Chapter 1

The instincts of a full moon night never lie.

That night, I lost control. Moonlight poured into Lucian's apartment like liquid silver, my wolf stirring in my blood, the familiar sting beneath my skin—the signal that my bones wanted to reshape themselves.

As a half-blood werewolf, my control was never as strong as that of purebloods.

And he—Lucian Blackwood, my neighbor, heir to the Blackwood family—reached out to me in my most vulnerable moment.

No, not just his hand.

He gave me everything. His scent, his warmth, his wolf completely intertwined with mine.

The sensation was like two souls melting completely under the moonlight, solidifying again as one.

I thought—naively thought—this was what the elders called a "mate bond." That kind of union that only happens between destined partners, a merging that reaches into your very marrow.

After we made love, I curled up in his arms, listening to his steady heartbeat.

Outside the window, the moonlight began to fade, and my wolf gradually calmed.

I thought this was the beginning of a new life, that from now on we would be like all officially bonded wolf pairs, running together in wolf form on full moon nights, standing side by side at pack gatherings.

Then he lit a cigarette.

Smoke spiraled in the moonlight as he turned his face toward me, his eyes lacking the tenderness I'd hoped for, holding only a coldness I couldn't quite name.

"Maybe you should find someone else," his voice was calm, like discussing the weather. "You can't keep clinging to me like this, Rhea."

I froze, not understanding what he meant.

He stubbed out the cigarette, a flicker of impatience crossing his beautiful phoenix eyes. "Adult werewolves understand this. What we just did—that's called instinct release, a physical need. You didn't actually think we were confirming a mate bond, did you?"

"Know when to quit. Enough is enough."

My hand froze mid-air while getting dressed. Those words were like a bucket of ice water, poured from head to toe.

Lucian frowned, seeming to find my earring that had fallen on the bed distasteful, sullying his space. He casually swept it to the floor, the metal hitting the ground with a sound especially jarring in the silence.

"Let's just leave it at that. Don't come by anymore." He paused. "I don't want Lydia to misunderstand..."

He didn't finish, but I understood.

Lydia. Lydia Hart. The name he'd publicly mentioned in wolf social circles. Pureblood wolf, prestigious family background, the perfect match for the Blackwood family.

And I was just a half-blood, living next door, a convenient outlet for physical needs.

I found my voice, surprisingly calm: "Fine."

Lucian froze for a moment, clearly not expecting that response. Before, I would have cried, made a scene, clung to his arm and refused to let go.

But that version of me had died with those words.

"You understand?" He stared at me, his eyes full of doubt.

"I understand." I continued getting dressed, my movements mechanical and numb.

He watched me silently for a while, then said, "Good that you can see clearly. You're still young, you can't tell what love really is. I'll introduce you to some decent half-blood werewolves later, ones that match your status."

After saying that, he grabbed his clothes and left, as if afraid I'd change my mind, afraid my tears would soften his resolve.

The moment the door closed, I sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the earring on the floor. The moonlight had completely receded, dawn breaking at the horizon. My wolf had fallen completely silent, leaving only an empty shell.

That same night, Lucian posted a "mate intention statement" with Lydia on social media.

In wolf society, this was equivalent to a public engagement. In the photo, they stood together, Lydia holding his arm, her smile perfect as if carefully rehearsed.

Lucian's expression was tender and focused, a look I'd never seen when he looked at me.

The comments section exploded instantly.

【Finally! Been waiting five years, you finally got what you wanted!】

【The Blackwood heir finally found his mate, congratulations!】

【About time! Worth all those five years of waiting!】

Five years.

Five years ago was when I moved in next door to him. When I started having those inappropriate fantasies about him.

Some people mentioned me too.

【What about that half-blood neighbor of yours? The one always following you around? She must be crying now.】

No one knew the real relationship between Lucian and me. In everyone's eyes, I was just a half-blood infatuated with a pureblood elite, a clueless tagalong.

At eighteen, he seduced me into tasting forbidden fruit, yet never acknowledged my existence publicly. He said it was because our families were close, going public too soon would cause unnecessary speculation.

He said once his position in the family was more secure, he would make an official announcement.

I believed him for five whole years.

And now he replied in the comments:

【Just because she follows me around means I have to take responsibility? She's just an acquaintance. Lydia is the only one in my heart.】

I stared at the screen for a long time, then liked the post and left a congratulatory emoji in the comments.

The comments went quiet for a few seconds. They must have been wondering why the half-blood who always clung to Lucian suddenly stopped making a fuss.

My phone vibrated. Lucian sent a voice message, his voice full of warning:

【Rhea Stone! I've made myself clear. If you make trouble again, I won't go easy on you!】

I didn't reply. Instead, I dialed another number.

"Dr. Wells, let's schedule the final hypnotic seal for this weekend."

On the other end, the therapist was silent for a moment. "Miss Stone, are you certain? Once the final seal is complete, you'll forget all memories related to Mr. Blackwood. This is irreversible."

"I'm certain."

"Alright. Come to the clinic in three days."

I hung up, watching the sky gradually brighten outside the window. The moon had completely disappeared, leaving only pale morning light.

In wolf society, memory sealing is an ancient and rare form of mental therapy, typically used to help werewolves who've suffered major trauma. It can lock specific memory fragments deep in the consciousness, keeping the pain from reaching surface emotions.

What I wanted to seal away was five years of romantic delusion, all those nights of self-deception, every moment I thought I was needed when I was just being used.

In three days, I would forget what position Lucian Blackwood once held in my life.

I would forget those full moon entanglements, forget the temperature of his skin, forget the occasional flashes of false tenderness in his eyes.

I would turn him into a stranger—a pureblood wolf living next door with whom I had no connection.

This was the only redemption I could give myself.

Because loving someone who doesn't love you back is like suppressing your wolf on a full moon night—it only tears you to pieces.

And I'd been torn apart enough.

Moonlight doesn't linger for anyone. When it fades, everything should end.