It was the early hours of the morning when Alpha Dean Willis returned to the Silver Moon Pack’s territory. Reina Lawson lay in bed, her eyes wide open, staring into the darkness. She hadn’t slept at all.

Before long, Dean pulled her into his embrace. "Still awake?" he asked, leaning in to kiss her, only to feel empty space. Confused, he held her tighter, trying to suppress his frustration. "Who upset you, Reina? I’ll handle it for you, okay?"

"Alpha," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Yeah?" he responded, his tone softening slightly.

The room was so dark she couldn’t see his face, but she could smell the lingering scent of rosemary clinging to him—a scent that wasn’t hers.

"Let’s break the bond."

Dean stiffened, then let go, rolling over to the side. "What now?" he sighed, rubbing his temples with impatience. "You’re too grown-up for this kind of drama."

He chuckled lightly, "Reina, you’re not getting any younger. Who would mark a Luna who smokes, drinks, has tattoos, and is tougher than most Deltas in the pack?"

Her chest tightened, a dull pain spreading she couldn’t suppress. Last year, when she had twelve stitches sewn into her arm without anesthesia due to an allergy, she gritted her teeth without uttering a sound. Yet, Dean’s drunken honesty now brought tears to her eyes.

"Alpha," she couldn’t help but ask, "If I were terminally ill, would you..."

"Reina." He cut her off, a hint of irritation in his voice. "Don’t ask pointless questions."

"If you really were terminally ill, would you want me to join you in some dramatic act?" He pressed his fingers against his brow. "I’m busy with the marking ceremony and the pack’s affairs. I don’t have time for this nonsense."

As he spoke, his phone suddenly buzzed. Annoyed, he hung up on the call, but it rang again. After several attempts, Dean got out of bed with his phone. "Yeah?"

A girl’s sobbing voice trickled through the receiver, indistinct but persistent.

"Damn it," Dean muttered under his breath, "This is such a hassle."

Despite his words, he hurried out the door. "There’s a problem with the pack’s patrols. I need to deal with it."

"You should get some sleep. Don’t wait up for me."

The door closed behind him, leaving Reina alone in the darkness. She clenched her fists, her wolf whimpering softly in the back of her mind, a sound of quiet despair. She had hoped, foolishly, that he might notice her pain, that he might care enough to stay. But Dean was the Alpha, and his priorities were always the pack—or so he claimed.

Reina turned her face into the pillow, letting the tears she’d held back finally fall. She thought of the marking ceremony, now just days away, and the life she had built with Dean over the past ten years. It all felt like a cruel joke now, a bond that had once been her anchor now dragging her deeper into despair.

Outside, the howl of a lone wolf echoed through the night, a haunting reminder of the world she was preparing to leave behind.

Reina Lawson’s marking ceremony with Alpha Dean Willis of the Silver Moon Pack was scheduled for the third of next month. The event was meant to be modest, a quiet affirmation of their mate bond without the pomp and spectacle often associated with such rituals. Reina had never mentioned her illness to Dean—a rare, incurable wolf-borne disease that left her with roughly six months to live. She also hadn’t told him that she had no intention of actually going through with the ceremony.

Reina could accept many things about Dean—his commanding presence as Alpha, his strength, his dedication to the pack—but his betrayal was something she couldn’t stomach. The thought of him embracing another woman, kissing her face, and searching for traces of a younger Reina in her made her insides churn with disgust. It was a violation of the mate bond, a sacred connection bestowed by the Moon Goddess, and it cut deeper than any physical wound.

Reina had been with Dean since her awakening at eighteen, their relationship spanning a decade. In the grand scheme of her life, which was now measured in months rather than years, she’d spent a significant portion of it on him. But in the time she had left, she wanted to reclaim herself, to live for something other than the expectations of a mate bond she no longer believed in.

She had booked a flight for a trip abroad, a journey to explore the world she loved but had never truly experienced while she still had the strength. Coincidentally, her departure was scheduled for the same day as the marking ceremony. As Reina packed her suitcase, she replaced the formal gowns she’d once imagined wearing for the ceremony with comfortable sundresses, practical for the adventures she planned. Instead of the elaborate feasts she’d once envisioned, she packed trays of spiced honey cake, perfect for sharing with fellow travelers she might meet along the way.

Her itinerary was filled with dreams she’d long postponed—visiting quaint cafes in quiet European towns, sipping coffee as the world passed by, hiking the stunning Alps, and losing herself in the pages of a book in cozy corners of bustling cafes reminiscent of those she’d read about in English novels. Through WhatsApp, she sent farewell messages to her friends, ensuring her memories were shared and cherished, even as her time dwindled.

Reina’s plan was simple yet daring: to leave behind the life she’d known, the mate bond she’d once cherished, and the man who had broken it. She would donate Dean’s fortune, a final act of defiance against the betrayal that had shattered her trust. Her flight, scheduled for the morning of the ceremony, would take her far from the Silver Moon Pack, far from the whispers and expectations that had defined her life for so long.

As she zipped up her suitcase, Reina glanced at the photo of her grandmother, Leighton, resting in the pack’s sacred burial ground. She had visited the grave the day before, speaking to the stone marker as if her grandmother could hear her. “I’ll be with you soon,” she had whispered, her voice trembling with both grief and resolve. “But first, I need to live.”

Whiskers, the stray wolf she’d taken in, nudged her leg, its usual aloofness replaced by an uncharacteristic tenderness. It was as if the creature sensed her imminent departure. Reina knelt, scratching behind its ears, her heart heavy but determined. She would leave this life behind, not with regret, but with the quiet strength of someone who had chosen to reclaim her own story, even in the face of the end.

Early in the morning, Reina Lawson ticked off another square on her calendar. Only ten days remained before she would leave the country. The faint scent of rosemary—Dean’s mate scent—still lingered in the air, a cruel reminder of the bond she was about to sever.

The creaking of the door behind her drew her attention. Alpha Dean Willis stepped inside, shaking off the snow from his jacket before approaching to embrace her. He still hadn’t warmed up to her short hair, a stark contrast to the long, flowing locks he’d once admired.

His eyes were drawn to the calendar, particularly to the heavily marked third day of the upcoming month—the day of their marking ceremony. Dean chuckled softly, playfully pinching her cheek. "Can’t wait to make you my Luna, huh?" he joked, his alpha tone softening into something almost affectionate.

He counted aloud, "Just ten days left."

Dean nestled his face against her neck, his warmth a sharp contrast to the cold air outside. "Maybe we should take some time in the next few days to dye your hair back to black and add some extensions?" he suggested, his voice carrying the subtle command of an Alpha. "You’ll look breathtaking on our marking day."

"No need," Reina replied, her expression unchanged, her gaze fixed on the calendar. "There’s not much time left."

Dean fell silent for a moment, his dominant aura flickering with uncertainty. "Right," he finally said, pulling back.

He grabbed his coat from the chair, his movements brisk. "There’s plenty to sort out for the ceremony. The Crimson Fang Pack’s warriors caused some trouble at our borders yesterday, so I’ll be caught up for a while. I won’t be back anytime soon."

As he spoke, he observed her, his piercing gaze searching for a reaction. Waiting for her to change her mind, to agree, to say, *Okay, Alpha, let’s go dye my hair, let’s extend it again.*

But she simply returned his gaze, her own resolve unwavering. The mate bond between them felt like a weight in her chest, a connection she was ready to break.

"Go ahead," she said. "After all, we only have ten days left."

Dean said nothing, his jaw tightening as he turned and slipped into the night, his broad frame disappearing into the darkness without a backward glance.