To placate Kathryn, the spirited Delta warrior of the Silver Fang Pack, who was throwing her hundredth dramatic fit, Alpha Eric Jimenez asked me to step down from my role as his mate.

“She’s just young and a bit clueless. Could you do me a favor?” he pleaded, his alpha tone softening just enough to make it sound like a request rather than a command. “Don’t worry, you’ll always be my fated mate.”

I clutched the edge of the ceremonial robe, the fabric heavy with the weight of tradition and betrayal. After a moment of hesitation, I gave a silent nod. As I returned to the private chamber, I overheard him jesting with his Beta and Gamma.

“Savanna’s just like a loyal Omega; she wouldn’t dare to oppose me,” Eric said, his voice dripping with smug confidence.

“Are you really letting Kathryn take center stage at the mate bonding ceremony? I bet you could tell her to give up her place on the mate bond, and she’d go along with it,” his Beta teased.

Eric laughed, the sound echoing through the hall. “Definitely, want to wager on it?”

He bet with his Beta that after the ceremony, he’d mark Kathryn as his mate, and even if I were shattered, I’d quietly comply. I stood there for a while, my wolf whining softly in the back of my mind, then turned to leave without a word.

Outside the ceremonial hall, I glanced at the text message that had just arrived:

[Sis, let’s ditch this ceremony, okay?]

I replied: [Okay!]

As soon as I sent the message, the phone rang from the other end. Thankfully, I had it on silent mode, avoiding any interruption in the room where Eric was video-calling his Beta and Gamma, still poking fun at me.

“If she can’t handle this, how can she be the Luna of the Silver Fang Pack?” he joked. “She can’t leave me. I’ll just get her a few trinkets to win her back.”

“If Savanna’s really that easy to handle, I’ll give you my new sports car as a gift!” his Gamma chimed in.

“Deal!” Eric laughed.

Amid their laughter, I retreated to the private chamber, locking the door behind me. Finally, the tears fell, no longer under my control. After five years as Eric’s fated mate, he fell for Kathryn, a Delta warrior with fire in her eyes and ambition in her heart. He bought her houses, cars, and even got her a promotion within the pack, yet she always looked down on it.

“You can’t buy me,” she said with disdain, her voice carrying the arrogance of someone who knew her worth.

Whenever she felt wronged, she pulled the same act of leaving and having him chase after her, and Eric found joy in it. The last time, to please Kathryn, he burned my paintings set for a competition, compensating me with jewelry she had rejected.

Another time, because Kathryn claimed I slighted her, he threw me out into the snow wearing only a thin nightgown. Not only did he capture my distress in photos sent to Kathryn, but he messaged her, [See, I vented your anger for you, so hurry back, I miss you.]

The next day, while administering cold medicine to me, he said, “She’s just a distraction, fun to keep around. Why stress over her?”

Such episodes had occurred ninety-nine times. This was the hundredth request to step aside as his mate. I was weary and tired of playing his games. I wiped my tears, quickly changed out of the ceremonial robe, and found over thirty unread messages on my phone.

The last one read: [Sis, you didn’t lie to me, did you? I’ll take it seriously!]

I promptly replied: [I mean it.]

As soon as the message went out, someone knocked on the chamber door.

“Savanna, are you ready?” Eric called, his voice smooth and commanding.

I quickly composed myself before opening the door. His dark eyes landed on my slightly red eyes, and he smirked.

“Really, tears? It’s just a ceremony. I’ll make it up to you later.”

I shook my head. “No, my fake eyelashes got in my eyes while changing.”

He dropped the subject.

On the way back to the pack estate, he asked where I’d like to go for our marking ceremony celebration. I casually replied that I hadn’t decided yet, but in my heart, I was already planning my escape. Before getting out of the car, he pulled out a jewelry box from the glove compartment, along with a piece of lingerie. The mood in the car turned suddenly tense.

Eric cleared his throat and discreetly slipped the lingerie away. Then he opened the jewelry box and placed it before me. “I got this for you. This whole ceremony situation upset you, but you’re always so understanding, right?”

I looked at the cheap diamond bracelet inside, and bitterness welled up again. My dresser drawer already housed seven identical bracelets. This eighth one seemed to signal the end of us.

As I watched the car’s taillights fade away, I finally made a call to the man restlessly waiting on the other end:

“In a week, I’ll head to France with you.”

That day just happened to be Eric and Kathryn’s mate bonding ceremony.

---

That night, I dreamed of the time I first met Eric. It was after my parents had passed away, and the Silver Fang Pack had taken me in. Entering such an unfamiliar world, I was filled with anxiety.

I vividly remember Eric, standing proudly on the staircase in his Alpha attire. “You’re my new sister? Don’t worry; I’ll look after you!” he had declared, his voice full of the confidence that only an Alpha heir could possess.

He’d sneak in juicy roast beef for me late at night or skip pack training to hunt down the trendiest hair clips in town. When I was mocked for my accent, he’d mimic my speech to greet everyone.

Through those tough days, Eric stood by me. Like a knight, he fended off anyone who tried to bully me, saying, “Don’t worry, Savanna. I’m your knight; I’ll protect you forever.”

I believed him and dove headlong into those promises. Before he ascended to Alpha, Eric was totally devoted to me. But after taking over the pack, women began to flock around him.

He remained attentive to me—and to them, too—claiming it was all inevitable in the pack politics. Then Kathryn appeared, and his heart visibly shifted. Initially, I argued and fought with him, but gradually, my arguments became a game to him—one he never took seriously.

Eventually, I poured my energy into painting instead of fighting. He saw it as my surrender, openly flaunting Kathryn at pack events and gatherings. But little did Eric know another man had entered my life.

I met Elliot at an art exhibition. We both admired an obscure painting, engaging in a lively debate all afternoon, only for the artist to sell it to Elliot due to a personal connection. I left the exhibition disappointed.

But the next day, Elliot gifted me the painting, marking the start of our bond. During countless lonely days after Eric abandoned me, Elliot was there. Though three years younger than me, he took care of me.

A flurry of message notifications pulled me fully awake. It was a text from Kathryn. Pictures and a recording. Though I had a rough idea about the recording's content, my hands trembled as I played it.

The audio began with intimate sounds, followed by Kathryn's seductive voice: “Eric, are you really making me your Luna? What if your fated mate gets mad?”

Eric's breathless reply: “Her anger would only make you happier.”

“I’m worried your fated mate might run off, leaving you to blame me.”

“If she runs, you’ll just have to make it up to me! You promised tonight you'd satisfy me!”

The recording ended with breathy sighs.

Suddenly, my stomach churned with nausea. I rushed to the bathroom but only managed to dry heave, having skipped dinner. Sinking to the cold tiles against the toilet, my finger accidentally hit the speed dial on my phone.

My heart skipped, fearing I'd dialed Eric. But before I could hang up, a familiar voice came through:

“Sis?”

I snapped back to reality. My speed dial had long been switched to Elliot’s number.

“Sis, are you there? Did something happen?”

Listening to his voice filled with concern, my tears fell onto the phone's screen.

“Sis, what’s wrong? Please, talk to me!”

“Elliot, I miss you.”

The line was silent for a moment, then I heard the rustling sounds of him getting dressed.

“Sis, I’ll come to New York and find you now.”

I quickly said, “No, Elliot, I just had a nightmare. You said you’d be busy before heading overseas, right? Focus on that. We’ll meet at the airport in a week.”

That finally convinced Elliot to stay put. Before hanging up, he kept reminding me, “If anything happens, call me right away. Don’t worry, I’m always here.”

His reassurance of always being there calmed my restless heart.

The morning after I woke up, I began preparing for my move overseas. This trip to France wasn’t just a visit—it was emigration. I didn’t plan on returning to the Silver Fang Pack anytime soon. Elliot, the Beta of the Moonlight Pack, had assured me he would handle all the paperwork. All I had to do was sort through the things I couldn’t take with me.

Most of my belongings were gifts from Alpha Eric’s parents and Eric himself. As an Omega, I wasn’t accustomed to luxury, but they had always been generous. Still, the Jimenez family never reused second-hand items, so I took it upon myself to deal with them. I donated all the clothes I couldn’t pack. As for the jewelry, I sold each piece and deposited the money into an account I planned to send to Alpha Eric’s parents on the day I left. After completing these tasks, I headed to the hospital for a full medical check-up. Keeping myself busy made the loneliness a bit more bearable.

During this time, Alpha Eric didn’t send me a single message or call. Just when I thought our years together would end without even a chance to say "goodbye," I received a message from him:

"Why haven’t you reached out? Don’t you miss me?"

"I’m on a business trip, and I’ll bring you a gift when I get back."

He was indeed on a business trip. But instead of his Beta or Gamma accompanying him, it was Kathryn Silva, a Delta warrior in our pack. I knew because, on the first day they left New York, I got a provocative message from her. I glanced at it briefly before blocking her number.

Seeing that I didn’t respond to his message, Alpha Eric sent several more:

"Are you upset?"

"Savanna, you know I don’t like it when you act this way."

I wanted to block him just like I’d blocked Kathryn. But with only three days left until my departure, it seemed easier to ignore it than to stir up more trouble. So, I replied dismissively:

"No, just busy painting."

His reply came almost instantly:

"Good girl!"

I rolled my eyes and set my phone to silent mode. Then, I packed my suitcase and moved out of the pack mansion where I had spent the past five years.

The next day, Alpha Eric returned and called me. I hesitated momentarily before answering.

"Savanna, did you move out?"

I gave a barely audible "mm-hmm."

After a pause, I added, "After all, it was meant to be your marital home. I thought it best to leave it for your new Luna."

Alpha Eric chuckled to himself: "I’ve told you, the ceremony is just to make a young lady happy. Don’t take it too seriously."

"But Jojo, you’re so understanding, I never want to let you go."

"How about this," he paused before continuing, "after the marking ceremony, I’ll take Kathryn to the registry office to get the marriage certificate."

I stayed silent, gripping the phone as my hand trembled slightly.

"Don’t worry, as soon as we get the certificate, I’ll file for a divorce with her. Once the waiting period is over..."

I cut him off before he could finish: "Alright."

Cheers erupted on the other end. Before Alpha Eric could say anything else, I hung up.

It wasn’t long before he called again: "Why did you hang up? Are you mad?"

"Jojo, it’s all an act. Don’t take it to heart. In a month, I’ll give you the grand marking ceremony you deserve."

I heard his pack members mocking me in the background. I pretended not to notice and spoke softly:

"Alpha Eric Jimenez, are you free the night after tomorrow? I have something I want to discuss with you."

Alpha Eric was taken aback. Before we were together, I used to call him "Eric." After we got together, it was always "darling." This was the first time I addressed him formally by his title and full name. But he quickly regained his composure, his tone cheerful:

"Sure thing."