Broken Ring, Hidden Queen

Chapter 2

Aria's POV

I watched my pups, Lara and Isaac, as they knelt before the statue of the Moon Goddess. Lara's voice drove steel needles into my ears.

"I hope Kierra becomes Daddy's real Luna," Lara whispered. "I hope they stay in love forever!"

Kierra stood beside them, letting out a soft laugh.

Her slender fingers stroked Lara's hair, but her gaze drifted toward the shadows where I stood. It was a sharp, silent, and taunting challenge.

"Aren't you going to make a wish for your Mommy?" Kierra asked playfully.

"Mommy is always bullying you," Isaac snapped. "The Moon Goddess would never bless a wicked Omega like her!"

A self-deprecating smile touched my lips.

When I had given birth to those twins, I had nearly bled to death.

My wolf, Ann, had exhausted her own life force just to keep their tiny hearts beating.

For three years, I had trekked back and forth between territories, harvesting rare herbs to stabilize their weak constitutions.

And this was the payoff.

To my own pups, I was nothing but a "wicked" obstacle.

Without a word, I turned and walked away.

The villa was quiet when I returned.

I opened the wardrobe and stared at the heavy, ornate gowns meant for an Alpha's Luna.

I packed one old suitcase with my family's herbal journals.

That was everything I packed.

Those were mine and had nothing to do with this pack or Julian.

When I finally pulled off the Iron Claw wedding band, the cold metal left a stinging ache on my skin.

I pulled out my phone and texted, "Julian, I want to sever the Mate Bond."

The moment I hit send, the invisible thread between us finally snapped.

...

Fifty miles away at Willow Creek Pack, the wind carried the scent of fresh pine and soil.

This was my home now.

For years, I endured Julian's cold shoulder; I had played nurse to his demanding mother, Fiona. I'd spent hours perfecting a silver carp stew just to help her fading spirit energy.

Well, I was done with all that.

I headed for the door with my suitcase.

But I ran into Fiona, fresh from her spa appointment.

"Aria, get to the kitchen," Fiona said without looking up, peeling off her lace gloves. "I want that stew."

"There won't be any more stew," I said, stopping in my tracks.

I placed my spare key on the table.

"I'm moving out. If you want that stew, hire a chef then."

Then, I stepped out into the morning light.

...

The next day, I stood before the HR department at Iron Claw Group.

I handed over my resignation letter—a single, crisp sheet of paper.

"Executive Assistant to the Alpha".

It was a hollow title. It was just a way to keep me around him, under his watch.

"Is it for the pups?" a colleague asked, her eyes filled with genuine confusion.

"You've always treated them like they were your entire world."

Everyone knew how much I loved the twins.

Even during my brief, necessary trips to Willow Creek to gather herbs, I had video-called them every single day.

I wouldn't miss a single moment of their lives.

But now, the crushing weight of that devotion had lifted.

I offered a faint, tired smile.

"No, it has nothing to do with them."

When I stepped out of the corporate building, the midday sun felt different.

It was less like a spotlight and more like a path.

I didn't look back at the glass tower.

Instead, I pulled out my phone.

A trade notification that had just popped up:

The Healing Gala: Reclaiming the Strength of Ancient Fragrance.

That was where my talent lay.

Before I met Julian, I was the North's most gifted Alchemist.

I was the only one capable of blending scents to soothe even the most feral, fractured Alpha wolf-soul.

I had traded my mastery for a kitchen apron and a silent plea for love.

I shot a text to Collin, my cousin, "Can you get me an invite to this?"

Collin's reply was instantaneous, "Sure thing, but are you sure you have time for this? What about your Pups?"

I texted back, my fingers steady.

"I filed for a Severance of the Mate Bond. I'm done with all that."

The screen stayed silent for a long while.

Then, Collin's voice note arrived.

It was practically a scream, his shock vibrating through the speaker.

"Are you insane?! That's the Iron Claw Pack! Your grandfather used a life-debt to secure that mate bond! What about the pups? How can you just walk away?"

I stared at the message for a moment.

They wished for another woman to take my place at the feet of the Moon Goddess.

I texted back again.

"They already have a 'Mommy' they like better. Since a blood-bond isn't enough to earn their hearts, I'm not staying around to be humiliated."