THE EXILED LUNA: Became The Undefeated Queen

The Pack Council Hall, that night was lit by a hundred silver torches, their flames flickering in time with the whispers of the elders sitting in a circle like the shadows of ancient judges. In the center of the room, the white marble floor felt colder than usual, as if it had absorbed the blood, tears, and oaths that had once been spoken upon it. Araya, the Luna, stood there alone. Her black dress was simple, without the pack emblem, without jewels, without the Luna crown that had always perched on her head. Her black hair fell straight down her back, her face calm, too calm for a woman who was about to lose everything. Across from her stood Alpha Kael Arcturus. The man who once loved her, who bound her before this council with a blood and moon oath, now stood as a judge, not a husband. Beside Kael stood a young woman with golden blonde hair, her belly slightly protruding beneath her white dress. Seren, the daughter of a Beta from an allied pack. The girl Araya once protected like a sister now stood as the reason for her destruction. The Council Chairman, Elder Morvak, tapped his iron staff on the floor. His voice was heavy and authoritative. "This hearing is open. The sole agenda item is the request for divorce of the sacred bond between Alpha Kael Arcturus and Luna Araya Velmora." Whispers filled the room. The sacred bond was rarely broken. If severed, one or both would lose part of their soul. In history, only traitors and the damned were divorced before the council. Araya did not bow her head. She stared straight ahead, her gaze as cold as a frozen lake. "Alpha Kael," Morvak called. "State your request before the Council and the Moon." Kael stepped forward. The scent of their bond still lingered. Warm, familiar, but painful. "I, Kael Arcturus, Alpha of the Nightfall Pack, request the dissolution of my bond with Luna Araya Melvora," he said flatly. "She has failed in her role as Luna. She is barren. She cannot give me an heir." The room fell silent. Barren. The word was like a knife. Sharp and stabbing right into Araya's chest. Seren gently grasped Kael's arm. "I am carrying the Alpha's child," she said softly, as if this were not a declaration of war. "I have no intention of taking anyone's place... but this is for the future of the pack." Araya smiled thinly. For the future of the pack, she said? A classic excuse for betraying love. She had indeed heard about the relationship between Kael and Seren behind her back, about the rumors that Seren was Kael's biological mate, but she never expected that the two of them had even planned to get rid of her like this. "Luna Araya," Morvak called. "What is your response? Do you reject this request?" The entire council stared at Araya. The elders who had once praised her now seemed to be waiting for her downfall. Araya also knew that secretly, they had all been urging Kael to immediately choose Seren as the new Luna. Araya stepped forward. Her dress swept across the floor like a shadow in the night. "I don't refuse," she said softly, but each word echoed clearly. "I agree to this divorce." Surprise flashed across many faces. No one expected Araya to be this strong. Kael frowned, as if he hadn't expected her to comply. Perhaps he thought that Araya would beg to be kept, even though her position had shifted to second place. "However, I will speak before the bond is severed," Araya continued. Morvak nodded hesitantly. "The council allows it." Araya looked at Kael. For the first time, emotion was visible in the woman's eyes. Not sadness, not anger, but something colder, a firm determination to stop fighting for someone who never considered her valuable. "Seven years ago, under the Blood Moon, you swore to me, Kael," said Araya. "You said I was the only Luna you needed. You said the heir was not the reason for our marriage. Even if I wasn't your biological mate, it didn't matter." Kael did not answer. "I gave you everything. My blood, my power, even my birthright as the daughter of the Melvora clan. I burned my clan's bridges for this pack." The whispers of the council grew louder. "And now you want to discard me because I'm barren?" Luna smiled again, this time without warmth. "The moon is my witness. I, Luna Araya Melvora, accept this divorce. Starting tonight, I am no longer Luna of the Nightfall Pack." For a moment, Kael was stunned. The determination shown by Ayara at this moment filled him with uncertainty. He wondered why there was not even a hint of doubt or sadness in Ayara's eyes as she accepted this divorce? Morvak raised his staff. "If both parties agree, then the bond can be severed. Alpha Kael, Luna Araya, extend your hands." Kael hesitated for a moment, before finally reaching for Araya's hand. Their touch triggered an invisible pain. The couple's bond pulsed like a living creature refusing to die. "With blood and moon, I sever this bond," Morvak muttered in an ancient language. A silver light flashed from the ceiling of the hall. Araya felt something tear in her chest, as if her heart had been ripped out and replaced with ice. However, Araya did not scream. She did not cry. She just stared at Kael without blinking. As the light faded, the mark of the bond on Araya's wrist disappeared. She was no longer Luna. Morvak looked at her with a formal gaze. "As the divorced Luna, you are exiled from the Nightfall Pack. At dawn, you must leave the pack's territory and may not return without the council's permission." Exile. The ultimate punishment for someone who was once their Queen. Araya smiled and accepted the punishment gladly. Even if she hadn't been exiled, she would have chosen to leave the Nightfall Pack anyway. What could she expect from people who didn't appreciate her sacrifices all this time? Seren looked down. But Araya could see a glimmer of victory in her eyes. Kael was about to open his mouth, perhaps to say something. However, Araya cut him off first. "No need for words of pity," she said coldly. "Starting tonight, I am nobody to you." Araya turned away, her steps calm and graceful, as if she wasn't the one who had just been destroyed in public. But behind her back, the elders' eyes widened. Suddenly, the aura that Araya had been hiding began to rise. Dark, ancient, and far older than Pack Nightfall. Meanwhile, far outside the pack's territory, under the same moon, the Shadow King opened his silver eyes. He smiled. "Luna Nightfall has been cast out," he murmured. "Finally." Rythan Vargreave, Shadow King of Exiles City, stood on the balcony of his palace. "Make preparations to welcome our guest," he ordered his subordinates. "The universe has just sent a queen to our palace gates."