Chapter 4

Nigella was the first to react. "20 fertile valleys? You've lost your damn mind! Stellan led the Nocturne pack to conquer that area. It protects all the people of the North. What does it have to do with you?

"You've already taken advantage of the Luna position for ten years. That was more than generous. How dare you demand our land?"

I ignored Nigella's shrill outburst and looked only at Stellan.

I said evenly, "Alpha Stellan, you can make up for your regrets with 20 valleys. You'll get your glory and achievements. You'll get to marry the she-wolf you truly love. You'll lose nothing."

"Judith." Stellan walked toward me. His steps were both urgent and cautious.

I steadied my breathing and raised a hand to stop him with my palm facing forward like an impassable wall.

"Let's have a clean break. Our bond has always been transactional. Now, it's time for us to go our separate ways," I said.

Before turning to leave, I glanced once more at the four of them.

In a soft voice, I said, "The biggest misfortune in my entire life was you finding me and taking me back to the Greenwood pack."

If I had never belonged to the main branch of the Starveil family, I would have stayed with my foster mother in that small town on the border. We would watch over our tiny apothecary together. She wouldn't have been torn apart while fighting a rabid bear to protect me.

Then, at the very least, there would still be one person in this world who truly cared about me and loved me.

I turned to walk away without hesitation. I knew exactly what it meant to unilaterally tear apart a mate bond witnessed by the Moon Goddess.

Not only would I lose my mate mark, but I would also experience the agony of having my soul ripped in two. I would also suffer a catastrophic decrease in my power.

Still, that was a price I was willing to pay.

I dipped my fingers into my own blood and carved ancient runes onto a massive sheet of birch bark stroke by stroke. With every line I etched, the bond deep within my soul that was tied to Stellan shook violently.

It felt as though a dull, invisible blade was sawing through my soul. My back became drenched with cold sweat almost instantly.

By the time I reached the final stroke, I was on the verge of passing out. The backlash from forcibly tearing the mate bond apart crashed over me like a tidal wave.

I spat out a mouthful of blood, and my vision darkened rapidly. The pain in my fingertips was nothing. It wasn't even a fraction of the agony from my soul being torn apart.

This backlash would torment me day and night until the bond completely dissolved, or until Stellan agreed to its dissolution.

But none of that mattered anymore.

I was separated from my family from birth and reunited with them later. Then, I was abandoned once more and forced to become another wolf's mate. Throughout my life, I had never been given a choice.

At the very least, ending the mate bond was my own choice.

Forcing my weakened body to move, I handed the mate dissolution scroll to a messenger and instructed him to deliver it to the Elders' Council.

Then, I changed into the most ordinary set of leather armor and prepared to leave the Northern Territories.

On my way toward the northern border, I received a mind imprint from Nigella.

She taunted, "He told me everything that night. Stellan only agreed to take you as his mate to shield me from criticism. You'll never win against me, Judith."

Nigella's words were like a poison-coated blade that slashed away the last shred of self-deception I still clung to.

I never imagined that Stellan would completely disregard the sincere feelings of the she-wolf who stood by him just to pacify the one he loved.

I forwarded the mind imprint to Stellan and left it unchanged.

I attached a short line with it, "Alpha Stellan, your methods and your taste have both deteriorated."

Then, I shut down every external mind-link I had and staggered toward the border alone.