Chapter 2

After obtaining the token, I let out a long breath of relief.

Once the decision was made, I actually felt strangely at peace.

The Moon Goddess' Sacred Ground was extremely far from the pack. Before setting out, I had to prepare the medicinal herbs, cloak, and ember stone needed for the journey.

By the time I returned to Moon Shadow Manor, the sky had already gone completely dark.

The moment I stepped into the hall, I heard the bright laughter of a young she-wolf coming from inside.

Willow was sitting by the fireplace in a cream dress, her slender ankles resting beside a fur-lined chair. In her arms was a snow fox cub. And Ronan was half-crouching before her, tending the scratches on her fingers.

It had been a long time since I'd seen such a gentle, patient expression on his face.

Hearing the sound, Ronan looked up. A flicker of unease passed through his eyes, and he hurriedly explained to me, "Freya, Willow came to see you off."

I stood there quietly and calmly.

Willow immediately got to her feet, looking somewhat flustered. "Freya, don't get this the wrong way. I just heard you were going to the Onyx Wolf pack alone and thought it was too dangerous, so I wanted to come see you.

"If you don't like me being here, I'll leave right now. I know an Omega like me shouldn't casually enter your territory—it's only normal that you'd look down on me."

As she spoke, the rims of her eyes reddened slightly.

Ronan frowned and stepped forward, shielding Willow behind him. "Freya, having her here was my idea. Don't take it out on her. Willow is one of your few friends. I just wanted her to send you well-wishes on your long journey."

My breath caught in my throat. A moment later, I slowly lowered my head and said softly, "How could that be? I welcome her here."

Even though we both knew that Willow was not—and would never be—my friend.

Willow was visibly taken aback. She clearly hadn't expected me to react this way.

Ronan frowned slightly too, his gaze resting on my face as though searching for something. "Freya, what's wrong with you today?"

In the past, I would have firmly demanded he keep his distance from Willow. Ever since she appeared, it was something I'd often asked of him. It was also one of the rare things that had even made us argue.

But now, it seemed I no longer cared about anything.

Ronan felt a prickle of unease.

Just then, Willow walked over and very naturally linked her arm through Ronan's.

She tilted her face up, her voice soft and coaxing. "Ronan, have you forgotten you promised to take me to the night market tonight? The Dark Market only opens once a year, and the moonstone necklace I want will only appear tonight."

As she spoke, she even deliberately swayed Ronan's arm. "And you also promised you'd help me pick out a dagger fit for an Omega to use for protection."

Ronan looked down at her, his expression visibly softening. "Don't worry. I haven't forgotten."

Having said that, he tentatively looked up at me. "By the way, Freya, the journey to the Onyx Wolf pack is long. Do you need me to bring anything back for you from the Dark Market?"

I shook my head indifferently. "No. I've already prepared everything."

He took a step closer to me, his towering Alpha presence bearing down. "Freya, are you angry at me because of Willow?"

I lifted my head and looked at him. I'd loved him for over ten years, so much so that even a single word from him could make me happy for days.

But now, I suddenly found him somewhat unfamiliar. Thus, I smiled faintly at him and said, "Of course not. Didn't you say I'm your Luna? Since you're my fated mate, how could I possibly get angry over such a small thing?"

Ronan paused, clearly caught off guard. For some reason, the unease inside him didn't dissipate because of my words.

However, Willow was already hurrying him along. "Ronan, any later, and the Dark Market will close."

He pushed the thought aside and said to me with a hint of apology, "Freya, once I'm done helping Willow pick out her weapon, I'll come straight back and help you pack. Be good and wait for me at home, alright?"

He softened his voice as he added, "I'll personally see you off as you leave the pack the day after tomorrow."

And with that, he left the manor with Willow.

I remained standing where I was for a long time as I watched the two of them walk away side by side.

Only when the hall fell silent again did I return to my room.

I gathered all the gifts Ronan had given me over the past ten-plus years and packed them into a box. Then, I left it in the corner.

It wasn't until I'd finished packing all my things that I realized Ronan hadn't returned.

At the first light of dawn, I picked up my luggage and left Moon Shadow Manor alone, heading to the temporary residence Lucian had arranged for me.

There, in that private place where no one would disturb me, I'd prepare myself for the journey to the Moon Goddess' Sacred Ground.