Chapter 3- Aurelia's POV

The summons came right at dusk, delivered by two armed guards who stood outside my room like I was a prisoner awaiting trial.

When I stepped through the doors of the great hall, the number of people made my breath catch in my throat.

The entire pack was gathered inside.

The elders occupied the front row of benches, flanked by ranks of armored warriors, while pack families crowded the edges of the room in total silence.

At the center of the raised platform stood Selene, dressed in fine blue silk, with Kael standing rigid beside her.

I knew right away that this was not a regular gathering.

"Why have I been summoned here?"I asked, walking down the central aisle until I stood below the stone dais.

Nobody answered me at first. The silence in the room was suffocating.

Then Elder Ezra stood up from his seat, unrolling a parchment in his hands.

"After careful deliberation following this morning's events, the council has determined that you are no longer fit to hold the title of Luna,"Ezra declared, his voice carrying over the crowd.

I kept my chin level. I had already expected that much. What I didn't expect was the next sentence that came out of his mouth.

"Because Lady Selene carries the true bloodline heir of the Alpha, this pack cannot continue to recognize you as Kael's mate,"Ezra continued, turning toward Kael. "The succession must be final. The old tie must be broken."

My eyes snapped directly to Kael.

He was standing close enough to touch Selene, but his face looked pale and miserable, his jaw clenched so hard the muscles jumped under his skin.

I searched his eyes, praying for any sign of hesitation, any proof that he was going to stop this madness right now.

He stayed silent. He didn't tell the elders to stand down.

"Alpha Kael,"Elder Thomas commanded from the bench. "Perform the severing before the eyes of your pack. Settle the line of succession tonight."

A cold terror washed through my chest as I realized what they were forcing him to do.

Everyone in our world had heard stories about mate rejections. We were taught that breaking a sacred bond was an unnatural, brutal act that left scars on a wolf's soul.

I never imagined I would be the one standing in the middle of my own pack, waiting for the words to destroy me.

Kael stepped down off the dais, his boots sounding loud against the stone floor. I could see the tension in his shoulders. His inner wolf was fighting him, roaring behind his eyes, thrashing against the unnatural choice he was forcing upon them both.

He knew this was wrong. He knew the Moon Goddess had tied our souls together. Yet he stood there, letting himself believe that throwing me away was the only way to keep his crown safe from the elders.

I looked straight at him, my voice barely shaking.

"If you do this, is there really no coming back?"

Kael opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He looked paralyzed.

"Alpha, do your duty!"Ezra barked from behind him.

Kael flinched, his gray eyes locking dead into mine.

"I, Kael Blackthorne, reject you, Aurelia, as my mate and Luna."

The words tore through the air.

I felt the sacred mate bond snapped like an iron chain under pressure.

Instant chaos ripped through the hall.

Kael let out a choked sound and dropped straight to one knee, gripping his chest with both hands as a violent roar tore out of his throat.

Bright red blood poured from his nose, dripping onto the floor. His fingernails lengthened into razor-sharp black claws, tearing through the sleeves of his tunic as his wolf lost its mind in agony.

He gasped for air, his chest heaving wildly as the spiritual backlash hit him like a physical blow.

Across the room, wolves cried out, gripping their heads as the violent shockwave rolled over the entire pack bond.

The agony tore straight through my own soul. It felt like someone had reached into my chest and ripped out half of my heart with bare hands.

My vision blurred gray, blood pooling in my mouth as I dropped my head, convinced the force of the severed bond was going to kill me right where I stood.

Then my collarbone flared with blinding, white heat.

The jagged birthmark beneath my tunic blazed so hot it burned through the agony in my chest.

A tiny six-pointed star made of pure silver light ignited directly over the mark, glowing through the fabric of my clothes for a split second.

I was way too shocked to process what was happening to my own body.

Down near the front row of the kitchen staff, an old servant with gray hair caught sight of the glowing silver star and went white as a ghost.

"The Star,"the old man whispered under his breath, stumbling back into the wall. "The true Star..."

Nobody in the chaotic room heard his trembling whisper.

I reached up with a steady hand and wiped the blood from my lips with the back of my sleeve.

I looked down at Kael kneeling on the floor, bleeding and broken, and felt the last thread of affection in my chest turn cold.

I was done begging for his scraps. I was done hoping he would ever choose me.

"I understand now where I stand,"I said.

My voice was quiet, steady, and devoid of tears.

I turned my back on him and walked toward the exit.

Behind me, Kael reached a clawed hand toward my retreating figure, his mouth opening as if to shout my name and call me back.

He hesitated. His pride clamped down on his throat, choking the words before they could leave his mouth.

He stayed silent, letting me walk away.

Elder Ezra's voice rose sharply over the groaning crowd, cutting through the remaining silence with cruel authority.

"Strip her of the Luna crest,"Ezra commanded the guards. "She will be removed from Blackthorne territory before sunrise.