Moonlit Betrayal: Kiss of My Knight

I had just left the group when Ethan's call came through. As he was an Alpha, I couldn't refuse him.

"Ivy, come over right now," he demanded.

"Where?"

"You know where. The pack house."

I scoffed. "What for?"

"To apologize to Ella."

"Why should I apologize?"

"You leaving the group like that is an open provocation. Do you realize how the other families will see her now?" Ethan's tone was harsh, carrying the usual forcefulness of an Alpha.

"I don't want others to slander her. My wolf chose her as my mate, and I need to give her the rightful status. She's innocent. She shouldn't bear the reputation of a homewrecker because of your recklessness."

Even though I no longer let his actions rattle my emotions, the phantom ache of being rejected now spread through my chest.

My fingers trembled slightly as I gripped the phone, and my nails nearly transformed into claws, threatening to pierce my palms.

When I spoke, my voice trembled too. "Ethan, you can't use your Alpha authority to bully someone like this. What right do you have to treat me this way? You were the one who first abandoned our fated bond. I felt your rejection, yet I did nothing. I even congratulated you. Isn't that enough?"

I stubbornly refused to cry or show weakness to him, but my voice still carried a sob.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. It was as if the wolf inside him felt unsettled in that instant.

"Ivy, I can let your disrespect slide this time, but I hope you remember—Ella is innocent. Don't take your anger out on her or hurt her."

He then ended the call.

I sat on the carpet as my whole body shook. On the nightstand was a photo of my mother. In the picture, she was looking at me gently and lovingly.

My mother had been a highly respected and high-ranking healer of the previous generation.

Suddenly, I burst into tears and threw myself over, hugging the photo frame tightly. Through a layer of cold glass, I lightly pressed my face against my mother's.

My tears kept falling, and in the photo, my mother seemed to grieve for me too.

I didn't want to cry anymore. I didn't want to worry Mom, who had already returned to the Moon Goddess's embrace.

Once the anniversary of Mom's passing was over, I would take the moonstone necklace she left me and leave the Silvermoon pack forever—whether it was to become a lone wolf with freedom, or the Luna of another pack.