That night, Damien didn't come back to our apartment.

I knew where he was.

The next morning, I opened the pack's secure network.

The top post was a new update.

Alpha Damien had ordered a hundred thousand dollars' worth of rare supplements for Seraphina.

Blood Ginseng, Moonlight Fungus, and Starfruit—things only needed during a werewolf pregnancy.

The comments section exploded.

"Is our Alpha going to be a father?"

"But isn't Isla his Luna?"

"I heard that Seraphina girl moved into the penthouse."

"Isn't the Mating Ceremony next week?"

I shut my phone off.

At noon, I met my best friend, Chloe.

"You what?" Chloe's voice was so sharp it nearly shattered her coffee cup. "You're calling off the ceremony?"

"That's right."

"Are you insane? He's your fated mate!"

"Fated mates don't mark other women right before their ceremony," I said, calmly sipping my coffee. "And they certainly don't get another she-wolf pregnant with their pup."

Chloe gasped. "A pup?"

I showed her the photo of the lab report on my phone.

"That scheming bitch!" Chloe slammed her hand on the table. "She played you!"

"Probably," I shrugged. "But it doesn't matter anymore."

"Isla, you can't just give up. Damien loves you."

"Loves me?" I gave a bitter laugh. "Does someone who loves you mark another woman behind your back?"

Chloe fell silent.

"I've already accepted the invitation from the European Healers' Guild," I said, standing up. "I'm leaving tomorrow."

"So soon?"

"If I stay any longer, I'm afraid I'll do something I regret."

At eleven that night, I got back to the apartment building after an herb exchange.

The gathering was a success.

I’d met several healers from Europe, including a few Alphas I’d never seen before.

When the elevator doors opened, Damien was standing there.

His eyes were cold, his nostrils flaring slightly. "Where were you?"

"An herb exchange."

"With who?" he pressed.

"Some colleagues."

Damien stalked towards me, like a predator closing in on its prey. "Don't lie to me. I smell another male's scent on you. An Alpha's."

"So what if you do?"

A dangerous light flashed in his eyes. "Get away from me, and wash that scent off you."

"You don't get to order me around."

"I'm your fated mate!"

"No, you're not," I said, pushing past him. "You're Seraphina's."

I walked towards our apartment, Damien following close behind.

But instead of arguing, he went straight to the armchair by the fireplace, sat down, and closed his eyes.

I knew what he was doing.

The mind-link.

His expression softened, and I could feel the murmur of his thoughts through our strained bond.

The pup is going to be so strong, so healthy.

The pup.

He was already looking forward to it.

I turned to go to my room.

"Isla."

His voice stopped me.

"There's something about the ceremony I need to talk to you about."

I stopped and turned, my face a cold mask. "What is it now?"

"It's about the Rite of the Moon Spring." He opened his eyes, and those deep blue pools held an undeniable command. "I need to postpone it."

"Why." It wasn't a question.

"Seraphina's pregnancy is unstable. The healer said the pure energy of the Moon Spring would be good for her. So..."

He paused, as if searching for the right words. "I've decided it's better if she has it."

Let her have it.

He said it so casually, as if he were just rescheduling a meeting.

That was the highest honor for a Luna, to receive the pack's blessing.

It was the sacred moment we had dreamed of together.

My heart was numb.

I couldn't even feel the pain anymore.

I answered in the calmest voice I could manage. "Fine."

My calmness seemed to unnerve him. "You... don't have anything else to say?"

"No."

"...Good." A flicker of relief crossed his face, as if he'd expected a bigger fight.

He then continued, his tone all business. "I'm taking Seraphina to a private retreat in the Rockies. Handle the ceremony preparations. Don't bother me with the details unless the world is ending."

He cut the link.

I walked out to the balcony.

It used to be my herb garden, filled with rare plants I'd cultivated for the future of our pack.

I had imagined using these herbs to heal our people, to protect our home.

Damien had never set foot out here.

He said he wasn't interested in "all these flowers and weeds."

Now, they had lost their meaning, too.

I started working, one by one, uprooting the plants I had so carefully nurtured, the sharp snap of roots and the damp scent of earth filling the air.

It was a funeral for a future that was now dead and buried.

Each one represented a betrayed hope.

When the last Stardust Bloom was in its box, I took out my phone and opened the calendar.

On the date I had marked countless times for the "Rite of the Moon Spring," I drew a heavy, red X.

The countdown: twelve days.

Over the next week, my phone was flooded with notifications.

Seraphina's social media was on fire.

A picture of her lying in a bed at a luxury resort in the Rockies, Damien sitting beside her, peeling an apple.

Her in a hot spring, with Damien on the edge, holding a towel ready for her.

Her during a prenatal check-up, Damien holding her hand tightly.

Every photo had the same caption: "Thank you, Damien, for taking such good care of me. I've never felt so safe."

I didn't need to read the comments.

"The Alpha is so good to her."

"Now that's what true love looks like."

"What about Luna Isla? We never see her."

"I heard she's busy with her career."

I turned off my phone and went back to packing.

On the third day, I drove to my parents' house.

"Isla?" My mother opened the door, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you both."

In the living room, my father put down his newspaper and looked at me.

"What is it?"

"I'm going to Europe."

"For a vacation?"

"For work. The Laurel Healers' Guild invited me to join a research project." I took a deep breath. "I might be gone for a long time."

My mother's face fell. "What about your ceremony?"

"It's been postponed."

"Postponed?" My father frowned. "Why?"

"Damien has some things to take care of," I said, trying to sound calm. "We thought it would be better to hold it later."

My parents exchanged a look.

"Isla, don't lie to us," my mother said, her voice gentle but firm as she took my hand. "We're your parents. We can see the pain in your eyes. Tell us what he did."

I closed my eyes. "It's nothing, Mom. I just want to learn more while I'm young."

"Does Damien agree with this?"

"He's very supportive of my career."

Another lie.

My father was silent for a long time before finally nodding. "If it's for your career, we support you."

"But you have to stay in touch," my mother said, her eyes glistening with tears. "And take care of yourself."

After leaving my parents' house, I texted Chloe.

"Can you come help me pack?"

An hour later, Chloe was at my apartment door.

"My god, what happened here?" she asked, staring at the empty living room.

"I'm moving."

"Moving where?"

"Switzerland."

Chloe sat on the couch and studied my face. "Okay. Now tell me the truth. What the hell happened?"

I told her everything.

From Damien demanding to mark Seraphina, to the pregnancy report, to the canceled Rite of the Moon Spring.

When I finished, the living room was dead silent.

Chloe's face grew darker and darker.

"That bastard!" she suddenly exploded. "How could he do this to you?"

"He had his reasons."

"What reasons? Life debt?" Chloe stood up and started pacing. "Even if he owed her his life, he has no right to trample all over you like this!"

"Chloe—"

"No, I won't accept this!" She spun to face me, her eyes burning. "Five years ago, on the Blood Moon, you nearly tore your soul in half to save him from a rogue attack! And now he has the audacity to remember only her so-called 'kindness'?"

I looked away, saying nothing.