Luna’s Retribution

CHAPTER FOUR

Aiden’s eyes widened, and for a brief moment, Tara thought she saw a flicker of the man she once knew, the man who loved her. But just as quickly, it disappeared, replaced by cold indifference.

“If that’s what you want,” he said, his voice emotionless.

A sharp pain shot through Tara’s chest at his words. She had hoped, even for just a moment, that he would fight for her. That he would say something, anything, to make her stay. But instead, he let her go.

Tara turned away from him, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. She had made her decision. And tomorrow, she would begin the process to sever their mate bond.

As she walked away from the cliff, the moonlight casting her shadow long behind her, Tara knew that this was just the beginning of the hardest fight of her life.

But this time, she would be fighting for herself.

The next morning arrived with an unnerving calmness that Tara wasn’t prepared for. She had spent the entire night tossing and turning, feeling the ache of a decision that was irreversible. As the sun crept through the windows, casting soft beams of light over the room she once shared with Aiden, the gravity of what she was about to do settled over her like a suffocating weight.

The process to sever a mate bond wasn’t something done lightly. It required a formal ceremony, presided over by the pack’s elders and the approval of both parties. It was a severing of hearts, souls, and futures. The mere thought of it sent a chill through her, but Tara knew she had no choice. She couldn’t stay trapped in a marriage where her mate’s affection had been stolen away.

The knock on the door was soft, but it startled her out of her thoughts. She crossed the room to open it, half expecting Aiden to be standing there, perhaps with an apology on his lips. But when she opened the door, it was Ember who stood in front of her, her expression carefully neutral, though her dark eyes held a glint of something Tara couldn’t quite place.

“Ember,” Tara greeted, her voice tight.

“I wanted to check on you,” Ember said softly, placing a hand protectively over her pregnant belly. “Aiden mentioned your talk last night.”

Tara clenched her jaw, anger sparking in her chest. Of course, Aiden had told Ember. She seemed to be the center of his world now, more so than Tara ever had been. “I’m sure he did.”

“I know this is hard,” Ember continued, stepping inside the room without invitation, her eyes scanning the space with practiced ease. “But I understand why you’re leaving.”

Tara narrowed her eyes. “Do you?”

Ember nodded, her voice soothing, almost patronizing. “It’s clear that you’re not happy here anymore, Tara. And… well, the pack needs a Luna who can fully commit to them. Who can be there, especially with everything going on. Aiden needs stability.”

Tara’s heart pounded in her chest. There it was—the insinuation she had been dreading, the subtle implication that she was the problem. That she had failed as Luna. “I’ve been here, Ember. I’ve been by Aiden’s side for years. It’s only since you arrived that things have changed.”

Ember’s expression softened into a look of pity, but Tara saw the flash of triumph in her eyes. “I’m sorry you feel that way. I never wanted to cause any tension between you and Aiden. I just want what’s best for the pack.”

Tara’s hands balled into fists at her sides. She could feel the wolf within her stirring, the anger coursing through her veins. Ember was playing a dangerous game, and Tara was only now realizing how deep her manipulation went. But this wasn’t the time for confrontation. Not yet.

“I’ll be out of here soon,” Tara said through gritted teeth, stepping aside to let Ember pass. “You can have the house. And Aiden.”

Ember smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I hope you find peace, Tara.”

As Ember turned and walked away, her steps slow and deliberate, Tara could feel the tight knot of rage and sorrow building in her chest. Ember’s words had done nothing but confirm what she already knew: she was being pushed out, and Aiden was too blind to see it.

But if Ember thought that Tara was going to leave quietly, she was sorely mistaken.

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By midday, Tara was standing before the Silvermoon elders, their eyes grave as they looked down upon her. The ceremony of bond severance was rare and seen as a shameful mark on any mated pair, especially for an Alpha and Luna. Whispers of disappointment and shock echoed through the hall as pack members gathered around the clearing, curious to witness the event.

Aiden stood beside her, his face a mask of emotionless composure. He had agreed to the severance without argument, which only served to deepen the hollow ache in Tara’s chest. She had hoped, even up until this moment, that he might fight for her, that the Alpha she had loved would show even a glimmer of the passion they once shared. But Aiden was resolute. His loyalty to Ember and the pack had eclipsed anything they once had.

“Tara Silvermoon,” Elder Rowan began, his voice carrying the weight of tradition and power. “You stand before us to sever your mate bond with Alpha Aiden Silvermoon. Do you understand the consequences of your decision?”

Tara swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. “I do.”

“You will no longer be bound to the Alpha as his mate, nor will you hold the title of Luna within the Silvermoon Pack,” Elder Rowan continued. “Do you wish to proceed?”

For a moment, Tara hesitated, her heart pounding against her ribcage. This was it—the moment she had dreaded. She could feel the eyes of the pack on her, judging her, whispering about how their Luna was giving up. But they didn’t know. They didn’t see the loneliness, the neglect, the pain she had suffered in silence.

“I wish to proceed,” she said, her voice steady, despite the turmoil inside her.

Elder Rowan nodded, turning to Aiden. “Alpha Aiden, do you consent to the severance of this bond?”

Tara held her breath, a small part of her still hoping for some miracle, some sign that Aiden would refuse. But he only nodded once, his gaze fixed on the ground. “I consent.”

With those words, the ritual began. The elders chanted in low voices, their hands raised toward the sky as the magic of the mate bond—an ancient and powerful force—was called forth. Tara could feel the bond, thin and frayed as it was, tugging at her heart. It was painful, more painful than she had expected, like a piece of her soul being ripped away.