Because a neighbor treated my mom to an ice cream bar, my mate Austin, the Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, flew into a rage, accusing her of taking bribes to capitalize on his influence. His Beta, Rose Walker, heard about it and, feeling outraged, decided to take matters into her own hands.

She broke my mom’s arms and legs, wrapped her in a black cloth, and threw her into a coffin nailed shut, dragging it to the pack hall for public humiliation. By the time I arrived, the coffin was scratched with blood, and the person inside had suffocated.

Rose showed no remorse, even smiling and saying she found it satisfying. When Austin appeared, he immediately ordered the coffin to be thrown into the river.

"Your mother died of embarrassment; what’s that got to do with my Beta? You should be grateful she wasn’t frightened by your mother’s ghastly appearance."

"Apologize to Rose right now, or forget about being the Luna of this pack!"

I stopped them from disposing of the coffin, pulled back the black cloth, and laughed.

He didn’t realize that the person inside wasn’t my mom, but his own mother, Natasha, the former Luna of the Blue Moon Pack.

"You’re crazy; your mother just died, and you’re laughing? Hurry up and apologize to Rose!" Austin was visibly irritated, his Alpha tone sharp and commanding.

It wasn’t my mom whose limbs were broken inside the coffin. I had no reason to fight for justice anymore.

"I’m not apologizing. Do whatever you want."

Rose clung to Austin’s arm, feigning distress, "Seeing all this blood today, I’ll probably have nightmares again tonight. How will I get any work done if I don’t sleep well?"

She was always like this, distorting facts and making a fuss to earn Austin’s sympathy. He exploded at me immediately, "Sierra, do you have any decency? Your mom took bribes, and Rose only punished her on my behalf. She died from the shame of it."

"As her daughter, what’s wrong with apologizing?"

I stayed emotionless, "Neither my mom nor I have done anything wrong."

Austin was livid, flaunting his authority as Alpha, "Fine, then I’ll fill this coffin with water and seal it tight. You won’t get to see your mother one last time!"

I nodded indifferently, while Rose smirked and took my hand, "Sierra, I know you must be upset, but I didn’t mean it. It was just a little joke with your mom."

"You’re not going to pretend nothing happened and then complain at work later, right?"

I pulled my hand away, sneering, "I won’t, don’t worry."

After mating with Austin, his mother Natasha frequently lorded her status over me, acting as if she were still the Luna of the pack. Despite living in the pack compound, she demanded I make ten trips to the nearest town to buy her truffle soup.

Meals had to consist of four different dishes every day, with no repeats. If I got home a few minutes late from work, she’d immediately lecture me in front of everyone, "I see you really think too highly of yourself! Staying out after work, are you flaunting yourself?"

Thinking of those times, it’s true—what goes around comes around.

Austin then remembered to pull some pack vouchers from his pocket and threw them at me, "These vouchers are for you, hush money for your mother’s death. Her life was cheap, and these are more than enough."

Five days’ worth of pack vouchers for a life. Luckily, the person inside wasn’t my mom.

He glared at me, waiting for me to stoop and pick up the vouchers. Before I could, he arrogantly dictated what I should do with them.

"Your mother is dead; these vouchers are useless to you."

"Later, exchange them for cash, cover your transport to the town, and buy some truffle soup. My mom hasn’t had any in two days. If you don’t serve her properly, you can forget about being the Luna of this pack."

That self-important threat again. I was tired of hearing it.

In the past, I endured his threats because I loved him and tolerated his mother’s outrageous demands. Today I saw clearly that he never really cared for me.

I spoke calmly, each word deliberate, "Fine, then let’s sever the mate bond. I, Sierra, Luna of the Blue Moon Pack, reject you, Austin, Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, as my mate."

He was stunned, eyes widening in disbelief, pointing at me, so enraged that he stumbled over his words.

Without looking back, I turned and walked away, my wolf whimpering softly in the back of my mind, but I silenced her. It was time to leave this pack, this mate, and this life behind.

After surviving a close call, I returned to the Blue Moon Pack’s territory and found my mom knitting a scarf for me in the living room of our family home. Thankfully, she wasn’t a figment of my imagination—she was truly alive, her hands moving steadily as she worked.

I rushed to her, hugging her tightly, fighting back tears. "Mom, how about we visit the neighboring pack by the seaside? I’ve heard their trade markets are thriving, and it might be good for us to get away for a while."

She sensed the turmoil in my voice and looked up, her sharp eyes filled with concern. "Alpha Austin and you… I’ve always said he wasn’t the right mate for you. The way he’s treated you, especially with Rose Walker always by his side… it’s not right. I’ll join you for a change of scenery."

"Great," I said, forcing a smile. "Let’s aim for three days from now."

I spent the rest of the day with her, cherishing the calm before I returned to the Alpha’s mansion—the home I shared with Austin. When I stepped inside, I found him standing in the living room, a portrait of my mother hanging on the wall. He turned to me with a grin, his Alpha aura filling the room. "Sweetheart, I’ve placed your mom’s picture here. Whenever you miss her, you can come and see her."

He seemed to expect praise, his tone dripping with self-satisfaction. "I pulled some strings to get this printed. I’ve done a lot for your mom, haven’t I?" I laughed dryly; the pack’s Gamma had a photo printer in his office. It wasn’t anything special, yet Austin tried to impress me with it.

I walked over, picked up the portrait, and tossed it into the trash bin, my voice cool and detached. "Is the mate rejection paperwork ready?"

His eyebrows shot up, his expression darkening. "You actually meant it? It was just a heated argument. We’ve been mates for nearly ten years. How can we split over something so trivial?"

I didn’t bother reminding him of the countless times he threatened to reject me over something Rose Walker said. In his eyes, the death of my closest family was a minor issue, but Rose’s whims were monumental.

He stepped closer, his Alpha tone softening in an attempt to placate me. "Alright, don’t be upset. How about I organize a grand memorial for your mom? It would be my way of making amends, okay?"

I kept my face impassive. "No need."

He gripped my hand tighter, his voice coaxing. "After the memorial, I’ll take time off and we can go on a trip. Just the two of us."

"But…" he hesitated, his tone shifting, "could you tell everyone at the memorial that your mom’s passing had nothing to do with Rose? The Gamma spread rumors, and it upset her greatly."

So all those sweet words led up to this. I replied with icy sarcasm, "Rose got someone killed, and you want me to clear her name? Alpha Austin, I didn’t think you condoned such schemes."

His face turned sour, and he released my hand, his Alpha tone sharpening. "She was just helping me! What if your mom’s alleged bribery affected the pack’s reputation?"

"Whether you help or not, you have to help!" he snapped, his dominance pressing down on me.

I smiled faintly and suddenly changed my tune, "Fine, I’ll help, but on one condition."

His expression brightened, and he agreed without hesitation, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. "Sweetheart, you’re so understanding! Mating you is my biggest blessing!"

I said nothing, nor did I tell him that my condition was the mate rejection.

He then walked over to the cabinet and took out the most valuable item in the house—the silver pocket watch he had given me during our marking ceremony. "Rose was really shaken up that day, can’t sleep at night. She said the ticking helps her, so I’ll give it to her. You don’t like it anyway."

That pocket watch was his marking gift to me. We had no grand ceremony—just that watch. Back then, he hadn’t fully established himself as Alpha, barely earning enough, but he spent a significant amount on it because I liked it. I only wore it twice to pack gatherings, keeping it safe in the cabinet.

He knew I was afraid of damaging it and didn’t wear it out of caution, but now it didn’t matter anymore. Everything he gave me, including himself, I no longer wanted.

Before leaving, he turned to me, his tone casual but with an underlying edge. "Where’s my mom been the past couple of days? She left without saying goodbye. Sweetheart, let me know when you see her back."

I smiled, my voice sweet but empty. "Sure, I will."

He’d see her soon enough—just at the memorial.

The funeral was undeniably a grand event, with the entire Blue Moon Pack and members of neighboring packs in attendance. Alpha Austin seemed intent on using this moment to vindicate Beta Rose in front of everyone, trying to curb any further whispers that had been circulating. Rose was sobbing inconsolably, nestled in his arms, her delicate frame trembling as if she were the one who had suffered the greatest loss.

"Sierra, do you really not hold me responsible? Alpha, you’ll stand by me and not let her harass me, right?" she whimpered, her voice trembling with practiced fragility.

Austin’s arms tightened around her, his Alpha tone low and commanding. "Don’t worry. She wouldn’t dare. Everything will be sorted out."

It was almost absurd—the person who had orchestrated the tragedy now playing the victim so convincingly. My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of frustration that I quickly suppressed. Now wasn’t the time.

I moved forward to light a candle for Natasha, Austin’s mother and the former Luna of the Blue Moon Pack. Despite how she had treated me—her demands, her dismissiveness—she was gone now, and clinging to past grievances felt pointless. The flickering flame cast a soft glow over her portrait, her regal features frozen in time.

Rose approached the casket, her steps slow and deliberate, and suddenly tossed a pile of documents onto the floor. She sighed, her expression tinged with an insincere reluctance that made my stomach churn.

"Sierra, I know we should let things go once someone has passed, but my life has been impacted by all this," she said, her voice carrying just enough weight to draw the attention of everyone in the room.

"Some matters need to be clarified in front of everyone."

I bent down to pick up the papers, my hands trembling as I scanned the accusations of embezzlement and bribery levied against my mother. My wolf growled again, louder this time, but I forced her back. Throwing the papers to the ground, I glared at Rose.

"That day, Natasha simply gave my mom a slice of cake, and you call that a fifty-dollar bribe? None of these accusations are true!"

The sound of papers hitting the marble floor echoed through the hall, and Rose shrank back, her eyes wide with feigned fear. Austin immediately stepped in, his Alpha aura flaring as he moved to shield her.

"Why are you throwing those? You’re scaring her! Rose gathered this information herself! Are you saying it’s fake?"

"Don’t think I don’t know your mother was using my name to con people out of money everywhere!" he added, his voice rising with each word.

Rose, still teary-eyed, clung to Austin’s arm. "Alpha, maybe you shouldn’t say anything more. We should let the deceased rest in peace."

"If you’ve brought it up, stop pretending," I snapped, my voice sharp enough to cut through her façade.

Austin’s eyes darkened, his Alpha tone now laced with barely restrained anger. "I brought it up because I want everyone to know the truth! Your mom got what was coming to her, and this has nothing to do with Rose!"

Whispers rippled through the crowd, the pack members exchanging glances, their loyalty swaying with every word Austin spoke.

"I’ve seen Sierra’s mom at the pack market regularly. If that wasn’t bribery, then what was?"

"Exactly. After Sierra became Luna, their family suddenly had a refrigerator and a radio. There’s no way they didn’t take bribes!"

I clenched my fists, my wolf’s growl now a low rumble in my chest. "Those are things I bought for my mom! She never took a dime!"

Rose shot me a smug look, her lips curling into a barely concealed smirk as she poured gasoline on the fire. "Sierra, with your allowance as Luna, could you really afford a refrigerator and a radio? You know deep down where that money came from."

Austin scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "Not long ago, a crowd showed up at the packhouse wanting to see me. I bet your mom pocketed money from them to leverage my influence."

They had the upper hand, the pack’s loyalty swaying with every accusation. Rose, emboldened by Austin’s support, suddenly proposed, "Since she took bribes, shouldn’t the money be confiscated? Let’s go to her house and collect it!"

The murmurs of agreement from the crowd were like a knife twisting in my chest. My wolf snarled, but I held her back, refusing to let them see how deeply their words cut. I would not break—not here, not in front of them.