After shutting down my devices, I finally experienced a rare moment of tranquility. For the first 27 years of my life, I hadn’t stopped moving, never daring to pause. I felt that if I stopped, the world would leave me behind. *Brooklyn, what are you pursuing?* I asked myself. My heart felt empty, with no answers. They say that those who have seen the Northern Lights find their wishes come true.

Upon arriving in Scandinavia, I checked into a charming bed and breakfast. Alpha Kohen and I had been here for business once before. Back then, we were caught in a blizzard and had to rush back to the pack. Many others had the same goal as me, and by chance, we all ended up staying at the same quaint inn. There was a mix of friends, families, and couples. We formed a spontaneous sightseeing group.

The small town had no skyscrapers, only endless snow-capped mountains and fjords surrounding it. The sunset painted the peaks with a fiery glow as a plane flew into the golden horizon, causing flocks of seagulls to circle and sing in the sky. As night fell, clouds gathered, hiding all but a few stars. Yet, someone suggested we go in search of the lights. We rented a car, hired a local "Aurora Hunter," and embarked on our naive quest to find the lights.

The car drove through the misty night until a shimmer appeared on the horizon. "It’s the Northern Lights!" someone cheered. The ethereal glow stretched across the mountains, reaching into our souls. "Aren’t you going to make a wish?" someone asked me. I was silent. Perhaps I once had many desires, like hoping my mother would show more care or dreaming of endless years with Alpha Kohen. But in that moment, I couldn’t find a single wish.

"I wish for my mother’s illness to heal," a young man nearby prayed sincerely. I clasped my hands together and silently wished, "May I stay healthy and my dreams come true."

Around the campfire, travelers held mugs of hot coffee, sharing their stories. Some wished for lifelong love, others prayed for their family’s safety during hard times. I found myself peacefully immersed in the moment. In the past, my mind was always calculating risks and potential returns. Making emotionally driven decisions felt like a luxury to me, because if I fell, no one would help me, and some might even push me further.

Alpha Kohen’s presence allowed me to explore emotions I was afraid of. I often pointed out my flaws to him—my Omega status, my family issues, my inadequacies—hoping he would back off. I didn’t feel like someone worth investing in. But he kept coming closer, affirming everything about me, only to tear it all down in the end, leaving me heartbroken. It was painful yet freeing.

The snow surrounded me, and tears turned to ice in my eyes. I spread my arms wide, dancing with the snow, finding comfort in my own company. *It’s not that big of a deal, Brooklyn.*

When dark clouds loomed, disappointment filled the air. "Such a shame, it’s snowing. Let’s head back." On the way back, disaster struck unexpectedly. The car flipped several times in a blinding snowstorm.

"Avalanche!" Panic, blame, and despair surrounded us. I had often imagined pack outings to amusement parks. I dreamed of wearing a pretty bow, sitting on my father’s shoulders, softening my tough exterior, acting like a true pup, pointing to a plush toy and saying, "Mom, I want that one!" But facing life and death, I realized that the bonds between people are always temporary. Be it family, friendship, or mate bonds. In this moment, what was once resentment turned into mutual encouragement. "We’ll all make it!" someone shouted, and we began to break the windows with all our strength.

Before this trip, we were strangers. Because of this journey, we supported each other. After today, these shared paths would make us fleeting acquaintances. After being rescued, I collapsed onto the ground. In the soft snow, I drew a small sun. A symbol just for Brooklyn. As time passes, my traces might fade. But I was here, truly and unmistakably. *To love someone, I must first love myself. When trapped in difficulty, self-redemption is the only way out. I believe my journey has just begun.*

At Arya Alvarez’s birthday party, the grand hall of the Silverfang Pack’s estate was filled with the city’s elite, their scents mingling in the air—rosemary, vanilla, and the sharp tang of alpha dominance. Miriam Meyer stood beside Arya, her deep blue gown flowing like water, her presence commanding attention as a Beta. Her scent, a mix of lavender and something sharper, wafted through the room, a reminder of her status. Kohen Rice, the Alpha, lingered on the edges of the celebration, his broad shoulders silhouetted against the night sky, his amber eyes distant, as if the festivities were beneath him.

The guests, a mix of alphas, betas, and even a few visiting gammas from neighboring packs, raised their glasses in unison. “Congratulations to Alpha Rice on your engagement to such a remarkable Beta,” they toasted, their voices carrying the weight of deference. The event wasn’t just Arya’s birthday—it was also Kohen’s engagement to Miriam, a union that solidified the Silverfang Pack’s alliances.

Kohen’s wolf, a shadowy presence in the back of his mind, growled faintly, but he silenced it with a swig of whiskey. The guests assumed he was overjoyed, celebrating with drink after drink. But when he stumbled, his hand gripping Miriam’s arm, he called out my name—Brooklyn—instead of hers.

The room froze. Miriam’s face crumpled, her scent spiking with distress. She fled, her heels clicking against the marble floor, leaving Kohen standing there, his expression unreadable. Scarlett, a beta from the Nightshade Pack, forwarded me a video of the incident later that evening, her message laced with pity. “I had no idea you had a history with Alpha Rice,” she said over the phone. “I kept talking about Miriam to you. It must have been really hard on you.”

I shook my head, brushing it off. By now, I knew Kohen never regarded me as his equal. Perhaps he felt some affection for me, but it was merely that—some. He was capable of aligning with Miriam for the sake of pack advantage and equally adept at using any means necessary to compel my compliance with his desires. He had elevated me to this position—once his mate, now an omega—and also possessed the ability to take it all back.

The next morning, my assets were frozen, and a significant portion of my shares in the pack’s ventures vanished overnight. I remembered the text message I received in the dead of night: “Return to me, and all this will be yours again.”

Intimidation and allure, tactics once used in the corporate world, were now wielded against me by the one who had once fought by my side. I chuckled quietly to myself, removed the SIM card from my phone, and threw it in the garbage. With the light behind me, I walked toward my next destination, leaving the Silverfang Pack—and Kohen—far behind.