Chapter 7

Two days after I was discharged, Ethan said he had to go on a week-long border patrol to negotiate a peace treaty with the Northern Pack.

He left in a rush. He even had a Beta guard pack his luggage and deliver it straight to the private landing pad.

In reality, Daisy's social media location was tagged at the Crescent Moon Hot Springs—a sacred resort.

[Daisy: With my favorite Alpha, in the most beautiful sanctuary, enjoying our babymoon.]

The attached photo showed two paws clasped together by the spiritual spring water, with the sacred lake reflecting two full moons in the background.

The black-and-dollar wrist guard on Ethan's wrist—a symbol of his authority—was blindingly obvious.

I closed the app, looked around the empty, luxurious Alpha Villa, and began my final cleanup.

I dug out every portrait and oil painting from the last ten years. From my awkward first shift to the vows at our Mating Ceremony, from the Eastern Forests to the Western Wastelands. One by one, I tossed them into the fire pit in the garden.

Watching the memories curl, blacken, and finally turn to ash in the flames, my heart turned to ash along with them. Still and silent.

I went to the backyard. There stood a sacred Laurel tree Ethan had planted with his own hands when I awakened at eighteen.

Back then, he said this tree represented our love, blessed by the Moon Goddess—never withering, blooming every year.

I called for a gardener with a strength-enhancement gift and ordered him to uproot it.

"Luna, this tree holds the spiritual energy of the territory. It's growing so well; the buds are about to open. Are you sure you want to dig it up?" The gardener looked at me with a mix of pity and horror.

"Dig it up. The smell stinks." My voice was indifferent.

Watching the tree crash down, its roots—connected to the earth's ley lines—exposed to the air, I felt nothing but relief.

I returned to the study and found the Blood Oath scrolls and cards Ethan had written to me. I shoved them, stack by stack, into the magical shredding array.

The array hummed, and the sweet nothings that once made my wolf's heart race instantly turned into meaningless dust.

Matching wolf-tooth necklaces, couple's pelt rugs, all the taxidermy prey he had gifted me, those so-called trophies of war...

Anything that carried our shared memories or scent was cleared out, bagged up, and thrown into the waste disposal unit.

The entire den was so clean, it was as if I had never existed.

Just like what I was about to do—disappear completely.

The final day.

Four hours before my aircraft was set to depart for the Neutral Territories.

I was carrying my only suitcase, ready to leave, when the front door suddenly opened.

Ethan had come back early.

He was a shade darker from the sun, his face wearing the languid tiredness of a male who had thoroughly sated his carnal desires.

"Ivy? Where are you going with that suitcase?" Seeing the luggage on the floor, a flash of panic and suspicion crossed Ethan's eyes.

My heart tightened, but I kept my face impassive. I spoke as naturally as possible. "A few other Lunas invited me to the hot springs deep in the forest for a couple of days. Just to relax."

Ethan let out a breath of relief and walked over, trying to hug me. "You scared me. I thought..."

Before he could finish, he glanced at the phone screen lighting up on the coffee table.

It was a text notification: [The asset bond under your name has been successfully dissolved. All dollar coins have been transferred...]

Ethan's face changed drastically. He snatched up the phone, his voice rising to a roar. "Dissolved bond? What is this?"

My heart skipped a beat. I forced myself to stay calm, snatching the phone back and frowning in complaint. "Oh, that? It's so annoying. Human hackers have been rampant lately. It's a phishing text."

The excuse was weak, full of holes.

But Ethan was clearly distracted because his own phone started ringing. It was Daisy's exclusive ringtone.

He didn't dig any deeper. Hurriedly, he said, "Is that so? Well, be careful. The Council has an emergency waiting for me; I have to go immediately. Have fun at the hot springs."

With that, he didn't even change clothes. He shifted into his wolf form and sprinted out the door.

Watching his retreating back, I calmly whispered, "Goodbye."

Once I was sure he was far away, I took out my burner phone and opened the encrypted channel I had prepared long ago.

Recipient: Ethan.

Attachment: A full 2GB of data extracted from memory crystals.

It contained everything from the last two months: every provocative message, photo, and video Daisy had sent me, along with the chat logs of Ethan's filthy, treacherous vows.

This belated "big gift" would be enough for him to chew on for a while.

I set it to send on a timer—scheduled for the exact moment I crossed the territory border.

I removed the SIM chip, shredded it into dust with my sharp claws, and flushed it down the toilet.

I pulled up the handle of my suitcase and took one last look at the den that was once called "home," now nothing but an empty shell.

Goodbye, Ethan.