My fated mate Kaelan wanted to please his mistress Briar, so he planned to let her act as Luna for a while.

He pretended our bond was broken, refusing to even acknowledge me as his Luna.

As I passed the gym, I heard Briar's syrupy voice. "Darling, if I get to be Luna, will you mark me every night? But… won't Selene be suspicious? You've been mates for seven years, after all."

"What can she do?" Kaelan sneered. "She can't leave the pack, and she certainly can't leave me."

"Selene? That poor thing. I told her our bond broke naturally, and she actually believed it."

"Even if she finds out the truth, she'll just suffer in silence. The only Luna in my heart is you, baby."

I didn't confront him right then and there.

The lie of our weakening bond sent a sharp, agonizing pain through me. I turned and walked away.

Let them think their plan is flawless.

They would soon find out what a nasty surprise this "poor thing" had in store for them.

————————

1.

My mate, Kaelan, lied, claiming an "accidental attack" had severed our bond.

"There's a problem with my mate bond with Selene," Kaelan announced, having gathered all the core members in the top-floor conference room of the pack headquarters.

Beta Rhys frowned. "Alpha, what do you mean by that?"

"I no longer feel the mate bond with Selene," Kaelan said, his words slow and deliberate. "Instead, I feel a true mate's pull toward Briar."

I schooled my features into a neutral mask, as if listening to a story about strangers.

Briar held Kaelan's hand tightly, tears welling in her eyes. "We didn't expect this to happen either, but the mate bond is the will of the Moon Goddess. We can't resist it."

"So," Kaelan took a deep breath, "from this day forward, Briar will be the Luna of our Red Peak Pack. Selene, please hand over the Luna's scepter to her."

A dead silence fell over the room.

I slowly stood up and approached the Luna's scepter hanging on the wall. The silver scepter gleamed under the lights, the moonstone at its tip emitting a soft glow.

"Selene…" Elder Elara started to say something.

I gave her a slight shake of my head, silencing her.

I took down the scepter, walked over to Briar, and placed it on the table.

"This is the symbol of the Luna. It's yours now."

Briar eagerly reached for it, but my next words made her freeze.

"Actually, there are a few things we need to sort out first."

Briar sat up straight. "Since you're no longer the Luna, you'll need to hand over the files of all pack members to me, as well as all the healing records you've established over the years."

I glanced at Kaelan. He nodded. "She's right. Briar needs that information to properly fulfill her duties as Luna."

I sneered inwardly.

Classic Kaelan.

Whenever someone else's needs conflicted with mine, I was always the one to compromise.

Like three years ago, when I gave up the opportunity to study healing arts in Northern Europe to save the pack's lab money. Kaelan praised me for "seeing the bigger picture."

Or two years ago, when I used my bloodline power for three days and nights straight to soothe injured warriors, only to collapse from mental exhaustion. Kaelan said it was just a Luna's "duty."

And a year ago, when I wanted to buy a pair of rings for our bond anniversary, Kaelan said, "Now is not the time to spend money."

But now, he could buy Briar a limited-edition sports car.

For Briar, he could trample on our seven-year mate bond without a second thought.

"Selene?" Kaelan's voice pulled me back to reality. "What are you thinking about?"

I looked at him, the man I had once loved so deeply.

Now, all I saw in his eyes was calculation and hypocrisy.

"I was thinking," I said calmly, "that since our mate bond is 'defective,' the only logical step is to sever it completely."

Kaelan froze. "What?"

"I said, let's go before the Council of Elders and formally sever our mate bond," I repeated. "That way, you and Briar can have your own bonding ceremony without any obstacles."

A flash of panic crossed Briar's face, but it was quickly replaced by excitement. "Can… can we really do that?"

"Of course," I said with a smile. "Since the Moon Goddess has granted you a new bond, we should respect her decision."

Kaelan opened his mouth to object, but under Briar's expectant gaze, he could only grit his teeth and nod. "If… if you insist."

"I insist," I said without hesitation.

I looked around at the other pack members. They all looked uncomfortable and awkward. Rhys wouldn't meet my eyes, Elder Elara was wringing her hands, and the others just stared at the floor.

So, they had known all along.

They knew about Kaelan and Briar, knew this whole thing was a lie, but not a single one of them had said a word to me.

They needed my healing talents, but they didn't give a damn about my feelings.

"Meeting adjourned." I turned and strode toward the door.

"I'm going to pack my things. I'll move out of the pack territory as soon as possible."

"Wait, Selene," Kaelan said, catching up to me. "You don't have to leave. We're still packmates…"

I stopped and turned to look at him.

"Kaelan, your new Luna needs time to adjust to her role. If I stay, I'll only get in her way."

"But the pack still needs you as a healer…"

"Isn't that the Luna's job now?" I gestured to Briar, who was already in the Luna's chair, cradling the scepter. "Or is it that your true love doesn't have that particular skill?"

Kaelan's face darkened, but Briar just smiled smugly. "Don't worry, I'll learn. Healing? How hard can it be?"

I nodded. "Good. Then there's no problem."

I pushed open the conference room door, leaving them all in a heavy silence.

Walking down the hallway, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

He didn't know that the Moonrise Ceremony was only seven days away. And the Council of Elders? They only recognized me, the Luna with the pure bloodline.

"Alpha Kaelan, Luna Selene, are you certain you wish to sever the mate bond?" Elder Elara's voice was grave. "This decision is irreversible."

Standing before the ancient altar of the Council of Elders, I nodded calmly.

"I'm certain."

Kaelan stood beside me, his expression complicated. On the way to the altar, he had suddenly grabbed my arm.

"Selene, do we really have to go this far?"

His voice held a hint of panic. "Maybe we can reconsider…"

"Haven't you already lost your bond with me?" I retorted. "Severing it should be a relief for you."

He hesitated for a moment, then quickly composed himself. "Right… yes. I'm just worried you'll have a hard time adjusting."

What a terrible actor.

And now, in front of the elder, he was putting on another show, trying to guilt me into staying.

"Selene, do you remember our bonding ceremony?" Kaelan gazed into my eyes. "That night, under the moonlight, we promised to be together forever…"

"Of course, I remember," I cut him off. "I also remember what you said to my father."

Kaelan's expression soured. "What?"

"You said, 'This bond is important to me; it will help me become Alpha. Selene's powerful bloodline and her healing talent will help me solidify my position.'" I repeated his words verbatim. "Did you think I didn't know?"

Elder Elara looked at Kaelan, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.

"That… that was…" Kaelan stammered.

"The truth," I finished for him. "So now you've found someone better, right?"

Kaelan opened his mouth to argue, but I had already turned to Elder Elara.

"Please, begin the ceremony."

The ceremony went smoothly.

When the last ray of moonlight faded from the altar, I felt the tightness in my chest completely disappear. Seven years of a mate bond, gone just like that.

"The ritual is complete," Elder Elara announced.

"From this moment on, you are no longer mates."

When I walked out of the elders' hall, Briar was already waiting. She was wearing a black evening gown, as if she were attending a party.

"Finally!" she exclaimed, excitedly linking her arm with Kaelan's. "Now we can plan our bonding ceremony!"

Then she turned to me, her eyes glinting with triumph. "Selene, when are you moving out of the Alpha's mansion? I need to redecorate the Luna's suite."

"Tomorrow," I said simply.

"Tomorrow? Wonderful!" Briar clapped her hands.

"I've already hired a designer. We're going to throw out all that old-fashioned art."

That "old-fashioned art" was a collection I had spent three years curating. Every piece had a special meaning.

But now, it would all be thrown away.

"Briar's right," Kaelan chimed in. "The new Luna needs a fresh start. Selene, if you need help moving…"

"I don't," I said, turning to leave.

"Wait!" Kaelan hurried after me, grabbing my arm. "Here… this is for you."

I looked at the ring—his "gift" from our bonding ceremony.

A large ruby, glittering exquisitely under the light.

"Kaelan," I looked up at him. "This is a fake."

His face went pale. "What?"

I scoffed. "Worth a few thousand dollars at most? Is this what our bond was worth to you?"

Kaelan opened his mouth to explain, but I had already thrown the ring on the ground.

"A fake bond, a fake ring. A perfect match."

I strode to my car without a backward glance.

In the rearview mirror, I saw Kaelan and Briar arguing.

I rolled down my window and overheard their conversation.

"How did she know it was a fake?" Briar demanded.

"Who knows," Kaelan said irritably. "It doesn't matter. The bond is severed anyway."

"But she looked really angry…"

"Don't worry, Selene is easy to handle," Kaelan said confidently.

"Once she calms down, I'll just use a little Alpha command, and she'll come crawling back. She wouldn't dare survive as a rogue."

I started the engine and hit the gas.

He was wrong.

This time, it was really over. There was no turning back.