Chapter 5

"Aurora..." Asher's voice was awkward.

I ignored him and started to walk away.

"Luna!" Seraphina called out. "Please, wait."

I stopped and turned to face her.

She walked over, holding Leo, a regretful smile on her face. "I feel I owe you an apology. I know you're Asher's Luna, and I'm... I'm just a single mother who needs help. My presence has probably made you uncomfortable."

Her tone was so sincere, so gentle. She looked like a woman who was truly sorry.

"It's fine," I said flatly.

"Thank you so much for understanding," Seraphina said, her eyes shining. "Leo, say hello to Auntie Aurora."

The little boy looked at me shyly. "Hi, Auntie Aurora."

Just then, Asher's phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and stepped away to answer.

"Auntie Aurora, do you want a candy?" Leo asked in his small voice. "Mommy says this candy is super yummy."

I looked down and saw Seraphina take a blue-wrapped candy from her purse and hand it to Leo.

It was one of my calming lozenges. I knew the wrapper, the color, the design.

But a few seconds later, Leo's expression twisted. He clutched his throat, gasping for air.

"Mommy... I... I can't breathe..."

Seraphina shrieked in terror. "Leo! Leo, what's wrong?!"

Silver-colored patterns began to appear on the boy's skin—a classic sign of silver poisoning. His breathing grew more ragged, his small face turning red.

"Oh, gods!" Seraphina clutched Leo, screaming hysterically. "Asher! Help! Something's wrong with Leo!"

Hearing her screams, Asher ended his call and rushed over.

"What happened?!" he demanded, his face turning pale when he saw Leo.

"It was Aurora!" Seraphina cried, pointing at me. "She gave Leo a piece of candy! He ate it and then this happened!"

"What?" Asher stared at me in disbelief.

"It wasn't me!" I shot back. "She gave him the lozenge herself! This has nothing to do with me!"

"You're lying!" Seraphina retorted, her voice shaking with rage. "Why would I ever hurt my own child? It was you! You were jealous, so you decided to hurt an innocent pup!"

Asher's gaze flickered between us. Then he saw the corner of a blue wrapper sticking out of my purse.

The same kind of calming lozenge.

"Aurora..." His voice turned to ice. "What is that?"

I looked at the wrapper in my purse and understood everything. She knew I used them. She had deliberately given Leo the poisoned lozenge in front of me to frame me.

The way Asher looked at me, it was like I was a murderer. It didn't matter what I said. He had already convicted me.

He called his Beta, ordering him to rush Leo to the hospital.

Then he turned to me, his voice cold and hard. "Apologize to Seraphina and Leo. Right now. If you don't, I will petition the Elders to formally reject our mate bond!"

Hearing that, I let out a small, bitter laugh.

"Reconsider? There's no need for that, Asher."

With that, I reached up, unclasped the crescent moon necklace from around my neck—the symbol of the Luna—and threw it at him.

The silver chain sailed through the air and landed at his feet.

Asher stared at the necklace on the ground, completely stunned by my reaction.

"What... what do you mean?"

"I mean we're nothing."

Asher's brow furrowed. "Aurora, have you lost your mind? The mate bond is witnessed by the Moon Goddess. You can't just say it's over!"

"Can't I?" I raised an eyebrow.

Today was the third day. The order to sever the bond was already in effect.

As if to prove his authority and snap me out of it, he instinctively drew on his Alpha power, trying to force the mind link between us, to dominate my emotions.

But the next second, Asher's face went deathly pale.

The connection he expected, that familiar feeling of two souls intertwined, wasn't there.

Between us, there was nothing. Only emptiness.

"No… impossible…" He stumbled backward, all the color draining from his face. His eyes were wide with horror and panic. "Our bond… How could it be…"

I looked at his broken, desperate expression and felt nothing. No satisfaction, no joy.

Whatever regret he felt, it was far too late.

I turned to leave, tossing one last sentence over my shoulder.

"Go look at the wolfstone that was sent to your office. Then you'll understand everything."