"Let's dissolve our mate bond. It's just for show, to ease Elara's mind." My Alpha husband, for the sake of his fragile white moonlight, kicked me out of the master bedroom for the nineteenth time, and now he's even demanding I sign an agreement to dissolve our Mate bond. He looks down at me with patronizing generosity, his eyes full of certainty: "Once she leaves, I promise everything will return to normal. You'll always be my Luna." He thinks I'll cry and beg for his meager scraps of affection like I did for the past five years. But what he doesn't know is that the moment I signed my name without hesitation, my wolf had completely given up on him. Aurora POV "Father, I want to dissolve my Mate bond with Julian." I gripped the phone, keeping my voice as steady as possible. "I'll handle the divorce procedures as soon as I can. This time I'm serious. I want to come home." My father's voice came through the receiver, tinged with both heartache and relief. "Aurora, you've finally come to your senses. You never should have endured this humiliation in the first place. I'll arrange everything else. Within a month, you'll be back with the pack." I hung up and looked at my pale, haggard reflection in the mirror, expressionless. My wolf was now so exhausted she couldn't even manage a whimper. The door was shoved open roughly. Julian stood in the doorway, a powerful Alpha pressure sweeping in with his impatient aura. "Elara's back." He strode into the master bedroom without so much as glancing at me, heading straight for the walk-in closet and dragging out the suitcase I'd already packed. "You know her mental state is fragile. She can't handle any stress." Of course I knew. Elara had once saved his life and supposedly suffered severe psychological trauma as a result, leaving her emotionally unstable. Whenever she got upset out in the world, she'd come running back to Stormborn Pack crying, seeking Julian's protection. Julian was convinced that my identity as Stormborn Pack's "Luna" was the greatest source of stress for Elara. In his view, as long as I still lived in this Packhouse, Elara would feel like she was the third party interfering in our Mate relationship, which would worsen her condition. So every time Elara came back, I had to disappear like a ghost, vacate our master bedroom so he could comfort her. Once Elara left, he'd bring me back. Five years. Not one more, not one less. Exactly eighteen times. And today was the nineteenth. "She'll be staying at the Packhouse first," he said, setting the suitcase on the carpet. "I can't let her fall ill from guilt. I've already found you a place to stay." I looked at that familiar suitcase without speaking, just silently beginning to pack my personal belongings. This unusually calm compliance seemed to surprise him more than any hysterical crying would have. He frowned, staring at me suspiciously. "Aurora, why are you being so cooperative today? What are you plotting now?" No wonder he was suspicious. After all, I hadn't been willing to play the doormat from the start. The first time, my wolf was howling madly. I blocked his path crying, begging him not to send me away, only to be pushed aside coldly. The fifth time, I smashed everything in the master bedroom, threatening to expose everything to the entire pack if he dared make me leave. He just looked at me coldly and called the guards to forcibly "escort" me out. By the tenth time, I'd stopped resisting, just silently crying. That's when he came over and patted my head indulgently, saying, "That's better. Don't worry, you'll always be my Luna." And the eighteenth time, just last month, I could already smile while helping him pick out clothes to wear when meeting Elara. I looked up at this Mate I'd once loved deeply and shook my head calmly. "I just think this whole thing is pretty pointless." Just then, his phone rang. The impatience on his face instantly transformed into tension and tenderness. It was Elara. Without avoiding me, he answered directly. "Julian, the hallway here is so quiet. I'm scared alone in my room. When are you coming to get me?" Elara's voice trembled, sounding pitiful and vulnerable. "Don't be afraid. I'll come over as soon as I finish up here." Julian coaxed her gently. "I had someone send you a bouquet of your favorite moonflowers to celebrate your return. They should be in your room already." Elara asked with delight on the other end, "You still remember?" "Of course." My hands froze mid-fold in the air. In college, every time he came to see me, he'd bring a bouquet of moonflowers. "These moonflowers suit you so well." I'd been so happy then. Turns out moonflowers were Elara's favorite. Julian hung up and looked at me, his eyes full of warning. "One hour. I'm going to pick her up, and you'd better be gone by the time I get back." Seeing no reaction from me, he reached out and touched my face with something almost like pity, his voice softening. "Be good. Elara never stays long when she comes back. I'll bring you home again when she leaves." With that, he turned and strode away without a trace of reluctance. I sat alone in the empty master bedroom, not moving immediately. Through the Mind-link, I contacted my personal pack lawyer. "The mate bond dissolution agreement. You can start preparing it." I didn't go to the place he'd arranged, but to the place my father had set up for me. That was my only true refuge. For three days, Julian didn't contact me once. I was happy for the peace and quiet. On the fourth night, I habitually scrolled through my social media feed. A glaring photo caught my eye. Posted by Elara. In the picture, Elara wore my silk robe, sitting on the wool carpet in our master bedroom's living room, holding a steaming cup of tea. Julian sat on the sofa behind her, looking down at documents, his profile bathed in the warm yellow light from the floor lamp, looking exceptionally gentle. The caption read: "With Julian here, all my anxiety disappears." I stared at that photo for a long time. That robe was my favorite. The cuffs were embroidered with my initials in silver thread. I'd left it in the walk-in closet when I moved out. Elara hadn't just taken my master bedroom and my Mate—now she could freely use my personal belongings too. In the comments below, several of Julian's friends were leaving messages. "Is this an official announcement of a Luna replacement?" "Has Alpha Julian finally come to his senses?" Julian neither liked nor replied to any of them. But I knew his silence was a form of consent. I turned off my phone screen. The black glass reflected my expressionless face.
Aurora POV After seeing that post, I didn't sleep all night. These five years of "hell mode" had taught me one truth: any hysterical questioning would only end up as entertainment for them and humiliation for me. The next afternoon, I went to a high-end custom clothing boutique. Since I'd decided to leave completely, I wanted to buy some decent clothes to return to my pack with a fresh appearance. I'd just stopped in front of a pure white silk gown when a familiar Alpha scent mixed with a cloying rose fragrance drifted in from the entrance. Julian walked in supporting Elara. Elara's face was pale, looking like she might collapse even in the sunlight. When she saw me, she froze, then shrank timidly behind Julian like a frightened animal. Julian immediately shielded her in his arms, looking up at me with displeasure and wariness in his eyes. "What are you doing here?" I didn't answer, just quietly watched them. Elara's voice was soft and gentle. "Julian, don't blame Aurora. I'm sure she didn't mean to follow us." Julian's expression darkened further. "Aurora, I warned you not to harass Elara." I finally spoke, my voice as calm as if I were talking to strangers. "I'm just here to buy clothes." I turned around, signaling the clerk to wrap up the white dress. But Elara suddenly grabbed Julian's sleeve and pointed at the dress in my hands. "Aurora, is this the one you like?" Without waiting for my answer, she took the gown from the clerk and held it up against herself. "Wow, such a beautiful dress." Elara's eyes lit up, then she seemed to remember something and looked at Julian, her tone slightly coquettish. "Julian, I remember you love seeing me in white dresses. Can I buy this one?" Julian looked at me, his tone brooking no argument. "Give this dress to Elara." I looked at him without moving or showing any sign of yielding. Seeing this, Elara immediately shoved the dress back into my hands, her eyes instantly reddening. "I'm sorry, Aurora. I just love this dress so much. Julian, don't force her. We can look at something else... It's all my fault." The more "considerate" she acted, the more unreasonable and petty I appeared. Julian simply pulled the dress from my hands and stuffed it back into Elara's arms. "Take it." After saying this to Elara, he turned to look at me coldly. "Aurora, you have plenty of dresses like this. Pick something else for yourself." With that, he put his arm around Elara and turned to leave, giving me a resolute departing back. That evening, Julian actually came to where I was staying on his own initiative. He brought my once-favorite dessert, and his tone was unusually gentle. "Aurora, I'm sorry about what happened this afternoon." He began that familiar, nauseating explanation. "As long as you're still my Luna, Elara will never be able to hold her head up in front of you. She always feels like she's the other woman, which isn't good for her recovery." He paused, then laid out his plan. "Let's dissolve our mate bond. Just submit a nominal mate bond dissolution agreement, go through the motions. Next month when I send Elara away for treatment elsewhere, we'll immediately restore our relationship. I promise you, once Elara leaves, nothing will change." I kept my head down, looking at that exquisite dessert, saying nothing. I'd been worried about finding a suitable reason to get him to sign a dissolution agreement, and here he was, handing me the ladder himself. I was silent for a long time. So long that Julian started impatiently checking his watch. Only then did I finally lift my head to look at him, my face perfectly compliant. I said softly, "Okay." "Whatever you say."
Aurora POV The next morning, Julian's personal guards were waiting downstairs right on time. The Elder Council's "mate bond dissolution" ceremony went quickly. Thanks to the Alpha's absolute authority, no one dared question his decision. When the head elder stamped the seal on the parchment, Julian didn't even glance at it, casually stuffing it into his pocket. He draped his arm over my shoulders as usual, his cedarwood scent enveloping me, his tone gentle. "Next month when I send Elara away for treatment at another Pack, we'll immediately restore our mate bond. I promise you, once Elara leaves, nothing will change." I kept my head down and gave a soft "mm" in response. I could feel the eyes of the elders and guards around us, probably wondering why the Alpha was still so intimate with me when we'd just dissolved our mate bond. Julian was very satisfied with my "understanding nature." We parted ways at the entrance to the pack's council hall. I walked back to my place alone. Over the next few days, my father's royal guards would occasionally send messages through Mind-link. 【Princess, we've almost finished erasing your traces at Stormborn Pack. No need to worry.】 【The route map and border passes for leaving the territory are all ready. The reception team is on standby.】 I looked at the route map on the table, calculating the final departure date. After handling these matters, I returned my Luna authority seal and resigned from my position as healer assistant at the pack hospital. I turned in my access pass, cleared out my locker, and said goodbye to a few pack doctors. The moment I walked out of the hospital entrance, I felt another connection to Stormborn Pack severed. That evening, Julian tried to contact me through Mind-link. This was the first time he'd contacted me since the mate bond dissolution agreement took effect. I didn't respond. Julian then sent a FaceTime video request. I didn't want to see his face while he was with another woman. He immediately expressed his displeasure. "Why aren't you turning on video?" "Just got back from the pack hospital. I'm a bit tired." I brushed him off casually. Julian laughed on the other end, his tone smug, clearly thinking I was still that woman who tried to maintain a perfect image in front of him. "What haven't I seen of you?" His tone carried an uncomfortably familiar intimacy. I didn't respond. He probably found it boring and changed the subject, asking about my resignation as healer assistant. "You quit? That's fine. You only got in there because of my Alpha privileges anyway. You had no real future there." My irritation reached its peak. "Don't you need to go keep Elara company?" I interrupted him, just wanting to end the conversation quickly. Julian on the other end fell silent for a moment at my words, then let out a cold laugh. "Aurora, your temper's getting worse and worse." His voice was full of a superior's arrogance and warning. "Elara's health is poor. If you dare say anything to upset her, you know the consequences." I didn't even bother arguing with him anymore and hung up directly. Two days later was Julian's birthday. In previous years on this day, no matter how many complicated Pack affairs there were, I would personally prepare a table full of his favorite foods. And he would act like the perfect Mate, canceling all patrol duties to spend the day with me alone. This had been one of the few rituals in our marriage. This year, I hadn't prepared anything and had almost forgotten about the day. Before long, Elara posted on Instagram. In the photo, Elara held a custom cake with the air of the Packhouse's lady, smiling sweetly and shyly. There was also a video of Elara affectionately smearing frosting on Julian's face, with the caption: "I hope my Alpha is as happy as he is today, every day. @Julian" Below was Julian's reply—a simple heart emoji. I exited the social media app and pulled out the dusty box from under my bed, taking out an exquisitely carved wooden case. Inside was the token Julian had personally placed on me during our mating ceremony—a wolf fang necklace. I took out my lighter. Flames ignited the leather cord strung with the fang. I watched the fire greedily devour it, burning it to ashes. I watched the remnants wash down the drain in the sink and said softly to myself, "That's it then." When these things finished burning, everything between Julian and me would be completely over too.
Aurora POV When Sabrina came to see me, she brought the latest gossip. "Did you hear? Julian and Elara had a huge fight at his birthday party." She scrolled through her phone while gloating. "Apparently, the trigger was because you didn't show up." I was in the middle of a face mask and didn't even lift an eyelid. "They'll make up eventually," my voice was muffled. "Aren't I always just one element in their twisted love game anyway?" Sabrina thought about it and agreed, cursing them as "a pair of psychos." After that, Julian started frantically contacting me. Mind-link messages, phone calls, texts—they came like a bombardment. At first it was questioning: "What's your problem? Why are you blocking my Mind-link?" Then it became orders: "Respond to me immediately, or I'll send guards to drag you back." I completely stopped responding to his Mind-link, blocked his number, and didn't answer any unknown calls. My life lately had been full and busy. I started packing, planning the detailed route for leaving Stormborn Pack, and organizing the supplies my father's people had sent. Julian was completely shut out of my new life. That day, I was in my room confirming the final border defense map when I suddenly heard suppressed crying outside the door. I opened it to find Mara collapsed in the hallway, covered in injuries. She was an old servant from the main residence who specialized in taking care of my meals and daily needs. She was also the only warmth I'd felt at Stormborn Pack. "Luna..." When Mara saw me, tears streamed down her face. Her arms were covered in whip marks—signs of torture. "What happened?" I immediately helped her up, slowly channeling my healing power into her body. "Alpha Julian couldn't find you. He was very angry..." Mara said trembling. "He locked me in the dungeon, demanding to know your whereabouts. When I wouldn't say anything, he..." My expression instantly darkened, my heart feeling like it had been brutally cut by a dull knife. For Julian's sake, I'd endured five years of humiliation, but that didn't mean he could cross my bottom line. He couldn't find me, so he resorted to these despicable methods to torture an innocent Omega! After Mara left, I walked into my room and pulled out the second gift from the cabinet—a moonstone bracelet he'd given me on our first wedding anniversary. The lighter's flame ignited again, illuminating the night. "You don't deserve this, and you have no right to hurt the people around me. Not in the past, not now." I watched the woven leather cord on the bracelet gradually blacken and break under the heat, the gemstone losing its luster, my voice ice-cold. "Julian, that's the second time." The next day, I went to the university Julian and I had attended. We'd met in college. Now, that time had long become the past. I'd hidden my identity and returned with him to Stormborn Pack, where he immediately assumed the position of Alpha. I'd followed him too, becoming his Mate and Stormborn Pack's Luna. Back then, I naively thought we'd lead the Pack to prosperity together. Until shortly after our wedding, when Elara appeared—that she-wolf who'd once saved him and grown up with him—everything changed. For Elara's sake, I was driven from the Pack again and again. This time, I would finally never return.
Aurora POV The day before leaving Stormborn Pack, I was in my room doing final route confirmations. Suddenly, there was faint movement outside the door. I opened it to find Mara. She looked even weaker than yesterday, her whole body swaying. "Luna..." She kept her head down, her voice trembling, not even daring to look at me. "Alpha Julian asked me to give you a message." I stopped what I was doing. "Tomorrow night is the full moon ceremony. He requires you to attend as Luna." Mara swallowed and continued, "The Alpha also said... if you don't go, he'll use all the cruelest punishments in the dungeon on me." My hand clenched tight, nails digging deep into my palm. Julian, just how low can you sink? Using an innocent Omega's life to threaten me while still not forgetting to pressure me with Luna responsibilities. "I understand." I took a deep breath, soothing her trembling. "I'll go." I'll go see it with my own eyes. Consider it a final closure to these five absurd years. When Sabrina learned of this, she nearly smashed up my room in rage. "Are you crazy, Aurora?!" She grabbed my shoulders, hissing angrily. "Julian forcing you to attend the full moon ceremony at this time is definitely up to no good! Elara will definitely humiliate you in front of the entire pack!" "I know." I pushed her hands away, my tone calm. "This is the last time I'll stand there as Stormborn Pack's Luna. Sabrina, I need this final time to sever all the resentment in my heart." Sabrina looked at me and finally sighed helplessly, giving up on persuading me. After she left, I opened the drawer and took out the third gift Julian had given me. It was a wolf totem wooden carving he'd personally carved for me. Once, I'd treasured it as proof of his love. I pressed the lighter. Flames instantly consumed the dry wood. I watched coldly as the totem turned to charcoal in the firelight, then to ashes. Looking at what remained in the cabinet, there were very few gifts left. I proactively contacted Julian. "I'll attend the full moon ceremony." Julian's voice on the other end clearly carried relief. He said everything was arranged, just waiting for me to come.
Aurora POV On the night of the full moon festival, a massive bonfire blazed in Stormborn Pack's territory square. I wore the ceremonial dress symbolizing my Luna status, standing alone on one side of the platform. But my Mate, my Alpha Julian, trampled my dignity underfoot in front of everyone. Right before the entire pack, without any attempt to hide it, he held Elara protectively in his arms, shielding her from the night wind. The intimacy between them was undeniable. The whispers of the surrounding pack members drifted to my ears on the night breeze without reserve. "See that? Alpha Julian only has eyes for Elara. The Luna standing there is just a joke." "The Luna is just someone the Alpha brought back from outside. She was lucky to get the Luna position, that's all." "Exactly. Elara saved Alpha Julian's life, and they're childhood friends. Elara is the one who should truly be the Alpha's Luna." Every word was like a poisoned silver blade, viciously piercing my heart. The intense pain transmitted through the Mate bond made it almost impossible to breathe. I couldn't endure it anymore. I spun around and rushed to the restroom, retching violently over the sink. My stomach was empty. There was nothing to throw up. Tears and cold sweat covered my face. After a long while, I finally straightened up, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water on my face again and again. The ice water was bone-chilling. I looked up at my reflection in the mirror—face deathly pale, but eyes frighteningly clear. I suddenly laughed. Laughing and laughing, tears streamed down again. "Thank you, Alpha Julian." I said softly to my reflection in the mirror. "Thank you for using the cruelest method to help me completely kill the last bit of softness in my heart." I dried my face and walked out of the restroom. I returned to the full moon ceremony square. The bonfire still burned. Standing in the shadows, I watched Julian and Elara's embracing silhouettes in the firelight, my heart dead calm. "Julian, I will never, ever love you again."
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