On the day I left, Alpha Kayden stood silently to the side, watching as I folded the few belongings I had into the small bag I’d brought with me when I first arrived at the Silver Moon Pack’s mansion. He stepped closer, his Alpha aura faintly brushing against me, and said in a calm voice, “There’s no need to rush. The envoy won’t arrive for a few more days.”

I wrapped a familiar pen in a handkerchief before looking up at him. “Today is a good day for travel. I don’t have much, so it won’t take long to pack.”

It was too calm. Too easy. Compared to the messy rejections or affairs among the high-ranking wolves, my departure from the Silver Moon Pack was just a few words and a rejection letter. I carefully wiped down my old books and placed them in the corner of the bag, wondering if I’d forgotten anything. I didn’t notice the two Omegas’ contracts clutched in his hand.

After a long hesitation, he finally stepped forward and offered them to me. “Take them with you. They’re used to serving you.”

I knew what he meant, but I simply smiled and declined. “They might not have an easier life with me. Let them stay.”

He asked again, “Where will you go?”

My voice was steady. “Perhaps I’ll return to my hometown first.”

He nodded. “It’s a remote place. Pay your respects to your parents’ graves and then move on. Find somewhere better to settle.”

I agreed, “Alright.”

But I knew I wouldn’t return to the capital. These gestures of kindness would likely be wasted on me. Life was unpredictable, full of gains and losses. If it hadn’t been for that misunderstanding years ago, I might have already settled in that remote village. There was nothing to regret.

Over the years, I’d used my healing skills to support Kayden, funding his rise to Alpha and smoothing his path. Now, those skills were my lifeline. The intricate potions, the delicate herb combinations—I’d mastered them all. With this craft, I could survive anywhere. But even if the day came when my hands failed and I could no longer brew, I wouldn’t return to the capital.

With that thought, I tightened the straps of my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and said, “I’m leaving.”

Just as I was about to step over the threshold, he called out, “Wait!”

I turned back. “What is it?”

He hesitated, then asked, “The pendant Mother gave you, the one with the moonstone of eternal love, and the pair of wolf figurines from our marking ceremony—the ones with your name engraved on the base. You’re leaving them behind?”

I paused, then replied, “You can handle them.”

He seemed taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected me to feel so detached. He scoffed, though it didn’t sound like amusement. “How am I supposed to handle them? Selling them or giving them away isn’t appropriate. Leaving them here would only cause trouble if she sees them.”

My chest tightened. “Then throw them away.”

Kayden finally had nothing more to say and followed me out the door.

The distance from the inner courtyard’s corridor to the front gate felt like an eternity…

I had stood by Kayden’s side as he rose from a struggling pack member to the Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack.

I handled every detail of the pack’s affairs with care.

I was respectful to those above me and kind to those below.

Magdalena, Kayden’s mother, treated me like her own daughter.

If she had still been alive, she would have shielded me from this scene, making Kayden kneel in the pack’s hall as punishment.

I missed her.

I missed the homemade stew she used to make for me.

I missed her telling me not to focus too much on pack duties, lest I strain myself.

I missed how, when others criticized me for not bearing a child after years of being his mate, she stood up for me despite her illness: “How my daughter-in-law fares is none of your business! Having a child is a matter of fate. What are you gossiping about? What’s your intention?”

I missed how, before she passed, she whispered to Kayden to treat me well.

But, unfortunately, she didn’t get her wish.

…

The pack members had always respected me.

Now, as I prepared to leave, they gathered in the courtyard, hesitating, unsure whether to approach and say goodbye.

I calmly told them to return to their duties.

Kayden valued discipline, and I didn’t want them to be punished on my account.

After I left, Chloe, the Lycan Princess who had been rejected by the Lycan King of the North, would become the new Luna of the Silver Moon Pack.

Their task would be to win her favor, ensuring their lives in the pack went smoothly.

Compared to me, an ordinary Omega, Chloe’s royal title, even tarnished, carried an inherent nobility.

As the Alpha, Kayden needed a Luna who could bring prestige to the pack.

In that regard, I was no match for Chloe.

Being replaced was expected.

Still, the situation was far more absurd than I imagined.

Even if it wasn’t Chloe’s fault, being rejected after two years in the North had damaged her reputation.

A werewolf’s desire is a stable pack and a rightful place.

When the news reached the pack, Kayden couldn’t eat or sleep.

I could see he felt pity for her.

He didn’t say it outright.

But he had already written the rejection letter, hiding it in a drawer of his desk.

I found it while organizing his papers.

Silently, I put it back and continued with my tasks as if nothing had happened.

At that moment, I revisited every memory of our journey together.

I couldn’t find evidence that Kayden didn’t love me.

He was a considerate mate.

He would surprise me with jewelry I had admired for my birthday.

When I was unwell, he stayed by my side, caring for me without rest.

Whenever he saw something interesting, he’d bring it to me, hoping to make me smile.

…

But if that was love, why was I cast aside the moment she returned, even before she set foot in the pack’s territory?