“Moon Goddess, hear my plea! Don't let my daughter be attacked!”

On that fateful night, as I lay in a deep, calm sleep, a dream unfolded before me; Thalia, my beloved daughter, was besieged by ruthless bandits within the eerie woods.

The moment I woke up, I was hit by the realization it had all been a dream. Though Thalia was with her father, Killian Montgomery, my mate and the reigning Alpha of the Crystal Blood Pack, I knew she was safe, under vigilant protection.

Even with doubts lingering about her safety, I couldn’t hold back any longer. I reached out to Alpha Killian through mind-link.

At first, he turned a deaf ear on me, but on my fifth attempt, his cold voice finally broke through as he uttered, "Elysia, the gathering is still underway. Could you stop from disturbing me? I’m preoccupied, even having to take care of your hard-headed daughter.”

As I was about to retort, Alpha Killian cut me off. Though I was itching to voice my frustrations, I had to recognize the weight of his responsibilities.

While Alpha Killian engaged at the gathering with my daughter, it was meant to be me by their side.

Yet, as Luna was burdened with responsibilities, I had to remain behind, allowing his childhood sweetheart, Iris Winterstone, to take my place as his escort, more likely filling the role of an acting Luna.

When the morning came, Thalia, my daughter, dwelt in my mind. It felt like my wolf caught wind of her in jeopardy, and the dream I had last night was a sign from the Moon Goddess herself.

As worry consumed me, I stood at the main door of the mansion, on edge as I anticipated any news.

Out of nowhere, my wolf's urgent voice echoed in my mind, “Thalia is in danger!”

That left me in great distress, oblivious to Thalia's security.

Within a minute, as I aimed to mind-link Thalia, questioning her current whereabouts, I caught sight of a group of warriors, led by Atlas Ravensoul, the second-in-command, hustling a bloodied girl on his arms, running toward the pack's infirmary, terrified.

Right there and then, my heart felt like skipping a beat, and I could feel the connection I had with that horrified, bloodied girl.

Before I could move or inquire about what had happened, whether rogues had attacked, Beta Atlas’ mind-link interrupted me.

With unease, he informed, “Luna Elysia, your presence is urgently needed in the infirmary.”

Frightened out of my wits, I asked back. Beta Atlas chose not to disclose any clarifications, urging me to hurry up.

Using my wolf speed, I dashed toward the infirmary, stunned by the sight before me.

On the infirmary bed, the bloodied girl being attended to and desperately revived by the pack’s healer was my very own daughter, Thalia.

Seeing Thalia's desperate fight for survival left me helpless, as if my knees were on the verge of collapsing.

The harsh reality before me confirmed that my dream was not just a nightmare but a grave warning to the Moon Goddess, but I brushed it aside.

Beta Atlas stood by my side, offering support and soothing me.

Despite his efforts to calm me, I was struck hard when the healer said, “Luna Elysia, we’ve done everything we can, but your daughter has fought her last battle.”

My world almost collapsed.

“Thalia!” I cried out, clutching her lifeless body. “How did this happen?”

She couldn’t respond, leaving me overwhelmed with grief and guilt, though deep down, I knew the true blame lay with Alpha Killian.

With no updates on the events, Beta Atlas stepped forward to share Thalia’s final words. He revealed, “Alpha Killian had instructed Iris to escort your daughter back here in the pack. Instead of doing that, Iris let the warriors accompany Thalia, who were all attacked, including Thalia.”

Beta Atlas assured me it was an unfortunate accident, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it was intentional.

He continued, “This morning, the lead warrior and I were patrolling the border when we found her lying there, almost unconscious. She confirms that indeed the bandits have attacked them.”

My cries filled the room, but no one dared to halt me, allowing me to grieve, knowing I could never bring my daughter back.

The ruthless bandits had already struck, yet Alpha Killian had been oblivious to this incident, nor had it crossed my mind to inform him.

Despite my protest to safeguard Thalia rather than letting her attend the gathering back then, Alpha Killian brushed off my concerns and insisted she join, calling me selfish and ignoring the warning signs.

It was too late for second chances—my daughter was gone, and no one could turn back the clock.

With the overwhelming support from Beta Atlas, I clarified that Alpha Killian must remain in the dark about the situation. Though Beta Atlas initially resisted, he eventually complied. Only a few warriors knew about Thalia's death; the rest of the pack remained clueless.

Rather than unleashing my fury on Alpha Killian, I focused all my energy on arranging Thalia’s funeral, honoring her memory with all the love I had, even if it meant severing ties with Alpha Killian.

As days rolled on, Thalia's body had been cremated. At the same time, Alpha Killian and Iris returned to the pack, off the radar for everything they had left behind.

With Alpha Killian’s return, I had stood my ground on ending our ten-year mateship, a perfect chance to reject each other as mates.

Throughout those days, I neither ate nor drank, consumed by sorrow and preparing for the end of our bond.

When Alpha Killian finally came back to the pack house with Iris by his side, playing the role of true mate while I was left in the shadows, it was the perfect moment to act.

“Where’s your stubborn daughter?” he demanded. “She needs to face punishment for letting Iris almost die!”

“Alpha, my daughter is innocent. Just reject me instead as your punishment,” she said desperately.

As I was desperate to abdicate the pack with my daughter's ashes after our bond was shattered, Alpha Killian dismissed it.

Instead, he commanded me to send Thalia to his study as soon as possible. He would punish her for sins she never committed.

When tomorrow came, I kept my mouth shut with my daughter's tragic death and never fulfilled Alpha Killian's command.

He raged on, pointing fingers at me for hiding Thalia away.

When Beta Atlas and some warriors there when Thalia died tried to reveal the truth, I stopped them in their tracks. Let him discover the truth.

After finishing all my Luna duties, I returned to the pack mansion, only to be met with Alpha Killian's sharp words, saying, "Bring your daughter to me! She’s not even satisfied and has been hiding the healing salves for Iris' moon sickness! Haven’t you heard? Iris has been bedridden in the infirmary for days!”

It made me laugh my ass out loud how Alpha Killian prioritized the situation over Thalia.

Not only did he blame the wandering bandits who had attacked and killed our warriors in the woods, but he also laid the blame at my daughter's feet.

It's too late for sanctions. Thalia had long died, now in the arms of the Moon Goddess.

Alpha Killian impatiently tossed his coat onto the sofa; the lingering scent of a she-wolf seemed to be from Iris, clinging to him.

Not missing a beat, I discreetly took a moonstone herb and swallowed it to dull my heightened sensitivity to scents.

When Alpha Killian caught a glimpse of it, he smirked and uttered, "You just found out Iris has motion sickness and now you're acting as one? If you’re sick, why aren't you in the infirmary?”

"Where’s Thalia? Get her out here and have her apologize to Iris immediately! Her stubbornness triggered Iris’s moon sickness! Iris was covered in rashes and you still have defended her! Look at how you’ve coddled her!”

“If you don’t bring her out, I’ll punish her more harshly than you can imagine!” he roared, his voice echoing through the room.

Too exhausted to explain, I told him to reject me outright. That would be the harshest punishment he could impose, and I was more than ready to vanish from his life.

But then again, he brushed aside my request.

For him, giving Thalia a taste of her own medicine was far more important than considering my rejection.

Alpha Killian persisted that Thalia was at fault for everything and condemned me for covering up for her. He called me crazy, insisting that his rage towards Thalia was driving me to seek to reject our mate bond.

His harsh words were almost too much to bear; I felt myself fading, on the brink of losing consciousness. My wolf was seething with rage, pushing me to sever our bond as quickly as possible.

All the elders present backed Alpha Killian's decision yet remained completely unaware of the situation, leaving me feeling helpless.

Summoning my remaining strength, I demanded, “Sanctions for Thalia? What did she do wrong, just walking alone in the dark woods? You don’t even know what happened. None of you know the truth!”

I was on the verge of tears but couldn’t continue the argument. As anticipated, my explanation fell on deaf ears. The blame remained on Thalia.

As I looked at his face, it struck me that telling him about Thalia’s death was pointless. He didn't seem to care.

What mattered to Alpha Killian most was not me, not his daughter, but his childhood sweetheart.

When he mistook my fury for jealousy, Alpha Killian threw all his scented vials, matching the scent on his clothes, at me as if to mock.

It never crossed his mind that I was a Luna with sensitivity to scents. All the vials he had gifted me over the past year remained untouched; I had kept them as tokens of our past.

One reason he deemed me worthless was the same way he looked down on our daughter.

With Thalia lingering on my mind, I broke down in tears, demanding an official rejection from Alpha Killian. Even if Thalia was alive, I would never let her apologize.

Her only fault was having a cruel Alpha father and being raised in a chaotic Crystal Blood Pack. Only if I lent an ear to the seer’s warning of a grim future with him, I might have escaped this cruel fate.

When Alpha Killian made it clear that custody of Thalia would remain with him despite my insisting on shattering our bond, he was adamant that she would still face punishment.

Right after his outburst, he stormed off, slowly fading off from sight.

I was too convinced that I was nothing more than envious and throwing a tantrum as before, expecting to reconcile, ready to make amends as usual.

Well, not anymore. I was more than determined to end our mateship for good and find my true fated mate.

Back then, the seer once reminded me, saying, “Elysia, as I always remind you, Alpha Killian is not your fated mate. Being with him isn’t worth it. You’ll only end up neglected, and regretting everything.”

She was right, but I brushed it off as a made-up story, persuading myself that she was simply trying to stop me from being mated to him.

As soon as I regained my composure, I shook my head, darting my serious gaze on the elders on the side, and stood still.

“I, Elysia, hereby reject Alpha Killian as my mate. Whether or not this holds any virtue, this decision will stand,” I declared.

The packed house had been my home for five years, yet I was prepared to leave it all behind.

But just as I was about to step out the door, one elder halted me, saying, “Don’t forget your vow to remain mated to him for life. Your rejection means nothing.”

Back when the Noctis Pack, a pack which I belonged to, was at its peak, we had a powerful alliance with the Crystal Blood Pack.

It was the moment I stumbled upon my fated mate, bonded by the Goddess, the sole heir of the Alpha title. Right there and then, I was thrilled to bits and was itching to be claimed under the full moon. Unbeknownst to me, being mated to him came with a heavy price—lives were lost, and years of sacrifice lay ahead.

During my mother Elara's reign as the first female Alpha, following my father’s death, she remained mateless and led the Noctis Pack to greatness.

But when she discerned that my wolf and I longed for Alpha Killian, she urged me to wait—until his wolf could feel the same way once more. Still, I aligned with her decision and held my ground, waiting patiently.

One day, Vespera, Alpha Killian’s mother, my mother, and I were en route to the neighboring pack’s turnover ceremony, and we were ambushed out of the blue. Bandits swooped in, attacking us from every direction.

We were terrified out of our wits, given the gravity of the situation that the bandits, in a tight spot for a ransom, were in a loop of our importance to both packs. In times when no one came to rescue, we would face severe punishment and be beheaded.

Once an intimidating warrior and a reigning Alpha, my mother had the courage to step forward, shielding me and Luna Vespera from the bandits.

Stunned into silence, it never crossed to all bandits that my mother had exceptional courage to counterattack. In their agitation, they lunged at her with silver daggers, aiming at her chest.

“Mom!” I yelled at the top of my lungs, seeing her struggle.

In the blink of an eye, my mother’s wolf form weakened, leaving her on the edge of death.

Before the bandits could finish us off, I urgently mind-linked all our warriors to lend a hand in our desperate times of survival.

As the bandits closed in to strike her again, Luna Vespera and I fought back desperately.

Just as things seemed to spiral out of control, not only did our warriors arrive, but reinforcements from the Crystal Blood Pack also came to our rescue.

Luna Vespera and I were safe, and all the bandits were apprehended.

Yet, my world seemed to shatter as my mother clung to life.

In a heartbeat, she was rushed to the nearest infirmary at the Crystal Blood Pack, with the incident so close at hand. I tailed the warriors carrying her as we made our way to the infirmary while sobbing my heart out.

Despite the blood that nearly covered her entire body, my mother, knowing her time was running out, was still deeply concerned for me, her only daughter.

She grasped how strong my bond with Killian was at that moment; even if she was barely hanging on, she made a heartfelt plea to Luna Vespera, "My daughter, Elysia, is mated to your son. As a final gift, please allow them to remain together."

As soon as she heard it, Luna Vespera hesitated but ultimately relented, seeing that my Alpha mother was teetering on the edge of death.

With Luna Vespera’s assurance, my mother passed away peacefully in my arms, leaving me shattered and devoid of the will to carry on.

Upon her death, the weight of leading our pack fell on my shoulders, but joy was nowhere in sight. No one knew that I’d have preferred to live a solitary life rather than endure the loss of my mother—she was my everything, and now she was gone.

With a heavy heart, right after my mother's funeral, I stood before the elders back in our pack. I declared, “I, Luna Elysia of the Noctis Pack, will accept the role as the Alpha of the Noctis Pack.”

During that very moment, Killian stepped into the Alpha role of the Crystal Blood Pack following his father’s retirement.

Under his rule, the alliance between our packs began to fray. Alpha Killian took notice of me as I worked to mend the rift, and in time, he claimed me as his mate.

At last, I was no longer overwhelmed by grief but was on cloud nine, just as my mother had wished before her passing.

Not long after our mateship spread like wildfire, our pack suffered a devastating attack, likely carried out by the bandits. Many of our members perished, and those of us who survived were taken in by the Crystal Blood Pack. I, too, settled into our new home, leaving behind the faded remnants of Noctis.

Under the full moon, Alpha Killian and I were married, and his mother whispered, "Your mom can finally rest in peace..."

At first, Killian’s sincerity and politeness had me thinking I found my destined mate. But as the years passed, he confessed, "I only mated with you because our bond was forced."

That’s when the truth struck like a bolt from the blue. It was soon laid bare that his mother had secretly let him drink to ensure we would be mated as payment for mother's sacrifices.

"I have someone I truly desire to be mated with, but I will honor her wish. I’ll be your Alpha mate in public, but behind closed doors, you’re nothing more than a showpiece," he admitted.

True to his word, he treated me with respect as his mate and Luna in public, but privately, I was nothing more than a displayed mate, bound to be rejected.

On the day we both got Thalia as our very own pup, he wasn't exactly thrilled.

Back then, I had asked the Moon Goddess, wanting all my pleas to be heard, but it turned even worse and in turmoil.

Despite my efforts to avoid crossing paths with Alpha Killian, the reality was that my mother’s sacrifice had secured this union, and now, ending this relationship had cost me my daughter’s life.

Our mateship that started with such high stakes was now falling apart, costing me another life in the process.

All I wanted was to put an end to the torment once and for all, to end our mateship, the root of all the turmoil and chaos.