Chapter 4

My heart sank. Even the pack members could see it now — Damien didn't love me. I was Luna in name only. The real Luna, in everyone's eyes, was Vivian.

"You heard them. Everyone knows I'm the real Luna."

Vivian rubbed her belly smugly. "This child will be the Alpha's heir. One day this whole pack will be mine. What do you have left? No baby, no mark, no bond. Face it — you've already lost."

I didn't bother responding. I went to my room — I had luggage to pack.

A crash of breaking glass came from outside, followed by Vivian's scream.

I stepped out to check. Damien came running too. Vivian was on the floor, writhing in pain, a silver blade buried in her arm, blood pooling beneath her. His face went white.

"Vivian! Are you alright?"

She forced a few words through gritted teeth. "Elena... she tried to kill me..."

Damien's expression went black. Without waiting for my explanation, he threw me to the ground.

I instinctively wrapped my arms around my belly, pain tearing through me.

He scooped up Vivian and looked down at me, cold as ice. "If anything happens to Vivian's child, I will never forgive you."

Then he was gone.

My body ached, but the baby was fine. I had no intention of telling Damien about this child. He wasn't a good mate, and he wouldn't be a good father.

For days, Damien didn't come home. Vivian, however, was posting nonstop — intimate photos with Damien, one after another. I didn't care about any of them, except one photo that made my heart lurch.

Damien was on one knee, offering a protective amulet to Vivian.

Her caption read: 【He prayed to the Moon Goddess for this. It will keep me safe for life. His devotion warms my heart.】

I searched every corner of my room. My amulet was gone.

The man who'd sworn to protect me forever was the one breaking me, piece by piece.

I steadied myself and called my father. "Dad, how's everything I asked you to prepare?"

"All done. That son of a bitch is going to pay for what he did to you."

Relieved, I turned my mind to getting Damien to sign the dissolution papers. But that day came sooner than I expected.

A week later, Damien came home carrying jewelry and gifts. When he noticed my room had been cleared out, he frowned. "Why are you packing?"

"I'm going away for a few days."

"Where?"

"Is that your business? You never tell me where you go."

Something nagged at him — maybe it was the residual tug of the mate bond — but he wouldn't let himself think the unthinkable.

He pulled out a small box. Inside was an exquisite ring.

"Elena, I know I've been wrong. Even if you struck first, as an Alpha, I should have been generous. I shouldn't have blamed you just for your mistake."

"This is a family heirloom. I value it more than my own life. I'm giving it to you. No matter what happens, you're still the Luna of this pack."

The ring was a sacred relic. Not every Luna in the pack's history had held it — it represented supreme authority and the power to govern.

Once, I would have wept with joy. Now I only gave it a cold glance.

Watching me, Damien's heart plummeted. He swallowed hard. "Elena, are you—"

His phone rang, cutting him off. He checked the caller and stepped away.

Whatever was said on the other end drained the color from his face. His body trembled. His eyes went red. As if he’d heard something terrible.

"I'll take care of everything," he managed after a long pause.

He hung up, turned to face me, and couldn't meet my eyes.

"Elena. Let's dissolve the mate bond."