Chapter 4

Ailara's POV

Several days later, to celebrate the pack not losing anyone during the berserk outbreak on the night of the full moon, the pack threw a grand feast.

As the Alpha and Luna of the pack, Lucian and I had to attend together. However, once I had changed into my gown, I suddenly received a message from him.

"Why is it that I can't seem to sense you over the mate bond and can only contact you using my phone?

"Anyway, after what happened with the Gamma warriors the other day, Freya is utterly terrified to face them alone. I have to accompany her, so you can just head inside yourself."

There were no more messages after that. It seemed like Lucian didn't even care why he couldn't seem to feel our mate bond.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, noting the unhealthy pallor to my skin, and found this all so laughable.

During that terrible night, my pup was the only one who died. Yet, no one seemed to care about that, nor did they wonder just what sort of suffering I was currently going through.

My Alpha—my mate—was so considerate and caring of another she-wolf, yet he completely ignored how pale I was.

Tugging at the neckline of my gown, I forced my lips to curl into a somewhat composed smile. Then, I lifted the hem of my gown and strode toward the Lunar Palace.

As the feast began, I sat alone in the spot reserved for the Luna.

Not far away, Lucian stepped into hall with Freya hanging from his arm. They slowly made their way over, looking so perfect for each other it was as though they were fated mates.

An Alpha from a neighboring pack who was on good terms with ours approached them. Shooting Freya a curious look, he asked, "Alpha Lucian, is this your Luna?"

"No, she's not my Luna. She's my deceased older brother's mate and my most respected sister-in-law."

Lucian's expression was calm and collected. It seemed like he didn't think there was anything wrong with showing up with his widowed sister-in-law instead of his mate and Luna.

The smile on Freya's face stiffened for a quick second before she put on a shy facade and greeted that Alpha.

For a moment, the Alpha eyed the two meaningfully. Then, he turned and left without another word.

Halfway through the feast, Freya walked toward me with a glass of wine and sat beside me. Suddenly, she fumbled with the glass, spilling the wine all over my gown.

Within seconds, the wine had seeped through the thin material of the gown to touch my skin. Immediately, a burning sensation flared from the point of contact.

Freya had mixed silver into the wine.

I snapped my head up to stare at her in disbelief, just in time to catch the trace of viciousness that flashed through her eyes.

Subsequently, she leaped to her feet and started to shout in a panicked tone, "Ah! I'm so sorry, Ailara! I didn't mean to do that…"

Immediately, everyone turned their gaze toward us.

Lucian was the first to dash over, his hands instantly reaching out to grab Freya and steady her. He asked anxiously, "What happened? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." Freya put on such an aggrieved look, as though she were about to burst into tears at any moment. "But I accidentally dirtied Ailara's gown."

Only then did Lucian notice me. Taking in the mess on my chest, he furrowed his brow in a frown. "You're already an adult, not a child. Don't you know how to sit properly? Do you know that you almost caused Freya to fall?"

His tone was filled with accusation and blame, as though I were the one who had done something wrong.

It wasn't like I could take off my clothes right then and there to show everyone the proof of Freya's despicable move. Hence, I could only stand up and try my best to endure the agony of the silver eating away at my flesh.

"I'm going to go get cleaned up."

Amidst the varied stares directed my way, I headed to the restroom.

Once I cleaned away the silver, my wolf spirit slowly healed the wound left behind. However, that bone-deep agony continued to linger in my body. At that moment, the barely-there mate bond between me and Lucian finally snapped after gradually fading out over the past few days.

A wave of relief washed over me as I understood that the only thing holding us together as mates had finally been removed.

Under the light of the moon, I stepped out of the Lunar Palace and headed for the pack border.

From this moment on, I was no longer Lucian's Luna. Whatever we had had between us had been thoroughly cut off, and we would no longer have anything to do with each other.