Chapter 4

For two whole days, I kept revising the application I was about to send to the Neutral Territory.

But how could I tell them that an Omega who had officially severed her mate bond was now carrying the heirs of the Crescent Pack's Alpha?

My fingers hovered over the send button, frozen in hesitation. And then, a message came from Felix.

Felix: [Come to the entrance of the clinic.]

I blinked in surprise. He… he was here?

After a brief pause, I descended the stairs.

As soon as I stepped out of the clinic, I saw Felix leaning casually against his car. The early morning sunlight softened the sharp lines of his face, and my breath caught.

My wolf stirred inside me, shamelessly excited, letting out a low, joyful howl. It urged me to run to him, just like before. But I pressed down on it with all my strength.

My reason reminded me of all the neglect and heartbreak I'd endured over the past five years.

I quickly averted my gaze, fingers nervously fiddling with the strap of my bag, concealing the struggle of love and pain warring inside me.

His voice rang out, commanding yet irresistibly magnetic, "Jean, come to Moonlight Restaurant tomorrow night at eight. I have something to tell you."

Even hearing the restaurant's name tightened my stomach.

It was the same restaurant where, on our fifth anniversary, I had waited alone for hours while he went to the airport to meet Mary.

"Okay," I heard myself answer, my voice betraying a note of genuine delight.

I let that fleeting joy show on the surface, using it to complete a flawless performance.

Because until I had fully left Felix behind, I had to act as if nothing mattered.

Any hesitation, any crack in my mask, and his Alpha instincts would detect it.

I could not let him suspect, nor could I let him discover I was pregnant.

Otherwise, before I succeeded in leaving, he would cage me and my unborn pups like prey—trapping me once again, and I'd spend the next half of my life as the miserable, shadowed Luna I had been for the past five years.

No. I would never allow that.

…

Inside the restaurant, he chose the private room where we'd had our first date. Luxurious decor surrounded us, and the light spilled across his striking face, making him look almost godlike.

When he poured juice for me, his arm naturally wrapped around my waist.

He lowered his head, his deep gray eyes locking on mine. "I have to explain what happened that day in the clinic…"

Suddenly, the door to the room was flung open.

His Beta rushed in and whispered urgently in his ear.

In that quiet room, words like "Mary", "suicide", and "she needs you" stabbed into my ears like ice daggers.

My chest sank.

Of course. She didn't even want to leave me this last shred of time with Felix.

"What!"

Felix released my waist, snapping upright as he strode toward the door.

In that instant, my world went black and white, as if the apocalypse had arrived—no, it wasn't the end of the world, it was the surge of something immense within me, a force so powerful it nearly knocked me unconscious.

He heard the thud of me collapsing behind him and paused.

In that brief moment, he made a rational, correct decision, prioritizing the urgent situation.

He pointed at me, speaking to his Beta, "Take her to the clinic. I have to check on Mary."

Then he vanished from my sight entirely, and I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes again, I heard fragments of conversation.

"Just emotional stress combined with low blood sugar…"

"Give her some glucose…"

I forced my eyes open to see the healer speaking at the door with Felix's Beta.

Panic surged. What if they discovered I was carrying twins?

The healer lowered her voice. "Considering the patient's condition…"

My throat went dry. 'No, no! Moon Goddess, someone… Please stop her from saying more!'

At that moment, the Beta's phone rang.

"What is it, Alpha? Understood. I'm on my way."

He left in a hurry.

The doorframe creaked as it closed. The healer's lips had parted slightly, but the secret of my pregnancy remained unspoken.

"Ah, you're awake." She turned to see me watching her.

"Your babies are healthy. But since you fainted, we'll keep you here for two days for observation."

She hesitated, glancing at the door. "Also… I suspect this may be a sign of your Moon Goddess bloodline awakening. I haven't mentioned this to the Alpha yet."

I exhaled quietly, relieved. "Thank you. Please continue to keep it secret."

Once the healer left, two junior nurses at the door whispered to each other.

"I heard Mary is in the VIP ward upstairs. All the pack's advanced medical equipment and best healers are watching over her."

"Didn't you see? The Alpha escorted her through the hall earlier. His aura was overwhelming."

"Childhood sweethearts are just treated differently…"

Hearing them, that suffocating, familiar feeling crept back into my chest.

Without a doubt, they were talking about Felix and Mary.

Felix treated Mary like a priceless treasure. While I, Luna of the Crescent Pack, lay alone on this cold hospital bed, ignored.

After two days of observation and confirmation that everything was fine, I was discharged.

Once outside the clinic, I hailed a car to the airport.

On the way, I took out the magical scroll and pressed my fingerprint onto it.

The weight of our mate bond lifted from my soul, dissipating completely, leaving me lighter than I had ever felt.

Finally, I opened my phone and drafted my last message to Felix.

Jean: [Alpha, I know I have always been the small, replaceable, easily forgotten shadow behind you. But now, it's different. Perhaps the world still revolves around you… but I no longer will.]

I scheduled it to send three days later. My wolf let out a low whine, and I felt the gentle stirring of life in my belly.

I rubbed my stomach softly, tears brimming in my eyes, and smiled.

'Are you comforting me, little ones? It's okay. Mommy is leaving soon, to a place where no one will hurt us. From this day forward, my life will be a territory he can never set foot in.'