Chapter 1

"In the presence of the Moon Goddess and all members of the Pack, I, Damian, Alpha of Silvermoon Pack, officially reject Seraphina as my mate!”

On the day of my Mating Ceremony when I was twenty, my childhood Alpha and Fated Mate, Damian, brought back an unfamiliar female werewolf, Vivian.

He claimed that on the Night of Souls, the silhouette of the Fated Soul he had seen was hers, not mine.

“Vivian has told me everything. You gave me a Hallucination Potion to make me believe my Fated Mate was you. Now, it’s time to correct that mistake!”

The moment the words left his mouth, my heart felt like it was being torn apart. Pain ripped through my whole body.

Our Mate Bond splintered, inch by inch.

I dropped to my knees, blood trickling from the corner of my lips as I clutched my chest.

My other childhood friend and also the pack’s Beta, Ethan, just watched coldly.

“There was never a Mate Bond between you and Damian. Enough with your pitiful act! The more you do this, the more we’ll despise you.”

The mate I loved most, and the friend I trusted the most, teamed up to rub my nose in the dirt in front of everyone.

Their words were like knives, gutting me open bit by bit.

Staggering, I turned and fled from the pack. Once, it was a place that held all my happiness. Now, there was only coldness and betrayal.

None of them cared, convinced I was just throwing a tantrum and would come crawling back sooner or later.

It wasn’t until weeks later that they learned I had begun the Healer’s closed-door training. All ties must be severed, and complete solitude was required. I wasn't allowed to return for ten years.

That was the moment they finally fell apart.

...

The day I booked my flight happened to coincide with our pack's annual Full Moon Festival.

My mentor, Skylar, gave me a reminder.

"Child, we leave in seven days. If there's anyone you still can't let go of, make sure to say your goodbyes."

Early Spring in the Northern Reach was bitterly cold, as usual.

I lingered for a long time on the street outside my apartment, hesitating. Finally, I took out my phone and dialed Ethan's number.

We had grown up together in the same orphanage, after all. We were childhood friends, as close as siblings. No matter how things ended between us, it felt only right to share one last meal before saying our goodbyes.

However, he hung up on me several times before switching off his phone entirely.

I gritted my teeth and forced myself to dial Damian's number instead. After what felt like an eternity, someone finally answered this time.

However, the familiar voice I was expecting didn't come. What greeted me was silence.

Afraid Damian would hang up at any moment, I rushed to speak.

"It's the Full Moon Festival tonight. Can we have dinner together, like we used to?" Thinking of Vivian, I quickly added, "I'll go hunting at the frozen lake and bring you both the freshest fish…"

Damian's voice suddenly came through, cold as ice. "Vivian's traumatized because of you, and she's still lying in the hospital. How can you still have the audacity to enjoy the festival?"

I pretended not to hear the disgust in his voice. "Then… I'll cook and deliver dinner to the hospital. I'll get Vivian her favorite fish and prepare it myself."

I had never been so meek in my life.

Before Vivian showed up, I would argue with Damian and Ethan countless times. I would never bow my head, no matter how bad the argument became.

But this time… When I leave, it was possible that I would be gone for a decade.

No one could tell when we would see each other again. I didn't want any regrets.

There was only silence on the other end. No reply came.

After a long while, it was Vivian's delicate voice that finally broke the stalemate.

"Seraphina's fish really is delicious. It's a shame I've never been good at deboning fish. Now that I'm weak, I wonder if she could pick out every last bone for me?"

I immediately took the opportunity. "No problem. I'll bring it over as soon as I'm done."

Afraid Damian would reject me again, I hung up quickly.

-

The cold wind stung my eyes.

I chipped away at the ice on the lake with my claws, refusing to stop until I had caught the freshest fish I could find, even if my fingers were turning numb from the cold.

I rushed home to prepare everything and packed it into an insulated food container before hurrying to the hospital.

When I opened the door to Vivian's hospital room, both Damian and Ethan were there, standing around her bed in a warm and harmonious scene. There was only one small table in the room, barely enough for three people if they squeezed in.

Damian looked up and shot me a frosty glance.

Before he could say anything, I quietly took my meal and sat down in the corner by the window. It was fine… I didn't need a table. The corner of the windowsill would do.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Damian pause.

He looked a little surprised by how non-confrontational I was, but it disappeared in an instant. He quickly went back to cut the food into bite-sized pieces for Vivian and handed her a glass of fruit juice. He was gentle and careful all the way.

The hospital chair was hard, so Ethan picked up a pillow for Vivian and carefully placed it behind her.

Vivian took small bites of food, then she suddenly started coughing violently. I couldn't help but glance her way.

Ethan immediately patted her back gently while Damian rushed over with a cup of warm water. Their voices were filled with concern.

"Slow down. No one's taking your food from you."

The scene was painfully familiar.

Except, I had been the one sitting there, enjoying his gentle touch. He would even smear a bit of sauce on my nose just to see me fume, then laughed and kissed it away.

I forgot to look away as I lost myself in those memories.

Once Vivian had calmed down, Damian felt my gaze and looked up. His eyes were full of tenderness and worry just a moment ago. When he met my eyes, however, all that warmth turned into freezing indifference.

That sudden shift cut into my heart like a knife deep, as if it had sliced open a gaping wound.

I quickly lowered my head and shoved the food into my mouth, unable to taste a thing. Soon, their laughter and chatter filled the room again.

Vivian's cheeks flushed as she said in her sweet voice, "The weather forecast says there'll be a meteor shower tonight... I've never seen one before."

Damian stroked her hair with gentle affection. "That's nothing. We'll take you to see it later."

Ethan chimed in with a smile, "He's right. The best view is from the top of the Sanctum Peak. We'll go with you."

My hand trembled, nearly dropping the food container.

That meteor shower… Damian had promised a long time ago to watch it with me. He said he would kiss me under the very first shooting star, so the Moon Goddess could witness our eternity.

But now, it was like none of them even remembered I existed. They were so caught up in their plans that they were already discussing what snacks and blankets to bring.

Vivian leaned into Damian's arms, a victorious smile on her lips.

After a while, she seemed to remember I was there and looked at me with a hint of provocation in her eyes.

"Seraphina, do you want to come with us? Oh! I shouldn't have brought up the meteor shower. I forgot that Damian promised to watch it with you. Maybe I should sit this one out and let you have your chance."

I lowered my gaze, not wanting to argue.

Since I was about to leave, I figured I should at least say something.

"No, that's okay. In a few days, I'll be going somewhere far away with my mentor…"

"If it's something unimportant like that," Damian interrupted, impatient and dismissive, "you don't need to tell us."

The words that I wanted to say were forced back down as Damian cut me off. I never got to tell them that I didn't know when I would be back after I left.

Unimportant, huh?

Maybe to them, I really didn't matter anymore.