The Luna's Last Sacrifice Chapter 5

When the communication stone went dark for the third time, Elsa finally smashed it against the ground.

"She transferred the bloodline treasury?" She grabbed her husband Ron's arm, her nails digging into his skin. "And the Relic Hall? Authority over twenty hunting grounds? Has she lost her mind?!"

Ron's face turned ashen as he flipped through the parchment scrolls just delivered by messenger. "The contracts are real... signed yesterday afternoon, blood claw prints pressed at the rejection ritual." His voice trembled. "The Council of Elders has already filed them."

"Contact her immediately!" Elsa shrieked. "No, we're going to Shadowfang pack! Now!"

As they leaped onto the moonlight carriage, Ron was still trembling while dialing the communication stone. Fourth time, fifth time. Always only the cold echo of magic power.

"She turned it off," Ron murmured. "Since the ceremony ended last night..."

The carriage rushed into Eternal Night Forest, trees blurring into black shadows on either side. Elsa gripped the window frame, suddenly remembering her daughter's calm eyes yesterday.

What had she said then?

"Mother, keep the circlet safe."

At the time, she thought it was surrender. Now she understood—it was farewell.

In the room, Sebastian stood beside the stone platform, looking at the body covered in silver wolf fur. Stella's wolf form was smaller than in life, her coat faded to an almost transparent gray-white, as if the moonlight had washed away all color.

He reached out his hand, fingertips hovering above her closed eyelids.

Then pulled back.

"She was always like this," his voice was dry. "Stubborn. Now she's stubborned herself to death."

Dianna emerged from the shadows, holding a black obsidian vial.

"This isn't stubbornness, Alpha." She placed the bottle on the stone platform, the glass clinking crisply against stone. "This is Dark Moon Grass extract. A forbidden werewolf drug that suppresses Lunar Blight pain but accelerates soul corruption."

Sebastian stared at the bottle. "What do you mean?"

"I mean she's been drinking this for days." Dianna's voice was like ice. "To maintain 'health' in front of you, to keep you from noticing her claws were shaking. The last dose was last night—when you and Layla exchanged blood chalices, she drank an entire vial just to stand straight and toast you."

"I didn't know," Sebastian said.

"You didn't ask," Dianna corrected.

Footsteps approached. Layla entered wrapped in a cloak, eyes red-rimmed, tears perfectly suspended on her lashes.

"Sebastian," she sobbed and rushed to him. "I just went to check on Lewis. He keeps crying, asking me why Stella won't wake up from sleeping."

Sebastian mechanically embraced her. "It's alright now."

"It's all my fault," Layla buried her face in his chest. "If I hadn't accepted the ritual, if I had insisted a little more—"

"It's not your fault." Sebastian interrupted, his palm gently patting her back. "She chose this herself."

Dianna watched this scene and drew a parchment scroll from her sleeve.

"There's one more thing." She unrolled the contract. "At rejection ritual, Lady Stella didn't just transfer her totem inheritance rights. She also signed supplementary clauses—transferring all personal assets, including the bloodline treasury, Relic Hall permanent collections, and twenty hunting ground shares, unconditionally to Layla."

Sebastian's head snapped up. "What?"

"All legal procedures are complete." Dianna's voice remained steady. "The Council of Elders confirmed and filed them this morning. Which means Layla became the sole legal holder of these assets now."

The air froze for several seconds.

Then Sebastian's shoulders—almost imperceptibly—relaxed a fraction.

"That's good," he said quietly. "Saves the trouble of inheritance division."

Dianna's fingertips dug into her palms.

Urgent footsteps, shouts, and guards' protests echoed from outside.

"Let me through! That's my daughter!"

"Madam, the Alpha is—"

"Get out of my way!"

Elsa burst into the cave, hair disheveled, robes stained with night dew. Her first glance fell on the silver wolf's body on the stone platform, her second on Sebastian and Layla embracing.

She stopped.

"You..." her voice cracked. "Why is my daughter dead?"

Ron followed in, saw the stone platform, and his legs gave out as he collapsed to his knees.

"Stella..." He crawled toward the platform, fingers trembling as they touched the silver wolf's paw. "Baby, Daddy's here... open your eyes..."

Elsa didn't move. She stared at Sebastian. "The transfer contract." She spoke each word deliberately. "Is it real?"

Sebastian released Layla and straightened his collar. "It's real. She signed it herself."

"You forced her."

"No."

"You watched her die!" Elsa's scream exploded in the cave. "Now you tell me she 'voluntarily' gave away a lifetime of savings to you too?!"

Layla began sobbing again. "Mom, didn't you bless us yesterday?"

"Shut up!" Elsa lunged forward, wolf claws instantly extending half an inch. "I never thought my daughter would die!"

Sebastian stepped between them, Alpha pressure crashing down. "Elsa, remember your place."

"Place?" Elsa laughed hysterically, tears streaming. "My daughter is dead! Driven to death by you! Now you talk to me about place?!"

Ron prostrated himself by the platform, face pressed against his daughter's cold fur, his wailing reduced to hoarse whispers.

Elsa turned toward the stone platform, each step like walking on knife points. She knelt down, fingers combing through Stella's faded fur, over her sunken flanks, over paws that would never lift again.

"Mom's here," she whispered, tears splashing onto the silver wolf's nose. "Mom's here to take you home."

The candle flames flickered violently.

Sebastian looked away. "According to tradition, the body should be buried in the pack cemetery."

"Tradition?" Elsa didn't turn around. "You dare speak of tradition?"

She leaned down, pressing her forehead to her daughter's.

"How exactly did she die?" She didn't turn back, her voice hoarse.

Dianna stepped from the shadows, holding the memory crystal in her right hand. "Late-stage Lunar Blight. She'd been taking Dark Moon Grass extract to maintain consciousness."

Having said that, Dianna pressed the rune at the crystal's apex.