Chapter 1

In haste of partying with Claus, I overestimated my wolf. It had been devastated by the severity of the mate bond and gave up just after a few strides. I was lying helpless, unable to stand on my own.

To my absolute surprise, the heavy oak doors slammed open behind me, and the thud of heavy, commanding boots echoed against the stone.

"Why are you so eager to leave?” Claus held my hands. Before I could resist his help, he had pulled me up. “Our bond is just broken. Your wolf needs rest, and you had her run in winter frost.”

He pointed his finger at the pack house as he began, “You can live here for a few more days and leave only when your wolf’s condition is stabilized. Don't force yourself too much.”

"This house is made for the Alpha and his Luna, Alpha," I said, my voice eerily calm. "I am no longer your Luna, so I won't stay here."

Claus froze. For a few seconds, the silver in his eyes flashed dangerously—a sign that his inner wolf was snarling at the rejection. But soon, the tension in his jaw relaxed, and his tone softened into a low, gravelly rumble—a rare, staggering occurrence.

"I wasn't finished speaking inside," he muttered, stepping closer until his shadow completely engulfed me. "If anyone troubles you... If you ever regret leaving the safety I provided, come back. Find me.”

Before I could pull away, he grabbed my wrist. His grip wasn't brutal, but it was unyielding. He reached into his tunic, pulled a braided cord from around his neck, and pressed the heavy ornament attached to it into my hand.

"Your lunar chime."

He intentionally squeezed my fingers shut over the delicate silver cage. Inside it rested a tiny piece of raw lunarite that emitted a faint, comforting hum against my skin.

When we were first mated, he had a master artisan craft this chime for me. He told me that whenever his wolf grew too savage or distant, I only had to sound the chime. No matter how deep he was in a feral trance, the sound would instantly tether his mind back to me, compelling him to submit to my touch and grant me his absolute, undivided presence. It was a total surrender of his Alpha instincts.

But later on, as the politics of the alliance grew heavy and his gaze began to wander, he locked the chime away in his private vault.

Over the past two years, as he grew increasingly cold and emotionally distant, I had practically begged him for it. I had wept at his feet, desperately wanting to sound the chime just once, just to break through his icy walls and feel a single night of true emotional intimacy with him. He hadn't let me close to his inner wolf for a very long time, and our fated bond had withered into a hollow, freezing silence.

Yet, no matter how hard I tried, Alpha Claus would never let me touch it. He claimed his wolf was "too unstable" to be tethered by a mate anymore. I never expected that now, on the exact day I decided to sever my pack bond and walk away, he would freely hand me the one thing that could completely break his pride.

How utterly laughable.

I hadn't even reached my ancestral home when the telepathic mind-link—and my crystal communication mirror—began to erupt into a frantic frenzy.

Because I hadn't fully stripped my signature from the pack networks yet, notifications from the manor house staff chat were flashing relentlessly.

Several head maids and pack caretakers tagged me at the same time:

"Luna, the eldest young mistress's inner wolf is restless, and she has a fever from the upcoming moon phase. What calming herb should I brew for her?"

"Luna, a silver-tipped arrow, accidentally mishandled and scratched the second young mistress’s designer dress. What's the contact number of her designer?"

"Luna, does the third young mistress have her basic tracking and hunting class tomorrow morning, or is it a rest day?"

"Luna, the Alpha went straight to the tavern after you left and is drinking silver-wine. What is the specific recipe for his wolfsbane-free hangover tonic?"

I stopped by a gnarled pine tree, letting out a long, helpless sigh. Out of ancient habit, I patiently typed out the responses to each inquiry, detailing the exact dosages, contacts, and schedules.

But at the very end of the final message, I added a sentence that severed it all:

"Alpha Claus and I have formally dissolved our union. From now on, you'll have to rely on yourselves and the pack elders for these things."

The chat went completely dead for ten seconds before a flurry of desperate messages poured in, trying to persuade me:

"Luna, it's normal for Alphas to have fierce tempers, especially during the winter season! There's really no need to go as far as breaking the bond."

“Think about your wolf, Luna. It's already so weak and the severity of the mate bond… It's too much for her to handle.”

"You have three beautiful, blessed daughters who need their mother's light. As long as you act a little soft, his heart will melt. Haven't things always worked out this way over the years?"

They all thought this was just another seasonal argument. They truly believed that if I just bowed my head, tolerated his coldness, and compromised, the storm would pass, and I would return to his side.

But this time, it was truly different. The girl who would have crawled through fire for a drop of his affection was dead. I no longer had a single reason left to keep loving him.

I sent one final message:

"It's official and permanent. Please take good care of the three young mistresses in the future."

The group link went stark, terrifyingly silent. Only after a long, agonizing minute did the oldest pack matron send a final, trembling reply:

"Luna... we've all watched you and the Alpha build this territory from the ashes. You used to be so deeply in love. Why does a fated match have to come to an end like this?"