Temporary Luna, Permanent Heartbreak - Chapter 23: Chapter 23

After their mating, Zara continue to threw herself wholeheartedly into helping poor packs.
Every poor pack in rural that needed help became her mission.
No matter how treacherous the mountain roads or how harsh the conditions, she insisted on leading from the front. Initially, Sterling was incredibly supportive of her work, often accompanying her to remote areas.
"Zara, what you're doing really makes a difference," he used to tell her. "I'm so proud of you."
But fate, it seemed, enjoyed testing people at their happiest moments.
It was an ordinary Tuesday morning. Zara was in a remote village in the Southwest, overseeing infrastructure development, when suddenly everything went black. The next thing she knew, she was waking up in a hospital bed.
Sterling's anxious face was the first thing she saw, followed by the pack healer's reassuring smile.
"Congratulations, Luna Ashford. You're pregnant."
Zara's emotions were a whirlwind of joy, worry, and uncertainty.
"However," the healer's expression turned serious, "your condition is concerning. The combination of exhaustion and your naturally low fertility means you're showing signs of threatened miscarriage. If you lose this pup, you may never have another chance to become a mother."
Time seemed to stop. Zara thought of the pup she'd lost years ago, remembered what the healers had told her then. This pup might be the Moon Goddess's final gift to her.
After much soul-searching, she made the difficult decision to step back from her career and focus entirely on nurturing this pregnancy as a full-time mother.
Sterling squeezed her hand, his eyes filled with understanding. "Zara, whatever you decide, I support you completely. The pup and your health are what matter most."
Little pup Lyra was born—the most precious gift of Zara's life. To care for her properly, she completely left her professional life behind to become a full-time mother and Luna.
In those early days, Sterling was genuinely devoted to their pack and family. He'd help with Zara after pack issues, take them to the pack grounds on weekends, and seemed every inch the perfect mate and father.
But as time passed and his Alpha duties soared, everything began to change.
Their pack flourished under his leadership, and he became increasingly consumed by territorial expansions. His days grew longer, his homecomings later. Often, Lyra and Zara would be asleep before he returned, exhausted and distant.
"Sterling, today is Lyra's birthday. Did you forget?" Zara asked, trying to hide her disappointment.
He paused, looking genuinely confused, then wearily replied, "Sorry, the territory negotiations have been consuming everything. I'll make it up to her tomorrow."
Such incidents became routine. He began missing Lyra's milestones—her first sit, her first words, her first day of pack school.
When Zara tried to discuss it with him, he grew increasingly impatient.
"Zara, you're home all day. How could you possibly understand the pressure I'm under?" he snapped during one particularly heated argument. "You don't work—how would you know what it's like leading a powerful pack?"
Those words cut through her like a silver blade. She had sacrificed her beloved career for their family and pup, only to be met with his contempt and misunderstanding.
Their relationship began developing irreparable fractures. After every fight, Sterling would storm out, claiming he needed to "handle pack business and clear his head."
Eventually, Zara discovered that his "pack business" was actually one person—Celeste, his late brother's mate and also—his first love.
Celeste was everything Zara apparently wasn't: gentle, understanding, perpetually supportive.
However, a few years ago, Celeste mated Sterling's former pack brother without any warning and gave birth to Blake.
Before long, Celeste's mate died in the most crucial battle for Kieran's territorial expansion. His sacrifice became the key to their victory.
With his dying breath, he made Kieran promise—protect Celeste and Blake forever, forgive them no matter what they did, for the sake of how he'd given everything for Kieran on the battlefield.
From that day forward, Kieran spoiled Celeste and Blake beyond measure, indulging their every whim.
And also from that moment on, he forgot Zara and their daughter even existed.
At the same time, unlike Zara, who frequently clashed with Sterling, Celeste was always there to listen, to comfort, to validate his frustrations.
"Sterling, you work so incredibly hard for the pack. If I was your mate, I'd really feel bad for you." she would coo.
"Exactly. But Zara just doesn't get it," he'd respond, finding solace in her sympathetic ear.
Zara began noticing Sterling's growing detachment. His gaze had lost its warmth, her concerns no longer interested him, and he started taking Celeste's calls even during their family time.
By the time Lyra turned five, Zara had made up her mind to return to work.
"I want to go back to work," she announced to Sterling one evening.
Without looking up from his pack reports, he muttered, "Do whatever you want."
Zara enrolled Lyra at Moonrise Academy, one of the territory's most prestigious private schools. She thought such an environment would provide her with the best possible education.
On Lyra's first day, Zara spotted a familiar figure in the school courtyard—Celeste was there too, dropping off Blake.
"Zara?" She seemed genuinely surprised to see her. "What brings you here?"
"Dropping off my daughter," Zara replied simply.
Something complex flickered in Celeste's eyes before her practiced smile returned. "Of course. Blake, sweetie, this is Lyra. You two should be good friends, okay?"
Blake glanced at Lyra with an expression Zara couldn't quite read—something that made her inexplicably uncomfortable.
At the time, she had no idea this seemingly innocent boy would become the source of her daughter's torment.
Months later, Lyra came home in tears, begging Zara never to make her return to Moonrise Academy.