Chapter 2

"I won't banish Elena."

Sebastian's words struck me like a physical blow. He took Elena’s hand, his choice crystal clear.

"Why?" My voice was steady, but my world was crumbling around me.

"Because this is about the future of the pack." He looked at me then, his green eyes filled with the cold, hard logic of an Alpha. "Sophia, you're a smart woman. You understand the importance of a bloodline. This child will be the strongest Alpha heir our pack has seen in decades."

Elena opened her eyes weakly, a glint of triumph in them as she looked at me. "Luna Sophia, I'll accept any punishment, but please, don't take away the pack's chance at a powerful future."

Her words sounded humble, but each one was a dull knife dragging across my already wounded heart.

"What about our bond?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Our sacred bond, Sebastian."

"The bond stands," he answered without hesitation. "You are still my mate, and I am still your Alpha. But..."

"But what?"

"But the pack needs this heir. I cannot sacrifice the future of our entire people for personal feelings."

I stared at him, at the man who had promised me eternal loyalty under the full moon. I watched how easily the words "personal feelings" fell from his lips, as if our three years together were nothing more than an inconvenient footnote.

"I understand."

I turned and walked toward the door.

"Sophia! Where are you going?" For the first time, a note of panic laced his voice.

"You chose to compromise. I choose to leave."

I didn't look back. Deep inside, I felt a pain more searing than any I'd ever known. It was the tearing sensation of our mind link being violently severed—I was the one who cut the cord connecting my soul to his.

I heard his choked cry of pain behind me, but I kept walking.

The cabin in the mountains sat at the northernmost edge of our territory, a place used only as a shelter during the worst blizzards. Now, it was my place of self-exile.

Flames flickered weakly in the hearth, casting long shadows on the sparse furniture. I sat in the single wooden chair, watching the heavy snow blanket the world outside the window.

Six months.

For six months, no one had dared to come here. Even the pack patrols gave this area a wide berth, as if I had ceased to exist.

But today, the crunch of footsteps broke the silence.

The door creaked open. Marcus—Sebastian's father and head of the Elder Council—walked in, flanked by three other elders. A gust of frigid wind and snow swirled into the cabin, nearly extinguishing the fire.

"Sophia, we need to talk."

"What is there to talk about?" I didn't get up, my eyes still fixed on the falling snow.

"Elena gave birth."

My fingers trembled slightly, but I didn't turn around.

"Twins," another elder added, his voice grim. "Two boys, both showing incredible Alpha potential. The entire North American Alliance is celebrating. They're calling it the strongest new bloodline in generations."

"Congratulations," I said, my voice flat and empty.

"Sophia, you have to come back," Marcus's tone turned stern. "As Sebastian's bonded mate, it is your duty to help raise the pups. It's pack tradition. It is your responsibility."

I finally turned, my gaze falling on the four men who had once treated me with the utmost respect. "Responsibility?"

"Yes, responsibility," Marcus nodded. "Whatever personal grievances you hold, your bond is still valid. These children are the future of the pack, and you are their mother in name."

Mother in name.

A laugh escaped my lips, so sharp and hollow it echoed in the small cabin, making the elders take an involuntary step back.

"Marcus, let me tell you something about 'responsibility'," I said, rising from the chair and walking to the fireplace. "I've already fulfilled my duty—by removing myself from this farce so your 'future bloodline' can thrive."

I picked something up from the mantelpiece—the moonstone bracelet I had worn for three years, a sacred object symbolizing my bond with Sebastian.

"But now, it's time for this final tie to end."

Crack.

I clenched my fist, and the bracelet shattered. Shards of glowing moonstone clattered onto the stone floor.

"Sophia!" Marcus stared in horror. "You can't do that! Severing a bond requires the consent of both—"

"This was just a symbol," I said calmly. "The real bond died six months ago."

I walked toward the door, pausing as I passed the elders.

"Tell Sebastian he got everything he wanted—his powerful bloodline, his Alpha authority, and the pack's future." My voice was low and cold. "But what he's lost, he can never get back."

I pushed the door open and stepped out into the blizzard.

"Sophia! Where are you going?" Marcus yelled after me.

I didn't answer, but my escape was cut short.

Three towering figures emerged from the swirling snow, blocking my path. They were the pack's elite Enforcers, their eyes glowing with the distinct gold of their wolf.

"Luna Sophia," Oliver, the captain, said in a deep, conflicted voice. "Please come back with us."

"Move," I said, my voice as cold as the mountain wind.

"I'm afraid we can't do that." Oliver shook his head. "The Alpha has given an order. You are not to leave the territory."

"Sebastian's orders don't apply to me anymore," I took a step forward. "The bond is broken."

"But you are still a member of this pack," another guard added. "Without a formal ruling from the Elders, you cannot leave."

I looked at the three guards. They had been my friends, but now their eyes held only the cold light of duty.

"So this is Sebastian's final choice?" I asked softly. "He won't let me stay, but he won't let me go either?"

"The Alpha says," Oliver's voice was tinged with apology, "that time heals all wounds. You just need to wait."

Wait.

I laughed again, a sound that was raw and desperate in the howling wind.

"Fine," I stopped fighting. "I'll go back with you."

The three guards visibly relaxed, though they remained on high alert.

On the long walk back to the pack settlement, I led the way, trailed by the three guards and four elders. The snow continued to fall, but my heart was colder than the winter night itself.

Sebastian wasn't keeping me here out of love. He was keeping me here for control.

He wanted me to be a living reminder of my own failure, a broken trophy to his power.

But he was about to learn that some wounds, once inflicted, don't heal. They fester.