"What do you mean?" I asked.

Ryder's tone softened. "Isabelle has always wished she could be photographed in a bonding-ceremony gown. I want her to take your place in the shoot. Think of it as granting her that dream."

I looked at him in disbelief. My mate wanted another she-wolf in my gown, in our photos, and in my place.

"Won't that put a strain on her pregnancy?" I asked.

Ryder watched me with expectation in his eyes. "The photographer will be careful. Besides, it'll brighten her mood. I'll make it up to you later with a shoot that's better than this one."

Later? There was no later for me.

I nodded again. "Alright. I'll send the gown over."

Ryder went still again. He'd expected a fight, tears, or for me to make a scene. That was how I used to beg him to change his mind. Instead, I just let it stand.

…

The next morning, Ryder rushed through breakfast and made for the door.

While adjusting his tie, he said, "After the photo shoot, I'm taking Isabelle to Holy Moon Spring for purification and blessing to keep the pregnancy safe. I'll be gone for about three days.

"So you'll handle the ceremony arrangements. Just keep it simple.”

He'd told me not to worry about it. But now he dismissed the day we'd spent five years waiting for with nothing more than a throwaway "keep it simple".

I knew the bonding ceremony would never happen. Still, hearing him say it cut deep.

Ryder picked up his keys. "Once it's all over, I'll give you the prime territory as compensation. You've always loved the forest by Silvercrest, haven't you?"

Compensation? He was grinding my dignity into the dirt and dressing it up as generosity.

I only nodded. "Alright."

Ryder shot me a look, unsettled by how calm I was, but said nothing more. He made for the door.

"Wait for me to come back."

He threw the words over his shoulder and left.

As the door clicked shut, I slumped onto the couch.

Wait for him? For what? So we could go through a meaningless bonding ceremony while he watched me die by inches?

I stood and went upstairs to the bedroom. I opened the closet. There it was, the white gown I'd picked with such care. Every stitch of the hand embroidery held the hopes I'd had for that ceremony.

I took it down and eased it into a garment bag. Then I began clearing the room of everything that was mine.

Five years of memories filled three suitcases—photos, letters, little trinkets—each one a witness to what we'd once had. But to Ryder, they meant nothing apparently.

I packed it all and set the suitcases beside the bed. The room lay empty, no different from me.

…

In the afternoon, Isabelle called. Her voice was sweet with delight. "Thanks for the gown, Lyra. It's gorgeous. I felt like a true Luna when I put it on."

"You're welcome," I said.

She wouldn't stop bragging. "Ryder wouldn't stop telling me how beautiful I looked during the shoot. He said seeing me in the gown reminded him of everything beautiful."

I shut my eyes, unwilling to hear more. "Isabelle, is there anything else?"

Her tone turned serious. "Oh, one more thing. Ryder's taking me to Holy Moon Spring for purification and blessing to keep the pregnancy safe. It's the most sacred place in the Bluemoon pack, and only a true Luna may enter."

The true Luna? I was Ryder's mate, and I'd never been taken there.

"Enjoy yourselves," I said, and hung up.

The sun set. The house was empty except for me.

I sat in the living room, staring at a framed photo on the wall. In it, Ryder has his arms around me. His eyes were soft with love. That was three years ago.

When did the way he looked at me change? When did he start giving all that gentleness to someone else?

I got up and stepped onto the balcony.

The distant mountains lay ink-dark. The sky bled red. The world was beautiful. It was such a shame I didn't have much time left to take it in.

I heard footsteps behind me. It was the housekeeper, Susan Hale, drawing near.

"Luna, would you like me to prepare dinner?" she asked. Her voice was full of concern.

I turned to the older woman who had cared for me for the past five years. "No, it's fine. You don't have to look after me starting tomorrow."

Susan was taken aback. "What do you mean, Luna?"

I patted her hand. "Nothing in particular. I might be leaving for a while."

The look she gave me said she understood more than I'd said. Her lips parted, then closed.

It was late. I sat alone in the bedroom, staring at the packed suitcases.

Ryder would take Isabelle to Holy Moon Spring for a blessing. And I would begin the last leg of my life.

My phone buzzed with a text.

"We just saw such beautiful moonlight at Holy Moon Spring. I wish I could bring you here often."

That message wasn't meant for me. Ryder had sent it to the wrong person.

I deleted it, as though I was erasing us altogether.

It had been a week, and Ryder still hadn't returned.

News from within the pack reached me every day. Ryder and Isabelle moved as one, circling the territory and accepting each family's blessing, like a true pair.

And me? I wasn't even fit to stand in their shadow.

I scrubbed the place I once called home. Bit by bit, the marks I'd left were being wiped away. No corner of the room held my scent anymore. It was as if I'd never lived here at all.

That afternoon, I visited Elena, the elder who had looked after me since I was a pup. She was a well-respected healer in our pack, and she was Ryder's mother.

She was startled when she saw me. "You've lost so much weight, Lyra."

I took the seat across from her and managed a smile. "I'm leaving. I'll be gone for a while, Elena."

Her brows drew together. "Leaving? But what about the bonding ceremony?"

I kept my tone even. "It's been called off. Ryder and I couldn't make it work."

Elena's face hardened at once. As an elder among our kind, she understood how sacred a mate bond was.

She shook her head. "That can't be right. You were fated mates, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself."

"Even the Moon Goddess' will loses to reality. Ryder chose Isabelle and the pup she's carrying."

Elena's eyes widened. "Isabelle's pregnant? B-but… you're his mate!"

I rose. "Yes. I thought so too. Turns out I was wrong."

Elena caught my hand. "Lyra, you can't just give up like this. Go to the Elder Council. They'll see justice get served."

I ran my hand over her aged fingers. "It won't help. It'll be worse if I end up cast out as a rogue. I can still leave with some dignity for now."

Elena read the resolve in my eyes and let out a long sigh. "May the Moon Goddess watch over you."

I hugged her. "Thank you."

After leaving Elena's place, I went straight to Chloe Mercer's apartment. She was my best friend, the last tie I had to this world.

When Chloe opened the door, she nearly jumped. "Lyra? Oh my God, you look awful!"

I walked into the living room and set the boxes I'd packed on the floor. "Chloe, I need you to handle these for me."

She stared at me, confused. "What are they? Wait, shouldn't you be getting ready for the bonding ceremony? Wasn't that the thing you wanted most?"

I sank onto her couch. "The ceremony's off. I'm leaving."

"What? Why? What happened?" Chloe screamed.

I drew a deep breath, deciding to tell her everything that had happened over the past month. "Ryder is having a pup with Isabelle. She's already pregnant. They conceived through artificial insemination."

Chloe shot to her feet. "No way! You're his mate! The one chosen by the Moon Goddess!"

I managed a bitter smile. "But reality makes it clear that my place as his mate counts for almost nothing."

Chloe was shaking with anger. "That bitch! Who does she think she is?"

I repeated Ryder's words in a flat voice. "Three years ago, Isabelle stepped in front of a silver dagger meant for him."

Chloe came right up to me. "That's a damn lie! Lyra, you were the one who saved him three years ago! You!"

I froze. "What?"

Tears welled up in Chloe's eyes. "Don't you remember? You took a silver dagger for Ryder three years ago. It went straight into your heart. You almost died!"

But I couldn't remember any of it. All I recalled was being wounded in the attack and spending a month in a coma at the infirmary.

When I finally woke, Ryder told me Isabelle had arrived just in time and got us out.

"Isabelle—"

Chloe broke down sobbing. "Isabelle did nothing! She got there after it was over. You're the one who saved Ryder. You traded your life for his!"

"Then why would Ryder believe—"

Chloe gripped my hand. "Because the dagger carried Silverblood. The healers said the toxin kills slowly, and there's no cure. Isabelle must've taken advantage of that."

I slumped onto the couch. My mind was in chaos.

Was the Silverblood in me from three years ago, when I saved Ryder? If so, then I was the one who saved his life, not Isabelle.

Chloe's voice caught. "So… how much time do you have left?"

I closed my eyes. "Under a month. Maybe even less."

Chloe broke down, clutching me as she sobbed. "Why? You saved his life, loved him for five years, and this is what you get?"

I patted her back. "It's alright. I'll be free soon."

Chloe pushed me away. Her eyes were blazing. "No! I'm going to tell Ryder the truth! He needs to know who saved him!"

I grabbed her hand. "Don't. It won't do any good. He's already made his choice, and so have I."

"But, Lyra…"

I held her gaze. "Chloe, promise me you won't tell anyone about my condition. Let me go quietly, please."

She met my gaze and found only resolve there. At last, tears slid down her cheeks, and she nodded.

She pulled me into a hug. Her voice was breaking. "I can't bear to lose you. What can I do to help, Lyra?"

I patted Chloe's back.

One last trace of warmth stirred in my chest. At least someone still cared enough to cry for me in this unfeeling world.

"I want to resign."

I stood in the infirmary office and handed my resignation to my supervisor, Gordon Walsh. The room fell silent at once. Every coworker stared at me in shock.

Gordon's eyes went wide. "What? Lyra, you've got to be kidding. Your bonding ceremony with Alpha Ryder is just around the corner!"

I calmly gathered my things. "I'm not kidding. The ceremony has already been canceled."

The hush broke into a low rustle of voices.

"The invitations already went out."

"How could it be canceled so suddenly?"

"Did Alpha Ryder change his mind?"

I didn't explain. I packed in silence.

I'd treated countless injured werewolves here for five years, saving lives thanks to the rare healing gift I'd been born with. Now, it was all coming to an end.

Gordon came to my side. "Lyra, at least tell us why. We can help if there's any trouble."

I slung my bag over my shoulder. "There's no trouble. We're just… not right for each other. I've already withdrawn the invitations. I'm truly sorry for the trouble."

After leaving the infirmary, I went straight home.

The moment I pushed the door open, I saw two figures in the living room—Ryder, who hadn't been home in a week, and Isabelle.

They sat on the couch. Isabelle's hand lingered at her belly. Her smile was gentle with quiet contentment. Ryder was peeling an orange for her. His movements were so gentle that it seemed like he was handling a rare treasure.

His brows drew together when he saw me. "You're back. Why did you clear the room out like this?"

I looked around. My things were gone. Not a single trace of me left.

"I just did a little tidying," I said.

Isabelle cut in. Her voice was so cloying that it turned my stomach. "Oh, Lyra! I have to thank you for your generosity. Thank you for letting me bear Ryder's pup. I'm truly grateful."

She stood, deliberately angling her belly forward. "I know this is hard for you as Ryder's mate. Still, for the future of the pack and the alliance between our families, your sacrifice as Luna will secure what we all need."

She actually said "sacrifice".

"It's okay. I understand," I answered evenly.

Disappointment flickered in Isabelle's eyes. Clearly, she'd wanted me to rage, to break down, or to give her the scene she'd been waiting for.

She suggested, "Why don't we have dinner together now that everyone's back? We can discuss the plans for your upcoming bonding ceremony."

I looked at her in silence.

Isabelle's expression changed at once. Tears sprang to her eyes. "D-did I say something wrong? Lyra, I can leave if my being here makes you uncomfortable—"

Ryder cut in. His expression darkened. "Enough. What's with that attitude, Lyra? Isabelle is pregnant and physically weak. How can you be so rude to her?"

I looked at him. He'd once been gentle to me, yet now he was scolding me in that tone.

"I wasn't being rude," I said.

Ryder stood. His dominance as Alpha washed over me. "Then what do you call that silence? Come to the dining room and eat with us. That's an order."

An order? He was using his Alpha authority to treat me like an insubordinate underling.

I didn't resist. I went with them in silence.

At the table, Ryder directed the household staff with practiced ease, instructing them to serve Isabelle a selection of light, carefully balanced dishes. Each was perfect for a pregnant she-wolf.

He remembered that Isabelle couldn't stomach spicy food, her need for folic acid, every flavor she loved, yet somehow forgot my allergy to shrimp.

My medical report lay in plain sight on the dresser in our room, but he hadn't so much as glanced at it.

The staff set down plate after plate of seafood. I sat there without a word, touching nothing.

"Why aren't you eating?" Ryder asked.

"No appetite," I said.

Isabelle ate with care, glancing up now and then with triumph glinting in her eyes. She knew she'd won.

Once dinner was over, I stepped into the hallway to take Lucas' call.

"Did you book the flight?" he asked with concern.

I lowered my voice. "Yes. The flight leaves in three days."

"Do you want me to pick you up?"

"No. It's all set. I'm ready to go."

Lucas' voice was low and gentle. "Lyra… Take care of yourself."

I hung up and turned toward my room, only to find Ryder a few paces behind me. His brows were knitted, and his eyes were sharp with suspicion and confusion.

"Who's leaving?"