Lily and I met during a pack run organized by the hiking club. At the time, I was the newly appointed Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, and my days were consumed by responsibilities—securing our borders, mediating disputes, and ensuring the safety of my wolves. The weekends, though, were my escape, a chance to breathe, to feel the wind against my skin as I ran through the forests in my human form.

Lily joined the club in my second year of leading the pack. At first, she was just another face in the crowd, a quiet presence among the wolves who gathered to run the trails. But she had a steadiness about her, a calm that drew me in. We often found ourselves at the front of the pack, the first to reach the summit, and over time, we grew closer.

She was a Gamma from a neighboring pack, a position that demanded discipline and loyalty. I admired that about her. I worked tirelessly to maintain the strength and unity of the Silver Moon Pack, while Lily balanced her duties with a quiet determination that I found grounding.

When we reached our hundredth peak together, I knew it was time to make my feelings clear. I wasn’t one for grand gestures or poetic declarations—those were for Lycan princes and their elaborate courtships. My confession was simple, straightforward: "Lily, let’s start dating."

She agreed. Her father had been a Beta, known for his charm and flair, but his pursuit of power had left scars on their family. Lily valued reliability above all else, and I prided myself on being someone she could trust. I was never late for a date. My gifts were predictable but always thoughtful. If it rained, I wouldn’t offer to pick her up without prompting, but as soon as she called, I was there without hesitation.

In our third year of dating, we marked each other as mates. The ceremony was private, just the two of us and the Moon Goddess as witness. I remember the words we spoke, the vows that bound us together: "I, Keanu, Alpha of the Silver Moon Pack, mark you, Lily, as my mate, my Luna, my partner in all things." Her voice had been steady, her eyes filled with a quiet resolve as she repeated the vow back to me.

Life before and after the marking was much the same. We settled into a rhythm, a calm that felt like home. I cooked, she did the dishes. She shopped for groceries, and I’d come home early to start the bread maker. It was a life of quiet contentment, and I believed it would last forever.

Until that day, three years ago, at the marking ceremony of my old college friend. During the celebration, Trey, my younger brother and a Delta in the pack, got drunk. He grabbed my hand, tears streaming down his face.

"Keanu, seeing you live like this, it pains me," he slurred. "I’m about to mark my mate, embracing the joy of it, yet seeing you in this state, it just upsets me."

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. "If Cassidy hadn’t gone overseas as a war correspondent back then, you wouldn’t have shut yourself off, become so distant."

I glanced at Lily, who stood nearby, her expression unreadable. "Don’t pay him any mind; he’s just drunk," I assured her.

She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Once we were home, she spoke, her voice calm but firm. "Keanu, I may have many shortcomings, but one strength is my ability to sever emotional ties quickly."

I stood in the shadow of the room, my wolf stirring uneasily in the back of my mind. I couldn’t see her expression clearly, but I felt the weight of her words. After that, Cassidy vanished completely from our lives—mine and Lily’s. Until now.

I hadn’t been answering any calls for a while. I had just finished nursing Rylie at the maternity center when Irene burst in, her scent heavy with anxiety.

“Luna, why haven’t you been picking up your phone? Alpha Miles is nearly frantic at the embassy,” she blurted out, her voice trembling with urgency. “You need to come with me right now. We have to get Alpha Keanu’s documents and head to the embassy!”

I calmly recited, “666313.”

Irene paused, her brow furrowing in confusion. Gently, I adjusted the blanket over Rylie and explained, “I’m not able to leave; that’s the password to our den. You can get whatever documents you need from there.”

Her hands trembled slightly, the faint scent of fear wafting from her. “Luna, how can you be so cold-hearted? Alpha Keanu is in a warzone, and we have no idea if he’s alive or dead.” She continued, her voice rising, “Haven’t you seen his distress signal? He said he’d been shot in the leg and is hiding out at a stranger’s place, under fire.”

Irene’s entire body shook as she spoke, but I remained composed, my Luna instincts keeping me steady. “I’m aware of Alpha Keanu’s situation. Even before he sent the pack-wide message, he mind-linked me several times asking for help, but I chose not to respond.”

She staggered back, her scent souring with shock. Watching her, I felt a twinge of guilt. During the seven years I was mated to Keanu, she had been like a mother to me, filling the void left by my own mother’s absence. But Keanu had shattered all of that.

Quietly, I handed her a recording of my conversation with Keanu from that night. “Mom, please don’t blame me for being heartless. This was Alpha Keanu’s choice.”

Her fingers shook as she took the recording. After watching it, she collapsed onto the floor, her lips moving silently before she finally found her voice.

“Listen to me, Luna. There’s nothing between Alpha Keanu and Gamma Cassidy.”

Despite the pain from the C-section, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. I got out of bed to help her up, much like how I had handed Keanu my credit card and passport as he left, ignoring my condition.

“I know he and Gamma Cassidy aren’t physically involved. But Alpha Keanu abandoned his pack and family to chase after her in a warzone, showing how little he values our family,” I said, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest. “He’d rather risk Rylie growing up without a father and leave me a widow than stay with us. He must face the consequences.”

Irene’s face turned pale at my cold words, her mouth opening and closing, unable to form a response. Perhaps even she couldn’t find a reason that would convince me. Eventually, she gave up trying to persuade me, trembling as she stood. “Take care of yourself, Luna. I’m leaving now,” she said, looking aged and defeated as she hurried out.

I felt a deep pang of guilt watching her go but still called out just before she left. “Mom, when can you and Alpha Miles move out of my apartment this week?”

She turned back, unable to hide her reaction. “Can’t you just give it a little more time?”

I shook my head, my Luna instincts overriding any lingering softness. “Alpha Keanu didn’t make sure I was safe in the hospital before flying overseas, did he? I just want to settle our mating assets before he returns.”