The Last Dignity

(Aria's POV)

The door closed behind Derek, leaving behind an emptiness that seemed to swallow the air in the room. For a long moment, I couldn’t move.

My fingers clutched the edge of the polished dinner table, my knuckles white from the pressure. The soft fabric of the silk robe felt suffocating against my skin, as though every thread carried the weight of his words.

"Effective immediately."

They echoed over and over in my mind, carving fresh wounds I wasn’t sure would ever heal. My wolf whimpered softly within me, and I could feel her restless pacing, clawing at the walls.

Every instinct screamed at me to chase him, hold onto him, beg him to stay—my true mate. The man I have loved for four years, even when I knew he didn’t see me the same way.

But I wasn’t going to beg.

My pride, fragile as it was, wouldn’t allow it.

The sound of footsteps broke through my thoughts. I looked up to see Samuel standing in the doorway, his gray suit as neat as always, his face composed but his eyes filled with something unreadable. He stepped forward, holding a small wooden box in his hands.

"Miss Moonlight," he began, his tone formal, as it always was when we had an audience—though tonight, it felt colder than usual. "Alpha Derek instructed me to deliver this to you."

I frowned, eyeing the box he held. "What is it?"

"Herbs," he replied simply, setting the box on the table in front of me. "Specifically, the birth control mixture you've been taking regularly."

For a moment, I said nothing, staring at the ornate wooden lid that seemed far too delicate for something so bitter in purpose. The omega in me growled softly, her instincts resisting the sharp smell of restraint that emanated from the box even before I touched it.

Samuel’s gaze didn’t waver as he added, "He insisted, Miss Moonlight. For your safety."

I understood the implication as clearly as if Derek had spoken the words himself. Our arrangement was over, yes—but that didn’t mean he would take chances. Alpha heirs couldn’t afford surprises, especially ones that came in the form of an unexpected pup.

Wordlessly, I opened the box, the strong scent of the herbs wafting out immediately. The bitterness made my stomach turn, but I forced myself to pick up the small metallic flask inside. My fingers trembled slightly as I unscrewed the cap.

"You don’t have to do this now," Samuel offered, his voice softer now.

I met his eyes, my throat tightening. "Yes, I do."

He didn’t argue. He simply stepped back, a silent witness as I brought the flask to my lips and swallowed the foul liquid in one go. It burned all the way down, its flavor sharp and relentless, much like the pain now constricting my chest.

When it was done, I replaced the cap and set the flask back inside, closing the lid firmly. The weight of what I had just done pressed on me with an unbearable finality.

Samuel reached into his coat pocket then, producing two rolled scrolls with bold silver crests. He placed them beside the wooden box. "These are from Alpha Derek as well. The first is a territorial protection agreement. It will ensure your safety no matter where you travel within the werewolf territories. The second is your silver ID card."

He tapped the second scroll gently.

"This will elevate your status. With it, no smaller pack will dare harm or disrespect you."

I stared at the silver insignia without touching it. My fingers curled into my palms, nails biting into my skin.

"I don’t want them," I said firmly.

Samuel blinked, clearly unprepared for the sharpness in my tone. "Miss Moonlight—"

"You can return them." My voice was steady now, even as my wolf whimpered at the loss of potential safety. "I never used his protections or resources while we were together, and I won’t be using them now."

Samuel sighed deeply, his shoulders dropping just slightly. "Perhaps reconsider—"

I stood abruptly, startling him into silence. Reaching for my neck, my fingers found the familiar weight of the moonstone necklace Derek had placed there three years ago. The same necklace I hadn’t dared remove, even for a moment, despite the bitter circumstances of our "relationship."

Wordlessly, I unclasped the chain, letting the enchanted stone fall into my palm. The cool surface pulsed faintly against my skin, a remnant of the magical aura imbued within it. Looking down at it now, all I felt was the sting of betrayal.

"Give this back to him," I said, holding it out to Samuel.

His expression shifted for the first time—hesitation, concern, perhaps even pity.

"Miss Moonlight, I can’t—"

"Keep it, then," I interrupted sharply, shoving the moonstone into his hands. "I don’t care what you do with it. Just get it out of my sight."

For a long moment, Samuel said nothing. His grip tightened around the necklace, but he didn’t push further. Finally, he nodded, retreating toward the door.

"Take care, Miss Moonlight," he said before leaving.

The second the door clicked shut, my knees buckled, and I sank to the floor.

This time, I allowed myself to break.

The small apartment the pack had assigned me welcomed me with an emptiness even deeper than I expected.

The clean, sparse furniture felt colder under the dim moonlight streaming through the windows.

My entire life could fit into one suitcase. It took me less than ten minutes to pack it.

Each item I placed into the worn case seemed to weigh double—reminders of a life I’d spent building, threadbare as it was. A life that no longer existed. My hands shook as I zipped it closed, willing away the ever-present ache in my chest that grew sharper with every passing moment.

I texted Samuel quickly: *The keys are under the doormat. Please retrieve them when convenient.*

My finger hovered over the send button as my wolf stirred violently within me. Every instinct screamed at me to stop. Stop, stay, turn around, and go to *him*. It felt wrong—unnatural—to leave my mate like this.

But I pressed send anyway.

When I stepped over the threshold of the apartment for the final time, a cold wind swept through, ruffling my hair like invisible hands.

My thin jacket did little to block the chill as I hugged myself tightly. Each step away from pack territory was like tearing another piece of myself apart.

I didn’t know where I was going yet. I didn’t care.

All I knew was that I would live on my own terms, for however much time I had left.

---

Samuel's POV

"She’s gone," I told Derek as he stood beside me in the barren apartment.

He didn’t respond. His sharp, ice-blue eyes swept over the now-empty space, his movements cold and deliberate as he made his way inside.

The scent of lavender still lingered faintly, though the space felt hollow. She was really gone.

When I saw the moonstone pendant lying on the small table, I froze.

"Alpha." I waited, watching him closely as he approached the table, his gaze fixed on the necklace.

"What is this?" he murmured, quieter than usual.

"She left it," I said simply.

Derek’s hand hovered over the moonstone, his jaw tightening visibly.

"She’s never taken it off before," I added softly, remembering the way she had clung to it over the years. "Not even once. There was even a time—"

I paused, recalling the incident all too clearly. The memory came flooding back.

We were close to pack borders when rogue wolves had attacked her. Their goal was not money, nor to harm her—they had wanted the pendant. They’d tried to rip it from her neck, and she had fought them viciously, even as one hand clutched the necklace in an iron grip.

When I arrived to save her, she was barely conscious, bruised and bleeding. Yet when I pried the rogues away, her hand remained clenched tightly around the necklace. She hadn’t let go, even as she passed out.

Now, it sat abandoned on the table.

Derek’s hand finally closed around the moonstone. His knuckles turned white as though crushing it in his grasp.

To my shock, he brought it down with a sudden, violent force, smashing the chain against the edge of the table. The enchanted stone cracked instantly, shattering into tiny fragments.

"Alpha," I started, stunned.

"Burn the scroll," Derek growled harshly, his voice a low snarl.

I hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Do it now," he barked, his eyes bloodshot as they met mine. The usual calm, infallible mask was gone, replaced with something raw and seething.

I inclined my head silently, turning to leave. But before I stepped out, I glanced back once more.

Derek still stood there near the table, staring down at the pieces of broken moonstone scattered on the ground. In that moment, he looked less like an untouchable Alpha heir and more like a man haunted by loss.