After the mating pact between Adriana and Nathanie was formally announced to the pack, whispers began to reach her ears.

It wasn’t long before she learned the truth—long before she bore his Luna mark, Nathanie had already given his heart to another she-wolf.

Olivia.

They had grown up in the same territory, trained together as pups, bled together during their first shifts. The pack often spoke of them as if their bond had been inevitable.

Nathanie never denied their history. What he denied was its meaning.

Yet his actions said otherwise.

He personally oversaw Olivia’s recovery during her unstable transformations. He made sure she was given the warmest chamber in the Alpha residence. When her wolf grew restless at night, he was the one who answered her calls.

Eventually, he brought her into the Alpha manor itself.

Adriana watched it all unfold without causing a scene.

She no longer argued during council gatherings when Olivia sat too close. She stopped asking why her mate always rushed away at the faintest hint of Olivia’s distress. She quit fighting for space in a place that should have been hers by right.

Instead, she began preparing her departure.

Quietly, without informing Nathanie, she sent an application to the Northern Territories’ Healing Corps—a role assigned to wolves who traveled beyond their homeland to treat injured packs in conflict zones.

It was dangerous work. Far from the safety of their borders.

But distance was exactly what she needed.

When the Alpha Council’s seal arrived approving her transfer, she felt neither relief nor triumph—only a steady calm.

She would leave this territory.

Leave the manor.

Leave him.

And when the time came, she would not look back.

---

She stood before Elder Rowan, the head of the Healing Council, her spine straight despite the weight in her chest.

“Elder, I am requesting deployment beyond the Western Sea. I wish to join the Border Relief Pack as a field healer.”

The elder’s brows lifted in surprise.

“With your standing and skill, Adriana, you would thrive here. Your mating ceremony is set for the next moon cycle. Leaving now will cause talk.”

Adriana understood what he truly meant. An engaged Luna abandoning her territory was more than gossip—it was scandal.

But her wolf was tired.

“I’ve thought it through,” she replied evenly, placing the blood-marked parchment on his desk. “The position has remained vacant for half a year. I’m qualified, and I’m willing. I’ve also been told returning healers are considered for High Healer rank.”

Elder Rowan’s gaze lingered on the contract.

Promotion was possible, yes.

If she survived.

The Border Relief Pack often operated near rogue-infested lands and war-torn territories. Not every healer who left came back whole.

The elder sighed.

“You don’t need to push yourself this way. As Alpha Nathanie’s mate, your future here is secure.”

There it was—the unspoken truth.

Her identity had always been tied to him.

Nathanie, the youngest Alpha in decades. The wolf who had led countless victorious battles. The pack’s pride.

And her… the healer he brought home.

Years ago, she had been nothing more than a lone wolf tending to injuries in a remote settlement near the mountains. One brutal winter night, she had found Nathanie half-dead after an ambush by rogues. She treated him, guarded him through the fever, refused to let his wolf fade.

When the Council later invited him to claim leadership of this territory, he agreed on one condition:

“The healer comes with me.”

That was how she entered this pack.

Not through heritage.

Not through rank.

Through him.

She had worked relentlessly since then, proving she deserved her place—not as Nathanie’s chosen mate, but as a capable wolf in her own right.

Still, no matter how many lives she saved, she remained “the Alpha’s fiancée.”

“Have you spoken to Nathanie about this?” Elder Rowan asked.

The question snapped her back.

Her jaw tightened, but her voice stayed steady.

“I’ll inform Alpha Nathanie myself.”

She clasped her hands to stop them from trembling. She could already picture his reaction—the hard set of his shoulders, the flash of dominance in his eyes, the command in his voice when he told her she wasn’t leaving.

For the first time, she wondered if he would even try to stop her.

And when the full moon finally rose weeks later, Adriana left the Alpha manor without ceremony.

All Nathanie received was a dissolved mating bond filed with the Council—and a single sentence written in her hand:

“Nathanie, my wolf no longer chooses you.”

Elder Rowan studied her for a long moment after she promised to handle Nathanie herself. At last, his stern expression eased.

“Very well,” he said, folding his hands atop the desk carved from ancient oak. “If Alpha Nathanie raises no objection, the Healing Council will not stand in your way.”

Adriana inclined her head. “Thank you, Elder. I’ll speak to him. He’ll consent.”

She gathered the blood-sealed parchment and stepped out of the council chamber with measured composure.

The moment the heavy doors shut behind her, that composure cracked.

Her confidence had been easy to display in front of the elder. Convincing Nathanie would not be so simple. The full-moon ceremony that would formally bind them as Alpha and Luna was barely a month away. The pack had already begun preparations.

There had been a time when she had counted the days in anticipation.

Now she counted them like a prisoner marking a cell wall.

Just days ago, when she tried to discuss the ceremony, Nathanie had waved the subject aside.

“The territory is overwhelmed with rogue attacks and border disputes,” he had said flatly. “We don’t need a grand mating ritual. We’ll mark the bond quietly before the elders and be done with it. There’s no need for spectacle.”

She had swallowed her disappointment then, telling herself he was simply burdened by responsibility.

Until that same night.

Standing on the balcony outside their chamber, she had paused when she heard his voice drifting from the shadows below.

“Don’t worry, Olivia,” he murmured softly. “There won’t be any ceremony. If I choose not to hold one, no one can compel me.”

The tenderness in his tone had pierced deeper than any blade.

In that instant, she understood.

It wasn’t the pack’s unrest that made him refuse a public bond.

It was Olivia.

The realization left her strangely empty, as though something vital inside her had already been severed.

Their engagement—if it could even be called that—felt like a hollow promise.

Leaving the territory suddenly seemed less like escape and more like mercy.

But would he allow it?

Her thoughts tangled as she crossed the stone courtyard. Distracted, she failed to notice the solid figure stepping into her path.

She collided with a broad chest and stumbled.

A sharp cry escaped her as her ankle twisted painfully. She would have fallen if not for a strong arm circling her waist, pulling her upright.

“What’s going on with you?” Nathanie’s deep voice cut through her haze. “I called your name three times. You didn’t even react.”

Even after years at his side, being held so close still unsettled her. Heat crept into her cheeks as she met his steady gaze. There was no sign on his face that he knew she had just secured approval to leave him behind.

“I was thinking about the infirmary,” she said lightly. “There’s been a lot to handle.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, as if weighing her answer, but he let it pass. Instead, he crouched in front of her, lifting the hem of her trousers to examine her swollen ankle.

His fingers pressed carefully along the joint.

She hissed at the sting.

Without hesitation, he slid one arm beneath her knees and the other behind her back, lifting her as though she weighed nothing.

“It’s not minor,” he said. “You’ve strained it badly. You shouldn’t be walking for a few days.”

The courtyard guards glanced their way, and Adriana stiffened.

“Put me down,” she whispered urgently. “People are watching.”

He ignored her protest entirely and smacked her lightly on the hip when she tried to wriggle free. “Stop struggling. You’re injured.”

Despite everything, her wolf reacted to his touch—an instinct she despised.

He had only taken a few strides toward the infirmary when his communication crystal vibrated in his pocket.

He paused, shifting her weight slightly as he answered.

A bright, sugary voice floated from the device.

“Nathanie? Are you at the manor? I think I’m coming down with something. Could you check on me? I feel terrible.”

Olivia.

Adriana didn’t need to see the name etched on the crystal to know.

She watched his expression soften almost immediately, the stern Alpha replaced by something gentler.

A small smile curved his lips.

Adriana lowered her gaze and began counting silently in her head.

One.

Two.

Three.

Before she reached ten, he stopped walking.

Carefully, almost reluctantly, he set her back on her feet.

“There’s an urgent matter,” he said, avoiding her eyes as he steadied her briefly. “Someone at the manor needs me.”

Of course they did.

She forced a faint nod.

“I understand,” she replied evenly.

He hesitated for half a heartbeat, then turned and strode away, already issuing quiet instructions through the crystal.

Adriana remained standing in the courtyard, her ankle throbbing, watching his retreating figure.

The decision she had made in the council chamber no longer felt uncertain.

If she left this territory, there would be nothing here holding her back.

Nathanie had already taken several strides away when he slowed.

For a second, it seemed like he might come back.

Instead, he half-turned, his expression distant. “You’re a healer, Adriana. It’s not that bad. You can treat it yourself, can’t you?”

Not that bad?

Only moments ago, he had insisted it was serious.

Or maybe seriousness depended on who was hurt.

A quiet laugh almost escaped her. In his world, some wolves bled gold. Others barely registered.

The memory that surfaced next made her throat tighten.

Years ago, during one lazy summer evening in the Alpha manor, she had sliced her finger while cutting fruit in the kitchen. It hadn’t even broken skin properly—just a thin red line across her nail.

Nathanie had reacted as if she’d been gravely wounded.

He had lifted her onto the couch, scolded her for being careless, and insisted on cleaning and wrapping the tiny cut himself. He had hovered for the rest of the night, refusing to let her move.

Back then, she had believed that kind of care meant forever.

Now, standing with a swelling ankle and watching him hesitate over whether she was worth the inconvenience, she felt something inside her quietly fracture.

Her eyes stung. She turned her face away before he could see.

As she shifted her weight, her gaze fell on the edge of his coat—one button missing.

The sight dragged her back to another night.

Just a week ago, the Healing Division had hosted a gathering in a neighboring territory. She had drunk more berry wine than she intended. By the time it ended, the roads were nearly empty, and the transport wolves had long since retired for the night.

After waiting in the cold for what felt like hours, she finally used her communication stone.

“Nathanie,” she had said, her words slightly blurred. “I can’t find a ride. Could you come get me?”

On the other end, she could hear him running—his breathing steady, controlled.

Olivia’s laughter drifted faintly in the background.

“I’m out with Olivia,” he had replied briskly. “It’s late, and I can’t let her return alone. Wait a couple of hours. I’ll escort her back first. If you can’t wait, take whatever transport you find and tell me the cost.”

He hadn’t even paused to consider that she had already said there was no transport available.

Olivia’s safety had been immediate.

Adriana’s had been optional.

In the end, she walked.

Twenty kilometers through dim forest paths, her heels blistered and her wolf exhausted.

Headlights eventually cut through the darkness behind her—an expensive black Audi A8 gliding to a halt.

Nathanie stepped out, furious.

“Are you trying to be dramatic?” he snapped. “I circled the spot you mentioned three times. You weren’t there.”

“I waited—I couldn’t—” she began.

He didn’t let her finish. He grabbed her wrist, pulled her into the car, and slammed the door shut hard enough that something metallic scattered across the floor.

Later, she realized one of the buttons from his coat had broken off during his outburst.

From that night onward, she stopped telling herself stories.

She knew where she stood.

Forcing her thoughts back to the present, she looked at him calmly.

“I’m part of the Healing Corps too,” she said gently. “I’ll manage. You should go. Don’t keep… whoever it is… waiting.”

Whatever faint flicker of hesitation he might have had disappeared at her easy tone.

He stepped forward, brushing a quick kiss against her forehead. “Alright. Rest. I’ll come by later.”

The gesture felt routine—automatic.

She nodded just as lightly.

Without another glance, he turned and strode down the corridor toward the manor exit.

Only after he vanished from sight did she lift her head fully. Her fingers moved instinctively to the corners of her eyes, wiping away the dampness before anyone could notice.

She tried to count how many times he had left her mid-conversation for Olivia.

She gave up halfway through.

And Olivia’s sweet, breathy voice earlier? Any trained healer could tell it carried no trace of illness. There had been no weakness in her tone.

Yet Nathanie always responded as though summoned by instinct.

Adriana adjusted her balance and made her way back toward the infirmary wing, her limp pronounced now that the adrenaline had faded.

A few pack members lounging near the entrance spotted her and grinned.

“Well, Luna-to-be,” one of them called teasingly, “you and the Alpha need to save that energy for the full moon. Don’t overdo it during daylight hours.”

Another chimed in, laughter in his voice. “Careful, Adriana. If our Alpha gets exhausted and can’t lead the next border patrol, the elders might hold you responsible.”

She managed a tight smile and raised both hands in mock surrender.

“It’s nothing like that,” she said, lifting her trouser leg slightly to reveal the swelling around her ankle. “I wasn’t watching where I was going and paid for it.”

They chuckled sympathetically, their assumptions unchanged.

Adriana lowered the fabric again and stepped inside her office.

The door closed softly behind her.

In the quiet, she allowed herself one long breath.

Very soon, she told herself, none of this would matter anymore.