Chapter 3

A month later, it was the Alpha's coming-of-age ceremony.

The Nightclaw pack's great hall was grand and glittering.

Pack representatives, Council Elders, and werewolf nobles packed the hall.

I was the last to arrive.

The moment I stepped into the hall, all eyes were on me.

I wore a simple silver gown—nothing fancy, just the Moonstone at my waist.

Damian was on the main seat, with the radiant Seraphina by his side.

When he saw me, his expression instantly turned complicated.

I walked straight to the center and gave him a slight bow. "Congrats on your coming-of-age, Alpha."

The hall fell silent. For the past month, talk of my clashes with Damian had spread like wildfire through the whole werewolf community.

Today, everyone was waiting for a show.

"Thanks," Damian said, his voice low. "I hear you have a gift for me?"

I nodded, pulled an old scroll from my sleeve, and handed it to him with both hands. "This is my first gift to you. All the pack's unspoken authority—it's all yours now."

Damian took the scroll and carefully unrolled it.

It was Alaric's last words, and the contract for the return of the Moonstone.

His eyes flickered. He clearly hadn't expected me to hand over power so easily." My second gift," I continued, my voice calm but firm, "is that starting tomorrow, I'll officially tell the Tribal Elders I'm stepping down as 'Covenant Guardian.' And I'm asking to break our mate bond—the one that's not fully sealed yet."

The whole place erupted.

Damian shot to his feet. "You can't do this!"

"I can." I pulled the Moonstone from my belt and set it on the table. "By ancient law, a mate bond that isn't fully sealed can be broken by either party. As an Alpha, you of all people should know that."

Damian's eyes flashed a wolfish gold. "This is a slap in the face to our traditions!"

"No, this is me challenging fate." I turned to the guests, raising my glass. "And finally," I looked at Damian, "Damian, I hope you find... what you're truly looking for. Goodbye, everyone."

I downed my drink, set the glass down, and turned towards the exit.

Behind me, I heard the crash of tables and chairs. Damian pushed through the crowd, catching up to me. "Elara!"

I didn't stop.

I stepped out of the hall, moonlight spilling onto the stone steps. Damian grabbed my arm. "What's all this about? Trying to get my attention like this?"

I pulled my arm free. "Damian, we're done. I don't owe you a thing. And I don't owe the Nightclaw Pack anything either."

"How could you—" he gritted his teeth. "We have a bond! You're my fated mate!"

"Oh?" I scoffed. "The guy who announced Seraphina as his future mate at the feast a month ago is now talking to me about fate?"

"That was tribal politics!"

"Well, this choice is what I need for my life." I looked him straight in the eye. "I'm not that lost orphan girl from some forgotten pack you can just push around anymore, Damien. I've got my own path."

Damien's face twisted. "You think you can just run away? Once a fated bond is formed, it can never truly be broken!"

"Maybe," I said calmly. "But at least I can get far enough away so I don't have to feel you anymore."

Desperation suddenly filled his eyes. "Why? Why does it have to be this way?"

I was quiet for a moment, then said softly, "Because you never really saw me. You only saw the version of me you wanted to see."

As I turned and walked away, I heard Damien's furious roar behind me, and the sound of trees snapping.

I didn't look back.

That night, I packed my bags and left the apartment I’d lived in for five years. Tomorrow, when the sun rises, I'll start my new life. No Damian. No Nightclaw Pack. And no this damn destiny link.

Just me.

The phone rang. It was a number I couldn't ignore—Elder Grayson.

"Elara, are you sure about this?" his old voice laced with worry.

"Yes, Elder. My mind's made up."

"You know what this means. If you leave, Damian might... well, he might lose it."

I closed my eyes. "That's something he needs to learn. It's not my problem anymore."

Grayson sighed. "Alaric chose you for a reason, child."

"I know," I whispered. "But Alaric's gone now. And his brother... well, he's no Alaric."

Silence on the other end for a bit. "Well then, good luck, my child. And remember, no matter where you go, the moonlight will always guide you home."

Hanging up, I looked out at the full moon.

Tomorrow, everything changes.