The Unbound Luna

A saying had always been passed down in the Fendon Pack. Every male wolf in this world might betray his mate. However, Damon was the exception. As the current Alpha of the Fendon Pack, Damon was known for his cold discipline, absolute self-control, and unmatched strength. Everyone also knew that when he was young, he had already given his whole heart to his fated mate, Yuna. But five years after they completed their mating mark ceremony, Yuna received photos of him cheating. The moment she saw them, her entire body went rigid. In the photo, Damon was draping his coat over another woman’s shoulders. However, the woman beside him wasn't a noble-blooded she-wolf. She wasn't one of the pack’s powerful warriors either. Vera was just a divorced human who ran a small flower shop in the Neutral Zone. Yet the way Damon looked at her held a love and tenderness that ran deep into his bones. Chapter 1 At nine that night, the front door of the main house opened. Damon stepped inside, the chill of the night wind still clinging to his long black coat. He looked the same as always, controlled and untouchable. His collar perfectly straight, his expression cold enough to freeze the air. Yuna sat in the dark living room. She waited until he walked closer, then suddenly hurled the stack of photos at him. "Damon. Explain." The photos scattered across the floor. Damon went still for a moment before bending down to pick them up. The Alpha who had never tolerated even a speck of dust now bent over the photo, gently brushing the dirt off Vera's cheek with the edge of his sleeve. Yuna's chest went numb as she watched. Damon straightened and finally looked at her. When he spoke, his voice was cruelly calm. "There's nothing to explain. Yes, I fell in love with her." Yuna's voice trembled. "Fell in love with her?" "Yes." That one word felt like a blade cutting through her chest. "Damon." Yuna rose to her feet, her eyes redrimmed and shining with unshed tears. "When we were sixteen, you stood under the moon and told me I was the only one you would ever love. You said you would always stand by my side." Damon looked at her, but the familiar softness in his eyes was gone, replaced by a deep, bone-weary exhaustion he could no longer hide. "I did say that," he replied after a pause, his voice low. "But Yuna, I'm tired after loving you all these years. "Whenever you threw a tantrum, I was the one calming you down. If you didn't like a she-wolf getting too close to me, I cut ties with her immediately. When you felt upset in the middle of the night, I ran with you all the way to the forest boundary until sunrise. "When you wanted that Moonstone necklace from the Southern Territory, I had someone bring it back from the auction overnight." He recounted each and every incident. All those moments she had once believed were proof of his devotion and indulgence. Now he laid them out like evidence against her, proof that she had been spoiled and demanding. "But I'm tired," he repeated quietly. Yuna's throat tightened, and she couldn't force out a single word. "Three months ago," he said, his eyes unfocused, staring off into nothing, "I forgot to buy you flowers, and you wouldn't see me for an entire day. I waited outside the main house all night. The next morning, I went to the Neutral Zone to get flowers and apologize, but my stomach hurt so badly I couldn't even stand, and I collapsed outside the shop. "Vera was the one who helped me inside her little flower shop. She even shared roasted venison and broth with me and sat by the fireplace, taking care of me all morning." As he spoke, the hard edge in his voice slowly softened, turning into a warmth Yuna hadn't heard from him in years. "At her place, I felt a kind of comfort I'd never known with you. That day was the most relaxed, easiest day I've had in nine years. For the first time, I wasn't an Alpha or the leader of a pack. I was just a wolf, aching and tired like any other." Yuna felt the pain in her chest tighten with every breath. "So just because of some roasted venison and broth, you threw away nine years of us?" Chapter 2 Damon was silent for a moment. He looked at Yuna, his gaze calm but complicated. "Yuna, you're beautiful. In all these years, I've never seen a female more beautiful than you. You come from the Frostveil Pack, the pack that once ruled the Northlands. Your bloodline is noble. Your wolf's coat is as white as fresh snow. The pack needs a Luna like you. "Vera is ordinary. She isn't exceptional. She isn't beautiful. But she worries about me. She takes care of me when I'm exhausted. With her, I feel a peace and a sense of belonging I never knew before." A sense of belonging. Yuna's chest tightened painfully at those words. Then what about the home they built together for nine years? "Don't worry," Damon added calmly. "I won't break our bond. You'll still be my mate. I promised your parents I would take care of you for the rest of your life." He paused, slicing away the last shred of pretense. "But from now on, I will never love you even a little. My life with Vera is none of your business. Sorry, I know I broke our vows, but I can't help it. I loved you for many years. If you're going to blame someone, blame me. It has nothing to do with Vera." After saying that, he didn't even look at Yuna's pale face again. He turned and walked out of the house without hesitation. Yuna collapsed onto the floor, and the only sound filling the room was her ragged breathing. Nine years ago, she was just an orphan brought to the Frostfang Pack after her own pack had fallen. Back then, she had been proud, sharp-edged, and slow to trust. But Damon had spent four full years slowly working his way into her world. At the time, she didn't know how to express herself. She refused to show weakness. Whenever she was injured, she gritted her teeth and endured it alone. Whenever she saw other she-wolves getting close to Damon, she simply turned away with a cold face and walked off. The moment she truly let her guard down happened when she was eighteen. That year, she went alone to the Northlands to visit the newly raised memorial for the fallen Frostveil Pack. But while she was there, a group of Rogues ambushed her. Damon had just returned from training in the Southern Territory when he heard what happened. He rushed to the Northlands with a group of warriors and found her lying in a pool of blood. She still remembered that night clearly. Damon had been covered in blood himself. His eyes were bloodshot, wild with fury and fear. When he gathered her into his arms, he held her so tightly it hurt. "Yuna, when you're with me, you don't have to keep pretending you're strong all the time. You can rely on me. You can throw tantrums. You can give me every grievance, every bit of pain you're carrying. "Because I will always come to you." It was from that moment on that Yuna finally learned how to be a she-wolf who was cherished. She started letting herself sulk in front of him, making unreasonable demands, and showing the fragile parts of herself she had always hidden from everyone else. But now, he said he was tired. That night, Yuna cried in the darkness until her whole body shook, as if someone had torn half her soul out of her chest. Even so, she still refused to give up. The next day, she went to the Neutral Zone and found the small flower shop that Vera owned. It wasn't a large place. Bundles of wild roses, camellias, and silverleaf herbs were arranged outside the door. The scent of flowers drifted through the air, mixed with a faint trace of wood. Yuna looked at that busy, ordinary, almost plain woman as she slid a check, filled with an eye-watering sum, across the table. "Ms. Vera, stay away from Damon," she said, her voice icy. "This money will be enough for you to live out the rest of your life." Vera stared at the check and froze. Then her eyes slowly turned red, but she didn't reach out to take it. "Ms. Yuna," she said softly, shaking her head, her eyes glistening with tears. "I'll leave. Please don't make things difficult for Damon." After saying that, she didn't even dare look at Yuna again. She hurriedly turned away and began packing her things. Yuna stood there without moving. But instead of feeling relief, her chest felt heavier than ever. That night, she received the news. Vera had been in a car accident while leaving the Neutral Zone. She survived, but the pup in her womb, Damon's child, didn't. Chapter 3 Yuna stood frozen in place, her hands and feet turning ice cold. She didn't know if the sudden car accident shocked her more, or the fact that Vera had been carrying Damon's pup. Yuna and Damon had been mates for five years. Because he had never felt ready to become a father, they had always avoided her heat cycles. They had never tried for a pup. But Vera had only appeared a few months ago, and she had already been pregnant with his child. - A week later, Damon returned to the main house. He didn't question Yuna or explode in anger. He simply stood in the hall and looked at her for a long time. His gaze was intense and overwhelming. Yuna felt a chill spread through her chest under that look. She had just opened her mouth to speak when he suddenly strode forward and dragged her into his arms. That night, he was almost feral. There was no tenderness or comfort, and none of the soft words he used to murmur to calm her. There was only raw possession and a relentless hunger that felt almost like punishment. For the next month, Damon seemed like a completely different man. He rarely left the main house anymore or handled pack affairs. Instead, he kept her beside him day and night, claiming her over and over again. Yuna's body was pushed to its limits under his relentless need. Yet somewhere deep inside her heart, a small, foolish hope began to grow. Maybe he was forcing himself to forget Vera. Maybe if enough time passed, he would turn back to Yuna. One morning, Yuna suddenly felt a violent wave of nausea. Her vision swayed, and she could barely stay on her feet. Quietly, she went to see the pack healer for an examination. When the results came back, the healer lowered his head respectfully. "Congratulations, Luna. You're pregnant. It's still very early, less than a month." Yuna stood there in stunned silence for a long time, then her hand moved instinctively to her flat stomach. There was no change yet, but she still felt a small, strange sensation in her chest For a brief moment, she even allowed herself to hope. Maybe this pup could give her and Damon one last chance to find their way back to each other. That evening, Yuna placed the examination report in front of Damon. "I'm pregnant." Damon looked down and read the paper. However, there was no joy on his face. The fragile hope inside Yuna slowly sank, little by little. After a long silence, he finally looked up at her. His voice was low and cold. "Are you happy?" "This is our pup," she said, staring at him. "Why wouldn't I be happy?" Damon suddenly smiled, but it held no warmth, only deep pain and anger. "Our pup?" he repeated as he stepped closer to her. "Vera was carrying my pup too. Just like you, she was careful with her belly. She told me that she wanted to keep the baby." Yuna's face turned pale. "I didn't arrange that car accident." Damon stared at her, something wild and terrifying buried deep in his eyes. "But she left because of you. If you hadn't forced her to leave with that check, she wouldn't have been on that road. She wouldn't have gotten into that accident, and my pup wouldn't have died." Yuna's throat tightened painfully. She was about to explain again when footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. Two guards walked in. Their expressions were grim, and neither of them dared lift their heads. Damon turned toward them. Then he gave the order, each word slow and deliberate. "Take Luna to the training platform behind the mountain." Yuna snapped her head toward him. "Damon. What are you doing?" He didn't answer. - The training platform behind the mountain stood high above the ground. Beneath it was a wide clearing paved with hard stone. It was originally built for pack warriors to train their jumping and landing skills. When Yuna was brought there, her entire face had turned white. One of the older guards finally spoke, unable to hold back any longer. "Alpha, Luna is a descendant of the Frostveil Pack and your mate. We can't..." Damon shot him a cold glance, and the guard immediately fell silent. "I didn't order you to kill her," Damon said flatly. "I only want her to taste what it feels like to lose a pup." A chill spread through Yuna's entire body. She finally understood the reason behind his strange behavior over the past month. It wasn't regret or lingering love, nor was it even because he still cared about her. He had only wanted her to get pregnant first, so he could destroy the pup with his own hands. It was a sacrifice for the child Vera had lost. "Damon," her voice trembling, eyes redrimmed. "This is still your own blood." "So what?" He looked at her, his gaze sharp and merciless. "The child Vera lost was my blood too." Yuna stood frozen. It felt like an invisible hand had reached into her chest and crushed her heart. In the end, the two guards reluctantly took hold of her arms and guided her to the edge of the platform. Their movements weren't rough, and there was even a hint of reluctance in it. "Luna... we're sorry." The next second, Yuna felt empty air beneath her feet. Her body plunged from the platform, and pain exploded through her the moment she hit the ground. She slammed hard against the stone below. Agony ripped through her abdomen as if a set of claws had torn into her flesh. Cold sweat instantly soaked through her back. Blood slowly ran down her legs, spreading across the stone beneath her. She curled up on the ground, the pain so intense she couldn't even cry out. In a daze, she saw Damon standing above on the high platform. His black coat whipped violently in the wind. For a moment, he looked just like the sixteen-year-old boy who had once confessed to her under the moon. "Yuna. I'll love you for the rest of my life." But now, that same man had destroyed their pup with his own hands. A single tear finally slipped from the corner of Yuna's eye. - When she woke again, she was lying in the pack infirmary. The healer sat beside her bed, his expression heavy. When he saw her eyes open, he quietly said, "The pup couldn't be saved. Luna, your injuries are serious. You need to rest for a while." Yuna didn't respond. She simply placed her hand over her stomach, her fingertips trembling with cold. There had never been any visible change. The pup had been too small. And yet, it felt as if a piece of flesh had been carved out of her body. The emptiness hurt so much she felt hollow with every breath. She closed her eyes. After a long moment, she finally spoke. "Call my maid, Amy." Amy arrived quickly. Amy came quickly. When she saw Yuna in such a state, her eyes welled up with tears. Yuna forced a weak smile through the pain. "I'm going to dissolve the mate bond between Damon and me." Chapter 4 Amy had grown up at Yuna's side, serving as her personal maid since childhood. She knew better than anyone how much influence Yuna carried in the pack now, and she also knew how deeply Damon had once cherished her. So when she heard those words, Amy froze. "Luna, didn't the Alpha say he would never agree to dissolve the bond?" Amy lowered her voice, panic making her eyes red-rimmed. "If you go to the elders or the lawmakers, Alpha will definitely find out." Yuna leaned against the headboard of the bed. Her face was so pale it almost looked translucent, and even her lips had lost all color. Of course she knew. Damon no longer loved her, but he would never allow her to leave. It wasn't because he couldn't bear to let her go. It was because she was the last survivor of the Frostveil Pack and a rare white wolf. Those things still made her valuable to the Fendon Pack. "So go find me a witch," Yuna said, looking at Amy. Her voice was so calm it felt almost lifeless. "Do it without alerting anyone." Amy moved quickly. By that same afternoon, she returned with news. She had found a witch named Serena. According to her, she could brew a potion that would break the mate bond. But it would take three days. After hearing this, Yuna slowly lifted her hand and touched the mark on the side of her neck. It was the mark Damon had bitten into her all those years ago, the spot where their bond had been strongest, etched deep into her very bones. "Three days is enough." Enough time for her to let go of everything that needed to be let go. Things had only just grown quiet on her side when the infirmary door was pushed open. The person who walked in wasn't Damon. It was Vera. Today she wore a soft-colored long dress, her hair carefully styled, looking far less plain than before. "Ms. Yuna, I know Damon went too far. I came to apologize to you on his behalf." Yuna looked at her coldly and said nothing. Vera bit her lip and placed a thermos on the small table beside the bed. Her movements were careful, almost timid, as if she were afraid of disturbing Yuna. "I made this deer bone soup myself," she said softly. "Your body is weak right now. You need proper nourishment." Yuna glanced at the thermos, and a strange sense of irony rose in her chest. "Take it away. I don't need it." Vera's tears welled up instantly. "Ms. Yuna, I truly mean no harm. I know you hate me, but the pup I carried is gone. I have nothing left. Can you just pity me, please?" Yuna sneered. "Pity you? Haven't you already claimed Damon's love?" It looked like Vera expected that kind of response. She lowered her gaze, resting a hand on her belly. "Yes, Damon does love me. Do you know how he stayed by my side during those days I was in the hospital? He hardly slept at all. He held me and kept saying he would give me another pup. He said he only felt alive when he was with me." Vera lifted her chin deliberately, letting Yuna see the charm resting between her collarbones. Yuna's gaze lingered, and her eyes sharpened. It was a crude, well-worn talisman, polished bright, its wolf teeth and black cord entwined with Damon's scent. It was a scent she would never forget. "He put this on me himself," Vera continued. "Damon said as long as I had it, nothing would ever happen to me again." Vera stepped closer, lowering her voice, feigning concern. "Ms. Yuna, the truth is you lost long ago. You were born into privilege, and you were always just a decoration for the Alpha's side. But what a male wolf truly wants in his den is never a high and distant moon. It's a mate who makes him feel safe..." Slap! Before Vera could finish, a sharp slap rang through the infirmary. "A mate who makes him feel safe? You can never be an Alpha's mate. Humans will never truly be Luna of a pack." Yuna stared at Vera's reddened face and coldly said, "That slap is to remind you to know your place." Vera bit her lip hard, her eyes flashing with fury. Suddenly, she grabbed the soup bowl from the table and hurled it to the floor. The porcelain shattered, soup splattering everywhere. Vera stumbled back immediately, tears streaming down, one side of her face marked with the clear imprint of Yuna's fingers. At that moment, the room door burst open. Chapter 5 Damon stood in the doorway. His gaze flickered to the red handprint on Vera's face, and his expression darkened instantly. "Who hit you?" Vera trembled, looking even more wronged, as if his question had hit her where it hurt. "It was me." Yuna leaned against the headboard, her voice calm and flat. "She deserved it." Damon whipped his head toward her, rage flaring in his eyes, barely contained. "Yuna, are you insane?" She looked at him and felt the absurdity of it all. In the past, he could always sense the slightest hurt she felt. Now, he didn't even ask and assumed she was the perpetrator. Vera kept her head down, sobbing quietly. "It's not Ms. Yuna's fault. I shouldn't have come. I knew she had lost her pup and was weak, so I wanted to bring her some soup to help her recover. Maybe I said the wrong thing and upset her..." Damon immediately stepped forward, shielding her with a smooth, practiced motion that was almost painful to watch. "Vera came in good faith, and you humiliate her like this?" Yuna pursed her lips. "Good faith?" Her gaze dropped to the talisman hanging around Vera's neck. "She's wearing something you gave her and comes here to show me how much you love her. That's your idea of good faith?" Damon froze, instinctively glancing at Vera. Vera shook her head, eyes red-rimmed. "No, I didn't. I just wanted to tell her not to be sad anymore." Yuna had no interest in watching this charade. She leaned back against the bed, closing her eyes. "Both of you, leave." But Damon felt a tight knot form in his chest at the sight of her cold, indifferent expression. She wasn't crying, she wasn't yelling, she wasn't arguing, and she didn't grab him like before to demand answers. That was exactly what made him so inexplicably frustrated. He forced his anger down into a low growl, "Yuna, who do you think you're scaring with that face? I hurt over the pups too. But when Vera lost hers, she didn't lash out like this." Yuna opened her eyes at last, looking straight at him. "So in your eyes, my loss isn't worth feeling pain?" Damon's breath caught. Before he could answer, Vera tugged lightly on his sleeve, like she feared they would fight. "Damon, forget it." Her voice trembled with emotion. "Ms. Yuna isn't in a good place right now. I don't blame her. Don't fight with her on my account." The more Vera retreated, the sharper Yuna seemed. Damon's expression darkened further. "Have I spoiled you too much?" he asked, his voice low, heavy. "So much so that you don't even care about keeping your own dignity anymore." Yuna stared at him, silent for a long moment. Her mind drifted back to years ago, the first time he had brought her to a full moon raid with the pack. That night, some of the wolves whispered behind her back, calling her nothing more than an orphan living under Fendon Pack's protection. Damon slammed his glass down in front of them, his face cold as ice, forcing every one of them to kneel and apologize to her. He had said then that anyone who dared let her suffer would pay the price. Now, the one making her suffer was him. She said softly, "Damon, do you remember what you said all those years ago, at the Frostveil Pack cemetery?" Damon froze. She didn't give him a chance to avoid her question. "You said you would always stand by me. You said I had nothing to fear, that as long as you were there, I wouldn't suffer a single wrong." Her voice was quiet, calm, almost like she was telling someone else's story. "Have you forgotten those words?" Damon's jaw tightened, and something flickered in his eyes. But in the end, he still avoided her gaze. "I haven't forgotten." His voice dropped, colder than before. "But Yuna, I also said I don't love you anymore." The room became so quiet that even their breaths seemed loud. "Now, Vera is the one I want to protect." The words had barely left his lips before his hand shot out, slapping Yuna across the face with brutal force. The sound of the slap echoed sharply, sharper than the one before. Her head snapped to the side. Blood welled at the corner of her lips, the metallic scent spreading in the air instantly. The room went completely silent for a moment. Vera flinched as if scared. She covered her mouth with trembling hands, but the flicker of triumph in her eyes was impossible to hide. Damon's hand froze in midair, as if even he hadn't expected to hit so hard. But the next second, his voice stayed cold as he added, "That slap is for Vera." Yuna slowly turned her face back, her cheek burning with sharp pain. But when she looked at Damon, there were no tears or hatred. There was only a hollow emptiness where everything had finally burned out. "I see," she said quietly. The words landed with a weight that made Damon's chest tighten for reasons he couldn't name. Yuna didn't argue or fight. She simply stayed silent, as if not a single extra word was worth speaking anymore. Damon felt a tightness in his chest, the first time he'd been hit with this strange mix of irritation and helplessness. But with Vera leaning against him with red-rimmed eyes, he forced the feeling down and wrapped her in his arms, turning to leave. The moment the door clicked shut, the last glimmer of light in Yuna's eyes finally went out. It didn't matter. In three days, she would be gone from here and leaving Damon. Chapter 6 For the next two days, Yuna was quiet. She took her medicine on schedule, followed the healer's instructions, and didn't ask Damon a single question. When Damon came, he didn't bring up Vera like he used to. He simply stood at the edge of the bed, watching her in silence for a long time. "I heard you've been very well-behaved these past couple of days," he finally said. Yuna didn't respond. Damon stared at her, trying to read something in her face. But she was so calm that not a flicker of emotion crossed her features. It made him restless in a way he couldn't explain. He frowned and said, "Yuna, how long are you going to keep this up?" She slowly lifted her gaze to meet his eyes. "I'm not keeping anything up." Even arguing with him felt like a waste of energy now. Damon felt the tight pressure of frustration in his chest. After a few moments, he finally said, "Tonight's Vera's birthday. She wants to have dinner with you to clear the air. I already agreed." Yuna's chest tightened at the irony. She was still lying in the healing room, raw from losing her child, and he came to tell her to go celebrate Vera's birthday. "I'm not going." Damon's expression darkened. "This isn't a request. It's an order." Yuna looked at him and let out a small, quiet laugh. Damon's chest tightened at the sound, and he opened his mouth to speak, but a gentle voice came from outside the door. "Damon, don't push her like that." Vera leaned against the doorframe, her face pale and looking fragile. "Ms. Yuna, please don't misunderstand me. I'm not trying to take anything from you. I just can't see us going on like this forever. If you're willing to come, I'd be grateful. If not, I won't blame you." Damon immediately reached out and steadied her, his voice softening. "You're supposed to be resting. Why are you here?" Vera leaned against his side, tilting her head up with a small smile. "I was afraid you two would start arguing again." That familiar, dependent posture made Yuna's chest ache and her eyes burn. But this time, she didn't react. She simply looked down and flatly said, "Are you done? If so, go. I want to rest." She probably expected Yuna to lash out, to lose control, to spiral into a jealous rage over Damon's attention. But Yuna was terrifyingly calm, which threw her completely off. Damon's chest tightened with irritation at Yuna's coldness. "Yuna, don't be ungrateful," he said, his voice sharp and icy. "Vera has already backed down this far." Yuna finally lifted her gaze to meet his, her voice barely more than a sigh. "Damon, does it even matter to you whether I'm grateful or not?" That single sentence froze Damon on the spot. The room fell silent. Vera was the first to give in, her voice soft. "Enough. Ms. Yuna isn't feeling well. We shouldn't disturb her rest." After she spoke, she gently took Damon's hand like a silent reassurance. He said nothing, just cast Yuna one last glance before leaving with Vera. Once the door closed, Yuna slowly let her eyes drift shut. She knew that after tomorrow night, it would all be over. However, she didn't expect a new torment to arrive before the potion even got there. Chapter 7 Yuna didn't sleep well that night. After losing her pup, sleep never came easily anymore. She drifted in that hazy space between dreaming and waking when a sudden, bone-deep chill wrapped around her wrist. Her eyes snapped open. Amy stood by the bed, red-rimmed eyes glistening, fastening a cold iron cuff around her wrist. Yuna froze for a moment, then took in Amy's trembling hands. "Amy?" At the sound of her name, Amy seemed to break completely. Tears spilled down her face all at once. "Luna, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She dropped to her knees beside the bed, her voice shaking so badly the words nearly fell apart. "Alpha has my little brother. If I don't cuff you tonight and take you to the basement, he'll send my brother to the border camp." Yuna lowered her gaze to the iron cuff locked around her wrist. A heavy weight pressed down on her chest. The first thing she felt was not anger, but a numb, almost absurd disbelief. Just to vent Vera's anger, Damon had pushed things so far that even Amy had been driven to this. Amy's face was soaked with tears, and she barely dared meet Yuna's eyes. "I don't want to do this. I really don't. Luna, please hate me if you must, but I can't abandon my brother..." Yuna was quiet for a moment before she spoke softly. "I don't blame you." Amy froze, then the tears fell even harder. Just then, the door opened. Damon walked in, his black boots striking the floor with slow, heavy steps. His presence carried a cold weight with it. He had clearly already heard that Amy succeeded. His gaze went first to the iron cuff around Yuna's wrist before finally lifting to her face. "Since you're awake, stop playing the victim," he said flatly. "Vera waited for you all night. She's been crying this whole time. It's time you were punished for your absence." Yuna looked up at him. The last trace of emotion in her eyes was gone. Amy was still kneeling beside the bed, trembling. Yuna didn't want her caught in the middle any longer, so she slowly sat up and climbed out of bed, the cuffs still locked around her wrists. "There's no need for anyone to drag me there," she said softly, her voice eerily calm. "It's just the basement. I can walk there myself." She lifted her cuffed wrists and walked straight for the door. Damon stood by the doorway. He didn't reach out to steady her, and he didn't stop her. He only watched with cold eyes as she walked toward the end of the corridor. The heavy iron door slowly shut behind her, and a wave of cold, damp air rushed up to meet her. The basement had no windows. High up on one wall, a narrow vent was the only opening. Even the moonlight couldn't reach inside. The darkness pressed in from every side, like the inside of a coffin. Yuna was locked in there for the entire night. Her body was still weak, and old pains in her back and abdomen flared. However, the physical pain was nothing compared to the unbearable quiet. Wolves had sharp hearing. Even through thick walls and floors, she could hear every sound above her. She heard footsteps passing back and forth above her. Servants moving through the halls, preparing the guest rooms. Then Damon's voice came clearly through the floor as he gave the orders himself. "Get the room on the east side ready. It's closer to mine. It'll be more convenient for Vera to stay there." Yuna leaned back against the cold wall and slowly closed her eyes. She knew exactly what that meant. Damon had brought Vera into the main house. The home that had once belonged to just the two of them had finally welcomed its new mistress. Chapter 8 There was no sense of day or night in the basement. Yuna only knew that time stretched unbearably slow after she was locked inside. The cold seeped in from every wall, gnawing at her bones. She curled up in a corner, listening to the faint, broken sounds from above. When Damon carried Vera upstairs, she let out a soft, low laugh. The sound came through the floorboards and stabbed at Yuna's ears like needles. Late into the night, the iron door suddenly creaked open. Yuna looked up to see Vera stepping in, holding a small lantern. She wore a soft white dress tonight, her expression smug and impossible to hide. "This place really suits you," Vera said, glancing around the basement with a light, mocking laugh. "After all, losers belong in the shadows." Yuna stared at her, her gaze icy and unreadable. "What are you doing here?" Vera crouched down slowly, meeting her eyes at the same level. "Just here to show you who Damon finally chooses." As she said that, she pulled a tiny silver vial from her sleeve. The moment she opened the stopper, a sharp, acrid smell spread through the air. Yuna's face went pale. It was silver dust. For a werewolf, even the smallest amount was enough to cause excruciating pain and suppress their healing. "Don't look at me like that," Vera said, voice soft but venomous. "I just want you to learn a lesson. You've always thought you were so high and mighty. Let's see if you can still hold that haughty air when silver burns your skin." Before Yuna could react, Vera flung the silver dust onto her arm. Pain exploded in an instant. Yuna gasped and her face drained of color as her skin turned fiery red, blistering under the silver. She jerked back instinctively, her back slamming hard against the cold wall. Cold sweat broke out across her skin. Vera watched her tremble in pain, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "Does it hurt?" she murmured, stepping closer, her voice low and cutting. "When I lost my pup, I hurt far more than this. Even if you die here, Damon won't turn back." Yuna gritted her teeth, refusing to make a sound. The quieter she remained, the more furious Vera became. The next second, Vera suddenly pulled the wick from the lantern and threw it toward the corner of the basement, where old wooden crates and dry hay were stacked. Flames shot up with a roar. Yuna's head snapped up. Vera stood before the fire, a twisted smile on her face. She murmured, "Let's see who Damon will save when it counts most." The fire spread fast. The basement was already sealed tight, and the thick smoke filled the air instantly, making it hard to breathe. Yuna forced herself to her feet and rushed toward the iron door, pounding on it with all her strength. "Someone! Open the door!" Above, she could hear the sound of hurried footsteps. She even caught Damon's voice, low and heavy, sharp with sudden, taut anger. "What's going on?" Vera shrieked just then. "Damon! Save me!" The basement door finally crashed open. Through the rolling smoke, Damon was the first to reach Vera. He pulled her tightly into his arms. "Are you okay?" His voice was strained. Vera clung to him, trembling and crying. "Damon, I'm so scared..." Yuna stood in the glow of the fire and the choking smoke, her arm raw and blistered from the silver dust, her breathing ragged. She watched Damon hold Vera tightly against him, and the last flicker of hope inside her quietly died. He carried Vera out of the basement almost immediately. Outside the iron door, chaos erupted as everyone gathered around. Yuna pressed herself against the wall, fighting through the burning pain and choking smoke, struggling to keep her trembling body upright. Just as she was about to collapse, the sharp sound of hurried footsteps came from outside again. Someone burst back into the room. Yuna jerked her head up, her chest twisting as if something had yanked at it. For a brief, ridiculous moment, she even thought Damon had returned for her. But the next second, he strode past her and headed straight for the spot where Vera had just been standing. On the floor lay the talisman. He bent down and picked it up, gripping it tightly in his hand, not sparing her a single glance. So that's why he had come back. It wasn't to save her. He had come back for something Vera had dropped. With the talisman in hand, Damon spun and rushed toward the exit. It wasn't until he was nearly at the door that he seemed to remember someone else was still there. He cast her a look. But it was too brief, a glance so fleeting it felt like an illusion. The next second, he was gone, swallowed by the thick smoke. Yuna stayed rooted to the spot and laughed. She laughed softly, but the heat drove her tears from her eyes. Nine years of love, promises as mates, the vow at the Frostveil Pack's cemetery... In the end, it wasn't enough to outweigh a single talisman hanging around Vera's neck. The fire roared higher, the beams snapping and cracking. Yuna let herself give up completely. She no longer begged for help, and she no longer expected anyone to turn back for her. She grabbed a half-damp scrap of burlap from the corner and pressed it over her mouth and nose, forcing herself to crawl toward the small side door where the meals had first been brought. The basement was packed with junk, and that side door was rarely used. But the latch had long since loosened. Yuna pushed against the door repeatedly, ignoring the searing pain in her arm and choking smoke. The latch finally gave way, and a rush of night air poured in. She crawled out, fire still raging behind her. Chapter 9 Yuna collapsed onto the stone steps in the backyard, her palms and knees raw and bleeding. She hunched over the ground, coughing violently, her throat burning with smoke and the metallic taste of blood. The basement behind her was still ablaze, the flames painting half the night sky red. The front yard was chaos. Everyone clustered around Vera and Damon, no one noticing that Yuna had crawled out on her own. Then, frantic hands grabbed her. "Luna!" It was Amy. Her eyes were red-rimmed, tears streaking her face. In her hands, she clutched a tiny glass vial tightly. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She dropped to her knees, trembling, and unlocked the handcuffs binding Yuna's wrist. "If I hadn't sent you into the basement, none of this would have happened." Yuna leaned against the wall, her face pale and the silver burns on her arms still oozing blood. But she lifted her other hand and gently pressed it against Amy's trembling wrist. "I told you, this isn't your fault." Amy sobbed, pressing the magical potion into Yuna's palm, her eyes desperate and full of tears. Yuna lowered her gaze to the tiny vial, her breath catching slightly. This was her last chance. Yuna didn't hesitate. She twisted off the cap and swallowed the icy potion in one gulp. The instant it hit her throat, the mark at her neck stung like a needle driven deep into flesh, making her fingers twitch. Then, deep in her chest, the hidden tether that had always bound her to Damon began to loosen. It was slow, but it was undeniably real. Yuna closed her eyes, using nearly every ounce of strength just to keep her expression steady. Selena had said the potion would take effect within half an hour. When it did, the psychic bond between her and Damon would be temporarily severed, and the mark's pull would be reduced to almost nothing. She needed to get out of the main house and out of the pack's territory before it fully kicked in, or Damon could still track her. Amy quickly pressed a cloak and a travel pass into her arms, her voice barely more than a breath. She forced a small smile. "Luna, go. Don't look back." Yuna's chest tightened, but there was no time to argue. She threw her cloak over her shoulders and slipped through the messy shadows of the backyard, heading for the back door of the main house. The potion was starting to take effect. The mark at her neck burned hotter and hotter, as if something was being ripped away from her flesh. At the same time, her whole body felt lighter. The constant pull she had felt, the unrelenting tug of Damon's moods and emotions, was finally fading. As she neared the back door, Vera's laughter floated down from the second floor of the main house. It was light, sweet, confident, like she had finally claimed the place she'd been waiting for. Yuna's steps faltered as memories flashed through her mind. At sixteen, Damon had confessed to her under the moon, his ears burning red. At eighteen, he had knelt before the Frostveil Pack's graves and sworn his life to hers. At twenty, he had bitten the mark into her neck, promising a lifetime together. And now, after only a few short years, he had crushed it all with his own hands. So promises could really change, and hearts could really turn cold. Yuna exhaled slowly, refusing to linger any longer. She pushed open the back door and stepped into the night. The western forest path was cold, the moonlight spilling over the stone road like a thin layer of frost. She didn't move quickly. Her body hadn't fully recovered, and the silver burns on her arms still throbbed. But with every step forward, the tether that had bound her for nine years loosened a little more. When she reached the edge of the pack's territory, she cast one final glance back toward the Fendon Pack. The main house shone brightly. From a distance, it felt like a dream she had lived for a long time. But now the dream was over. She tugged her cloak higher, covering the mark at her neck and hiding the last glimmer of moisture in her eyes. "Let's go," she whispered to herself. And with that, Yuna crossed the border without looking back, leaving the Fendon Pack behind for good.