Chapter 2

I stood frozen beside the window.

My fingers tightened around the curtain as I looked down at the scene unfolding outside.

Seraphina had returned. And judging from the crowd gathered around her, it seemed as though the entire pack had been waiting for her.

She looked exactly like the woman I remembered.

Beautiful. Confident. Untouched by the years that had passed.

Several servants surrounded her, while warriors and pack members greeted her enthusiastically.

Then I saw him.

Kael.

He had just stepped out of the pack house. The moment Seraphina saw him, her face lit up.

"Kael!" She ran toward him without hesitation.

My breath caught.

Kael didn't move away. He opened his arms and caught her. Seraphina threw her arms around him, laughing as she buried her face against his chest. And Kael smiled.

I stared at him through the window. That smile...

I had never seen it before. It wasn't the polite smile he sometimes gave the pack. It wasn't the faint smile he gave me whenever I thanked him for something.

It was warm. Relaxed and happy.

For the first time, I realized something that hurt more than I expected. Kael wasn't always cold and distant. He could smile like that.

He could look at someone as though their presence alone made him happy. He simply never looked at me that way.

My fingers slowly released the curtain.

I stepped away from the window. A servant approached me.

"Luna, what would you like us to prepare for lunch?"

I opened my mouth. "Kael likes—"

I stopped.

The servant suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, Luna, Alpha already gave instructions."

I looked at her. "What instructions?"

"He said he won't be coming back for meals this week. He has some things to take care of."

My heart gave a dull ache.

Things to take care of.

I glanced toward the window again. I didn't need to ask what those things were. Seraphina had just returned. Of course he would want to spend time with her.

I nodded. "Alright."

The servant bowed and left.

I stood alone in the quiet room.

For once, I didn't make excuses for him. I didn't tell myself that he was busy.

I didn't convince myself that he would come back. I didn't wait for him.

I simply accepted what was in front of me.

Kael had chosen where he wanted to be.

And now, I had to choose where I wanted to be.

***

By afternoon, I had changed my clothes.I adjusted my hat in front of the mirror before carefully picking up my bag.

A servant noticed me as I stepped outside.

"Luna?"

I stopped.

"Where are you going?"

"A friend wants to meet me."

The words came easily. It wasn't exactly a lie.Just not the whole truth.I wasn't going to meet a friend.I was going to take the Royal Academy's preliminary qualification exam.

The Royal Academy required applicants to pass a qualification test before they could enroll. And I had already been preparing for it years ago.

Back then, I had also planned to apply. I had dreamed of entering the academy and becoming an even better warrior.

But then Kael's father died. Kael became Alpha.

And I made my choice.I stayed. I abandoned my plans for the academy and devoted myself to becoming a warrior.

I never regretted that decision.At least, I hadn't until now.The qualification exam wasn't unfamiliar to me.

I knew what it required. I knew how difficult it would be. And although I still had six months before enrollment, there was no reason to wait.

If I was going to leave, I wanted everything prepared before that day came.I stepped outside.

Our home was located beside the main pack house. Originally, the Alpha and Luna lived on the top floor of the pack house.

But after my injury, Kael had personally arranged for a small house to be built nearby. He had made sure it was warm and comfortable. There were no stairs I needed to climb.

The rooms were spacious enough for me to move around. The servants were always nearby.

It was another example of how well Kael took care of me. And another reminder of why leaving him had never been easy.

As soon as I stepped outside, I lowered my head and pulled my hat farther over my face.My steps became slower. My hand tightened around my bag.

I hated walking past the pack house. I hated the eyes.

Ever since I lost the ability to walk normally, something inside me had changed. Before the accident, I had been confident. I had been a warrior.

I had stood among the strongest wolves in our pack without fear.

Now, every time I stepped outside, I felt as though everyone was looking at me.

The servants always told me the same thing.

"You should have someone accompany you, Luna."

"Let Alpha go with you."

"You shouldn't go out alone."

They probably thought they were protecting me.

But the person I feared going out with the most was Kael.

Because whenever I walked beside him, I could almost hear the thoughts of everyone around us.

Why does such an excellent Alpha have a crippled Luna?

Why can't his Luna fight? Why can't she run?

Why can't she represent him?

I had heard those questions before. I had been judged. Whispered about. Pitied.

And eventually, I simply stopped going outside.

It was easier to hide than to be reminded of everything I had lost.

I lowered my head further and continued walking.

Then voices drifted through the open window of the pack house.I recognized them immediately.

Kael.

Seraphina.

Darius.

Ronan.

My steps slowed. I hadn't intended to listen.

But then I heard Seraphina laughing."You two have changed so much."

Darius chuckled."What do you mean?"

"You used to put me first all the time."Seraphina's voice carried easily through the window."Now that you've both found your mates, you barely pay attention to me."

Ronan laughed. "You're jealous?"

"Of course I am." Seraphina sounded playful. "But at least Kael won't do that to me."

Silence followed for a brief moment.

Then she continued teasingly."Right, Kael?"

I stopped breathing.There was another round of laughter.

Ronan's voice came next."Don't worry. Alpha would never ignore you because of his Luna."

Something inside my chest tightened.

Then Ronan laughed."Besides, Elara would never dare control Alpha."

The others laughed again.I stood outside the window, completely still.My fingers slowly curled around the strap of my bag.

Then Seraphina's voice became softer."What about Elara's leg?"

I heard Darius sigh."To be honest, I feel sorry for Alpha."

My heart stopped.

Ronan agreed. "Same here."

Darius continued. "Kael is the strongest Alpha our pack has had in years. But his Luna can't join hunts."

"And she can't represent him during pack meetings," Ronan added.

"Or territory negotiations."

Darius sighed again. "Alpha doesn't even allow her to participate in most pack matters."

Seraphina was quiet. "Why?"

Ronan answered. "Because she can't be brought in front of everyone."

My heart slowly sank.I stared at the ground.

The words repeated inside my head.She can't be brought in front of everyone.Suddenly, everything became clear.

For three years, I had believed Kael kept me away from pack affairs because he cared about my injury.

I thought he was protecting me from exhaustion.

I thought he was giving me time to recover.I thought he simply didn't want to put unnecessary pressure on me.

But that wasn't it.He thought I wasn't suitable to appear beside him.Because I couldn't run.

Because I couldn't fight.Because I couldn't move like a normal wolf.

Because I embarrassed the image of the Alpha he had become.My throat tightened.

Then I heard Kael's voice."Enough."

The room went quiet.For a moment, hope flickered inside me.Maybe he would defend me.

Maybe he would tell them they were wrong.

But Kael continued calmly.

"Elara saved my life."

My eyes stung.

"She was seriously injured because of me." His voice was low. "I owe her."

I closed my eyes.There it was again.

That word.

Owe.

Darius sighed. "Alpha, you've already done enough."

Ronan agreed. "You made her your Luna." He laughed softly. "Without you, which Alpha would accept a Luna who can't run or fight anymore?"

My hand tightened around the bag.I felt something crack inside me.

Three years ago, I had believed Kael choosing to marry me meant he had accepted me.

I had believed he saw me as more than the woman who saved his life.I had believed I was his wife because he wanted me.

But now I understood.To Kael, this marriage had never truly been a choice.It was repayment.

A debt.

A responsibility he had decided to carry for the rest of his life.My gaze dropped to the certificate in my hand.The Royal Academy qualification exam.I had worked hard to obtain it.

For the first time in years, I felt something that didn't belong to Kael.A future that was mine.

Then Ronan's voice rang out again.

I heard laughter.I looked toward the window.

Through the gap in the curtain, I could see them.

And then I saw Ronan imitate the way I walked.

The movement was exaggerated.

Cruel.

The room erupted in laughter.My face burned.

My hands trembled.

Seraphina laughed too.

Then she leaned against Kael.

"Does Elara really walk like that every day?"

My eyes moved to Kael.

He didn't laugh.

But he didn't stop them either.

He simply sat there.

Silent.

That silence hurt more than laughter ever could.

I had spent three years telling myself that Kael cared.

That he was gentle with me.

That he protected me.

That beneath his coldness, there was something more.

But perhaps I had only been seeing what I wanted to see.

My vision blurred.

Humiliation and anger surged through me at once.

I took a step backward.

My injured leg suddenly gave way.

I reached for the door.

My fingers caught the handle.

My balance disappeared.

Before I could think, I pushed the door open.

It hadn't been completely closed.

The laughter inside stopped.

Every face turned toward me.

And for the first time, I stood before them without hiding my face.

Without my hat pulled low.

Without pretending I hadn't heard a single word.

I looked straight at Kael.

His expression changed.

And the room fell completely silent.