Two of Brandon’s guards stood nearby, their eyes following her every step. Neither of them spoke, but their watchful expressions made one thing clear.

Once, she had dreamed of calling this place home. Now she walked through its halls as a stranger, escorted by guards who watched her every move. She wasn’t family. She was only a visitor.

A few moments later, Emma walked into the lounge.

She looked radiant.

Lunara’s eyes drifted to her stomach. The gentle curve beneath her dress was impossible to miss now. No one had to guess anymore. Emma was carrying Brandon’s pup.

She looked at Emma again, then gave a faint smile and slowly shook her head.

Life had changed so much.

The same Emma everyone had once looked down on was now one of the wealthiest Queen Luna in the kingdom. Her book had become a huge success, and Brandon’s company now stood at the top of the country’s alchemy industry. Together, they had built the kind of life most people could only dream about.

Lunara pushed herself to her feet.

“Good day, Emma.”

For the first time, she bowed her head in a respectful curtsy.

Emma gave a small wave instead of returning the gesture.

“You look good,” Lunara said with a gentle smile.

“Thank you.” She smiled back as she settled onto the couch. “You look much better too.”

Lunara lowered her eyes.

Just then, Brandon’s voice drifted in from somewhere deeper inside the estate.

Her shoulders stiffened before she could stop herself.

Emma noticed immediately.

“Relax.” A grin spread across her face. “He’s not coming in here. Why are you so scared of him?”

“I’m… not…” Lunara stammered. “I’m not scared of him.”

Emma let out a soft laugh.

“Your voice just answered for you.”

Lunara looked away, too embarrassed to argue.

After a brief silence, Emma leaned forward.

“I understand why you want to leave the country,” she said. “But why Ireland? Do you have a moonally in that country?”

Lunara shook her head.

“No. I just picked it.”

Emma studied her for a moment before asking another question.

“Then why do you want to sell the house?”

“I’m not coming back,” Lunara said.

The words came out in a whisper, but they carried the weight of everything she had lost.

Tears slipped down her cheeks.

Emma didn’t hesitate. She walked over and wrapped her arms around her.

The gentle embrace shattered the wall Lunara had been trying so hard to hold together. She buried her face against Emma’s shoulder, and the tears came harder.

Emma held her without saying a word. After a while, she blinked away the tears gathering in her own eyes and gently rubbed Lunara’s back.

“If you’re not coming back,” Emma said quietly, “Daniel might someday.”

Lunara slowly lifted her head. Her eyes were red, and her voice trembled.

“Do you really think he’d want to?” she asked. “Even if he did… the neighbors…” She swallowed hard and looked away. “They’d never let him forget what happened.”

Emma gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“We don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” she said. “Let’s wait until that day comes before we worry about it.”

Lunara searched Emma’s face for a moment, then gave a small nod.

“Alright,” she murmured. “We’ll wait until then.”

Silence settled between them again, but this time it wasn’t heavy.

Emma kept one arm around Lunara’s shoulders and looked her in the eye.

“I’m going to support you,” she said. “No matter where you are, don’t ever hesitate to call me if you need anything. Promise me.”

Lunara stared at her.

She couldn’t remember the last time some wolf had held her with so much warmth, without anger, pity, or judgment. Emma’s embrace melted away the loneliness that had consumed her for so long. The hopelessness that had driven her toward dark thoughts slowly gave way to something she hadn’t felt in months.

For the first time in a long while, she believed tomorrow might be worth seeing.

She gently stepped out of Emma’s arms and wiped her face with the back of her hand.

Emma smiled.

“Don’t sell the house.”

Lunara frowned slightly.

“When you get to Ireland, open a new bank account and send me the details,” Emma continued. “I’ll transfer enough money for you to settle down and build a new life. You don’t have to start from nothing.”

Lunara’s lips parted, but no words came out at first.

She had expected advice.

She had expected sympathy.

She had never expected this.

“Thank you, Emma,” she finally whispered.

She reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“And call me as soon as you get to Ireland.”

“I will.”

She nodded, wiping the last of the tears from her cheeks.

The two of them walked toward the sitting chamber door together. Just as Lunara reached the entrance, she stopped. She turned back, hesitated for a moment, then met Emma’s eyes.

“Would you do me a favor?”

“Of course,” Emma answered without hesitation.

The reply came so quickly that it caught Lunara by surprise. She looked into Emma’s eyes and found only sincerity. There was no pity, no resentment, and no trace of the bitterness she deserved. Emma was willing to do whatever she could for her, as long as it didn’t come between her and Brandon.

Lunara drew in a shaky breath before speaking.

“Theresa’s ashes are in one of the guest chambers,” she said quietly. “My grandmother wanted me to scatter them in her garden.” She paused, struggling to keep her voice steady. “Can you do it for me?”

Emma reached over and gently held her hand.

“I will.”

Lunara lowered her eyes, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips before fading away.

“When are you leaving?” Emma asked.

“Tomorrow at moonrise.”

Emma nodded slowly. “Elara’s matebond party is next week. She’ll be disappointed she won’t get to see you.”

Lunara managed another small smile and shook her head.

“Please give my love to her… and to Bernard. Tell them I wish them nothing but happiness.”

“I will,” Emma promised.

Neither of them spoke again for a moment. They simply looked at each other, knowing this was probably the last time they would meet for a very long time.

At last, Lunara turned and walked toward the waiting car. Emma followed her to the entrance but stopped at the doorway, watching in silence. The driver hurried over, opened the door, and stepped aside. Lunara climbed into the back seat without looking back. As the car pulled away from the estate, she kept her eyes on the grand building through the rear window until the gates disappeared from sight.

The moment she arrived home, she booked the first available flight to Ireland.

Then she walked into her chamber, pulled a small suitcase from the closet, and quietly began to pack. Every drawer she opened, every shelf she touched, and every piece of clothing she folded carried a memory. Some reminded her of happier days and brought a faint smile to her lips. Others reopened wounds she had spent months trying to hide.

In the end, she zipped the suitcase with only a handful of clothes and a few necessities inside. Everything else stayed where it was. She didn’t want to carry pieces of her old life with her. She wanted to leave them behind and start over with nothing except the lessons they had taught her.

Before dawn the next moonrise, the cab she had booked pulled into the driveway.

Lunara carried her small suitcase to the front door and stopped.

The house was silent.

She slowly looked around the living chamber one last time. Her eyes wandered across the walls, the furniture, and the empty spaces that had once been filled with hope. This house had witnessed her happiest dreams and her darkest days. It had seen her become a daughter she no longer recognized.

She tightened her grip on the suitcase, swallowed the lump in her throat, and quietly stepped outside.

The cool moonrise air brushed against her face as she settled into the back seat of the cab. Her chest still ached, but beneath the pain was a fragile sense of hope. Maybe this was exactly what she needed. Maybe thousands of miles away, she could finally become the person she was always meant to be.

At nine o’clock that moonrise, the plane lifted off the runway.

She rested her head against the window and watched the kingdom grow smaller beneath the clouds until it disappeared from sight. She closed her eyes and made a silent promise to herself.

From this day forward, she would choose her moonallies carefully. She would learn from every mistake that had cost her so much. She would leave pride behind, guard her heart wisely, and build a simple, peaceful life. This time, she wouldn’t chase a dream that wasn’t meant for her. She would create a new one of her own.

Throughout the flight, she barely slept.

She sat by the window with her forehead resting against the glass, watching the endless stretch of clouds drift beneath the plane. Every now and then, she closed her eyes, but her thoughts refused to settle. They wandered from the life she had left behind to the one waiting for her in Ireland.

Would anyone know her there?

Would she finally wake up without carrying the weight of her past?

Would she ever feel at home again?

The questions circled through her mind for the entire journey, but no answers came.

Hours later, the plane landed.

She collected her small suitcase and followed the crowd through the airport. She took a slow breath as the automatic doors to the arrivals hall slid open.

Then she saw him.

A familiar figure stood several feet away, waiting among the sea of strangers.

Her steps came to an abrupt stop.

For a moment, the noise around her faded, and all she could do was stare.