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.

Avelyn’s POV

A few hours after Zayne stormed out of my recovery chamber, the healers from the Healer’s Hall infirmary discharged me. The elder healer looked at me with quiet pity, his eyes glowing faintly under the moonlight rune etched on his brow.

“Please, Luna Valloren,” he said softly, “you must rest. Your wolf’s core is fragile — another strain could tear your life-thread apart.”

I didn’t reply. I only signed the moon-sealed parchment — my Bond Severance Declaration — and stumbled out of the ward. My legs trembled, and my lower abdomen throbbed with pain where my spiritual womb had been torn apart.

I half expected Zayne to be waiting outside the infirmary, especially after his relentless mind-link messages commanding me to return to the Valloren Manor and assist Vionne.

Of course, he wasn’t there. Why would he be? A mate who had left me for dead twice wouldn’t bother showing up now.

When I returned to the Valloren stronghold, the great hall of the Alpha’s manor was alive with laughter and chiming goblets. Gold and sapphire banners hung across the marble walls, and moonlight lanterns shimmered in the air.

A large crest gleamed above the dais:

“Welcome, Pup Ravyn Valloren.”

It took me a second to realize that tonight wasn’t just Vionne’s pup-blessing. It was also Zayne’s and my second bond anniversary.

And yet, not a single bloom of moonroses, not a single glance from Zayne, hinted that he remembered.

The pack elites whispered as I stepped in — sharp, gleaming eyes of wolves in human skin.

“There she is. The Luna who couldn’t bear an heir.”

“I heard her spirit womb was destroyed. Poor thing, still clinging to Alpha Zayne.”

“She truly thought he’d forget Vionne? They shared a blood bond as children.”

Each word sliced through my soul like silver, but I kept walking, chin high.

At the center of the grand hall, Vionne stood draped in a gown spun from moon-silk, her aura glowing with pregnancy’s warmth. Zayne stood beside her, adjusting her shawl, his gaze soft and reverent — a look he once reserved for me.

“Avelyn,” Zayne said flatly, barely glancing my way. “You’re home. Vionne’s blessing begins soon. Make yourself useful.”

My voice stayed steady. “Of course, Alpha. I wouldn’t dare ruin your night.”

Before he could respond, Vionne turned to me, her tone dripping honey over venom.

“Oh, Luna,” she cooed, “you’re just in time! The feast is nearly ready, but I’m craving something warm. Could you prepare it for me?”

I frowned. “There are plenty of servants for that.”

She feigned hurt. “Oh, I just thought your meals were… special. Never mind, I’ll ask someone else.”

Zayne cut in sharply. “You have nothing better to do, Avelyn. Do as she asks.”

I bit my tongue and limped toward the kitchens.

Then, as if summoned by the Moon herself, Vionne called out again, “Oh, and Avelyn? Be a dear and fetch the parchments for Zayne to sign — the ones about the new carriage he promised me.”

At his desk, I found the contract — a golden sigil for a new Nightfang chariot, the very one I’d once asked Zayne for.

My name had been erased, replaced with hers.

My lips curled bitterly. I slipped two other scrolls beneath it — one containing the bond-severance, and another transferring half of his assets.

Zayne signed everything without reading. “At least you’re still useful in paperwork,” he muttered coldly.

I smiled faintly as I walked away, clutching the signed documents.

Just a few more days, and I’d be free.

***

When the guests arrived, the hall shimmered with lunar crystals. Music floated through the air, and laughter echoed off silver pillars. Vionne moved among them like a queen bathed in moonlight.

I stood behind the crowd — invisible, forgotten.

Then, Zayne’s mother, Nerina, and matriarch of the Valloren line, swept into the room in her flowing ivory gown.

“Vionne, darling,” she crooned, kissing her cheek. “You look divine. Finally, a true heir for our pack!”

Her sharp gaze cut toward me. “Avelyn. You’ve returned.”

“Yes, Mother,” I murmured.

She sneered. “You should have stayed in the infirmary. You’ve brought enough bad luck already.”

Vionne touched her arm gently. “Don’t say that, Mom. Avelyn didn’t mean for the accident to happen.”

“You’re too kind,” Nerina sighed. “But it’s no surprise Zayne’s wolf turned cold. A Luna who can’t bear pups brings only darkness.”

Laughter rippled through the pack.

My claws dug into my palms. “My pup didn’t die because of me,” I whispered. “He died because your son let him.”

The room went still.

Zayne’s jaw tightened. “Avelyn.”

“She killed him!” I screamed, pointing at Vionne. “You let the healers drain my life to save her womb! You chose her over our child!”

Gasps filled the hall.

Vionne covered her mouth, eyes glistening with fake tears. “I never wanted this,” she whispered. “Zayne, she’s sick — she’s ruining your night.”

“Enough, Avelyn,” Zayne said coldly. “This is Vionne’s day, not your pity play.”

I trembled. “Do you even remember what today is?”

He blinked. “What are you talking about?”

“Our bond anniversary.”

Laughter erupted — cruel, sharp.

“Oh, poor thing,” Vionne smiled. “You must have confused the dates.”

“Don’t ruin the joy,” Nerina added. “This is a night for life — not your mistakes.”

My heart clenched. Then Vionne suddenly gasped, clutching her belly. “Zayne… the pup! My pup—”

He rushed to her side. “What happened?”

Between sobs, she whimpered, “Avelyn… she made me food earlier. I think it had moon-nuts… I’m allergic!”

The hall exploded into chaos.

“What kind of Luna would do that?”

“She’s jealous!”

“She cursed the unborn heir!”

“Avelyn!” Zayne roared, his aura blazing like wildfire. “If anything happens to them, you’ll regret it!”

I tried to speak, but no sound came.

“I am taking her to the Healer’s Chamber. Don’t follow us!”

He carried Vionne out, slamming the doors behind him.

I stood alone in the hall. Silence fell. The pack’s laughter faded down the moonlit path.

I looked around — at the celebration, the banners, the roses — all honoring the woman who had stolen everything.

My hands trembled as I reached for the sealed envelope on the table. The one holding the signed parchments.

A bitter smile curved my lips.

“Happy bond anniversary, Zayne,” I whispered. “You just signed your ‘empire’ away.”

Avelyn’s POV

The next morning, I woke to the sound of footsteps — heavy, deliberate, filled with fury.

The door burst open, slamming against the stone wall.

Zayne stood there, his aura cold as frost, flanked by two enforcers of the Silvercrest Pack.

“Take her,” he said flatly.

My heart pounded. “Zayne, what are you doing?”

He didn’t answer. The guards seized me, their grips iron-tight, dragging me across the corridor. I cried his name, but he never looked back.

They threw me into an old moonstone cellar deep within the manor — a place long unused since the wars. Dust and the scent of rust filled the air. My knees hit the cold ground.

“This is your punishment,” Zayne said, his voice cutting like winter steel. “For what you did to Vionne during her pup-blessing.”

“I didn’t do anything!” I shouted. “She’s lying—”

“Enough!” he snapped, his power crackling through the air, making my wolf recoil in fear. “You’ll stay here until you learn obedience.”

He tossed something into the room. My heart froze — a cluster of lunar lilies. Their silvery petals shimmered under faint light. My throat closed instantly. He knew I was fatally allergic to their scent.

“Zayne, please,” I gasped, my chest tightening. “Not that… you know I can’t breathe—”

“You should’ve thought about that before endangering Vionne,” he said coldly. “Maybe the Moon will teach you manners.”

Then he slammed the door.

I clawed at it, my breath coming short. The air grew heavy, each inhale burning my lungs. I pounded until my hands went numb. My wolf whimpered weakly inside me, fading as I gasped for air.

After what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open. I collapsed into the corridor, coughing violently.

Zayne stood over me, his eyes emotionless. “If you ever touch Vionne again,” he said slowly, “I swear on the Moon’s name, you’ll regret it.”

Then he turned and left.

I lay there trembling, the scent of lilies still haunting my skin. Then my crystal communicator buzzed beside me. My mother’s voice echoed softly through the rune-etched stone.

“Sweetheart… your father has arranged passage to the Crescent Isles in two days. Come home, Avelyn. Please.”

Tears filled my eyes. “I’ll come,” I whispered. “I promise.”

When the call ended, I stared at the wall until my body stopped shaking. Something inside me — something human, something wolf — broke completely.

I went to my chamber and pulled out the cedar box hidden beneath the bed. Inside were fragments of a life that no longer belonged to me — a moonstone pendant from Zayne, our mating vows sealed in silver wax, the tiny blue pelt I’d woven for our lost pup.

One by one, I tossed them into the fireplace.

The flames devoured them greedily, curling photographs and parchments into ash.

The scent of burning memories filled the air.

I packed my clothes and the signed bond-severance scrolls into my travel chest.

When I turned around, Zayne stood by the doorway, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

“So,” he said coldly, “you’re finally packing. Good. When Vionne returns from the healer’s den, she’ll move into the Alpha chamber. You can take the servant’s quarters.”

I said nothing.

He smirked. “I’m glad you’re finally learning your place. Perhaps you’re not completely useless.”

I turned back to my chest. “Is that all, Alpha?”

He ignored the bite in my tone. “Vionne’s healer says she needs a blood infusion. You’ll come with me.”

I froze. “No. I’m not giving her my blood again.”

His jaw tightened. “You will do as I command.”

When I didn’t move, he seized my arm. “You owe her for what she’s suffered because of you.”

***

The healer’s chamber was filled with silver mist, moonlight filtering through enchanted glass. The pack physician looked alarmed the moment he saw me.

“Alpha Valloren,” he began carefully, “your Luna isn’t fit for a life draw. Her essence is already weak — she might not survive another.”

Zayne’s glare silenced him. “Vionne’s life matters more. Do it.”

The healer hesitated. “If I extract more spirit blood, her wolf may—”

“DO IT!” Zayne’s roar shook the chamber.

The healer’s hands trembled as he inserted the silver needle into my arm. The chill spread instantly through my veins, and the faint red glow of my life-force began to fill the vial.

The sound of the dripping essence echoed in my ears.

Zayne stood by the wall, arms crossed, his eyes on Vionne — never on me. “Hurry it up.”

Minutes dragged by. My vision blurred. The room began to tilt, and the healer’s voice became distant. “Alpha, she’s at her limit—”

Vionne’s pitiful whimper cut through the air. “Zayne… it hurts…”

“There’s nothing—” the healer started, but Zayne’s shout drowned him out.

“Take more!”

“Alpha, she’ll—”

“I said TAKE MORE!”

The healer paled but obeyed. The needle dug deeper. Pain tore through me. My body shook violently.

“Zayne…” I whispered weakly. “Please… stop…”

He didn’t turn. He brushed Vionne’s hair from her face, whispering softly, “It’s all right, love. You’ll be fine.”

Each drop of blood felt like my soul slipping away. My skin turned cold, my heartbeat faint.

“Alpha!” the healer cried. “She’s going into shock!”

“She’s faking it,” Zayne said coldly. “She always does this when she wants pity.”

My vision dimmed. The beeping from the rune monitor quickened. I could barely breathe.

Finally, the healer shoved Zayne aside and yanked the needle free. “That’s enough! You’ll kill her!”

Crimson splattered across the sheets. My body went limp.

“Stabilize her!” the healer barked to his assistants.

As the world darkened, I saw Zayne holding Vionne, murmuring, “It’s not your fault, my love. Avelyn just wants attention.”

I stared at the man who once promised to protect me — my mate, my Alpha — until the world faded into black.