Chapter 2

Estelle's POV

That afternoon, Lyra and I finally reached an agreement.

Once the Mate Bond was dissolved, I would leave the Thunderclaw Pack.

As compensation, she would convert the profits I had generated for the pack over the years into assets and transfer them into my name.

The entire process was surprisingly calm—no arguments, no attempts to persuade me to stay, not even much emotion—as though we were simply negotiating the expiration of a business contract.

By the time I stepped out of the main house, the sun had already disappeared behind the mountains.

Instead of returning to my room, I headed alone toward the northern border for patrol.

There was less than a month left before the Bond would be officially dissolved.

Until then, I intended to fulfill my final duties as Luna.

The wind swept through the forest, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth.

I moved slowly along the border. Just as I rounded the last hill, a familiar scent drifted into my nose.

My steps faltered.

It was Cassius's scent.

And another woman's.

Not far away, Cassius was patrolling the area around the Northern Frontier's mineral veins with Melody.

The Harper family was one of the largest mining dynasties in the Northern Frontier.

Recently, the Thunderclaw Pack had been working with them on a joint mining development project.

Melody must have said something amusing, because Cassius gave her an indulgent smile.

Her face immediately lit up. She slipped her arm through his, and Cassius didn't pull away.

Bathed in the golden light of the setting sun, they looked every bit like a perfect couple.

Melody spotted me first.

She paused briefly before her smile widened.

"Cassius, isn't that Miss Estelle?"

Cassius followed her gaze.

The moment our eyes met, the air seemed to still.

"Mm," he replied casually.

That was all.

As though the five-year Mate Bond between us was nothing more than an insignificant detail.

I looked away and prepared to leave.

But the very next second, a wolf's howl—sharp, wild, and frenzied—split the silence of the forest.

Melody's face instantly turned pale.

Almost at the same time, three gray figures burst from the undergrowth.

Rogues.

There weren't many of them, nor were they particularly strong, but the attack came without warning.

"Ah!"

Melody screamed.

In the next instant, Cassius moved.

The towering Alpha instinctively stepped in front of her.

His claws sliced through the air. The lead Rogue didn't even have time to scream before its throat was torn open, blood spraying across the ground.

A second Rogue lunged toward Melody from the side.

Cassius pulled her into his arms.

"Stay behind me."

His deep voice carried the unmistakable authority of an Alpha.

Melody clung tightly to him.

Meanwhile, the third Rogue was already charging toward me.

Before I could draw my dagger, a claw raked across my arm.

A sharp sting shot through me, and blood immediately welled from the wound.

I let out a muffled grunt and staggered back half a step.

The next second, my silver dagger flashed from its sheath.

A cold glint of steel cut through the air as the blade pierced the Rogue's throat with deadly precision.

The body crashed heavily to the ground.

The entire fight lasted less than ten seconds.

Silence returned.

I slowly lifted my gaze.

Not far away, Cassius was crouched beside Melody, checking her for injuries.

"Are you hurt?"

Melody shook her head, eyes red with lingering fear.

"No... I was just scared."

Cassius raised a hand and gently patted her shoulder, soothing her like a frightened animal.

Meanwhile, I stood twenty yards away, blood dripping steadily from my fingertips onto the grass.

No one noticed.

For a moment, I found the situation almost laughable.

The Alpha who once became so anxious over the smallest scratch on my finger that he couldn't sleep through the night hadn't even noticed I was bleeding.

People really do change.

Or perhaps he'd simply given all of that concern to someone else.

I glanced down at the wound, then turned and walked away without a word.

Even after I had gone a considerable distance, Cassius still hadn't noticed I was gone.

By the time I returned to the main house, night had fallen completely.

The injury wasn't serious.

A werewolf's healing abilities were more than enough to handle a wound like this.

After quickly bandaging it, I returned to my room.

I showered, changed clothes, and stepped into the walk-in closet.

Standing before the display cabinet, I removed the moonstone necklace from around my neck—the symbol of the Luna's status.

The cool stone settled into my palm.

Just as I was about to place it inside the cabinet, a familiar yet powerful presence enveloped me from behind.

A second later, a tall body pressed against my back.

Cassius planted both hands on either side of the cabinet, trapping me between himself and the glass door.

The scent of an Alpha instantly filled the confined space.

"Are you upset?"

His deep voice brushed against my ear.

I didn't turn around.

Instead, I calmly returned the necklace to its place.

"I'm not in a very good mood right now."

"So?"

"So you'd better stay away from me."

The air went still.

Cassius remained silent for a few moments before speaking.

"Melody is the younger sister of the Northfall Pack's future Alpha. We're moving forward with the mining project, so I've been working closely with the Harper family."

A small laugh escaped me.

"So?"

A faint crease appeared between his brows.

"Estelle, why are you being so sarcastic today?"

I slowly turned around.

"Sarcastic? Cassius, are you saying I should congratulate the two of you?"

His expression darkened.

"Enough."

The pressure of his Alpha aura subtly filled the room, making the air feel heavier.

But I no longer cared.

I looked up at him, strangely calm.

"Cassius. Let's break the Bond."

The room instantly fell silent.

A dangerous sharpness entered his eyes.

He grabbed my chin roughly, forcing me to meet his gaze.

The grip was tight enough to hurt.

"What did you say?"

"Break the Bond," I repeated. "I don't want this anymore."

Cassius stared at me.

His dark eyes resembled a storm-tossed sea—dangerous, oppressive, impossible to escape.

A few seconds later, he let out a cold laugh.

"Don't even think about it, Estelle."

His voice was icy.

"And don't let me hear those words again."

Just as I opened my mouth to respond, his phone rang.

The moment he answered, Melody's tearful voice came through the speaker.

"Cassius... I had a nightmare. I'm scared."

His expression immediately shifted.

"What's wrong?"

Whatever she said next, I watched his features visibly soften.

"I'll be right there."

The call ended.

Silence settled over the walk-in closet.

I stood there, suddenly struck by the absurdity of it all.

I was his Luna.

His mate.

Yet he was about to leave in the middle of the night to comfort another woman.

For a moment, Cassius looked as though he wanted to explain.

But in the end, he said nothing.

He simply turned and walked away.

The sound of the door closing echoed through the silent room.

I stood there for a long time.

Then I smiled.

A smile so bitter it made my eyes sting.

In the early hours of the next morning, a burst of excruciating pain jolted me awake.

"Ugh—"

I curled in on myself.

It felt as though something inside my chest had been violently ripped apart.

The Mate Bond trembled violently.

The pain was so intense I could barely breathe.

Cold sweat soaked my back.

My wolf howled in agony.

And I knew exactly what it meant.

It wasn't an argument.

It wasn't a misunderstanding.

It wasn't even an emotional outburst.

A Mate Bond never lies.

Last night, Cassius had been with another woman.

I closed my eyes.

At last, silent tears slipped down my cheeks.

After sunrise, I called a real estate agent.

"Hello. I'd like to view a few properties. Location isn't important. The sooner, the better."

After hanging up, I began sorting through my belongings.

The necklace Cassius gave me.

Sell it.

The watch.

Sell it.

The evening gown.

Sell it.

The oil painting.

Sell it.

Every photograph of us together in the study.

Throw them away.

Finally, I opened the jewelry box.

Inside lay a moonstone ring.

Our wedding ring.

The ring Cassius had slipped onto my finger on the day our Mate Bond was sealed.

I stared at it for a long time.

In the end, I placed it into the auction box.

That afternoon, someone from the auction house arrived to collect the items.

The staff member picked up the ring and hesitated.

"Ma'am, are you certain you want to sell this ring?"

I lowered my gaze to the moonstone.

Sunlight caught the gemstone, igniting it with dazzling fire.

It was every bit as beautiful as it had been five years ago.

After a long moment, I nodded.

"Sell it."