Chapter 1 Chapter 1

My destined Alpha, so he could be with his mistress Vivian out in the open, faked losing his mate-sense for me after an "attack." He sneered that I couldn't leave him, that even if I knew the truth, I’d just meekly give up my Luna title and stay in the pack, swallowing my pride. But little did they know, I had a huge "surprise" cooked up for them, just waiting for them to walk right into my trap. "There's a problem with the mate bond between Sophia and me," Ethan announced, having gathered all the key pack members in the meeting room. Beta Marcus frowned. "Alpha, what do you mean by that?""I've lost my mate-sense for Sophia," Ethan said, slowly and clearly. "Instead, I feel a true mate connection with Vivian." I kept my face perfectly still, like I was listening to a story about someone else. Vivian squeezed Ethan's hand, tears welling in her eyes. "We didn't expect this either, but the mate bond is the Moon Goddess's will. We can't fight it.""So," Ethan took a deep breath, "from today, Vivian will be our pack's Luna. Sophia, please hand over the Luna scepter to her." The room went dead silent. I slowly got to my feet and walked over to the Luna scepter hanging on the wall. The golden scepter glinted in the light, carved with our Stone Pack's symbol. "Sophia..." Elder Grace started to say. I shook my head, stopping her. I took down the scepter, walked over to Vivian, and placed it on the table. "This is the Luna's symbol. It's yours now." Vivian eagerly reached for it, but my next words made her freeze. "Actually, there are a few things we need to sort out first." Vivian sat up straighter. "As the former Luna, you need to hand over all the pack members' files to me, and all those healing records you've built up over the years." I glanced at Ethan. He nodded. "She's right. Vivian needs that information to do her job as Luna properly." I scoffed internally. That was Ethan for you. Whenever someone else wanted something that clashed with what I needed, I was always the one who had to give in. Like three years ago, when I gave up a chance to study in Europe to save money for the pack's medical fund. Ethan praised me for "seeing the bigger picture." Or two years ago, when I collapsed from exhaustion after treating injured warriors for three days and nights straight. Ethan said it was just a Luna's "duty." And a year ago, when I wanted to buy a necklace for our mate ceremony anniversary, Ethan said, "This isn't the time to be spending money." But now, he could buy Vivian a diamond bracelet worth a hundred grand. For Vivian's sake, he could stomp all over our five-year mate bond without a second thought. "Sophia?" Ethan's voice snapped me back to the present. "What are you thinking?" I looked at him, the man I once loved so much. Now, all I saw in his eyes was suspicion and scheming. "I was thinking," I said calmly, "since our mate bond is 'faulty,' the best thing to do is to dissolve it completely." Ethan froze. "What?""I said, let's go to the Elders' Council and officially break our mate bond," I repeated. "That way, you and Vivian can have your own mating ceremony without any holdups." Vivian's face flashed with panic for a second, but excitement quickly took over. "Can... can we really do that?""Of course," I smiled. "Since the Moon Goddess has blessed you with a new bond, we should honor her decision." Ethan opened his mouth to argue, but with Vivian looking at him expectantly, he just had to grit his teeth and nod. "If... if you insist.""I insist," I said, without a moment's hesitation. I looked around at the other pack members. They all looked uncomfortable and awkward. Marcus wouldn't meet my eye, Elder Grace was wringing her hands, and the others just stared at the floor. So, they'd known all along. They knew about Ethan and Vivian, knew this whole "lost connection" thing was a lie, but not one of them said a word to me. They needed my healing skills, sure, but they didn't give a damn about how I felt. "Meeting's over." I turned and headed for the door. "I'll go pack my things. I'll be off pack lands as soon as I can.""Wait, Sophia," Ethan rushed after me. "You don't have to leave. We're still packmates..." I stopped and turned back to him. "Ethan, your new Luna needs time to get used to her role. If I stick around, I'll just be in her way.""But the pack still needs you as a healer...""Isn't that the Luna's job now?" I gestured to Vivian, who was already in the main chair, trying on the Luna scepter. "Or, what? Your true love doesn't have the knack for it?" Ethan's face fell, but Vivian just smirked. "Don't worry, I'll learn. Healing? How hard can it be?" I nodded. "Good. Then there's no problem." I pushed open the meeting room door, leaving them all in silence. Walking down the hall, something occurred to me. He didn't know that the full moon ritual was only seven days away. And the Elders' Council? They only recognized me as the official Luna.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

"Alpha Ethan, Luna Sophia, are you certain you wish to dissolve your mate bond?" Elder Grace's voice was grave. "This decision cannot be undone." I stood before the Elders' altar and nodded calmly. "I'm sure." Ethan stood beside me, his expression a mess. On the way over, he'd suddenly grabbed my arm. "Sophia, do we really have to go through with this?" There was a hint of panic in his voice. "Maybe we can reconsider...""Didn't you lose your connection to me?" I shot back. "Breaking the bond should be a relief for you." He faltered for a moment, then quickly smoothed his expression. "Right... yes. I'm just worried you'll have a hard time adjusting." Such a terrible actor. And now, in front of the Elder, he was putting on another show of trying to get me to stay. "Sophia, do you remember our mating ceremony?" Ethan stared into my eyes. "That night, under the moonlight, we promised to be together forever...""Of course, I remember," I cut him off. "And I also remember what you told my father." Ethan's expression soured. "What?""You said, 'This union will really help me become Alpha. Sophia's family name and her healing skills will help me secure my position.'" I repeated, word for word. "You thought I didn't know?" Elder Grace looked at Ethan, a flash of disappointment in her eyes. "That... that was..." Ethan stammered. "The truth," I finished for him. "So now you've found someone better, right?" Ethan opened his mouth to argue, but I'd already turned to Elder Grace. "Please, let's begin the ceremony." The ceremony went smoothly. When the last ray of moonlight faded, I felt the tightness in my chest completely vanish. Five years of a mate bond, gone just like that. "The ritual is complete," Elder Grace announced. "From this moment on, you are no longer mates." When I walked out of the Elders' Hall, Vivian was already waiting. She was wearing a red evening gown, like she was dressed for a party. "Finally!" She excitedly looped her arm through Ethan's. "Now we can plan our mating ceremony!" Then she turned to me, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "Sophia, when are you moving out of the pack house? I need to redecorate the Luna's suite.""Tomorrow," I said simply. "Tomorrow? Perfect!" Vivian clapped her hands. "I've already hired a designer. We're getting rid of all that tacky old furniture." That "tacky old furniture" was stuff I'd spent three years picking out. Every piece meant something special. But now, it was all going to be tossed out. "Vivian's right," Ethan chimed in. "The new Luna needs a fresh start. Sophia, if you need help moving...""I don't," I said, turning to leave. "Wait!" Ethan hurried after me, pulling a necklace from his pocket. "Here... take this back." I looked at the necklace—the "gift" he'd given me for our mating ceremony. Platinum chain, moon-shaped pendant. It looked delicate and pretty. I took the necklace and looked at it closely in the light. "Ethan," I looked up at him. "This is silver-plated. It's not platinum." He went pale. "What?""And this 'diamond'? It's a cubic zirconia," I scoffed. "Worth, what, fifty bucks? This is what you give your mate as a bonding gift?" Ethan opened his mouth to explain, but I'd already dropped the necklace on the ground. "Fake bond, fake necklace. A perfect match." I walked to my car without a backward glance. From my car, I saw Ethan and Vivian arguing in the rearview mirror. I rolled down my window and heard them talking. "How did she know the necklace was fake?" Vivian demanded. "Who knows," Ethan said, annoyed. "Doesn't matter. The bond's broken now anyway.""But she looked really pissed off...""Relax, Sophia's easy," Ethan said confidently. "Once she cools down, I'll just use a little Alpha command, and she'll come crawling back. She wouldn't dare leave the pack." I started the engine and hit the gas. He had another thing coming. This time, it was really over. No going back.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Three days after moving out of the pack house, I rented an apartment downtown. No Alpha pressure, no pack duties, no endless healing. For the first time, I actually felt some peace and quiet. I was on my balcony, enjoying a coffee, when my phone rang. "Sophia!" Marcus sounded frantic. "You have to come back!""What's up?" I asked, not really caring. "The full moon ceremony! The full moon's in four days, and..." His voice was shaking. "The preparations are a disaster!" I almost laughed. "Not my problem, Marcus. You guys have a new Luna.""But Vivian doesn't know what she's doing! The herbs for the sacred ritual, the blessing chants, how to even speak to the Moon Goddess... she's clueless!""And what does she have to say about it?" Marcus paused. "She says she'll learn... but we only have four days! Sophia, if the full moon ceremony fails, the whole pack will lose the Moon Goddess's blessing!" I took a sip of my coffee. "Yeah, that does sound pretty bad.""So, will you come back and help?" Marcus pleaded. "Even if it's just to show Vivian the ropes...""Give me the phone." A shrill voice snatched the phone. Vivian. "Sophia, don't listen to Marcus's whining," she snapped. "I've been studying for three days. The full moon ceremony isn't that hard. It's just chanting some words and lighting a few candles, right?" I nearly choked on my coffee. "Vivian, are you sure you actually understand what the ritual is for?""Of course! I'm not an idiot," she said smugly. "And I've already got everything ready. You just wait, you'll see how perfectly I handle it!" She hung up. I just shook my head and went back to enjoying my quiet afternoon. Three days later, my human friend Sarah was getting married. I wore a light blue dress. By the time I got to the hotel, the ceremony was already starting. "Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated," the officiant's voice echoed through the speakers. "We are gathered here today to witness the sacred union..." I found a seat near the back, ready to listen, when I suddenly heard a familiar voice. "Moon Goddess, please witness our mate bond..." I whipped my head around and nearly jumped out of my seat. In another ballroom at the same hotel, Ethan, dressed in a black tux, was holding hands with Vivian in a white wedding gown. They were having their mating ceremony right there in front of everyone. They'd actually picked the same hotel! "...grant us eternal love and prosperity for our pack..." Ethan continued with his vows, totally oblivious to me. I was about to sneak out, but then Vivian's shrill voice cut through the air: "Sophia! What are you doing here?" Everyone turned to stare at me. Ethan's face paled. "Sophia? Why are you here?" I stood up, trying to stay calm. "I'm here for a friend's wedding.""A friend's wedding?" Vivian eyed me suspiciously. "You're not here to ruin our ceremony, are you?""Ruin it?" I scoffed. "Why would I want to do that?" Ethan rushed over to me, his eyes flashing with... something complicated. "You... you're mating someone else?" I blinked, then realized what he thought. "No, Ethan. I'm just here for my friend Sarah's wedding. A human wedding." I gestured to the ballroom next door. "It has nothing to do with you guys.""Then why this hotel?" Vivian shrieked. "There are tons of hotels in the city. You had to pick this one?""Because the bride picked it," I said calmly. "Besides, I figured you'd be at a traditional mating site, not some human hotel." Ethan flushed. "We... we wanted something more modern...""Modern?" I looked around. "Then why isn't a pack Elder officiating? Why have the hotel event planner read a script? At least the Elders actually represent the Moon Goddess." Vivian's face got even redder. "All those old rules are such a hassle!" I shook my head. "You don't even have basic respect, and you expect the Moon Goddess to acknowledge your bond?""We don't need your approval for our bond!" Vivian fumed. "And I'm all set for the full moon ceremony. I'll show everyone I'm a perfectly good Luna then!" Ethan puffed his chest out. "That's right. Vivian's a natural when it comes to rituals." Just then, Ethan's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, a smug look on his face. "That'll be the Elders' Council. They're probably calling to say how impressed they are with Vivian's ceremony prep." He confidently hit the speakerphone button. But the next thing we heard was Elder Grace's furious voice blasting from the speaker, loud enough for the whole ballroom to hear. "Alpha Ethan! What in the blazes have you two done?!' Elder Grace's voice was shaking with rage. "The sacred ritual is a total mess! The Moon Goddess's blessing has completely GONE from our pack!"