Natalie opened her eyes as she woke up, the hospital's white ceiling greeted her first before her best friend, Lynn.
"Natalie, I'm so glad you're awake now," Lynn said, sitting beside Natalie's hospital bed. Natalie sat down and looked around.
"What happened after I fainted? Where are we?" Natalie asked and looked at Lynn again.
"We're here at the hospital, after Chad received your call, he rushed over to pick you up. But as he arrived at the village, he saw you on the roadside unconscious." Lynn explained. Natalie suddenly remembered how she had left the Mansion, she took a deep breath before asking another question.
"Where is Chad?"
"He's at the nurse station arranging your papers. He also said he would go to buy you food." Lynn answered her.
"What happened to you?" This time Lynn asked the question. Natalie didn't know how to explain everything to her best friend.
"I... I left the Mansion already." She answered. Lynn frowned because of her answer.
"It's obvious, Natalie. What I am asking is, What happened to you and Cora?" Lynn asked again. This time Natalie avoided her gaze.
"I know the fact that there is something wrong happening, Natalie. You will not leave the Mansion because of nothing, it's either you leave the Mansion because of Drixie, or you leave the Mansion because of Cora." Lynn said she knows Natalie, she always tells everything to her and rants about how Drixie and Cora treat her.
Natalie took a deep breath before she spoke.
"I left the mansion because of Norwan," Natalie said, which caused Lynn to be shocked.
"What?"
"Well, I decided to terminate our mateship," Natalie added.
"What?! For real? Why? Is it because you pushed Cora off the cliff because of jealousy?" Lynn asked. Natalie looked at her, confused. "I mean, there was a rumor that everyone was talking to," Lynn said.
"I just heard that you ruthlessly pushed Cora off the cliff because of jealousy, which led to aborting the baby in her womb," Lynn said. "Is that true?" She asked.
"No," Natalie said. Lynn held her hands, she knew her best friend wouldn't do that.
"I heard Cora and her mom fighting over something related to Norwan after her mom left her, she went to the cliff, so I followed her and watched her, and I saw that she tried to jump off the cliff, but I pushed her to the side, to save her and I didn't know that saving her will lead to miscarriage her baby," Natalie explained, Lynn smiled at her.
"I know you wouldn't do such a thing to hurt people. You just want to help, "Lynn said; finally, one person listened and believed her.
Natalie's tears suddenly formed as she remembered how Norwan didn't believe her.
"I... I tried to explain my side to Norwan and tell him everything, but he listened to his sister and Cora." Natalie said.
"Drixie saw me push Cora to the side but didn't see how Cora wanted to jump off the cliff. While Cora blamed me for everything." Lynn was listening to her, she knew the fact that her best friend was in pain.
"I thought Norwan was on my side, but instead of listening to me, he forced me to kneel down, admit what I did, and apologise to Cora." This made Lynn's blood boil.
"What? He forced you to kneel down? But you're Luna. That's forbidden!" Lynn said.
"He made me either kneel down and apologise or terminate our mateship," Natalie added.
"That bastard, how dare he do that?! Is he in his right mind?" Lynn asked. Natalie knew that Lynn was mad.
"You know what? Terminating your mateship with that bastard is the right thing to do; look at you. They don't even care about you. They don't even notice that you had a wound in your arms; you're his wife, but they still choose to treat Cora more nicely than you? Unbelievable!" Lynn said. Natalie gave her a bitter smile.
"Well, it is as it is," She said.
"I am now concerned about you, the rumors about you pushing Cora off the cliff spread to everyone, and all the werewolves in Craeton Pack say that you don't deserve to be their Luna," Lynn said.
Natalie just took a deep breath. She knew this was going to happen. She knew that Drixie would spread the rumors.
"I don't mind what they will say," Natalie said, smiling at Lynn. "They're all a bunch of unopened-minded wolves, and I can't do anything about that, that is their opinion." She added.
"I know they're all fake when I'm before them. They talked a lot about me when I turned my back." Natalie laughed.
"So, what's your plan now?" Lynn asked.
"I'm going to start my life again, I will never go back to the mansion, and I don't love Norwan anymore," Natalie answered. "After all that happened to me, after he turned his back and chose Cora over me, I realized that I don't love him anymore."
"I will support you no matter what, I'm always at your back," Lynn said and smiled at her.
"Have you heard the news about the Luna of Craeton Pack?"
"Yes, she pushed the lady off the cliff, and now the lady has miscarriage the baby."
"Well, she has the guts to do such a thing because she's ruthless. She doesn't consider the fact that the lady was pregnant."
Lynn and Natalie looked at the passerby outside the ward.
"That witch they're talking about you!" Lynn said and was about to confront that passerby when Natalie stopped her.
"Lynn, don't waste your time on nothing, " Natalie stopped her.
"Natalie, they're talking about you, and we know the truth." Lynn doesn't like to hear bad things about her friend, she wants to help Natalie by enlightening that passerby about what really happened.
"That's true, we know the truth. Let other people judge me. It's their opinion, as long as we know the truth, that is more than enough." Natalie said. Lynn didn't do anything but sit down in her chair again and take a deep breath.
"You're an Alpha's daughter, you don't have to be so aggrieved, you should sometimes fight and stand for yourself and show them who you really are and that you're not the type of wolf that allows anyone to oppress you." Natalie just smiled at her.
"I know you're concerned but don't worry, I will not let anyone oppress me next time," Natalie said. Lynn just shook her head while looking at her friend.
"Anyways, let's get back to our topic," Natalie said, smiling widely at her friend.
"As I said earlier, I realized that somehow, Norwan and I had been together even though he chose Cora over me, that's why I prepared a gift for him and the Craeton pack" Lynn's forehead frowned because of what Natalie said.
"A gift for Norwan and for the pack? What kind of gift is that? Is it like a peace offering gift?" Lynn asked.
Natalie just smiled at her and looked in the other direction. Little did Lynn know that Natalie was thinking of something opposite from what she was thinking.
“Are you going now?” Lynn asks Natalie and watches her prepare her things. Natalie glances at her and nods before smiling at her; she then puts the ring that Norwan gave her after their mateship one year ago in a small box.“Yes.” She answered and watched the ring in the box for a minute. She never expected in her life that she would have to return this ring to Norwan. For Natalie, this ring signifies his love for her, and this is the special gift she received from him.“What are you going to do? What gift do you say you will give to Norwan?” Lynn asks and sits in front of her friend. Natalie looked at her with a fake smile.“I will give the gift that I never wanted to give,” Natalie said, suddenly remembering how she was happy with Norwan even though it was the opposite of his feelings for her.“I always wanted to be a perfect wife for him and a good wife simultaneously. But knowing these things will happen because of the wrong accusation, I will live alone again, away from him.” Nat
Norwan watched Natalie walk away from him, a smirk formed on his lips while watching her walk away from him. He couldn't believe that Natalie really broke their relationship; for Norwan, this is all stupidity as Natalie chooses to terminate their mateship to say sorry to Cora when in the first place, Norwan was the one who gave that choice to her."If that's really what you want, then go; marrying you was a big mistake in my life… now that our mateship is already terminated, I will pursue Cora now and marry her," Norwan said in his mind and sighed as he no longer saw Natalie."Am I going to pack all her things in your house?" Norwan looks to hiss Beta as it asks the question."Yes, and send it to her place. Don't leave anything from her in her room; do inform the maids to clean it up and move all Cora's things there; that will be Cora's new room." Norwan said as he start to walk away from the Moon Goddess altar.Meanwhile, as Natalie walks away from Norwan, her chest hurts like her he
Natalie is now sipping her tea while her dad is watching her; she then puts down the cup of tea on the table and looks at her dad. After their last conversation about not marrying Norwan, Natalie finally has a chance to talk to her dad and tell him everything that happened to her in Norwan's hand."What are you doing there, Dad?" Natalie suddenly asks as she remembers why her dad showering in the rain. Grego sighed, crossed his arms and legs, and leaned into his chair."Your friend told me your plan, and I followed you; I saw it all and heard it all," Grego said, looking earnestly at his daughter. "I have told you not to marry him. He had no interest in you initially, yet you're the one who wanted this, and now look what happened to you." He said to Natalie, who was now looking down to the floor. If she thinks of it, her dad is correct; if she just listens to her dad, this won't happen to her now."I just… love him, dad. I'm sorry," Natalie said, not even looking into her dad's eye.
Natalie looks at the luggage beside Trever, smiles, and signals him to stand."You don't need to bow down to me," Natalie said. Trever looked into her eyes and shook his head. "I am no longer your Luna." She added. Trever sighs, and he knows what Natalie wants to say."For me, you're still our Luna… Madame." He said; Natalie smiled at his words. Trever is Norwan's Beta. His loyalty was only for Norwan, not until Natalie came and saved him from his problem months ago. He views it as his enormous debt to Natalie; he is very grateful that she helped him when Norwan couldn't do so, and with that, Trever swears to Natalie that even though he's Norwan's Beta, his loyalty will split into two and give his half loyalty to Natalie.Trever heard the news about what happened between Natalie and Cora, and he knows already that Natalie couldn't do such a thing as he knows how kind she is. He has this intuition that someone just spread the wrong information to their clan, which leads to gathering in
Because of Trever’s worlds, Norwan suddenly drive his car to terminal where Trever said Natalie departed, he’s hoping that he could saw her at least for the very last time before she left this town. As Norwan arrived at the terminal, he quickly search for Natalie yet as he checked the flight details he saw that the plain that Trver told to him earlier had already departed 30 minutes ago.Norwan suddenly lose all his strength as he look at the flight details, he sat in front of the board and look around. The thing is he couldn’t understand what Trever mean by his word ‘depart’ he thought that Natalie depart from their house to this terminal.Norwan close his eyes and put his hand in his face to cover it up. “What am I doing?” He ask himself as he look around and still search for Natalie’s presence even though he knows that Natalie is no longer here in their city.“Norwan what the fuck are you doing? You fucking want this right? Now what are you doing to yourself? Get up man!” Norwan s
"Don't do that again, Natalie. You're just fooling yourself because of what you did earlier." Natalie sighed because of her friend's words. Lynn also joined Natalie on her city travel, staying with Natalie until she made sure that Natalie was doing well and had already moved on from Norwan.Natalie sits from her designated seat and looks at Lynn, who is frowning at her, while Chad is behind Lynn, who is smiling awkwardly. Chad told Lynn what had happened earlier, and Lynn was so mad because of what Chad had told her."You and he are no longer bound to each other; you are supposed to accept that, Natalie; look what he said to you earlier," Lynn said and sat beside Natalie."I know that. I'm just hoping a little that his heart will soften." Natalie said and sighed. "But I guess his heart will never be softened anymore as he is no longer interested in me." She added. Lynn sighed as she watched her best friend's reaction. While Chad sits in his designated chair, which is in front of Natal
Norwan arrives at his mansion late at night; Cora is waiting at him in front of the main door and immediately stands from her place as soon as she sees Norwan walking in her direction.“Norwan, thank goodness you’re here already; I’ve been waiting for you for an hour; where did you go?” She asked and immediately smelled the scent of alcohol from him.“Did you drink tonight?” She asked and immediately assisted Norwan, who was not in his right mind then; he was already drunk and couldn’t think straight. “Gosh, what are you doing to yourself, Norwan? This is not normal anymore. You drank too much tonight.” Cora said. “Maids! Help me get Norwan to his room!” Cora shouted, which caused all the maids from Norwan’s mansion to get up from their bed and assist Cora and Norwan. Cora puts Norwan down to the floor as she can’t carry him anymore because of his weight; she rolls her eyes and watches the maid put Norwan in his room upstairs.“Make sure he can’t have any wounds,” Cora said as she fo
ONE YEAR LATER.Cora smiles as soon as she sees herself in the mirror; after checking herself, she goes to the dining table and sees Norwan drinking his coffee alone in the dining area. She walks towards him with a broad smile on her lips.“Good morning, handsome.” Cora greets him; Norwan doesn’t look at her; instead, he focuses on the newspaper he’s holding. Cora sighed and went closer to him. “Have you eaten your breakfast already?” She asked.“Yes,” Norwan answers without even looking at Cora. Because of that, Cora frowned and looked at the newspaper he was holding.“What are you reading?” She asked as soon as she read the title of the headline. “Don’t tell me you’re still concerned with your ex-luna; she’s not worth it to think of, Norwan.” She said and sat down beside him. Norwan didn’t look at her; instead, he sat and put down his coffee nug.“Hey, where are you going? Are you not going to join me to eat the breakfast?” She asked and watched Norwan turn his back from her.“I al
The fire had nearly gone out. Just embers now, glowing faintly in the hearth like distant stars. Natalie stirred, curling closer to Norwan’s chest, her breath warm against his collarbone. Outside, the wind had quieted. The whole estate, the world even, seemed to be holding its breath.Norwan looked down at her, heart full.He thought about everything—the pain they’d walked through, the sharp words, the silences, the impossible distance that had once stretched between them. And he thought about how they had come back. Not the same, but stronger. Truer. Real.His fingers gently brushed a curl away from her cheek. She sighed in her sleep, and something in him stirred with a quiet, steady certainty.Now.He reached into his coat pocket—he’d been carrying it for weeks. Waiting. Wondering. But tonight… there was no wondering. Only clarity.He shifted carefully, reaching for the small velvet pouch. Natalie stirred as he moved, blinking herself awake with a sleepy murmur. “What time is it?”“
The old vineyard estate looked different in the spring.The ivy on the walls had crept higher, full and green, curling over the window frames like nature had decided to reclaim the stone in the softest of ways. Blossoms bloomed along the edges of the courtyard, painting the corners with blush pink and cream. Lanterns swung gently from the carved wooden posts near the entrance, catching the warm afternoon light.Norwan held Natalie’s hand as they approached the heavy oak doors. She squeezed his fingers once—not nervous, but… aware. Of what this meant. Of how far they'd come.They were here together.As one.And that wasn’t just a step forward—it was a declaration.The door swung open before they could knock.Don Grego stood there in his crisp tunic, white hair swept back, and a look in his eyes that turned immediately to warmth the second he saw them.“Natalie,” he greeted first, voice rich with pride. “You came.”“And I brought this one with me,” she said, nudging Norwan’s shoulder pl
AFTER Five months.That’s how long it had been since Norwan first stood beneath the garden’s twisted archway again, with Natalie only a few paces away but heartbreaks apart.He hadn’t expected her to forgive him right away—hadn’t even dared hope. But he came back every week, sometimes with tea, sometimes with silence, sometimes with stories from the outpost or awkward attempts at old jokes she used to laugh at. Sometimes she walked away. Sometimes she listened. But slowly, something had changed.She stopped flinching when he touched her hand.She started asking him questions again—nothing deep at first, just idle curiosities. But over time, her words sharpened. So did her gaze. She stopped waiting to see if he’d break her again, and started watching to see if he’d stay.And he had. He stayed through her guarded silences, through her sharp comments and long absences. He stayed when she didn’t answer his letters. When she didn’t come to the solstice feast. When she didn’t say his name f
The cliffs were quieter now. The wind had lost its bite, and the sky hung in a heavy kind of hush, thick with the weight of words unspoken.Norwan walked beside Drixie, his shoulders hunched, hands shoved into his coat pockets. They hadn’t spoken since leaving the garden—just the crunch of gravel underfoot and the low murmur of distant waves.He didn’t know what to say.Or maybe, he was just afraid of what would come out if he tried.Drixie glanced at him sideways, her steps slowing to match his. “So… we just gonna keep walking until the sun explodes or do you want to talk about it?”Norwan exhaled through his nose. “I don’t know what to say.”“That’s funny. You used to have so much to say when you were telling me I was overreacting about Natalie.”He winced. “Drix…”“I’m not trying to rub salt,” she said, holding up a hand. “I’m trying to remind you that you weren’t exactly a saint either.”His mouth opened, then closed.Drixie stopped walking and leaned against a lichen-covered boul
The morning breeze was cool, laced with the scent of sea salt and honeyed flowers. Natalie sat on the stone ledge just outside the estate garden, barefoot, her wrap slipping from one shoulder. The sky was still pale with morning light, the world slow to wake—except for Norwan.He stood behind her, arms loose around her waist, chin resting lightly on her shoulder. They weren’t speaking, not really. Just… being.There was something sacred in that quiet. A peace she hadn’t expected to find so soon.“I forgot what this felt like,” he murmured, breath warm against her skin. “Just… existing with you.”“You never really existed with me,” she said, not cruelly—just honest. “You stood beside me. But you were always somewhere else.”Norwan tensed slightly, then nodded. “You’re right.”She reached up, her fingers brushing the side of his hand. “You’re here now.”“I am.”He pressed a kiss to the curve of her neck. It was soft. Unhurried. She didn’t move away.Natalie leaned back against him, and
The wind had quieted by the time they walked back toward the estate. The path curved gently through wild grass and dune flowers, and though they walked close, their hands didn’t touch. Not yet.Natalie had always been the one who forgave too easily. Who filled the silence between heartbreak and healing with hope. But this time, she needed more than words. More than promises spoken through the haze of guilt and longing.This time, she would test him.They reached the guest suite just as the sun began casting golden light across the windows. Natalie stopped at the threshold and turned to face Norwan, studying the lines of his face.“I’m not inviting you in,” she said evenly. “Not yet.”“I wasn’t expecting you to,” Norwan replied, voice calm but rough.She nodded, her gaze searching. “I want to believe you. But belief isn’t trust. And trust…” She exhaled. “Trust is earned.”“I understand,” he said.Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Then prove it.”Norwan lifted his chin. “How?”She considered
The wind pressed soft against them, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Natalie stayed wrapped in Norwan’s arms a moment longer, grounding herself in the truth of his presence. The weight of him. The warmth. The subtle, quiet tremble in his chest.When she finally pulled back, it was not with anger or accusation, but with a kind of clarity that only came after everything else had burned away.“I need to ask you something,” she said.Norwan nodded, gaze steady.Natalie’s voice was low, but firm. “Do you really love me? Or was Cora right?”The name hit like a stone between them. Norwan’s jaw tightened, and he exhaled, ragged and slow.“She told me you never did,” Natalie continued, heart thudding. “That I was just… a choice. Strategic. Convenient. That you only wanted me for what I represented.”His eyes didn’t leave hers. “She lied.”“You’re sure?”“I’m sure.” He stepped back just enough to frame her face gently with his hands, thumbs brushing her cheekbones. “Natalie, Cora
The morning after the wedding was softer than the one before. The sun rose gently through sheer curtains, birdsong drifting in through the open window of Natalie’s guest suite. The scent of saltwater hung faint in the air, and for the first time in days, Lisanne was quiet.Natalie stood in the middle of the room, staring at the small suitcase she’d packed with practiced precision. Folded dresses, her journal, the shell necklace Lynn had given her years ago, and the lavender wrap she wore to the ceremony—all tucked away with a sense of finality.She wasn’t running. At least, not in the way she once had. This time, she was simply… leaving. Ready to return home. Or something close to it.But even as she zipped the bag closed, her chest ached.He didn’t come.That thought had rooted itself in her bones, playing on a loop since last night. She hadn’t expected a grand apology. Not a scene or a speech. But part of her, the part that still dreamed, had hoped Norwan might appear. That he’d wal
Lisanne’s gardens were bursting with color—sun-drenched and vibrant beneath the clear spring sky. Wild roses danced on trellises, and soft ribbons fluttered in the breeze, tied with care around every chair and bouquet. It was the kind of day stories were written about, with sunlight painting the world gold and laughter hanging in the air like music.Natalie stood among the crowd, smiling as the guests turned toward the aisle. She wasn’t dressed to stand out—simple, elegant, quiet in lavender silk—but something about her presence still drew eyes. Maybe it was the way she carried herself: not like someone trying to blend in, but like someone who had learned how to exist, even with ghosts whispering at her heels.When the music swelled, and everyone rose to their feet, Natalie’s breath caught.There, at the end of the aisle, stood Chad.His suit was a sharp slate gray, tailored to perfection, but his composure was anything but. His shoulders trembled. His lips parted like he couldn’t bel