Chapter 11

'B-Blackwater.'Adrian stopped moving.His wolf slammed violently against the walls of his consciousness and released a roar that bordered on madness."What? It's not you?"The Alpha beside him blurted out the words before he could stop himself.Another werewolf's face drained of color."Wait a second. Blackwater? So BW stands for Blackwater Pack?"The group exchanged stunned looks. At last, they realized the truth. The color slowly disappeared from every one of their faces.But Adrian heard none of it.His gaze remained locked on me.I stood quietly with my hand resting around another Alpha's arm. There was a smile on my face that he had never seen before.'No. This is impossible. She's my fated mate.'Adrian shoved the werewolf usher aside and charged toward the altar without a second thought."Adrian!"Someone moved even faster than he did and blocked his path.It was Freya.She had on the Silvercrest Pack's healer's robe. There wasn't the slightest warmth left in he

Chapter 12

Adrian stood frozen.At the far end of the altar, Cassian, Alpha of Blackwater Pack, lowered his head. He gently cradled the back of my neck with his palm.It was the final posture before the mark.Inside Adrian's mind, his wolf let out a screeching howl.Only then did he react. Like a madman, he charged forward."Adrian!"Several Alphas lunged at him simultaneously. They grabbed his arms and shoulders."Let me go!"His eyes were bloodshot as he roared, "She's mine!"But it was already too late.At the center of the altar, the instant Cassian's fangs pierced the back of my neck, a completely new Alpha aura spread outward.Before the Moon Goddess herself, a new mate bond was forged.The invisible thread that had once connected Adrian and me as fated mates snapped. It felt as if someone had torn it apart with brute force.The next second, Adrian let out a muffled groan.The color drained from his face.Deep inside him, his wolf released a heart-wrenching howl of despair be

Chapter 13

When Adrian finally woke from the endless nightmare, a week had passed since the marking ceremony.I had disappeared completely from his world.My phone was always unreachable. My once-public social media accounts had never been updated again. Even the email address I had left behind never sent another reply.Adrian exhausted nearly every connection he had before finally learning what had happened.The day after the marking ceremony, I had left with Cassian for Blackwater Pack.He went there immediately, but he couldn't even make it through the gates.Blackwater Pack had always been closed to outsiders. No one entered its territory without an invitation. The guards recognized only the pack's crest, not status or titles.He waited outside the territory from sunrise until sunset.In the end, all he received was a cold reply."Our Luna is doing well. We have nothing else to tell you."Standing outside the dark forest, Adrian looked toward the territory hidden behind its protecti

Chapter 14

Adrian began attending nearly every pack event he could, including council meetings, alliance inspections, and celebrations.If anyone from Silvercrest Pack was expected to attend, he would show up.Sometimes he saw my brother, and sometimes he saw my dad, but he never saw me.Every single time, Adrian would walk over without hesitation.No matter how many eyes were watching, he publicly declared that Blackwood Pack would always support Silvercrest Pack as well as its current Alpha and heir.My brother never acknowledged him. He never even spared Adrian a glance.Only Dad would occasionally stop.He looked at Adrian with no blame or hatred in his eyes. There was only an indescribable weariness."Why do this to yourself, Adrian?"Dad sighed softly."She's doing very well now. Let it go."But Adrian never gave up. He stubbornly believed that if he did enough, one day I would find out.One day, I would turn back.He didn't mind waiting. He had made me wait for so many years.

Chapter 15

"Can we talk privately?" Adrian's voice was hoarse. "Just five minutes will do."After a brief silence, I nodded.The staff accompanying me withdrew to a respectful distance, leaving the two of us alone on the terrace.The evening breeze lifted the loose strands of hair near my ear. I looked more composed and more at peace than I ever had in his memories.Adrian looked at me and swallowed hard."Emily has already left Blackwood Pack. I investigated the rumors and the provocations afterward."I didn't notice them before, and I didn't handle them properly. But believe me, there was never anything between us. I never loved her. I never betrayed–"I gently interrupted him."I believe you."A flicker of hope appeared in Adrian's eyes. I continued speaking."I believe you never intended to make her your Luna. I also believe there was never anything between the two of you. At least not physically."But that isn't what mattered."He froze.Looking into the distance, I spoke softly

Chapter 16

Even then, Adrian never truly let me go.It had become an addiction he couldn't break.From time to time, bits and pieces of news about my life would reach him through others.The alliance between Blackwater Pack and Silvercrest Pack grew ever stronger.The jewelry brand I had founded gradually became the most sought-after luxury brand in the werewolf world.More and more Alphas commissioned their marking rings to me, and more and more Lunas wore crowns designed by me.I rarely appeared in public, but photos of me surfaced more and more often.Sometimes at Alliance banquets, sometimes at new product launches, and sometimes simply in everyday photos released by Blackwater Pack.In every photo, Cassian stood beside me.He shielded me from crowded gatherings, adjusted the shawl over my shoulders, and quietly accompanied me while I introduced my newest designs.There was never anything deliberately intimate between us.Yet every glance we exchanged, it felt as natural as breathi