"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.