Cassia's POV
After one brutal night with Rylan, every inch of my body ached.
He was Shadow Pack's Alpha. A fierce warrior-and in bed, just as relentless.
I forced myself to sit up, my skin burning with the marks he'd left behind.
Facing the moon outside the window, I silently recited the vow to break our bond.
"Great Moon Goddess, I willingly sever my fated bond with Rylan. I willingly bear the pain it brings. I willingly leave Shadow Pack and come a rogue. From this moment on, there will be no connection between us. I will no longer be his Luna."
The second the words left me, agony ripped through my body.
It felt like every bone in my body had shattered. Flames burst in my chest, racing under my skin, burning me alive.
I collapsed to my knees, sweat pouring from my forehead.
So this was what it felt like to break the bond. The pain was unbearable. But this was my choice.
Thank the Goddess we had never marked each other. Without a mark, I could break the bond on my own.
After tonight, Rylan and I would be strangers.
I had no idea how long the pain lasted. When it finally ended, I was trembling, drenched in sweat, hollow inside.
I felt empty inside.
From now on, I had no home. No pack. No mate.
I was just a rogue.
I looked at Rylan one last time as he slept, unaware. Then I grabbed my bag and walked out of the house. Out of Shadow Pack. Out of his life.
Rylan's POV
When I finally woke, it was already noon.
My first thought was to strangle Cassia.
I was Shadow Pack's Alpha-sharp, calculating. No one had ever managed to outsmart me. No one had ever gotten the upper hand on me.
And yet somehow, I'd been played by Cassia. An omega. Fury burned through me. I scanned the room, but she was gone. Even her luggage had disappeared.
A strange unease gripped me-then pain slammed into my chest as if something had been ripped straight from my heart.
Fire surged from my heart, consuming me from the inside out. And then-suddenly, I felt the bond shatter. A hollow emptiness settled in my chest.
I stood there in disbelief.
Cassia had really severed our mate bond? How was that possible?
Even now, I couldn't believe she'd do it willingly. For three years, she'd fought so hard to hold onto me.
She must have done something-some trick to make me think the bond was gone. I reached out through my Alpha link, searching the pack for any trace of her.
But to my shock-I couldn't sense her at all.
I couldn't sense her-not as my mate, not even as a member of Shadow Pack.
Panicked, I jumped out of bed, got dressed, and stormed downstairs.
"Have you seen Cassia?" I demanded.
Daxton, my Beta, blinked in surprise. "Alpha, Ms. Durant left before dawn. She said she was leaving Shadow Pack on her own. Said she wouldn't trouble you again."
I froze.
Cassia had really done it. She'd severed our mate bond and left Shadow Pack.
Panic hit me hard—followed by anger and a gnawing sense of dread.
That foolish woman. Where could she go without the pack's protection?
Without her wolf, alone as a rogue... she wouldn't survive out there.
I didn't understand why I cared. I hated her. Wanted her gone.
But the second she vanished, I couldn't stop the panic clawing at my chest. I ordered my Beta to track her down and bring her to me.
But they couldn't find her.
It was as if she'd vanished into thin air. We couldn't trace her. Not at all.
Ten months later, a dying baby girl was delivered to me-out of nowhere.
And the moment I caught her scent, I knew.
She carried my blood.
She was my daughter.
And there was only one woman I had ever been with-Cassia.
She had given birth to this child.
I went mad trying to track down whoever had delivered the baby. But there wasn't a single trace to follow.
I stared down at the fragile girl in my arms. She was so weak, her breaths shallow, her life hanging by a thread. I had no choice but to take her to the best wolf healer in the pack.
The doctor's face was grim. "She's in bad shape. Abandoned right after birth. She hasn't even been fed."
Those words ignited pure rage in me.
Cassia. You heartless woman.
It was one thing to leave me. But to abandon a newborn? To abandon your own child?
When I find you-l swear-you will pay for this.
Rylan's POVI stalked back into the villa, voice low and sharp. "Has Seren come home?"Inside me, my wolf, Loren, paced hard, claws scoring the fragile barriers of my mind, fighting to break free.I kept my voice low, but my wolf was pacing, one breath away from breaking loose.The butler rushed forward, nervous."No, Alpha. There's been no sign of her."I frowned.We'd searched everywhere.Where else could my little girl have gone?Could something have actually happened?The thought alone sent a fresh surge of fury through me-dark and violent, the kind that made my blood run hot with the need to destroy.That's when I heard Ivy rushing in from outside. "Rylan!" she called, her voice laced with panic.Her perfume hung heavy in the air, but it couldn't mask the faint edge of nervous sweat beneath it.Since Cassia left, I'd convinced myself I could accept Ivy-a woman who matched me in every way that mattered. Status. Looks. Power. Temperament.Ivy had made her intentions clear. More tha
Cassia's POVAn hour later, Mira's car pulled into a gated neighborhood on the edge of the city called Moonspire Estate.I'd only asked her to find us a place two days ago. Mira had said, "A lot of reclusive wolf families live here. It's safe."We climbed out of the car, following Mira as she led us-bags in hand-into our new home."Nice place. I like it." I glanced at her with a grin. "Didn't think you'd move this fast."Mira arched a brow. "My family's place is right next door. The owners here moved to Solara and listed it for rent.Perfect timing."We unpacked the essentials. By the time we finished, it was nearly dinner. Mira offered to take us out to eat. We were pulling into the restaurant parking lot when it happened-before the car even stopped, a sudden, panicked scent hit me.A child.Mira slammed on the brakes, heart pounding, eyes wide as she stared out the windshield at a little girl who'd fallen to the ground.My own pulse skipped. I whipped around to check the backseat. L
Cassia's POVI didn't dare look back. I moved fast, weaving through the airport crowd, needing to get as far away from that dangerous man as possible.The whole way out, my heart raced in my chest. Instinctively, I sharpened my senses, scenting the air for any trace of that familiar Alpha aura.Thankfully, we made it past the airport doors without picking up that threatening scent. I finally let out a long breath of relief."Cassia! Lucian! Killian!"I glanced up to see Mira Crowe waving from across the street, dressed in her usual crisp attire. A faint herbal fragrance drifted from her- the signature scent of a wolf healer's bloodline."Mira, it's been too long!" Relief washed over me the moment I saw her.Mira had been my closest friend back when I worked in Mr. Nolan's lab. Like me, she came from a long line of wolf healers, and now she was back home working at her family's hospital.She crossed the street quickly and pulled me into a warm hug. "I've been waiting forever for you gu
Cassia's POVI wanted to refuse.But Nolan's next words left me no choice."You've trained with me for years-you know the difference between domestic and foreign medical resources. The scent of mugwort alone can calm a restless wolf's blood. Out here, you simply don't have enough of the right herbs for your research. But back home... it's a different story. Especially in Shadow Pack territory-you'll have everything you need."I couldn't argue with that.He was right.Shadow Pack's territory sat deep within mist-covered mountains. Along its cliffs grew a rare herb that only bloomed under a full moon. Its glowing blue roots had powerful healing and calming effects for wolves -an herb nearly impossible to find outside our lands.Inside me, my wolf, Liliane, stirred."You're no longer the Omega who used to flinch at an Alpha's growl. Go back. If anyone who once hurt you tries again—I'll tear them apart."She was right. I wasn't that weak Omega anymore. I didn't even know how to define my
Cassia's POVSix years later.Yorkmere, Wolfsbane Research Group.I had just stepped out of the lab when my assistant, Linda, caught up to me. "Dr. Durant, Mr. Nolan needs to see you. He asked you to stop by his office."I'd worked through the night, analyzing Wolfsbane's toxicity. Exhaustion weighed heavily ce. But at her words, I jolted awake, alert. "Did he say what it's about? Don't tell me... the twins wrecked another project?""I'm afraid they did." Linda gave me a look of sympathy.When I'd given birth to my boys, the delivery had been difficult and dangerous. I'd been hanging on by a thread when my wolf finally awakened -saving both me and my sons.Ever since then, my wolf had been deeply bonded to the twins. Even across the entire facility, I could sense Lucian and Killian's nervous anticipation after getting into trouble.After leaving Shadow Pack, I had thrown myself into the Wolfsbane project overseas.I came from a long line of wolf healers. I'd grown up surrounded by the
Cassia's POVAfter one brutal night with Rylan, every inch of my body ached.He was Shadow Pack's Alpha. A fierce warrior-and in bed, just as relentless.I forced myself to sit up, my skin burning with the marks he'd left behind.Facing the moon outside the window, I silently recited the vow to break our bond."Great Moon Goddess, I willingly sever my fated bond with Rylan. I willingly bear the pain it brings. I willingly leave Shadow Pack and come a rogue. From this moment on, there will be no connection between us. I will no longer be his Luna."The second the words left me, agony ripped through my body.It felt like every bone in my body had shattered. Flames burst in my chest, racing under my skin, burning me alive.I collapsed to my knees, sweat pouring from my forehead.So this was what it felt like to break the bond. The pain was unbearable. But this was my choice.Thank the Goddess we had never marked each other. Without a mark, I could break the bond on my own.After tonight,