"Luna, Alpha Ravyn sent you another separation agreement." Beta Corvine's voice shook despite his efforts to sound calm. He spoke carefully, as though the wrong word might make an already painful situation even worse. He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice further before continuing, "He says he'll reconsider if you let Daisy become Co-Luna. He's even told the pack you'll give in sooner or later. He thinks your bond with him means you'll never go through with leaving him." He stopped speaking, and neither of them broke the uncomfortable silence that followed. Seraphine sat up in her hospital bed. She accepted the papers and signed her name with a steady hand. She didn't falter or stop to reconsider. She heard only the pen moving across the page. She'd spent the past three months confined to that room. The spotless white walls had begun to feel oppressive. The monitors beeped at regular intervals, and the sharp smell of bleach never seemed to fade. Now she was holding yet another set of divorce papers. He'd sent them to her seven times now. The first had come before Ravyn transferred to the Grimroot Pack under suspicious circumstances. He'd told her to give him full control of the pack's money or agree to a separation. He'd sent the second agreement on their seventh wedding anniversary. He'd wanted Daisy to return to the pack house, where they'd lived as children. Her mother had once worked as his family's nanny. The third had arrived on Seraphine's birthday. Ravyn had wanted Daisy to look after their son, Bryan. According to him, that would allow Seraphine to "focus all her attention on running the pack." On his own birthday, he'd sent the fourth agreement and appointed Daisy as his personal assistant. The fifth had come after Daisy deliberately humiliated Seraphine in front of the whole pack. Ravyn had told her to put her pride aside and accept what had happened, or agree to end their marriage. He'd spoiled Bryan's birthday with the sixth agreement. This time, he'd wanted Daisy to move into the Luna's suite. His excuse had been that Seraphine rarely slept there herself. On each of those occasions, Seraphine had ripped up the papers in front of the Beta. She'd kept her expression calm, though every new demand had hurt her more than she'd allowed him to see. She'd survived a chemical attack while protecting the pack, but it had left her body badly damaged. Even then, she'd been foolish enough to hope her husband would spare her some attention. She'd hoped he'd do something to show he cared. He could've come to see her. Even a little kindness would've meant something. He'd sent another divorce agreement instead. Along with it had come his latest demand that she accept Daisy as Co-Luna. She'd finally reached the limit of what she could bear. Seraphine understood then that their marriage had been over for a long time. They'd failed to put things right six times. She'd wasted every one of those chances hoping things would change. She couldn't see anything left worth saving. She'd decided to leave the pack. Her son would be going with her. "Luna, why did you agree to it this time?" Corvine whispered. His eyes widened as he stared at her signature. She lifted her head slowly and looked at him with a small smile that held no warmth. "My mother used to say seven was the perfect number," she replied in an even voice. "But if you've tried six times to fix something and it's still broken, one more try won't make any difference." Life had changed for their kind. Packs no longer kept to themselves in remote forests. Wolves lived alongside humans, took jobs in their companies, and established businesses of their own in major cities. They weren't allowed to shift in public, so they'd learned to live within those limits. They still treated their full moon gatherings as sacred occasions, though, and kept them strictly within the pack. Nowadays, Omegas, Betas, and Lunas made up most of those who remained on pack territory. They kept it safe and made sure life there ran smoothly. Ravyn had risen to become one of New York's most influential men, but few people understood how much he owed Seraphine. She'd planned their moves, made difficult decisions without flinching, and used her rare abilities to help the pack reach the top. In return, he'd given her little beyond cold indifference. He'd kept punishing her for a mistake made long ago, even though it hadn't been hers. She'd stopped trying to get his attention. Waiting for him to notice her worth had gotten her nowhere. She no longer expected him to offer the affection she'd spent so long hoping for. Her future would be with Bryan, just the two of them. Her son was the only reason she'd ever found any meaning in such an unhappy marriage. Seraphine pushed aside the thin hospital blanket and lowered her bare feet onto the cold floor. Corvine drew a quick breath in surprise. "Luna, can you really walk again?" The chemicals had nearly killed her. Even the pack's doctors had believed she'd never regain the use of her legs. When she tried to stand, a sudden, stabbing pain traveled up her spine. She made herself take a step anyway. She'd spent two months unable to get out of bed, and even that pain reminded her that she'd survived. Now she was finally on her feet. She gave a bitter smile at the thought but kept it to herself. For two months, she'd been unable to move. She'd spent another month making painfully slow progress toward recovery. During that time, she'd had more than enough opportunity to think. She'd reached one clear conclusion. Wanting their marriage to work couldn't repair everything that had gone wrong between them. No amount of determination on her part could do that. Nobody had shown any real concern about whether she survived. She'd kept herself alive by relying on her own medical knowledge, without anyone else's help. "Tell Ravyn he doesn't have to go with this Co-Luna thing," she responded at last, sounding as calm as before. "Once the divorce is final, Daisy will have the title to herself." Corvine remained silent. Privately, though, he felt relieved that she was finally leaving the people who'd taken so much from her. The pack had never had a stronger Luna than Seraphine. Her husband, however, had never given her the recognition she deserved. Long ago, wolves had asked the Moon Goddess to free them from soul bonds they hadn't chosen. They'd wanted the same freedom humans had to leave a relationship. Eventually, she'd granted their wish. That freedom had also made room for infidelity, attraction to other partners, and mating bonds that ended in heartbreak. Ravyn had never cared much about what fate intended for them. He'd refused to accept their bond from the beginning. Without what had happened that night years ago, he wouldn't have married her at all. Seraphine was nearing the medical wing's exit when she heard the muffled beat of party music coming from the main pack building. "What are they celebrating out there?" she asked. Corvine looked down at the floor before answering her, "It's the ceremony to appoint Daisy as Co-Luna. Alpha Ravyn's making it official. He invited other Alphas and specifically told them to leave their mates at home. He doesn't think you'd dare turn up." She gave him a small, empty smile. No Luna who respected her position would stand by and accept an insult like that. Seraphine held tightly to the signed divorce papers and left the hospital without a backward glance. She hadn't even changed out of her plain white hospital gown. Corvine hurriedly reached out to stop her, but she'd already stepped through the doorway. With each step toward the main building, she could hear the music more clearly. People around the pack grounds stopped what they were doing to stare. They watched her walk past as though they couldn't make sense of her being there. She pushed open the ceremony hall's heavy doors, and the crowd abruptly went quiet. Then people began whispering to one another. "Is that Luna Seraphine?" "Is she really still alive?" "How is she standing on her own?" Alpha Ravyn stopped in the middle of a gesture on the raised stage. He looked as handsome as ever and carried himself with his usual confidence. He fixed his cold gaze on her, though his voice was gentle when he spoke. "Sera, shouldn't you be resting? What are you doing out of the hospital?" She knew that act all too well. He sounded concerned, but she couldn't find any sign of warmth in the way he looked at her. "Is that really his wife?" a visiting Alpha asked quietly nearby. "She looks like she's in terrible shape." Her hair had lost its shine, and her face was pale enough to alarm anyone who saw her. In her cheap cotton hospital gown, she looked painfully out of place among the ballroom's glittering decorations and well-dressed guests. She paid no attention to the people watching her. Ravyn hadn't even had time to step down from the platform before she walked straight up to him and pressed the papers firmly against his chest. "You don't have to make Daisy Co-Luna," she replied clearly enough for everyone in the quiet hall to hear. "She can have the Luna title outright. I've signed the divorce papers." This time, nobody spoke or whispered. For the first time in a long while, Ravyn couldn't maintain the calm he'd always shown everyone.

Nobody seemed to believe her. Ravyn had sent Seraphine divorce papers six times before, and she'd refused to sign them on every occasion. People in the pack had come to see her as weak and almost deserving of pity. Everyone knew that Daisy was the former wet nurse's daughter, yet she walked around the estate as though she owned it and gave orders to anyone she pleased. Seraphine had never challenged her. She'd quietly put up with everything. As time passed, people had become less careful about what they said. Some made fun of her, while others felt sorry for her. Most agreed on one thing, though. They didn't believe she had it in her to leave. Her announcement had left everyone so quiet that the tension in the room was hard to bear. Someone in the crowd spoke up uncertainly. "Do you think she'll really go through with it? She never stays away for long." Another person answered at once, without a trace of doubt, "She'll never walk away from Alpha Ravyn. She relies on him too much, and she wouldn't give up being Luna." Ravyn stood in the middle of the gathering, tall and impeccably dressed in a light suit that fit him perfectly. For a brief moment, though, he clenched his jaw. He couldn't accept that she meant what she'd said. As far as he was concerned, she was trying another way to get what she wanted. Few Alphas in New York had more money or influence than he did. He could ruin her standing with a word, even with laws in place to protect Lunas. He knew there were ways around those laws. What angered him most was that she'd embarrassed him in front of everyone. He'd arranged every detail of the ceremony with care. The invitations had gone out well ahead of time, and the other Alphas had set aside their commitments to be there. He'd been sure she'd give in, just as she always had. This time, however, she wasn't doing what he'd expected. Nearly all the prominent Alphas were there, gathered closely around them. Only a handful had missed the ceremony. Voren Ashkael was among them. He led the Grimroot Pack and was Ravyn's closest ally, but another engagement had kept him away. Ravyn took a slow breath and made an effort to keep his voice level. "You clearly haven't thought this through," he blurted out as he stared at her sternly. "You know what happens when you divorce an Alpha. You'll be shutting yourself off from every other possibility." Several people nodded, and others quietly voiced their agreement. Their support only strengthened his confidence. He straightened his shoulders before he went on. "We have an understanding among Alphas. None of us gets involved with another Alpha's former mate. Even a Beta wouldn't marry you. The best you could hope for is someone from the bottom ranks of the pack." He made little effort to hide the contempt in his eyes. Seraphine met his stare without shrinking back. He'd looked at her that way often enough that it no longer surprised her. She stood straight in her plain hospital clothes and barely moved. Anyone watching her would've struggled to find the slightest sign that she doubted her decision. Still, seeing him brought back memories of the man she'd known at the beginning. She remembered the night she'd believed there was something real between them. She'd turned eighteen during the Moon Festival. That evening, she'd stood on a hill and felt so much that she couldn't keep it to herself any longer. Her voice had been steady when she'd spoken. "Alpha Ravyn's my mate." Everyone there had looked at him, waiting to see how he'd respond. He'd dismissed her without showing the slightest feeling. When he'd finally spoken later, his answer had been simple. "I want to be with Daisy. At least she doesn't push herself on me." Somehow, everything had always come back to Daisy. Seraphine had grown up among the Betas, where people had treated her confidence and honesty as faults. Daisy had known how to make a different impression. She could bring out her tears at the right moment and lower her eyes until people saw her as someone gentle who needed their protection. That had been all it took to win them over. Daisy had accused Seraphine of using underhanded methods. The pack had taken her word for it, and Ravyn had believed her too. Eventually, even Seraphine's parents had begun to question their daughter. Nobody had made the effort to find out what had really happened. Seraphine hadn't tried to clear her name. She'd trusted that everyone would eventually learn what had really happened. Waiting hadn't brought the truth any closer to being heard. Now she faced Ravyn without a trace of agitation. "You think I signed those papers without understanding what a divorce would mean for me as Luna?" she asked. Her steady voice carried over the conversations around them. She spoke plainly, without letting any feeling enter her voice. For the first time, Ravyn's expression shifted, and irritation showed in his eyes. She was no longer behaving like the woman who'd once pleaded for him to care about her. His face tightened into a scowl. "You never know when to stop," he snapped. "You played me. You got my parents to pressure me into being with you, and now you expect everyone to feel sorry for you?" She lifted her hand to stop him before he could go on. "Take the papers." She said it without the slightest change in her tone. She held the documents out to him, her signature already on them. He went still without reaching for them. Daisy moved closer before he could respond. The light fell across her pale dress, and she'd carefully arranged her hair to complete the sweet, innocent appearance she'd always worked to maintain. She gave Seraphine a faint smile. "Luna Sera, Alpha Ravyn only asked for my help because you were ill," she explained gently, making a show of concern. "You're back now, so there's no need for any of this. Why would you go through with a divorce?" Seraphine looked directly at her and said nothing. She could've challenged what Daisy had said. She could've ruined everything for them then and there. She wouldn't do it in that room, though. She wasn't going to give that audience the satisfaction. Instead, she turned her attention away from Daisy. "Where's my son?" she asked. Even before anyone answered, she felt her chest tighten with worry. For a moment, Ravyn seemed reluctant to respond. "He's at the academy," he answered at last, barely loud enough to hear. She gave a small nod in response. "All I want from this divorce is my son," she responded evenly. Two people objected at exactly the same moment. Both Ravyn and Daisy had answered, "That's out of the question." Seraphine looked from one to the other without letting either of them read her expression. "What made you think I'd ever leave my son behind?" Ravyn caught her by the arm and pulled her a short distance from the people around them. "Get a hold of yourself," he muttered under his breath. "We'll deal with this afterward. Don't do this in front of everyone." She gave him no reply. She pulled her arm out of his grip and left. Although the academy was close by, her legs felt so heavy that she struggled with every step. She hadn't recovered her strength after her hospital stay, and the walk demanded more than her body could comfortably manage. She made herself keep going anyway. By the time she reached the academy, she found Bryan waiting outside. He looked at her without any warmth at all. "What did you come here for?" he asked as soon as he saw her. She approached him carefully and tried not to let her voice shake. "I'm sorry I've been gone so long. Come home with me, and we can talk about everything." He moved a step away from her. "I'm staying here. I don't want you to take me home." She felt his refusal almost as sharply as if he'd hit her. For a moment, she couldn't move. When she spoke again, she kept her voice low and pleading, "Bryan, I'm your mom. You're coming home with me." He shook his head hard, refusing to listen. "You aren't my mom! Just go away and leave me alone!" People nearby began stopping to watch them. She made herself smile, hoping she could settle things before the situation got any worse. "You're upset with me. I can understand that. But please don't say I'm not your mother." One of the instructors came over and looked at her in confusion. "Luna, what are you doing out here? Daisy told us you weren't going to get better." She let his remark pass without a response. "I'm here to take my son home," she replied. The instructor hesitated, then moved in front of her to block the way. "I'm sorry, but Alpha Ravyn was very clear about this. Daisy's the only person allowed to make decisions about Bryan." Seraphine stopped moving and stared at him. "What did you just say?" He spoke more quietly before explaining, "He also told us that Daisy gave birth to Bryan." For a few seconds, she couldn't seem to hear anything around her. She gave a quiet laugh, though there was no humor in it. "You're joking, aren't you?" He took out a document and passed it to her. She accepted the paper from his hand. As she read what was on the page, she felt the last of her composure give way. Her legs began to shake beneath her. She couldn't accept what she was reading. She tried to draw a breath, but it caught in her throat. "There's got to be a mistake. He's my son." She could barely get the words out, and her voice kept faltering. She felt as though the ground had dropped away beneath her.

"Mom, I'm so happy you're back! That horrible woman was going to take me a long way from here." The small voice shook with both relief and lingering fear. "You don't have to be scared, sweetheart," a woman replied gently, though her voice was firm. "Nobody's going to take you away from us. Your father would never let that happen." Seraphine heard them speaking before she managed to open her eyes. At first, she couldn't quite make sense of their conversation. The voices seemed to belong to a dream she was struggling to remember. When she opened her eyes, she saw the warehouse's exposed wooden ceiling beams. She recognized them, but everything still looked hazy and strangely distant. She couldn't remember anyone bringing her there. The last thing she remembered was her legs buckling beneath her. She'd collapsed, and the test results had slipped from her hand onto the floor. None of it made sense. Her heart beat so hard that her chest hurt. She'd become pregnant after Ravyn forced himself on her that night. What had happened had bound them together and led to a marriage she'd wanted so badly to believe meant something. For nine months, she'd carried her baby. She'd suffered through the pain and nausea, along with an exhaustion that never seemed to ease. She'd endured every part of it until the birth. She remembered delivering her child and hearing a newborn cry. After that, she'd lost consciousness. How had she ended up in this place? As her surroundings became clearer, she found Ravyn staring down at her with open hostility. He looked furious, and there was nothing in his expression to soften it. "After everything, you still went near my son?" he asked coldly. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Seraphine stayed calmer than anyone might've expected. Corvine came forward and helped her into a sitting position. She hurt all over, but she tried to ignore it. She had too many questions to spare much thought for the pain. Daisy watched from a short distance without moving. She wore a small, satisfied smile, as though things had gone exactly the way she'd wanted. "Ravyn, I gave birth to a boy that night," Seraphine replied quietly, trying to put her confused thoughts in order. "If Bryan isn't my son, what happened to my baby?" He gave a brief laugh without any trace of amusement. The look he gave her became even colder. "After what you did that night, did you really expect me to let you keep my child?" he asked slowly, taking care with every word. She felt each word almost as sharply as a blow. "Daisy had her baby that night too," he continued. "I dealt with the problem. Your child is gone." She felt something inside her give way completely. Seraphine threw herself at him before she could think. She caught him around the throat and bared her teeth as her wolf's instincts took control. Ravyn reacted too quickly for her to hold on. He drove her backward with a vicious shove that seemed to cost him no effort. She struck the ground hard enough to knock the breath from her. Pain spread through her body, and for a moment, she couldn't draw air into her lungs. "You've got strength, I'll give you that," he sneered as he stood over her. "But don't forget who you're dealing with. I'm the Alpha. You mean nothing to me." She was shaking by the time she managed to get back on her feet. When she spoke, her voice cracked. "Tell me where my son is." For an instant, something changed in his expression. Then he looked at her as coldly as before. "You had a daughter," he replied without pausing. "She died." Seraphine went cold at his answer. "That can't be true. You're lying to me." "That's what happened," he replied without emotion. "She went missing the night she was born." Her surroundings seemed to tip sideways, and her legs could no longer support her. She was facing more than the loss of her child. Everything she'd believed about her life for years had been a lie. For Bryan's sake, she'd given up everything she had. She'd even gone without the one treatment that might've kept her alive. She'd made every sacrifice for a child who wasn't hers. Then she realized something that hurt even more. If she'd agreed to a divorce sooner, she would've left without ever learning what had happened. He would've let her go without telling her the truth. When she found her voice again, she couldn't keep it steady. "I didn't betray you," she whispered. "You were the one who forced himself on me that night." Ravyn looked at her with such fury that she could almost believe he wanted to kill her. "Don't lie to me," he snapped. "I've got proof you set the whole thing up. Daisy would already be Luna if you hadn't interfered. You should've remembered your place." Seraphine shut her eyes for a moment. At last, she accepted that nothing she said would make him hear her out. He'd decided what he believed long ago, and the truth wouldn't change his mind. She could've endured losing the man she loved. Finding out that he'd destroyed her child was more than she knew how to bear. She couldn't have explained that kind of pain to anyone. "Even if everything you're accusing me of were true, she was still your child," she muttered in a broken voice. "How can you care so little?" Ravyn showed no sign that her words had affected him. "That's right," he answered plainly. "That's exactly why I couldn't let her exist." He went on without showing the slightest feeling. "You think what happened was an accident? You still haven't figured it out, Seraphine." For years, she'd put up with the way he treated her. He'd given her no love, and there'd been nothing warm about their life together. He hadn't even acknowledged what she'd done for him. On six separate occasions, she'd stayed instead of accepting a divorce because she'd believed Bryan needed her. Now she couldn't see anything left of the life she'd tried to preserve. Daisy came closer and spoke with a sweetness that did little to hide her cruelty. "There's no need to worry, Luna Sera." She reassured. "You can carry on looking after Bryan. You've been so good with him." For an instant, she almost let her smirk show. "Your baby may not have survived, but you've brought mine up so well. He's doing beautifully because of you." She made her voice softer before adding one more thing. "You even gave me his treatment, and I've still got it." Daisy hadn't realized that the treatment couldn't cure him. All it could do was keep his illness under control for a while. If Bryan stopped receiving it, his illness would come back worse than before. Seraphine had planned to take him with her for that very reason. Now she couldn't bring herself to care anymore. She grew strangely calm, though she felt empty inside. When she lifted her head to face Ravyn, she didn't shake or look away. "You took my child's life, and I kept yours alive," she said, speaking each word slowly. "Let the Moon Goddess decide what happens to us." She turned her back on him. Walking still took an effort, but she didn't hesitate. All she wanted was to leave that place behind. As she reached the doorway, however, she found a huge figure standing in her way. The stranger was powerfully built and intimidating even at a glance. The eyes fixed on her were so cold that she could find nothing human in their expression. Anyone facing that stare would've struggled to draw a breath. Seraphine stopped at once and couldn't make herself move.