Chapter 1

"Moon Goddess, I want to go home."

The Goddess's will echoed instantly in her mind, not in words, but as a current of quiet, sorrowful understanding.

"Very well, my child. Your mission is almost complete. In half a month, your soul will be free to leave this world."

The usually stoic Goddess paused for a few seconds, her will tinged with a hint of confusion.

"But my child, you have a mate who loves you more than life itself, and a son who defends you at every turn. Is this not your home? Are they not your family, your pack?"

At the word "family," Seraphina's gaze slowly fell upon the moon pool in the center of the room.

The water shimmered, revealing an image of the Blackwood Pack's Alpha, Kaelen Blackwood, and his son, Liam, landing at the pack's private airfield.

Kaelen carried Liam, striding forward with an aura of command that parted the surrounding werewolves like the sea. A messenger from a neighboring pack scurried to catch up.

"Alpha Blackwood, I heard you rushed back overnight after finishing the border negotiations in France. Is there an urgent pack matter?"

Kaelen, known throughout the werewolf territories for his cold demeanor, offered a rare, gentle smile to the messenger's communication crystal.

"Today is the anniversary of my mating vow with my Luna. Of course, my son and I had to come back to celebrate with her." His voice was deep and powerful, broadcasting across the entire territory. "Where I'm concerned, anything related to my Luna is the highest priority."

Little Liam held up a leather pouch. "Mama, Dad and I have a present for you! We'll be home soon!"

The messenger tried to ask another question, but Kaelen silenced him with a look that permitted no argument, leaving only his retreating back on camera. The messenger sighed with envy.

"Alpha Blackwood's love for his Luna is as strong today as it was a decade ago. Their mating bond is still burning hot. He's truly the perfect mate."

"And the Blackwood heir is learning from the best. With an Alpha and a son like that, Luna Seraphina must be the happiest she-wolf alive."

Seraphina waved her hand, and the image in the pool vanished. A bitter smile touched her lips.

Happy?

A month ago, she would have said yes without hesitation.

But now, she couldn't bring herself to utter the word.

No one knew she wasn't from this world.

Ten years ago, the Moon Goddess had sent her soul here with a single mission: to save Kaelen, whose heart had been shattered as a child when he witnessed the brutal murder of his parents.

When she first met him, he was a sullen teenager sealed off from the world, using his feral instincts to reject all contact.

It took her three years to slowly guide him out of the darkness and help him grow into the formidable Alpha he was today.

The moment he took full control of the Blackwood Pack, her mission was complete.

But when the Goddess asked if she wanted to leave, she hesitated.

She couldn't stop picturing Kaelen clinging to her, his voice a desperate growl, begging her not to go.

He had already lost his family once. She couldn't imagine what would happen to him if she, his fated mate, abandoned him too.

So, she chose to stay, binding herself to him with the sacred mate vow.

During the moonlit ceremony, she had warned him, "If you ever betray our bond, my soul will vanish from this world."

Kaelen had grasped her hand and promised that day would never come, that his love for her would be as eternal as the moon itself.

After they mated, his love remained as passionate as he had vowed.

He would cancel all pack business to be with her for every anniversary, big or small.

If another she-wolf got too close during meetings, he would ruthlessly use his Alpha's dominance to push her away.

When she had a difficult birth with Liam, spending a day and a night in labor, Kaelen knelt outside for a day and a night, praying to the Moon Goddess for her safety.

After she was safe, he ignored his own numb legs and stumbled to her bedside, clutching her hand with tears streaming down his face.

"Sera, it's all my fault. I never should have said I wanted an heir. We're never having children again. I can't bear to see you risk your life."

To prove his resolve, he had the pack's shaman perform an ancient ritual that very day, ensuring he would never father another child.

He named their son Liam, meaning "steadfast guardian," to represent his feelings for her.

Under his father's influence, Liam acted like her tiny protector.

At a young age, he would tear the tenderest meat from his kill and bring it to her lips. If she pricked her finger on a thorn, he would immediately lick the wound clean before rushing to find herbs to bandage it.

Outsiders often joked that in the Blackwood Pack, it was Seraphina who needed constant care, not the cub.

Liam would puff out his chest with pride.

"My mother is my Luna. Of course, I have to take care of her."

Kaelen would smile and ruffle his son's hair, his face filled with the same pride.

"My Luna doesn't have to do a thing. She just needs to be loved by her son and me."

Seraphina had once firmly believed she would be happy forever.

But vows, like whispers on the wind, had long since faded.

The father and son who once loved her so deeply now had another "family" with a she-wolf named Raina.

They had lied to her countless times to "reunite" with their other family.

Her mate of five years would wrap his arm around Raina's waist and call her "baby."

The son she carried for ten months would curl up in Raina's arms and sweetly call her "Auntie Raina."

Even yesterday, they weren't in France for negotiations. They were in the Alps, hunting with Raina.