The first time I met Ezra Silvan was six years ago. He had been Dorian’s closest friend, his unwavering Gamma. Every time Dorian came home, Ezra was by his side—charming, confident, and utterly untouchable.

I had been a young, naive wolf, drawn to his sharp grin and effortless swagger. When I left the Obsidian Moon Pack to study among the Celestial wolves, it was Ezra who Dorian entrusted to look after me.

At first, Ezra treated me like a shadow. I was just Dorian’s little sister, someone who didn’t belong in his world of power and dominance. He spent his days training, racing across the pack lands, and, as I soon learned, charming every she-wolf who crossed his path.

It wasn’t until my second year in the Celestial Pack that things shifted. One night, Ezra came home late, reeking of whiskey and exhaustion. He collapsed on the couch, and I hesitated before awkwardly draping a blanket over him.

My hand brushed against his cheek, and his eyes snapped open, glowing faintly in the dim light.

“Do you like me, little wolf?” he asked, his voice rough and teasing.

I froze, stammering out a denial. But he chuckled softly, his golden eyes locking onto mine. “Don’t lie to me. I’ve seen the way you look at me.”

Before I could respond, he pulled me into a kiss, one that left me breathless and unsure of what had just happened.

From that moment on, everything changed.

Ezra, the untouchable Gamma, suddenly seemed grounded. He stopped chasing after meaningless flings and started spending more time with me. It was intoxicating, the way he made me feel seen, wanted, important.

For years, I defied my family’s pleas to return home and accept a mate of their choosing. I stayed in the Celestial Pack, clinging to the bond I thought we had. But Ezra never wanted anyone to know.

“Dorian wouldn’t understand,” he’d say whenever I brought it up.

It wasn’t until recently that I finally understood why.

At a pack gathering, Ezra had gotten drunk, and one of his friends let something slip.

“Don’t fall for him,” the wolf had said, his voice full of pity. “Ezra hasn’t been the same since Lyra.”

That was the first time I heard her name. Lyra, his first love. The she-wolf who had shattered his heart before I ever met him.

I pieced the rest together on my own. Lyra was everything Ezra wanted, and every woman after her—myself included—was just a shadow of her.

He became an Alpha because of her. Lyra had once said, “A true wolf finds purpose in power,” and Ezra had taken that to heart.

Every kiss, every promise, every moment we shared was just a ghost of what he had once given to her.

I couldn’t do it anymore.

Six years of love, loyalty, and longing had been wasted. I refused to let myself be a stand-in any longer.

So now, as I sat in the quiet of our shared apartment, listening to the sound of the shower, I made a decision.

I was going home.

And Ezra Silvan? He would remain in the past, where he belonged.

My internal clock woke me up at dawn, the warm glow of the early sun peeking through the curtains. My wolf stirred faintly within me, sensing the quiet of the morning. Despite the peace around me, my mind was far from settled.

As soon as my eyes opened, I spotted Ezra Silvan standing by the mirror, adjusting his shirt. He usually slept late, his nights filled with pack patrols or his personal escapades. To see him up so early was unusual—this might have been a first.

Hearing me stir, he turned, his sharp golden eyes scanning me before his lips quirked into a playful grin. “What do you think?” he asked, gesturing to his perfectly tailored outfit.

Ezra always had a way of making even the simplest clothes look elegant. Today, though, he’d clearly put in extra effort. His black shirt hugged his lean, muscular frame, and his charcoal-gray jacket was tailored to perfection. Once, the sight of him like this would have made my wolf’s heart race. But now? It only left me cold.

I nodded, keeping my voice steady. “You look fine.”

He smirked, apparently satisfied. “I’ve got a pack meeting today. Be good while I’m gone,” he teased, his tone casual. “I’ll bring you something sweet when I get back.”

He ruffled my hair like I was a pup and turned to leave. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving the room filled with silence once more.

I pushed back the covers and made my way to the kitchen, planning to grab a quick cup of coffee. That’s when I noticed his phone on the counter. It wasn’t like Ezra to leave it behind; he was always glued to it.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I reached for it, my fingers brushing against the screen. It lit up instantly, revealing a message from someone saved in his contacts as “Lyra.”

The name sent a chill down my spine.

“Ezra, it’s been six years. I’m so happy we’re finally meeting today. Are you looking forward to it as much as I am?”

My breath caught in my throat, and I felt my wolf stir uneasily within me. Lyra. The name whispered through my mind like a cruel reminder. She was the one. The she-wolf who had left him years ago. His first love.

Now, I understood why he was up early, dressed to perfection, his face practically glowing. He was meeting her.

The door opened suddenly, and Ezra walked back in. He froze when he saw me holding his phone, his eyes narrowing. “Did you... look at my phone?”

I met his gaze calmly, masking my emotions. “No. Why?”

He hesitated, his shoulders relaxing when he didn’t see any sign of confrontation. “No reason,” he said with a chuckle, brushing it off like it didn’t matter. He grabbed the phone, glanced at the screen briefly, then pocketed it.

Watching him leave again, I felt a bitter laugh rise in my throat. He’s afraid I’ll find out? What does he think I’ll do? Leave him? He’s already lost me.

After breakfast, I tried to distract myself with work. I sat at my desk and opened my laptop, focusing on my sketches. Being a comic artist required my attention, and with the mating ceremony fast approaching, I needed to finish as much as I could before returning to the pack.

Hours passed in silence. By the time I looked up, the sun was high in the sky. I sent my progress to my editor, had a quick lunch, and decided to clear out some old belongings.

I grabbed an empty box and began filling it with items—couple mugs, keychains, scarves, jackets. They were all reminders of the past six years I had spent with Ezra. Each item carried a memory, but now, they felt hollow.

I picked up a worn leather bracelet I had made for him years ago, the wolf charm still glinting faintly in the light. I remembered how I had proudly handed it to him, only for him to laugh.

“This? You really want me to wear this?” he’d said, shaking his head. “Cressida, I’d be the laughingstock of the pack.”

The memory stung, and I tossed the bracelet into the box with the rest of the “junk.”

Once the box was full, I dragged it downstairs and tossed it into the trash. The items tumbled out, and for a moment, I hesitated. But then I heard his voice in my head again—mocking, dismissive—and I pushed the box further into the bin.

Just as I turned to leave, I bumped into someone. My heart skipped a beat as I looked up into Ezra’s golden eyes.

“What are you throwing away?” he asked, his tone casual, though his gaze was curious. He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face, his touch lingering for a moment too long.