The day before the marking ceremony, I received photos of Lycan Prince Kolson Hernandez dressed in formal attire alongside another woman in a Victorian-style dress. The scent of rosemary and vanilla wafted from the image, a cruel reminder of what should have been mine. With composure, I turned to Kolson and requested a rejection of our mate bond.

Madelyn Rice, Kolson’s personal assistant and an Omega in the Hernandez pack, called me, her voice trembling with desperation. "Loretta, it was all my fault. I sent them to the wrong address. Please don’t fight with the Prince."

Over the phone, I overheard Kolson reassuring her, his voice calm and dismissive. "It’s okay, Loretta won’t be upset. She won’t leave me."

I disconnected the call, leaving a signed rejection agreement behind as I walked away.

When Kolson returned, I had already packed my things and coordinated with the movers. He paused at the entrance, his towering frame casting a shadow over the room. His broad shoulders, a mark of his Lycan royalty, seemed to fill the space, but for the first time, his presence didn’t comfort me. He watched the movers for a moment before fixing his piercing gaze on me.

"Loretta, stop this drama. You’re not a pup running away from the pack," he said, his voice sharp, laced with frustration. The alpha tone in his words was unmistakable, a command meant to bend me to his will.

In the past, his irritation would have prompted me to soothe him with comforting words. But now, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

I picked up the rejection agreement from the table and handed it to him. "Since you’re back, why not sign this? We can finalize things at the ceremony later."

Kolson looked at the agreement in my hand, his forehead creased in annoyance. "Is this really necessary, Loretta? Madelyn was just in tears in my office for half an hour because of your call. She’s young, why make her suffer?"

Madelyn, Kolson’s personal assistant, is young, charming, articulate—everything a Lycan Prince might wish for in a mate.

Seeing my silence, Kolson’s expression softened slightly, though his dominance still filled the room. He took the rejection agreement and tore it into pieces, discarding them in the trash near the door. "If the photos upset you, I’ll get rid of them."

Upset me? Anyone would be upset, maybe even outraged, seeing their mate posing in what seemed like marking ceremony photos with another person. But strangely, I wasn’t; instead, I felt an odd calmness, followed by relief.

"I’m not upset. Do whatever you wish; it’s irrelevant to me," I said.

"Loretta, stop being unreasonable. Tomorrow, after the pack gathering, just apologize to Madelyn and we’ll put this behind us," Kolson suggested, his tone firm but edged with impatience.

I chuckled at that. "Apologize? Me apologize to her?" I replied, my words laced with irony. "Do you really think she’s deserving of that?"

Kolson’s expression grew serious, and he spoke sternly, his alpha tone cutting through the air. "Loretta, let’s not make this difficult. Tomorrow, you need to apologize to Madelyn, or else..."

"Or else what? Are you going to cast me out of the Hernandez pack?" I interrupted. "Actually, there’s no need for all that. Let’s just reject the bond, call off the ceremony tomorrow, or better yet, have it with the two of you instead."

Kolson saw my resolve and realized gentle words wouldn’t sway me, so he opted for a firmer tone. "Loretta, if you walk out that door today, don’t expect to come back. You’ll sever all ties with the Hernandez pack."

I looked at the man I’d been devoted to for so many years, now standing before me as a stranger. His face was familiar, yet his words were alien.

Kolson assumed I couldn’t live without him, without the status and privilege the Hernandez name provided.

But he never knew what I truly wanted.

I pushed past him, pulling my suitcase as I exited without looking back.

"Loretta, the life you have is because of me and the Hernandez pack."

"Think about how old you are; once you leave me, who would take you in?"

His words echoed in the hallway, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop. My wolf, though silent, stirred within me, a quiet strength guiding me forward. The mate bond burned faintly, but I ignored it. For the first time, I was choosing myself over the bond, over him.

I keep telling myself I don’t love him anymore, that leaving is the right choice. Yet when I heard Kolson Hernandez’s parting words, the pain was overwhelming. He wasn’t entirely wrong. For years, I relied on the generosity and resources of the Hernandez pack, and because of them, I’ve enjoyed the life I have now.

Kolson and I met at the orphanage. I was four years older than him, so I took care of him during those years. He grew incredibly attached to me, and when the Hernandez pack discovered him as their long-lost heir, he cried, saying he didn’t want to leave me. That’s when we discovered he was the Lycan Prince of the Hernandez pack.

Driven by Kolson’s insistence, the Hernandez pack had no choice but to bring me along. Initially, my position in the pack was awkward. As an outsider with no lineage or rank, I was met with skepticism and whispers. But after learning about our years together in the orphanage, the pack’s attitude towards me improved significantly. With their support, I graduated from the pack’s academy without a hitch. After that, I planned to leave.

Kolson’s confession disrupted my plans. He declared that I was his mate, that he wanted us to be together forever, and begged me to stay. The Hernandez pack assumed I was reluctant to leave the privilege of being part of a Lycan family, that I was scheming to secure my place beside Kolson. From then on, their attitude toward me shifted.

Despite Kolson’s threats and hunger strikes, the pack eventually compromised but insisted I sign an agreement to prevent future complications. I couldn’t hold any official position within the pack; I was barred from interfering with any pack decisions; even if anything happened to Kolson in the future, I couldn’t inherit his status or resources.

I hesitated briefly between my future and Kolson, then gracefully signed the agreement, choosing to stay with him. We marked each other in private, solidifying the mate bond, but didn’t hold a formal marking ceremony. To outsiders, I was regarded as a ward of the Hernandez pack, and the gossip would tarnish the pack’s reputation.

Back then, Kolson held my hand and promised, “Loretta, wait for me. Once I have full control over the Hernandez pack and the power that comes with being Lycan King, I’ll declare to the world that you’re my mate. I’ll give you a grand and romantic marking ceremony to make up for our regrets.”

I smiled and nodded, dreaming of the blissful future he promised. That promise kept me by his side for five years, watching him grow into the respected Lycan Prince he is today. Just as I was happy for him, Madelyn Rice arrived. She quickly became a significant figure in Kolson’s heart, and by the time I realized, it was too late.

Madelyn was clever. With a little pout and some sweet talk, she’d make Kolson laugh heartily. Meanwhile, I was the boring one, stuck with managing pack affairs and fulfilling the duties expected of a mate. His gaze towards me gradually cooled, losing affection and gaining disdain.

When I thought our relationship was over, Kolson mentioned hosting a marking ceremony to make up for the past. Those words reignited my love for him, and I foolishly believed he was just messing around with Madelyn. Until I accidentally saw messages on his phone where he complained about me to her: [She’s really boring, such an old-fashioned vibe, utterly disgusting.]

Following that revelation came the staged marking ceremony rehearsal, where Madelyn stood in as the Luna, and the pack’s whispers about how she was a better fit for Kolson. In that moment, I completely gave up and accepted that Kolson no longer loved me.

I think maybe five years ago, I shouldn’t have agreed to his proposal. Our beginning was a mistake. But looking back now, it’s not too late; anything is still possible. I’ll reject the bond, walk away, and reclaim the life I’ve put on hold for too long.