airport.

I wiped my tears, let out a soft breath, and shifted my shoulders on the seat. But the ache in my chest was real. It felt like I had been broken into pieces, and I didn't even know where to start fixing myself.

Soon, I felt my body go still. I closed my eyes, letting sleep take over. I didn't know how long I slept until a hand tapped my arm. I opened my eyes and looked out the window.

The first thing I saw was a wide field. A private jet waited in a corner with a man in black standing next to it.

I looked at Ares, wondering what kind of Alpha he was to have a private jet, but I didn't ask.

"Come on, we have a time limit. I have to be somewhere on time," Ares said, looking briefly at his watch before he opened the door and got out.

I did the same, and we walked to the jet. The moment I got in, a lady walked over and placed a tray of food on the table in front of my seat.

"This is for you, miss," she said with a smile. She placed another tray in front of Ares, who sat opposite me. "And this is for you, sir."

"Thank you, Gwen," Ares said, looking briefly at her before turning to me. "You haven't eaten anything since yesterday. You should eat."

"Thank you," I mumbled, staring at the food. My stomach grumbled. I picked up the fork and started eating. After I finished, Gwen came back and carried the plate away.

I leaned my head against the window as the jet lifted into the air. Through the glass, the familiar green trees and forest lines of pack territory faded away into small dots.

I pressed my hand against my chest, right over where the mate bond used to sit. The sharp tearing pain was fading, leaving a dull, empty ache. For years, I thought I needed Lucian to survive. Now, as the sky grew clear outside, I realized the world kept turning even without him.

Hours passed in quiet peace. I didn't have to worry about Lina calling, or Lucian running off, or pack members whispering about the wolfless Luna behind my back. My wolf remained quiet inside me, but for the first time, her silence didn't feel like a curse. It felt like rest.

The jet began its descent, breaking through a thick layer of grey clouds. I looked down and saw tall buildings, long paved roads, and water instead of endless forests.

"We are here," Ares said, leaning forward to look out his window. "Welcome to Boston."

When the jet landed and the doors opened, the air hit my face. It was cold, but it smelled completely different. There was no pine scent of the Blood Moon pack, no smell of wet mud or old boundary line markers. The air carried the scent of salt water from the ocean, mixed with exhaust and cold concrete. It was clean of my past.

We walked down the steps toward a black car waiting on the tarmac. A tall man stood by the driver's door, straightening his back when he saw Ares approach. He gave Ares a nod of respect, the kind a wolf gives to his Alpha, even here in the city.

Ares opened the passenger door for me. I stepped in and sank into the soft seat, looking out at the city streets as the car pulled out. Tall glass buildings lined the roads. People in heavy coats walked along the sidewalks, living their lives without caring about Alpha commands or pack rules.

I pulled Ares's coat closer around my shoulders. The ache in my chest was still there, reminding me of everything I had lost, but as I watched the city lights flash past the window, a small spark of hope stirred inside me.

"Is this where you live?" I asked, looking over at Ares.

"Yes," Ares said, looking straight at the road ahead. "You're safe here, Elara. Nobody from the Blood Moon pack can touch you in this city."

I looked back out the window and I took a deep breath, letting the new air fill my lungs.