Chapter 5

Chapter 5

...

“Hk!”

At those words, Caelan hardened his resolve. No matter how much pain coursed through his body, he refused to turn back.

He would never accept a half-human as his Luna.

“Yes, Lily Minera is far more suitable to become Alpha Caelan’s Luna. This Luna selection ceremony should be postponed until the next full moon,” one of the elders declared without hesitation.

Lily Minera was considered the perfect candidate—not only because of her intelligence, but also because of her powerful standing within the Lupus Kingdom. In every way, she was seen as the ideal Luna for Alpha Caelan.

“Yes, but to do that, Elena must be cast into the Black Forest. She must leave the Blackthorn Pack tonight so that her bond with Alpha Caelan can be severed!”

Another elder spoke firmly, his voice filled with certainty.

They wanted Elena gone.

Tonight.

The Black Forest at night was no place for someone like Elena. Even a true wolf would be in danger there, let alone a half-human.

Ancient beasts roamed within that forest—creatures of immense power that would destroy anything that crossed their path.

If Elena were thrown there tonight, they expected only one outcome.

She would be devoured.

And the bond between her and Caelan would disappear with her.

“Moon Seer Hera, you must not interfere this time. Allowing a half-human to remain in the pack will only bring disaster. Please… do not stop us,” one of the Blackthorn elders said, turning toward her.

For a moment, Moon Seer Hera said nothing.

She lifted her gaze toward the moon, her eyes dim and distant, as though listening to something only she could hear.

Then slowly...

she nodded.

When her gaze returned to Elena, it was filled with quiet sorrow.

Elena lay collapsed on the ground, weak and alone.

“Did you hear that? Drag that filthy blood to the Black Forest!” one of the elders shouted, ordering Caelan’s soldiers forward.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Laughter and satisfaction spread among them as they watched the cursed half-human—the one they despised—finally being cast away to meet her end.

Elena, still reeling from Caelan’s rejection, couldn’t even resist.

The pain inside her was too overwhelming, too unfamiliar, too much to bear.

“Alpha Caelan, please stop this! She will die if you send her into the Black Forest tonight…”

Elias Frostclaw, Caelan’s Beta and closest friend, stepped forward and spoke in a low, urgent voice.

His expression was filled with worry.

He couldn’t stand by and watch Elena suffer like this—especially not knowing what awaited her in the forest.

But Caelan remained silent.

His expression was filled with pain, with conflict, yet he refused to turn around.

He was afraid.

Afraid that if he looked into Elena’s eyes now, everything he had decided would fall apart.

No matter how deep his feelings for her once were, he could not accept a half-human—the same kind that had taken his parents’ lives.

“Alpha Caelan…”

“Caelan!”

Elias called out again, but Caelan did not move.

Behind them, the soldiers had already grabbed Elena’s arm, forcing her roughly to her feet.

“Be quiet, Elias. You don’t understand anything!” Caelan snapped coldly.

“If she dies in the Black Forest tonight, then so be it.”

“Stop asking me to save her. If your parents had been killed by a half-human, you would hate them just the same. So stop preaching to me and remember your place.”

His words were sharp and merciless.

Elias fell silent.

His hands clenched tightly as anger and helplessness surged within him.

Then, without another word, he turned and ran toward Elena.

“Stop, Elias!”

“If you interfere, our family will be in danger!” his father snapped harshly, stepping forward to stop him.

“But, Father…”

“Elena has done nothing wrong! She’ll die if she’s taken into the Black Forest tonight!” Elias argued, his voice filled with desperation.

But it was useless.

In front of the elders, in front of the entire Blackthorn Pack—

he was nothing more than a Beta.

A subordinate beneath the Alpha.

And there was nothing he could do.

...

Meanwhile, Elena...

Tears streamed down her face as her body trembled weakly. Her vacant gaze remained fixed on Caelan’s back as he walked away from her.

‘You said you would run to me the moment I asked for help…’

‘You said you would never turn your back on me…’

“Liar…”

“Liar…”

Her voice was barely a whisper, far too soft for Caelan to hear as she was dragged down Rodes Hill. Her arm, already blistered from the umbreal blood, grew worse with every movement, the skin torn and bleeding.

As they forced her toward the Black Forest, Elena could hear the joy in the voices around her.

They were happy.

Happy that the curse they had despised for so long would finally disappear.

“Heh…”

A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she lifted her gaze toward the glowing moon. The pain in her body from being rejected by her Alpha left her utterly powerless.

“Grandma… I’m sorry. This morning, I promised I would bring you venison…”

“I’m sorry… for being nothing more than filthy blood that tainted this pack.”

“I’m sorry… it seems I won’t make it back alive…”

“I’m sorry… you’ll be alone again… I’m so sorry, Grandma…”

Her voice broke as she sobbed.

Not because of the pain in her body.

Not even because of the unbearable pain in her heart.

But because she knew—

her grandmother would be left alone.

That thought hurt her far more than anything else.

“Hurry up! Just throw her in!”

“We’ll be in danger if we stay here too long!”

The wolf soldiers under Caelan’s command shoved her forward without hesitation, pushing her into the Black Forest. They didn’t dare go any deeper—the forest at night was far too dangerous, even for them.

“Uhk!”

Elena collapsed against the thick roots of a massive tree. She had no strength left to stand. Her body lay there, helpless, as the darkness of the forest seemed to swallow her whole.

The sounds of beasts echoed through the trees.

Her hazel eyes slowly turned toward the moon, which shone brilliantly through the gaps between the towering branches above.

Then...

soft lights began to appear.

Fireflies drifted through the darkness, as if mourning her. They gathered around her, filling the forest with a faint, shimmering glow that resembled scattered stars.

Tears continued to fall from her eyes, her gaze empty, her heart fragile, her body consumed by pain.

‘Do you know? Deep within the Black Forest, when the full moon rises, a flower called Aurivelle blooms. A golden flower, so beautiful… You look just like it, Elena. Like the Aurivelle blooming under the moon.’

That voice...

Caelan’s voice from the past, when they used to play at the edge of the forest.

He had once told her she resembled that golden flower.

More tears fell.

Because now—

right before her eyes—

the ground where she lay was filled with golden blossoms, blooming under the full moon.

“Is this… the Aurivelle flower?” Elena whispered weakly, a bitter smile forming on her lips. “It’s beautiful…”

Her breathing grew shallow.

The burn from the umbreal blood spread further up her arm, reaching toward her shoulder.

“Please… don’t let my grandmother suffer for too long…”

“I can’t protect her anymore… so please… take care of her for me…”

Her voice was soft, almost inaudible, like a prayer offered to the moon—to the Moon Goddess herself.

Her vision blurred as tears filled her eyes.

Slowly...

everything began to fade.

Her breathing weakened.

The wind blew gently, brushing against her golden hair as she lay among the blooming Aurivelle flowers. Her beautiful face carried a bitterness that could not be put into words.

Until...

a massive stag approached her.

Its antlers were grand and majestic, its eyes filled with something that resembled sorrow. Slowly, it stepped closer and lowered its head, gently licking the wound on Elena’s arm where the umbreal blood had burned her.

And then...

a golden light began to glow once more around her body.

The wind surged violently, whipping through the forest as the stag lowered itself, almost as if bowing.

At the moment Elena’s life was about to slip away,

her true power awakened.

A power that should not have awakened yet.

That night, upon a bed of golden Aurivelle flowers, Elena underwent her first transformation.

Her body shifted into a graceful white wolf.

Yet her consciousness had not fully returned.

The golden light wrapped around her injured arm, and just like before, the wound vanished without a trace. Moments later, her wolf form slowly faded away, disappearing as if it had never existed.

It was not yet time.

Not yet for her power to fully awaken.

...

At the same time, within the royal palace—

The young king, who had grown colder and trusted no one, lay upon his bed. The full moon shone through the grand glass walls of his chamber.

Then...

a powerful tremor spread through the room.

Lucien Noctyrr Valecrest’s hand tightened around the silk sheets, his breathing growing heavy as something unfamiliar surged through his body.

“Hh!”

He jolted awake, his body trembling, his glowing blue eyes wide with shock.

“This is impossible… I can feel someone… someone destined for me…”

“I can feel my Luna!” Lucien growled, clenching his fists tightly.

Wearing nothing but his bathrobe, he stepped onto the balcony and stared sharply at the moon.

“I was never meant to have a Luna. That is my fate—to rule alone for the rest of my life. So what is this…?”

“Are you toying with me again?” he murmured, as if speaking directly to the moon—to the Moon Goddess.

Because the aura he had just felt—

the presence of his Luna,

vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

As if it had never existed at all.

Leaving him questioning whether it had only been an illusion.

...

To be continued...