第1章

Damian Alpha and I have been married for three years without mating.

And now, he is kissing his sister, my bestie, and forgetting everything.

The thick scent of their mingling pheromones filled the air, stinging my eyes.

"You know it's you I want, Lyra!" he growled, his voice hoarse. "But the Moon Goddess tied me to that nobody, Selena! And you want me to mark her? Claim her? Are you trying to make me betray my own heart, drive me insane?!"

Lyra trembled in his arms, her eyes red from crying. "Damien... I love you too... But the pack laws are strict, the elders... they'd never allow us..."

"I'll only ever go crazy for you, Lyra!"

His fingers tangled deep in her hair, his eyes blazing like fire. "Forming that damn bond with Selena was the biggest compromise I could make! I don't love her. My wolf, my body, everything in me rejects her!"

Every word he said felt like it was tearing my heart apart.

So that was it.

His frozen desire only thawed for Lyra.

I was just a joke, a tool he used to deal with the elders and keep the pack calm.

That night, like every other night for the past three years, I shivered alone in my empty room, but this time, there was no hope left in my heart.

I’d chased him for seven years, then waited another three, empty-handed. And just like that, my loyal heart shattered.

When morning came, I went straight to the pack's wise woman and got the Moonstone of Separation.

I’d barely let a drop of my heart's blood fall onto the stone when the curtain to the cave was yanked open.

It was Damien.

He burst in, grabbing my wrist so hard it hurt.

For the first time, I saw a flicker of panic on his usually cool face.

"Selena! Lyra... she was attacked by a Shadow Spider last night. She’s been poisoned, she’s unconscious!"

He was breathing hard, a hint of fear I’d never seen before in his voice. "Only your pure moon energy can cleanse that damn toxin! The pack healer said your power is the best match!"

I hadn't slept all night; my soul felt hollowed out, and I was slow to react.

He must have thought I was refusing, because he actually got down on his knees and begged me, his voice raw.

"If my power didn’t clash with the poison, I'd never ask you!"

"You and Lyra grew up together... I know you wouldn't just let her die. If you agree, I'll do anything!"

I looked at him, my eyes dull, but a pathetic sliver of hope still flickered deep inside.

"Anything?"

A moment later, I heard myself hiss through gritted teeth.

"Does that include... completing the final marking?"

"Yes!" he said, without a moment's hesitation. Firm.

Even though I had my answer, I couldn't stop shaking.

He’d do anything for Lyra.

The marking he’d resisted countless times, the symbol of the deepest bond between mates, was now just a bargaining chip to save the woman he loved.

And me? What was I?

A pack messenger rushed in, reporting Lyra’s condition was critical.

That powerful Alpha, for the first time, looked vulnerable in front of me. "Selena... I'm... begging you."

All hope died in me then, but I still got on his wind wolf mount and agreed to save Lyra.

The ritual took place on the forbidden Blood Moon night. My moon energy flowed through him, as a conduit, to Lyra.

I could feel his body tense, his pheromones wild with worry for her.

And me, I felt like an empty shell.

After the ritual, I lay in my own hut for three days. Damien never showed up.

When I went to the sacred spring to recover my strength, as arranged by the elders, I’d always pass Lyra’s healing cave. I’d see Lyra in bed, and Damien, never leaving her side.

He’d gently trace her face with his fingertips while she slept, his eyes filled with a devotion and tenderness I’d never seen.

He’d brew moon-energy-infused herbal soup himself, even holding it in his mouth to feed her bit by bit when she was unconscious, just hoping she’d recover.

Worried she’d get cold, he covered her with his most prized snow-wolf king pelt. When she needed to be moved, he’d carry her in that heart-stopping bridal carry, as if Lyra was made of fragile glass.

Every move, every look, screamed how much he loved that woman.

I watched in silence. I didn't disturb them.

Only on full moon nights, alone, I’d nurse the ache in my soul for that final bond.

Even though he'd promised, I chose to give up.

The last time I passed her cave, Lyra’s voice, weak but smug, drifted out: "Damien, you should go back and be with Selena. She’s your Luna, yet you don’t care about her feelings at all, refusing to leave my side for even a second."

Damien tucked her in, his tone cool. "Lyra, you know I only care about you. As for Selena, she can't leave me. Don't worry about her."

True, people in love don’t need to care about others' feelings.

But Damien, it’s not that I can’t leave you. I’ve already decided to give up.

Back in my hut, the Moonstone lay quietly in a corner.

Damien happened to come back then and looked surprised to see me.

"You're recovered? Why didn't you say so? I would've had the wolf guards send you some nourishing prey." His voice was flat, like nothing had happened.

He hadn’t even bothered with me when I was injured and recovering, let alone now that I was better.

"I know you're busy taking care of Lyra. I wouldn't want to bother the Alpha with such small things," I said, my voice calm.

The air instantly froze.

He was silent, his deep eyes unreadable. He reached up and untied the leather cord at his collar, revealing his sexy throat and collarbone.

A strong wave of Alpha pheromones, heavy and demanding, washed over me.

He wrapped an arm around my waist, his hot breath fanning my neck. His lips pressed down on mine, hard, without any feeling or desire.

I jerked away.

Seeing that, he stepped back, annoyance clear in his eyes that I’d interrupted him. He frowned, staring at me as if he was really seeing me for the first time.

"The marking ritual. The condition you set, remember?" His voice was low and hoarse, laced with anger.

I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms, and forced a smile.

"I was just kidding, Alpha. Don't take it seriously. Can I... change my request?"

The tension in his face suddenly eased, like he’d just shrugged off a huge, ugly burden. His tone lightened.

"Of course."

I saw it all but didn't call him out.

I took out the Moonstone and turned it over. There was an ancient groove on the back that needed both our energies at the same time to officially break the bond.

"Then, Alpha, please leave your decision on this."

"This is what I want most right now."

It was the first time Damien had seen me so eager for something. Surprise, and a barely hidden disdain, flashed in his eyes.

"The thing you want most? Did you spot some rich hunting ground, or a mine full of moon crystals that’s got you so pleased?" he asked, reaching to take a closer look at the Moonstone.

The next second, the communication crystal on his belt lit up.

It was Lyra’s delicate voice, a little whiny. "Damien, is the moon-energy soup you’re making for me ready? When are you bringing it? I’m starving..."

Only then did I realize he’d just stopped by on his way to deliver soup to Lyra.

"Be right there," Damien's voice was gentle, completely different from the coldness he showed me.

He didn't delay. Without even glancing at the Moonstone, he casually infused his "agreement" energy into it.

To him, it was just a small thing to get rid of me, as simple as tossing a piece of meat to a cat.

Then, holding the communication crystal, he turned and went into the kitchen next door. An hour later, the rich aroma of herbs wafted out.

He strode out with the pot of medicine.

From start to finish, he didn't say another word to me.

The first crack finally appeared in the bond the Moonstone represented.

Watching his retreating back, I quietly answered his earlier question.

"What I want isn't a hunting ground, nor a mine."

"What I want is freedom."

"Damien, I wish us... separate peace, and may we never meet again."