Chapter 7
Aurora’s POV
After a long and restless journey, I finally returned to my old pack which I had left behind so many
years ago.
My old pack was hidden in a small town. It was quiet and secluded, but life here had always been peaceful and comforting.
Nothing had changed.
Here, it felt like time had come to a standstill.
Even though I hadn’t set foot here in years, everything looked exactly the same as I remembered.
My neighbor, Aunt Camilla, was both shocked and delighted to see me. She helped me tidy up the old house.
“I still remember when you found your mate and he turned out to be the Alpha of that powerful northern pack. We were all so happy for you,” she said with a smile. “Just looking at you now, I bet you’ve made quite a name for yourself up north. You must be an outstanding Luna by now.”
“All the effort your mother poured into raising you… it wasn’t in vain.”
Hearing her kind words, I felt ashamed and lowered my head.
I had been the first she–wolf in this small town to be mated to an Alpha.
Back then, everyone, including myself, believed I was destined for great future.
I was going to give my mother a better life and was going to have a happy family.
But fate was cruel. At a critical crossroads in my life, I chose to become Xavier’s Luna.
And for that, I gave away ten years of my youth and the lives of two people.
Camilla and I chatted for a while, and I briefly told her about everything that had happened.
When I told her my mother had passed away, her face turned sorrowful, and I couldn’t help but shed tears too.
“I’ve always felt like it was my fault.”
“If I had noticed something was wrong with her earlier… if I had hidden the truth about the baby… if I hadn’t become Xavier’s Luna, and instead worked hard to pay for her medical expenses with my
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own hands… maybe none of this would’ve happened.”
Camilla patted my shoulder and pulled me into a comforting hug.
“Your mother actually called me once, many years ago,” she said softly.
“She was crying, saying she knew you weren’t happy as a Luna. She said she felt guilty that she had held you back.”
“Aurora, you’re all grown up now. I won’t try to lecture you. But just know–no mother ever stops loving her child. Your mom would never have blamed you. All she wanted was for you to be happy.”
I broke down in her arms, sobbing uncontrollably, releasing the pain and sorrow I had bottled up for the past ten years.
After the tears, my heart finally settled.
The regrets of the past could never be undone.
Battered and flayed, I still managed to claw my way out of that gilded cage before the endless spiral could claim me completely.
I held a small funeral ceremony for my mother in the pack and laid her to rest beside my father, who had died many years earlier.
I sat in front of their graves, silently staring at the flowers, tears falling without a sound.
“Aurora.”
I looked around, but saw no one.
“It’s me, Aurora–your wolf.”
I wiped my tears and stood up in shock. “Mia… I missed you so much. You’re finally back.”
That day, Mia and I talked for hours.
During my time with the pack, every member welcomed me with open arms. They offered help in all matters, big and small. Their kindness helped me decide to stay.
With my exceptional skills, I earned my place in the local pack as a teacher, establishing the Luna Training Program.
Most of the pack members were young werewolves who had just come of age and awakened to their wolf nature. Though the same age as Amara, they radiated sunshine–bright, cheerful, and full of
vitality.
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During our free time, we’d chat, go shopping, or shift and run through the forest together. Life was simple, but it was peaceful and sweet..
Until one day, Xavier showed up in front of me.
He reeked of alcohol so badly it made my head spin. I tried to walk away, but he blocked my path.
He looked at me with an expression full of something I couldn’t quite read–maybe longing, maybe regret.
“Aurora… I missed you so much.”
“Xavier, the mate bond between us is severed.”
My tone was calm and indifferent, as if I were speaking to a stranger.
But Xavier kept shaking his head, stubbornly holding out a ring in front of me.
“I don’t accept that, Aurora. I can’t live without you.”
“I’ve been going crazy without you. Never had the guts to say it, but… I’m really love you. For real.”
“Those early days with you… they were the happiest of my life. For the first time, I thought someone could love me wholeheartedly. I thought I finally had a home.”
“But when I found out about the contract you signed with my grandpa, it shattered everything. I couldn’t accept that the woman I loved, my mate, came into my life with a hidden agenda. That’s why I did all those stupid things, to hurt you back…”
As he spoke, tears streamed down his face like he was the one who had suffered most.
I looked up at him.
“Do you even remember the date of our wedding anniversary?”
Xavier froze. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. For a long time, no answer came.
I let out a bitter laugh. “I remember it. I’ll never forget.”
“Because your mistress told me that the first time she slept with you was the day we got married.”
She was Xavier’s hand–picked bridesmaid–his Beta’s younger sister.
Not long after our wedding, she openly admitted their relationship to me. Xavier had quickly grown tired of her after that.
When a new lover came along, she became the cast–off before I did.
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Xavier had no words to defend himself. But because I had always tolerated him, he assumed that as long as he lowered his head, I’d forgive him again.
After that, Xavier tried to win me back like we were in the early days of our relationship. He brought me flowers and gifts, hoping I’d soften.
But I was no longer that naïve, clueless girl. I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
“You know what? After I broke the mate bond with you, my wolf came back. Maybe there really is a brighter future waiting for me. A fresh start,” I said, looking straight at him.
“Only, that future won’t have you in it.”
Just when I had made up my mind to never see Xavier again, I received a call from the former Beta of the northern pack who was also a close friend of Jareth’s.
“Alpha Jareth is seriously ill. Luna, he wants to see you one last time before he goes.”
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