That night, Alpha Devon didn’t return to the packhouse—it was the first time he’d stayed out all night. My calls to him went unanswered until, finally, he picked up, his voice hurried and breathless. “Eileen, I’m at the airport. There’s an emergency pack meeting overseas. The signal’s weak—I’ll explain when I’m back.”

Before I could respond, he hung up, and when I tried to call again, his phone was off. My wolf stirred uneasily in the back of my mind, a low whimper escaping her. I pushed her down, refusing to let her doubts take root.

Over the next few days, Alpha Devon remained absent, sending only brief messages through the pack’s mind link. “Busy with pack business. Take care of yourself,” he’d say. When I pressed for a return date, he’d reply, “Complications. Need a few more days.” He didn’t mention that the hotel had sent me a reservation confirmation for five nights.

I told myself he needed space, that perhaps he’d come back to me, to us. I loved him, so I chose to believe him, to give him a chance. But what I got in return was betrayal so cold it froze the bond between us.

When I finally reached him, my voice was ice. “Alpha Devon, if you’re not coming back, then don’t come back at all.”

His voice crackled through the mind link, tinged with panic. “Eileen, calm down. I’ll return immediately. Wait for me!”

I severed the link, my body aching from the recent appendectomy. The pain in my side mirrored the ache in my heart. I drifted into a restless sleep, waking to an empty packhouse. He hadn’t returned.

The door creaked open, and there he stood, Alpha Devon, his tall, muscular frame filling the doorway. He carried two bags of groceries, his dark eyes bright with a smile that once melted me. “Eileen, I’m back!” he announced, holding up the bags. “Fresh sea bass. Perfect for fish soup.”

My heart softened for a moment—had he rushed back to care for me? But then he added, “Alaina’s stomach has been sensitive. She needs something light.”

My heart plummeted, the warmth replaced by a chilling void. My wolf snarled silently, but I silenced her.

“I’ve just had surgery, Alpha Devon. Fish soup isn’t suitable for me,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me.

He paused, then shrugged. “Oh, right. The soup’s for Alaina. She’s been unwell.”

Before I could respond, Alaina’s voice drifted in from the doorway. “Devon, why does your packhouse have so many stairs? It’s exhausting.”

She stepped inside, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders, her delicate features framed by a soft smile. She wore a light-blue Victorian-style dress—the one Alpha Devon had chosen for our anniversary. My stomach churned.

“Oh, Eileen, you’re here too?” she said sweetly. “Join us for fish soup.”

Alpha Devon’s expression shifted awkwardly. “Eileen, I didn’t want Alaina to be alone, so I brought her here.”

“This is our packhouse,” I said, my voice sharp. “Alpha Devon, have you no shame? What do you take me for?”

“What’s your problem?!” he snapped, slamming the fish onto the counter. “She’s unwell. Can’t you show a little compassion?”

I laughed bitterly, the sound hollow. My wolf growled, her pain echoing mine. “Compassion? For her? For you?”

“Eileen!” he shouted, his alpha tone commanding, but I didn’t flinch. He turned to Alaina, his voice softening. “Are you alright? Don’t let her upset you.”

I sank onto the couch, the pain in my side unbearable. My vision blurred, but I refused to let them see me break.

Alaina placed a hand on Alpha Devon’s arm, her touch lingering. “I’m fine, Devon. Eileen’s just recovering. I understand.”

“How thoughtful,” he murmured, his gaze softening as he looked at her. “Unlike some people.”

I closed my eyes, biting back the bile rising in my throat. “The rejection papers are on the table. Sign them.”

Alpha Devon froze, his eyes narrowing as he picked up the documents. “Eileen, what is this?”

“Rejection,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “I, Eileen, Delta of the Silvermoon Pack, reject you, Devon, Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack, as my mate.”

His face paled, his alpha aura flaring. “You’d really reject me over this?”

“Yes,” I said, meeting his gaze without hesitation. “Alpha Devon, search your heart. How have I treated you all these years? When have I ever failed you?”

He stood silent, his lips trembling, but no words came.

My wolf growled softly, her pain mingling with mine. But for the first time, I felt a flicker of strength. This was the end.

Alaina stepped forward at that moment, gently placing her hand on Devon’s arm. “Alpha Devon, please, don’t be upset,” she murmured softly, her voice dripping with false concern. “Luna Eileen is just overwhelmed right now. She’ll come around once she cools off.” Her eyes met mine, and I could see it—pity laced with triumph.

“Luna Eileen,” she continued, her tone patronizing, “I know this is difficult for you, but try to see things from Alpha Devon’s perspective. He’s only trying to be compassionate. As an Alpha, he can’t bear seeing anyone in pain, especially not someone from his pack. After all the years you two have been mated, surely that counts for more than the brief time he and I have reconnected.”

“Enough!” I snapped, my wolf growling faintly in the back of my mind, urging me to act. I lunged forward, grabbing Alaina by the collar and slapped her hard across the face.

The sharp sound echoed through the room as she stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek. Blood trickled from the corner of her lip, and she let out a soft gasp, her eyes wide with shock.

“Eileen!” Devon’s voice thundered, laced with the alpha tone that made my knees weaken despite my anger. He stepped between us, shielding Alaina with his broad frame, his muscular build towering over me. “Don’t you dare hit her!”

He shoved me back, the force of it sending me stumbling until I collided with the coffee table. My wolf whimpered, a faint echo in my mind, but I clenched my fists, refusing to show weakness.

“Alpha Devon, you…” I pointed at him, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and betrayal. Words failed me as I watched him cradle Alaina protectively, his hands gentle as he wiped the blood from her lips.

“Are you okay, Alaina?” he asked, his voice soft, filled with concern. “Does it hurt?”

Alaina shook her head, her gaze tender as she looked up at him. “I’m fine, Alpha Devon. Please, don’t worry about me.” Then her eyes flicked to mine, and I saw it—the taunting triumph that made my stomach churn.

Watching them was like witnessing a cruel parody of the mate bond I thought we had. This was pointless. Our bond had long lost its meaning.

Suppressing the turmoil in my heart, I spoke coldly, “Alpha Devon, just sign the rejection papers. I’ll let you two have each other.”

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might refuse. But then he grabbed the pen, his hand trembling with resentment as he scrawled his name across the rejection agreement. The paper tore slightly under the force of his pen, as though it were a physical representation of the bond he was severing.

“I, Devon, Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack, reject you, Eileen, as my mate,” he declared, his voice cold and final. The words cut through me like a blade, the mate bond burning in my chest as it began to unravel.

I felt my wolf whimper, a faint, desperate sound in my mind, but I pushed it down. Expressionless, I collected the documents and turned to leave.

“Eileen, you’ll regret this!” Devon’s voice rang out behind me, sharp and filled with anger, but I didn’t look back.

I descended the stairs, my stomach churning, the wound from my recent appendectomy burning with intensifying pain. My vision blurred, and I steadied myself against the wall, my wolf growling faintly in protest.

Regret? What was there to regret?

I had given everything to this bond, only for it to end as a farce.

Stumbling down the stairs, I hailed a cab and directed it to the pack’s legal office. Once there, I summoned the strength to finalize the rejection. As of today, Devon and I were officially severed.

Exiting the office, dusk had settled in, and the streetlights cast long, dim shadows. My phone rang suddenly, an unknown number flashing on the screen.

“Hello?”

“Is this Luna Eileen? I’m a healer from the pack infirmary. Alpha Devon is here, he…”

The urgency in the healer’s voice made my heart sink. “What happened to Alpha Devon?”

“He’s been in a car accident, and his condition is serious. We need you to come to the infirmary.”

It felt as if lightning had struck me, my mind going blank. A car accident? Devon was in a car accident?

Without further thought, driven by instinct, I rushed to the infirmary. In the corridor, I saw Alaina. She sat disheveled on a bench, head down, her hands covering her face, shoulders trembling slightly.

I approached her, grabbing her arm in a fierce grip. “What happened? How could there be an accident?”

Alaina looked up, her face full of confusion and fear. She opened her mouth but hesitated to speak.

Just then, the door to the infirmary opened, and Healer Woods emerged, removing his gloves wearily. “Who’s the family member?”

I rushed forward, grabbing the healer’s hand. “It’s me. How is Alpha Devon?”

The healer sighed. “He’s stable for now, but his condition isn’t good.” Then, with a hint of reproach, he added, “Young wolves shouldn’t get distracted while driving! You can’t be doing such things behind the wheel!”

My mind exploded, the healer’s words echoing over and over. I didn’t need details; I already knew.

In that instant, my heart was utterly crushed. I walked mechanically out of the infirmary doors, my spirit completely broken.

The next day, I packed my belongings and left the packhouse I had shared with Devon. The place had been mine long before we mated, purchased with my own earnings, and my name was the only one on the deed. I tossed the keys to a realtor, leaving the details to them. The price didn’t matter to me; I just wanted to close this chapter as quickly as possible.

I rented an apartment near the pack’s territory and began preparing for my plans to study abroad. I’d always intended to further my education overseas, but my mating bond and my responsibilities as a Delta warrior had delayed those dreams. Now, it was finally time to make them a reality. I still had one project to finish before I could move on completely.

While I was busy at work, Devon mind-linked me—a rare occurrence these days.

“Eileen, have you lost your mind?!” His voice echoed in my head, sharp and frantic.

“Why did you sell the packhouse?! How could you sell it without even telling me?!”

I sneered, though he couldn’t see it. “It’s my packhouse. I can sell it if I want. Do I need your permission, Alpha?”

“What do you mean, your packhouse?! It was our home! All our memories are there! How could you just sell it?”

I couldn’t help but mock him. “What memories? You mean the ones you made with Alaina Garcia in our home?”

There was a pause on his end before Devon’s tone softened, though it still carried the weight of his Alpha authority.

“Eileen, I know I messed up in the past and hurt you. But right now, I really need you. Can you come back to me?”

I replied calmly, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “You have Alaina. You can look for her.”

“Eileen…” Devon’s voice rose again, his Alpha tone slipping into desperation.

“Do you really have to do this to me? I’m practically disabled now, what more do you want?”

I laughed coldly, the sound hollow even to my own ears. “I want nothing. Just leave me alone.”

His voice trembled on the other end, as if he were the one suffering.

“Eileen, I know I was wrong. I really know it now. Please don’t leave me, I’m begging you…”

In the past, hearing his sobs would have broken me. I never could stand to see him upset, but now there was no reaction from me at all.

“Devon,” I said, my tone aloof and final. “We are over. Take care of yourself.”

With that, I severed the mind-link and blocked him completely.

“Delta Eileen, are you okay?” My assistant, Reese, walked in with a steaming cup of coffee, noticing my pale face. They looked at me with concern.

“I’m fine, just a little tired,” I waved it off, taking the coffee and sipping it, the bitterness spreading through my mouth.

“You’ve been training for hours. You should take a break,” Reese said, their worry evident. “Maybe you should call it a day and finish the rest tomorrow.”

I shook my head. “No, I must finish this project soon.”

Completing the mission was crucial; only then could I truly leave everything behind and start anew.

Devon started appearing frequently outside my training grounds.

The first time I saw him, I told him coldly, “Alpha Devon, we are done. There’s no need to look for me anymore.”

Even disheveled, his Alpha aura still carried a commanding presence, though his face now held a pitiful look.

“Eileen, I know I was wrong. Please, give me another chance, for the sake of the time we were mated…”

I ignored his dramatic display and told the pack guards, “Please don’t let this man in again. Thank you.”

Thinking this would end Devon’s persistence was my mistake. I underestimated his determination. He became like a ghost, always finding ways to appear within my line of sight—at the training grounds, in the pack’s dining hall, even at my usual grocery store. I tried to avoid him like the plague, but he clung to me like a shadow I couldn’t shake off.

One night, after finishing a late patrol, I finally left the pack’s territory. The underground parking lot was eerily empty, just a few dim lights casting long shadows on the ground. As I approached my car, I suddenly felt a chill down my spine.

“Ah!” I gasped, spinning around abruptly.

Devon stood behind me, wearing nothing but a thin shirt, his face ghostly pale under the dim lights.

“What are you doing here?” I asked quietly, barely containing my annoyance.

Devon said nothing, stepping forward in an attempt to embrace me.

I instinctively stepped back, avoiding his touch.

“Eileen…” Devon’s voice cracked, large tears rolling down his cheeks.

“I know I was wrong. I really do. Please forgive me, will you? I can’t bear to lose you…”

“Where’s Alaina? Does she know you’re here?” I asked mockingly, sarcasm dripping from my voice.

“She…” Devon bit his lip, his sobs becoming softer.

“I... I have lingering health issues from that accident. Alaina... she hasn’t visited me for a long time…”

“So, what? She ditched you, and now you’re thinking of me?” My tone was icy, devoid of any emotion.

I looked at the man I once loved, feelings of mixed emotions swirling within me. Once, he was so confident and dazzling, now reduced to a wilting leaf, having lost all his former glory.

“I’m not a recycling bin; I don’t take back trash.”

“Eileen, I know you still have feelings for me, I know it…”

Devon said as he abruptly fell to his knees, clutching my leg tightly.

“Can we remate, please? Give me one more chance, I’ll make it up to you…”

I looked down at Devon, clutching my leg, my eyes as cold as ice.

I lifted my foot, kicking him away without hesitation.

“Devon, stop fooling yourself.” I looked down at him, my tone frigid.

“I don’t love filthy men, especially those who lie and cheat.”

With that, I opened my car door, got in, started the engine, and drove off without a backward glance.

In the rear-view mirror, I saw Devon still kneeling on the ground, his hands covering his face, shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

I didn’t know if he was crying or regretting, but it no longer mattered to me.

I slammed the accelerator, the car speeding away like an arrow shot from a bow.