The moment Freya withdrew from the mindlink with Belinda, she excused herself from the council chamber and hurried into the corridor. Without wasting another heartbeat, she reached for her communication crystal and sought Rosalie through their private connection.

The link formed almost immediately.

To Freya's surprise, Rosalie sounded perfectly at ease.

"I'm alright," she said with a light laugh. "Don't leave your duties because of me. Finish your work first, and then we'll have supper together."

Hearing that familiar warmth in her voice eased the tightness in Freya's chest.

After a brief silence, she smiled.

"Then spend the Winter Moon Festival with me this year."

There was a quiet hope hidden beneath her words.

Rosalie answered without hesitation.

"Of course. But don't disappear into your work again."

Freya laughed softly.

"I won't. If there's anything left unfinished, I'll bring it home instead."

Rosalie let out an amused snort.

"Some things never change."

The sound made Freya's heart ache in a way she could not explain.

"Now go back to your meeting," Rosalie urged gently. "I'm truly alright."

Only after the connection faded did Freya return to the council chamber.

**

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the neighboring manor had become unusually tense.

The memory crystal recording Rosalie's assault had spread through the territories with astonishing speed, and every shared communication network was filled with heated discussions.

Arabella had become the center of attention once again.

Her steward, Vanessa Coleman, stood before her with an expression weighed down by worry, while Cassian remained seated nearby, silently watching the images preserved inside his own communication crystal.

Rosalie's pale face...

Her soaked clothing...

The moment she was shoved to the ground...

Each scene tightened something painfully inside his chest.

"When did this happen?" he asked quietly.

Vanessa hesitated before answering.

"Roughly an hour ago. The warriors escorted the attackers to the Hall of Judgment shortly afterward."

Cassian rose without another word.

He immediately reached through the mate bond.

Silence.

He tried again.

Nothing answered him.

His expression darkened.

Without bothering to explain himself, he seized his cloak and strode from the manor.

Arabella watched his retreating figure until the doors closed behind him.

Only then did she turn toward Vanessa.

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"This is becoming dangerous."

Vanessa released a weary sigh.

"It was meant to force the Alpha to make a choice."

She lowered her voice further.

"No matter how much time he spends here, he still hasn't dissolved his mate bond with Rosalie. If the pack begins to question his intentions, all of our efforts may be wasted."

Arabella lowered her eyes, saying nothing more.

---

Cassian rode hard through the territory, the wind whipping past him as his thoughts refused to settle.

Rosalie had returned alone from the Sacred Moon Temple.

She had never reached for him through the mate bond.

She had not asked him to fulfill the promise he had broken.

She had not confronted him.

She had simply... grown farther away.

The realization left him strangely unsettled.

Before he reached the Hall of Judgment, a familiar figure appeared farther down the stone road.

Rosalie.

She walked alone beneath the winter sky, carrying a small travel chest behind her.

Cassian immediately pulled his horse to a stop before her.

"Rosalie."

She paused.

Slowly, she lifted her eyes toward him.

There was no warmth in them.

No joy.

Not even resentment.

Only a quiet emptiness that made his heart tighten.

He dismounted almost immediately and crossed the short distance between them before taking the chest from her hand.

"I'll carry this."

She neither thanked him nor objected.

Instead, she simply stood where she was.

"You returned from the Sacred Moon Temple without telling me," Cassian said. "Why didn't you reach out? I would have come for you."

Rosalie offered no reply.

She merely climbed onto the horse behind him as though his words had never been spoken.

Cassian remained motionless for a brief moment before mounting in front of her.

As they rode back toward the Alpha Manor, he found himself glancing over his shoulder more than once.

Rosalie sat quietly behind him, her gaze fixed on the distant mountains.

Her face had become noticeably thinner.

Even beneath the heavy winter cloak, he could tell she had lost weight.

The sight unsettled him.

After a long silence, he finally spoke again.

"Have you eaten today?"

"No."

"We should stop somewhere before returning."

"I'm not hungry."

Her voice was calm.

Too calm.

The wind carried the silence between them until Cassian asked the question that had been haunting him ever since he saw the memory crystal.

"Were you hurt?"

Only then did Rosalie slowly lift her eyes.

Their gazes met briefly through the faint thread of the mate bond.

So...

He had seen it after all.

That was why he had suddenly appeared before her.

Why he was looking at her with concern now.

The thought crossed her mind without stirring even the slightest ripple in her heart.

For a fleeting moment, Rosalie found herself wondering whether Cassian's concern had truly been for her.

The thought vanished almost as quickly as it came.

No...

He was here because the wolves who had attacked her were all devoted followers of Arabella. If they were judged too harshly, whispers would inevitably spread through every territory, staining Arabella's reputation along with theirs.

Keeping her gaze fixed on the passing forest, she spoke without emotion.

"If you've come to persuade me on Arabella's behalf, don't waste your breath. Those wolves knew exactly what they were doing. They should answer for their actions."

Her voice was calm.

Too calm.

Cassian felt an unfamiliar unease settle over him.

After a brief silence, he answered quietly,

"I'm not here because of Arabella."

Rosalie merely gave a faint hum of acknowledgment before falling silent once more, as though nothing else he said mattered.

The rest of the journey passed without another word.

---

They had only just returned to the Alpha Manor, their travel chest still resting untouched near the entrance, when hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

Arabella appeared at the doorway.

Her long hair had been cut short to treat the burns along the side of her face. Pale bandages disappeared beneath the collar of her robe, and her complexion was so colorless that she seemed as though a strong wind might carry her away.

Vanessa supported her carefully as they crossed the threshold.

The moment Cassian saw her sway unsteadily, he instinctively strode forward.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his brows drawing together. "You should still be resting."

Arabella reached for his hand as though seeking comfort.

"I had to come."

Her voice was weak enough to tug at anyone's sympathy.

"I heard what happened to Mrs. Ironclaw." Her eyes slowly turned toward Rosalie, already shimmering with tears. "Those wolves acted because they admired me. I should have guided them better. I never imagined they would hurt someone."

She lowered her head.

"Mrs. Ironclaw... I'm truly sorry. Please allow me to apologize in their place."

Before Rosalie could answer, Cassian spoke first.

"This isn't your responsibility."

His tone carried quiet certainty.

"You've done nothing wrong. Rosalie won't blame you."

Arabella slowly shook her head.

"Whether Mrs. Ironclaw forgives them is entirely her choice."

She looked at Rosalie once more.

"But I still owe her an apology."

Only then did Rosalie lift her eyes.

Her gaze passed over Arabella before settling on the hands she and Cassian still held together.

Cassian seemed to notice it as well.

His fingers stiffened.

For the first time in years, he hesitated, uncertain whether he should withdraw his hand or continue supporting Arabella.

Rosalie looked away before he could decide.

"Lady Arabella," she said evenly, "you are not your followers, and your followers are not you. I don't require an apology from you."

Her voice remained composed.

"But I have no intention of withdrawing the charges. They knowingly harmed another member of the pack, and they will answer for it."

Arabella bit her lip.

"They're still young," she pleaded softly. "Young wolves make foolish mistakes. Please... show them mercy."

Rosalie regarded her quietly.

Then she asked,

"Why are you so determined to protect them?"

A brief silence settled over the room.

Finally, she continued.

"Unless..."

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"...they acted because you asked them to."

The words struck Arabella like a blow.

The color drained completely from her face.

Before she could answer, Vanessa stepped forward.

"Luna Rosalie," she said firmly, "you were right earlier. Lady Arabella is not responsible for the actions of her followers. She came here only to apologize."

Her expression hardened.

"Please don't accuse her without evidence."

Cassian also frowned.

"Rosalie."

His voice carried quiet disapproval.

"Arabella would never resort to something like that."

Rosalie looked at him for only a heartbeat.

Then she turned away.

Without another word, she climbed the staircase, leaving the three of them standing together in the great hall.

Not long afterward, Cassian personally escorted Arabella back to the neighboring manor.

---

Only when the silence returned did Rosalie realize how hungry she was.

The housekeeper prepared a simple bowl of slow-cooked venison stew, though even after finishing it, she found little satisfaction in the meal.

Cassian had still not returned.

Remembering the property deeds she intended to take with her, Rosalie made her way toward his study.

The room remained exactly as she remembered.

As she searched the shelves, her sleeve brushed against a small wooden bear resting near the edge.

It toppled onto the floor.

The carving split cleanly in half.

Instead of solid wood, countless tiny folded pieces of parchment spilled from its hollow center.

Frowning slightly, Rosalie knelt to gather them.

One unfolded in her hands almost by accident.

Her eyes drifted across the faded ink.

"One hundred and one days since Arabella left."

"The Moon Goddess may pair me with another someday, but it makes little difference. Whoever becomes my mate will never be the one I truly wanted."

Rosalie's breathing caught.

Slowly, she opened another.

"During Mark's mating ceremony, I caught the blessing ribbon."

"When I looked up, Rosalie was standing there smiling at me."

"On impulse, I asked her to accept me."

"I already knew she would never refuse."

"She tried to pretend she felt nothing for me afterward, but it was obvious she had loved me for years."

"Since fate had already made the choice for us... I simply played my part."

The final lines were written in a hand Rosalie knew all too well.

"She is the mate my parents always wanted for me."

"Since the Moon Goddess has already bound us together, the least I can do is play the part expected of me."

The parchment slipped from her trembling fingers.

Tears blurred her vision before she even realized they had begun to fall.

With shaking hands, she unfolded another.

"The mating ceremony is over."

"Rosalie looks happier than I've ever seen her."

"Yet every night I lie beside her, I feel nothing except resentment."

"If only the Moon Goddess had chosen Arabella instead."

"Had Rosalie never existed, perhaps my parents would never have opposed Arabella."

Another line had been added beneath it.

"I keep my distance, yet she does the same. I can't understand her."

"She's... strange."

Rosalie stared at the fading ink until the words dissolved behind her tears.

After a long while, she carefully gathered every folded parchment from the floor.

One by one, she returned them to the hollow wooden bear.

She fitted its carved head back into place with the same care she had once devoted to preserving their marriage, leaving no trace that anyone had ever looked inside.

Only after locking the door to their chamber did she finally allow herself to collapse onto the floor.

For years, she had believed her devotion would someday be enough.

Now she understood that every hope she had treasured had existed only in her own heart.

---

Cassian did not return for another two days.

When he finally entered the manor, Rosalie was opening a sealed letter that had arrived from the northern territories.

Inside was the travel authorization bearing the seal of the Ashford Pack.

She quietly folded it and tucked it away before Cassian even glanced in her direction.

Just as she picked up her cloak to leave, his voice stopped her.

"Rosalie."

She turned.

"What is it?"

Cassian hesitated for several moments before speaking.

"It's Arabella."

His expression was unusually strained.

"She attempted to take her own life by swallowing wolfsbane."

"The Moon Healers managed to save her... but only barely."

Rosalie listened without interrupting.

After a long silence, Cassian finally forced himself to continue.

"I need your help."

She crossed the room and sat opposite him.

Still, she said nothing.

He lowered his head.

"I think..."

His voice caught briefly.

"...we should temporarily dissolve our mate bond."

"Arabella needs me right now."

Rosalie looked at him quietly.

Then she nodded.

"Very well."

Her answer came so quickly that Cassian found himself staring at her.

She asked only one question.

"Will the Council of Elders need to witness it?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go."

---

Neither of them spoke during the journey to the Sacred Moonstone Hall.

The Council completed the formalities with surprising speed.

Once the elders had witnessed the temporary dissolution of their bond, the ritual was sealed within the Moonstone's records.

Walking down the temple steps afterward, Cassian found himself strangely unable to meet Rosalie's eyes.

"It will only be temporary," he said at last.

"When Arabella recovers... we'll restore the bond."

Rosalie simply inclined her head.

While he spoke, she quietly withdrew a communication crystal and confirmed passage with a caravan bound for the northern territories before sunset.

Everything aligned perfectly.

If she departed that afternoon, she would reach the Ashford Pack without stopping along the way.

As they reached the foot of the temple, Cassian spoke again.

"There is one more favor I need to ask."

Rosalie looked at him patiently.

"The other packs have already begun spreading rumors."

He exhaled slowly.

"I need you to tell them that our bond had already been failing long before Arabella returned."

His voice grew quieter.

"They mustn't believe she was the reason we separated."

Rosalie lowered her eyes to the Moonstone decree resting in her hands.

After a long moment, she smiled.

It was a gentle smile.

One that hurt far more than tears.

"Alright."

That single word was all she gave him.

Cassian escorted her back to the manor before leaving immediately for Arabella's side.

He never noticed that every belonging Rosalie owned had already been packed away.

She checked each travel chest one final time, making certain every important document and heirloom had been accounted for before entrusting them to a merchant caravan traveling north.

Not long afterward, Freya arrived.

She insisted on accompanying Rosalie to the border gates.

When the time came to part, she embraced her tightly, reluctant to let go.

Only after watching Freya disappear behind the forest path did Rosalie climb into the carriage that would carry her home.

As the horses began moving, she reached for her communication crystal one final time.

With calm fingers, she sent a message across the territories' shared communication network, making certain both Cassian and Arabella would receive it.

"Alpha Cassian Ironclaw and I dissolved our mate bond some time ago."

"May the Moon Goddess bless whatever path the two of you choose together."

The crystal pulsed once as the message spread from pack to pack.

Then, just before she severed her connection to the network forever, Rosalie added one final sentence.

"Farewell."