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Chapter 4

Penulis: Rosemary
On the day of the ceremony, Blackthorn territory was busy from dawn.

The Moon Goddess altar was decorated with white roses and fir branches. The elders wore dark robes, and servants prepared for the marking ceremony. When the full moon rose, Kaelan was supposed to acknowledge me before the pack and complete the Alpha and Luna mark.

But I knew the ceremony would never begin.

At noon, the Pack Council's confirmation arrived on my phone.

[Cancellation request approved. The Luna coronation and marking ceremony between Alpha Blackthorne and Miss Hale will be officially revoked at sunset today.]

I looked at the message for a long time. I didn't feel the rush of satisfaction I had imagined. I didn't feel sad either.

I only let out a quiet breath.

At four in the afternoon, Kaelan called me.

It was noisy on his end. I heard Vera crying in the background, trying to hold it in. She said today was Ethan's death anniversary and she shouldn't be alone. She said everyone else had a mate and she had nothing.

Kaelan sounded exhausted. "Eve, something came up here."

I said nothing.

He hurried to add, "I'm not saying I won't go. Go to the altar first and wait for me. Once I handle Vera's situation, I'll be there right away."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I'm sure. I won't disappoint you this time."

I looked at the sky outside as it slowly darkened. "Okay."

After hanging up, I changed out of the ceremonial gown and put on a simple trench coat. Then I handed my last suitcase to the driver.

The Moon Goddess altar sat on the hill behind the main fortress. I went anyway.

Elder Maren stood before the altar with the Council receipt in her hand. When she saw me, something complicated passed through her eyes.

"Miss Hale," she asked, "are you certain you want to cancel the ceremony?"

"I'm certain."

"After this, you will no longer be the future Luna of Blackthorn, nor will you be protected under the status of the Alpha's mate."

I nodded. "I know."

Elder Maren was silent for a moment. Then she stamped the receipt.

At sunset, the ceremony was revoked.

I left through the narrow path on the other side of the altar and never looked back.

At eight o'clock that night, the full moon rose. Kaelan finally reached the Moon Goddess altar.

He still carried the scent of herbs from Vera's room, his hair windblown from the rush. But there was no gown on the altar, no flower crown, no me. Only empty benches and candles already gone out.

Kaelan's wolf slammed restlessly inside him. He pressed down his anger and asked, "Where is Eve?"

Elder Maren looked at him. Her voice was calm. "Miss Hale has left."

Kaelan frowned. "What do you mean, left? The ceremony hasn't started."

"The ceremony has been canceled."

Kaelan's expression changed in an instant.

Maren handed him the application bearing both signatures. "Three days ago, you and Miss Hale signed the cancellation documents together. The Council has approved it. Alpha Blackthorne, as of sunset, she is no longer your future Luna."
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  • Signed Away Under the Full Moon   Chapter 10

    In the end, Kaelan didn't take back the jewels and gowns.He had everything packed and sent to Harbor City, saying it was compensation he owed me. I didn't open the boxes. I handed them all to the Pack Council and used them to establish a fund for mates who had lost their partners.Elder Maren called me once afterward. She said that after Vera left Blackthorn, Kaelan didn't attend a single banquet for an entire month. Once pack business was done, he would go alone to the empty Moon Goddess altar. Some wolves heard his wolf howling there, low and broken, like it was waiting for someone who would never come back.After listening, I only said, "I see."No satisfaction. No pity. When some feelings end, hatred isn't always necessary. Not looking back is the cleanest ending.I stayed in Harbor City.Noah's Moon Tide really had been a disaster. His drinks tasted like moral lectures, his menu read like breakup poetry, and Maggie kept saying he would starve if he kept going.Later, I couldn't s

  • Signed Away Under the Full Moon   Chapter 9

    Kaelan still seemed desperate to hold on to something.He looked at the trench coat I was wearing and suddenly said, "You left with almost nothing. But all the jewels and gowns are still at Blackthorn. Eve, if you really don't care about me, why did you keep everything I gave you?"I froze for a moment before I realized what he meant.Those things. The necklaces, crowns, gowns, and jewels he had sent after every broken promise.I almost laughed. "Kaelan, those were your apology gifts. How do you have the nerve to ask me about them?"His expression stiffened."I didn't bring them because they disgust me," I said. "Every single piece reminds me that you left me for Vera again. Did you think I loved them that much?"His throat moved, as if the words had cut deep."If you feel bad about it, I can have everything sent back," I said. "I don't want a single piece."He shook his head quickly. "That's not what I meant.""Then what did you mean?"He looked toward Noah standing beside the car, an

  • Signed Away Under the Full Moon   Chapter 8

    For the first time, Kaelan learned a person could feel hot and cold at the same time.Harbor City was warm in late August. Inside the heavy white wolf mascot suit, sweat had soaked through his shirt. But when he saw Evelyn throw herself into Noah's arms, his blood turned to ice.He knew the ceremony had been canceled.He knew Evelyn was no longer his future Luna. She could meet another wolf. She could start a new life. She could leave him buried in Blackthorn's past forever.Yet he still held on to one selfish fantasy.He imagined she would think of him when she saw the white rose. He imagined that when she learned he had arranged those things for her, she would turn back and look at him, even once.But she didn't.After the music festival ended, Noah and I walked away along the beach.At the end of the streetlight's glow, the white wolf mascot stood there. Its furry arms stretched out, blocking my path.I told Noah to wait for me in the car.Noah didn't look convinced. "Are you sure?"

  • Signed Away Under the Full Moon   Chapter 7

    The next morning, Noah arrived downstairs at the guesthouse right on time.His car was old but clean, and the passenger seat had a thin blanket and a bottle of warm water waiting on it."Mr. Reed, how did you know I was staying here?" I asked."Nine out of ten outsiders who come to this stretch of coast stay at Maggie's," he said. "The tenth usually gets lost."I paid him a generous guide fee.Noah looked at the transfer notice with a wounded expression. "Since we're being this formal, can you stop calling me Mr. Reed? You could call me Noah.""Fine, Noah," I said. "Make sure I have fun today."He smiled. "Yes, ma'am. Anything for my rich client."Harbor City looked nothing like the North.Noah took me to a seaside food stall. Just as the vendor was about to sprinkle rosemary into the soup, he stopped her. "She doesn't like rosemary."I paused. I really didn't like rosemary. Only Kaelan knew that.But Noah said it so naturally that I didn't think too much about it then.That afternoon,

  • Signed Away Under the Full Moon   Chapter 6

    Harbor City was warmer than the North.When the plane landed, dawn had just begun to pale. Sea wind tasted of salt, and standing outside the airport with my suitcase, I felt free for the first time.I had reserved a small guesthouse near the sea. The owner was a warm middle-aged she-wolf named Maggie. When she saw how much later I arrived than planned, she immediately poured me a cup of hot tea. "Did you run into trouble on the way? A girl dragging a suitcase this far shouldn't just tough it out alone.""It's solved now," I said."Good." She handed me the key. "Your room's on the second floor. If you're hungry, go to the late-night place on the corner. The owner's got a mouth on him, but the food is good."I had planned to stay quietly in Harbor City for a while and slowly figure out what to do next. But after waking from a long sleep, I suddenly thought, since I was free, why not go out first?That night, I went to the place Maggie mentioned.It was called Moon Tide. It claimed to be

  • Signed Away Under the Full Moon   Chapter 5

    Kaelan lowered his head and saw the name he had signed with his own hand.At that moment, the strongest Alpha in the North stood on an empty altar and, for the first time, heard his wolf let out a howl so broken it was almost out of control.Kaelan had always believed Evelyn would wait for him.She had waited too many times. Waited for him to come back from Vera, waited for him to make up for a birthday, waited for him to set a new ceremony date, waited for promises that had been delayed until they barely resembled promises anymore.So he had never imagined there would come a day when she truly stopped waiting.He gripped the cancellation application so tightly his knuckles turned white. His wolf surged through his blood, forcing several younger werewolves nearby to step back on instinct."Where did she go?"Elder Maren did not answer.Kaelan lifted his head sharply. His voice dropped until it was frightening. "I asked you, where did she go?""Alpha," Maren said, "she is no longer your

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