Shen Yueli stood barefoot beneath the second moon, her crimson robes fluttering in the cold wind. The forest around her was deathly silent, save for the whisper of trees and the distant howl of wolves. Her fingers clutched a torn letter— creased, bloodstained, and cruel— its words burned into her soul like fire.
"You lied to me."
The voice sliced through the stillness like a dagger.
She turned slowly, dread curling in her stomach. Ling Yechen stood just beyond the ancient stone gate of the Moon Temple. His golden eyes burned like coals, his power pulsing with fury.
Even now, wrapped in his midnight- black robes, with his raven hair tied back like a warrior preparing for war, he was painfully beautiful— and terrifying.
"Yechen…" she whispered, heart hammering in her chest.
His gaze dropped to her belly, rounded slightly beneath her flowing robes.
" You're pregnant," he said, each word venom- laced. "And it's not mine."
She took a shaky breath. " Please, listen to me—"
" I felt it," he cut in, stepping forward.
The ground beneath him cracked from the pressure of his aura. " The bond between us— it's broken. Your body changed. Your scent… it's tainted."
Tears brimmed in her eyes. She hadn't even told him. How had he—
" I didn't betray you," she whispered, voice hoarse. " You vanished into the Blood Realm. I searched for you until my legs gave out. I mourned you for seven moons. I thought you were dead, Yechen."
" You could've waited," he growled. "You should've waited."
" I'm not a stone, Yechen!" Her voice rose, breaking the air between them. "I was dying from the emptiness. You don't know what it felt like— losing our bond, our future, you. You left me."
His claws twitched at his sides, fangs elongating. " You were mine."
She placed a hand protectively over her belly. " No. I am mine."
That was the last thread holding him.
Yechen's face twisted in agony. He took a step back, his voice sharp as ice.
"You're no longer my mate. I, Ling Yechen, reject you."
A low rumble echoed across the skies.
Yueli stumbled, clutching her chest. The severing of the bond felt like a blade cleaving her soul in two.
"I Shen Yueli… accept your rejection."
A blinding flash lit the sky. Thunder roared as the sacred mate bond shattered.
Her knees buckled. Everything went dark.
—
The first thing she felt was cold. Stone beneath her. Leaves whispering overhead. The scent of wet earth and pine needles filled her lungs.
She opened her eyes.
The second moon hung high above her, casting silver light through the trees.
She was deep in the wild lands— far from the palace, far from home.
Pain surged through her chest, but it was different now. Hollow. Echoing.
She moved slowly, trying to sit up. Every breath was a struggle, every heartbeat a scream.
For a while, she just lay there, staring at the moon. Wondering if the gods watched her fall. Wondering if they ever cared at all.
She remembered being a child in the palace gardens, dancing beneath moonlight with dreams in her heart. She remembered the first time Yechen had called her "mine." She remembered her mother's voice telling her, "Your greatest power, Yueli, will not come from love. It will come from losing it."
She never understood it— until now.
Then a shadow appeared, cutting across the moonlight.
A man stepped into view.
He had long silver hair that flowed like silk down his back, pointed wolf ears standing tall. His eyes— an unnatural gold— watched her with quiet intensity.
He wore dark robes embroidered with ancient runes, and despite his strength, his presence radiated calm, not threat.
She flinched instinctively.
" Who are you?" She asked, voice barely audible.
He knelt before her, careful not to startle her further. " I won't harm you. My name is Di Yan."
Her eyes widened. That name… it sounded familiar. A werewolf of the Northern Clans. A loner. A myth.
"How do you know my name?" She asked, trembling.
" I felt your pain," he said softly. " It called to me."
" What do you mean?"
He hesitated, then reached into his robe and pulled out a stone— glowing faintly blue. "This is a soul stone. It resonates with broken bonds… and second chances."
Yueli stared at it. She'd heard of such things in legend, but never believed they existed.
Di Yan's voice lowered. " Your mate rejected you… but your story isn't over."
A tear slipped down her cheek.
" I lost everything," she whispered. " My home. My Title. Him."
" You didn't lose yourself," Di Yan replied.
"Not yet."
She closed her eyes. She wanted to scream, to break, to vanish into the earth. But something about his voice… his presence… held her together.
" You're a werewolf," she said quietly. " A lone one."
"Yes."
" Why help me?"
He looked at her, gaze steady. " Because the moon gives us second chances. If we're brave enough to take them."
She stared at him for a long time,
unsure if she could trust him. But her body ached, her soul even more so. And her child— her baby needed her to survive.
She reached out and took his hand.
—
Di Yan helped her up and led her deeper into the forest. They didn't speak much, but the silence between them was different from Yechen's stormy silence.
It was still. Peaceful.
He brought her to a hidden cave warmed by enchanted stones. A stream trickled nearby. There was food, warmth, and safety— things she hadn't felt in weeks.
Later that night, as she rested by the fire, Yueli touched her belly.
She didn't know what fate awaited her.
But maybe, just maybe, under the second moon, a second chance was real.
Her fingers traced a mark forming faintly across her skin, just above her heart— a silver crescent moon.
A new bond was forming.
But was it real… or fate's next cruel twist?
She turned her eyes to the mouth of the cave, where Di Yan stood under the moonlight, guarding her. Watching the shadows. Silent, powerful, and distant.
Maybe he was her second chance.
Or maybe… he was something else entirely.
But one thing was certain.
Shen Yueli would never be the same.
She wasn't just a rejected mate anymore.
She was something the world would learn to fear.