As soon as I slid into the passenger seat of Lincoln’s car, the scent of Sienna hit me like a slap. Her belongings were scattered across the seat—a tube of lipstick, a compact mirror, and a fur scarf that reeked of her floral perfume. I gathered them up with a calm I didn’t know I had and tucked them into the glove compartment.

Lincoln’s jaw tightened, his Alpha aura flickering with unease. “Don’t get the wrong idea, Alice,” he said, his voice firm but laced with defensiveness. “Sienna must’ve left those by accident.”

I shrugged, my tone indifferent. “It’s fine. I’ve put them away. Just remind her to be more careful next time.”

The car fell silent, the tension thickening like fog. Lincoln kept glancing at me, his piercing blue eyes searching for a reaction that wasn’t there. Finally, he broke the silence. “You’re not going to toss them out?”

I blinked, focusing on my phone. “They’re her things. Why would I throw them away?”

The old me would’ve been furious, seeing Sienna’s belongings as a blatant attempt to mark her territory, to assert her claim over Lincoln. But now? I didn’t care. Lincoln was no longer my mate, and Sienna’s antics were irrelevant to me.

“Come on,” I said, cutting through the silence. “Let’s head to the hospital. It’s getting late.”

Lincoln nodded, his Alpha instincts kicking in as he accelerated smoothly, the car gliding through the darkened streets. Just as we approached the hospital entrance, a soft chime echoed through the car—Sienna’s custom ringtone.

Her voice spilled through the speakers, trembling with fear. “Lincoln, I think I heard something outside my den. Could you come and check?”

Without hesitation, Lincoln pulled the car over, his Alpha tone shifting to a soothing, protective cadence. “Don’t worry, Sienna. Lock your door. I’ll be there soon.”

He turned to me, urgency etched into his features. “Sienna’s in trouble. I need to check it out. The hospital is right ahead. You can go on your own.”

“Wait—” I started to protest, but he was already opening my door, his movements swift and decisive.

“Go, Alice. I’ll catch up with you later,” he said, his Alpha tone leaving no room for argument. Before I could respond, he shut the door, revved the engine, and sped off into the night.

Left standing under the dim glow of a streetlamp, I clenched my phone tightly and made my way toward the hospital, the cool night air biting at my skin. The streets were eerily quiet, the occasional howl of a distant wolf the only sound breaking the silence.

The next morning, Lincoln finally strolled into the packhouse, his presence as commanding as ever. He found me in the kitchen, sipping a steaming cup of coffee and enjoying a slice of spiced honey cake.

“Alice,” he said, his voice tinged with annoyance, “why didn’t you wait to have breakfast with me?”

I looked up, meeting his gaze with a calm indifference. “I didn’t see the point,” I replied simply, taking another sip of my coffee. “You had more important things to attend to.”

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing, the weight of his choices hanging heavy in the air between us.

"Where’s the report I asked for?"

In the past, I’d always wake up before dawn to prepare breakfast and organize Alpha Lincoln’s work documents and training gear. I took a bite of my sandwich and mumbled, "What report?"

Lincoln’s golden eyes narrowed, his Alpha aura rippling with irritation. "The one I mind-linked you about."

I didn’t budge from my seat at the kitchen counter. "I didn’t check my mind-link. You’ll have to find it yourself."

For four years, I had always responded to his mind-links instantly, dropping everything to cater to his needs. He didn’t expect me to brush him off so casually this time. I gestured to my phone plugged in at the outlet. "It’s charging."

Lincoln placed the pastries he’d brought on the table, the scent of freshly baked bread mingling with his Alpha presence. "Your favorite, from the bakery downtown."

I unfolded the packaging, the smell of fish filling the air. As I lifted my head, I met his self-satisfied gaze, his broad frame towering over me.

It didn’t take a genius to figure out where he’d gotten these. I’m allergic to fish, and Sienna, the pack’s Gamma, loves the bakery’s fish special. The thought of him sharing breakfast with her made my stomach churn.

"Thanks, but I don’t care for these," I said, my voice detached. "You should take them to the training grounds and give them to someone else."

Earlier, I’d seen Sienna’s hunting post: "It’s a pleasure when someone is willing to share a warm breakfast with you." The picture showed her smiling at the camera, holding a pastry with a fork, her fur scarf draped over her shoulders—the same scarf Lincoln had gifted her last winter.

Lincoln crouched down, his muscular frame blocking the light as he reached for my injured ankle, his Alpha tone softening. "Let me see your foot."

Instinctively, I pulled away, my Delta instincts flaring. "It’s fine."

He sat back on the ground, rubbing his face with a cold sneer. "Alice, just because I asked you to handle the healer visit yourself, you’re throwing this tantrum. Really?"

I continued eating my breakfast, my voice steady. "I’m not angry."

Lincoln clearly didn’t believe me. He stood, his Alpha aura flaring as he pointed at me with disdain. "Alice, even tantrums have limits. You don’t seem ready to be Luna if you’re always overthinking like this."

Every time we argued about Sienna, he’d accuse me of being paranoid, watching as I spiraled into defending myself, proving it was his fault with tears and shouting. But this time, I stayed silent for a long while before speaking, "Why don’t we just call it quits?"

Lincoln paused, his Alpha aura flickering as if caught off guard. "What do you mean, 'call it quits'?"

I looked up at him, my voice calm but firm. "I mean, let’s end the mate bond. This isn’t working anymore. You and Sienna should give it a shot."

His eyes darkened, and he kicked the trash can across the room, the metal clattering against the wall. He leaned over the table, his Alpha tone sharp. "Alice, enough is enough. Don’t test my patience."

In the past, when he got this close to anger, I’d drop my grievances and rush to placate him, my wolf whimpering in submission. But this time, I didn’t consider his feelings. "Think whatever you want."

I tidied up my breakfast, picked up my training bag, and took the trash with me as I headed for the elevator.

Lincoln had never chased after me during these exchanges before, but this time he followed, his Alpha tone commanding. "Where are you going if not to the training grounds?"

I looked at him coolly, my Delta pride keeping my voice steady. "I have errands to run."

His lips twitched as if he had more to say, but the elevator doors closed slowly, cutting him off.

I had barely spent an hour at my best friend Arlette’s den when my phone buzzed with a mind link notification: *“When are you coming back to the pack house?”* I glanced at it briefly and continued watching a series on my tablet.

Noticing my indifference, Arlette, a fierce Delta warrior like myself, looked at me incredulously. “Alice, Alpha Lincoln mind linked you, and you’re just ignoring it?”

Everyone in the pack knew that I used to prioritize Alpha Lincoln over even myself. Despite this, I stayed at Arlette's until late, the moon casting its silver glow over the forest outside.

When I finally returned to the pack house, Alpha Lincoln had just finished his shower. He didn’t seem to care where I’d been, and I didn’t feel like starting a conversation. I poured myself a cup of coffee and grabbed my training clothes to prepare for my evening run.

As soon as I lay down in bed, Alpha Lincoln sidled up to me, his lips brushing against my cheek as he leaned in. I shifted away, giving him a firm push.

His frustration boiling over, he turned on the bedside lamp. His Alpha aura filled the room, thick and oppressive. “Alice,” he said through clenched teeth, “don’t forget you were the one who wanted to be with me.”

I clung to the blanket tightly. My insecurity used to make me believe that being close to him would secure his affection. I’d made countless advances, only for him to insist we’d wait until the mate bond was fully sealed because he was saving himself for Gamma Sienna.

Turning my back to him, I replied, “You were the one who said we should wait until the bond was complete.”

Alpha Lincoln was taken aback by my use of his own excuse to refuse him now. Angry and upset, he grabbed a pillow and stormed out of the bedroom.

I knew this meant he’d be sleeping in the guest room for the next few days. This had become his go-to move whenever we argued, trying to pressure me into compromising. In the past, it had kept me anxious and awake all night, my wolf whimpering in the back of my mind.

But this time, I slept soundly, the silence of the pack house a welcome reprieve.

The next morning at the training grounds, I was unusually energized, tackling every sparring match with ferocity. My trainer, a seasoned Gamma, joked, “Planning a marking ceremony, are we? You’re fighting like a wolf possessed.”

As I adjusted my sparring gloves, I replied with a grin, “No, actually, I’m rejecting the bond!”

By the third day of sleeping separately, I had already arranged to meet a pack relocator to view dens in a neighboring territory. Despite usually avoiding any hassle, Alpha Lincoln had oddly left a container of venison stew on the table for me.

I glanced at it briefly, then continued with my den-hunting plans.

Halfway through the viewings, a picture popped up in our pack’s mind link group. It was a photo from Alpha Lincoln’s old schoolmate’s marking ceremony. In it, Gamma Sienna was glowing, her arm looped around Alpha Lincoln’s, her head gently resting on his shoulder. Her scent, a mix of lavender and pine, seemed to linger even through the image.

I clenched my fists, my wolf growling faintly in the back of my mind, but I pushed the feeling down. This was my life now, and I was done letting Alpha Lincoln dictate it.