I wasn't that helpless Luna anymore—the one who couldn't do anything, couldn't support herself, and could only be locked away in a mansion.
Now I earned my own money through my own labor. I could decide my own future. I didn't have to obey Elias anymore.
"I'm not coming back." My voice trembled, but it was firm.
"What?" Elias sounded more shocked than I'd ever heard him. "Serenity, do you understand what you're saying? This is the pack's most important Moon Ceremony!"
Of course I understood. The Moon Ceremony's procedures were always elaborate. It lasted all day and required advance preparation of the altar and offerings. The Alpha and Luna had to collect sacred wine from the forest lake together, cut their palms to mix their blood into it, then drink it together. After that, they led the pack members in howling at the moon when it reached its peak, completing the final prayer.
Any mistake would make the ceremony imperfect. A flawed ceremony honoring the Moon Goddess would make pack members fear misfortune in the coming year. That kind of blow to pack unity could be devastating.
But so what?
They had never accepted me.
"That's not my problem anymore." This time, my refusal came fast and steady. "Elias, I've left the pack. Don't contact me again. Handle those things however you want, but don't expect me to go along with your plans."
His surprise turned to anger. "Serenity!"
But I hung up before he could explode.
I stared at the phone's screensaver, dazed. Then it hit me. I had just refused an Alpha's command.
Me.An Omega.
I'd never dared to even imagine such a thing. But now I felt no regret. Only the exhilarating relief of breaking free from years of chains.
The consequences weren't as severe as I'd feared.
I'd worried he might send people to drag me back. But days passed, and my life remained peaceful. No one disturbed me. I figured my position really wasn't that important—whether I showed up or not didn't matter.
See, Serenity? You don't have to sacrifice everything for the pack. Even without you, they won't notice any difference.I told myself.
What I didn't expect was that, about a month later, I received a desperate call from Lizzie.
"Luna," Lizzie said softly, her voice exhausted and cautious. Her first words were an apology. "Please forgive me for getting your number from the Beta… I know I shouldn't disturb your new life, but I had no choice. I need your help. Can you tell me the exact placement requirements for the Moon Ceremony items?"
I was stunned.
Not just because it was Lizzie calling, but because of her question.
"Why are you handling this? Didn't your supervisor tell you?" I checked the date. Today was the day of the Moon Ceremony.
"No…" Lizzie said. "The Alpha decided to have Miss Liv lead the ceremony instead of you this year. But for the past month, she's been at the Alpha's side the whole time and has never helped with any preparations! We've had to do everything ourselves, but without help from the Alpha and Luna, we have no idea how to handle the details…"
So Elias had chosen Liv to replace me after all.
I wasn't surprised by that outcome. What I couldn't understand was why Elias tolerated Liv's careless and irresponsible behavior.
My brow furrowed tightly. "Haven't you told the Alpha about this?"
"How could we?" Lizzie's voice grew hesitant. "She even lies to the Alpha, taking credit for our work… Even so, there's nothing we can do about her."
I understood. As an Omega, I knew exactly how hierarchy worked. Sometimes a higher-ranking wolf could end a lower-ranking wolf's life with a single word. They were just ordinary members. How could they dare challenge Liv?
"But if this keeps up, we won't make it in time for the ceremony. If something goes wrong, we'll be punished…" Lizzie sounded close to tears.
My heart softened.
