(Elowen's POV)

"Elowen, have you thought it over? Are you really transferring to Riverside Pack's Healing Center?" Director Henry Baker looked at my transfer report with surprise.

I nodded firmly, my decision already made. "Yes, Director. I've considered it carefully."

His brows furrowed as he examined the paperwork. "But you're our best healer. The Crest Moon Pack needs you here."

"I appreciate that, but my mind is made up." I replied, my voice steady despite the storm of emotions inside me. "I need... a change."

What I didn't say was that every day here had become unbearable. Every moment in the same territory as Cillian Blackclaw, my mate in name only, was slowly killing me inside.

"Very well," Director Baker sighed, stamping my transfer request. "The paperwork will be processed by the end of the month."

I thanked him and turned to leave, my heart both heavy and somehow lighter at the same time. Six years of an empty mating bond was enough. Six years of watching Cillian look through me rather than at me.

As I stepped into the hallway, my breath caught in my throat. There he was-Cillian Blackclaw, Alpha of the Crest Moon Pack and my mate. But he wasn't alone.

Lorelei Winters stood beside him, her delicate hand resting on his arm as she laughed at something he'd said. Between them stood her son, Oliver, looking up at Cillian with adoration.

The sight struck me like a physical blow. Cillian's expression was gentle, warm-everything it never was with me. His golden eyes, usually cold when directed at me, now crinkled at the corners as he smiled down at Lorelei.

I pressed my hand against the wall, steadying myself.

Lorelei was Cillian's first love. But me, for Cillian, was only a cunning and greedy she-wolf who made a shameless deal with Elder Eleanor to became his Luna.

I could never forget how happy I was when I found that my fated mate was Cillian. But Cillian was totally indifferent.

I didn't know Lorelei until I became Cillian's Luna, when he had been broken up with Lorelei, forced by his grandmother.

What a fool I'd been to hope that Cillian would fell in love with me someday. I met him so early, much earlier than he met Lorelei. But he totally forgot me.

Cillian would never love me. Instead, he hated me. He hated me so much that he never declared that I was his Luna. He even signed a confidentiality agreement with my family to make sure everyone of us would keep our mating as a secret.

Nowadays, no one knew we were mates except our family.

Lorelei spotted me first, her smile widening. "Elowen! Just the person we were looking for."

Cillian's head snapped up, his expression instantly shuttering. The contrast was so stark it made my chest ache, our mate bond pulsing with pain I knew only I could feel.

"Healer Elowen," Lorelei approached, pulling Oliver along. "I've heard so much about your skills. I'm Lorelei Winters, the new senior healer."

"Hello, Healer Lorelei." I said quietly, remembering the woman who had left years ago, breaking Cillian's heart. The woman who had now returned, with a pup in tow.

"This is my son, Oliver," she continued, nudging the boy forward.

Oliver beamed up at me, then turned to Cillian. "Daddy Cillian, is this the lady you told us about?"

My heart shattered. Daddy Cillian?

Lorelei laughed lightly, patting her son's head. "Oliver, remember what we discussed? Alpha Cillian is not your daddy."

But Cillian didn't correct the boy. He simply ruffled Oliver's hair, his expression fond. "Elowen is our head healer, yes."

Our. As if they were already a family unit.

"I need to go," I managed, the words barely making it past the lump in my throat.

I walked away, my steps quickening with each beat of my heart. I hadn't told Cillian about my transfer through our mental link. Why bother? He'd probably be relieved.

The drive to the Blackclaw Ancestral Manor was a blur. I needed to speak with Ottilie Blackclaw, to finalize what I'd already decided.

The elderly matriarch was waiting in her sitting room, as if she'd sensed my coming. Her sharp eyes assessed me as I entered.

"You've made a decision," she stated, not a question.

I nodded, standing tall despite the weight pressing down on me. "I'm severing the mate bond with Cillian."

Ottilie's expression remained impassive. "You understand what you're giving up? The position, the protection-"

"I understand perfectly," I interrupted. "But I can't continue like this."

She studied me for a long moment. "The agreement saved your family from dissolution."

"And I've honored that agreement for six years," I countered. "But the Blackclaw lineage no longer owes me anything, nor I them."

Ottilie nodded slowly. "So be it."

Returning to Moonhaven Estate, I found them again-Cillian, Lorelei, and Oliver in the Great Hall. They looked like the perfect family portrait, something I'd never been part of despite the mating mark on my neck.

Lorelei brightened when she saw me. "Elowen! I was just asking Cillian about your mate. He seems quite protective of you."

Cillian's jaw tightened, a warning flashing in his eyes.

"I don't have a mate," I lied, the words burning my throat. I couldn't bear the pity that would follow if she knew the truth-that I was mated to a man who couldn't stand the sight of me.

That night, I packed my belongings in the Master Suite. Each item I placed in my suitcase felt like another step toward freedom. I picked up our mating ceremony photo, the only one we'd ever taken together. Cillian stood stiffly beside me, his expression distant even then.

I dropped it into a box of things I wouldn't be taking.

The door opened, and Cillian walked in, his powerful presence filling the room. His golden eyes narrowed at the sight of my packed bags.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, voice dangerously low.

"I'm leaving," I stated simply.

"Because of Lorelei and Oliver?" he demanded. "You're being unreasonable."

I laughed bitterly. "Unreasonable? For not wanting to watch my mate play family with another woman and her pup?"

"You got what you wanted," he growled. "The title of Luna, the wealth and security for your family."

"We need to talk." Cillian stopped at the Crest Gate Foyer, looking at me with a hint of impatience in his golden eyes, an expression of cold indifference.

"What is it now?"

I clutched the silver pendant that had replaced my mating mark during our ceremony and took a deep breath. This was it. The moment I'd been building toward.

"Let's sever the mate bond," I announced, my voice steadier than I felt. I was ready to release him from our unwanted connection. "I'll set you free."