Lahat ng Kabanata ng The First Luna : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 18

Alpha Ethan Blackwood’s POV Ethan’s mind stalled into blank, unadulterated shock. His cheek burned with a stinging, violent heat, the sound of the impact still echoing like a gunshot through the stone corridor. *She slapped me.* The realization hit him like a physical blow. Lane had struck him. She had laid her hands on her fated mate, the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, and she had done it in the middle of a hallway, right in front of Maris and the lower staff. All for a common maid. A primal, vicious instinct reared its head within him, his arm automatically twitching as his body prepared to strike back, to enforce the absolute submission expected of any wolf who dared defy an Alpha. But he froze. The image of Lane’s dying mother flashed behind his eyes—the memory of the fragile woman holding his hand, making him swear a sacred oath to protect her only remaining child. No, he couldn't hit her. But as he stared at Lane, a cold dread began to seep under his anger. *What was that ener

**Alpha Ethan Blackwood’s POV** His mother’s sudden collapse had thrown the entire estate into a panic, and the reality of their situation had crashed down on Ethan with terrifying speed. Because Doctor Jean had flatly refused to set foot on Blackwood land, Ethan had been forced to mount his swiftest stallion, ride desperately to the Royal Capital, and personally pull a high-ranking royal healer back to the territory. Now, Ethan stood anxiously at the foot of his mother's bed, watching the royal healer pack away his glowing instruments. Brenda lay pale and wheezing against her pillows, her breathing shallow and ragged. The healer straightened up, letting out a heavy, defeated sigh. "Alpha Ethan, I have tried everything within my power to stabilize her, but my treatments are only acting as a temporary shield. The only reason my medicines are having any effect at all is because Doctor Jean’s specialized prescriptions have been fortifying her system for the past year. Her lungs have

The air in the grand courtyard leading to the Elders’ Council chamber was unexpectedly calm, carrying the crisp, sweet scent of mountain pine and wild lilies. But the serenity did not deceive Lane. She walked with a steady, unhurried stride, her dark green gown sweeping the stone floor, until she rounded the final pillar near the entrance and caught sight of Ethan. He was standing near the heavy oak doors, completely absorbed in a small, crumpled piece of parchment in his hands. He was reading it under his breath, his voice catching in the quiet air: *"...make sure to take Lane's half of her money."* The words struck Lane with a sudden, silent sharpness. A cold ache bloomed in the center of her chest, and it would be a lie if she said she hadn't held even the slightest, most fragile shred of hope that a year of fated mating meant something to Ethan. To hear him standing outside a sacred council, actively calculating how to rob her on the orders of his mistress, finally turned that

**Alpha Ethan Blackwood’s POV** The moment the final syllable of the rejection left his lips, it felt as though a physical blade had been driven into Ethan's chest and violently twisted. A profound, suffocating hollow opened up inside his soul, a sudden, terrifying emptiness that made his breath catch in his throat. It was as if a vital, irreplaceable piece of his very being had been ripped away. Trembling on one knee, he forced himself to look up, expecting to see Lane shattered, weeping, or looking at him with the desperation of a abandoned female. But all he saw was a wall of absolute ice. Lane stood before him, her expression completely smooth and entirely emotionless. There wasn't a single tear in her silver-tinted eyes. There wasn't a flicker of regret on her beautiful face. Seeing her utter indifference, a wave of bitter resentment washed through Ethan, helping him push down the agony in his chest. He quickly masked his pain, gritting his teeth as he forced himself back to