Alpha, The Luna's Mask is Off

Aella’s POV

As I pushed open the heavy oak door of the Stormheart Tribe's council hall, I caught sight of Lucian fastening a Moonstone Amulet around Cassia’s neck.

The amulet shimmered with a soft halo of moonlight against the dim firelight, making Cassia's pale neck even more delicate —almost ethereal.

I froze where I stood.

That amulet was my mother’s heirloom—the one I’d begged Lucian for an entire month to retrieve from the enemy tribe.

In three years, I’d never asked him for a single thing.

This was the first.

Because that amulet was the only thing my mother, a Witch, had ever left me.

"It’s just a broken amulet, and you still can't take your eyes off it! I’ve always said that those with impure bloodlines lack true understanding," Lucian's Beta, Leo, sneered disdainfully from the side.

Ignoring his mockery, I stepped forward and reached for Cassia's neck.

In the next moment, a hand clamped around my wrist, strong and unyielding, like iron tongs.

Lucian.

His amber eyes tightened in a frown, irritation clear in their depths. "Aella, don't be ridiculous."

"You promised you’d give me that amulet!" I glared at him, the handsome face that once made my heart race now felt cold and infuriatingly distant.

"I’ve already given it to Cassia," he said coldly, "it’s a gift to celebrate her becoming the tribe's chief healer."

Ridiculous? My heart dropped, sinking into something cold and bottomless.

"And what if I insist on taking it back?" I asked word for word.

"Aella, I know you envy me," Cassia said softly, her voice sugar-sweet but laced with quiet smugness, "but Alpha Lucian only admire independent woman. You’d be better strengthening your pure werewolf power instead of clinging on those little magical trinkets."

With a careless motion, she took off the Moonstone Amulet.

As if tossing out trash, she threw it onto the fur rug at my feet.

The amulet, my mother’s heirloom, blessed with the moon goddess’s power, lay there, discarded so thoughtlessly by her.

Tears stung my eyes.

I sank to my knees, my trembling fingers carefully gathering the cold amulet into my palm, it’s sharp edges pricking my skin.

Leo’s voice still echoed from the side, his tone dripping with contempt, "You’re just a half-witch, a wolf with impure bloodline. What the hell right do you have to compete with the Cassia? If it weren't for Alpha Lucian's kindness, letting you stay in the pack, you’d have been torn apart by Abyssal Creatures long ago!"

And my husband, the leader of the Stormheart Tribe, didn't say a single word for me.

Swallowing my humiliation, I forced myself to stand.

I didn't want to argue with these idiots about the Amulet anymore.

Lifting my gaze to Lucian, I made my second request, "Forget about the Amulet, tomorrow, I want you to come with me to the Emerald Coven, I need to bring home my parents’ Soul Crystals.”

This was my last line, for me, and for my parents. The last of our dignity..

Lucian hesitated.

In three years, he only knew that my parents died on the battlefield against Abyssal Creatures, but he never cared about their past.

"Aella, you’re shameless!" Leo snapped, stepping forward again “All this just to make Alpha go with you? You actually came up with such a pathetic excuse!”

I ignored him, and kept my eyes on Lucian, waiting for his answer.

A flicker of hesitation flashed across his handsome face before he finally nodded, "Okay, I'll go with you tomorrow.”

Without another word, I turned and walked out of the stifling council hall.

Behind me, Leo's voice echoed, dripping with disdain."You’re really with that bitch tomorrow?"

"Anyway, Aella is my mate." Lucian said in a low voice, "It’s only right that I go with her.”

"That bitch’s talking nonsense!” Leo barked. “Who in their right mind would travel all the way to the forbidden land just to bring back the Soul Crystals of a half-wolf’s parents?”

The word "bitch" cut through me like a poisoned blade, striking straight into my heart.

I lowered my head, and gripped the Amulet tightly in my hand.

Mom, Dad, tomorrow, I'll come to bring you home.

***

The next day, the appointed time came, and Lucian still hadn’t shown up.

A heavy sense of dread settled in my chest.

I reached out to him through the Mind-Link, but the only thing I heard was his impatient voice, "Cassia's mother got her ankle scratched by some thorns, I'm taking her to the Elven clinic."

"Lucian, hurry up and help my mom." Cassia's soft, sugary voice followed, dripping with sweetness.

"Okay." His tone instantly softened—gentle in a way I hadn't heard in a long time.

Before I could say anything else, he abruptly cut off the Mind-Link.

I just stood there, the cold seeping through me.

My throat tightened, like something was choking me, like every scream and question I wanted to throw at him got stuck inside.

How ridiculous.

My husband could spend the night tending to Cassia’s mother’s ankle, scratched by a few thorns, but he couldn’t bring himself to stand beside his mate and honor the souls of the hero parents who’d died protecting the mainland.

I drew a steady breath and turned on my heel. Then I went alone to the territory of the Emerald Coven, its borders cloaked by a powerful magical barrier.

The barrier shimmered with a solemn, majestic glow, keeping out all who weren’t permitted to enter.

Step by step, I approached its edge and stopped.

Even after three years of retirement, my stance remained as straight and proud as any Guardian.

I lifted my right hand in a formal salute.

Even if I was alone, I would bring my parents' Soul Crystals back home!

I lifted my voice in the ancient Elven tongue, declaring, "Aella, daughter of the Great Witch Elara, here to reclaim the Soul Crystals of Council Guardian Aethelan Silvermoon and Battle Healer Elara!"

My clear, resonant voice cut through the magical barrier, echoing high into the sky.

The vast barrier shimmered, then slowly parted—opening a path before me...

Aella’s POV

Whoosh!

Two lines of Coven Guardians in dark green robes marched out in perfect formation, standing on either side of the barrier gate.

They raised their right hands in a solemn salute.

Then I saw my mentor, the Grand Elder of The Emerald Coven.

Glad in a ceremonial robes, he carried a moonwood box in both hands, walking towards me with deliberate grace.

Inside the box lay two crystals, glowing in perfect harmony, one shimmering with the silver moonlight of werewolf bloodline,the other pulsing with the radiant starlight of witch magic.

"For the fallen heroes who gave their lives to protect Gaia, their glory shall never fade!” The Grand Elder's voice thundered.

The guardians behind him responded as one, their voices booming through the air. "For the fallen heroes who gave their lives to protect Gaia, their glory shall never fade!"

The cry rolled across the sky like thunder.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

My parents were never forgotten.

They were heroes.

This solemn ceremony stood in sharp contrast to the humiliation I endured yesterday, called a "mongrel" in front of the Stormheart Tribe.

I straightened my back and saluted the Grand Elder and the guardians once more.

"Aella, bring your parents home!"

I stepped forward, took the moonwood box from Grand Elder and raised my voice.

The box was heavy, yet holding it filled me with an unfamiliar calm.

Three years ago, my parents had fallen in a foreign, forbidden land. Now, I could finally bring them home.

After the ceremony, the Grand Elder glanced around and noticed I was alone.

"Where is your mate? He didn’t come with you?" Only a few knew about my relationship, and he was one of them.

I lowered my gaze. "He's busy. Couldn't make it."

Having watched me grow up, the Grand Elder sighed and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, "Aella, if things aren't going well out there, you can always come back. The doors of The Emerald Coven will always be open to you."

"Thank you, Mentor." I gave a small nod.

After bidding farewell to the Grand Elder, I returned to the house Lucian and I shared, carrying my parents’ Soul Crystals.

The moment I stepped inside, Eleonor’s sharp voice cut through the air.

"That Cassia is back, she's the chief healer now. You should drop that mongrel Aella and marry Cassia instead!"

"Cassia and I are just friends." Lucian's deep voice replied.

"Friend? Everyone knows my brother likes Cassia! She comes from a noble line, she’s accomplished, and what does Aella have? Nothing. How could she ever compare?" Liana’s sneer dripped with scorn.

A chill ran down my spine.

For three years, I’d stood by Lucian’s side, turning a struggling tribe into a thriving one, sleepless nights spent crafting stronger defense puppets. And now I was worth was a single sentence, ‘How could she compare?’

Liana’s eyes caught mine.

"Aella, how shameless, you were eavesdropping at the door!"

I stepped forward, gripping the box tightly. "I didn't hide or eavesdrop. Tell me, where exactly did I eavesdrop?"

"Then you heard it,” she snapped. “Be smart, Aella. Leave my brother before you hold him back from Cassia.”

Her tone was as cold and condescending as ever.

"Liana, that's enough!" Lucian snapped.

But she didn’t stop, "I'm not wrong! Aella has nothing. She only married you after Cassia left!"

Lucian's face darkened, "Liana, are you done?"

She pouted, unwilling but silent.

Lucian frowned and stepped toward me, his gaze falling on the moonwood box in my hands.

"What’s that?"

"My parents' Soul Crystals," I replied evenly "I brought them home."

Guilt flickered in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I should’ve gone with you today, but Cassia's mother—"

Before he could finish, a sharper voice cut in.

"What?! Soul Crystals?!"

Eleonor glared at me like I’d brought filth into her house., "How could you bring back something with such a foul magical aura?!"

Foul?

I stared at her, disbelief flooding my chest. "These are my parents' Soul Crystals! How could they possibly be foul?!”

They were heroes, sacrificed themselves to protect Gaia, worthy of every creature’s respect.

"I don’t care whose Soul Crystals they are!” Eleonor snapped. “They reek of dark magic! Get out! Don't bring this bad luck into my home!"

I tightened my grip on the box. "I'm not leaving. This is my home too!"

"Home?” Liana cut in with a sneer. “It's my brother's house! Mom’s sensitive to magic, doctor said she can't get upset. You need to send Aella away!"

Lucian hesitated.

Then, quietly, he said, "You should go. Maybe bury the Soul Crystals somewhere safe."

My heart dropped.

How could he say that?

"You think they’re unlucky too? Can't we just keep them here for a while?" I demanded, eyes fixed on him.

He said nothing.

His silence said everything.

"What if I don't want to?" I snapped, "Lucian, I’ve been with you for three years, I’ve never done anything to betray you or your family!"

"I helped your tribe grow, I spent night researching defense puppets with you. When your mother's eyes were struck by dark magic and every healer said there was no nope, it was my contacts in the Emerald Coven who brought Master Faelan to save her!"

"I treated you all like family. But have any of you ever respected mine?”

My words made their faces twist in anger.

Liana shot back, her voice sharp. "So what if you helped my mom? That was my brother's achievement! And the tribe’s growth? It's just my brother supporting you! That’s all him! Don't act like you’re the reason we’re where we are!”

I ignored her, keeping my eyes on Lucian. "Three years, Lucian. Can't we just keep my parents' Soul Crystals here for a few days?"

He Frowned. "Aella, don't be ridiculous."

"What if I’m not backing down?" I stepped closer.

Eleonor lunged at me, fury flashing in her eyes. She raised her hand and shoved at the moonwood box I was holding.

"As long as I’m here, you’ll never taint this house with your filthy magic!"

I gasped as the box, holding my parents' Soul Crystals, slipped from my grasp...

Aella’s POV

My pupils constricted.

Instinct kicked in, I clutched the box to my chest, shielding it with everything I had. Not a single scratch would touch it.

"These are my parents' Soul Crystals! How could you?!" I shouted, rage tearing through my voice.

"This is my son's home! If you dare bring that ominous thing in here, I’ll smash it, let your parents see what their daughter has become. She’s trying to curse our Stormheart Tribe!" Eleonor spat.

I shook with fury, clutching the box. "You may be my mate's mother, but you will not insult my parents."

Lucian finally spoke. "Aella, take the box outside, don't rile my mother, her eyes just recovered. If anything happens to her, I won't forgive you!"

My hands trembled as I held the box. Anger flared hotter in my eyes.

Three years together, and he couldn't even show the slightest respect for my parents.

When I didn't move, Lucian's glare hardened. "Still not leaving? Do you want me to throw you out myself?"

I let out a bitter laugh, starting down at the box in my hands.

Dad, Mom… I really did marry the wrong man.

Three years ago, he’d looked at me nervously, "I'm just an Alpha of a struggling little tribe… would you really be willing to be with someone like me?"

And I’d nodded.

Because on the worst day of my life, when I found out you were gone, he was the one who stayed beside me, quietly wiping away my tears.

After my parents’ sacrificed, my mentor had spoken to me with deep concern.

"Aella, before your parents passed, their greatest worried was your future. The path of a guardian is dangerous. I believe they hoped you’d choose a peaceful life instead.”

With my parents gone and my brother missing, a family of four became just one, me.

So, I left the Guardian Knights and married Lucian.

I thought, even if we could never be as loving as my parents, at least we’d respect each other, keep things steady, and live with quiet understanding.

But now, Lucian himself was tearing apart the last shred of my dignity.

Did he ever realize that when we started, he had nothing? That the very foundation of this tribe was built with the magical resources my mother left behind?

If my parents could see this from the heavens… their son-in-law, the man entrusted with their heirlooms, won’t even allow their Soul Crystals in his home, how heartbroken would they be?

"Fine, I'm leaving!" I lifted my head, standing tall as I fought back the tears.

I could bleed, I could sacrifice. But I refused to cry over a man with no heart.

I turned and walked away without looking back.

Liana blinked, stunned. "Did she really just leave?"

"Hmph! This is the Alpha's house! What right does she have to act like she owns it? That bastard still dares to act high and mighty!" Eleonor’s curse followed me out the door.

Lucian watched me go, a hollow ache spreading through his chest, like something precious had slipped away.

***

Carrying my parents' Soul Crystals, I made my way to the Ancestral Grove.

It was the sacred altar where generation of the tribe were honored, and the place where the moon goddess’s power shone strongest across the mountains.

I gently set the moonwood box upon the altar and whispered a quiet prayer.

"Mom, Dad… just a little longer. I’ll bring you home soon."

After setting down the Soul Crystals, I turned to leave, and that’s when I saw him.

A man stood beneath an ancient tree not far away, his presence so intense it felt like the air itself was bowing to him.

He wore a black robe embroidered with gold thread, every line perfectly tailored. His silver-white hair was loosely tied back, catching the faint glow of the moon.

I couldn't see his whole face, only the sharp bridge of his nose and thin, pale lips that almost shimmered under the light.

A face so striking it blurred the line between beauty and danger.

In that instant, my gaze locked with a pair pitch-black eyes, silent and unreadable.

They were stunning, narrow phoenix eyes with a faint upward tilt, yet what lay within them was terrifyingly calm… like nothing in this world could ever stir them.

Beside him stood an attendant, bowing slightly.

"Your Majesty, it's time to go," the attendant murmured.

Warlock King? My heart skipped a beat.

Could he really be that Valerius, the infamous, merciless ruler from the old tales?

For a moment, his gaze lingered on me. Then he looked away and walked past, his presence fading like shadow in the moonlight.

It wasn't until I mounted my griffon that I noticed my palms were slick with cold sweat.

***

When I got back to the residence, Lucian was sitting on the couch in the living room waiting for me.

The moment he saw me, he stood up and walked over. "Did you settled your parents' Soul Crystals?"

"Yeah." I said flatly.

He sighed. "My mother’s old. She has her own taboos, it's wasn’t meant to target you." He reached out and gently pulled me into his arms.

"Aella, I'm sorry. I know I hurt you today. I'll make it up to you," he murmured.

Make it up to me? The words hit harder than he realized.

His embrace was warm, but all I felt was cold.

Because It wasn't me who’d been wronged today. It was my parents.

A hero’s soul couldn't even enter his own daughter's home after death.

Lucian, what could he possibly make up for?

Once, I longed for the warmth of his arms.

Now, wanted nothing to do with that empty comfort.

I pushed him away, meeting the eyes of the man I once loved. All I felt now was disgust. My gaze was cold. Unwavering.

I spoke the most resolute words a werewolf could ever say.

"I, Aella, under the witness of the Moon Goddess's, reject Lucian as my mate!"

Lucian’s POV

“I, Aella, under the witness of the Moon Goddess, refuse to be with Lucian.”

Those were the most resolute words a werewolf could ever speak, yet she said them so calmly, as if they had nothing to do with her.

My brows furrowed. "Refuse? All because my mother wouldn’t let you bring those two useless crystals into the house?"

My voice carried the same indifference as if it were something trivial.

The faint light in her eyes went out completely.

Her silver-gray gaze turned cold, like a frozen lake that no longer reflected me.

"It's not just that," she said quietly. "There's also Cassia. Once we sever the bond, you can finally be with her openly."

"I've told you before, Cassia and I are just friends," I said, irritably, "don't jump to conclusions."

She actually laughed, a sharp, mocking sound I’d never heard from her before.

"Everyone can see you and Cassia are more than friends, yet you keep using that word to cover up your betrayal of the mate bond."

"I'm tired, Lucian," she said quietly, "I don't want to hold on to this bond anymore."

The absolute hopelessness in her voice made something twist inside me.

That strange panic, like sand slipping through my fingers, grew stronger.

It felt as if the next breath I took, she’d be gone from my life completely.

"If you're still unsure, then… let's have a child," I blurted out.

"What?" She stared at me, stunned, like I’d just told the cruelest joke.

I leaned in, trying to kiss her cheek, trying to use touch to bridge what words no longer could.

"We've been together for three years, it's time we had our own pup, a pure-blooded child who can strengthen our bond.”

She’d once asked me eagerly when we’d have a child.

And how did I answer back then?

"I'm not ready yet. Can we wait a little longer?"

But the truth was, I’d been saving the purity of my Alpha blood for Cassia. I couldn't let a half-witch stain my mark.

I thought she would wait forever.

But now, when she was finally ready to walk away, I wanted to chain her down with a child.

Aella suddenly shoved me back. She wiped the spot where I’d touched her with the back of her hand, like she was cleaning off something filthy.

"Lucian, you're disgusting!"

My expression darkened. "Aella, when we got together, I promised I wouldn’t let you down. So, I'll pretend I didn't hear what you said earlier."

"If you’re not ready for a child, we can wait."

"There’s no need to wait,” she snapped coldly. "I will never have a child with you!"

Before I could respond, a familiar pulse flickered through the Mind-Link.

Cassia.

I answered right away, her soft but anxious voice echoing in my head.

"...Okay, I'll be right there." I murmured.

When the connection faded, I turned back to Aella. "I’ve got something to handle. Stay here and calm down."

Without waiting for her reply, I left, walking away and leaving her in the silence of our empty home.

Through the window, I caught one last glimpse of her standing there, motionless, like a statue without a soul.

She was just upset.

She’d cool off eventually. Once I came back and said a few gentle words, everything would be fine again.

I comforted myself with that thought as I rode my mount toward Cassia.

***

Before I could even think about how to make things right with Aella, my mother, Eleonor, came to find me first.

She slammed a stack of papers down in front of me.

"This is a Bond Severance Pact. I've already had the tribe's lawyer draft it. Sign it." Her tone left no room for argument.

I frowned at the document. "Mother, I’ll handle things with Aella myself."

"Handle it how?” she scoffed. “By letting her keep using those witch trinkets to twist the tribe’s fate?”

Eleonor crossed her arms, her expression full of contempt. "I've already struck a deal with her. I offered her a hundred high-grade magic crystals to cut the bond with you!"

"What?" I shot to my feet. "How could you—"

"How could I not?" she cut me off sharply. "I already spoke to her, and she agreed without hesitation!”

I froze, disbelief sinking in.

“She agreed?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. "She really wants to sever the bond?"

"Of course! That woman was dying to leave anyway. Now she gets a hundred high-grade crystals out of it, why wouldn't she agree?"

A smug glint crossed Eleonor's face. "Honestly, it's a damn waste. A hundred high-grade magic crystals! I was going lower it to twenty, but that little bitch actually tried to threaten me with Lunar Law, said she could claim half of the tribe's new hunting grounds!"

"It doesn't matter, as long as she's willing to leave!" Eleonor's expression flickered with guilt. "I've already signed the contract for you, so there’s nothing to worry about. We agreed to keep it quiet for thirty days. Once the time’s up, your bond will be automatically severed!"

I stared at the document. My own signature stared back at me, perfectly forged, down to every stroke.

So, all I had to do was stay silent.

In thirty days, my bond with Aella would be gone.

And somehow… that thought brought me a strange sense of relief.

***

That evening, I met Leo and a few of the tribe’s core members at a tavern in town to discuss some matters.

Cassia was there too.

After a few mugs of ale, Leo started running his mouth.

"Alpha, when are you planning to officially bond with Miss Cassia? You’d better invite us to the celebration!"

Another Beta laughed. "Yeah, I doubt it’ll take long. That Aella, what is she even worth? Some graduate from a second-rate Rogue Witch Academy. If it weren't for your generosity, she’d have starved to death out in the wild by now. And yet she still dares to call herself the Alpha’s mate?”

"Our Miss Cassia is different, noble bloodline, exceptional talent. She’s the strongest healer in our tribe!"

Laughter erupted from the next table, grating on my nerves.

Each table was separated by a magic screen, so we couldn't see who was sitting nearby.

Just as Leo was getting carried away, a cold voice cut through the noise without warning.

"How about this, I buy you all a drink to celebrate?"

Every head at our table snapped up at once.

Aella stood there, watching us quietly, her silver-gray eyes stripped of all warmth.

Aella’s POV

When Leo saw me, he froze for a second, then that smug, contemptuous smile crept onto his face.

"Well, if it isn't our great golem constructor. Finally decided to crawl out of your pile of junk, huh?"

He sneered again, going straight for my background. "A mixed-blood graduate from Rogue Witch Academy, what makes you think you belong somewhere like this?"

"What the hell are you talking about!" my friend Fiona snapped, trembling with anger. She shot to her feet, stormed to my side, and jabbed a finger at Leo’s face. "Rogue Witch Academy? My ass! Aella graduated from The Emerald Coven's Supreme Magic Academy!"

"Hahaha!"

Fiona's words set off laughter across the entire tavern.

"The Emerald Coven's Supreme Magic Academy? Seriously? You think someone like her could get in there?"

"What a joke, no shame at all!"

Cassia's expression brightened noticeably. She stood, putting on her usual gentle facade, and walked over to me. Her voice dripped with false kindness.

"Aella, I understand your background might not be… ideal. But making up stories about yourself will only make you look foolish."

Fiona nearly lost it. "We… Aella—"

I stop her, gripping her arm tightly, then met Cassia’s eyes with an icy stare.

"My background,” I said flatly, “isn’t yours to judge."

Cassia frowned. The woman standing before her should’ve been embarrassed, ashamed, even, after being exposed in front of everyone. But instead, Aella remained completely calm.

That calmness made Cassia uneasy.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a group of people walking past their table.

And among them, someone she recognized.

"Professor Gao!" Cassia called out, a calculating smile curving her lips, " What a surprise! I didn’t expect to see you here.”

The man she addressed stopped in his tracks, turning toward her. Recognition flickered in his eyes.

"It's you,” he said. “Long time no see."

"You're the Rune Master of The Emerald Coven, aren’t you?” Cassia said sweetly. “What a coincidence. There's someone at our table claiming to be a graduate of the Supreme Magic Academy, I wonder if you happen to know her.”

She shot me a meaningful look.

The others caught on immediately, grinning like they were about to watch a good show.

"Yeah, Aella! Didn't you say you graduated from the Supreme Magic Academy? You must know the professor there, right?"

I stepped forward slowly. "Professor Gao, It’s been a while."

A ripple of mocking laughter spread through the tavern.

"Oh, that’s a good one!"

"She actually thinks she's from the Supreme Magic Academy!"

"As if Professor Gao would know someone like her!"

The mocking and snide remarks around us fell silent the moment Professor Gao reached out and warmly patted my shoulder.

"I didn't expect to see you here, Aella." His face lit up with a genuine smile. "It's been years.”

"Yeah, it has,” I said softly. How have you been, Professor?"

"I'm doing well, doing well,” he replied, letting out a gentle sigh. “I heard about your parents, My condolences."

"Thank you," I murmured.

The tavern fell quiet. The crowd that had been waiting for a joke now looked stunned.

Cassia’s eyes went wide in disbelief. "Professor Gao… you actually know her?"

"Of course I do,” Professor Gao said proudly. “She was one of my most outstanding student. How could I not know her!"

His tone carried genuine pride. "Aella was the Champion of the Continental Magic Theory Examination. When she enrolled, the entire academy was in an uproar.”

Champion of the Continental Magic Theory Examination.

These words hit Cassia, Lucian, Leo, and others like a slap to the face.

Their expressions twisted, no longer just ugly, but utterly humiliated.

Cassia's face flushed red, then drained white. Just moments ago, she’d been calling me a clown.

But now, the clown wasn’t me anymore. It was her!

Lucian looked stunned. He’d never heard about any of my achievements, because I’d never told him.

And for the first time, he felt a strange distance between us, as if he was standing from across from a stranger instead of the woman he’d been with for three years.

"Professor Gao, is this the student you spoke so highly of?" The cold male voice snapped everyone back to reality.

That was when I noticed the man standing beside Professor Gao, the same man I’d seen at the Ancestral Grove.

The Warlock King, Valerius.

"Yes," Professor Gao said, introducing us. "This is my student, Aella. Aella, this is Lord Valerius."

"Hello, Miss Aella."

Valerius extended his hand, his tone polite, but there was a flicker of curiosity behind those dark, deathly calm eyes.

"Hello, Lord Valerius."

I shook his hand briefly, barely a touch before letting go.

Then, without warning, a violent surge of Shadow Energy tore through the tavern!

A Fallen Hunter, armed with a Silver-quenched dagger, shot toward Valerius like a streak of black lightning.

Screams erupted all around us.

Suddenly, a powerful force slammed into me, shoving me aside. I stumbled, nearly falling.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lucian turn, not toward me, but toward Cassia, pulling her tightly into his arms.

The one who pushed me away… was Lucian.

When danger struck, he didn’t save me, his mate of three years.

Lucian… how many more times do you plan to let me down?

My heart went cold, but I stood my ground, every instinct of a warrior keeping me steady as I stared at him, expressionlessly.

Did it ever cross his mind that by pushing me away, he might’ve left me to take that Silver-quenched dagger straight to the chest?

As if sensing my gaze, Lucian turned towards me through the chaos. A flicker of guilt flashed across his face.

When he heard the whistle of the blade, his first instinct had been to shield Cassia, shoving me out of the way in the process.

He probably thought he could smooth it over later.

He always believed I was easy to win back.

I looked at him, my lips moving slowly, forming five simple words.

"I don't want you anymore."