Chapter 1

As the Moon-Blessed Luna of our pack, it was nearly impossible for me to conceive.

The moment I found out I was pregnant, I rushed home, desperate to share the news with Killian.

But as I reached the door, I heard his childhood sweetheart, Macy, whispering inside.

"Killian, will she really be willing to give up her heart's essence for me?"

His voice was cold, cutting through me like a blade.

"It's just a bit of blood and essence. She won't have a choice."

"If her blood wasn't the only thing keeping you alive, I never would have married her."

A heavy silence followed, then the sound of their breathless laughter.

I stood outside the door, my blood turning to ice.

Our sacred vows were nothing but a calculated lie.

1

"Luna, are you certain you want to break the Blood-Oath? Once it's severed, you can no longer sustain his life."

"The ritual nearly killed you when you first bound yourself to him. Breaking it now means giving up everything you sacrificed..."

I hadn't forgotten the pain, but my resolve was unshakable.

"I am certain. Break it now."

I was the Moon-Blessed Luna, born with a body meant to harbor the ancient Crimson Bond.

To save Killian's life years ago, I poured my life force into the ritual, placing the Master Bond within myself.

I let him live through the sub-bond, feeding off my very soul.

The moment the Crimson Bond was extracted, I felt my circulation finally ignite.

For years, I had been frail, constantly plagued by illness and exhaustion.

It was all because the Master Bond was draining my vitality to keep Killian strong.

Now, that debt was canceled.

Without my life force, the sub-bond in Killian's body would wither within a month.

"Shall we return to our ancestral lands, Luna?"

"Not yet. I have things to finish here."

On the walk back, my steps felt light, and color finally returned to my cheeks.

From a distance, I could hear the roar of a party coming from the penthouse.

Killian was throwing another one of his infamous celebrations.

When I pushed the door open, the music and laughter died instantly.

The pack members turned to look at me, the air thick with awkwardness.

"Oh, Nyra's back..."

"Hey, Luna, perfect timing. Come have a drink with us."

A glass was shoved toward my face, but I ignored it, my eyes locked on Killian.

He sat on the velvet sofa, his expensive suit perfectly tailored to his lean, athletic frame.

Even with me standing there, he didn't pull his arm away from Macy.

"Nyra, if the noise is too much for you, go stay at a hotel for the night."

I didn't say a word. I walked straight toward our bedroom to pack my things.

Behind me, the teasing started.

"Alpha Killian sure is dominant."

"Killian, you're getting married in two weeks. You should go comfort her, or she might get lonely."

Killian's disrespect toward me was a green light for his friends to treat me like trash.

They made crude jokes at my expense, and he never once stopped them.

Macy let out a sharp, mocking giggle.

"Killian only touches her because of that pathetic bond. He'd never choose her otherwise."

"Using bed tricks to trap a man is such a low-class move."

In the past, my eyes would have been red with tears, but now I just felt a cold amusement.

I stopped and slowly turned around.

Killian seemed to realize things were getting a bit too heated.

He frowned at me. "Macy, stop. Nyra and I are getting married in fifteen days."

Then he looked at me with that familiar, bored gaze.

"Nyra, Macy is just being blunt. Don't take it to heart."

"Is that so?"

I walked over to the table, picked up a full glass of vodka, and splashed it directly into Macy's face.

"Since your head isn't clear, why don't you wash it?"

"A little bitch sitting in another woman's man's lap has no right to speak to me."

The room went dead silent. Everyone was frozen in shock.

"Nyra! Have you lost your mind?"

Killian stood up, his face dark with rage as he wrapped his jacket around a shivering Macy.

He looked at me like I was a monster.

"Nyra, what the hell is wrong with you? She said a few words, and you attack her like this?"

"Killian... I didn't know Nyra was so sensitive. I shouldn't have come today..."

Macy sobbed, pulling away from Killian's arms and running out of the room.

The party guests quickly shuffled out, sensing the impending explosion.

"Nyra, you're becoming utterly unbearable."

"If anything happens to Macy out there because she's crying, I won't forgive you."

With that threat, Killian chased after her.

I let out a soft, genuine laugh.

Killian, everything I suffered was my own fault for loving a ghost.

From this moment on, that love is dead.