All Chapters of Before the Moon Oath, I Cut Him Off: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

By the time I finished the purification and walked out, Kael was gone.I thought he'd at least wait for me to wake up. But when I got to the door, I saw Lysandra had posted on the pack feed.She was wearing Kael's jacket, sitting in his car, a bag of roasted fruit from the night market spread in front of her.[The purification ritual was so boring. Good thing someone took me to the night market to unwind.]I stared at that photo for a long time. Then I almost laughed.Kael had a serious thing about cleanliness. Once I'd tracked a single leaf into the car and he wiped the seat down three times.But Lysandra had roasted fruit crumbs all over the place, and he acted like he couldn't see a thing.I didn't confront him. I just liked the post, then called the Elder in charge of Moon Vows."The date we reserved for Kael and me. Cancel it."The Elder was clearly taken aback. "Haven't you two been preparing for a long time? What happened..."I said quietly: "It's not needed anymore. I don't wan

The next day, I walked into the assembly hall as planned, ready to hand in my transfer request in person.The second I stepped through the doors, I felt the room shift. Several Elders who handled pack affairs were standing on either side, their eyes sliding away from mine, like they were looking at someone who'd already been found guilty.Kael sat on the high stone seat. His face was ice.Lysandra was standing right beside him. Eyes slightly red, like she'd been wronged.The moment she saw me, she rushed over and grabbed my wrist. Her voice was dripping with hurt."Ella, we've known each other for so long. How could you leak pack secrets to another tribe just because I took over your duties?""If you were unhappy, you could have just told me. I would have stepped down. Why would you do something that breaks pack law?"I yanked my hand free, brows knotted. "What the hell are you talking about? When did I touch your project files?""Last night, the border defense maps and the herb contra

Kael stared at his phone. Something inside his head cracked apart.Ella hadn't just blocked his number. She'd severed their mind-link completely.That was supposed to be impossible.No matter how bad their fights had gotten, she had never once cut off their mind-link."How..."He refused to accept it. He tried calling again.No answer.A second time. Nothing.He swallowed down the panic rising in his chest and sent a message: [What happened earlier was a misunderstanding. I already know the truth. You don't need to shut yourself away. We can talk this through.]Silence.Lysandra stood beside him. A flicker of satisfaction crossed her eyes.But she quickly dropped her gaze and put on a worried face. "She must be really upset. Why don't I go with you tonight to find her?""I'll apologize to her myself. She's always been soft-hearted. I'm sure she'll forgive me."Kael didn't answer. For the first time, something inside him felt completely beyond his control.Because he knew Ella too well.

Kael's feet stopped dead.He clearly didn't expect me to say that. Not in that voice. Not that calmly."Ella, over something this petty? You really had to say something that cruel?""Or is this about the money? If that's it, I can pay you back. All of it."He transferred a million on the spot.My phone buzzed. The deposit notification glared up at me.He looked down at me, that familiar hint of charity in his tone. "Enough?"The next second, I swung my hand and slapped him across the face as hard as I could.The wind went quiet. Nothing left but the sound of waves hitting the shore and my heart hammering in my chest.Kael ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek. The red mark bloomed across his face. He didn't lose his temper. He just looked at me, heavy and still."Or is it something else? Just say it. Whatever it is, I'll give you a proper answer. Then we move on."His voice was light. Casual. Like all I had to do was name the hurt, and he'd smooth it over with a few soft words.