Casey

I waited at the restaurant in my best dress, holding on to the promise of a romantic night celebrating five years of our bond.

Shia had promised he would come—but one phone call shattered everything.

“Shia’s fighting Chris. He’s losing control. You have to come, Casey.”

Five years ago, I was just a human girl with a mission: twenty million dollars to tame Alpha Shia, the infamous bad boy every wolf feared.

It was supposed to be a deal. Nothing more.

But my heart betrayed me. I fell in love with him.

And that night, as his body lay battered and bleeding, the name he whispered wasn’t mine.

It was Bella. A fragile omega who had suddenly become his whole world.

Still, I carried him to the hospital, signing the consent forms when Bella stepped back in fear.

Once again, I was the one holding everything together.

But no one knew—my heart wasn’t just breaking because of love.

The doctor had just told me I only had a year left to live. Leukemia.

And I kept it to myself. Even from Shia.

I remembered every promise he made—giving up street fights, walking away from drag races, swearing to the Moon Goddess he’d changed, all for me.

I believed him. I believed us.

Until the call came from Alpha Shawn. “The deal is over. You’re free now, Casey.”

That’s when it hit me—Shia didn’t love me anymore, and my mission was finished.

I was free. Free to live the little time I had left.

But freedom wasn’t as simple as I thought.

Not when it came from Alpha Shawn.

**

Shia lay sprawled half-naked on the concrete, his body battered, while Bella clung to him, crying softly.

“Alpha Shia, you don’t have to do this for me. He’s not worth it. It’s my fault—I was the one who broke his car mirror.”

“No,” Shia rasped, lifting his bruised face with effort. “I’ll prove you’re not some cheap omega like that bastard said. You’re mine, Bella. And he needs to stay the hell away from you.”

I rushed toward him, my chest tight, tears burning at the corners of my eyes.

Seeing him like this—bloody, reckless, fighting over another girl—shattered me.

My heart split in two. But I forced myself to hold it together, pretending it didn’t hurt.

A part of me still saw him as a werewolf worth saving. I shoved Bella’s frail frame aside and slid his arm over my shoulder, hauling him up.

“Casey, thank the Goddess you came,” he murmured.

I didn’t know if it was desperation or my humanity talking, but I was there.

“You can drive, right?” I snapped at Bella. “We need to get him to the pack hospital. Crying won’t stop his bleeding.”

Bella drove my car while I pressed down on the wound across Shia’s chest, fighting to keep him alive.

At the hospital, the pack doctor said Shia needed the Moon Flask serum to heal—fast. He couldn’t inject it without someone taking responsibility.

His eyes flicked between us. But Bella stepped back, avoiding his gaze.

So once again, it was me—the one who always carried Shia’s burdens. I grabbed the consent form and signed it without hesitation.

“This stays between us, Doctor. I’ll take full responsibility for Alpha Shia.”

The doctor nodded. He understood. Anyone would.

And in that sterile room, I remembered a different night.

Shia, blood dripping from his temple after crawling out of a wrecked car from a street race gone wrong.

He had grabbed my hand and sworn: “Return my feelings, and I’ll leave this life behind. For you. For us.”

I was moved. He swore it would be his last illegal race.

Slowly, he did change.

When I stood by him at the California police station after Chris planted cocaine in his car, Shia swore by the Moon Goddess that he hadn’t touched drugs again.

His urine test came back negative. My heart believed him.

Maybe Alpha Shia really had changed—because of me.

That first year of our bond nearly broke me.

I almost gave up, because pulling someone out of the darkness isn’t easy. But somehow, we made it through.

Even Alpha Shawn, his older brother and heir of the Fall Fang Pack, had acknowledged it. He paid me half of our deal.

“I can see his progress, Casey. Well done.”

But now, everything was crashing down again—with one ring of my phone.

“You don’t need to take responsibility for Shia anymore, Casey,” Shawn’s voice said calmly. “The contract ended three hours ago. Exactly five years.”

“Then… does that mean I’ll get my full payment, Alpha?” I asked quietly.

“Yes. Come to my office the day after tomorrow.”

This was the moment I had never wanted to face. But I had no choice.

My heart had already fallen too deep, and yet I had to end it.

It felt heavy. Painful. But crystal clear.

I almost lost. And the deal was over.

Casey

Walking into the world of werewolves as a human wasn’t just intimidating—it was suffocating.

Their hierarchy was absolute, carved into their very bones.

Two Alphas ruled the Fall Fang Pack, one of the most powerful packs in California.

Together, they controlled a billion-dollar automotive empire, the kind of wealth and luxury that made ordinary humans green with envy.

And somehow, I—a plain, broke, scholarship girl with zero connections—ended up right in the middle of their glittering, dangerous world.

Bound by a deal I never should have accepted.

And worst of all… I fell in love with my target.

That wasn’t part of the plan. It was never supposed to be.

I wasn’t born with silver spoons or gilded opportunities. My life was simple—messy, underfunded, and painfully average.

I survived on scholarships, buried myself in textbooks, and majored in chemistry because it felt safe.

Predictable. Science made sense. Unlike people.

I was the quiet type, the kind of girl who blended into the background. That is—until the day I met Alpha Shawn.

It was at a seminar on hydrogen-powered cars, a project his company was spearheading.

I had raised my hand, heart hammering, and asked a series of questions.

Questions no one else dared to.

Shawn’s golden eyes had narrowed on me, sharp and calculating.

And just like that, I was seen.

A week later, his assistant called. Then came the meeting.

A contract laid neatly on the table. A photo of Shia, his younger brother, slid across to me.

“Twenty million dollars,” Shawn said in his clipped, icy tone. “All you have to do is be his girlfriend for five years. Keep him in line. Reform him.”

My brain should have screamed insanity.

Instead, the realist in me calculated tuition costs, living expenses, career opportunities.

Twenty million could buy me a future.

“I like your personality, Miss Stone,” Shawn added. His gaze was steady, unflinching. “And I believe you’re a good match for my brother. But there’s something you need to understand—and accept. We are not ordinary men. We are werewolves.”

For one moment, my logical brain froze. Werewolves? Real ones?

Every cell in my body wanted to laugh it off. But deep down, my scientific curiosity whispered: anomalies exist.

Evolution has loopholes. Maybe this was just another one.

So, I signed. And that’s where my story began.

I blew up on social media the moment I became Shia’s girlfriend.

Most of his followers adored us together liking our photos, flooding the comments with love.

They’re the perfect couple.

If they ever get married, it’s going to last forever.

Their kids would be drop-dead gorgeous with parents like that.

Every time there was a big event on campus, Shia was right there by my side, drawing stares and envy from people who saw us as the ultimate couple goals.

“I’m in love with you, Casey,” he once told me, his voice steady, his eyes burning with promise. “You’ve changed my life for the better, and from this day on, I’ll stay by your side—even if the world falls apart.”

I answered him with nothing more than a strained smile. Because our relationship was built on a lie.

And now, five years later, that lie is a weight I can’t escape.

Shia lay resting in his room, recovering from the brutal fight with Chris.

His body was covered in bruises, every line of him both powerful and heartbreakingly fragile.

I stepped inside quietly—only to freeze in place.

Bella was there.

The fragile omega sat by his side, gently dabbing a cloth over his forehead, whispering softly as if they were in their own private bubble.

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.

They startled when they noticed me. Awkwardness thickened the air.

Shia, ever the smooth liar, sat up slightly.

“Casey,” he said quickly. “Bella’s just helping out. So, you don’t have to stress over me too much.”

Bella smiled faintly, her voice small but cutting. “He still loves you, Casey. I’m only here as an omega. Helping him heal. Nothing more.”

I wanted to believe them. I really did.

But my chest tightened with a cold, familiar ache.

“Right,” I said flatly, forcing a smile. “I suppose it makes sense. Guys usually go for someone younger, fresher. Why stick with me when she’s right here?”

Shia flinched. “Don’t. Don’t say that. I love you, Casey. Only you.” His voice sharpened, almost pleading.

But my eyes betrayed him. In the reflection of the mirror across the room, I saw it—his hand gripping Bella’s fingers just a little too tightly. My stomach turned.

“I should go,” I muttered, backing away before the bile in my throat could choke me.

I managed a polite smile, but inside, I was breaking. Again.

By the time I stepped out of the apartment he’d gifted me, my decision was final.

I couldn’t stay. Not another day.

**

The next morning, I stood in the pristine office of Alpha Shawn. His presence filled the room—cold, commanding, unnerving.

His sharp features and broad shoulders carried the kind of weight that made people fall silent without him saying a word.

He was every inch the Alpha—powerful, untouchable.

But with me… there was something else.

His hands twitched slightly when he poured me water.

His eyes flickered toward me, then away, like he wasn’t sure how long was too long to stare.

"My assistant will take care of the remaining payment in three days," he said quickly. But his voice carried a tension I had never heard before.

"Thank you," I replied, calm, professional.

Shawn cleared his throat, his body seeming awkward. "Did you gain anything from this agreement… like feelings?"

I fell silent for a few seconds before finally answering firmly, "No. Everything is exactly as written in the contract, Alpha Shawn."

Shawn's eyes searched deep into me. I swallowed hard, making sure the pain I felt wouldn’t be visible to him.

"I see. Allow me… to take you home. As a token of gratitude. For agreeing to work with me."

I studied him. The man who had orchestrated my entire downfall yet somehow looked almost boyish in his hesitation.

It was strange. The most intimidating Alpha in California—nervous around me.

On the drive, silence hung heavy until he finally asked, “What will you do now, Casey? Now that the contract is over.”

I exhaled slowly; my gaze fixed on the city lights blurring past the window. “I’m moving out of the apartment. And I’ll save enough to pursue my master’s at UCLA. That was always the plan.”

“UCLA,” Shawn repeated softly, like the name meant more than it should.

“Yes. I live for me.”

I was ready to let go. Ready to move on.

And as Shawn glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, something unspoken lingered in the air between us.

Casey

I was packing up my things when Shia’s message came in. I ignored it until the last box was taped shut.

Bella’s birthday is tomorrow. Come with me. I already sent you a dress.

I sighed. What was the point of me standing beside him anymore? That question gnawed at what little feeling I still had left.

I have a meeting with my professor. Sorry, go with your friends instead.

The moment I hit send, his call lit up my phone.

I didn’t answer. Silent mode was my escape.

By the time I stepped out that evening, my savings were enough for a smaller apartment closer to campus.

That was my plan—to shrink my world, piece by piece, until Shia was no longer in it.

But the next morning, he was there.

Leaning against his sport car, arms crossed, dark glasses hiding the storm in his eyes. A bad boy through and through.

I tried to turn away, but his hand caught mine.

“Who told you to move out of our apartment?” His voice was low, hard.

“I don’t—”

“Get in the car. We’re talking inside.”

Like always, I obeyed.

Five years of our bond had trained me too well. No public fights. No cracks in the contract.

“Answer me.”

“I don’t love you anymore, Shia. Let’s end this. You’ve already gone back to who you were.”

His jaw tightened. “Is this about Bella? Don’t twist it, Casey. I saved one of my omegas—she was being harassed. That’s my duty as Alpha.”

“It didn’t look like just that.” I turned to the window, voice flat. “I can tell the difference, Shia.”

“Don’t blow this out of proportion. You want money? Bags? Shoes? Jewelry? I’ll buy it all. Just come back home.”

“No.”

I opened the door and stepped out. His shout followed me.

“I don’t care. You’ll come with me tonight, Casey.”

And he made good on his threat.

By evening, his wolves dragged me back.

Shia was waiting, arrogant and reckless, the same man I had met five years ago.

“You look pale.”

“I’m tired, Shia.”

He ignored me, ordered an omega to dress me up, and soon I was molded into the sweet, pretty doll he wanted by his side.

At Bella’s party, she sparkled brighter than anyone. A Cinderella reborn, basking in Shia’s attention.

“Alpha Shia, thank you for this. The party, the dress, the jewelry… I love it.”

And then, right in front of me, she hugged him.

My chest tightened. They weren’t even hiding it anymore. I slipped away, grabbed a glass of champagne.

For a moment, I swore someone was watching me, but when I turned—no one. I was invisible.

The alcohol sent me to the restroom, but when I came back, my world shattered.

Shia was kissing Bella.

The glass slipped from my hand, shattering against marble.

All eyes turned, but I was already running heels echoing, gown dragging, heart in pieces.

“Casey!” Shia’s voice chased me, but I didn’t look back.

The night air was sharp against my skin. I bolted into the street, blinded by tears—then headlights, a horn, the violent crack of impact.

The world went dark.

**

I woke to harsh white light, body aching, an IV in my arm. Voices drifted in from the hall.

“Poor girl… hit and run, just left there.”

“Yeah, but I saw Shia Renouf carrying another girl in. Said she twisted her ankle while dancing. He looked so worried. Must be trouble between them.”

My heart froze. So, Shia carried Bella like a hero while I bled alone?

I pulled the IV out, dressed, and staggered toward the corridor.

And there he was—pushing Bella in a wheelchair.

“Casey…” His face flickered.

Bella spoke first, soft and sweet, all fake innocence. “Don’t misunderstand. After you left, Alpha Shia was devastated. I only wanted to comfort him. But I was clumsy, hurt my ankle, and he couldn’t leave me alone…”

Her eyes glistened like she was the victim.

Shia added, firm but colder than I remembered, “I told my warriors to bring you here. But I couldn’t abandon Bella.”

I looked at them both. Bella lowered her gaze, pretending to blush.

Shia stood tall, convinced of his own righteousness.

Something inside me went numb. Like glass sealing off my heart.

“I understand,” I said flatly.

No fight left. No reason left.

Back in my room, a doctor came in holding a file. His eyes were heavy.

“Miss Stone… I’m sorry. The tests confirm it. You have leukemia. And from the stage it’s at… you may not have more than a year.”

The word leukemia hollowed me out. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.

One year—that was all the time stamped across my life.

The doctor kept talking, but his voice faded into static.

My fingers tightened around the paper, trembling, as if I could crush the truth out of existence.

I wasn’t just Casey anymore. I was a countdown. A girl with an expiration date.

The weight of it pressed down on me until even my tears refused to fall.

I walked out of the hospital into the night, my body moving though my mind was ash.

At my apartment, my phone buzzed. A message from Bella.

Casey, I’m sorry. But I think I’ve won Alpha Shia’s heart. He needs someone who truly understands him.

I stared at the screen. My fingers typed without hesitation.

Congratulations, Bella. You can have him. Our relationship ended yesterday. You two are perfect for each other.

I hit send without hesitation. No more tears or pain.

Only the bitter truth of finally letting go.