His Betrayed Luna Disappeared,Then the Most Feared Alpha Claimed Her

I want to sever the bond. Please handle the ritual documents, Violette said to Joshua Greymoor, the only bond-severance specialist in the neutral territories, as she sat across from him in his stone-walled chamber.

The man studied Violette with careful eyes, as if he couldn't believe that the woman before him was Violette Blackthorn, who had just declared she wanted to dissolve her mate bond with Hans Blackthorn, Alpha of the Blackthorn Pack, one of the most powerful and feared packs in all of Europe.

They had been bonded for fifteen years, and every wolf in the territories agreed they were the perfect mated pair.

Every anniversary of their bonding was spoken of across packs, the union celebrated as proof of the strength between the Ashwood and Blackthorn bloodlines. Yet here sat the Alpha's mate, asking for severance papers without hesitation, her face expressionless, wanting to break the bond with Hans Blackthorn.

"For a bond severance, you must offer proof that the Moon Goddess herself would honor," the ritual specialist explained.

"Yes, I've prepared it," Violette replied calmly as she handed over everything needed to dissolve the mate bond.

She had collected memory stone recordings sent by Irene over the past five years, showing that Hans spent his time in distant territories, disguised as pack alliance meetings, only to be with Irene Thornveil. There were images captured in the stone of Hans and Irene sleeping in the same den. And finally, a recording of Hans with Irene in her private quarters, while Violette herself was held captive by a rogue wolf and stabbed in the chest.

Joshua was silent as he reviewed the recording showing Violette being wounded by the rogue and treating her own injuries. The stone would be sent to Hans once the bond severance was finalized.

"Alright, I'll process your severance," Joshua said.

"Yes, please take care of it as soon as possible," Violette asked, smiling bitterly as she rubbed the still-wet stab wound on her left chest.

---

A week earlier, on the eve of their fifteenth bonding anniversary, Hans had arranged a lavish private gathering at the Great Hall of the Blackthorn pack's central territory, making Violette the center of attention among every wolf of standing.

However, as in previous years, Hans was nowhere to be found. That night, he was at Irene's quarters, keeping her company as she battled a mild fever, not even answering a single mind-link call from the rogue who was holding Violette hostage.

Overcome with rage, the rogue stabbed Violette in the chest, intending to end her life. Fortunately, Violette had a rare condition: her heart was positioned on the right side of her chest, which saved her. As the daughter of the Ashwood Alpha, she had been trained since childhood to handle such attacks, and she managed to save herself.

As Violette treated the bleeding wound on her chest, Hans finally answered his mind-link.

*"Honey, I'm sorry I didn't answer your call. Irene has a fever and is complaining of a headache. I can't leave her. I have to take her to the Healing Hall."*

Hearing this, Violette finally realized that during their fifteen years as mates, Hans had never loved her.

Their mating had been arranged as part of a territorial alliance between the Ashwood and Blackthorn Packs, two of the most powerful bloodlines on the continent. Although they were bonded through arrangement, she and Hans had still respected each other. Hans devoted all his attention to her, and they were praised as the perfect pair.

However, all the warmth and attention he showed her was just a facade and a formality, a performance Hans put on to convince the Ashwood Pack that he was treating their daughter well.

Violette woke up from her fantasy, feeling that her entire life devoted to loving Hans Blackthorn had been exhausting. Now, she just wanted to pursue her freedom.

---

"Mrs. Blackthorn, the documents are ready. You just need to get Alpha Blackthorn's signature." Joshua placed the severance papers in front of Violette.

"I understand. I will get my mate's signature," Violette said calmly.

She left Joshua's chamber and returned to the Blackthorn estate.

Upon arriving, she found several pack members carrying furniture into the main den.

In the great room, Irene sat next to Hans, pointing at the wolves moving her belongings.

"Those are the bed and settee crafted by my late mother. I really can't leave them behind. I can't sleep without them."

Hans sat leaning back against the sofa, his arms stretched out behind Irene as if holding her. He stroked Irene's hair.

"It's okay, just move your things into this house. Consider this your home."

"Thank you, Hans. I know you've always been good to me," Irene smiled sweetly, hugging Hans's neck and kissing his cheek. The scent of night-blooming jasmine and warm honey rolled off her, thick and cloying, layered over something acrid that Violette's wolf had long since learned to distrust.

Hans responded by gently stroking Irene's head.

Violette cleared her throat, drawing their attention.

The two immediately turned their heads and quickly separated, as if to hide their closeness.

"Violette, you're home! I've been waiting for you! I'm sorry I moved into your den without asking your permission. You're not angry, are you?" Irene looked at Violette anxiously, wringing her hands in front of her chest.

"Vio, let Irene stay at our house. Her quarters had a ruptured ward-line. She's traumatized from living alone. We'll take care of her because we're still her family and she's Damien's biological mother," Hans explained. His scent filled the room, charred oak and black iron, and beneath it something that smelled like old blood never fully washed away. Violette's wolf didn't stir at it. Not anymore.

"It's okay, right, Violette? If you don't like it, I'll find another place to stay," Irene said, her eyes starting to well up, making her look pitiful.

"You've already moved your things into this house, why do you need to ask my permission? You're talking as if I'm kicking you out," Violette replied with a flat smile.

Irene's face reddened; she pursed her lips, then looked at Hans with an expression as if she had been mistreated. She was petite and ten years younger, so her appearance really supported her sad performance.

"Hans, I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry for giving Violette the wrong impression," Irene said to Hans.

Hans's face tensed, and he frowned at Violette. "Don't scare Irene like that. She didn't mean to misunderstand you."

"Don't worry, I'm just kidding. She can stay as long as she wants," Violette replied with a fake smile.

"Hans, there's something I want to talk about. I need your signature to change the territory deed on the island you claimed for our bonding anniversary," she said as she placed the documents on the table, right in front of them.

She sat across from Hans and Irene, who didn't even move and remained seated side by side.

That position made it seem as if Violette were an outsider in her own den.

"It's already yours. No need to change anything," said Hans, reaching for the document to look at it.

However, Violette held the document back so Hans couldn't see its contents.

"Hans, I just need your signature and the island will be mine so I can feel comfortable."

Irene laughed softly and seductively. "Violette, are you worried that Hans is lying about giving you the island? Don't worry, I also received a private island off the western coast as a gift for my Moon Blessing Day last week. If you don't believe me, I'll show you the original documents."

"A private island off the western coast?" Violette smiled meaningfully, but a sharp pain pierced her chest, far more agonizing than the stab wound she had received from the rogue.

It was the island Hans had originally given her, but for some reason, within just a few hours, Hans had changed his gift, replacing it with another island.

Now she understood. Hans was giving the island to Irene.

"What's wrong with the island?" Irene smiled innocently.

"Nothing," Hans replied without explanation, avoiding Violette's gaze. He turned the document to the last page and signed it immediately.

Violette stared at Hans's fingers as he signed the severance papers.

Fifteen years of bonding, the love of her life ended like this. Somewhere deep inside her chest, in the hollow place where the mate bond had once hummed warm and constant, there was only silence now. Her wolf lay still, as if it had already known long before she did.

Violette had known Hans almost her entire life. They were promised when she was five, formally betrothed at ten, and bonded at eighteen. They had been mated for fifteen years.

However, their entire life together was nothing compared to the brief presence of Irene, who immediately stole Hans's heart and became his first love.

Irene was his brother's mate. Hans was even willing to adopt Damien, Irene's pup, as the heir to the Blackthorn Pack, while Irene went abroad to distant territories to pursue her ambitions after her mate's death.

"That's enough, right?" Hans said indifferently without glancing at the document. If he had paid attention, he would have seen that they were bond-severance papers.

"Daddy! Mommy!"

The little five-year-old pup ran and jumped into Hans and Irene's arms, hugging them tightly as if they were his best parents. He smelled of milk and grass and something faintly sour, like unripe fruit. Notably absent of any Blackthorn iron or char.

Violette looked at Damien with sadness in her heart. She had raised the pup since he was a newborn, but Damien never considered her his mother.

Ever since Damien began to remember, Hans repeatedly took him to distant territories to meet his biological mother, Irene, which ultimately led Damien not to consider Violette his mother.

He called Hans "Daddy" and Irene "Mommy," but to Violette, he only called her by her name.

Hans let it be. When Violette protested, he always said, "Irene went through the pain of giving birth to him, so Damien must not forget his mother."

Now she realized that Damien was just a painful reminder that her mate loved Irene.

"Daddy, Mommy! Let's go watch a show!"

"Watch a show? Sure, let's go before dinner." Hans rubbed Damien's head and then stood up, holding his small hand.

"Mommy, let's go. I can't wait!" Damien excitedly grabbed Hans and Irene's hands and pulled them to hurry up and leave.

"Yes, baby. There's no need to rush," Irene said.

As they were about to leave, Violette stood up and walked behind them. Damien, as if sensing Violette's presence, immediately snapped and pushed her away.

"Why are you coming? I don't want you to come with us!"

"I'm not coming. I'm going to my room," Violette replied, walking straight to her quarters.

She heard Irene ask Hans worriedly behind her. "Hans, is Violette angry because we didn't invite her?"

"It's okay. Violette never liked outings like that. She always gets a headache from the noise and the crowds."

"Thank goodness. I feel so guilty that the three of us went without inviting her," Irene said.

Violette clenched her fists, a bitter smile on her lips. In her heart, she said, *Hans, do you know that I always liked going out together?*

Every time Violette asked Hans to spend an evening out, he would just clear the gathering ground for her alone.

However, Violette always went alone and felt lonely. After going alone several times, Violette finally gave up inviting Hans and began to hate those outings altogether.

Hans had the wealth and power to appease his mate, but he was never there for her. However, for another woman, he was willing to cancel every obligation and cross entire territories to be by Irene's side.

But that's all in the past now. All she had to do was send the severance papers to Joshua.

Once the bond severance officially took effect, she'd be free again.

Just then, Irene sent her a memory stone recording of the three of them having dinner and playing together at a festival ground. The recording showed their closeness, like a family, with Damien calling Hans "Daddy" and Irene "Mommy," showing them as his parents.

Violette saved the recording and sent the severance papers signed by Hans to Joshua Greymoor.

"Mr. Greymoor, I have sent the documents. I will pay whatever it costsin gold, in territory, in pack-bondto speed up the severance."

"Understood, Mrs. Blackthorn. I will notify you as soon as the bond severance is finalized. The ritual requires a full moon cycle to complete."

"All right, thank you, Mr. Greymoor."

Violette ended the mind-link call. Next, she prepared the documents she needed to take with her when she left the pack estate.

The estate, which they had built together during their fifteen years of mating, was now meaningless. She threw away all the gifts and moonstone jewelry, even the first preserved flowers Hans had given her when their bond was sealed.

There was nothing she needed to take. All the territory holdings and businesses Hans had given her over the years were bound to this pack's lands.

Violette would leave all of it behind to free herself from her ties to Hans Blackthorn.

Violette had not told her family that she was severing the bond with Hans. They believed Violette was contentedly mated, and Hans was a strong Alpha ally in their eyes.

If her parents knew Violette wanted the bond broken, they would try to talk her out of it and tell Hans.

Then the severance would never happen, preserving the alliance between the two packs.

Violette would tell them after the ritual was finalized. At that point, there would be nothing they could do to prevent her from leaving.

Hans, Irene, and Damien had returned to the estate. Violette did not greet them and went to the bathing chamber to freshen up.

When she came out wearing a sleeping robe, Hans was already in the chamber and had unbuttoned his shirt. Calmly, Violette went to the dressing table and began her evening routine.

Hans stood behind her and gently squeezed her shoulders.

"Sorry I'm home late. Damien insisted on going to the festival grounds and lost track of time."

"Hm. It's okay."

Hans leaned down, resting his chin on Violette's shoulder and kissing her neck.

The scent of charred oak and black iron that clung to Hans's skin was threaded through with something else. Night-blooming jasmine and warm honey, sweet enough to make her teeth ache. Irene's scent, layered over his like a second skin. Violette's stomach churned. Her lips smiled bitterly as she recognized who that cloying sweetness belonged to.

"Vio, just be quiet today," Hans whispered, kissing her earlobe. "Are you uncomfortable with Irene being here?"

"No," Violette replied with a fake smile.

"Irene is just our sister by mating. She's part of the Blackthorn Pack."

"I know."

"Is it because Damien is too close to Irene that you're upset?"

"No. They should be close because they are mother and son."

Hans stared at Violette through the reflection in the dressing table mirror, sensing her unusual change. He had felt it since Irene moved into their den. He thought it was because Violette didn't like Damien being close to his biological mother.

Violette stared back calmly, trying not to appear cold in front of him. Her wolf lay still inside her chest, watchful and quiet, offering nothing.

"Don't be too angry with Damien for being close to his mother. We have to raise him because he is the heir to the Blackthorn Pack since we cannot have pups."

"Hm," Violette replied indifferently.

"If only you could have..." Hans stopped himself before he finished the sentence that would hurt Violette.

They had been without pups for fifteen years. Hans had never made an issue of it because Violette was the daughter of the Ashwood Alpha. Their mating was intended to maintain the alliance between the two powerful packs.

"Don't give up, we'll try again," Hans whispered in Violette's ear.

Violette's body tensed as Hans's lips kissed the corner of her mouth and his hand pulled down her sleeping robe. She immediately pushed Hans's hand away before he could see the scar on her chest.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not feeling well. My cycle started today," Violette said coldly.

Suddenly, the mind-link stone on the bedside table pulsed with light.

"Your stone is ringing." Violette turned her face away.

Hans grumbled, picking up the stone without moving away from Violette's body.

*"Hans, can you come here?"* Irene's voice sounded frightened through the stone-link.

"What's going on?" Hans's voice was full of concern.

*"I think I heard an intruder in my chamber. I'm really scared, Hans."*

"Don't be afraid. I'll be right there." He hurriedly moved away from Violette and took the silver-edged blade from the desk drawer.

"Wait here, I'll check what's going on," he said without looking at Violette and rushed out of the chamber.

Violette scoffed, knowing what drama Irene was creating. She had heard from one of the pack servants that Irene had been terrified to find her chamber window open while she was bathing, and she had seen a shadow pass by outside.

However, shortly after, Hans and Irene appeared at her door.

"What?" Violette stood in front of them.

"Vio, Irene's chamber isn't safe, and we haven't found the intruder yet. Irene is scared and doesn't dare to stay in her chamber. So, for the time being, Irene will stay in this chamber."

Violette's face paled as she stared at Hans in disbelief.

"Hans, have you lost your mind?"

Hans's expression immediately turned stern. "This chamber has the strongest wards. Irene will be safe here. You can move to the next chamber."

"This is our chamber, Hans! How dare you bring another female into our chamber!" Violette refused, her chest felt hot, and her tears blurred her vision.

This was the private chamber they had shared for years since they were mated, even before Irene came and destroyed their bond.

Every detail of this chamber's decor was engraved in her heart. She had spent her thoughts and time tracking down the right fabrics and furnishings to prepare the mating chamber. She and Hans had shared many beautiful memories in this chamber over the years.

How could Hans bring another female into their chamber and kick her out without a shred of guilt?

Irene pretended to tremble with fear, hiding behind Hans while clutching his hand.

"Hans, it's okay. I can be placed in any chamber. It's better if I just move out of the estate."

Hans's face softened as he looked at Irene and stroked her arm. "It's not safe for you to go out in the middle of the night like this. That intruder is definitely after you. Of all the wolves in this estate, you're the only one being terrorized. I have to protect you because it's my responsibility."

"But what about Violette...?"

Hans shifted his gaze to Violette indifferently. "Violette, as someone older than Irene, you have to give in. Give this chamber to Irene."

"You're worried about Irene being attacked, but what about me? What if the intruder hurts me"

Hans interrupted her. "You grew up in the Ashwood Pack. You've faced dangerous situations many times, but you've always been safe all these years. You're different from Irene, who is a turned wolf, weaker and unable to fight back."

Not wanting to hear Violette's refusal, Hans called a pack servant to move Violette's belongings to another chamber.

Violette clenched her hands tightly. Pain pierced her chest. Tears threatened to fall.

Since Irene returned a year ago, Hans's attitude had changed. He cared more about Irene and no longer cared about the image of a devoted mate that he had always projected.

"I'm sorry, Violette. I didn't mean to make you move out of this chamber..." Irene whispered weakly, looking at her with an apologetic gaze. But the corners of her lips curled into a sly smile. Beneath the jasmine and honey, that acrid chemical note sharpened, just for a breath, before sweetening again.

"Don't apologize, it's not your fault," Hans said, glancing indifferently at Violette. "Don't blame Irene."

"I didn't say anything," Violette replied coldly.

"Hans, can you stay with me for a while? I'm afraid to be alone." Irene leaned weakly on Hans as if she were about to faint.

"Okay, I'll keep you company."

Ignoring Violette's reaction, Hans took Irene into their chamber and closed the door right in front of her face.

Violette took a deep breath, her hands clenched into fists so tightly that her knuckles turned white, her chest feeling tight.

The events of that night spread quickly among the pack servants. They had witnessed Violette being cast out of the Alpha's chambers while Hans escorted Irene inside and closed the heavy oak doors behind them.

Every wolf in the Blackthorn estate could read the message clearly enough. Hans had shown the entire household exactly how much Irene mattered to him. Violette lost face in her own den and became the subject of whispered ridicule among wolves who should have bowed their heads when she passed.

Hans did not attempt to remedy the situation or apologize to Violette.

A mind-link message came through from the Ashwood Pack, as if the news had already crossed territories. Her mother, Anna, wasted no time.

"Vio, how could you let another woman treat you like that? Where is your pride as a daughter of the Ashwood bloodline?"

"Mom, what happened was..."

"Forget it. Don't get into a conflict with Hans over some turned wolf. After all, you are still the Luna of the Blackthorn Pack. You have to maintain that status."

"Mom, your daughter was humiliated like this, how can you say that to me?" Violette said in disbelief, her grip tightening on the mind-link stone.

"Violette, how old are you now? You are a mated wolf who has been bonded for fifteen years but have yet to produce an heir for the Blackthorn line. Don't make Hans unhappy and cause him to fight with you because of a mistress. If you sever the bond with Hans, the Ashwood Pack will not accept you anymore."

Violette did not answer. Her hands clenched tightly as she listened to her mother's indifferent words. She understood that she was useless in the eyes of her family because she had not given the Blackthorn Pack any pups.

"Vio, are you listening to me? There's no need to fight with Hans over a mistress. He will get bored eventually and you will remain Luna. It's better to think about how you can conceive an heir."

Violette's heart was so tired that she didn't argue with her mother.

"I understand, Mom." She ended the mind-link.

Her family's attitude made Violette even more determined to keep her bond-severance a secret, and she would not return to the Ashwood Pack.

Hans came home early that day and found Violette in the Alpha's chambers, packing some of her belongings into boxes.

"What did you tell your family?" His expression looked unhappy.

"Nothing," Violette replied briefly and wearily, continuing to fold her clothes into a box.

"Then why did your father contact me and bring up Irene?"

"I don't know, but my mother reached out to me today. She also talked about Irene. It seems they heard the news from last night through a servant. You know, in a pack like ours, there are always wolves with divided loyalties. Spies everywhere."

Hans paused for a moment and then exhaled. "Don't worry too much about what happened last night. Irene wasn't raised like us, growing up in a powerful pack. She was very frightened by the intruder last night."

"Yes. I know." Violette bowed her head, busy packing her belongings into boxes.

"Why are you packing so many things? You don't need to pack so much. Once Irene calms down, you can come back to this room."

"It's okay. She can stay in this chamber as long as she wants. And these things are for me to donate to the pack orphanage."

Hans stared at her for a moment, his brow furrowed. He felt that Violette was indifferent and was even giving up their chambers just like that. She was not the type of person who would give away her belongings to anyone, and she was stubborn.

Hans looked at the items packed in the boxes. They were valuable to Violette because they were gifts from him. The carved wooden wolves were gifts Hans had given Violette from the ages of ten to eighteen, along with a few other keepsakes.

"Those things don't you really like them? Do you really need to throw them away?"

"Oh, I feel like I'm too old to keep these things. There must be lots of pups in the orphanage who would love these." Violette smiled gently at Hans.

Hans didn't think about it any further. He placed an invitation and a gift box on Violette's lap.

"An invitation to the Blackthorn Pack gathering tomorrow night. We both have to attend and show everyone that we're doing well."

"Okay." Violette stroked the gift box Hans had given her.

When she opened it, the contents were stunning: a delicate silk dress threaded with silver moonstone beading and the latest diamonds from a renowned jeweler.

Despite their recent argument, Hans still knew her taste and her preferences. Her heart wavered for a moment. At least Hans still respected her.

"Wear that dress tomorrow night."

Violette looked up and nodded, smiling.

---

The next day at seven in the evening, Violette went to check the dress she had asked a pack servant to wash and press. However, she found Irene standing over the ironing board. The iron was emitting steam, and there was a burning smell that cut through the faint sweetness of jasmine and honey still clinging to the chamber. Next to her, Damien was busy on the floor, snapping apart Violette's jewelry set piece by piece, his small fingers working with deliberate focus.

"Irene, what are you doing?!" Violette rushed to save her dress and pushed Irene aside.

The dress was beyond saving. There were burn marks and a gaping hole scorched through the middle of the fabric, the moonstone beading melted and blackened.

"Oops, sorry Violette... I accidentally burned your dress. You're not going to blame me, right?" Irene said with a cynical smile on her lips, not attempting to hide that it was intentional.

"Mommy, look at this ugly necklace! The chain is broken!" Damien exclaimed, pointing to Violette's broken necklace.

"Damien, don't be naughty, Sweetie. That's Violette's precious necklace."

"This ugly necklace is useless. It breaks so easily!" Damien stuck out his tongue and threw the necklace carelessly, causing the diamond pendant to separate and shatter on the floor.

Irene chuckled, then looked at Violette with a satisfied smile. "Looks like you can't wear that dress and jewelry. If you want, I can lend you my old dress."

Violette's hands clenched and trembled as she tried to hold back her anger. "Irene, watch your attitude in my den. Don't try to provoke me if you don't want to regret it."

Irene flicked her hair back over her neck with a haughty attitude, the cloying sweetness of night-blooming jasmine and warm honey rolling off her in waves, that acrid chemical undertone barely masked beneath. "Still pretending to be the Luna of this pack? Tsk, did you know that Hans and I mated on your bed?" She showed the bite mark on her neck, the skin bruised and raw where teeth had broken through. "Look, he's so wild and can't stop. He said he was bored to death when he was with you. You can't make him excited because you're like..."

Before Irene could finish her sentence, Violette slapped her hard. Her expression was very dark.

"Irene, you're just Hans' kept she-wolf. Hans doesn't even dare to claim you before the pack and show you to everyone. Don't overstep your bounds. I've been patient enough with you! If you provoke me again, you'll suffer the consequences."

Violette didn't want to waste her energy dealing with a mistress, especially since she was going to sever her bond with Hans. But Irene repeatedly provoked her, causing her patience to run out.

Irene glared at Violette with red, hate-filled eyes. Her lips curled into a cynical smile as she glanced at the door, seeing Hans approaching from a distance.

"You evil woman! How dare you hit my mom!" Damien shouted and bit Violette's hand.

"Damien, let go!" Violette shouted, pushing Damien away, but he bumped into the ironing board.

Irene suddenly grabbed Damien and protected him, just as the iron fell on her shoulder.

"Akhhh..." Her cry was loud. She cried as she hugged Damien in her arms. "Violette, I know Damien isn't your biological pup, but you don't have to burn him with an iron! He's just a little boy! You'd better burn me instead!"

"Irene!" Hans rushed in and took the hot iron away. He stood up and slapped Violette very hard.

"Violette, this time you've gone too far in hurting Damien and Irene!"

The slap was so hard that it tore the corner of Violette's lip. This was the first time Hans had ever hit her. The scent of charred oak and black iron flooded the chamber as his Alpha aura flared, pressing down on her like a physical weight. Her wolf, already battered, went completely still inside her chest.

Violette smiled bitterly as she wiped the blood from the corner of her lip.

"I didn't mean to hurt Damien. But Irene started the fight by destroying my dress and jewelry."

The second slap struck Violette's face again.

"Just because of a dress and some jewelry, you had the heart to burn Damien and Irene with an iron. Your heart is so cruel," Hans snapped. "You have to apologize to Irene!"

Violette gritted her teeth. "Don't you dare tell me to apologize to that bitch!"

"You..." Hans was about to hit her again, but seeing Violette's face already bruised and the corner of her lip torn, he lowered his hand, feeling guilty. However, when he saw Irene crying protectively as she hugged Damien, her back injured, his heart hardened.

He lifted Irene into his arms, then ordered the guards.

"Lock Violette in her quarters and don't give her food or drink until she apologizes."

Violette stared coldly at his back. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She wiped them away roughly.

*Enough, Violette. Don't cry for him anymore!*

---

Violette was locked up without food or drink. Her mother reached out again through the mind-link stone, asking why she had let Hans take Irene to the Blackthorn pack gathering in her place.

Apparently, to calm Irene down, Hans had taken her to the Blackthorn pack gathering and given her the finest dress and jewelry. They had claimed that Violette was ill and had asked her sister-in-law to replace her.

Even though they were in another territory, the Ashwood Pack received a steady flow of information about what was happening here.

Violette wiped her forehead, then ended the mind-link with her mother. Her ears hurt from hearing her mother's accusations.

After that night, Hans didn't come back to the den and took Irene and Damien on a tour through the Italian coastal territories, the Eastern wolf sanctuaries, and the Greek island packs.

Irene showed off their trip in memory stone recordings that she sent nonstop to Violette's mind-link stone. Everything, without exception, including intimate images and recordings of them tangled together in bed, Hans's bite marks fresh on Irene's skin.

Meanwhile, Violette was still locked up. The pack servant gave her food and drink, kept asking if she had apologized, and then reported it to Hans.

Violette survived by drinking water from the basin in her bathing chamber.

Hans extended her confinement until they returned from the trip.

When Violette thought she was dying and starving to death, she woke up in her chamber with a healer's infusion tube attached to her hand. The faint scent of lavender and rain-washed stone, her own scent, had gone thin and sour, like something wilting.

Hans sat on the side of the bed with a stiff face and guilt covered by an angry gaze.

"If only you had admitted your mistake earlier, this wouldn't have happened."

Violette covered her face. She didn't want to see Hans's face. The man who had torn her heart apart. Her wolf lay flat and silent somewhere deep inside her, barely a flicker. It didn't even lift its head at the sound of his voice.

Hans sighed.

"Violette, stop being stubborn and just apologize to Irene."

Irene appeared behind Hans. The sickly-sweet scent of jasmine and honey drifted in with her, and beneath it, that wrongness that always made Violette's wolf pace. She smiled understandingly and said softly, "Hans, it's okay. Violette is the daughter of the Ashwood bloodline. Of course, her pride is so high that she won't apologize to me, who is nobody."

Hans glared at Violette angrily.

"Being the daughter of the Ashwood bloodline has made you so arrogant!"

Violette did not answer and closed her eyes.

"Are you going to keep your mouth shut? Fine, shut your mouth forever!" Hans rose from beside her bed, his Alpha aura flaring hot against the walls before he stormed out of the room.

He stopped outside the door and spoke to one of the pack servants, his voice flat and absolute. "From now on, Violette is not allowed to leave the estate. Her daily rations are bread and water. She needs to learn to live like a packless stray. Don't give her anything else."

In the days that followed, she ate only bread and water. Her body grew thinner, more fragile. The wolf inside her, already quiet, grew quieter still, curling into a tight knot somewhere beneath her ribs as if trying to make itself small enough to disappear.

This made Irene feel powerful in the den. She took the opportunity to torment Violette further, ordering the servants to give her stale bread, days old, sometimes spotted with mold. The scent of night-blooming jasmine and warm honey drifted through the halls more frequently now, layered over something acrid that no one else seemed to notice.

Violette consoled herself with the fact that her bond-severance was only five days away. She spent her time in her glass greenhouse at the edge of the estate grounds.

She heard the servants whispering just outside the greenhouse walls, thinking Violette couldn't hear them. But even starved, even diminished, a wolf's hearing was a wolf's hearing.

"Oh my... I've never seen Alpha Blackthorn so wild and reckless during a rut. He's never been like that with the Luna."

The servants giggled.

"I feel sorry for the Luna. She has no idea that while she's locked away, her mate is bedding another woman right next to her chamber."

"Shh, you don't know. The Luna is as cold as silver. She must be boring in bed, which is why the Alpha lost interest. Besides, we all know that five years ago, Alpha Blackthorn's first obsession was Irene. I'm sure the death of the second young master had something to do with the Alpha wanting to claim his brother's mate. Damien must be his biological pup. Otherwise, why would Alpha Blackthorn name him heir to the Blackthorn Pack?"

"That's for sure. Since Miss Thornveil moved into the den, the Alpha smiles more often. He treats her like a Luna. They go on retreats to different territories, just the three of them the Alpha, Damien, and Miss Thornveil. They're the real family."

Violette's hand clenched around the watering can. She stayed still until the servants had gone.

She came out of the greenhouse and nearly collided with Damien, who was running down the corridor. He almost knocked her over.

Violette caught his hand before Damien fell.

"Damien, I've told you many times not to run. You'll get hurt," she said gently.

Although Damien was Irene's pup, Violette had raised him since he was a newborn. She still loved him.

"Stop pretending to care about me! You're not my mother! I hate you!" Damien snapped and shoved her away. His scent hit her milk and grass and something faintly sour, like unripe fruit. Not a trace of Blackthorn iron or char.

"Damien," Violette looked at him, her expression heavy with sorrow. "Even though I'm not your birth mother, you shouldn't yell at me and be rude to me. I have raised and loved you all this time."

Damien grinned arrogantly.

"You're only pretending to be nice to me because you're afraid Daddy will leave you! You're a barren she-wolf who's jealous of my mommy! If you're nice and beg me, I might persuade Daddy not to throw you out of this pack, you barren she-wolf."

Violette stared at him in pain, her voice choked. "Damien, who taught you to say such cruel things?"

"Is that wrong? You're barren. My daddy only loves my mommy! You forced my mommy to go abroad and took me away from her. If it weren't for you, me, Daddy, and Mommy would have been living happily together for a long time!"

Damien pushed Violette roughly, hard, until she fell onto the stone floor.

A sharp pain tore through her stomach. Her face turned pale.

"Damien, don't be rough!" Hans appeared suddenly, Irene at his side.

He scolded Damien and pushed him back without thinking, then crouched beside Violette, his expression flickering with something that might have been worry. "Are you okay?"

"My stomach..."

Before Violette could finish, Damien's loud wailing filled the corridor.

"Daddy doesn't love me anymore! Mommy, it hurts!"

Hans's attention snapped to Damien, who was crying in Irene's arms. His small palms were scraped and bleeding.

"Hans, I'm sorry for Damien's behavior. Please don't hurt him like this. After all, Damien is small how could he push someone as big as Violette to the ground?" Irene said. Her eyes were teary, tears streaming down her beautiful blue eyes as if her heart ached to see her pup hurt. The jasmine-and-honey scent around her thickened, cloying, pulling at something instinctive in Hans's wolf.

A guilty expression flashed across Hans's face, and he quickly gathered Damien into his arms. "I'm sorry, Daddy was wrong. Damien, don't cry anymore."

"Daddy, it hurts, my hands are bleeding..."

"Daddy will take you to the Healing Hall." Hans stood up, his voice tight with anxiety.

"Hans, my stomach hurts..." Violette tried to call out to him, her voice weak from the pain spreading through her body.

Hans turned without glancing at Violette and left.

Irene smiled triumphantly at Violette, then followed Hans out.

Violette lowered her eyes to the cold ground, her shoulders slumped as if she had lost all hope. She covered her face and laughed. Her hopes had soared for a moment when Hans showed concern for her, then those hopes fell cruelly in an instant.

The laughter turned into cries of pain.

Pain spread through her body. She curled up on the stone floor, feeling warm liquid flowing down her thigh. Violette's face paled as she saw blood flowing from her leg and pooling on the ground. Her wolf, that faint and starving thing inside her, let out a sound she had never heard it make a low, thin keening, barely there, like something dying far away.

"Ah! Luna!" A groundskeeper passing by found her and shouted in panic as he rushed over. "I'll contact Alpha Blackthorn."

Violette immediately gripped his hand. "No need. Send for a healer's litter. Take me to the Healing Hall. And please tell them to keep my identity confidential."

They arrived at the Healing Hall. As Violette had requested, the healers kept her presence there confidential.

"Where is Alpha Blackthorn? We've tried reaching him through the mind-link stone, but he's not responding!" a healer's assistant said anxiously. "We need him to authorize the ritual."

"Luna, what should we do? Alpha Blackthorn isn't answering even though I've reached out twenty times using your signal," the groundskeeper said, his voice strained.

The head healer spoke gravely. "We can't wait. The situation could be dangerous for the Luna if we delay any longer. This pup cannot be saved because of the delay, and the Luna's body is severely malnourished..."

Violette turned to look at the healer's assistant and took the consent parchment. "Perform the ritual. This pup... I don't need it anymore."

She had waited for this pup for fifteen years. She found out about her pregnancy today and lost it on the same day.

Hans had always looked forward to a pup of their own coming into their lives. But he wasn't there when this pup needed him to save her.

Violette pulled the mating band from her finger and dropped it in the waste bin.

"Understood. We'll begin immediately, Luna."

Violette stared at the ceiling of the ritual chamber. Her face was pale, her lips colorless and marked with bite marks because she kept biting them.

The healers moved around her, preparing instruments and laying out herbs.

"Luna Blackthorn, we're about to begin. We'll administer a sleeping draught so you won't feel any pain."

"No need. Don't sedate me."

She needed a reminder of when the fully formed pup was taken from her womb and how Hans was not present.

"Very well. Begin the ritual."

"Yes, healer."

Violette felt something being pulled from her body, and the pain grew sharper. She tried not to cry, but her tears could no longer be held back. Somewhere inside her chest, the place where her wolf lived went completely silent. Not keening. Not whimpering. Silent, the way a room goes silent after someone has stopped breathing.

"It's over, Luna. The pup has been removed."

Violette felt her body go weak, and everything went dark.

Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes.

Violette woke to the sound of a healer talking beside her bed.

"... yes, that's what I heard. Alpha Blackthorn has been at the Healing Hall since this morning, but he doesn't know that his mate is being treated here. He's in a private den-suite with a woman. I heard he came because his nephew fell ill after a tumble. Alpha Blackthorn even summoned every senior healer in the Hall just to treat a pup who had only a scratch."

"I feel so sorry for Luna Blackthorn. While her mate was tending to another woman's pup, she was waiting for approval for her ritual, but Alpha Blackthorn didn't answer her mind-link messages. In the end, the pup in her womb couldn't be saved."

"It turns out that the bond between Luna and Alpha Blackthorn was just a fairy tale. I saw Alpha Blackthorn treat a woman named Irene as if she were the apple of his eye."

"Shh, let's go. We can't talk about this. No one can know about Luna Blackthorn's ritual."

"Yes, we have to leave before Luna Blackthorn wakes up."

The healers' voices finally faded away. They didn't notice Violette's clenched fist under the blanket.

She opened her eyes with a blank stare, then got out of bed and pulled the infusion tube out of her hand.

Her face was still pale. Barefoot, she walked out of her chamber. Her wolf was silent inside her, curled tight and unmoving, the way it had been since the ritual. Like something in it had gone quiet and refused to come back.

She stopped at the door of the private den-suite, hearing laughter and cheerful chatter from inside.

"Daddy, I'm sleepy. Read me a story."

Through the crack in the door, Violette saw Hans sitting back on the bed with Damien on his lap. Irene sat on the side of the bed, cutting fruit. The room smelled like night-blooming jasmine and warm honey, and beneath it that acrid chemical sweetness that always clung to Irene's skin. It had seeped into the linens, the air, the walls. As if this were her den.

Hans was dressed casually, showing that he wasn't attending to any pack duties.

Violette remembered that when she was sick, Hans had only sent a healer to check on her, but had still gone to oversee pack operations.

When he received the message that Irene had a fever, he immediately rushed to her quarters and stayed the whole night, his mind-link stone turned off.

It was very clear how differently Hans treated the people he loved.

Violette had had enough of all this. She was going to disappear from Hans's life.

She backed away and turned to run, but bumped into a healer carrying food for a patient, making a loud noise that drew attention.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...."

Hans came out of the den-suite and was surprised to see Violette sitting on the floor.

Violette quickly wiped her tears and tried to smile.

"Vio?" He frowned and knelt to help her up. "Why are you here? Why are you wearing a healing gown?"

"I'm being treated here."

"Are you seriously injured?" His face turned panicked and anxious when he saw the blood flowing from Violette's wrist because she had forcibly pulled out her infusion tube. "Why didn't you tell me?! You're bleeding!"

Violette stared at her wrist. Only a single drop of blood had come out, but it was enough to make Hans's cold face turn fearful and panicked.

He was a man who never flinched when a rival pack bared their fangs at the border, who sneered when pushed to the brink of death. But now he was panicking and anxious just from seeing a single drop of blood on Violette's hand.

But all of that was just a facade.

Violette's heart was tired.

"I'm sorry, I was so focused on Damien that I forgot you were hurt."

"It's okay. I know Damien is more important because he is the heir to the Blackthorn Pack." Violette smiled widely. However, her heart was crying for the child she had lost.

Hans looked at Violette's smile, sensing that something was different about her, and it made him uncomfortable. Something in her scent had shifted. The lavender was there, the rain-washed stone, but the moonflower was gone. Just gone. As if the part of her that bloomed had closed itself off.

"I'm sorry..." That was all he could say, then he realized Violette wasn't wearing shoes.

"Why did you forget to wear your shoes? Who took care of you at the Healing Hall?"

"There is a groundskeeper. But I've already sent him home."

Without saying anything, Hans carried Violette bridal style.

"Hans..." Irene came out of Damien's chamber and froze when she saw Hans carrying Violette.

"Damien is looking for you. His wound hurts again and he scratched it until it bled. Please persuade him to stop scratching his wound."

"Sorry, Irene. I have to take Violette to her chamber first."

For the first time, Hans refused Irene's request and walked away.

Violette watched Irene's face darken behind Hans's back.

Hans put Violette to bed and called the healer to check on her.

Violette had already told all the healers and servants to keep quiet about her miscarriage.

"Luna Blackthorn fell, and on top of that, she's malnourished and very weak." As he said this, the healer looked at Hans strangely and muttered, "How can Luna Blackthorn be malnourished?"

A look of embarrassment flashed across Hans's eyes. "It's because she's on a restricted regimen. I've told her repeatedly to stop."

Violette stared at him expressionlessly, seeing the lie he was telling to cover up his embarrassment.

The healer nodded in understanding and left.

Hans held Violette's hand gently. "Vio, I'm sorry. My behavior was outrageous. If you had apologized to Irene, this wouldn't have happened." He was still blaming Violette for what had happened.

"Just forget it. Irene has forgiven you, as long as you are nice to her, she will forget about this problem."

"Then please thank her for me," Violette replied with a fake sweet smile. Inside, she was gritting her teeth.

Since she would be leaving soon, Violette knew it was better not to waste her energy arguing with him.

Hans smiled softly and stroked her cheek. "As long as you behave yourself, everything will go back to the way it was. You will always be Luna Blackthorn." Hans pulled the blanket up around Violette and kissed her forehead. Violette turned her face away, avoiding his kiss.

"Vio..." Before Hans could ask her anything, his attention was diverted by the pulse of his mind-link stone.

It was a message from Irene.

"Sorry, I have to go check on Damien," he said and walked out of the chamber.

He didn't even stay long to keep her company.

Violette lay in bed and closed her eyes. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. She cried until her eyes were puffy and her voice was hoarse. Her wolf lay flat inside her chest, not howling, not whimpering. Just breathing. Shallow and thin.

To make up for his mistake, Hans changed his attitude and treated Violette as he had before. He gave her many gifts and arranged for Violette's favorite dishes to be sent from the finest kitchens to her chamber at the Healing Hall every day until she recovered.

A few days later. While waiting for Hans to pick her up, Violette walked around the Healing Hall. She sighed enviously as she watched a pregnant she-wolf being taken for an examination by her mate, his hand resting on the small of her back, their bond-scent mingling in the corridor like something whole.

She rubbed her stomach, and the pain stabbed her again. Her child was gone. She still remembered the pain when the pup was removed from her body.

Violette took a deep breath and turned to return to her chamber, but bumped into someone who had just come out of the birthing chamber.

"Ouch!"

Violette froze when she saw who was coming out of the birthing chamber.

"What a coincidence to run into you, Violette!" Irene smiled. "Why are you here?"

Violette looked around for Hans, but only Irene was there. This was unusual because Hans was always by Irene's side.

"I should be the one asking why you're here alone and out of the birthing chamber..." Violette's breath caught slightly when she looked toward the birthing chamber.

Irene followed Violette's gaze and smiled proudly. "As you can see, I'm having my pregnancy examined."

Then she picked up the parchments that had fallen on the floor when Violette bumped into her.

"Look, these are my moon charts. I'm three moon cycles along." She pointed to the scrying imprint and stroked her stomach. "This is my pup with... Hans. Isn't it beautiful? Hans always wanted a cute little daughter. He hopes this pup is a little girl."

Violette's eyes were fixed on the scrying imprint in her hand. It was painful to see that, while she had just lost her pup.

Irene was very shameless. She was carrying the pup of the Blackthorn siblings. Violette looked at her with disgust.

Irene watched her, as if waiting for a devastated reaction on Violette's face.

But Violette was indifferent, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing her pain.

"Oh."

"Oh?" Irene followed Violette's words in disbelief. "You should be sensible and sever your bond with Hans!"

"Why don't you ask Hans to sever the bond with me?" Violette shook her head in derision. "If it's Hans's pup, he will definitely take responsibility for you," she continued indifferently, then walked past Irene.

Irene followed her quickly.

"Violette, don't be arrogant just because the packs praise you for Hans's devotion to the world. It's all fake and solely to maintain the alliance between the Ashwood and Blackthorn Packs because they have to keep a barren wolf like you." She then continued, smiling victoriously.

"Did you know that Damien is Hans's biological son?"

Violette didn't stop walking and considered Irene's words to be nothing more than the buzzing of insects.

It wasn't that she had never suspected it, but she was too afraid to request a scent-test on Damien and Hans.

But now she didn't care about that anymore because in two days she would leave everything behind and disappear from Hans Blackthorn's life.

"You don't believe me? I'll prove it to you at the Blackthorn pack gathering tomorrow. Oh, I forgot to tell you that Camila didn't invite you." After saying that, Irene bumped Violette's shoulder and walked past her with her chin raised.

Violette stared coldly at her back.

Hans picked up Violette and left the Healing Hall. Violette tried not to think about Irene's newly discovered pregnancy.

Hans escorted her back to the Blackthorn estate. Throughout the trip, there was no conversation between them. Hans glanced back several times to check on her because it was unusual to see Violette so quiet.

"Are you still in pain?"

"No," Violette replied indifferently.

"Then why are you so quiet?"

"Ah, I'm just thinking, it's been so long since I've been home to my family," Violette replied.

Hans's expression softened.

"If you want to see your pack, I'll arrange for you to visit them. I'll accompany you."

"You don't need to accompany me. I can go alone."

"How could I let you go alone? I'm going with you."

Violette looked at him indifferently, knowing it was just a false promise from Hans. "I'm worried you'll leave Irene and Damien alone. You can't bear to leave them even for a day."

Hans's face stiffened.

"Don't talk nonsense. I'll arrange passage to Ashwood territory tomorrow and accompany you. It's been a long time since I visited the Ashwood Pack. I miss the Ashwood family's moonlit gardens." Hans smiled slightly as he looked at her. "Remember the first time we met? You were hiding from your shifting lessons and secretly picking moonberries in the garden. You were so cute then."

Violette looked at him, her eyes closed as memories of their childhood flooded her mind. She first met Hans during the Blackthorn delegation's first visit to the Ashwood Pack to discuss their mating alliance.

"You were crying because you wanted the moonberries on the high branch, but you couldn't reach them because you were too short. You ran up to me and asked me to get them for you." Hans continued his sentence nostalgically.

From that moment on, fate intertwined between them. They grew up together and eventually were bonded.

Violette believed that she was the only woman in Hans's life until Irene appeared and slapped her with the cruel reality. Violette closed her eyes, erasing the memory from her mind.

At that moment, her mind-link stone pulsed. She glanced at it and saw a mind-link message from Joshua Greymoor.

*Joshua Greymoor: Ma'am, the bond severance was approved by the Moon Goddess rites earlier today. I will send the documents to you.*

Violette smiled, looking pleased and happy. Hans glanced at her and tried to peek at Violette's mind-link stone.

"Did you receive some good news today?"

Violette immediately closed the stone's surface and smiled as if nothing had happened. "Yes. I just received happy news. One of my friends finally severed her mate bond."

"Your friend broke her bond, but why are you happy?"

"Because my friend has suffered so much. Her mate betrayed the bond and even sired a pup with his mistress. Do you think a wolf like that should be left?" Violette looked at Hans meaningfully.

Hans chuckled and replied, "Not only left, but also destroyed. They are a disgrace to all wolves."

Violette sneered inwardly, but in front of Hans, she only smiled and looked ahead. Because soon, Hans would realize that the friend she was talking about was none other than herself.

But tomorrow he was going to accompany her back to Ashwood territory. Violette smiled slightly; she wouldn't let him succeed.

She sent the recorded conversation to Irene: *"You're just a mistress after all. See? Tomorrow he's coming back to my homeland with me to meet my pack."*

---

The next day, their departure was scheduled for five in the afternoon.

Before leaving, Violette went into her old chamber and placed the bond-severance documents, the miscarriage report, and all the intimate memory stone recordings that Irene had sent her into Hans's safe in the wardrobe.

While they were waiting at the departure point, Hans's mind-link stone pulsed, and Violette saw Irene's name appear on the stone's surface. Hans stepped away to answer the mind-link and then returned.

"Honey, I'm sorry... it looks like I can't accompany you to the Ashwood Pack. The Blackthorn elders have suddenly called an emergency council, and I have to be there immediately." He looked at Violette with a guilty and regretful expression.

"It's okay. I already told you I can go by myself." Violette smiled calmly. She knew it was a lie because Irene had told her that Camila Blackthorn was hosting a pack feast to acknowledge Damien as Hans's son and the pup in Irene's womb.

"All right, send word when you arrive in Ashwood territory. I'll follow you later. The pack guards will escort you safely."

Hans was about to press his forehead to Violette's, but she turned her face away with a look of disgust. The faintest trace of lavender and rain-washed stone drifted between them, and something in Hans's wolf flinched at the rejection, though the man himself only froze for a moment, his brow furrowed. Then he turned and walked away hurriedly. Several guards followed behind him. The others remained at Violette's side.

Violette crossed her legs gracefully and glanced at the guards. "You don't need to escort me. Wolves from the Ashwood Pack will meet me."

They looked at each other hesitantly, then obeyed her, leaving Violette alone in the waiting hall.

A few moments later, Violette received a mind-link message from Irene.

*[You said he would accompany you home? And now? He abandoned you just because of one message from me.]*

*[Eclipse Lodge. Come, I will prove to you that Damien is Hans's biological son and that the entire Blackthorn Pack will acknowledge me.]*

Irene thought she had won, unaware that she had perfectly matched Violette's desires. Only when Hans was not by her side could she truly disappear.

Violette stared at her mind-link stone for a while, then calmly closed it and stood up.

She looked around one last time. A smile spread across her face; for the first time, she felt a strange sense of freedom. Something inside her chest loosened, a tightness she had carried so long she'd forgotten it was there. Her wolf stirred, not with pain or warning, but with something quiet and ancient. Like lifting her muzzle to a wind that carried no threat.

Violette tore up the passage documents Hans had given her.

"Goodbye, Hans Blackthorn. We won't meet again."

She turned and walked away without looking back.

She would never look back, and she would never bond with Hans again.