Chapter 8 When Luna June Blackstone opened her eyes again, the harsh glare of the medical den's crystal lights made her squint. The sharp scent of healing herbs filled her nostrils, and she could hear the steady drip of some kind of potion nearby. "You're awake?" The pack healer stepped over to check her eyes. "You've got three broken ribs and some serious internal bleeding. It's a miracle the mountain spirits guided you to that ledge-or you would've died for sure." June stared blankly at the stone ceiling, her mind flashing back to those final moments before she went over the cliff. Alpha Nicholas had chosen to save Megan Silvermoon without even thinking about it, and as she fell into the darkness, he hadn't even looked back. She tried to move a little, and horrible pain shot through her chest and spread through her whole body. Strangely though, she didn't cry. Maybe all that agony had just numbed her completely. Three days later, Nicholas came to bring her back to the pack house. He stood in the doorway wearing his usual black leather jacket, his eyes looking at the bandages wrapped around her chest. He was quiet for a long time before he finally spoke. "Megan needs to keep her wolf form strong for the territorial runs. I couldn't let anything happen to her." June slowly lifted her head to look at him. "So I had to make a choice." His voice was flat, like he was talking about the weather. "You're just the Luna for political reasons. Even if you're hurt, it won't affect the pack much." June said nothing, just really seeing him clearly for the first time-the man she'd been obsessed with for half her life. He was still incredibly hot, like some kind of supernatural god, but his eyes had never held any warmth for her. "Nicholas Blackstone," she said, her voice all scratchy, "if I'd died that night, would you have given a damn?" His face got darker, and he didn't answer. Instead, he pulled a thick envelope from his jacket pocket and dropped it on the bedside table. "Don't ask stupid questions. That's your compensation. Just keep quiet, take care of the pups, and you'll always be Luna of this pack." June suddenly started laughing. In her past life, she'd held the Luna title until the end, but what good had it done her? She'd been the one left to die alone, forgotten, consumed by flames while they were all on vacation. So in this life, she didn't want to be his Luna anymore. She wanted to live for herself-she wanted people who actually loved her... She couldn't hold back anymore. She was ready to tell him she was done with all of this. "Nicholas Blackstone, I..." But his phone buzzed, cutting her off. He answered, and Megan's sweet voice came through the speaker: "Nick, we're at the pack gathering with the pups. We've got a surprise for you!" His whole expression changed instantly. "I'll be right there." He hung up, checked his watch, and his voice went cold again. "I gotta go. Marcus is waiting outside to drive you home." He turned and walked out, his broad shoulders straight and confident as always, and June dug her nails into her palms. In the end, she didn't call out to stop him. Whatever-it didn't matter. He'd find out soon enough from Megan that the mate dissolution papers had been approved. She was letting him go, and those two pups who treated her like garbage. "Marcus," June said, pressing the call button, "get my stuff ready. I'm leaving the territory." An hour later, she deleted every contact related to Nicholas and left the envelope of money in the drawer. As the bus pulled away from Blackstone territory, the mountains outside her window were covered in golden light from the setting sun. June looked at the beautiful scenery, a real smile on her face as she closed her eyes. In this life, she wasn't going to sacrifice herself for anyone ever again. Let those days of begging for love disappear with this bus, lost forever in the wilderness. Ahead was a fresh start, a future that belonged only to her.