Chapter 8
Ryan lay on the ground for a long time, moonlight washing over his handsome face.
Suddenly, I remembered we had once lain together like this by the lake on our first date.
That night, the moon had been even brighter. Ryan had intertwined his fingers with mine, turned to face me, and asked, “Tiana, will you be my Luna?”
I had believed he loved me. But it had only taken three years for that love to dissolve. His feelings were far too fleeting.
Ryan’s fingers twitched, and I knew he was recalling the same moment. Then, he reached out with his claws and scraped away the words on my tombstone, carving new ones in their place.
“Ryan and his mate, Tiana, rest here together.”
His claws tore open against the rough stone, blood dripping from his fingers, but he ignored the pain. Slowly, he lay down in the grave he had just excavated.
A satisfied smile crossed his lips as he injected himself with a lethal dose of wolfsbane. His pupils contracted sharply, his breathing grew labored, and his body convulsed under the poison’s effects.
I couldn’t help but frown.
His vision began to blur, but suddenly his eyes focused as he turned weakly in my direction, looking startlingly alert.
“Tiana, is that you? I can finally see you! If I had known this was the only way to find you, I wouldn’t have made you wait so long.”
I wanted to tell him I hadn’t been waiting for him at all—I had simply died too tragically, with too much resentment to move on.
But I didn’t feel like speaking to him, so I just regarded him indifferently. Even the sound of my name on his lips felt foreign now. Soon, I would forget him entirely.
“You must still blame me,” he murmured. “I did terrible things to you and caused your death…
“Vivian has been dead for weeks now. Did you know? There’s nothing standing between us anymore. I love you, Tiana.”
He reached toward me, but his arm soon fell limply.
He was dying. “In our next life, I swear I’ll love you, protect you, and be your Alpha forever. No one will ever trust you more than I
will
“Tiana, after everything, do you hate me?”
I shook my head. “I don’t hate you. But I don’t love you anymore either. I don’t want to meet you in our next life.”
Loving Ryan had been exhausting. Being strangers was the best ending for us.
Chapter 6
He let out a bitter laugh. “Is that so? Honestly, I would have preferred your hatred.”
With endless regret in his eyes, he closed them for the last time.
All the emotions inside me scattered like moonlight on water until I could barely feel my own existence. The moonlight
intensified, and I dissolved into it.
+20 Bonus
In the distance, I saw Leo praying to the Moon Goddess with sincere devotion. “Moon Goddess, please grant Tiana whatever her
heart desires.”
The New Moon Ceremony–the time for prayers–had occurred just before my death. That was why I had remained as a spirit,
witnessing everything unfold. It was because of Leo’s wish.
I had wanted to see Ryan’s regret. I had needed to know if he had ever truly loved me. And I had seen it all.
The old me had only wished for a simple, happy life. But to the Moon Goddess, that wasn’t a wish worthy of granting.
Until the moment of my death, overwhelming emotions had triggered my hidden desire.
So now, I gave my final wish to Leo.
I wished that in the days after I was gone, he would care for himself, find a mate who loved him as much as he loved them, and
live his life as a cherished Alpha with a worthy Luna.
Leo, thank you. Thank you for always being good to me. Thank you for giving me a place to rest in peace.
And thank you for showing me what it truly feels like to be loved.
Continue Reading
