I was flung aside by Ethan Gray's overwhelming presence. My back slammed straight into the altar, and a dull pain spread through me.
Yet, he walked away without so much as a backward glance.
All around me, the werewolves began whispering among themselves. This was the 19th time Ethan had abandoned me.

Without waiting or shedding a single tear, I turned and walked straight toward the exit of the sacred grounds.
"Our future Luna Selena," a pack elder called after me. "Won't you continue the bonding ceremony?"
I kept walking, my voice cold as I answered, "No."
At that moment, my communication stone began vibrating violently, and Ethan's name flashed across the screen.
I accepted the call but said nothing.
From the other end came Ethan's ragged breathing, with the wind rustling through the trees. "I'm sorry, Selena. Chloe is Layla's only family. I have to make sure she's safe!"

His voice was tight with urgency as he spoke.
Three years earlier, Layla Hale died in an accident during a hunt. Chloe Hale was her twin sister, and they were nearly identical in appearance.
However, Chloe had been born frail and had spent most of her life confined at home.
A year ago, I had stumbled upon Chloe's existence and discovered that she and Ethan had been in frequent contact.

I had warned him more than once to keep an appropriate distance from another she-wolf. But now, it was clear he had already made his choice.
"Did you notify border patrol?" I asked calmly.
Ethan hesitated before answering, "They told me not to alert anyone and said they only want me to go alone.
"Selena, I know it sounds suspicious. But what if it's real?"
"Ethan," I cut him off. "If this isn't a prank, then it's an ambush. How could you go alone? Are you hoping to move the Moon Goddess with your devotion, or are you just delivering yourselves straight into the attackers' hands?"
My indifference clearly struck a nerve. In the next second, Ethan roared, "Selena Thorne! How can you be so heartless? That's a life at stake! Even if there's only a one-in-a-million chance, I have to go!"
"So… you're abandoning me at our bonding ceremony again. It seems you've already made your choice. If Chloe matters that much to you, then we're over."
Silence stretched on until Ethan's weary sigh cut through it.
"Selena, why are you always so overbearing?" he asked. "Layla's death was partly my fault. I can't let anything happen to her sister. As my future Luna, can't you try to be more understanding?"
At the word "understanding", I scoffed. I had heard it one too many times.
"Ethan, don't you get it yet?"
He replied, "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is—from the moment you ran out of the sacred grounds and chose her, you and I were already over," I said, enunciating each word deliberately.
With that, I ended the call.
…
Back in the Luna's private quarters, I packed my belongings, preparing to return to the healing sanctuary for the time being.
Right then, a message came in from an unfamiliar signal.
I clicked open. It was a video.
Inside a small cabin, Ethan crouched on the floor, carefully applying ointment to the marks on Chloe's wrist.
Tears streamed down Chloe's face as she leaned against his chest. She looked pitiful, yet her makeup was flawless. There was nothing about her that suggested she had just survived an attack.
Beneath the video was a single line of text. It read, "Selena, thank you for giving Ethan back to me."
A bitter smile tugged at my lips as I replied, "Wishing you both happiness."