Chapter 5

The white light of the medical wing stung my eyes again.

I tried to sit up, and every bone screamed. The wolfsbane poison still clung to me, choking my healing to a near standstill.

"You're awake."

My heart stopped at the familiar voice.

Rylan sat by the bed, his eyes sunken and bloodshot.

He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

But the moment our eyes met, the concern vanished. The mask of the indifferent Alpha slammed back into place.

"How are your injuries?" His voice was devoid of warmth.

"Still alive."

"He's been here the whole time!" Echo insisted, her voice frantic. "He never left your side! He's just putting on a front! He can't show weakness, don't you see? It's killing him to act this cold!"

I ignored Echo and reached for the glass of water on the nightstand.

My elbow knocked a small briefcase off the table.

Clatter.

It fell to the floor, spilling its contents.

A few changes of clothes, some personal items, and... a thick stack of parchment.

My severing application.

Rylan bent down to help me clean up, his large hands gathering the scattered items.

When he picked up the stack of parchment, my heart nearly leaped out of my chest.

"What's this?" He opened the first page, his eyes landing on the glaring headline.

I snatched the documents from his hand, clutching them to my chest. "It's nothing."

He narrowed his eyes, his powerful Alpha presence filling the room. "Let me see."

"It's just... some old family land," I lied, letting my voice tremble. "The Moonlight Forest. My father left it to me, but the claim needs an Alpha's seal to be valid."

"He's just looking for an excuse to make up!" Echo prompted wildly. "He wants to fix things, but he's too proud! Give him an opening, Aveline! Tell him you regret it!"

I looked at Rylan's complicated expression and a plan formed in my mind.

"It's drenched in pure lunar energy," I whispered, looking down. "A perfect place for a wolf to recover its strength. If you... sign it for me... you can use it whenever you want."

It was the perfect excuse.

Let him think he was doing me a favor, when in reality, he was signing his own death warrant.

Rylan was silent for a long time, his gaze shifting between me and the papers.

"Just territory documents?"

"Of course," I said, trying to look sincere. "We're... still mates, aren't we? What's mine is yours."

His expression softened slightly. "Give them to me."

With a trembling hand, I passed him the documents and watched as he flipped to the page requiring the Alpha's seal.

He gathered his wolf's power, a deep blue light glowing at his fingertip, and pressed it firmly onto the parchment.

It was done.

The severing contract was officially active. All that was left was the ceremony itself.

He shoved the papers back at me. "Handle it," he said, his tone clipped and cold. "And don't bother me with trivial things like this again."

He stood to leave.

"Rylan," I called out.

He turned, a flicker of hope in his eyes.

"Thank you."

His face fell. He strode out of the room without another word.

I was discharged the next day.

For the next week, I was busy transferring my assets and formally submitting the activated application to the Elders.

Rylan didn't come home.

The pack's internal reports became a new form of torture. One showed Rylan and Morrigan on their annual tour of the northern vassal packs. In the accompanying image, Morrigan was wearing the ceremonial gown meant for the Luna, standing by his side as they received tribute. The caption spun a tale of her "exceptional talent in pacifying vassal packs."

A second report: During trade negotiations with the Snow Wolf Clan, Morrigan, acting as Rylan's representative, secured a massive deal for the Black Stone pack. The image showed them in an ancient castle, raising their glasses in celebration before a roaring fire. The caption called her "a rising star of the pack."

Every report showcased their intimacy, announcing Morrigan's special status to the entire wolf world.

"He's provoking you!" Echo explained, her voice weary. "He wants you to see that he can groom someone else to be a competent 'Luna' without you! He wants to make you jealous, to make you reach out to him!"

But I felt nothing.

No anger, no jealousy, no pain.

Just emptiness.

A week later, Rylan finally came home.

I was in the living room, organizing books, when I heard his familiar footsteps.

He walked in, saw my calm expression, and frowned.

"Did you see the alliance reports?" he asked, testing the waters.

"I did," I said without looking up. "Looks like things went well."

He waited for more, but I gave him nothing.

"Morrigan did a great job," he continued. "Her performance at the negotiating table impressed a lot of the old Alphas."

"That's good."

"She said she wants to learn more about pack management."

"Mm-hmm."

"Aveline!" He finally snapped, his voice tight with suppressed rage. "Don't you have any reaction at all?"

I put down my book and looked at him.

I met his gaze, my own empty. "Rylan, you can't keep a fire alive with no fuel. I spent seven years feeding it. Now," I said, my voice flat, "there's nothing left to burn. I'm just tired."

The color drained from Rylan's face.

"What are you saying..."

"I'm saying I don't have the energy to be jealous anymore, or to fight, or to feel my heart break over anything you do." I picked up my book again. "You can be with whoever you want, do whatever you want. I don't care anymore."

"You don't care?" His voice started to tremble.

"I don't care."

A crushing Alpha pressure suddenly flooded the room.

The windows rattled and hummed under the force.

CRACK!

Every window in the living room shattered from his uncontrolled rage.

He spun around and stormed out of the room.

SLAM! The front door shook on its hinges.

"He misunderstood!" Echo screamed in my head. "He thinks you really don't care! His wolf is furious! And terrified! He's afraid of losing you! Go after him! Explain!"

But all I felt was a deep, profound exhaustion.

I went back to organizing my books, placing them one by one into a box.

The day after tomorrow, the Elders would publicly announce my severing application and approve the ceremony.

It would all be over soon.