Darwin Bell was the untouchable one in our circle.

When I first came to live with the Reed Pack at twelve, he was the one I feared most. As a Delta, he carried himself with a seriousness that made him seem older than his years. His expression was always stern, his words sparse. No matter what happened between the future Alpha and me—whether it was affection or arguments—he never showed unnecessary emotion. But now, unexpectedly, he'd slipped up.

I was taken aback.

He glared icily at Rohan, his voice low but firm. "You've crossed the line, future Alpha."

"What? Are you here to lecture me too?" Rohan sneered, his alpha aura flaring. "It's funny how everyone seems more invested in the Reed Pack's business than I am. Should I congratulate you on your perceptiveness, Malia?"

When I was sixteen, he had said the same thing to me. It was only because someone had slipped a love letter into my bag during training, and he had discovered it. It happened on my birthday. With a smirk, he’d looked at me and said, "The star student of the pack, writing such cheesy stuff."

That's what he said. But after everyone had left, he stormed into my room, pinned me against the door, and kissed me softly. After the brief kiss, he nestled against my neck, his breath warm as he whispered, "Malia, you can't like anyone else. You're meant for me."

Back then, he was like a forlorn wolf pup, his voice full of yearning.

I averted my eyes from his, the weight of his alpha presence pressing down on me. Everything felt disconnected. A sharp pain pierced my heart. My wolf whimpered softly in the back of my mind, but I silenced her. I knew we had to settle things between us once and for all.

"Future Alpha," I began, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside, "since everyone's here today, let's lay it all out."

He stubbed out his cigarette, his amber eyes narrowing. "Go ahead."

Though tears threatened to fall, I defiantly raised my head, refusing to let him see my weakness. "As you said, there's nothing between us. From now on, we're going our own ways."

Rohan's hold on his wine glass tightened, knuckles turning white. The air around him crackled with tension. "Malia, are you really cutting me off?"

I pressed my nails into my palm, grounding myself. "You have a potential mate now. Keeping your distance from other wolves is the decent thing to do, right?"

The room fell silent, the weight of my words hanging heavy in the air. Darwin's gaze flicked between us, his jaw clenched, but he said nothing. Rohan's expression darkened, his alpha aura pulsing with barely restrained anger.

"You think it's that simple?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "You think you can just walk away?"

I met his gaze, refusing to back down. "I have to, future Alpha. For both of us."

For a moment, he looked like he might argue, but then his lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Fine. Have it your way, Malia. But don’t come crying to me when you realize what you’ve thrown away."

The words stung, but I held my ground. My wolf howled in protest, but I ignored her. This was the only way forward, even if it tore me apart inside.

I remember when I was seventeen, I went to drop off some training gear for him at the pack’s training grounds. The scent of sweat and pine lingered in the air, a reminder of the countless hours we’d spent there together.

To my surprise, I found Emilia cornering Rohan in the locker room, her voice trembling with desperation. “Alpha Rohan,” she began, her tone pleading, “I’ve had a crush on you since middle school. Can’t you just be with me?”

I quickly backed into a corner, trying to remain unnoticed. My heart raced, not just from the fear of being caught eavesdropping, but from the tension in the air. Emilia was an Omega, like me, and her vulnerability was palpable.

Rohan’s response was cold, his alpha tone sharp and unyielding. “Your feelings for me are your concern, not mine. Step aside.”

Emilia refused to back down. She clung to his hand, tears welling up in her eyes. “Don’t be so harsh. Please, don’t ignore me. It’s really breaking my heart.”

Rohan didn’t soften. He pulled his hand away and looked down at her, his expression unreadable. “I’m interested in someone else. Keeping healthy boundaries is important, isn’t it?”

She stood there, stunned, tears sparkling in her eyes. Her shoulders slumped, and for a moment, she looked like a wounded pup. Then, without another word, she wiped her tears and bolted away.

As I watched her leave, I couldn’t help but think how cold Rohan could be. He was the future Alpha of the Reed Pack, and his dominance was unmatched, but sometimes it felt like he wielded his power without mercy.

Somehow, he’d snuck up behind me, his presence overwhelming even before he spoke. “Quite the spectacle, huh?” he murmured, wrapping his arms around me. “Aren’t you going to compliment me?”

“You’re really cold-hearted,” I replied, though there was no real bite in my words.

He flashed a mischievous smile, the kind that always made my stomach flutter. “Malia, what can I say? You’re the only one I adore.”

“So, you have to love only me, okay?” I said, half-joking, half-serious.

He leaned in, his lips brushing against mine. The fresh minty scent of him filled the air, mingling with the earthy aroma of the training grounds. It was a scent that always reminded me of him—strong, commanding, and yet, in moments like this, tender.

“Only you,” he whispered against my lips before kissing me. It was a kiss that captured the spirited essence of youth, a promise of something unspoken but deeply felt.

In that moment, I realized what it meant to be treasured unconditionally by someone. This must be it. For all his dominance and power, for all the weight of his future role as Alpha, Rohan had chosen me. And in the world of werewolves, where hierarchy and loyalty were everything, that choice felt like a gift I didn’t deserve but couldn’t imagine living without.

Rohan must have thought of it too. His jaw tightened, and he pressed his lips into a thin line, the muscles in his neck straining. I got up and walked over to him, my fingers trembling slightly as I reached for the pendant around my neck. It was the one he had given me years ago, the symbol of my place in the Reed Pack. When he was 22, he had convinced his mother, the Luna, to let him give it to me, claiming it was a family heirloom and that I deserved to wear it. But now that our bond was broken, it felt heavy, a weight I no longer wanted to carry.

"Alpha Rohan," I said, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest. "I’m giving the pendant back to you."

His brow furrowed deeply, his dark eyes flashing with something I couldn’t quite place—anger, maybe, or regret. His lips trembled slightly as he looked up at me, his broad shoulders tense. "I don’t believe in taking back what I’ve given," he said, his voice low and commanding, the alpha tone lacing his words.

"But it doesn’t feel right," I replied, my voice softer now. I placed the pendant on the table in front of him, the silver chain glinting in the dim light. He abruptly stood up, his towering frame casting a shadow over me. He didn’t take the pendant, his eyes avoiding mine as he turned toward the door. "My mate is still outside," he said, the words clipped, almost as if he were escaping the room.

The air between us was thick with unspoken words, and the silence that followed was suffocating.

James, ever the loyal Gamma, stepped closer to me, his presence a small comfort in the storm of emotions raging inside me. "Malia," he said, his voice gentle, "you and the Alpha have been together for so many years. He’s just being stubborn."

Stubborn? A month ago, in this very room, at this very spot, I had stood ready in a Victorian-style dress, my heart pounding as I prepared to propose to him in front of the pack. It was during a game of truth or dare, and when he lost, he chose "truth" over "dare." I had seized the moment, my voice trembling as I asked, "Have you ever thought about marking me as your mate?"

Under the dim lights, Rohan’s expression had been partially hidden, but I could still see the way his eyes narrowed, the way his jaw clenched. "I’m not ready for that," he had said, his voice cold and final. "I have a fear of commitment."

That moment had left me frozen, my heart shattering into a thousand pieces. And because I had brought it up in front of everyone, he had been furious. He left early that day, and my proposal remained unspoken, unfinished.

Looking back now, I realized it wasn’t a fear of commitment that held him back—it was simply that he didn’t want to commit to me.

An old saying suddenly came to mind: things that start ambiguously tend to end in confusion. Perhaps Rohan and I had reached the end of our road.

My wolf whimpered softly in the back of my mind, a faint echo of the pain I felt. She had always been his, even when he no longer seemed to want her. But now, as I stood there with the pendant on the table and the Alpha’s back turned to me, I knew it was time to let go.

The room felt emptier without him, the weight of his absence pressing down on me. But I held my head high, refusing to let the tears fall. I was an Omega, but I was still a part of the Reed Pack. And even if Rohan no longer saw me as his mate, I would find my place, my strength, and my own path forward.