---- Blackclaw." One of the Pack Elders scoffed. "Princess? Because of this... little silver stick? Dream on, little girl." He knocked the silver staff from my hand. "You're just an ordinary girl who got lucky enough to be chosen by the Alpha, and now you're scorning this gift?" The other elders snickered along. "A princess from the Moonshadow Realm? Don't make a fool of yourself." "This is blasphemy! Go get the Alpha. His little mate is throwing a tantrum again." "Blasphemy?" I scoffed. "Ninety-nine failed marking ceremonies-that's blasphemy against the Moon Goddess!" As expected, the council hall door was soon thrown open. Kaelen stood in the doorway, his chest heaving, clearly having run all the way. ---- "What's going on?" He looked around, his gaze finally landing on me. "Lyra, what are you doing? What's with the outfit?" I straightened my back, looking him directly in the eye. "I am requesting to dissolve our destined mate bond, Kaelen. I am leaving the Blackrock pack." "This is ridiculous!" Kaelen's face went from shocked to angry. He strode towards me. "You can't just decide to leave! The mate bond is sacred, you don't have the right-" "T have every right," I cut him off calmly. "Five years, Kaelen. Ninety-nine times. I've waited long enough." "Because of last night?" He looked at me incredulously, his voice laced with contempt. " Just because I helped Seraphina? Do you know how serious her foot injury was?" "Not because of last night, but because of every ---- time in the last five years you put me last. Every time you ignored me. Every time you abandoned me." "You're being too emotional, Lyra." His tone was like he was talking to a misbehaving child. "Let's go back and talk this over properly. Don't embarrass yourself in front of the elders." The elders exchanged glances, mostly filled with mockery and disdain. It wasn't the first time I'd seen that look from them-they'd never really seen me as their pack's future Luna. They only put up with me because Kaelen said I was his destined mate. "My decision is made." I looked at all the elders, then back at Kaelen. "At sunrise tomorrow, my people and I will leave. There's no place for me in the Blackrock pack anymore." Kaelen's face darkened, but surprisingly, he didn't argue further. ---- Instead, he gave a small smile, one that oozed confidence and disdain. "Alright, I get it," he shrugged, his tone completely dismissive, like he was just humouring me. "Since you need to cool off, I'll set up a dinner tonight as my apology, and we can properly discuss the next ceremony then." He lowered his voice, leaning in close. "Stop this, Lyra. Where can you go? No one outside the Blackrock pack will take you in.Why make such a big deal out of something one dinner can fix?" I definitely have a place I can go. There's just no need for you to be told where that is.