Jamison White sighed, preparing to extract one of Reyna’s wolves. He turned to me, his voice heavy with concern. “Are you certain, King Emiliano?” I nodded firmly, my expression resolute. “Yes.” But as he began the procedure, I suddenly called out, “Wait!”

My heart clenched, and for a moment, I thought I might change my mind. But then I forced myself to soften, slipping into the calm demeanor I always wore around my family. “Let me ease Reyna’s pain. I’m her father—I can’t bear to see her suffer.” I glanced at Jamison, my voice steady. “Take only one. Leave the other so she can survive.”

Extracting one of her wolves would strip her of any chance to become a Lycan Queen and likely lead to her death. As the Lycan King, I knew the consequences better than anyone. My chest tightened as I fought the urge to intervene, my feet rooted to the ground as if weighed down by lead.

When the procedure was done, I stepped out of the room, my face carefully composed into a gentle smile. But the moment I saw Noemi waiting outside, my expression faltered. Panic surged through me, and I quickly moved to block her view. “My Queen, how long have you been here?” My voice betrayed my unease, and I cursed myself for the slip.

Noemi’s eyes were red, her voice trembling. “I just arrived. How is Reyna? I’m worried about her.” I exhaled softly, my tone soothing. “She’s fine. Jamison has already treated her. You’re still injured—let’s get you back to rest. I’ll bring Jamison to tend to you.” My words were measured, rehearsed, but they only seemed to deepen the shadow in her eyes.

Her tears spilled over, and she pushed past me. “I need to see her for myself!” She rushed into the room, where Reyna lay peacefully on the bed, her face serene. Noemi checked her pulse, her fingers trembling as she confirmed that both wolves were intact. I stepped beside her, my hand resting on her shoulder. “My Queen, you’ve been under so much stress since the rogue attack. Reyna is our daughter—how could I ever let harm come to her?”

Perhaps, in her grief, she hadn’t noticed my hesitation earlier. She leaned into me, her sobs muffled against my chest. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have doubted you.” I brushed away her tears, my voice soft. “You’ve been through too much. Rest now.” I kissed her forehead, my touch lingering as I added, “Jamison needs me to gather some herbs for Reyna. I’ll be back soon. Wait for me here.”

She nodded, her grip on my hand loosening as I left. I walked quickly, my mask of calm slipping the moment I was out of sight. Back in the room, Noemi sat by Reyna’s side, holding her hand. But then Reyna’s face paled, her breathing labored. Noemi’s hands flew to her daughter, trying to heal her, but it was too late. The wolf was already gone.

The realization hit her like a blow. My earlier illusion had only preserved the appearance of Reyna’s body, masking the truth. Reyna clutched her mother’s hand, her voice weak and full of pain. “Mother, it hurts…” Noemi’s tears fell freely as she tried to save her, but it was no use. In mere minutes, Reyna’s eyes closed for the last time.

Her final words were a whisper, a plea that shattered what remained of Noemi’s composure. “Mother, why did Father take my wolf? I heard him… Does he not love us anymore?” Noemi had no answer, her heart breaking as she held her daughter’s lifeless body.

---

I stood outside the door, my hands clenched into fists. The weight of my decision pressed down on me, but I forced myself to walk away. I had done what I believed was necessary for the pack, even if it meant sacrificing the one thing that mattered most.

Reyna was dead.

I cried until I felt nothing, numb to the pain.

Emiliano had promised he would return soon.

But I waited in the grand hall of the packhouse, guarding Reyna’s cold, lifeless body for an entire day, and he still didn’t come back.

I pulled out my phone, intending to call him and discuss the dissolution of our mate bond.

But the person who picked up wasn’t Emiliano.

It was Isabella’s daughter, Aisha. She had absorbed Reyna’s wolf, and even at her young age, she carried herself with an air of superiority.

Holding the phone, she looked at me with disdain and demanded,

“Who are you? My father is busy with my mother, making me a rabbit-shaped pendant! He doesn’t have time for you!”

I glanced at Reyna’s body lying on the bed, the irony cutting deep.

Reyna had always loved those little trinkets from the human world. She’d begged Emiliano countless times to bring her one, but he’d only ever smiled coolly and told her she had to prove herself worthy before he’d reward her.

And yet, here he was, making one for someone else’s child.

The difference between love and indifference couldn’t have been clearer.

Before I could respond, Emiliano’s voice came through the phone,

“Aisha, come here. Let me help you strengthen your wolf so you can join me in the royal pack soon, alright?”

Isabella’s playful scolding followed,

“Don’t spoil her so much. She’s too lazy to train, always relying on you to do everything for her.”

Emiliano’s laughter was warm,

“With me around, she doesn’t need to struggle. I’ll make sure neither of you ever suffers.”

The screen showed him holding Aisha in one arm and wrapping the other around Isabella.

My eyes stung, and I forced a bitter smile. What was the point of disturbing him?

He looked happy, content, as if this was who he was meant to be all along.

Two more days passed before Emiliano finally returned from the human territories.

He carried a bag of rare herbs, his expression apologetic.

“I’m sorry, Luna. These were hard to find. It took longer than I expected.”

The Lycan King, unable to locate herbs with his resources? It must have been some special medicine to take three years to procure.

I smiled faintly, not calling him out on the obvious lie.

“Come to the study. There’s something I need to give you.”

I handed him a stack of documents, the dissolution papers I’d obtained from the Lycan Council buried at the bottom.

“The Council sent over some matters while you were away. I’ve reviewed them. Just sign them, and I’ll send them back.”

Without hesitation, he pulled out his seal and stamped each one, smiling as he said,

“You’ve worked hard, Luna. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

My lips twitched as I watched him stamp the dissolution papers.

Soon, you won’t have to worry about that.

Finally, he seemed to remember Reyna and asked,

“By the way, how is Reyna doing? Jamison came to treat her, so she should be recovering well, right?”

If he wanted to hear it, I’d give him the answer he wanted.

“She’s fine. Much better than before.”

He smiled, spinning tales of the future—how he’d take me and Reyna to the human territories, how he’d make her the rabbit-shaped pendant she’d always wanted.

I listened, smiling but silent, offering no response.

When he finished painting this perfect picture, he wrapped an arm around me and tentatively said,

“Luna, I once saved a mother and daughter in the human territories. This time, I saw the girl again—she has incredible potential. But in the human world, she’ll never reach it.”

“I’d like to bring them into the royal pack. Would you agree to that?”

Of course. This was his real purpose.

I should have seen it sooner—every time he showed kindness, there was always a motive behind it.

But I’d been fooled by his sweet lies, lost in the illusion of his affection.

I smiled faintly.

“Of course, Alpha. If that’s what you want, I agree.”

He hugged me tightly, ecstatic, showering me with the same sweet words he’d used in the past.

But my heart was silent, untouched by his charm.

Bringing Isabella and Aisha into the pack? He could give them the entire packhouse for all I cared.

After all, there was nothing left between us.

Reyna’s body needed to remain in the royal chamber for seven days before her burial in the West Sea. While I was preoccupied with organizing her funeral and notifying the leaders of the packs to attend the ceremony, Emiliano had been absent for days, busy bringing Isabella and Aisha into the royal territory.

On the final night before the burial, I had just placed Reyna’s body into the wooden casket when the chamber door slammed open. Isabella stormed in with Aisha trailing behind her, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she surveyed the room. “Why is there a coffin in here? Get rid of it immediately! My daughter has just arrived in the royal territory, and I won’t have her exposed to such misfortune.”

I shot her a cold glare. “This is my chamber. Watch your tone.”

She looked at me with incredulous disdain. “Emiliano promised us we could stay wherever we wanted. Clean up this mess and leave!”

Aisha, though young, mimicked her mother’s haughty demeanor. “Yes, leave! Or I’ll tell Papa to make you go!”

I let out a bitter laugh. “I am the Luna of this pack. Who do you think has the authority to banish me? Two outsiders like you?”

Isabella’s face flushed with anger, her finger trembling as she pointed at me. “You—you—”

Aisha, unfazed, sprinted toward the wooden box where I’d stored Reyna’s few remaining belongings—a small rattle and a silver pendant. She snatched them up, tossing them in the air with a sneer. “What’s this? Some old junk?”

“Put those down! Don’t touch them!” I shouted, my voice sharp with fury.

She paused, then smirked. “Oh, this must be that little brat’s stuff, huh? Well, I’ll just play with it!” With that, she hurled the items to the ground.

Isabella clapped her hands in approval. “That’s my girl! Show her not to mess with us!”

I stared at them, my rage boiling over. I lunged forward, grabbing both Isabella and Aisha by their collars. “You dare mock Reyna while using her essence?!”

Isabella struggled against my grip, her voice shrill. “You lay a hand on us, and Emiliano will make you regret it!”

My eyes flicked to Reyna’s casket, and my anger faltered. She wouldn’t have wanted this—not the violence, not the chaos. Slowly, I released them.

At that moment, Emiliano burst into the chamber. “Noemi! What are you doing?!” His voice was a roar as he shoved me back, shielding Isabella and Aisha behind him. His expression was colder than I’d ever seen, his alpha aura radiating a palpable fury.

“You’re the one who agreed to bring them here! If you had a problem with it, you should have said so then. Why take it out on them? They’re just outsiders! Do you think being Luna gives you the right to abuse your power?!”

His accusations hit me like a tidal wave, leaving me speechless. Here, in front of Reyna’s casket, he chose to defend those who had disrespected our daughter’s memory.

I let out a bitter laugh. “So this is who you really are.”

His eyes narrowed, his voice icy. “What nonsense are you spouting now? As Luna, you’ve crossed a line by threatening innocents. I’ll confine you to this chamber for now. Reflect on your actions. And don’t tarnish Reyna’s memory with your behavior.”

With that, he ushered Isabella and Aisha out of the room, their mocking glances lingering on me like daggers.

Confined? I wasn’t Luna anymore—what confinement?

The next morning, I carried Reyna’s casket to the West Sea for her burial. After the ceremony, I turned westward, away from the royal territory, and didn’t look back.