Chapter 2: In Twenty-One Days

Yvette

My mind wandered as I walked down the hallway. My stepsister, Lyra, had spent her life treating my world like a clearance rack.

First, it was my childhood dresses, then it was my father’s affection.

And now? Now she had set her sights on my mate.

But that was fine. If they wanted to play chess, I didn’t mind playing checkers.

That was why a month ago, I quietly initiated a Legal Pack Separation through the High Council.

I did this because I knew Kael well enough to know that he would never reject me. His pride wouldn’t allow it.

To the Alpha of Moonridge Pack, rejecting a “weak” Luna like me would look like weakness.

And for some weird reason I didn’t seem to understand, he wanted me by his side even though he had long-lost feelings for me.

So I filled the request under “irreconcilable bond instability”.

And the most ironic part?

His own mother had been my silent accomplice.

Yes, you heard that right. His mother was the one gunning for our separation even though he wasn’t aware. She felt like Lyra was the better choice.

The favoured daughter of the former Beta of the pack and her friend's daughter.

She had never been in support of our union. But now I realized that might have been the one good thing in this entire mess, because she was going to be my ticket to leaving her son for good.

If I only had three months left to live, I refused to spend them chained to a cheating mate.

The High Council had already approved the separation request days ago. All that remained was Kael’s signature on the official pack separation agreement.

And earlier today…

I had placed the separation document inside a thick stack of routine pack reports…border patrol summaries, supply requisitions, and patrol schedules, he signed them all without a second glance.

To him, they were just boring administrative matters.

But hidden in the middle of that pile was the one document that mattered.

The Legal Pack Separation Agreement.

In the eyes of pack law, his signature was enough to trigger the High Council’s ritual that would dissolve our mate bond once the mandatory cooling period expired.

My wolf Isla, stirred weakly again but not in pain this time. Instead, she felt somewhat relieved and I couldn’t deny the fact that I did too.

“Just three more months,” I whispered.

Three months to my death and 21 days until the High Council finalized the separation once the signed document was officially filed.

This was my life now and I was going to make the best of those three months before I was gone. Not a second of it will be wasted crying over a man who was worth nothing.

I finally entered my office and sank into my chair. After that, I picked up my phone and snapped a clear photo of the signed document. I checked to make sure Kael's signature was very visible on it.

Perfect.

I sent the photo to Mrs. Draven. She should be happy by now, after all this is what she’s always wanted all along.

My phone vibrated almost instantly.

Mrs. Draven: Good. I knew you could do it.

Then almost a second later, another message popped up.

Mrs. Draven: Once the cooling period is over, the fifty million will be transferred.

Fifty million dollars.

To a dying woman, it was meaningless.

But to my mother…the woman who had been cast out by her mate and left to struggle alone, it meant peace and security at least.

A future where she would never have to beg anyone for survival again. So even though I wouldn’t live long enough to see her spend it, I would die knowing the Dravens had funded her peace.

I leaned back in my chair, letting out a quiet breath. My wolf Isla shifted weakly inside me again.

She had been silent for most of the day, but now I could feel a faint sense of peace coming from her.

And strangely…

It felt like breathing after being suffocated for years.

A soft knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” I said.

My assistant, Mira, stepped inside with a tablet in her hands.

“Luna, Alpha Kael asked me to inform you that he will not be returning to the office this afternoon.”

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow slightly.

“He… left with Miss Nightshade.” She finally said after hesitating for some time.

Of course he did.

Kael had never bothered hiding his affairs. The entire pack knew he had cheated on me countless times…first with strangers, and now with my own stepsister.

“Alright. You can go back to your work.” I ordered.

“Yes, Luna.” She bowed slightly before leaving.

The door closed again, leaving me alone in the quiet office.

I picked up the legal separation document again and looked at Kael’s signature at the bottom.

He had really signed it without reading a single word.

Typical Kael.

For a man who controlled an entire pack, he was surprisingly careless when it came to things involving me.

My fingers traced over the signature slowly.

Twenty-one days.

That was all the time left before the High Council finalized the separation.

After that…

The bond would be completely severed and I would no longer be Luna of Moonridge Pack.

I would no longer be Kael Draven’s mate.

And by then… I might already be dead…or perhaps alive, if the moon goddess was gracious enough to me.

My phone vibrated again but this time it was a message from Lyra.

A picture appeared on the screen.

Kael sat across from her in a restaurant booth, his suit jacket draped over the chair beside him. Lyra leaned close to him, smiling brightly at the camera, her head resting lightly against his shoulder.

The caption read:

“Dinner with the Alpha. Some people should really learn when to step aside.”

I stared at the image for a long moment, then I chuckled softly.

“Don’t worry… I already have.” I murmured.

I locked my phone and placed it back on the desk.

For the first time in three years, my heart felt strangely light.

Kael and Lyra could have whatever they wanted.

Because in twenty-one days…

The Luna they both despised would be gone from their lives forever.