The tension in the den was palpable, the air thick with unspoken words and lingering resentment. Thalia stood in the corner, her arms crossed, her presence a quiet storm amidst the chaos. The realization finally hit the others in the room that she was still there, her aura as Luna commanding attention even in her silence. Waylon Daniels, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, was about to speak when Emmie Anderson, a young Delta, turned her tear-streaked eyes toward Thalia.

“Luna,” Emmie began, her voice trembling, “I know you have something important to discuss with Alpha Daniels right now. But Whiskers is really sick, and if we don’t see the pack healer soon, it could be too late.”

Thalia’s jaw tightened. She hadn’t said a word, yet Emmie was already painting her as the villain. The wolf pup, Whiskers, whimpered softly in Emmie’s arms, its tiny body trembling. Thalia had never been fond of pups, but even she could see the urgency in the situation.

“You’ve never had a pup, so you wouldn’t understand,” Emmie pleaded, her voice desperate. “Whiskers is like my child. Please, just let us get him to the healer first.”

Thalia’s eyes flicked to Waylon, who stood there, his muscular frame tense, his expression a mixture of concern and reproach. His dark eyes met hers, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of guilt. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the cold detachment she had grown accustomed to.

“Luna,” Waylon said, his voice firm but tinged with impatience, “we can talk later when I get back.”

Thalia stepped forward, her gaze unwavering. “No need. I just have one thing to say.” Her voice was steady, though the tension in the room made it feel like the walls were closing in. “Grandma Lara wants us to come home for the pack’s Moon Festival dinner tomorrow.”

That was it. She had delivered the message, and now they could leave. Surprisingly, Waylon seemed momentarily taken aback by her straightforwardness. He looked at her as though he had expected something more—a fight, perhaps, or at least a display of the hurt he knew he had caused.

“That’s all?” he asked, his brow furrowing.

What else did he expect? A plea for him to stay? A reminder of the bond they once shared? Thalia’s expression remained impassive, though the weight of his betrayal pressed heavily on her chest.

“You should go,” she said, her tone calm but laced with finality. “Don’t delay taking Whiskers to the healer.”

Waylon hesitated, his gaze searching hers for something—anything—that might indicate she still cared. But Thalia’s mask was firmly in place, her walls impenetrable. In the end, it was Emmie’s insistence that finally spurred him into action. He turned away, his broad shoulders stiff as he followed Emmie out of the den, leaving Thalia alone in the suffocating silence.

As the door closed behind them, Thalia exhaled slowly, her hands trembling at her sides. The bond between them, once so strong, now felt like a frayed thread, unraveling with every passing moment. She could feel the sting of rejection, the ache of a mate bond that had been neglected and abused. But she refused to let it break her. She was Luna, after all, and she would endure.

That night, Alpha Waylon didn’t return to the den.

Around midnight, Luna Thalia received a friend request on her phone. The profile picture was an adorable wolf pup, instantly revealing who it was from. After accepting the request, the first message was a photo of Alpha Waylon gently stroking the pup’s fur.

"Sorry, the pup is really clingy."

His words carried the smug confidence of someone who knew he was pushing boundaries. Thalia chose not to reply and simply asked Emmie, the young Delta, to remind Alpha Waylon about tomorrow’s pack gathering. Emmie didn’t respond.

Thalia expected to see Alpha Waylon at the Daniels’ den the next day, but to her surprise, his car was parked outside her residence before she even set out.

"I came to pick you up," he said, his deep voice carrying the authority of an Alpha.

A ride was a ride, so she accepted. The passenger seat was spotless and spacious, indicating that Waylon had cleaned the car before coming to fetch her. Thalia leaned back and closed her eyes to relax. Occasionally, she felt his piercing gaze on her.

In the past, she would chatter endlessly whenever she was in the car with him. Now, without her constant stream of words, the silence was heavy, the tension between them almost tangible. Alpha Waylon gripped the steering wheel tightly, finally breaking the quiet.

"Luna, Whiskers was in pretty bad shape last night. I stayed at the pack healer’s, so I didn’t return to the den."

He was explaining why he hadn’t come home last night, which was unusual since the Alpha rarely felt the need to justify himself. In the past, he’d grow annoyed if she asked too many questions. Now that she wasn’t asking, he was offering explanations.

"Yeah, I know. Someone already told me," Thalia replied, her tone cool and detached.

"Who told you?" His voice was tense, his Alpha tone creeping in despite his attempt to sound casual.

"The pup’s caretaker," Thalia answered honestly.

Alpha Waylon gave her a cautious glance. "You mean Emmie? She’s a new Delta in the pack. She found Whiskers near the pack’s training grounds and couldn’t take him back to her den, so..."

"Yeah, I got it."

Thalia wasn’t interested in his explanation. She cut him off, meeting his gaze with a hint of impatience, her Luna aura subtly asserting itself.

"Luna, why aren’t you angry anymore?" he asked, seeming genuinely puzzled, his Alpha tone softening slightly.

Thalia didn’t respond immediately. Her wolf stirred faintly in the back of her mind, a quiet reminder of the bond that still lingered between them, frayed and fragile. But she pushed the thought aside, her expression unreadable as she turned to look out the window, the towering trees of the Silver Moon Pack territory blurring past.