Amid my post-abortion checkup, Dane, my mate and also the powerful Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, once again found a reason to leave. It had become a familiar pattern, one I had grown accustomed to. Initially, his absence stung, as if I had been abandoned, but over time, that sting dulled into a numb acceptance.

Taking my medication after the checkup, my face contorted, tasting its bitter taste scattered in my mouth. It was not the pack's clinic, so the pack members would not have a chance to talk about the situation. Instead, it was a clinic referred to by my mate saying someone vouched for this place.

After that, I returned to the pack house alone, a lingering sense of loneliness trailing me.

Opening my social media account upon my return, I noticed a post where someone tagged Dane.

[Just had a bruise on my cheek, but this one insisted on dragging me to the wolf healer's clinic! He has been accompanying me since. You're still the best!]

I didn't bother confronting Dane about his continued deception. The anger and hurt I might have felt before now seemed like too much effort in a relationship that felt increasingly burdensome.

Later, as I scrolled more, I saw intimate photos of Dane and this one woman, one I was familiar with, at an Alpha banquet. Then again, I wasn't angry.

Was it because things had not been doing well with me and my wolf? My emotions were rather numb than usual. Cassia, my wolf, had been quiet and it was not normal.

And when I unexpectedly encountered my mate with that woman together in the vicinity of the pack, she was holding a child as if they were a family. However, my reaction surprised even me. Calmly, I remarked, "The child needs a father figure. You should spend more time with them, Alpha Dane."

Startled, he grabbed me anxiously and asked, "Celeste, why don't you care at all?"

--

Today marked two months since my abortion surgery, and I had a miscarriage due to an accident on my way home from the pack's clinic where I was working. The impact that my body had was too much, but the amount of blood I lost was rather abnormal.

I was a wolf healer, and I was born with the character to heal others. That, alone, was a reason for my Alpha to agree to hone my skills by working at the pack's clinic.

However, I chose not to undergo surgery in the same clinic. I didn't want my work to get tangled with my personal life.

My Alpha accompanied me to my checkup, and as usual, he made an excuse and left in a hurry afterward. Unlike before, I didn't plead for his company. Watching him walk away, a strange detachment washed over me. His presence or absence no longer dictated my emotions.

As if the weaker Cassia became inside me, the more I could not connect to my emotions anymore.

When he mind linked me while I was deeply thinking, I was a bit startled. "Celeste, go home on your own. I'm quite busy today."

I simply replied, "Alright." In the past, I would have desperately needed him to pick me up. But things had changed. Not just me, but my affection towards him.

On my way home, I noticed my mate's car back at the clinic—contradicting his earlier claim that he could not pick me up. Upon returning to the pack house, I saw another post on Twitter, echoing the same words she had shared in another post. There, in the corner of the image, was Dane's shirt—a gift from me on his birthday. This user was none other than Felicity Valentin, my mate's childhood sweetheart who had returned from another pack after mating with someone there. For years, Felicity stayed in a mysterious town.

In Alpha Dane's eyes, I was merely a substitute for his first love, Felicity. Yet, foolishly in love, I had mated with him. I had even wanted to have his pups, but my miscarriage now seemed like a fateful warning against it.

God, the Moon Goddess must have hated me this much, huh?

After taking the medicinal herbs that were given to me, I drifted off to sleep.

During the night, I was stirred awake by the creak of the door. "What did the healer say today?" Dane asked softly, stroking my head. Caught in the air was a trace of another scent, one that I knew was not his, which I silently acknowledged by avoiding his touch.

"Nothing important," I forced a smile, "Everything's fine."

Dane nodded hurriedly, "There's a lot of meetings lately." Instead of challenging his lie, I rolled over and closed my eyes. "Maybe you should take a shower before bed."

He hesitated for a moment before silently heading to the bathroom, where I heard the water start to flow.

And there, I settled on the bed again, my back against the empty side.

Things have been bugging me these days, not just the miscarriage, and not just my miserable mateship with Dane, but also my weakening connection to my wolf, Cassia.

Her voice... it was becoming faint, and until now, I didn't know why.

The next morning, I had an early shift at the pack’s clinic, so I woke up and prepared myself quickly. As I descended the stairs of the pack house, I couldn't help but overhear the Omegas whispering among themselves.

"I heard Felicity's from some ancient witch lineage," one Omega murmured, her voice filled with excitement.

"Really? That explains a lot," another Omega responded, awe evident in her tone.

Their conversation lingered in my mind, leaving me both curious and uneasy. But, dismissing it as something irrelevant to my routine, I continued with my day.

After the morning meeting at the clinic ended, Dane mind-linked me. His tone carried a hint of irritation. “Why didn’t you wake me up? You even left early without telling me! Now, I'm late.”

I used to take care of every detail of his morning, especially after we mated. Clothes were laid out, breakfast prepared with care, and a gentle wake-up call. It was a ritual I followed every single day. Now, his tone made it clear that he had come to expect these gestures as if they were obligations rather than acts of love.

But I was never meant to be his maid; I was his mate! I was his Luna. I had the right to choose what I would and wouldn't do. “Instead of talking to me, why don't you just get up and ready yourself?"

“What about my clothes?” He asked again, sounding almost helpless.

“Just pick something from the closet. It’s all there,” I replied.

“But I can’t find anything," the Alpha began, but since another healer called me over before he could finish, I spoke, “I have to go. Just find your clothes yourself,” I said, cutting him off and hurrying to help my co-worker.

Moments later, it didn't seem like he had the intention to stop bugging me through our mind link. Goodness, I hear him more often than my wolf!

"The shirts are wrinkled! You haven’t ironed them? I can’t go to the meeting with other Alphas wearing this!"

Then another complaint came, "You didn’t cook breakfast for me too?"

Before I could respond, the head healer of the pack's clinic called me over, his voice brimming with excitement. “Luna, great news! After reviewing your performance, and your knowledge about herbs and modern medicine, the Lotus Tower wants to discuss further training with you."

My eyes widened upon hearing the great news. I had originally turned down this opportunity, believing that the mateship with Alpha Dane and having children with him as we led Silver Moon Pack together was my future. But now, I saw how hopeless those dreams had been. This fated mateship, and building a family with him had lost their appeal. Staying with my mate felt not only pointless but also foolish.

“I’ve thought it over. I’ll go,” I replied, feeling a newfound sense of determination.

“Excellent choice!” The head Wolf Healer exclaimed, his enthusiasm contagious. He instructed me to prepare and said he would notify me once the dates were set.

This opportunity was my chance to carve out a future on my own terms, a future no longer tethered to Dane. A future where my gift to heal could be honed.

Time slipped away as I immersed myself in work. When I glanced out the window, the world had already turned dark. Just as I was settling in with another stack of documents about ancient poisons, Dane mind linked me.

“Why aren’t you home yet? What about my dinner?” He demanded.

Until when do I have to act like his servant?

The thought of returning to the pack house, in our suffocating room, filled me with a deep sense of revulsion. That was why I stayed late at pack's clinic, busying myself with preparations for my journey to the Lotus Tower

Lotus Tower was the dream of every Wolf Healer. It was where books about healing, their magical power, and their greatness lie. Not only that, Lotus Tower was founded to train and hone healers of their kind.

“One of the healers had an emergency, so we switched shifts. Just let the Omegas cook your dinner,” I said, fabricating a quick excuse.

“What do you mean?” Dane sounded taken aback.

In the past, the maids' or even the Omega's cooking was never an option. I had always prepared every meal, three times a day, catering to his every need. I did all that, making him this dependent on me. And yet, he still chose to go to that woman even in times of need.

“Is there a problem?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral.

“No,” Dane hesitated before continuing, “Just take care of yourself and don’t overwork.”

“Thank you,” I replied, my tone flat and unenthusiastic.

After a pause, Dane asked, “Celeste, are you mad?”

The question ignited a small flicker of anger within me, but mostly, it was disappointment. Could he really be so oblivious, or did he simply not care about my feelings? Either way, it didn’t matter anymore. I was done being angry.

Dane's voice, soft and laden with apology, broke the silence. “Celeste, you have to understand. Felicity's struggling to raise her child alone. You know that, right? Her mate cut their ties. She only has me now.”

His words struck me hard, like a hard slap. It seemed he forgot that I, too, only had him. Yet again, why would he care about me when his eyes were set on his first love from the very beginning?

“Of course, I understand,” I replied, striving to keep my tone even. “She must’ve been through a lot.”

But my mate's patience seemed to snap. “What’s that supposed to mean? What’s with your attitude?”

“I said I understand,” I repeated, my voice now tinged with an edge. “Is that a problem?”

“Do you have to talk to me like that?” he retorted, his frustration spilling over.

“What do you want me to say?” I shot back, feeling the tension escalated.

A heavy, suffocating silence settled between us. Finally, he muttered, “Do as you wish,” before abruptly ending the mind link.

It was funny, and it was ironic. Once, I was the “annoying” one for questioning his visits to Felicity. When I’d called to ask when he’d be back from her place, I was bothersome. Now, even trying to be understanding provoked his irritation.

With a sigh, I stared back at the book before me. Dwelling on it wouldn’t change anything. I had more important matters to focus on, like the things I needed before going to Lotus Tower.

The days at the Silver Moon Pack's clinic had blurred together into an exhausting routine. But for me, each one grew heavier, like a weight I couldn’t shrug off. My body had started to betray me. What began as slight discomfort soon spiraled into frequent spells of dizziness, relentless nausea, and fatigue that seeped into my bones. Even the simplest tasks felt like climbing a mountain.

But not only the physician pain but my connection with Cassia... it became weaker.

"Cassia, please, talk to me," I begged.

Then, it came. While descending the stairs of the pack's clinic, a sudden wave of dizziness hit me. I reached out, gripping the banister tightly, but my vision began to blur. The sounds around me became muffled as if I were submerged underwater. I clung to the railing, my breaths coming in shallow, trying desperately to steady myself.

“Are you okay, Luna?” Lily, a young Omega, noticed my struggle and hurried over, her eyes wide with concern.

“I’m fine, just a bit dizzy,” I forced a smile, though every fiber of my being felt far from fine. I waved Lily off gently, not wanting to alarm anyone else.

Thankfully, one medicinal herb was enough to ease my headache. As the night shift came to an end, I found myself lingering at the clinic. The thought of returning home held no appeal.

However, when I finally arrived at the pack house, my mate had already left for work.

That was when I decided to take a long, hot shower, seeking solace in the warm water, and then collapsed into bed. But just as sleep began to claim me, the persistent sensation of mind link jolted me awake. It was Dane.

“Celeste,” he murmured, sounding pained. “My… my stomach hurts.”

Yet, I was too sleepy. I recalled mumbling something in response, but exhaustion quickly pulled me back into sleep. In my dreams, I thought I heard the Alpha calling my name, but the sound was distant and easy to ignore.

After what seemed like only moments, I was startled awake by the sound of the door opening. And there he was, Dane stood by the bed, his face contorted with pain.

“You didn't care anymore, did you? You used to worry when I was sick. You're the one who heals me every time! What happened now?"

His words stirred memories of a time when I would drop everything to take care of him. Once, when he had a stomachache, I left work early to use my still unstable ability to heal him.

There was also a time when I had gotten caught in the rain, arriving drenched and disheveled just to make sure I could ease his pain. Instead of gratitude, I was met with ridicule from the elders for showing up drenched, and my mate, the ever-prideful Alpha, had just stood there, doing nothing to stop them. Worse still, he told me afterward never to come to his office again, calling me an embarrassment.

“Are you feeling better now?” I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. “We might be out of medicine, though. Maybe you can grab some yourself.”

Upon hearing that, Dane was momentarily speechless. Then, anger flared. He grabbed my arm and exclaimed, “How long are you going to keep fighting with me about Felicity? I’ve told you, there’s nothing between us!”

“Oh, okay,” I replied, my calm demeanor in stark contrast to his rage.

With a final, furious slam of the door, the Alpha stormed out. The ensuing silence was not oppressive but rather liberating, a welcome contrast to the turmoil that had filled the room moments before.