Victor left, and my apartment felt like a tomb-silent, heavy.

I grabbed my phone and opened Twitter. Still "99+" messages, each one uglier than the last.

Autumn, having fun cheating? Need us to stitch you up down there?

I scrolled through the venom, deleting as I went, numb to it by now.

Victor's concert was trending. Two posts mentioned me:

Victor's concert: Ex-mate Autumn shows up.

Victor's still the alpha. Autumn's gotta be kicking herself!

His fans were relentless:

Some gold-digging she-wolf! Stay away from our Victor.

Victor's always kept it real. Thought he was fading? This gold-digger's about to eat her words.

She climbed the ranks on Victor's back, then ditched him for a new wolf. Whoever bonds with her is cursed!

Paging Adrian!

The apartment's silence was suffocating. On impulse, I typed a tweet, hands trembling: Wanting to bond with someone rich and famous sounds shallow, sure. But wanting to bond with a broke nobody? Y'all need a healer for your head.

At 1 a.m., it hit the trending list. And yeah, I got roasted. My Twitter was reported for "violating pack values" and banned indefinitely.

These past three months, the nights have dragged. I couldn't sleep. When I finally dozed, Hannah's panicked voice woke me.

"Autumn! Autumn!"

I blinked, groggy, noticing the crimson staining my sheets. "Hannah, what're you doing here?"

"I called, you didn't pick up. I was worried." Her voice shook.

I waved it off. "Old issue. I'm fine, don't worry."

I changed, and we headed to the agency. Despite the early winter chill, I was layered up like it was the Arctic. Other stars at the agency sneered.

"Such a fake she-wolf. What did Victor even see in her?"

"Look at her acting all innocent. Gross."

"Adrian's just hitting his stride, and she's already latched onto him. Wonder what's so special about her."

I glanced their way, unfazed, and gave a soft smile. "Maybe I've just got more game than you. Wanna learn? Ten million a head, limited-time offer."

As the words left my mouth, I caught sight of Victor stepping out of the elevator. My eyes froze, but I recovered fast, greeting him like nothing was wrong. "Victor."

He paused, his gaze dripping with scorn. "Autumn, we're unbound. Ex-mates should stay dead to each other."

He brushed past me without a second glance. His assistant, Rose Whitman, shot me an icy look.

"Victor's heading to Shalandra Town for his tour in two days. He said he's never coming back. If you've got any pride, Autumn, stop dragging his name through the mud."

Back when we were mates, Victor once told me if we didn't grow old together, he'd vanish from my world forever.

Victor had gone public with me at the height of his fame. Over our seven years, he asked to form a sacred bond with me five times. I turned him down every time.

Outsiders said I was scared of tanking my career, that I was keeping my options open. Guess they were right.

I brushed off Rose's words and followed Hannah to her office. Her eyes were red as she handed me a document. "You're really donating everything?"

I glanced at the paper. Last Will and Testament was scrawled at the top. I nodded. "Yeah. Ten percent's yours."

Hannah choked up. "Victor's leaving in two days. You'll be worlds apart-probably only see him on TV."

I paused, sorting through old fan letters in my drawer. After a long silence, I said, "Some wolves lose their spark. Even in the same pack, you might never cross paths."

Hannah couldn't respond. She switched gears. "Fighting online's bad for you. Stop it. Your Twitter's banned, and the exit statement for the day after tomorrow."

I cut her off. "Then I won't post it. I'll slip out quietly and shock the pack one day. Sound good?"

Her eyes glistened. "Yeah. yeah."

I left the agency with nothing but those fan letters. Despite the early winter, the cold bit harder than it should've.

Staring at the blue sky and clouds, I zoned out until my phone rang. Victor. My grip tightened before I answered.

"What's up?"

"I'm leaving for Shalandra Town in two days. Tonight's my farewell party. Come." His voice was clipped.

I teased, "Didn't you say ex-mates should be dead to each other? What, can't let go of me?"

He didn't reply. Rose's annoyed voice came through. "Autumn, show up or don't. We invited everyone so you wouldn't look pathetic."

The call ended. My eyes dimmed.

They'd said it all.

That night, I showed up to the banquet in full glam. Like Rose said, everyone I knew was there. They stared at me, dolled up but not overdone, their expressions a mix of shock and judgment.

Hannah rushed over. "Autumn, why'd you come?"

I frowned. "Why not? It's just my ex-mate's send-off."

She opened her mouth but stopped. Then Victor's deep voice cut through from the head of the room.

"Autumn's here. Perfect. I've got something to announce."

I followed his voice. Rose stood beside him.

He spoke clearly. "Rose has been by my side all these years. I'm giving her what she deserves. I'm forming a sacred bond with her."

My mind exploded.

Now I knew why Victor personally invited me to this party.

Victor wanted me to see him choose another she-wolf with my own eyes.

At the farewell banquet, the crowd was stunned for a split second before showering him with congratulations. I played it cool, joining in. "Congrats, you two. Rose isn't in the biz, and she's been by your side for over a decade. You're a perfect match."

Victor's gaze burned with contempt. "Damn right. She's more than you'll ever be."

I flashed a carefree smile, but words failed me after that.

Once the party wrapped, Hannah and I stepped out of the hotel. Under the night sky, I lit cigarette after cigarette, blowing smoke as I chatted with her. "Hannah, he and Rose are gonna be so damn happy together, aren't they?"

Hannah faltered. "Autumn. maybe you should-"

I cut her off. "Hannah, head home. I wanna stargaze alone for a bit."

The early winter wind howled, and the pitch-black sky didn't have a single star, let alone a moon. Hannah knew I needed space. She nodded. "Alright."

After she left, I crouched by the roadside, surrounded by burnt-out cigarette butts. A nearby shop played a song: "Love don't care 'bout right or wrong, what's past is gone, even if the heart's still torn."

I hummed along, voice soft. "Fate don't judge what's right or wrong, the road ahead's cold, but how do you face the storm."

A shadow loomed over me. "You seem in a great mood."

I looked up to find Victor's rugged, handsome face staring down. I snuffed out my cigarette, lips curling. "You've got your new she-wolf, and I don't have to worry about you sniffing around me anymore. Of course I'm happy."

He scoffed. "Happy, huh? Then what's with all the smokes? I remember you never touched the stuff."

I stood, tossing the butt in the trash. "Who are you to care what I do?"

Rose, who'd been lurking nearby, stormed over, her voice ice-cold. "Who's bothering with you? Take a look in the mirror-do you even deserve it?"

I glanced at her and Victor standing shoulder to shoulder, and a laugh burst out of me. "Tch, not even bound yet, and you're already guarding your wolf like a hawk. If you're that worried about him, keep him on a leash. Don't let him wander and tempt a she-wolf like me."

"I'm no saint, Rose. You think just because you're public now, I'll play nice? If your wolf keeps coming around, I might just change my mind. No she-wolf says no to a loyal dog, and you know with one snap of my fingers, he'd come running back."

Rose froze, her face flashing between fury and embarrassment. She knew better than anyone how much Victor used to care for me.

I'm still a name in the industry, a she-wolf who turns heads without a speck of makeup, with a figure that's the envy of the pack. Rose? She's just an ordinary she-wolf, outclassed in looks and charm.

If I wanted to take Victor back, she wouldn't stand a chance.

"Autumn, you're delusional," Victor said, grabbing Rose's hand. "Even if you begged on your knees, I wouldn't come back." His voice was steady, each word deliberate. "I, Victor, swear I'll never love Autumn again. I'll be loyal to Rose for life. If I break this vow, may I drop dead."