No Longer His Luna After Midnight

Six days remained before my departure.

The officer from the Werewolf Council slid the application in front of me, and confirmed everything one last time.

"Ms. Erin Marcel, your mate is an Alpha. The Werewolf Council only handles the application and registration process. Since you're applying as a Luna, your request to sever the bond will be submitted directly to the Alpha King for review.

"Once approved, the mate bond and mark can be removed even if Lucien Blackwood refuses to accept it. Are you sure about this?"

I nodded and lowered my pen to the signature line.

The mark on the side of my neck suddenly turned warm.

Despite being weakened by medication, I sensed Lucien Blackwood approaching through our mind-link connection.

In the past, the moment I caught his scent, my wolf would perk up excitedly.

Now, she just curled up in the depths of my consciousness.

"My wolf doesn't want to stay here anymore," I said.

The officer glanced at the medical records attached to my application and didn't try to dissuade me further.

"A healer still needs to assess your recovery. The earliest we can arrange the procedure is six days from now, and it will take effect at midnight. Severing the mark will cause both parties intense pain, and you'll need some time to recover after that. We can escort you out once your condition is stable."

"Can I take my pup with me?" I asked.

Her gaze landed on the wooden box in my arms, and her voice softened. "Of course."

I hugged the box a little tighter.

Inside were only a card printed with a pair of tiny footprints, a lock of hair I had cut off, and the blue blanket we had never gotten to use.

Seven days ago, my adopted sister, Kayla Vance, and I had both been admitted to Silverpine Healer's Den.

She had gone into premature labor, while I had suffered a sudden placental abruption.

The healers rushed me into surgery. As I lost blood, my wolf lost control and desperately called out for Lucien's wolf.

I kept calling for Lucien through our mind-link connection too.

Before we lost our pup, I heard his response. "Erin, I've sent the on-duty healer over. Kayla is terrified right now. As soon as she settles down, I'll come straight to you."

He then weakened the mind-link connection.

I learned later that when Kayla was frightened, she could be affected by the Alpha's emotional distress.

He hadn't wanted her to feel my pain.

My pup never got to see him.

The healer told me the bleeding had been too severe. They had done everything they could. It wasn't my fault.

I knew that.

I didn't blame anyone for being unable to save my pup.

I only wanted to know why there hadn't even been a single person to hold my hand that night.

Not long after the officer left, Lucien walked in.

He immediately noticed my light jacket and leaned down to pull my shawl back over my shoulder. "Why are you sitting by the window? Your hands are still so cold."

He covered my fingertips with his palm, and a familiar warmth spread from the mark on my neck.

"What paperwork were you taking care of just now?" he asked.

"Just some personal documents."

"You can leave that kind of thing to me," he said.

He set a bowl of mushroom soup on the bedside table and retrieved a spoon for me.

In our three years of marriage, he always remembered that I didn't like pepper in my soup.

Looking at the spoon in his hand, I almost asked him why he could remember something so trivial yet forget to wait for me outside the operating room.

A pup cried somewhere down the hallway.

Lucien's hand stopped moving.

I gently pulled away.

"Go ahead," I said.

He didn't get up immediately. Instead, he bent down and kissed my forehead. "I'll be right back. Once you're recovered, we'll stay by the beach for a while. It'll just be the two of us."

After the door closed, I switched on my phone and canceled the trip we had planned together.

As the refund notification appeared on my screen, Mom sent me a photo.

Kayla was holding her pup, while Dad stood behind her. My best friend, Ella Brooks, was dressed in a white healer's coat. She was adjusting the blanket around the pup.

Half of Lucien's face was visible in the picture too.

Mom said Kayla had finally smiled that day and that I should be happy for her.

I zoomed in on the photo and saw the name tag around the pup's wrist.

[Noah.]

That was the name Lucien and I had chosen for our own pup.