During my stay in the clinic, I didn't stop preparing for my transfer to the Silver Crest Pack.

All I wanted was to finish the handover quickly and leave this place of heartbreak.

Kade did visit once during this time.

He was dressed in black casual clothes and holding a bouquet of flowers.

"What are you doing here?" I looked at him coldly.

"To see your injury." He walked to the bedside, his gaze dropping to my bandaged arm.

"Seen enough? Then you can leave."

"Anya, about last night..." He paused, his gaze dropping to my bandaged arm. "You shouldn't have been at the festival."

I froze for a second, then let out a cold laugh. "So it was my fault?"

"I didn't mean that," Kade frowned. "But you know Selena isn't used to pack life. You should be more understanding."

"Understanding?" I could hardly believe my ears. "I'm the one who got burned, and you want me to be understanding toward the person who did it?"

"She didn't do it on purpose!" Kade's voice rose. "Why do you always have to be so difficult?"

"Get out." I closed my eyes. "Get out now."

Kade stood there for a few seconds before finally slamming the door on his way out.

We parted on bad terms, and he never showed up again.

As I was leaving the healer's office with my final test results, I ran right into Kade, who was carefully helping Selena out of the fertility healer's office, a service exclusive to Alpha bloodlines.

At the sight of me, a flash of panic crossed Kade's golden wolf eyes. He almost instinctively dropped his hand from Selena's waist.

Seeing his hesitation, Selena's expression faltered for a moment before she recovered and said,

"Our mother's birthday party is in a few days. You should come, sister. Mother has been missing you. She would be so happy to see you there."

I didn't say a word and turned to leave, but my wrist was suddenly grabbed.

"What were you being tested for?"

"Let go." I tried to pull away.

"Tell me, what were you being tested for?" His grip was strong, and my arm ached.

"Just an old injury," I said coldly. "Why the sudden concern, Alpha? I'm not a pup anymore. My wounds heal slower these days."

My retort left Kade speechless.

He couldn't understand why he always lost control of his emotions around me.

Perhaps he wasn't used to me being so prickly.

He even found himself missing the adoration that used to shine in my eyes whenever I looked at him.

"How long are you going to play this little game of hard to get? Take it too far, and it stops being cute."

I didn't answer and just turned and walked away.

I could feel Kade's complicated gaze following me, but I had no intention of looking back.

I finished all my transfer preparations ahead of schedule.

Just as I was about to go to the pack elder to say my goodbyes, he gave me another last-minute task.

"An invitation for your mother's birthday banquet has arrived, and it specifically requests your presence. If you refuse now, you'll be making things difficult for me..."

I knew my mother better than anyone.

On the surface, she valued so-called "family image" more than anything.

I understood that pack diplomacy was part of a warrior's duty.

I had no reason to refuse, so I agreed.

"After this banquet, I plan to head to the Silver Crest Pack early to get familiar with the territory."

"Fine. I originally gave you two weeks for the handover. Since you've finished your tasks early, you can take the remaining days as leave. Go relax."

I nodded and went downstairs.

On the day of the banquet, I wore the formal warrior's dress uniform and entered the grand hall.

I was never good at these situations. Social gatherings packed with the powerful and elite always made me uncomfortable.

It wasn't until a servant came to summon me to a side hall that I went as instructed. There, I saw my mother sitting in the main seat.

I stood a respectful distance away and offered a formal warrior's salute.

My mother ignored my distant attitude. Instead, she tried to pull me into small talk, leveraging our blood ties to dissolve the awkward tension.

I mostly remained silent.

This so-called mother felt like a complete stranger to me.

I didn't need a late performance of maternal love.

Especially since this performance was only to assuage her own guilt.

It wasn't until she went on stage to give a speech that my mother finally let go of my hand.

She hadn't aged a day over the years, looking radiant on stage.

I couldn't help but think of my own aging father, who had fought and bled for the pack, only to be left with a body full of scars.

As I was lost in thought, a shocked howl erupted from the crowd.

I snapped back to reality and saw that every wolf in the room was looking at me with strange eyes.

The massive screen behind the stage was playing a loop of my most intimate moments.

My unrestrained cries beneath Kade, images of me pinned to the bed, moaning helplessly.

It was so clear that even the marks Kade had left on my collarbone were visible to all.

In an instant, the blood in my veins turned to ice.

My limbs went numb and cold.

I wanted to rush over and smash the crystal, but my legs were as weak as if they were bound by silver, pinning me to the spot.

Whispers spread through the hall, and some people started pointing.

"I can't believe it... So that was Anya."

"How shameless..."

Every word was a knife stabbing into my heart.

I bit my lip hard, until the taste of blood filled my mouth, just to regain a sliver of my senses.

I managed two shaky steps forward before the humiliating sounds were abruptly cut short.

I looked up. Through my blurred vision, I saw the memory crystal being crushed into dust by a pair of long, slender hands.

Kade emerged from the crowd, his golden wolf eyes burning with rage.

The immense pressure of his Alpha authority instantly swept through the hall, suffocating the wolves present until they could barely breathe.

"Anyone who dares to look again will have me to answer to. I will gouge your eyes out myself."

He looked at me, and for a fleeting moment, I saw a trace of pity in his eyes.

It made sense.

In werewolf society, for a Beta she-wolf to be humiliated like this was basically a social death sentence.

I stood up, trembling, and walked towards the door amidst the scornful gazes of the crowd.

"Anya..." Kade started to follow.

I didn't look back. I stumbled back to my barracks and burrowed under the covers.

It was a grand banquet. The power of the Moon Goddess should have made every wolf feel warm, but I was shivering with cold.

My wolf was howling inside me, the pain of humiliation and betrayal nearly tearing it apart.

Only when I had cried all my tears did I come to my senses.

I took out my communication crystal and activated the emergency channel to the elders.

"I wish to file a formal complaint with the council. I accuse the person who leaked these private memories."

After sending the message, I shut off the crystal and fell onto the bed, drifting into a heavy, troubled sleep.

I didn't realize it was already after moonset until an angry pounding on my door woke me.

My head was spinning as I went to open it. The door had barely cracked open when it was violently shoved from the outside.

A sharp slap landed across my face.

"Are you trying to ruin your sister completely?!"

"What do you think you're doing?!" my mother shrieked. "Withdraw the complaint! Withdraw it now!"

A stinging pain spread across my right cheek. I covered my face and looked at her, my voice as cold as a frozen river.

"She was the one who defamed me and trampled my honor as a warrior first."

"You have no shame! Spreading your legs for the Alpha, doing those disgusting things, and now you want to drag your sister down with you?"

Hearing this, I suddenly let out a short, harsh laugh.

"I see nothing wrong with what happens between two marked mates. What is truly despicable is the theft and public broadcast of those memories with the intent to harm."

"Second, I do not have such a vile and shameless sister."

"And third, I will not withdraw the complaint."

Seeing my defiance, my mother's body trembled with rage.

"I once thought of bringing you back to the family to groom you into a fine Luna. Now I see you're just like your lowly Beta father, completely classless!"

"I suppose I shouldn't have expected any class to come from such inferior blood..."

"Shut up!" My wolf was thoroughly provoked. "I will not allow anyone to insult my father."

"He is a veteran who bled for this pack. He is a thousand times nobler than a hypocrite like you could ever hope to be."

"Now, please leave. Before this gets any uglier."

I slammed the door shut.

From outside, I could hear my mother's curses, along with the whispers of other warriors.

"I heard Anya got her elite warrior status by sleeping with the Alpha. Is that true?"

"Her sex tapes with the Alpha were playing for everyone to see. How could it be fake? Even though it was shut down fast, I heard a lot of wolves in the room saved it to their own memory crystals."

"The whole Pack Alliance is talking about it. They're saying Anya's just a slut who seduces Alphas, passed around by all sorts of wolves."

"No wonder the Alpha never made their relationship public. Who would want someone like that as their Luna..."

I leaned my back against the door, my body sliding to the floor.

The communication crystal flashed an insistent red light, but I ignored it.

I didn't turn on the lights, letting myself sink into the darkness.

My wolf howled in agony. The pain of a mate's betrayal was more lethal than any physical wound.

Until a forced message came through the crystal.

"Answer the link, or I'm coming up. Your choice."

Immediately after, a familiar and dominant Alpha's intent forcibly linked with my mental barriers.

It was Kade's channel.

After a few seconds of hesitation, I accepted the forced link.

"Are you okay?"

Hearing his voice, I almost laughed. "What's this? The Alpha is trying the gentle approach now? I already told you, I'm not withdrawing the complaint."

For once, Kade didn't argue. His tone was uncharacteristically sincere. "I'm sorry."

His attitude caught me off guard.

I had never seen him act this way, almost humble.

"If you're really sorry, then clear things up. The rumors spreading through the pack, you're the Alpha, you can't possibly not know about them."

There was a few seconds of silence, then his low voice came through. "Anya, the damage is done. A clarification won't change what people saw. It will only drag Selena into this mess as well."

"Instead of escalating things, it's better to minimize the damage..."

I cut him off. "So, what you're saying is, it doesn't matter that my privacy was violated, that my name is being dragged through the mud, as long as your precious Selena doesn't get hurt."

"This is for the good of the pack, isn't it? As a warrior, you should understand the bigger picture..."

He wanted me to endure this humiliation for the sake of the pack's peace.

"Kade." Tears suddenly streamed from the corners of my eyes. "Dream on."

I angrily severed the mental link.

Less than a minute later, a stronger Alpha intent once again invaded my mental barriers.

"You dare sever my link?" Kade's voice was pure menace.

"I don't want to hear your bullshit."

"Anya, don't make me use force." His tone turned dangerous. "You know your father's condition. He needs pure Alpha energy to stay alive."

My heart sank.

"Are you threatening me?"

"I'm just stating a fact," Kade said, his voice flat and cold. "If I cut off his supply of energy, how long do you really think he'll last?"

I was silent.

The entire pack knew my father's old wounds required an Alpha's energy for treatment.

And Kade had been helping my father for years.

"Withdraw the complaint, and everything goes back to normal." His tone was non-negotiable. "This is your final warning."

I closed my eyes, feeling my heart being torn apart.

For my father, I had no other choice.

"I... I'll withdraw it."

"Good." Kade's voice softened, just a fraction. "You'll thank me for this later, Anya."

"Selena is your sister, after all. There's no need to be so ruthless."

A wave of nausea rose in my throat, and I abruptly cut the link.

I collapsed to the floor and finally broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

I couldn't risk my father's life over my own pride.

I couldn't take that gamble.

After the withdrawal agreement was delivered, Selena appeared at my door, looking smug.

"Sister, I heard you withdrew the complaint," she said, her smile sickly sweet. "I knew you would."

"Get out," I said coldly.

"Don't be mad, sister." She walked into the room, looking around the simple warrior's barracks. "It must be uncomfortable living in a place like this, right?"

"None of your business."

"I just wanted to show my concern for you, sister," Selena said, sitting in the only chair. "After all, we're family."

"We are not family."

"Why not?" she asked, blinking her innocent, wide eyes. "We have the same mother."

"Even if your useless father couldn't give you a good bloodline."

I was about to slap her.

But the moment I grabbed her wrist, Selena collapsed to her knees, her voice filled with terror.

"Sister, I know I was wrong, please don't hit me. I'm pregnant with Kade's baby..."

She covered her stomach with her hands, acting as if I had pushed her.

Kade saw Selena kneeling on the ground, and his instinct to protect his pup instantly overrode all reason.

"Anya, are you insane?"

"I didn't hit her!" I tried to explain.

Before I could get a word out, he shoved me hard.

My head slammed against the wall with a sickening crack.

I reached up and felt a handful of thick, wet blood.

Kade's eyes were bloodshot. "I warned you not to hurt her! She's carrying my bloodline!"

He carefully lifted Selena into his arms, then turned to me, his voice so cold it sent a shiver down my spine.

"Anya, as the Alpha of the Black Moon Pack, I hereby formally reject you as my mate."

The moment the words left his mouth, he himself coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body staggering from the excruciating pain of his soul being torn in two.

I felt the agony of my heart being ripped in two.

Four years of a mate bond, ended just like that.

I crumpled to my knees, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth, the agonizing pain of the rejection clawing at the inside of my chest.

"I accept."

The two words escaped my lips, each syllable like swallowing shards of glass.

Kade rushed out of the room with Selena in his arms, not sparing me a single glance.

Good. From now on, I would never have to contact him again.

On the eve of my departure, I pushed through the searing pain of the broken bond to have one last meal with my father.

I didn't tell him about the rejection, only that I was leaving for my post at the Silver Crest Pack.

I packed my bag that night and crossed the Black Moon Pack's border before dawn.

The moment I stepped across the boundary, I severed my side of the mate bond with Kade for good.

The soul-tearing agony nearly made me black out, but when it subsided, it left an unexpected feeling in its wake: liberation.

I was free.

From now on, I would stay far, far away from him.