LOGINAstrid hated herself for noticing.She really did.But the moment she entered the GreyMoon training grounds the next morning—She noticed.Everyone noticed.A woman stood beside Damien.Tall.Confident.Beautiful.Dressed in a fitted red jacket that immediately drew attention.She wasn't clinging to him.Wasn't flirting.Wasn't trying too hard.Which somehow made it worse.Astrid slowed her steps.Her stomach tightening unexpectedly."Who is that?"A young pack member nearby blinked."Oh."The girl smiled."That's Valerie Blackthorne."Astrid frowned.The name sounded familiar."She's one of the strongest Alphas in the western territories."That got Astrid's attention."What is she doing here?"The girl shrugged."Council alliance negotiations."A pause.Then—"And she's single."Astrid's eye twitched.Across the field—Valerie laughed at something Damien said.Actually laughed.And Damien—Damien smiled.Not a forced smile.Not a polite smile.A genuine one.Astrid immediately hated
The divorce papers remained unsigned. Not because Astrid had decided to stay. But because every time she picked up the pen— Something stopped her. Something she refused to name. Three weeks passed. And Damien changed. Completely. No gifts. No flowers. No waiting outside her door. No searching for excuses to speak to her. Nothing. The house felt strangely empty without his obsession filling every corner. At first, Astrid enjoyed it. Then she noticed herself listening for his footsteps. And that realization annoyed her more than anything. Damien had returned fully to GreyMoon. Council meetings. Pack disputes. Training sessions. Border inspections. Every hour of his day seemed occupied. Every hour that used to belong to her. Now belonged to the pack. And the pack loved it. Because their Alpha was back. Stronger. Sharper. More focused than ever. Unfortunately for Astrid— So was Taylor. Taylor had discovered a new hobby. Damien. Not because she loved him.
The divorce papers remained unsigned.Not because Astrid had decided to stay.But because every time she picked up the pen—Something stopped her.Something she refused to name.Three weeks passed.And Damien changed.Completely.No gifts.No flowers.No waiting outside her door.No searching for excuses to speak to her.Nothing.The house felt strangely empty without his obsession filling every corner.At first, Astrid enjoyed it.Then she noticed herself listening for his footsteps.And that realization annoyed her more than anything.Damien had returned fully to GreyMoon.Council meetings.Pack disputes.Training sessions.Border inspections.Every hour of his day seemed occupied.Every hour that used to belong to her.Now belonged to the pack.And the pack loved it.Because their Alpha was back.Stronger.Sharper.More focused than ever.Unfortunately for Astrid—So was Taylor.Taylor had discovered a new hobby.Damien.Not because she loved him.Not because she wanted him.But be
The house was quiet the next morning. Unnaturally quiet. No flowers. No deliveries. No velvet boxes waiting on tables like emotional landmines. Nothing. Astrid noticed immediately. And somehow— That unsettled her more. She walked downstairs cautiously, expecting tension. Chaos. Another argument. Instead— Damien sat at the dining table in a black shirt, sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms, reading through a stack of documents. Working. Actually working. Several members of the GreyMoon council stood nearby speaking in low voices while Damien listened with calm, precise attention. No obsession. No gifts. No fixation. Just the Alpha of GreyMoon. Astrid slowed slightly. One of the men noticed her first and immediately straightened. “Luna.” Astrid almost flinched at the title. Damien looked up briefly. Their eyes met. And unlike every other morning— There was no intensity in his expression. No desperation. No hunger. Just ackno
The house was quiet the next morning. Unnaturally quiet. No flowers. No deliveries. No velvet boxes waiting on tables like emotional landmines. Nothing. Astrid noticed immediately. And somehow— That unsettled her more. She walked downstairs cautiously, expecting tension. Chaos. Another argument. Instead— Damien sat at the dining table in a black shirt, sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms, reading through a stack of documents. Working. Actually working. Several members of the GreyMoon council stood nearby speaking in low voices while Damien listened with calm, precise attention. No obsession. No gifts. No fixation. Just the Alpha of GreyMoon. Astrid slowed slightly. One of the men noticed her first and immediately straightened. “Luna.” Astrid almost flinched at the title. Damien looked up briefly. Their eyes met. And unlike every other morning— There was no intensity in his expression. No desperation. No hunger. Just acknowledgment. Then he returned to
The house was quiet the next morning.Unnaturally quiet.No flowers.No deliveries.No velvet boxes waiting on tables like emotional landmines.Nothing.Astrid noticed immediately.And somehow—That unsettled her more.She walked downstairs cautiously, expecting tension.Chaos.Another argument.Instead—Damien sat at the dining table in a black shirt, sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms, reading through a stack of documents.Working.Actually working.Several members of the GreyMoon council stood nearby speaking in low voices while Damien listened with calm, precise attention.No obsession.No gifts.No fixation.Just the Alpha of GreyMoon.Astrid slowed slightly.One of the men noticed her first and immediately straightened.“Luna.”Astrid almost flinched at the title.Damien looked up briefly.Their eyes met.And unlike every other morning—There was no intensity in his expression.No desperation.No hunger.Just acknowledgment.Then he returned to the papers.“We’ll move the nor
Sebastian’s POVThe world does not end all at once. All it does is fracture quietly, with seals and with men who have told themselves they are being reasonable.Before the council hall became empty, the damage had already been incurred. Astrid walked beside me through the long colonnade that led
Astrid’s POVThe moon felt so close, more than it has ever been. The moon had never felt so close.It hung low in the sky, swollen and fractured, with veils of cloud around it. The storm had gone away from the city, but it had not gone from us. It was still in us, the kind that lived in the chest,
Sebastian’s POVMy father’s hesitation was brief.But it was real.In all my years standing beside him—behind him—I had never seen Alpha Lucian pause without already knowing the outcome. His authority had always been decisive, immovable. A blade that never wavered.Now, that blade hovered.The cou
Astrid’s POVPower does not leave quietly.It lingers—like the echo of a scream in a mountain pass, like warmth after a fire has died. Even after the Alpha God was forced back into the threshold, the hall still felt bruised. The stone beneath my feet throbbed faintly, as if remembering what it had







