(Third Person POV)

When Damien finally woke up from his drunken haze, the sun was already high in the sky.

A throbbing headache made his vision blur.

He instinctively wanted to call for Selena, to ask her to fetch some ice-crystal grass dew to ease his headache. But when he opened his eyes, he saw the cracked Moonstone.

He froze for a second, then frowned impatiently and picked up the stone.

"Selena, what kind of trick are you playing now? So I had a few too many drinks yesterday, is that any reason to scare me with this thing?"

He grumbled, turning the unremarkable stone over in his hand, ready to get out of bed.

But his movement stopped abruptly when he saw the ancient rune on the Moonstone, the one symbolizing a completely severed bond.

This Moonstone... the separation ritual was actually complete!

The color drained from his face. Forgetting his killer headache, he leaped out of bed, not even bothering to put on a robe, and rushed out of the cave bare-chested.

But he searched the entire Alpha cave, even all the places nearby he could think of where Selena might be, and found no trace of her.

What made him even more uneasy was that all the items in the cave that once carried Selena's unique lunar energy signature, things he’d once scorned but now made him feel strangely empty, had vanished completely, as if Selena had never existed in his life.

His mind went blank. A very bad feeling crept over him.

After a long moment, Damien took out his communication crystal from his storage pouch, intending to contact Selena, only to find their mental link had been completely severed.

Selena... had actually left?

Why?

Hadn't he been "good enough" to her lately? He’d given her gifts, taken her hunting.

And... and she loved him so much, loved him enough to give up everything for him. How could she bear to leave him?

He slumped onto the bed, his headache worsening, almost splitting his skull.

Suddenly, another communication crystal on his belt flashed urgently with a new message.

He quickly lit up the crystal screen.

It was a message from Lyra.

[Damien, are you busy? I suddenly really want to eat those sweet rainbow berries we found in Moon-shadow Valley last time. Can you go pick some for me now? Please?]

The moment he saw Lyra's message, all thoughts of Selena vanished from Damien's mind.

He got up and sped off towards Moon-shadow Valley.

In his mind, Selena's current departure was just her playing hard to get.

He was sick of having to pretend to be a good mate.

Since Selena dared to throw this "running away from home" tantrum, let her taste what it was like to lose his protection.

He'd see who came crying and begging him to restore that ridiculous bond in the end!

Damien sneered, no longer thinking about Selena, nor did he send any wolf guards to search for her.

He raced through the treacherous forest at full speed for a good two hours, then carefully searched a hidden valley filled with poisonous insects and miasma for most of the day before finally finding the rare rainbow berries Lyra wanted.

By the time he arrived at Lyra's dwelling with a small bag full of berries, it was already sunset.

His precious sister looked like she had just woken up, stretching lazily. The moment she saw him, she shrieked and threw herself into his arms.

"Damien!"

Damien caught her steadily, drowning in the faint, intoxicating scent of her hair.

"I got the rainbow berries you wanted. Eat them while they're fresh."

He took the berries, still warm from his body heat, from the small pouch in his pocket, successfully earning Lyra's sweet smile.

"Thank you, Damien! You're the best to me!"

She cheered, taking the small bag of berries. Then she took out her own communication crystal and carefully took several photos from various angles, seemingly preparing to show off to someone.

After taking the photos, she picked up the biggest, juiciest berry, took a small bite, then pouted her pink, alluring lips and complained, "Oh, Damien, why did you only pick such a small bag? I remember Selena seems to like these rainbow berries too. If you don't give her any, she'll definitely be upset when she finds out. How about... I give half of this to Selena? Remember to send it over to her later, okay?"

As she spoke, she habitually found Selena's mental link window, preparing to share one of the prettiest photos with her.

But the photo filled with a show-off failed to send.

"Damien! Selena... Selena cut off my mental link! Did... did she find out something? Or did you... did you do something to make her angry again?"

Lyra panicked, looking at Damien.

Hearing his precious sister's question, Damien snorted coldly, his tone dismissive. "I didn't do anything. She's the one who wanted to leave."

With that, Damien took out the Moonstone from his pouch and tossed it in front of Lyra.

Back in his own cave, he hadn't thought much about it, nor had he felt anything was wrong.

But now, facing the beloved he cherished so carefully, Damien could no longer suppress it. He gently took Lyra's small hand, his voice low, "Lyra, my little moon, isn't this good? It was Selena, that woman, who wanted to break the fated bond with me. She's completely gone now. We finally have a chance to be together, just like those days when we hunted together in Moon-shadow Valley, openly..."

As he spoke, he moved closer to Lyra.

Lyra's body involuntarily retreated until Damien cornered her against the cave wall, with no escape.

"Damien. We... we are... siblings, after all... The council of elders, and Father and Mother, they'll never agree to this..."

Her voice trembled as she tried to use her last shred of reason to stop Damien's potentially reckless actions.

However, her weak resistance was utterly futile against Damien's determined pursuit and possession.

Just like during those precious times they had spent alone together, they had long behaved like a true couple, sleeping in each other's arms every night, kissing and caressing without restraint, and even... even crossing that final line long ago, driven by desire, completing the most intimate union among wolves.

Damien reached out, grabbed Lyra's slender wrists, and pinned her fiercely against the rock wall.

Like a beast driven only by desire, he lowered his head and viciously kissed Lyra's soft, sweet lips.

"I told you! For you, my Lyra! Even if it means becoming an enemy of the entire Blood Moon Pack, even if it means completely cutting ties with my parents, I don't care!"

####CHAPTER-NAME:

Lyra only struggled symbolically for a moment before quickly surrendering completely, letting Damien do as he pleased with her.

Her beautiful, captivating face turned bright red from shyness and excitement, as tempting as a ripe apple.

She was kissed by her "brother" in name until she almost suffocated, only able to let out soft, broken moans.

And those rainbow berries she’d been craving earlier were now crushed underfoot, completely forgotten.

Damien seemed very pleased with her current submissiveness. He let out a low growl full of possessiveness, then suddenly swept Lyra up into a bridal carry, strode to the deepest of the cave, and gently placed her on the bed.

Then, like a famished beast that had finally caught its beloved prey, he eagerly tore off Lyra's silk clothes, revealing her exquisite, tender body.

He planted one fiery kiss after another on her jade-like skin, from her sensitive neck to her slightly rounded breasts, then to her flat, soft belly, and finally to that mysterious and alluring valley…

After a night of wild indulgence, Damien was finally satisfied.

He held Lyra tightly in his arms, feeling the warmth of her skin, and whispered seductively in her ear, "Lyra, my little moon, shall we... shall we ask for the elders' blessing and officially become mates? Even if other pack members find out our true relationship, it doesn't matter. For you, I can do anything, give up anything..."

The man's scorching vows made Lyra's earlobes tingle and her face flush with shyness.

Lyra shook her head slightly, her beautiful face full of conflict.

"But Selena loves you so much... If we really do this, she'll be heartbroken. Damien, can you go find her? We can apologize to her together, ask for her forgiveness. Selena is my best sister, she's so kind-hearted, she'll definitely forgive us. Then you two can make up, have your pups peacefully, and you can inherit your Alpha position..."

"Enough!"

Before she could finish, Damien cut her off abruptly.

The man's face instantly filled with the anger of being fooled, his once gentle and doting eyes turning sharp.

"I listened to you and performed the fated bond ceremony with that woman, tolerated her by my side for three whole years! Now, she's the one who initiated the breaking of the bond, she's the one who chose to leave! Lyra! You know perfectly well that the person I love, from beginning to end, has only ever been you! If I'm with Selena, neither of us will be happy! Can't we just be brave and fight for it once? Just once, please?"

This was the first time he had ever so firmly refused Lyra's request.

In the past, no matter how willful or unreasonable Lyra's demands were, he would always find a way to satisfy her.

But now, just when he finally saw a glimmer of hope to be with Lyra openly, he was once again rejected by Lyra with such a ridiculous excuse. He could no longer suppress his inner frustration.

Lyra, looking pitiful, shrank back and leaned into Damien's embrace like a frightened little animal.

"Damien... just... just this once... please? Selena really is my best sister. I really don't want her to be sad because of me. And if we really get together, Father, Mother, and those strict elders will definitely punish us severely. As long as... as long as you and Selena are still together, we can still see each other often, like before, can't we?"

She cried a river of tears. Damien sighed heavily and finally, helplessly, pulled her into his arms, gently rubbing his chin against the top of her soft hair.

"Alright... I understand... I promise you, I'll go find that woman, Selena, and bring her back. But, Lyra, this is the last time. If that woman dares to be so ungrateful again, I won't care about her life or death anymore."

At these words, Lyra immediately broke into a brilliant smile. She nodded vigorously, her voice as sweet as honey.

"Mhm! I knew it, Damien, you're the best to me!"

Damien smiled, his well-defined hand uncontrollably stroking Lyra's waist, feeling her captivating curves.

"But... let's wait a couple more days. It took so much to get rid of that troublesome woman. I want to enjoy a few more days of this carefree world, just the two of us, with you."

Lyra didn't speak. She shyly lowered her head and nodded gently, tacitly agreeing to Damien's proposal.

Immediately, the man flipped over, once again pressing the delectable, beautiful body beneath him firmly under his own.

"Enjoy tonight, my dear, little moon."

To fulfill Lyra's wish as soon as possible, Damien, starting the very next day, took Lyra everywhere with him, indulging in pleasure within the Blood Moon Pack's territory.

The ordinary pack members, unaware of the truth, saw their intimate behavior and thought it was just the Alpha doting on his most beloved sister.

But Damien's trusted subordinates and the pack elders knew the truth.

After Selena left, the two of them could finally, without any scruples, expose their forbidden love to the light of day.

Damien even, under the pretext of "celebrating the successful hunt of a thousand-year-old Shadow Demon Wolf," hosted a grand victory banquet in his Alpha cave, inviting all his close Beta wolf leaders and promising young pack warriors.

At the banquet, Lyra sat intimately beside Damien, like a true Luna, held tightly in his embrace, enjoying his meticulous care and affection. Damien wouldn't even let her drink more than a sip of the lightest fruit wine, afraid it would harm her delicate constitution.

The Beta wolves who usually called Damien brother, seeing this, though outwardly congratulatory, had eyes full of worry.

Finally, one Beta wolf leader, who was closest to Damien, couldn't help but ask, "Damien, where's Miss Selena? Why isn't she with you at such an important celebration today? You and Miss Lyra are so close now, aren't you afraid Miss Selena will be heartbroken if she finds out?"

"Yeah, Damien," another Beta wolf chimed in, "although we all know you and Miss Lyra grew up together and have a deep bond, and you've loved Miss Lyra for so many years. But, on an occasion like today, if Miss Selena found out, it might... not end well, right?"

Damien had already drunk several jars of strong moon-wine by then, and his eyes were a bit hazy. Hearing them mention Selena's name, he just scoffed dismissively, his tone contemptuous.

"Her? That ridiculous fated bond between us has long been completely broken!"

####CHAPTER-NAME:

The entire cave erupted in an uproar.

"What?! The fated bond is broken? Such a huge thing, how come we didn't hear anything about it?"

A Beta wolf about Damien's age exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock.

"But... Damien, since the bond between you and Miss Selena is broken, are you... are you planning to officially mate with Miss Lyra now?"

Another, more astute Beta wolf, asked tentatively. "However... Damien. With the Blood Moon Pack's strict rules and conservative council of elders, plus your nominal sibling relationship with Miss Lyra... for you two to truly be together openly, it will probably... be very difficult."

"Exactly, Damien! Are you... are you two really prepared to face everything that might happen next? The council of elders... and the old Alpha and your mother... have you talked to them?"

Everyone's gaze focused sharply on Damien and Lyra.

In their eyes, now that the obstacle between Damien and Lyra was completely removed, Damien would surely do whatever it took to truly bond with his beloved Lyra.

But the more they discussed it, the uglier Damien's expression became.

He instinctively pulled Lyra even tighter, then lowered his head and gazed at her affectionately, "Lyra... my little moon... what do you think?"

He had actually given Lyra the power to decide their future.

It seemed he was trying to show Lyra his determination: with just one word from his precious sister, he would immediately offer her the entire Blood Moon Pack, even everything he owned, without reservation, willing to pay any price.

Facing the surrounding gazes, Lyra, unhurriedly, replied in an innocent tone, "Oh, uncles, brothers, please stop teasing me and Damien like this. Selena... she's just having a little tiff with Damien right now, she's not thinking straight, that's why she did something so impulsive. They are, after all, destined mates chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. They'll definitely make up later. So please stop fueling the fire, okay?"

"How could I possibly be with my own brother? Between us, it's just the purest sibling affection."

After speaking, she even deliberately turned to Damien with a sweet look. "Damien will definitely find a way to win Selena back later, right?"

Everyone present cast looks of disbelief at Damien.

No one could believe Damien would agree to such an absurd and outrageous request from Lyra.

"Lyra is right. That woman, Selena, is just throwing a tantrum with me right now. Soon, I'll bring her back, and then, we'll ask for the Moon Goddess's witness to restore our fated bond."

He stared intently at Lyra, as if merely stating an irrelevant fact.

The Beta wolves present frowned, utterly confused.

Finally, the Beta wolf leader who had been closest to Damien couldn't help but whisper a reminder again, "But... Damien... didn't you just say that Miss Selena has completely broken the fated bond with you? Then she... probably won't come back so easily, right? And since you and Miss Lyra are truly in love, we... we will all do our best to help you. But now you... wanting to be with Miss Lyra on one hand, while stringing Miss Selena along on the other... isn't that... isn't that a bit wrong?"

Dead silence.

They had always felt that Damien maintaining a nominal mate relationship with Selena while being entangled with his sister Lyra was highly inappropriate.

Now, they couldn't help but want to speak up and dissuade him.

Before Damien could answer, Lyra, in his arms, quickly and aggrievedly replied.

"Being able to bond with Damien, to become his Luna, has always been Selena's greatest wish. The reason she left now must be because of some unpleasant misunderstanding with Damien, so she's just throwing a fit, trying to get Damien's attention. I'm only trying to help Selena by persuading Damien to find her. I believe Selena will come back. She loves Damien so much, how could she truly let go?"

Damien nodded.

He felt Lyra was absolutely right.

Back then, if Lyra hadn't begged him, asking him to pay a little more attention to the unremarkable Selena for her sake, he would never have agreed to the fated bond ceremony with that woman. The situation was the same now. As long as he was willing to lower his Alpha pride a bit and actively show Selena some goodwill, that woman would surely, like before, come wagging her tail back to his side, continuing to be his nominal Luna, someone he could summon and dismiss at will.

As for these few days without Selena...

He'd just consider it a final period of unbridled joy, a gift from the Moon Goddess for him and Lyra to enjoy their time alone.

Thinking this, the man picked up an unopened jar of strong moon-wine from the table, slammed off the clay seal, and then tilted his head back, gulping it down like water.

Lyra, beside him, was about to speak up to stop him, but Damien had already leaned down abruptly, once again fiercely kissing Lyra's soft, sweet lips.

This was the first time they had kissed so openly, so wantonly, in front of so many mutual friends and subordinates.

Lyra reached out but couldn't push him away even an inch.

Soon, she was once again completely lost in Damien's passionate, stormy kiss.

Just as Damien, completely muddled by alcohol and lust, was about to take the woman in his arms, who drove him wild, right there and then in front of everyone, the heavy curtain of the cave was violently yanked open from the outside!

An old wolf-man with a stern face strode in.

It was the former Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, Damien's father!

"Damien! Lyra! You two... you two wretched creatures! How dare you do such shameless things in front of so many pack members! What... what on earth are you doing!"

The old Alpha's voice, like a clap of thunder, boomed throughout the cave.

Instantly, the couple, who had been kissing passionately, froze.

Lyra's face was ashen. She frantically tried to jump off Damien, but Damien, instead, held her even tighter, giving her no chance to escape. He lifted his head and looked defiantly at his father.

"Father, what we were doing, haven't you already seen it with your own eyes?"

Lyra couldn't believe her ears. She whipped her head around, looking at Damien in despair, her voice sharp, "Damien! What... what nonsense are you talking!"

Damien, however, ignored her attempts to stop him, instead looking at her with a possessive and deep affection, "Lyra, my little moon, today, right here, in front of Father and all our pack members, let's officially announce we're together, okay? I don't want to love you in secret, hiding like this anymore. We have no blood relation. We can be together openly, even bond like true mates, have our own pups. My Lyra, we can be together forever and ever, never to be parted."

Seeing the undisguised madness in the man's eyes, and then her adoptive father's face, contorted with rage, Lyra suddenly raised her hand and, with all her strength, slapped Damien hard across the face.

"Damien! Stop talking nonsense! We... we are brother and sister!"

That slap stunned everyone present.

A clear five-fingered mark quickly appeared on Damien's handsome cheek.

He looked at the woman he loved, silently clenching his fists, his knuckles cracking from the force.

The other Beta wolves in the cave, who had been watching the drama, had already slipped out quietly through various exits the moment the old Alpha appeared.

The old Alpha looked at the disgraceful pair before him, snorted heavily, and couldn't be bothered to waste any more words on them.

With a sharp wave of his hand, several Alpha guards who had been lurking outside the cave quickly rushed in and, without a word, pinned Damien and Lyra down, immobilizing them.

"Today, both of you, get into the dungeon! Until you sort out this filthy, business between you, neither of you is getting out!"