The Moon Goddess Used My Illness to Rewrite My Fate

Twenty-four hours had passed since Arabella's accident, yet the whispers spreading from pack to pack had only grown louder. What had begun as idle gossip among scouts and merchants had reached every territory by sunrise. Around countless fires, wolves spoke of Alpha Cassian Ironclaw leaving his own lands without hesitation to remain at Arabella's bedside, and with each retelling, Rosalie's place as his Luna seemed to fade a little more.

If the rumors had not died by now, it was because Cassian had made no attempt to silence them.

The Ironclaw manor was unusually quiet. Seated alone before the cold hearth, Rosalie stared at the parchment resting in her trembling hands while the Moon Healer's solemn words echoed endlessly in her mind.

"Luna, the darkness has already spread deep into your wolf's core. The Moonstone Ritual may still save you, but every passing day weakens your chances. If the corruption reaches your mind, it will steal your memories, your senses... perhaps even your life. Send for your mate. The ritual cannot begin without the Alpha beside you."

She had reached for the mindlink immediately, saying nothing of her condition, asking only that Cassian come to the healing grounds. He had agreed without hesitation, telling her to wait for him.

She waited.

The sun crossed the sky, and still he never came.

When she reached for their bond again, all she found was silence. Unable to bear the uncertainty, she sought out one of Cassian's warriors, who lowered his head before answering.

"Alpha Cassian rode east at first light, my Luna."

"Why?"

The warrior hesitated only briefly.

"Lady Arabella Blackwood was gravely wounded during a rogue attack."

Rosalie understood everything before another word was spoken.

Drawing her cloak tighter around herself, she stepped out of the healing grounds. The mountain winds carried the bite of winter, yet they felt colder than she had ever remembered. Instinctively, she reached through the mindlink for her brother, Evander, only to stop herself. His pack lay beyond the northern ranges, and he would still be resting beneath the moon after his own border patrol.

By the time she returned to the manor, she had tried to reach Cassian through their mate bond again and again, but each attempt vanished into empty silence.

She had never been the kind of woman to demand his attention. As Alpha, his responsibilities always came before everything else, and she had long since accepted that. Yet for the first time in years, she found herself wishing he would answer only to grow impatient with her, to scold her for interrupting his duties—anything that would remind her she still occupied a place in his heart.

Instead, there was nothing.

Leaning back against the sofa, Rosalie closed her eyes as an overwhelming weariness settled over her.

The Nightshade and Ironclaw packs had been allies for generations. She and Cassian had grown up beneath the same moon, trained together, and presented only months apart. When the Moon Goddess revealed them as fated mates, no wolf questioned it. Their union had seemed as inevitable as the rising of the full moon itself.

She had mistaken his quiet reserve for the comfort that came with years of familiarity, believing that true mates no longer needed grand gestures to prove their love.

Now she understood how foolish that belief had been.

For Arabella, Cassian had crossed territories without a second thought.

For his own Luna... he had not come at all.

The mindlink stirred against her consciousness before she could sink further into despair. She had ignored the first few attempts, unwilling to speak with anyone, until another voice gently reached her.

"Rosalie?"

It was her mother-in-law, Adelaide Ironclaw.

"Have you been able to reach Cassian?"