Seven years ago, I, Sophie Caldwell, formed a sacred bond with Maxwell Sinclair, the wildest, most untamed wolf in Celadon Town.

Today, on what I thought was our Seventh anniversary, I was headed pack-wide to compete in a dancing contest, my heart buzzing with excitement.

First, I stopped by the records office to grab my personal info.

I slid the form across the counter, scanning it quickly.

My stomach dropped. "Excuse me," I said, my voice tight, "you got my status wrong. I'm bound, not unbound."

The clerk barely glanced up.

"No mistake, Ms. Caldwell. You and Maxwell Sinclair broke the bond two years ago. Same day, he formed a new bond with Madeline Cross. You know her?"

Know her? My blood turned to ice.

Madeline Cross wasn't just a name-it was a nightmare etched into my soul.

Seven years back, she crashed our binding ceremony, screaming her obsession with Maxwell. Three years ago, she sprawled in his car, stark naked, until he called the enforcers to haul her off.

But three years ago? That was the year my world shattered.

Madeline, crazed with jealousy, stormed my studio and broke my led with a rod. My everything.

Maxwell's eyes blazed red when he found out.

He wanted her dead, but I held him back, begging him to spare her life.

Instead, he locked her away, swearing she'd suffer a thousand times worse than any prison for daring to hurt his "one true mate."

He whipped her daily, he said, to make her pay.

So how-how-could the clerk tell me that on the very day she broke my leg, Maxwell bound himself to her?

My phone buzzed.

A message from Maxwell.

Sophie, it's our Seventh anniversary. Just finished dealing with that she-wolf. Coming home to you. Love you.

I stared at the screen, my heart a tangled mess.

For Seven years, every text he sent ended with "love you." His devotion burned like a wildfire. I was just a small-town she-wolf, a dancer with no pack prestige, yet this billionaire alpha chased me like I was the moon itself.

Fireworks lit up the pack.

Priceless jewels piled up.

But what won me over wasn't his wealth-it was the way he flew back from other packs just to make me soup when my stomach ached.

The way he paused boardroom meetings to tell me dumb jokes when I was down.

To the world, he was a ruthless beast.

To me, he was a gentle wolf, his love a warm den I could always crawl into.

Could that Maxwell really betray me?

Something pulled me to the villa-his so-called prison for Madeline.

As I approached, soft cries drifted from the garden.

My heart thudded.

Through the dangling wisteria, I saw them, and it was like lightning split me in two.

Maxwell stood tall in his crisp suit, a feather whip in hand, lashing Madeline's bare skin.

She was tied to a chair, her body swaying, every curve on display.

But those weren't cries of pain-they were moans of pleasure.

Maxwell tossed the whip aside, his lips crashing onto hers, fierce and hungry.

Their bodies melded, his shirt falling away, sweat glistening down his spine.

My knees buckled.

My heart ripped open, bleeding out.

Those weren't cries I'd heard-they were her satisfied sighs.

His "punishment" was nothing but their twisted foreplay.

His "prison" was their love den.

And that chair? My crystal chair.

Maxwell spent a billion building it for me, promising it was mine alone, just like his love. "Sophie deserves the world's rarest treasures," he'd said, his voice soft as moonlight.

Now, that crystal chair-and his love-belonged to her.

The she-wolf who nearly destroyed me.

My nails dug into my palms, blood seeping out, but the pain was nothing compared to the agony tearing through my chest. Why? Why?

The answer came too soon.

The room stilled. Madeline, flushed and glowing, purred, "My mate, you're incredible. I'm so fulfilled. Knowing I'm truly bound to you feels like a dream."

"You earned it," Maxwell said, buttoning his shirt with deliberate calm.

"Three years ago, I mentioned I didn't want Sophie studying dancing abroad. I wanted her by my side forever. And you, you reckless she-wolf, took a blade to break her leg so she could never dance again. Then you turned yourself in to the enforcers, saying you'd rot in a cage if it meant my happiness."

He paused, his voice softening.

"I'm a cold-hearted wolf, but even I can't ignore that kind of selfless love. Sophie gets to bask in my devotion openly, but you? You're hidden here in this villa. Giving you a bond's title is only fair."

I stumbled back, my heart carved to pieces.

Once, when some rich pup mocked me as a "broken-winged" she-wolf, Maxwell had his teeth bared, growling, "Anyone who slanders Sophie pays in blood."

Yet here he was, kissing the she-wolf who broke me, binding her, loving her.

"What if Sophie finds out?"

Madeline asked, her voice laced with fake worry. "She'd never accept this."

Maxwell's tone was steady, certain.

"My love for Sophie hasn't changed. I'll protect her forever, and she'll never know."

Before he left, he slipped a sapphire ring onto her finger.

Madeline gasped. "This is the Sotheby's finale piece, worth a fortune. Am I really worthy of this?"

"You're my mate," Maxwell said, kissing her softly. "Happy anniversary, my love."

I stood frozen as his black Cayenne vanished down the road.

My phone buzzed again.

Sophie, I'm on my way home.

Can't wait to celebrate our Seventh anniversary, my sweet mate. Love you.

A laugh broke from my lips, bitter and broken, tears streaming down my face.

He just celebrated with her, and now he's rushing back to play-pretend our Seven? T

If his love meant clipping my wings and caging my soul, I wanted no part of it.

I gripped my dancing form, my resolve hardening.

I wiped my identity clean from every pack record. Like I never existed.

I re-entered the dancing contest under a new name.

Two years ago, when Madeline broke my leg and threw it into the fire, she didn't just take my flesh-she stole my future.

No healer could reattach what was gone.

Maxwell lost his mind with grief, pouring billions into crafting me a prosthetic leg so lifelike it fooled everyone.

It worked for daily life, but the delicate precision of movement? That was dead.

My dreams were shredded, and I unraveled with them- times I tried to end it, countless nights I sobbed until dawn.

But I clawed my way back, teaching my left leg to be strong again.

Over a thousand grueling days, calluses built up, and I earned my spot in the Belvaria contest. I'd kept it secret from Maxwell, planning to surprise him, to show my mate that I'd never bowed to fate.

Now, I was just glad I'd kept my mouth shut.

If I'd told him, I might've lost my left leg too.

My phone rang.​

"It's about your identity erasure request," a staff member's voice came through, "we've received it. The processing will be completed in two weeks."

I'd be on my way to Belvaria, never looking back.

Even Maxwell's suffocating control couldn't track a she-wolf who didn't exist.

I returned to the villa.

Maxwell had the staff tied up, his voice like ice as he demanded to know where I was.

The moment he saw me, relief flooded his face.

The staff looked like they'd been spared execution.

His sharp, cold eyes softened, and he pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Sophie, why did you keep your phone shut? I was losing it."

I forced my voice to stay steady.

"Ran into an old friend on the way, ended up chatting for ages."​

He smiled, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.​

"Guess I'll have to tag along next time-can't let old friends steal all your time, right?"

"Today's our Seventh anniversary," he said, his voice warm.

"Come see what I got you."

"Got held up watching a drone show in the square, it was so amazing I couldn't tear myself away."​

He grinned, taking my hand and giving it a light squeeze.

Maxwell leaned close, his breath warm against my ear.

"I love you, Sophie. Always will."

He drove me to a sprawling estate in the suburbs.

A mystery wolf had bought it for Seven billion, and now its ornate gates declared it Love Sophie Manor.

The architecture was the Gothic style I'd casually mentioned loving.

The gardens overflowed with my favorite orchids, each worth figures.

Nearby, a dreamlike amusement park sparkled-bumper cars, haunted house, swing ride-all my favorites.

There was even a pet sanctuary filled with adorable dogs, just because I'd once pitied a stray.

My chest ached, my eyes stinging.

For Seven years, he'd loved me fiercely, granting every whim, big or small.

That was real. But so was the truth-he'd split his heart in two.

Maxwell brushed a tear from my cheek.

"It's only right for a mate to spoil his she-wolf. Cry any more, and you'll break my heart."

Under a sky full of stars, he dropped to one knee, opening a velvet box.

"From the first sniff of your scent, I was undone. My wolf growls if you're out of sight-don't make me chain myself to your side to stop the ache."

He revealed two rings.

"The she-wolf's ring has a tracker. This way, I'll always know what you're doing. No more worrying."

His eyes burned with possessive, consuming love.

But before he could slide the ring onto my finger, his phone chimed-Madeline's custom tone. He glanced at the screen, his face unreadable, then slipped the ring onto my finger anyway.

"Important matter from the pack," he said smoothly. "I'll be right back."

He was already climbing into the car, leaving me alone.

Clink.

The ring slipped from my finger, hitting the ground.

Maxwell was so wrapped up in Madeline that he didn't even notice he'd given me the wrong one.

He took the she-wolf's ring with the tracker.

"I'm so sorry, my mate," Madeline's voice sobbed through the ring.

"I don't crave despair, but this cage-my claws are splitting my palms from scraping at the bars. The wolf inside's howling to tear free, and I swear it'll take me with it if it can't."​

"Don't talk nonsense,"

Maxwell's deep, commanding growl cut in.

"I'm your wolf. You're sick, and I'm not about to ignore that. Come on, let's get out of here for a bit."

"Really?" Madeline's voice lit up, trembling with hope. "I'm not dreaming? I can actually leave this place?"

"When has your mate ever lied to you? We're going now."

"Madeline, you haven't had a chance to leave the villa before, but I've had your anniversary gift ready for a while. This is your manor. I'm staying here with you today."

Madeline's joyous laughter rang out, and then my phone buzzed with a text from Maxwell.

Sophie, got a big client meeting.

Back tomorrow night. Have fun, and tell me if you need anything. Love you.

I gripped the phone so hard my knuckles whitened.

A tear fell, smearing the word "mate" on the screen.

He could buy two identical manors, one for each of us.

But he could only be a true mate to one she-wolf.

I felt like some dirty secret, a shadow in their light.

But not for long.

I wiped my tears and left the manor, heading home to throw myself into my dance.

I'd only passed the first round of the Belvaria contest. If I wanted my left leg to carry me further, I had to work harder than any wolf out there.

Maybe the shock of betrayal sparked something, because ideas started flowing.When I practiced, my hand brushed the ring.

The switch clicked, and Madeline's tear-choked voice spilled out.

"One day's a scrap of moon in a dark sky. I'll slink back to that villa. Sophie gets to walk beside you in the light... but me?" A low growl rumbled . "I'm just a shadow that howls for a place at your side."

Silence followed.

My breath caught, my arm trembling.

The memory of my leg being severed, the unbearable agony, roared back to life.

Maxwell knew how much I hurt, how much I hated her.

That's why he kept her hidden, locked away.

He'd never let her parade in public.

But then, after a long pause, his voice came, low and final. "Alright."