Chapter 10: The Ceremony Without Me

Dawn arrived over Gray Harbor with a silence that felt almost unnatural.

The Moon Oath Hall had been decorated with white roses, silver ribbons, and hundreds of glowing moonstones.

Everything was ready for Vivian’s Luna ceremony.

Everything except me.

I stood on the hill overlooking the hall, watching the first rays of sunlight touch its golden roof.

My body was already fading.

The edges of my arms had become almost completely transparent.

Only my face and heart still felt solid.

One more sunrise.

That was all the time I had left.

Inside the hall, the elders were gathering.

My parents were seated in the front row.

Vivian stood behind the ceremonial curtain, surrounded by attendants who adjusted her silver gown and arranged flowers in her hair.

But Lucien was nowhere to be seen.

He had refused to enter the hall.

Instead, he stood alone in the courtyard, staring at the empty space where I had appeared the previous night.

An elder approached him.

“Alpha Lucien, the ceremony is about to begin.”

Lucien didn't move.

“Cancel it.”

The elder's expression changed.

“What?”

“I said cancel the ceremony.”

Whispers immediately spread among the elders.

My father rushed over.

“Lucien, have you lost your mind?”

“The entire Storm Ridge Pack is here.”

“The alliance between our packs depends on this ceremony.”

Lucien finally turned around.

His eyes were filled with exhaustion.

“I don't care about the alliance.”

My father stared at him.

“You don't care about Storm Ridge?”

Lucien's voice was bitter.

“I cared about everything except the one person I should have protected.”

My mother began to cry.

“Lucien, Vivian isn't responsible for what happened.”

He looked toward the hall.

“Maybe not.”

“But I won't put a Luna crown on her while Evelyn's blood is still on our hands.”

The words traveled through the courtyard.

The elders went silent.

Vivian heard every word.

She stepped out from behind the curtain.

Her ceremonial gown trailed behind her.

“Lucien.”

He looked at her.

For the first time, there was no love in his eyes.

Only disappointment.

“Tell them the truth.”

Vivian's face went pale.

“I don't know what you're talking about.”

“You paid the rogues.”

“You told them to take Evelyn.”

“You knew she was being held.”

“And you never told us.”

Vivian shook her head desperately.

“I never wanted her dead.”

An elder stepped forward.

“Is this true?”

Vivian looked around the hall.

For the first time, she realized the people who had always protected her were no longer standing behind her.

My father looked devastated.

My mother couldn't even meet her eyes.

Vivian's shoulders trembled.

Then she whispered, “I only wanted what was mine.”

Lucien closed his eyes.

“Nothing was ever yours to take.”

The words shattered Vivian’s expression.

She suddenly looked toward the entrance.

“Then where is Evelyn?”

No one answered.

I watched them from the hill.

They were finally saying my name.

Finally asking where I was.

But I felt nothing.

The Moon Goddess’s messenger appeared beside me.

“You have one final earthly hour.”

I nodded.

“Then let me finish properly.”

I walked toward the Moon Oath Hall.

No one saw me enter.

My soul passed through the stone doors like mist.

Inside, hundreds of wolves were gathered.

At the center of the hall stood the ceremonial altar.

I remembered standing there years ago.

I had once imagined Lucien placing his mark on me beneath these same moonstones.

I had imagined my parents smiling proudly.

I had imagined Vivian standing beside me as my sister.

None of those dreams had survived.

Lucien suddenly looked toward the doorway.

His eyes widened.

He could sense me.

“Evelyn?”

The entire hall turned.

But there was nothing there.

Only moonlight.

Lucien walked toward the altar.

His voice trembled.

“I know you're here.”

I stepped forward.

For a moment, he could see me clearly.

His breath caught.

“You're fading.”

I smiled.

“I told you.”

“I'm not coming back.”

He reached toward me.

His hand passed through my shoulder.

His eyes filled with tears.

“Please.”

“Just give me one chance to make it right.”

I shook my head.

“You had ten years.”

He lowered his hand.

“I know.”

“I know I wasted them.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Lucien whispered, “Did you ever love me?”

I looked at him.

“More than I should have.”

His tears finally fell.

“Then why can't you stay?”

I smiled sadly.

“Because loving you was the last thing keeping me here.”

His face crumpled.

The final thread of my earthly attachment began to dissolve.

I stepped backward.

“Goodbye, Lucien.”

The moonlight surrounded me.

My body became transparent.

My voice was the last thing he heard.

“Live with the choices you made.”

Then I disappeared.

Lucien fell to his knees before the altar.

The Moon Oath Hall remained completely silent.

And for the first time, the Luna ceremony everyone had planned no longer mattered.

Because the woman who should have stood beside him had already chosen to leave.