No one believed it. Six times, six separate divorce agreements had crossed Luna Seraphine's hands, and six times she had refused to sign.
She had endured the humiliation of watching her former nanny's daughter move freely through her home, issuing orders like she owned the place.
The pack had whispered, sneered, pitied her. To them, it all pointed to one thing, weakness.
So when the words finally left her lips, they landed like a blade dropped into silence.
"It can't be true, right?" a pack member murmured from the crowd. "She'll crawl back. She always does."
"Yes," another chimed in confidently. "Luna Seraphine can never leave Alpha Ravyn. She cares too much about her position."
Alpha Ravyn stood at the center of it all, tall and immaculate, his cream-colored suit tailored to perfection. For a brief moment, his hardened expression faltered.
This had to be another trick. He was the second most powerful Alpha in the entire community, second only in strength and wealth across all of New York.
With a single command, he could ruin her. Laws protected Lunas, yes, but laws could bend. And more than anything, this was humiliating, especially after everything he had said so publicly before her arrival.
This gathering had been carefully planned, invitations sent out ahead of time. Alphas had abandoned packed schedules and city obligations to witness this very moment.
Ravyn had been absolutely certain that Seraphine would give in again, just like before, but this sudden change in her attitude stunned him.
Most of the prominent Alphas were present. Only a few were absent. His closest friend, Alpha Voren Ashkael of the Grimroot Pack, for instance, had been unable to attend.
"You didn't think this through," Ravyn said at last, his voice steady, confident. His gaze locked onto Seraphine, sharp and assessing. "You know divorcing an Alpha means you can never marry another Alpha again."
The Alphas around them nodded in agreement, murmurs of approval rippling through the crowd.
Ravyn straightened, his pride swelling. "There is an oath among us. We don't take each other's exes. You won't even be able to marry a beta, only a low-ranking pack member."
The scorn in his eyes was unmistakable. He meant every word, but Seraphine didn't flinch. She had grown used to that look.
Standing there in her plain hospital gown, her posture remained firm, her spine straight, her chin lifted.
Ravyn, in all his polished charm, looked just as he had the first night she declared her love to him, back when she had stood on a hill during the Moon Festival on her eighteenth birthday.
Heart racing, she boldly declared to the world, "Alpha Ravyn is mine."
Back then, everyone had turned to him, waiting for his response. He had dismissed it casually. "Daisy is the one I want," he had said later, without shame. "Unlike Sera, she's humble."
Because Seraphine was raised as a beta's daughter, they had labeled her spoiled. A pampered brat. Daisy, on the other hand, cried easily, spoke softly, and played the victim perfectly.
She accused Seraphine of bullying, winning sympathy from the pack, and from Ravyn. Even from Seraphine's own parents.
Everyone had fallen for Daisy's act. Seraphine hadn't defended herself. She had believed the truth would eventually rise on its own.
Now, that silence tasted bitter. "You don't think," Seraphine said calmly, her voice slicing cleanly through the murmurs, "that as a Luna I'm unaware of the consequences of signing a divorce agreement, do you?"
Her eyes were empty, cold. For the first time, Ravyn felt unsettled. There was no desperation like before, no pleading. Just a stillness that made him uneasy.
"You are shameless," he spat. "You tricked me. You forced my parents into pressuring me to marry you, and now you stand here acting like the victim?"
"Take it." Seraphine cut him off mid-sentence, extending her hand, with the signed papers resting neatly in her palm.
Ravyn stared at them, unmoving, until Daisy stepped beside him. She slipped to his side effortlessly, her gown shimmering under the ceremonial lights. Gold threads sparkled against the fabric, blending with her blonde hair until she looked radiant, like sunlight wrapped in silk.
A subtle smile tugged at her lips. "Luna Sera," Daisy said sweetly, her voice soft enough to sound sincere. "Alpha Ravyn only needed my help because you were unwell. Now that you're awake, the ceremony will be canceled. There's no need for a divorce."
Seraphine smiled in response, but her eyes remained distant. She wanted to speak, wanted to tear apart the lie right there. But with so many watching, she swallowed the words.
Instead, she looked around. "Where is Bryan?" Her heart tightened when she didn't see him.
"At the academy," Ravyn answered, unease creeping into his tone.
"He's all I want after the divorce," Seraphine said simply.
"Never!" Both Ravyn and Daisy spoke at the same time.
Seraphine lifted a brow, her expression composed. She didn't need a crown or a title to prove her worth. Even dressed in a hospital gown, stripped of ceremony, she still carried herself with undeniable grace.
"You didn't expect me to leave my son behind, did you?"
Ravyn exchanged a quick glance with Daisy before gripping Seraphine's arm and pulling her aside.
"Don't make a scene," he hissed under his breath. "I'll explain everything when I get back."
She said nothing, simply turned and walked away.
The academy wasn't far from the pack house. The thirty-minute walk felt longer than it should have, each step pressing against her chest. Her body was still weak, but she pushed through it.
When Bryan spotted her, his face darkened. "What are you doing here?"
Her heart cracked, but she smiled anyway, grabbing his little arm gently. "I'm sorry I've been away so long. Let's go home and talk."
"I don't want to go home with you," Bryan snapped, pulling his hand away. "I hate you."
The words stopped her cold. She had expected joy, excitement, of finally seeing her again but not this. Not from her own son.
"Bryan," she said carefully, her voice steady despite the pain creeping in, "I'm your mother. I'm leaving this pack, and you're coming with me."
She reached out to grab his arm again but he avoided her touch like it burned him. "No!" he shouted. "You're not my mother. Leave me alone!"
Heads began to turn. Seraphine forced a gentle smile, lowering her voice. "It's okay to be upset, but don't say things like that."
Before she could say more, an instructor stepped outside. "Luna," he said, surprised. "You're well? Daisy said you would never recover."
Seraphine ignored him. Her focus stayed on her son. "I'm taking Bryan home."
The instructor moved to block her path. "I'm sorry, Luna, but Alpha Ravyn has stated that only Daisy has authority over Bryan."
Seraphine's breath caught. "In fact," the man added hesitantly, "he said Daisy is Bryan's biological mother."
Something inside her snapped. "Are you out of your mind?" Seraphine demanded.
The instructor shook his head. "I said the same until I was shown the maternity test results." He handed her a document.
Her vision blurred as she read. Her knees weakened. "No…" her voice broke. "This is fake. Bryan is my…" the world tilted beneath her feet.