Avelyn’s POV

“Dad… please come for me in a week. I’m ready to mate with the Alpha of Rydelthorn Pack like you wished,” I whispered into the crystal communicator, my voice trembling.

“Mate him? Sweetheart, what are you saying? Aren’t you mated to Zayne of the Valloren Pack?” My father’s tone was filled with confusion and worried.

“Not anymore. I’m going to unmated him,” I said, choking on the words. “Tell Mom to start preparing for the ceremony.”

Before he could answer, I cut the call. The communicator slipped from my hand, clattering onto the floor. My body shook as I buried my face in my palms.

Two winters ago, I thought my life was perfect. Now I know it was built on lies.

Three moons ago, a hunting trip turned to tragedy. My cart hung over the cliffside at Wyrm’s Teeth. I was nine months with pup, bleeding and terrified.

At the Healer’s Hall, they needed my mate’s consent for the ritual. I called Zayne ninety-nine times—no answer. On the hundredth try, he finally picked up.

“Avelyn,” he said coldly, “why are you so desperate for attention? I told you I have a Council meeting. Stop being dramatic.”

Before I could reply, a woman’s voice spoke beside him. “Zayne, love, come on—we’ll be late for the gathering.”

That voice froze my heart.

Vionne Celviere.

She was his first love—the woman who’d returned six moons ago from Ravenwood, bruised and broken, begging him for refuge. I’d pleaded with Zayne to take her in.

“She’s a pack sister,” I told him. “You can’t abandon her.”

He reluctantly agreed. I helped him arrange her divorce rites and even offered her a place in our home.

Three moons ago, she said she carried her ex-mate’s pup. I believed her. I cooked for her, fetched her herbs, stayed by her side—never realizing I was feeding the very betrayal that would destroy me.

That night, my call to Zayne ended, and my world fell apart. My pup didn’t survive.

I drifted into the moon-sleep and awoke days later in the healer’s ward. But even then, peace didn’t come.

Outside the curtain, I heard Zayne’s voice.

“Alpha Valloren,” the chief healer said, “I can’t keep her under any longer. The lunar graft is done and Vionne is recovering. It’s time for Luna Avelyn wakes.”

“Wake her?” Zayne snapped. “If she wakes now, she’ll find out I caused her fall to harvest her pup’s marrow for Vionne! Keep her under until Vionne delivers my son.”

The words shattered me.

The man I’d loved now had tried to kill me only for saving another woman, the one who once abandoned him in the past.

The man I’d once saved from ending his life... and now this was his way to repay me by destroying my life and even my unborn pup only for his first love?

I waited until they left. Then, with trembling hands, I called my advocate.

“Darian Melvere,” I said quietly, “draw up the divorce writs. I want them sealed before the week ends.”

I ended the call and forced myself to stand. My legs were weak, but rage gave me strength.

As I stepped into the corridor, I heard laughter from a nearby room. I followed the sound—and froze.

Through the half-open veil, I saw Zayne sitting by Vionne’s bed, brushing her hair back as she smiled at him, hand resting on her swollen belly.

“You did it, Zayne,” she murmured. “Our pup is safe.”

He kissed her brow. “He’s worth everything I lost.”

My breath caught.

Everything I lost….

Those were his words.

I stumbled into the washroom, gripping the basin, staring at the pale stranger in the mirror. Then Vionne’s reflection appeared behind me.

“Why hide, Avelyn? Don’t you want to tend me and my pup anymore?” she mocked.

I splashed water on my face. “Leave, Vionne.”

She smirked. “That’s not very kind. Especially since I’ve been the one guiding your life lately.”

I glared at her through the mirror. “What do you want? You’re with my mate, isn’t that enough?”

Her smile sharpened. “Actually, I wanted to show you something.”

She lifted her comm-stone and showed me an image—a newborn pup, wrapped in linen.

My heart stopped. Tears filled my eyes. “My son… he lived?”

Vionne’s grin widened. “For a while. But he was too perfect. I couldn’t let anyone challenge my child’s place as Zayne’s heir.”

The world tilted. “What… what did you do?”

“Oh, nothing,” she said sweetly. “I only suggested your pup’s marrow might be useful. The healers warned Zayne it could kill him, but he didn’t care.”

A scream tore from my throat as I lunged, claws sinking into her neck. “You monster!”

“Zayne!” she shrieked.

The door flew open. Zayne stood in the frame, eyes wide for a heartbeat, then hard.

He yanked me off her and hurled me against the wall. Pain exploded through my skull.

“How could you?” he shouted.

“She killed my pup! Both of you…” I cried.

“You attacked a pregnant woman! You don’t deserve to be a mother—that’s why your pup died!” he roared.

His words cut deeper than claws ever could.

Zayne gathered Vionne in his arms and left without a backward glance, leaving me bleeding and broken on the cold floor.

And in that moment, I finally understood—Zayne had already chosen his mate long ago.

But in seven days, I’ll be gone. And before I leave, they’ll both learn what it means to cross me.

Avelyn’s POV

When I opened my eyes again, silver moonlight filtered through the ward’s frost-glass windows. The scent of wolfsbane and ashroot stung my nose—a healer’s chamber for the packborn, where the scent of pain never faded. My body throbbed with dull agony, every nerve raw, as though I’d been dragged through shards of moonstone.

The healer stood beside my bed, his coat marked with the insignia of the Lunar Court’s Medical Guild, his expression tight and guilty.

“Luna Avelyn,” he murmured, avoiding my gaze, “if something like this happens again, you might lose your ability to bear heirs. The Moon’s blessing upon your womb is fading.”

My throat went dry. “How much?” I rasped.

He blinked, startled. “Pardon?”

“How much did he pay you,” I said, voice shaking, “to drain my bloodline essence and kill my son?”

His hand froze midair. “Luna, I… I don’t know what you’re talking about—”

“Don’t lie to me,” I hissed. The faint glimmer of my suppressed wolf aura shimmered through my skin. “You siphoned my moon essence for Vionne’s transplant. You helped them. Now discharge me before I show you how an Alpha’s mate punishes treachery.”

His shoulders slumped. Without a word, he slid the release tablet toward me. I pressed my trembling claw-tip to the rune, sealing it with a signature of silver flame.

“You should remain here for a few more moons, Luna,” he whispered.

“I’d rather die beneath the eclipse than spend another second here,” I said coldly.

He lowered his gaze. “Then… may the Moon forgive us all.”

I said nothing. I gathered what little remained of my strength and walked out. My steps were weak, but fury burned steadier than blood.

***

When I reached the Valloren Manor, the manor that once pulsed with the warmth of my pack’s laughter, the air felt wrong—empty. The silverwood gates I had carved myself now gleamed cold under the moon. I had chosen every color, every curtain, believing it would be the den where our pups would grow.

Now, it felt like a tomb.

I pushed the great doors open. Laughter drifted from the inner hall—soft, lilting, and cruel.

Vionne was lounging on the stone couch, curled into Zayne’s chest, her swollen belly glowing faintly with the Lunar Bond mark. His hands, those same hands that had once refused to touch me, were gently massaging her feet.

A bitter laugh escaped my throat. I remembered the night I was heavy with our son, when I had begged him to ease my pain. He tossed me a handful of silver coins and said, “Ask a maid. I don’t do lesser chores.”

Now, here he was, smiling like a fool, tending to her every need.

“You two look cozy,” I said, my voice sharp as frost.

Zayne stiffened. His amber eyes narrowed. “What are you doing here, Avelyn? You were supposed to remain under the healer’s ward.”

“Why?” I asked quietly. “So you could keep pretending I’m dead?”

He glared. “Don’t start this again. Vionne carries my heir. You’re supposed to support her, not cause turmoil.”

My throat burned. “You killed my child for her.”

His aura surged, gold flames licking the air. “Enough! If you weren’t so unstable, maybe the Moon would’ve spared your child!”

The words struck like claws across my heart. I turned away before he could see me break. “Don’t worry, Alpha. I’ll be gone soon.”

***

Upstairs, I stopped outside the the room I had enchanted with moon crystals to hum lullabies when touched by light. The faint scent of milkweed lingered, but it was overpowered by something else—rosewater, Vionne’s favorite.

The door was ajar. I pushed it open and froze.

Everything was gone.

The silver cradle I forged under the crescent, the soft wolf-hide rug, even the azure curtains I had sewn by hand—all replaced.

The walls gleamed with pink moon-paint, and above a new cradle, etched in curling silver letters, was the name: “Baby Ravyn.”

My knees weakened. I stepped forward and saw my baby’s last relic—his ultrasound rune crystal—shattered on the floor. My trembling hands reached for it.

“My sweet boy…” I whispered.

A sharp heel pressed down on my hand, grinding the shards into my skin until blood welled. Pain burned through me, laced with wolfsbane.

“Oops,” Vionne’s voice cooed, sweet and venomous. “Did I step on something sacred?”

I looked up, shaking with rage. “What is wrong with you?”

She smiled, her eyes gleaming silver in the moonlight. “Don’t be angry, Avelyn. Zayne said I could claim this chamber since… well, you don’t need it anymore.”

I rose slowly, blood dripping down my palm. “You’re a monster.”

“Oh, my dear,” she said louder, feigning panic, “are you hurting yourself because of me? You should’ve just said so! You’re scaring me!”

My voice cracked. “What are you doing, Vionne?”

“Oh!” she cried theatrically. “Zayne! She’s hurting herself again!”

Before I could breathe, Zayne stormed into the room, his golden aura flaring.

“What are you doing now?” he demanded, voice full of cold disdain.

“I didn’t do anything—she’s the one—”

But Vionne cut me off, eyes brimming with fake tears. “I made her upset, Zayne. She hurt herself after you said I could use the nursery. It’s my fault…”

My heart stopped. “That’s not—!”

“Enough!” Zayne barked. “I’ve tolerated your madness long enough.”

Vionne’s eyes glinted as she reached for a small box on the table. She lifted a diamond pendant shaped like a crescent moon.

“Ooh, this is lovely,” she said. “Is it yours?”

“No—wait, don’t—”

The necklace slipped from her fingers and shattered on the floor.

For a heartbeat, all sound vanished.

The pendant—my son’s Lunar Naming Crystal, the last piece of his soul tethered to this realm—lay broken among glinting shards.

“Oops,” she whispered, smiling.

My knees buckled. “How could you? That was his tether… the only link to my child’s spirit!”

Zayne’s voice was cold as iron. “It’s just a trinket, Avelyn.”

“Just a—?” I gasped, staring up at him. “You think the Moon binds trinkets? That was our son!”

Vionne’s lips twitched. “Poor thing,” she whispered sweetly. “Maybe the healers should purge her. She’s clearly unwell since the accident.”

“I don’t need purification!” I shouted, trembling. “I need her to stop stealing what isn’t hers!”

Zayne sighed. “You need help, Avelyn.”

Two pack guards appeared at his command, shadows moving fast as smoke. Their grips clamped down on my arms.

“What are you doing? Let me go, Zayne!” I cried, thrashing.

He crossed his arms, jaw clenched. “You’ve lost control again. You’re a danger to the pack—and to yourself.”

“I’m your Luna!” I screamed. “And she’s using you!”

Vionne whimpered, clutching her belly. “Please, Zayne, don’t let her near me. The pup—he can feel her rage.”

That was enough for him. His gaze hardened to stone. “Take her to the Moon Asylum. Now.”

“Zayne, please—” My voice broke. “You’re casting me out for her?”

He didn’t look back. His hand rested protectively on Vionne’s waist as he guided her away, the mark of his loyalty burning like a brand on my heart.

The guards dragged me down the stairs as her voice followed, dripping with mock pity.

“I’ll take good care of your Alpha while you heal, Avelyn.”

I screamed her name, my voice echoing through the halls of Valloren Manor—once my home, now my cage—until the doors slammed shut behind me.

Avelyn’s POV

The first thing I felt when I woke was the chill of moonstone restraints biting into my wrists. I lay on a narrow cot inside a sterile chamber that smelled of iron and burning sage. Silver runes glowed faintly across the walls — wards meant to suppress one’s wolf.

A man in healer’s robes stood beside me, humming softly as he prepared a vial of shimmering blue liquid.

“Where… where am I?” I whispered, my voice hoarse.

He smiled without meeting my eyes. “Your Alpha requested healing. Don’t struggle, Luna Valloren. I’m here to cure your mind.”

Before I could react, the needle plunged into my arm. The potion burned like liquid frost in my veins. My vision spun, my wolf howled in my head — but the wards silenced her. I tried to speak, but my tongue felt heavy, my strength stripped away.

“Just relax,” the healer murmured. “This is part of the moon correction process.”

Then came the shock — raw, magical lightning surged through my body, searing every nerve. I screamed, my cry echoing off the cold walls.

“Shh…” he whispered. “It’s for your own good.”

Time lost all meaning. For two days — maybe more — I was trapped in a haze of pain and sleep spells. Whenever I begged to go home, they forced another dose down my throat.

I heard the attendants whisper when they thought I was lost to the sedatives.

“Lady Vionne said not to leave scars,” one muttered.

“Pity,” the other replied. “She paid so well.”

That was when I realized — Vionne had sent me here. This wasn’t treatment. It was punishment disguised as healing.

By the second night, my body had stopped trembling. I couldn’t even cry anymore. I just stared at the glowing ceiling sigils and waited for the torment to end.

When the restraints finally released, I was too weak to stand. Hours later, the door opened — and Zayne entered, his presence cold as winter rain.

I thought I’d scream, curse him, demand answers. But I didn’t. I just looked at him, hollow.

“You look awful,” he said flatly. “It’s only been two days.”

Two days. That’s all it took for him to destroy what little was left of me.

He turned toward the door. “Let’s go. Vionne’s waiting at the manor — she needs me.”

Of course she did.

He didn’t even offer his hand. I followed in silence, my legs burning with every step. Outside, storm clouds swallowed the moon, and rain poured like the heavens themselves were mourning.

We rode in silence across the misted ridge. The lights of the pack city flickered in the distance. I stared out the window, trembling, soaked in silence.

Then his communicator flared. Vionne’s voice filled the air — soft, panicked.

“Zayne! Please, come home — the pup’s not moving! Something’s wrong!”

His knuckles whitened around the reins. Without a word, he halted the spirit-carriage and opened my door.

“Get out,” he said.

I blinked. “What?”

“Get out, Avelyn. Vionne needs me.”

“You’re leaving me here?”

He looked at me, eyes void of warmth. “You’ll manage.”

The door slammed. Hooves pounded. The carriage vanished into the rain, leaving me on the muddy roadside.

I stood there trembling as the storm drenched me, my white cloak clinging to my skin. When I tried to cross the bridge toward the lower packs, light flared — a carriage horn, a scream of wheels — and then, darkness.

***

When I opened my eyes again, I was in a ward beneath the Moon Healer’s Spire. The air smelled of blood and lavender. My body ached with every breath.

A healer approached, his face grim. “Luna Valloren,” he said softly, “the spirits spared your life, but the damage was grave. We had to remove your moonwomb. I’m sorry… you won’t be able to bear a pup again.”

My world shattered.

I stared at him, lips trembling. “What… what did you just say?”

He lowered his gaze. “There was too much internal bleeding. The goddess preserved you, but your gift of life is gone.”

My chest heaved; tears burned my cheeks. The moonstone monitor beside me pulsed erratically.

Then came the knock.

Vionne glided into the room in a silk gown the color of blush dawn, her swollen belly framed by moonlight.

“Oh dear,” she cooed, feigning pity. “I heard you had an accident. Such a tragedy about your womb.” Her lips curved. “But look at the bright side — now you can help me raise our pup.”

My claws ached to unsheathe. “Why are you here?” I rasped. “Haven’t you done enough?”

She laughed softly. “I came to admire my handiwork. I did tell those brutes not to kill you, but perhaps I should’ve been clearer.”

Rage surged through me. I seized her by the hair, tears spilling down my face. “You killed my pup! What more do you want from me?”

“Help!” Vionne screamed.

The door burst open. Zayne stormed in with the healer, eyes flaring with fury.

“It’s barely been a day, and you’re attacking her again?” he snarled, shoving me backward.

I fell, my stitches tearing open, blood staining the sheets.

“Zayne,” I gasped. “She did this — she sent those wolves after me—”

“Enough!” he barked. “I’ve already spoken to the guards who caught the driver. He said you paid him to cause the accident. You disgust me, Avelyn.”

I froze. “What? That’s a lie!”

He scoffed. “You’d do anything for attention.”

His voice dripped with venom as he stepped closer. “How far will you go to make yourself a victim? Vionne’s done everything to care for you, and this is how you repay her?”

“I lost my child, Zayne!” I cried, shaking.

He turned away. “You lost your sanity. Enough of this. Vionne’s moon blessing is tonight. Try not to embarrass yourself — or me.”

Vionne leaned close, her eyes glittering like frost. “Don’t worry, Avelyn,” she whispered. “I’ll make sure Zayne saves you a slice of the celebration cake.”

Then they left, leaving only the sound of the door slamming and the storm raging outside.

I sat there, staring at the crimson stain spreading across my gown. My hands trembled as my crystal communicator buzzed beside me.

A message blinked across the glowing surface:

“Divorce rites completed.” — Advocate Darian Melvere

A single tear slipped down my cheek — the last one I would ever shed for Zayne Valloren.