Chapter 4

Amy had grown up at Yuna's side, serving as her personal maid since childhood.

She knew better than anyone how much influence Yuna carried in the pack now, and she also knew how deeply Damon had once cherished her.

So when she heard those words, Amy froze.

"Luna, didn't the Alpha say he would never agree to dissolve the bond?"

Amy lowered her voice, panic making her eyes red-rimmed. "If you go to the elders or the lawmakers, Alpha will definitely find out."

Yuna leaned against the headboard of the bed. Her face was so pale it almost looked translucent, and even her lips had lost all color.

Of course she knew.

Damon no longer loved her, but he would never allow her to leave.

It wasn't because he couldn't bear to let her go. It was because she was the last survivor of the Frostveil Pack and a rare white wolf. Those things still made her valuable to the Fendon Pack.

"So go find me a witch," Yuna said, looking at Amy. Her voice was so calm it felt almost lifeless. "Do it without alerting anyone."

Amy moved quickly. By that same afternoon, she returned with news.

She had found a witch named Serena.

According to her, she could brew a potion that would break the mate bond.

But it would take three days.

After hearing this, Yuna slowly lifted her hand and touched the mark on the side of her neck. It was the mark Damon had bitten into her all those years ago, the spot where their bond had been strongest, etched deep into her very bones.

"Three days is enough."

Enough time for her to let go of everything that needed to be let go.

Things had only just grown quiet on her side when the infirmary door was pushed open.

The person who walked in wasn't Damon.

It was Vera.

Today she wore a soft-colored long dress, her hair carefully styled, looking far less plain than before.

"Ms. Yuna, I know Damon went too far. I came to apologize to you on his behalf."

Yuna looked at her coldly and said nothing.

Vera bit her lip and placed a thermos on the small table beside the bed. Her movements were careful, almost timid, as if she were afraid of disturbing Yuna.

"I made this deer bone soup myself," she said softly. "Your body is weak right now. You need proper nourishment."

Yuna glanced at the thermos, and a strange sense of irony rose in her chest.

"Take it away. I don't need it."

Vera's tears welled up instantly.

"Ms. Yuna, I truly mean no harm. I know you hate me, but the pup I carried is gone. I have nothing left. Can you just pity me, please?"

Yuna sneered. "Pity you? Haven't you already claimed Damon's love?"

It looked like Vera expected that kind of response. She lowered her gaze, resting a hand on her belly.

"Yes, Damon does love me. Do you know how he stayed by my side during those days I was in the hospital? He hardly slept at all. He held me and kept saying he would give me another pup. He said he only felt alive when he was with me."

Vera lifted her chin deliberately, letting Yuna see the charm resting between her collarbones.

Yuna's gaze lingered, and her eyes sharpened.

It was a crude, well-worn talisman, polished bright, its wolf teeth and black cord entwined with Damon's scent. It was a scent she would never forget.

"He put this on me himself," Vera continued. "Damon said as long as I had it, nothing would ever happen to me again."

Vera stepped closer, lowering her voice, feigning concern.

"Ms. Yuna, the truth is you lost long ago. You were born into privilege, and you were always just a decoration for the Alpha's side. But what a male wolf truly wants in his den is never a high and distant moon. It's a mate who makes him feel safe..."

Slap!

Before Vera could finish, a sharp slap rang through the infirmary.

"A mate who makes him feel safe? You can never be an Alpha's mate. Humans will never truly be Luna of a pack."

Yuna stared at Vera's reddened face and coldly said, "That slap is to remind you to know your place."

Vera bit her lip hard, her eyes flashing with fury.

Suddenly, she grabbed the soup bowl from the table and hurled it to the floor.

The porcelain shattered, soup splattering everywhere.

Vera stumbled back immediately, tears streaming down, one side of her face marked with the clear imprint of Yuna's fingers.

At that moment, the room door burst open.