- 12 hours ago
Seven Moons Later, I Became Another Alpha's Luna HD
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00:00Mist Ridge Pack had an old rule. If an outside alpha wanted to take a Mist Ridge Weewolf into his
00:05pack, he had to complete seven mate trials with her within seven full moons.
00:09Public claiming at the ceremonial platform, council mate registration, the pack acceptance oath, the night hunt, the full moon run,
00:18the pack transfer ceremony, and finally, the mate vow before the marking.
00:23Only after all seven trials were complete could he register her as his mate, mark her under the full moon,
00:29and make her his Luna.
00:30I used to believe Ryder would do it.
00:33He was the young alpha of the ruling city pack. Powerful and proud.
00:38The first time he stepped into Mist Ridge, his alpha authority was clear.
00:42Ryder had once told me he would take me away from Mist Ridge.
00:45You won't be trapped in these mountains forever. Once the seven trials are over, you'll become my Luna.
00:50So on every full moon, I put on my cleanest dress, forced down the restlessness of my wolf spirit, and
00:57walked alone along the mountain path to wait for him at the trial site.
01:00But seven times, he failed to stand beside me.
01:04The seventh full moon was the final mate vow before the marking.
01:09I stood before the Mist Ridge ceremonial platform from dusk until the moon climbed high above me.
01:15The wound on my ankle had not healed.
01:18The place where Wolf Spice had burned me throbbed with heat, and the pain nearly brought me to my knees.
01:26Elder Morin stood below the stone steps, leaning on his cane.
01:33Annie, this is the seventh time.
01:38I did not answer.
01:43Elder Morin sighed.
01:46Ryder went to the eastern border again.
01:48Catherine sent a distress call.
01:52She said rogue wolves crossed the line.
02:00My fingers tightened around the moonstone at my throat.
02:04Four years ago, Ryder placed it around my neck with his own hands and said to me,
02:09Annie, once I pass the seven trials, I will place the true lunar ring on your finger.
02:13This moonstone is merely a token.
02:16At the time, I truly believed he would use the lunar ring to replace it.
02:21But now, I've completely come to my senses.
02:28I called Ryder.
02:30He answered quickly, his voice full of impatience.
02:33Annie, something happened on Catherine's side.
02:36She was leading a patrol along the old Alliance border, and now she's trapped by rogue wolves.
02:41I have to go.
02:42I watched the elders leave the ceremonial ground one by one, and I knew this trial was about to end
02:47in failure again.
02:48Today is the seventh trial.
02:50Ryder went silent for a second.
02:52I know, but I'm the alpha.
02:55If something happens at the border, I can't ignore it.
02:58Catherine's low sob came through the phone.
03:00Ryder, I think I smell wolfbane.
03:03My leg hurts so much.
03:06Ryder's breathing changed at once.
03:08Annie, wait for me one last time.
03:10One last time.
03:11Again.
03:12For the first trial, he said Catherine had found strange tracks near the border.
03:16For the second trial, he said Catherine's wolf spirit had suddenly become restless.
03:20For the third trial, my oath document was contaminated with wolf's bale powder, and he went after the suspect Catherine
03:26claimed to have seen.
03:27For the fourth trial, I entered the forest alone and was bitten by a rogue wolf, while he saved Catherine
03:32on the other side of the territory.
03:35For the fifth trial, I completed the full moon run alone while Ryder stayed with Catherine and her fake wolf's
03:40bane poisoning report.
03:42For the sixth trial, Catherine reported to the council that my wolf spirit was unstable.
03:46Ryder told me to reflect on myself.
03:48And for the seventh trial, he still chose Catherine.
03:51Listening to his voice, I suddenly laughed.
03:55Ryder, don't come this time.
03:56What did you say?
03:57I took off the moonstone hanging at my throat and let it go.
04:00It hit the stone steps of the ceremonial platform and broke into pieces.
04:05On the other end of the phone, Ryder let out a muffled groan.
04:09The seven trials are over.
04:11I'm done waiting for you.
04:12Elder Morin was silent for a long time.
04:15Annie, are you sure?
04:17I looked up at the cold full moon above Mist Ridge.
04:20I'm sure.
04:21Three days from now, arrange the Luna ceremony according to the old alliance.
04:23Three days from now, I will accept Logan's mark and become the Luna of Black Pine Pack.
04:29Ryder returned the next morning.
04:31Catherine followed behind him.
04:33She wore a pale dress and a clean bandage around her leg.
04:36Her face looked weak, but the corners of her eyes lifted the moment she saw me.
04:41Ryder came up to me, and the first thing he said was not an apology.
04:45Why did you leave the ceremonial ground last night?
04:48I sat outside my wooden house, washing my ankle with herbal water.
04:51The wolf-bide burn had not faded.
04:53The flesh was red and swollen, and even the lightest touch hurt.
04:56I looked up at him.
04:58You didn't come.
05:00Ryder frowned.
05:01I explained.
05:03There was trouble at the border.
05:04Catherine was almost dragged away by rogue wolves.
05:07I looked at Catherine.
05:09There were so many patrol warriors there.
05:12Why did it have to be you?
05:14Ryder's face darkened.
05:16Because I'm the Alpha.
05:18The old alliance between Miss Ridge and the ruling city pack is my responsibility.
05:21If the border is in trouble, I can't stand by and do nothing.
05:23He sounded completely certain, just like every other time.
05:27I asked softly.
05:28Then what about me?
05:29Ryder paused.
05:30I looked into his eyes.
05:31The seventh trial was part of the old alliance, too.
05:33I stood before the ceremonial platform, waiting for you.
05:37Ryder, you stood by and ignored me, too.
05:40A flash of irritation crossed his face.
05:42Annie, don't mix things together.
05:43I never said I didn't want you.
05:44The trials can be arranged again.
05:47I lowered my head and gave a small laugh.
05:52The seven full moons are gone.
05:54I asked Catherine.
05:55Miss Ridge's rules shouldn't be this rigid anymore.
05:57You don't have to use them to force me to mark you now.
06:00That was when I finally understood.
06:01It was not that he did not know.
06:03He simply did not believe I would actually leave.
06:05Before I could speak, Catherine stepped forward and spoke softly in the Miss Ridge dialect.
06:09Annie, you're so pathetic.
06:11Ryder is the alpha of the ruling city pack.
06:14Did you really think he would make a mountain she-wolf like you his Luna?
06:18You thought the seven trials were love?
06:21They were just promises he made while he was staying in Miss Ridge.
06:26Nothing more.
06:30The Miss Ridge dialect was old.
06:32Ryder did not understand it.
06:34Catherine came from a neighboring pack and knew the language.
06:37So she dared dared to insult me right in front of him.
06:40I answered in the same dialect.
06:42So you were the one who deliberately sabotaged it every time?
06:45A flicker of coldness crossed Catherine's eyes.
06:48A second later, she switched back to the common language and her eyes reddened.
06:52Annie, I was only trying to explain.
06:54Last night was truly dangerous.
06:56Why did you curse at me in that dialect?
06:58Annie.
06:59Ryder immediately turned to me.
07:01There was warning in his tone.
07:02I looked at him.
07:04Did you hear me curse at her?
07:07Ryder frowned.
07:08I don't understand the Miss Ridge dialect.
07:10But Catherine wouldn't cry for no reason.
07:12The words hurt.
07:13She would not cry for no reason.
07:15So every time she cried, I was wrong.
07:17I stood up, forced myself through the pain in my ankle,
07:20and walked step by step to the broken pieces of Moonstone.
07:24Only then did they see them.
07:26His face changed.
07:28You broke it?
07:30Yes.
07:31I bent down and picked up one sharp piece.
07:34It cut into my palm and blood welled up.
07:37Werewolves healed quickly, but the wolf-bide burns still lingered.
07:40My wound closed slowly.
07:41I placed the broken piece into his hand.
07:44Your promise.
07:45I'm giving it back.
07:47Ryder's breath caught.
07:49Annie, don't do this.
07:50I looked up.
07:51I'm not doing anything.
07:52In three days, I will become Logan's Luna.
07:54Ryder's eyes went completely cold.
07:56You're using Logan to provoke me?
07:58I suddenly felt exhausted.
07:59Think whatever you want.
08:01Ryder, we're over.
08:04After saying that, I left without looking back.
08:06I had not planned to deal with Catherine anymore.
08:08But that night, when I went to the healing house for herbs, I heard her voice from inside.
08:14The dose doesn't need to be strong.
08:16Just enough to make my wolf spirit restless for a while.
08:19The healer lowered his voice.
08:20Miss Catherine, misusing wolf-bice potion can damage your wolf spirit.
08:24Catherine sneered.
08:26My wolf spirit is perfectly stable.
08:28As long as Ryder senses it stirring, he'll stay with me.
08:31I stood outside the door, cold all over.
08:34So the so-called loss of control during the second trial had been fake.
08:38The so-called wolf-faith poisoning during the fifth trial had been fake too.
08:42I pushed the door open.
08:43Catherine turned around sharply, her face painting for a second.
08:47The healer hurried to his feet.
08:48Miss Annie.
08:49I looked at the wolf-bate potion and wolf-bate powder on the table.
08:52So this is how you've been sabotaging the trials all these years?
08:56Catherine quickly calmed down.
08:57She smiled and spoke in the Mistridge dialect.
09:00So what if you know?
09:01Now, Ryder believes me, not you.
09:04I stepped forward and reached for the bottle on the table.
09:07Catherine suddenly knocked it over.
09:09A sharp, bitter smell burst through the room.
09:12Then she grabbed a pinch of wolf-bate powder and smeared it onto the back of her own hand.
09:17Her skin reddened instantly.
09:19A second later, she screamed.
09:21Annie!
09:22Why are you hurting me?
09:24The door was shoved open.
09:26Ryder rushed in.
09:27He smelled the sharp wolf-bate scent first.
09:31Then he saw the red burn on the back of Catherine's hand.
09:39His eyes fell on me.
09:43What did you do?
09:47I was still holding half of the broken bottle.
09:49The healer lowered his head in fear and said nothing.
09:53Catherine trembled as she cried.
09:54Ryder, I only came to change my bandage.
09:57Annie suddenly rushed in.
09:59She said I stole you from her, and then she threw wolf's ache at me.
10:02Ryder's gaze darkened bit by bit.
10:05Annie, you know wolf-blind hurts werewolves.
10:07How could you attack her in the healing house?
10:09I looked at him.
10:11You won't even ask me one question.
10:13Ryder's voice was tight with anger.
10:15I only believe what I saw.
10:17I suddenly laughed.
10:20Then did you ever see me, me waiting for you seven times?
10:23He froze.
10:25I walked toward him, step by step.
10:27Did you see me wait at the ceremonial platform until I fainted during the first trial?
10:32Did you see me get chased by a rogue wolf during the fourth night hunt and fall down the mountain
10:37slope?
10:38Did you see me shift alone during the fifth full moon run, cross Moonshadow Forest Forest by myself, and almost
10:45get driven into a ravine by rogue wolves?
10:47Ryder's face changed.
10:49Catherine cried louder.
10:50Ryder, it hurts.
10:52Almost by instinct, he turned to look at her.
10:54That one glance killed the last soft part of me.
10:57I said to the healer,
10:59The council will investigate what happened tonight.
11:02Then I turned and left.
11:04Ryder chased after me.
11:07Annie!
11:09He grabbed my wrist.
11:12You're becoming less and less like the girl you used to be.
11:16I stopped.
11:17The girl I used to be endured everything, waited, and made excuses for him.
11:22I slowly pulled my hand free.
11:25Ryder,
11:26the Annie you remember died on the seventh full moon.
11:33When I returned to the wooden house, Grandma Otta was waiting for me.
11:38Child,
11:40Logan will come tomorrow.
11:42Good.
11:45Grandma banded my wounds.
11:47Are you afraid?
11:49I stayed silent for a long time.
11:52Yes.
11:53I was afraid of being marked by an alpha I barely knew.
11:56But I was even more afraid of waiting for Ryder.
11:58Tomorrow,
11:59Logan would arrive.
12:00And Ryder would finally learn that this time I was not waiting.
12:04The next day,
12:06Blackpink Pack arrived in Mist Ridge.
12:08There was no noise.
12:10No display of power.
12:12Logan wore a black robe with a wolf-patterned cloak over his shoulders.
12:16Behind him stood his Beta,
12:17Warriors,
12:18and Alliance Witnesses.
12:19He stopped outside my house instead of walking straight in.
12:24Annie,
12:25may I come in?
12:27That simple question made me pause.
12:29Ryder never asked.
12:31He always thought that if he wanted to see me,
12:33I should already be waiting for him.
12:35You may.
12:36Logan entered the wooden house.
12:38His eyes stopped on my ankle for a second,
12:40but he did not ask anything that would embarrass me.
12:43He only placed a thick cloak over the back of a chair.
12:46The mountain wind is cold.
12:48Wear this on the way to the ceremony.
12:50Elder Morin sat at the wooden table
12:51and unfolded the Alliance document sent by Blackpink Pack.
12:55Alpha Logan,
12:56are you certain you want to accept Annie as your Luna?
12:58She was once Alpha Ryder's intended mate.
13:00Only after seven failed trials
13:02did Mist Ridge arrange her mate status according to the old rules.
13:05Logan looked at the Elder.
13:06I know.
13:07Elder Morin continued.
13:09You are not accepting her for the sake of Alliance benefits?
13:13Logan's answer was steady.
13:15No.
13:17The first time I saw Annie was after the fourth night hunt.
13:21I froze.
13:23After the fourth trial,
13:24I had crawled out of the forest covered in blood.
13:27I thought no one had seen me that day.
13:31Logan said quietly,
13:33she had been bitten by a rogue wolf,
13:37but she still brought an injured pup back to the patrol.
13:42That was when I knew she was better suited to be a Luma
13:45than many werewolves who call themselves strong.
13:50The room fell quiet.
13:51My throat tightened.
13:52Someone had seen me.
13:53Not because I had cried loudly enough to be noticed,
13:56but because even at my worst,
13:58someone remembered my courage.
13:59Logan turned to me.
14:01Annie,
14:01I won't force you.
14:02If you don't want this,
14:03today's Alliance can be cancelled.
14:05Grandma looked at me nervously.
14:07Elder Morin did not rush me either.
14:08I looked at Logan.
14:09His eyes were calm.
14:10There was no pity,
14:11no impatience,
14:12and no sense that he was taking what Ryder had left behind.
14:15I accept.
14:16Then,
14:16as Alpha of Black Pine Pack,
14:18I asked the Council of Miss Ridge for Annie's hand.
14:20I will give her Luna status,
14:22Luna rights,
14:22and the respect owed to a mate.
14:24If one day,
14:24she no longer wishes to stay in Black Pine,
14:26I will not use my mark to trap her.
14:28My eyes lifted sharply.
14:30Logan looked at me,
14:31his voice low and steady.
14:32A mark is not a chain.
14:34At least not with me.
14:37The Luna ceremony was set for that night.
14:39When Ryder arrived at the Elder's Hall,
14:41the Alliance had already been signed.
14:44He saw the Black Pined blood seal on the table,
14:46and his expression turned dark.
14:50Annie,
14:51are you really going to marry him?
14:53Yes.
14:54Ryder stared at me in disbelief.
14:56You would rather choose an Alpha you barely know
14:58than wait three more days for me?
15:00I waited for you for seven full moons,
15:03not three days.
15:07The Luna ceremony was held at the highest point
15:09beneath the full moon.
15:11Before the ceremonial platform,
15:13Black Pine warriors stood in two lines.
15:15Logan held my hand and led me up the stone steps.
15:18My ankles still hurt.
15:19Every step pulled at the wound.
15:21Logan noticed.
15:22Can you walk?
15:23He stopped and asked quietly.
15:26I nodded.
15:27Yes.
15:28There's no rush.
15:29Black Pine can wait for its Luna to walk steadily.
15:32My eyes stang.
15:33Ryder had only ever made me wait.
15:35Now, someone was willing to wait for me.
15:37The elder recited the vow to the moon goddess.
15:40Logan cut his palm and let his blood fall onto the oath stone.
15:43I, Logan, Alpha of Black Pine,
15:45accept Annie as my Luna.
15:47I will respect her, protect her,
15:49hear her voice, and honor her choices.
15:51He looked at me.
15:53Annie,
15:54do you accept my mark?
15:55I closed my eyes for a moment.
15:58Ryder had never asked whether I wanted his mark.
16:00He only kept saying he would give it to me later,
16:02but the one standing before me now was Logan.
16:05I accept.
16:06When pain touched the side of my neck,
16:08my wolf spirit trembled softly inside my mind.
16:11It was not fear.
16:12It was relief.
16:13I no longer had to hold myself up alone.
16:16After the mark was complete,
16:17Black Pine's mind link opened to me.
16:20Luna, welcome home.
16:23At the same time,
16:25Black Pine Pack sent an official notice
16:27to every allied pack and every alpha in the alliance.
16:31Official notice.
16:32Alpha Logan of Black Pine Pack
16:34has marked Annie of Mistridge Pack
16:35under the full moon
16:36and accepted her as his official Luna.
16:39When the notice went out,
16:40Ryder was still at the eastern border
16:42dealing with the conflict
16:43that Catherine had created.
16:45I heard later what happened
16:46when the notice reached him.
16:49Ryder dropped to his knees on the spot.
16:51Not because he was injured.
16:54Because the last trace of the mate pull inside him
16:57had been severed by Logan's mark.
17:00A werewolf could feel a strong pull
17:02and still miss it.
17:04But once the other person was officially marked,
17:07the unfinished pull would naturally break.
17:09Ryder had finally lost me.
17:11By the time he reached Black Pine territory,
17:14the ceremony was already over.
17:16I stood beneath the platform
17:17with a fresh Luna mark on my neck.
17:21Logan's hand rested behind my back.
17:24Close enough to protect me,
17:25but not close enough to pressure me.
17:27Ryder stopped outside the border.
17:29Black Pine's territorial scent
17:30covered the pines,
17:32clearly warning every outside werewolf
17:34not to cross.
17:35He looked at me,
17:36his eyes slowly turning red.
17:39Annie.
17:43I turned to him.
17:45His voice was horsey.
17:47You really let him mark you?
17:49Yes.
17:50I was only a little late.
17:55I looked at him.
17:57No.
17:59You missed seven chances.
18:05Ryder clenched his fists.
18:07I can make it up to you.
18:08The trials can be repeated.
18:10The vows can be said again.
18:12Logan stepped forward.
18:15She is already my Luna.
18:17Ryder's gaze turned cold at once.
18:20What happened between Annie and me
18:22is none of your business.
18:24Logan released his alpha authority,
18:25his voice steady.
18:26You are standing at Black Pine's border,
18:29speaking to Black Pine's Luna like that.
18:32Ryder,
18:33are you challenging me,
18:35or are you challenging all of Black Pack?
18:38Ryder froze.
18:39I looked at him and felt nothing familiar.
18:42He used to be the future I believed in.
18:44Now he belonged to a past I had left behind.
18:47Ryder refused to leave.
18:49He stood outside Black Pine's border,
18:51staring at the mark on my neck.
18:53Annie, I don't believe you truly wanted this.
18:55You promised you would be my Luna.
18:58Do you even remember the seven trials?
19:01Ryder's breath caught.
19:02The Black Pine members,
19:03Miss Ridge elders,
19:04and Alliance witnesses all went silent.
19:06I did not cry.
19:07I did not raise my voice.
19:09In front of everyone,
19:10I laid out those seven full moons,
19:11one by one.
19:12The first time was the public claiming
19:14at the ceremonial platform.
19:17I stood there from dusk until dawn,
19:20until the elders left one after another.
19:23You said Catherine had found tracks near the border,
19:26and that you had to check them yourself.
19:28That day,
19:29every member of Miss Ridge saw me
19:31standing alone on the platform.
19:34I became a joke.
19:38Ryder's face slowly turned pale.
19:41The second time was the councilmate registration.
19:45I wore the white dress my grandmother gave me
19:48and waited in the registration hall.
19:50Catherine used a wolf band potion
19:52to stir her own wolf spirit,
19:53and you said she was about to lose control.
19:55You said she needed you.
19:57The elder asked me whether the alpha
19:58of the ruling city pack had changed his mind.
20:01I explained for you.
20:03I said you would come.
20:04The third time was the pack acceptance oath.
20:07My document was contaminated with wolf bane.
20:10My fingers were burned.
20:12You did not investigate who had touched it.
20:15You only chased the suspect
20:17Catherine claimed to have seen.
20:19The fourth time was the night hunt.
20:21I entered the forest alone
20:23and was almost bitten through the throat
20:24by a rogue wolf.
20:25You were on the other side saving Catherine.
20:31Logan's eyes fell on me
20:33and his fingers tightened slightly.
20:35I paused for a moment.
20:37Then continued.
20:38The fifth time was the full moon run.
20:41It was a full moon trial meant for young mates.
20:44Both partners had to complete the route together.
20:46But I shifted alone
20:47and crossed Moonshadow Forest in wolf form.
20:51I almost got driven into a ravine by rogue wolves.
20:54You were at the healing house
20:56saying Catherine had wolf bag poisoning.
20:58The sixth time was the pack transfer ceremony.
21:02Catherine reported that my wolf spirit was unstable
21:04and that I should not be allowed to leave Mist Ridge.
21:07You did not speak for me.
21:09You told me to reflect on myself.
21:12The seventh time was the mate vow.
21:15I stood before the ceremonial monial platform
21:18with a wolf space burn on my ankle.
21:20You left to handle the border conflict Catherine created.
21:25Ryder, I did give you chances.
21:28I gave you seven full moons.
21:31Every time you chose someone else.
21:39Ryder went still.
21:40For a long time, he could not speak at Catherine stood outside the crowd.
21:44Her face ugly.
21:45Suddenly, she cried out.
21:47Annie, how can you say that?
21:49Ryder is the alpha.
21:50What is wrong with him handling border and pack matters?
21:53I turned to her.
21:54There was nothing wrong with him handling pack matters.
21:57The problem is that every time,
22:01something happened to you at exactly the right moment.
22:04And the problem is that every time,
22:07he chose to believe you.
22:09He never chose to believe me.
22:11Ryder finally spoke,
22:13his voice rough.
22:15I didn't know.
22:17I smiled faintly.
22:19Of course you didn't.
22:20You never looked back at me.
22:22The mark on my neck warmed faintly.
22:25It was not a chain.
22:27It was a reminder that I no longer had to stand in place and explain my pain.
22:31I turned to Logan.
22:34Let's go back.
22:35Logan nodded.
22:37All right.
22:38Ryder tried to follow,
22:39but Blackpink warriors blocked him.
22:41Outside Alpha, stop here.
22:44He could only stand outside the border
22:46and watch me walk into Blackpink territory.
22:48This time, I did not look back.
22:53I thought everything would end after the mark was complete,
22:55but not everyone in Blackpink welcomed me.
22:57At the elders' meeting the next day,
22:59several Blackpink elders sat on both sides of the stone hall,
23:02their gazes cold.
23:03One elder in a black robe spoke first.
23:05Alpha Logan, we respect your choice.
23:08But Annie was once the candidate mate of the Alpha
23:11from the ruling city pack.
23:14She waited for Ryder seven times.
23:17Blackpine cannot accept a she-wolf repeatedly abandoned
23:20by another Alpha as its Luna.
23:22Another elder added,
23:23A Luna represents the pack's dignity.
23:25Her past will make other packs talk about Blackspine.
23:28I sat beside Logan, my fingers tightening.
23:30I had heard these words before.
23:32In Mist Ridge, they said I had only tried to climb up through a city Alpha
23:35because I wanted to leave the mountains.
23:37At Ryder's side, they said I was petty and could not tolerate Catherine.
23:40Now in Blackpine, they said my past would shame the pack.
23:43I was about to speak, but Logan had already risen.
23:46He did not slam the table.
23:47He did not shout.
23:48He simply walked to the pack oath stone,
23:50drew a short blade, and cut his palm.
23:52Blood fell onto the stone.
23:53It seeped into the lines carved across its surface.
23:56The entire hall fell silent.
23:57Logan's voice was low,
23:59but it carried enough authority to make every head lower.
24:01With my blood as Alpha of Blackpine,
24:03I confirm that Annie is not my compromise.
24:05She is the Luna I chose myself.
24:08Her past is not a disgrace.
24:10Being betrayed is not a disgrace.
24:14The one who should be questioned
24:17is the one who broke his vows.
24:20No one in the hall dared to speak.
24:22One by one, Blackpine members lowered their heads
24:24and exposed their necks.
24:26It was not fear.
24:27It was acceptance of the Alpha's blood oath.
24:30From today on,
24:31questioning Annie's status as Luna
24:33is the same as questioning my authority as Alpha.
24:36Anyone who objects can leave Blackpine now.
24:39No one made a sound.
24:41I looked at the blood on Logan's palm,
24:43my throat tight.
24:44Ryder had always said he would protect me,
24:47but the one who truly stood between me
24:49and the rumors had never been him.
24:51After the meeting,
24:52Logan wrapped his hand carelessly with a cloth.
24:54I caught his wrist.
24:56You should see a healer.
24:58Logan glanced at me.
25:01This wound is nothing.
25:03It is something.
25:05I lowered my head and rewrapped the cloth for him.
25:08I don't want anyone to get hurt for me
25:10and then say it doesn't matter.
25:13Logan was quiet for a moment.
25:15Then he smiled faintly.
25:16All right.
25:18From now on,
25:19it matters.
25:20That night,
25:21he checked the wound on my ankle.
25:23The wolf bite burn was deeper than I had realized.
25:27Logan's frown grew tighter.
25:29These didn't come from a single incident.
25:32I froze.
25:34He looked up at me.
25:35During the seven trials,
25:36you were exposed to wolf bait at least three times.
25:39Someone has been slowly your healing all along.
25:42I had always thought I was too weak,
25:44too slow,
25:45not strong enough.
25:46It turned out someone had been planting blades under my feet.
25:51Logan stood.
25:52I will demand a public investigation into the seven trials.
25:56Ryder won't want that.
25:58That is his problem.
26:00Your wounds should not be buried.
26:05The council investigation came quickly.
26:08Elders from Mistridge,
26:09Black Pine,
26:10and the ruling city pack all arrived.
26:12Ryder came too.
26:14He looked more worn than he had that night.
26:17There were clear red lines in his eyes,
26:19and the authority that belonged to the ruling pack
26:22no longer felt steady around him.
26:25After the last trace of the mate pull had been strethered,
26:29his wolf spirit had been turning on him.
26:31Even so,
26:32he stood in the center of the judgment hall
26:34and forced himself to listen to every piece of evidence.
26:38Elder Morin brought out the records of the seven mate ceremonies.
26:41They were not ordinary paper scrolls.
26:43They were official records kept by the council for mate ceremonies.
26:46Every failed ceremony left behind the time,
26:49place,
26:50witness statements,
26:50and injury records.
26:52Elder Morin opened the records
26:53and read through the seven failures one by one.
26:55The first record is the public claiming ceremony.
26:59I saw my past self standing before the ceremonial platform,
27:02waiting until dawn,
27:04then collapsing from exhaustion.
27:06Ryder had not come.
27:08Catherine's name appeared in the border anomaly report.
27:12The second record is the council mate registration.
27:17In the registration hall,
27:19I stood in my white dress under everyone's eyes.
27:23Ryder was absent.
27:25The healer's report showed that Catherine had used a wolf bath potion
27:29to agitate her wolf spirit.
27:32The third record is the pack acceptance oath.
27:35The oath document had been contaminated with wolf bath.
27:39My fingers had been burned.
27:42The source of the powder pointed to an opitherry in a neighboring pack.
27:46Ryder's face turned paler with every record.
27:49He was no longer listening to my pain as a complaint.
27:53He was seeing it written in the council's own hand.
27:57Then Elder Morin opened the next record.
28:01Elder Morin continued.
28:05The fourth record is the night hunt.
28:08I was injured in the forest alone
28:09and carried an injured pup back to the patrol.
28:12At the same time,
28:13Catherine sent a false distress call through the mind link.
28:16The fifth record is the full moon run.
28:18I crossed moonshadow forest alone in wolf form,
28:21leaving blood and wolf osborne records along the route.
28:23Ryder had been in the healing house with Catherine
28:25and her forged wolfsbane poisoning report.
28:27The sixth record is the cancelled pack transfer ceremony.
28:30Catherine had reported that my wolf spirit was unstable.
28:33The record showed that the so-called evidence
28:36had come from altered healing files.
28:38The seventh record is the mate vow before the final marking.
28:41The eastern border conflict report was brought out.
28:44The rogue wolves who had caused the conflict
28:46confessed that Catherine had used a border pass
28:48to lure them near the line.
28:50The judgment hall fell silent.
28:52Ryder stood there, his face white.
28:53He saw me stand at the trial site seven times.
28:56He saw me be abandoned seven times.
28:58He saw Catherine sabotage the trials again and again.
29:01And he saw himself choose to believe her again and again.
29:04Catherine screamed.
29:05It's not true!
29:07Those records could have been altered!
29:09Elder Morin looked at her coldly.
29:11These records are kept by the council
29:15and signed by the elders of each pack.
29:19No one may alter them in private.
29:22Catherine, do you still deny it?
29:24Catherine turned to Ryder, tears rushing to her eyes.
29:27Ryder, I only loved you.
29:30I was just afraid she would take you from me.
29:35What is so good about her?
29:37Catherine's tears rushed down her face.
29:39She is quiet, boring, and only knows how to wait.
29:43I'm the one who understands you best!
29:46Ryder slowly lifted his eyes.
29:48He no longer felt any compassion, only disgust.
29:53So you ruined her seven trials.
29:55You hurt her.
29:57You made me misunderstand her again and again.
30:00She was useless!
30:01If she mattered that much, why did you come to me every time?
30:05Catherine shook her head, crying.
30:07Those words finally cut through every lie Ryder had told himself.
30:11He staggered back a step.
30:12Yes, I did go to you every time.
30:15So the one who hurt her was not only you.
30:18It was me too.
30:19I sat beside Logan, calmer than I had expected.
30:22I used to think that once the truth came out,
30:25I would cry, question them and want Ryder to regret it.
30:29But now I only felt that it was all too late.
30:33I want them to repay, down to the very last penny,
30:36the harm they once inflicted on me.
30:39I did not want to hear anyone cry and explain anymore.
30:42The council's original ruling was supposed to be issued that day.
30:45Elder Morin announced the decision.
30:46Catherine deliberately sabotaged mate ceremonies,
30:49forged injury and wolf spirit disturbance reports,
30:52used wolf bee to harm a Mistridge she-wolf and created a border conflict.
30:56She will be expelled from the territories of both Mistridge and Black Pine.
31:01She will be exiled to the neutral zone under the supervision of Alliance patrols.
31:05For ten years, she may not enter any pack territory.
31:09Catherine let out a small breath of relief.
31:12She thought ten years was long.
31:15But for a werewolf, ten years was not enough to repay seven full moons.
31:20I stood.
31:22Every elder turned to me.
31:26Logan did not stop me.
31:28He only stood quietly beside me,
31:30making sure everyone knew Black Pine would hear its Luna.
31:34I looked at Catherine.
31:37Not enough.
31:38Annie, you already stole Ryder!
31:40What else do you want?!
31:41Catherine's face changed.
31:43I gave a small laugh.
31:44I don't want him.
31:46And I am not here to steal anything from you.
31:49I am here to take back what you owe me.
31:52I pushed the injury records from the seven mate chapels onto the council table.
31:56The first time, you faked a border anomaly
31:58and left me standing at the ceremonial platform until dawn.
32:01The second time, you used wolf paste potion to agitate your own wolf spirit
32:05and made Ryder miss the registration.
32:07The third time, you contaminated my document
32:10and burned me with wolf faith.
32:13The fourth time,
32:14you sent a false distress call through the mind link
32:17and left me to face rogue wolves alone.
32:19The fifth time, you forged a poisoning report
32:22and left me to bleed through the full moon run alone.
32:26The sixth time,
32:27you altered healing files
32:29and accused my wolf spirit of being unstable.
32:32The seventh time,
32:34you created a border conflict
32:36and made me be abandoned before the final vow.
32:39I finished every word.
32:41No one in the Judgment's house spoke.
32:46I turned to Eldamoran.
32:47This was not ordinary jealousy.
32:50She used her pack status,
32:51wolf feia,
32:52a border pass
32:53and the mate ceremonies
32:54to harm another she-wolf seven times.
32:57If ten years of exile is all she gets,
33:00everyone will learn
33:01that as long as they cry hard enough,
33:04there is always a way out
33:06after hurting someone.
33:08Catherine finally panicked.
33:10Ryder!
33:14Catherine lunged toward Ryder
33:15and tried to grab his sleeve.
33:17Ryder stepped back.
33:18I looked at her.
33:19I did not feel wild joy.
33:21I only felt cold,
33:22delayed clarity.
33:24You wanted to be a Luna more than anything.
33:26Then the council will permanently strip you
33:28of Luna Candacity.
33:29You loved using your status
33:30as an elder's daughter to crush others.
33:32Then your pack will publicly remove your name
33:34and no longer recognize you
33:35as one of its members.
33:37You used Wolfbane to hurt me.
33:39Then you will be sent
33:40to the Wolfbane Contaminated Zone
33:42in the Northern Neutral Territory.
33:44I am not asking them to kill you.
33:46I am asking them to make you clear
33:48the same poison you used to hurt others
33:49under Alliance Patrol supervision.
33:52Catherine's face went completely white.
33:54The Wolfbane Contaminated Zone
33:56belonged to no pack.
33:57It was cold and barren.
33:59The patrols would deliver medicine
34:00and food on schedule,
34:01but they would not give her dignity
34:03or listen to her cry.
34:04Elder Morin was silent for a long time.
34:06The great elder of the ruling city pack
34:08turned to Ryder.
34:09Alpha Ryder,
34:10you enabled her sabotage of the trials.
34:12Do you object to this ruling?
34:14Ryder looked at Catherine.
34:15Her eyes were full of desperate hope,
34:17but he only said one word.
34:19No.
34:21You can't do this to me!
34:23I walked up to her.
34:26You once said Ryder believed you and not me.
34:29Now look closely.
34:30He finally doesn't believe you.
34:33The final ruling was revised
34:35and issued again.
34:37Catherine was stripped of her original pack status,
34:41permanently disqualified as a Luna candidate,
34:44and placed on the Alliance Blacklist.
34:46She was exiled to the Wolfsbape Contaminated Zone
34:49in the Northern Neutral Territory
34:50under the supervision of Alliance patrols.
34:53For 50 years,
34:55she could not enter any pack territory
34:57or request a mate ceremony with any Alpha.
34:59If she survived and returned after 50 years,
35:01she could only be reviewed again as a packless rogue wolf.
35:05When the patrols dragged her out of the Judgment Hall,
35:08she was still cryoled.
35:10This time, no one followed her.
35:15As for Ryder,
35:16the Council of the Ruling City Pack
35:18opened a formal inquiry into him on the spot.
35:20He was not a young heir waiting to take power.
35:24He was already the Alpha,
35:25so his punishment was heavier than an ordinary disciplinary ruling.
35:29The Great Elder of the Ruling City Pack stood,
35:31his voice cold.
35:33Ryder,
35:33you violated the mate trial vows seven times.
35:37You enabled a she-wolf from another pack
35:39to sabotage the old Alliance with Mist Ridge
35:41and cause long-term harm to Annie of Mist Ridge.
35:44As Alpha,
35:45you failed to separate personal feelings,
35:48duty,
35:48and mate vows.
35:50The Council has decided to suspend
35:52part of your Alpha authority.
35:54Daily affairs of the Ruling Pack
35:56will be handled by your Beta for now.
35:58You are forbidden from sending Annie
36:00any Mind Link requests.
36:02You are also forbidden from approaching
36:04Black Pine Territory
36:05in your capacity as Alpha.
36:08Ryder closed his eyes.
36:10He did not argue.
36:14He only looked at me.
36:17Annie?
36:18I raised my head.
36:20His voice was horsey.
36:22I'm sorry.
36:24I had waited a long time
36:26for those words.
36:28After the first failed trial,
36:29I wanted to hear him.
36:31When my fingers were burned by wolf fire
36:33during the third trial,
36:34I wanted to hear him.
36:36On the fifth full moon,
36:38when I bit into my own wrist
36:39to keep myself from losing control,
36:41I wanted to hear him too.
36:43But he had never said them.
36:44Now he said them.
36:46And I no longer needed them.
36:53I heard your apology.
36:57But I don't accept it.
36:59The light in his eyes went out.
37:03A tear slid down from his eye.
37:09After the judgment ended,
37:11Ryder did not leave right away.
37:12He stood outside Black Pine's border.
37:14Unable to leave a few days later,
37:16he asked Black Pine's beta to deliver a box.
37:18Logan placed it in front of me.
37:20You don't have to look.
37:21I opened it.
37:23Inside was a lunar ring.
37:25It was made of moon silver
37:27and set with the ruling pack's moonstone.
37:29It must have been the thing
37:30he once promised to give me
37:32after the seven trials.
37:34Now it had finally arrived.
37:36Ryder stood outside the door,
37:37his voice rough.
37:39Annie.
37:41I brought it.
37:42I was too slow before.
37:45This time,
37:46I won't make you wait.
37:47I looked at the ring.
37:49If it had been the old me,
37:51I might have cried and run into his arms.
37:53But now Logan's mark was on my neck,
37:55and Black Pine's lunar cloak
37:57rested on my shoulders.
37:59My life could no longer be changed
38:01by one late promise from him.
38:03We ended when the moonstone broke.
38:05I closed the box.
38:08Ryder's breath caught.
38:10I handed the box back.
38:11This lunar ring came too late.
38:14My lunar mark no longer needs your name.
38:17His eyes reddened in an instant.
38:21Do you really not love me at all anymore?
38:24I looked at him.
38:26Ryder,
38:28I don't love you anymore.
38:30I spoke about the past
38:31not because I couldn't let you go.
38:34I did it so the girl who waited seven full moons
38:37could finally say everything she needed to say.
38:41Ryder looked drained.
38:45If I had come the seventh time.
38:47But you didn't.
38:49Missed events can be written into records.
38:51Missed people do not stand before the ceremonial platform forever.
38:57After Ryder left Black Pine's border,
38:59the ruling pack sent him to the northern border.
39:01It was the coldest border in the werewolf alliance.
39:03Rogue wolves and enemy packs constantly tested the defenses there.
39:06He remains the tribe's alpha,
39:07but part of his authority had been suspended.
39:09And the ruling pack's daily affairs were handled by his beta.
39:12He could no longer mobilize the council at will.
39:14He could no longer pressure other packs.
39:17He could no longer approach Black Pine territory.
39:19For a proud werewolf,
39:21that was harder to bear than an injury.
39:23I heard about it while I was studying lunar duties
39:25in Black Pine's meeting hall.
39:27Logan pushed the herb inventory toward me.
39:32We don't have enough wolf-fice antidote for winter.
39:35More patrols are getting hurt near the northern border than last year.
39:40I looked through the records.
39:42Then cut the moonflower budget for the festival
39:45and use it for herb trades.
39:48One elder frowned.
39:49Luna, moonflowers are part of the winter festival
39:53living warriors are Black Pine's honor.
39:56I looked up at him.
39:59The stone hall went quiet for a moment.
40:01Logan did not speak for me.
40:05To stand on my own.
40:07We will follow the Luna's decision.
40:09At last, the elder lowered his head.
40:12For the first time,
40:13I truly understood that Luna was not just a title placed to an alpha.
40:17It was responsibility.
40:19It was choice.
40:20It was a position I had to claim on my own.
40:22No one in that hall handed me power as charity.
40:26I had to take the seat.
40:28Re-arose.
40:29Read the records.
40:30And make the decision.
40:33Then I found an old rule that had trapped more she-wolves than me.
40:39Over the next few months,
40:41I worked with healers to organize herbs.
40:44Followed patrols to learn border routes.
40:46And reviewed old alliance cases with the council.
40:49At first,
40:50some Black Pine members still whispered about me.
40:53Then,
40:54during a border patrol,
40:56I recognized wolf-bake powder mixed into a trap
40:59because I had been hurt by wolf-bake before.
41:03I stopped at the edge of the trail and raised my hand.
41:07Don't step there!
41:10Luna?
41:11I crouched,
41:12brushed away a thin layer of snow,
41:14and saw the dull green powder caught between the roots.
41:17Wolf-bade.
41:19Mixed under the frost.
41:20If you shift here,
41:21the powder will burn through the paws first.
41:23The warriors immediately pulled back.
41:25A hidden snare snapped shut where one of them had almost stepped.
41:29I saved three warriors.
41:30That night,
41:31voices came through Black Pine's mind link.
41:34Luna, thank you.
41:35Luna, you saved my mate.
41:37Luna, Black Pine accepts you.
41:39I stood at the edge of the pine forest,
41:41my eyes burning.
41:44Logan walked to my side.
41:46Crying?
41:47I shook my head.
41:52No.
41:53He did not expose the lie.
41:56He only draped his cloak over my shoulders.
41:58Anna, you don't have to rush to prove you're worthy.
42:04I know.
42:09I looked up at the moon in the distance.
42:12But I want to know it for myself.
42:15The warriors behind us lowered their heads.
42:18Not because Logan ordered them to,
42:21but because I had earned it with my own hands.
42:26Logan was quiet for a moment.
42:28Then he said softly,
42:31Then I'll stay with you.
42:33I turned to look at him.
42:35His gaze was steady,
42:37unlike Ryder,
42:38who always gave me a distant promise.
42:40What Logan gave me was ground I could stand on.
42:43That night,
42:45I reached for his hand first.
42:47He paused,
42:48then gently took my hand in his.
42:50Very gently.
42:51He was careful not to startle me.
42:55I smiled.
42:56So this was what respect felt like.
42:59No promises that never came.
43:02No mountain paths where I was left behind again and again.
43:06Only someone willing to slow down and walk home with me.
43:12Is this alright?
43:14Yes.
43:15He did not tighten his grip until I nodded.
43:18That simple restriction made my chest ache more than any vow.
43:21That night,
43:22I opened the old Alliance records kept by Black Pine.
43:26At first,
43:27I only wanted to understand the rule that had changed my life.
43:30But page after page,
43:32I saw familiar words.
43:34Failed trial.
43:35Absent alpha.
43:37Arranged mate.
43:38Unstable wolf spirit.
43:42I discovered that I was not the only she-wolf trapped by the seven mate trials.
43:47Logan noticed my expression.
43:50Annie, what is it?
43:52I placed one old record in front of him.
43:56I wasn't the first.
44:00And if the rule stayed the same,
44:02I would not be the last.
44:05One year later,
44:06I returned to Mistridge as the Luna of Black Pine.
44:09I came back for a new rule.
44:11The old seven mate trials of Mistridge had trapped too many she-wolves.
44:15They had once been meant as protection.
44:18They were meant to protect Mistridge women from being taken away too easily.
44:21easily by outside alphas.
44:23But later,
44:24that protection became another rule used to trap them.
44:27If the seven trials failed,
44:29the she-wolf had to accept an arranged mate from her own pack or an allied pack.
44:34I had almost been crushed by that rule.
44:37So I came back.
44:38Black Pine and Mistridge called another council meeting.
44:41I stood before the ceremonial platform, my lunar mark clear on my neck.
44:45Elder Morin looked at me with a complicated expression.
44:48Annie, do you truly want to abolish the old rule?
44:51Not all of it.
44:52Only the unfair part.
44:54The trials can remain.
44:56But a she-wolf should not per an alpha's broken promises with her entire life.
45:00Below the platform, a few young she-wolves lifted their heads.
45:04There was fear in their eyes, but also hope.
45:06I continued.
45:07From now on,
45:09if an outside alpha fails the seven trials,
45:12the she-wolf has the right to reject him.
45:14She also has the right to choose another mate.
45:17She does not have to accept an arrangement from the council.
45:21Any alpha who wants to claim a Mistridge she-wolf
45:23must prove himself with an equal vow.
45:26Waiting does not prove loyalty.
45:29Respect does.
45:31The young she-wolves below the platform did not dare cheer,
45:33but their eyes had already changed.
45:37The council argued for the entire day.
45:40Some said I had forgotten where I came from.
45:43Some said Black Pine had changed me.
45:45Some said that without the old rule,
45:47I would never have been forced to choose Logan.
45:50Logan's eyes turned cold when he heard that.
45:52I held his hand.
45:54I did not choose you because anyone forced me to.
45:57He looked at me.
45:58In front of every elder, I said clearly,
46:01I chose Logan because he respects me,
46:04not because Ryder didn't want me,
46:05and not because the council arranged it.
46:08The stone hall fell silent.
46:10At last, Elder Morin stood before the ceremonial platform.
46:13I agree to amend the old rule.
46:16One elder after another pressed a handprint into the new record.
46:19The council officially recorded the new rule.
46:21It was done.
46:23I could almost see the girl I had been a year ago,
46:25the one who stood there until dawn.
46:27She had been covered in dirt and blood,
46:29her ankle bleeding,
46:30the moonstone clenched in her hand.
46:31She had believed she could only wait for someone else to take her away.
46:35But now I stood here and changed the rule that had trapped her.
46:38Logan squeezed my hand once, quietly.
46:41You did it.
46:42I looked at the new record on the table.
46:45No, we changed the rule.
46:47They still have to choose for themselves.
46:49This time, the record did not write down a failed ceremony.
46:51It wrote down a choice.
46:55After the conference, a young she-wolf ran to me.
46:57Her eyes were red.
46:59Luna, can we really reject an alpha who breaks his promises now?
47:02Yes.
47:04If he makes you wait until something inside you dies,
47:06you have the right to turn away.
47:08She cried.
47:09I held her gently.
47:10At that moment, I finally understood.
47:13My pain had not been meaningless.
47:15It had not turned me into someone trapped in hatred.
47:18It had given me a chance to open a door for those who came after me.
47:22Another young she-wolf stepped forward, clutching the edge of her shoulder.
47:26What if the elders say we are selfish?
47:29I looked at her carefully.
47:31Then show them the new record.
47:33Your choice is now protected by Miss Ridge Law.
47:36Elder Morin heard it from nearby.
47:39For once, he did not correct me.
47:42He only lowered his head slightly.
47:46Luna Annie is right.
47:48The girls began to cry harder.
47:50They were not weak.
47:52They were only hearing, for the first time, that waiting was not their only fate.
47:58Logan walked to my side, but did not interrupt them.
48:01He let me be the one they looked at.
48:04He let this moment belong to me, and to them.
48:08This time, the girls heard clearly that they could say no.
48:14Ryder was in Miss Ridge on the day the new rule passed.
48:17He had not come as the alpha of the ruling city pack.
48:19He was only the temporary commander of the Northern Border Guard, assigned to escort a batch of border case files.
48:24He stood far below the ceremonial platform.
48:27Snow-laden wind whipped his black cloak behind him.
48:30After a year, he looked much thinner.
48:31His eyes were no longer as sharp or proud as before.
48:35He moved one step.
48:36Then he stopped.
48:38Black Spine Warriors stood behind me.
48:40I knew he was watching me.
48:42But I did not turn around.
48:44Commander Ryder, should we deliver the case files now?
48:47One of the border guards side him lowered his voice.
48:50Ryder's throat moved.
48:51For a moment, he looked like he wanted to say my name.
48:55Wait.
48:56But the council's order still stood between us.
48:59That was all he said.
49:01He waited far below the platform, the way I had once waited for him.
49:05Meanwhile, Elder Morin read the new rule aloud.
49:09From this day on, we'll have to prove loyalty by waiting.
49:13Any alpha who wants to claim a Miss Ridge She-Wolf must respect the trials, the vows, and her choice.
49:20A She-Wolf has the right to reject someone who breaks his promises.
49:23She also has the right to choose another mate.
49:25The council recorder wrote the new rule into the pack ledger.
49:28Every member of Miss Ridge listened in silence.
49:31Behind me, I heard suppressed sobs.
49:32They were not sounds of grief.
49:34They were the sounds of many She-Wolves finally breathing freely.
49:37Ryder listened quietly.
49:38His fingers gripped the border case file tightly.
49:42Then slowly relaxed.
49:48So this is what she came back for.
49:50No one answered him.
49:54Tired?
49:55After the ceremony, Logan walked to my side.
49:57I shook my head.
50:00No.
50:01He looked down at me, a faint smile in his eyes.
50:04Then let's go home.
50:09I looked into the distance.
50:13Ryder was still standing there.
50:19Our eyes met.
50:24In that moment, I remembered him standing at the entrance to Miss Ridge years ago, telling me he would take
50:29me away.
50:31Back then, I believed my future was in his hands.
50:34Later, I learned that no one gives you a future.
50:37You walk towards it yourself.
50:39A long while later, Ryder slowly lowered his head.
50:42He said nothing.
50:44Seven full moons, seven late arrivals, and seven broken promises stood between us.
50:49Logan did not urge me.
50:50He only stood beside me, waiting for my choice.
50:54Annie?
50:56I looked away from Ryder and held Logan's hand.
51:00Let's go home.
51:02Together, we walked down from the Miss Ridge ceremonial platform.
51:05Black Pine Warriors followed behind us.
51:07The young she-wolves of Miss Ridge stood along the stone steps and lowered their heads to me.
51:11They called me by my new title.
51:13I stopped for a moment and looked back at Miss Ridge.
51:16This mountain had once trapped me.
51:20It had seen me wait, lose hope, break the moonstone, and stand back up again.
51:27Now it no longer belonged only to the old rule.
51:32It also belonged to the she-wolves, who could finally choose for themselves.
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