On the night of our binding ceremony, my mate Elijah Langley's childhood friend Alice posted on social media, standing at the edge of a bridge, ready to jump.

Elijah was desperate to run to her, but his father, Ulric, blocked him hard.

"If you don't stay and finish this bonding tonight, the Langley family will kick you out for good!"

Elijah gave in, but the next day, word spread that his childhood sweetheart had fallen to her death.

His reaction? Ice-cold. Not a single tear.

Thirty years later, as I lay in bed, worn out from a lifetime serving the Langley family, Elijah stood over me with our pup, pouring sulfuric acid all over me.

"Freya Crowe, if you hadn't clung to this stupid bond, I could've been happy with Alice forever!"

"Here's the truth: our pup? He's from Alice's eggs, through IVF! How does that hit you? You spent your whole life raising a kid for the she-wolf I loved most!"

As the flames shot up, I let out a final, painful gasp.

When my eyes opened again, I was reborn-back to that terrible night of our binding.

"If you don't stay and finish this bonding tonight, the Langley family will kick you out for good!"

Ulric's harsh voice pulled me out of the burning memory.

I shook, my senses all messed up.

Looking around the fancy bonding room, it hit me-I was really back!

Elijah's bloodshot eyes locked onto mine, full of raw hate.

"Don't think making me stay will make me love you. I'll hate you till the day I die!"

His clenched teeth and venomous stare, like I was his worst enemy, mixed with the memory of him burning me alive in my past life.

Cold sweat broke out, my hands shaking.

Ulric turned to me, his face softening.

"Don't take it to heart, Freya. Elijah's just spouting nonsense 'cause he's worked up."

"I've watched you grow up-you're top-tier in character and smarts, way better than that Alice!"

"Leaving Elijah with you puts us at ease."

Ulric's warm, fatherly smile came with a pat on my shoulder.

"Keep an eye on him. The binding starts in half an hour."

As soon as he limped out with his cane, Elijah threw a water glass at me.

"Even with that bridal makeup, you're ugly as sin. Compare yourself to Alice? Makes me sick!"

The glass smashed into my forehead, shards cutting my skin.

Warm blood trickled down.

I didn't move or make a sound.

Seeing the blood, Elijah froze, a tiny flash of guilt in his eyes.

"Why didn't you move?"

Before I could answer, his face twisted back into scorn and disgust.

"Oh, right. You'll walk around with that cut, playing the poor victim for my parents!"

"Freya, you're nothing but a low, shameless she-wolf!"

His hatred crashed over me, and I realized how pointless all my past sacrifices had been.

My parents worked for the Langleys. In a car crash, they saved alpha Langley's life but died themselves.

After that, five-year-old me was taken in by alpha Langley as a foster pup, raised in their home.

For twenty years, the Langley alpha pair treated me like their own. Elijah, at first, stuck to me like glue, calling me Freya in that sweet, kid-like voice.

Then Alice showed up. Her wild, rule-breaking ways hooked Elijah, dragging him into her messes.

Ulric, seeing trouble and scared Alice would ruin him, rushed to set up our bonding.

I'd just gotten my PhD, with a spot secured at the great pack's home base, but I gave it all up for this.

Over the next thirty years, I poured my knowledge and energy into the Langley pack's drug business, single-handedly lifting them from the top ten in Isolara to the top three in Quorland.

And what did I get? A body broken from overwork, burned alive, no grave to rest in.

To Elijah, this bond stole him from his precious Alice. But for me, wasn't it a sacrifice to pay back the family's kindness?

That thought made my resolve firm up.

Looking at Elijah, still glaring with hatred, I calmly opened the door.

"If your heart's not here, this bond means nothing. Go."

Elijah's eyes blew wide, like he couldn't fathom me saying that.

"You've been scheming for years to be the top she-wolf in the Langley, and now you're just giving up when you're this close? No way you're suddenly this nice-bullshit!"

His tight, suspicious glare hit me, and exhaustion crashed into my chest.

In my past life, out of thanks to the Langleys, I bent over backward for Elijah, practically begging like some lovesick pup.

But Alice spread so much crap that Elijah and all the big shots in Isolara's wolf circles thought I was a gold-digging liar-a foster pup sucking up to the Langleys to land a rich mate and fix my lousy fate.

No matter how I tried to explain, as long as Elijah's heart was stuck on Alice, my words meant squat.

I shook my head, a bitter smile tugging at my lips. "Whatever you think of me, I've always seen you as family. Even if we don't bond, I don't wanna be your enemy."

Elijah froze, a flicker of that innocent pup he used to be crossing his face-the look I hadn't seen in ages.

"Fine, I'll trust you this once!"

He jumped up, yanking off his fancy suit jacket and swapping it for a ratty hoodie.

I helped him slip past the Langley's security-their scents were all over the place, but I knew the blind spots from years of living here. He vanished into the night, his hurried footsteps fading fast.

By the time Ulric figured it out, Elijah was already with Alice, posting a video of them making out in a hotel bed on social media. The way they were going at it, you could almost smell the hormones through the screen.

Ulric was so mad he crushed his phone in his hand, then had to announce the binding was off.

By noon the next day, Elijah and Alice swaggered back, holding hands like they owned the place.

His shirt was unbuttoned low, showing a mess of marks that screamed how wild their night was. Even from across the room, I caught a whiff of Alice's perfume all over him-cloying, like too much vanilla.

"Dad, me and Alice are crazy about each other! We already... y'know, sealed it. Might even have a pup on the way. Just say yes!"

Right in front of me, they started groping each other, putting on this gross lovey-dovey show.

"You're out of your damn mind, rushing into this disaster!" Ulric's face was stone, but he was trapped. He shot Alice a hard look. "Clean up your act, or you'll drag the Langley name through the mud!"

Elijah lit up, hearing that reluctant okay.

But Alice kept her usual stuck-up attitude, shooting me a smug look. "Since me and Elijah are gonna bond, there's no reason for an outsider like you to hang around the Langleys, right?"

Ulric's expression soured. Even Elijah looked surprised, tugging at Alice's arm.

"Alice, come on, that's not cool."

"Not cool? Every time I see her face, I remember how she tried to weasel her way into your life. Makes me wanna barf!"

Alice shook off Elijah's hand, jabbing a finger at me. "How about this? Kneel right now, act like a good little mutt, and swear you'll be the Langleys' lapdog forever. Maybe then I'll let you stay for scraps!"

Her words made me lock eyes with her, cold as ice.

I'd only stepped back to avoid repeating the hell of my past life.

My stare must've gotten to her, 'cause she bit her lip and pushed harder. "What? You think an outsider like you can stand up to the future alpha's mate, right in front of the family head?"

Ulric let out a sharp, unimpressed laugh. "Funny, I didn't realize you were running the family now, barking orders like that!"

I knew Ulric had my back-always had.

Getting shut down by both of us was too much even for Alice's thick skin. She faltered.

"Oh, come on, babe, tell her off!" she whined, shaking Elijah's arm.

Elijah looked torn, then turned to me. "Freya, your call. Do what Alice says, or..."

"No need to drag this out," I cut him off. "I wasn't planning to stay anyway."

My words had Ulric jumping to his feet.

"Like hell that's happening!"

He grabbed my shoulders, his hold tight.

"You're the Langley pack's top drug developer! Leave now, and what happens to those unfinished formulas? That's your life's work!"

Ulric let out a bitter laugh.

I knew he wasn't sweating the pack's profits.

He just needed a reason to keep me here.

"Ulric, I've logged every bit of finished data for the drugs. The Langley pack research team can handle the rest."

I smiled, not angry at being pushed out, but weirdly relieved.

"With those records, any halfway decent pro can take over easy."

"Only bummer is, I can't help you anymore. Hope you find a real successor soon."

I made sure to lay that on thick for Ulric.

The Langley pack herbal team was solid-they could wrap up my work fine, as long as no one like Alice messed with it.

"Freya, what's that supposed to mean? 'True heir'? You saying me and Elijah aren't good enough to take over?" Alice snapped, steaming.

I didn't even look at her.

"Ulric, I'm gone."

With that, I turned to leave for good.

"Wait!"

Alice threw her arms out, blocking my way.

"If you're dead set on leaving, do it right!"

"You showed up at the Langleys with nothing-leave with nothing! That dress, the necklace, the car in the driveway-none of it's yours! You think you can just walk off with Langley stuff?"

Alice stuck her chin out, clearly itching for a fight.

"If you can't come up with a real insult, maybe shut up," I shot back, giving her a cold look.

"Let's not dig too far. In the last two years alone, I cooked up three drugs for the Langleys that hit shelves. Each one pulls in over a billion a year."

"Thirty billion. You really think that doesn't cover a dress and a watch?"

I locked eyes with her, watching her lips twitch.

She'd lost again.

I needed her to get it-I was leaving because I wanted to, not 'cause some dead weight like her ran me off.

But then, out of nowhere, Elijah stepped in front of me, biting his lip.

"Freya, everything you did was just paying back the Langleys for raising you all these years."

"I'm with Alice. If you're leaving, go the way you came-with nothing."

He lifted his head, staring me down.

Something in my chest stabbed, sharp and deep.

I'd tried so hard to walk out with some dignity, but Elijah's words knocked me sideways.

"Elijah, cut this crap!" Ulric slammed his fist on the table.

I held up a hand to stop him.

Then I pulled off my watch and slipped out of the evening gown.

"Freya, don't listen to him!" Ulric hurried over to stop me.

I just gave a small smile. "It's okay, Ulric. I know exactly who I owe."

The unspoken part hung in the air: this was between me and Alice.

Alice flashed that smug grin she wore when she first showed up, like she'd won.

"Alright, alright, keep your underclothes on-just get out!" she said, waving me off before looping her arms around Elijah, kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

Elijah avoided my eyes, a tiny flicker of guilt in his gaze.

I took a deep breath-could smell the lemon polish on the floor, the lavender from the centerpiece, the faint hint of Elijah's cologne mixed with Alice's too-sweet perfume.

Then I walked out, step by step.