Upon hearing my words, Asher’s face darkened, his amber eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. “Astrid, what right do you have to speak to me like this?” he growled. “Don’t forget, this quarter is mine. I’ve provided for you, kept you safe, and supported you. You owe me everything.”
I wanted to retort, to remind him that in the nine years we had been together, I had been the one to keep the pack running—tending the injured, managing supplies, and handling every burden he deemed beneath him. Even after stepping away from my duties at his insistence, I had relied on my own resourcefulness, not him.
But before I could respond, the hearth’s fire crackled, signaling the end of the bread baking in the clay oven. I sighed, too weary to argue with him, and donned my gloves to retrieve the loaf.
Asher’s gaze softened slightly as his nose twitched, catching the aroma of the bread. His tone shifted, a rare gentleness creeping in. “Is today… your naming-day?”
I hesitated. Today was not only my 28th naming-day but also the ninth anniversary of my bond with Asher. I had spent the day gathering herbs and grinding grains to bake the bread by hand, hoping to celebrate together.
Perhaps guilt flickered in his expression because he reached for the silver goblet on the table and began filling it with honeyed mead. “I’ve been under a lot of pressure lately, Astrid,” he said. “But I haven’t forgotten. How about this: tomorrow, I’ll take you to the market to pick out a new pendant for your chain? Something fitting for a luna.”
He sat across from me, his usual composure restored, and added, “You don’t need to be jealous of Lila. Yes, we had something once, but that was long before you. I’m with you now.”
His words triggered a painful memory. Nine years ago, when Asher and I were newly bonded, I had overheard him speaking with a fellow wolf about me.
“Why her?” his friend had asked.
Asher had laughed, his voice void of affection. “Why not? Anyone is better than Lila Thorn. I just need someone loyal, someone who won’t challenge me.”
At the time, I was too naive, too blinded by the pride of being chosen, to recognize the insult. I had thought I could earn his love through devotion.
Now, I knew better.
I met his gaze coldly. “There’s no need for gifts, Asher. I can manage without them.”
He blinked, momentarily thrown off. Over the years, he had grown used to my silence and compliance. My refusal must have seemed like a temporary rebellion.
With a smirk, he stood and began lighting candles for the bread. “Make your wish, Astrid. It’s your naming-day, after all.”
For eight years, my wish had always been the same: to find happiness and love with Asher, for our bond to strengthen.
This time, my wish was different.
I wish for freedom from Asher Eldridge and the courage to reclaim my life.
I opened my eyes, ready to extinguish the candles. But before I could, Asher had already disappeared, leaving the flames flickering alone.
The bread I had spent hours kneading and baking lay in crumbles on the floor, knocked over in his hurry. The quarter’s door hung open, the chill wind sweeping through.
Cleaning up the mess, I checked my scrying mirror, the pack’s version of a group communication tool. A new update from Lila Thorn appeared:
“I’m so clumsy! I tripped again today, but my Alpha was there to catch me before I fell. What would I do without him?”
In the comments, Asher had written: “You’ll never need to find out. I’ll always be there for you.”
The very Cain who hadn’t even glanced my way when I had sprained my ankle during a hunt.
Moments later, a message from Cain appeared:
“Lila injured her paw. I’m taking her to the healer. Go clean up her den, and bring a fresh herbal poultice to the healer. Don’t forget to include the wolfmint she likes.”
Suddenly, everything clicked. Asher’s inexplicable dislike of wolfmint in my cooking, his constant critiques—none of it had been about him. It had always been about Lila.
I considered ignoring his command but found myself heading toward Lila’s den out of old habit.
Asher was cradling Lila in his arms, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he spoke to her. When he saw me, his face immediately hardened.
“Why are you so late?” he snapped. “If Lila’s recovery is delayed, it’ll be on you.”
Lila tugged gently at his sleeve, her eyes wide with feigned concern. “Asher, don’t blame Astrid. I know she doesn’t like me, but I understand. She’s just… insecure.”
“Insecure?” Asher repeated, glaring at me. “No, Lila. She’s jealous and insubordinate. I can’t lead a pack with a luna who can’t even manage her duties.”
He turned back to me, his voice low and full of warning. “Clean this place up properly, Astrid. And remember, if you can’t handle this, you’ll never be worthy of standing beside me.”
With that, he carried Lila toward the healer’s hut, leaving me behind.
The den was in shambles. The floor was wet, the bedding unmade, and a faint, cloying scent hung in the air.
When I found two used mating cloths discarded near the fireplace, nausea churned in my stomach.
This was where Asher had been spending his late nights under the guise of pack business.
I looked around at the luxury items that adorned Lila’s den: fine tapestries, imported crystals, and rare perfumes.
Just days ago, I had asked Asher for a
simple trinket to mark my naming-day.
“Why bother?” he had sneered. “You’re 28, Astrid. Celebrating at your age is pathetic. No amount of gifts will turn back the clock.”
I took a deep breath, my resolve hardening. Slowly, I began taking pictures of everything in the den—the damning evidence of Asher’s betrayal.
Back at the lodge, I packed my belongings. Everything I owned fit into one satchel, a stark contrast to the life I had built around Asher.
As I finished, I called my old friend Dana Kings, who had left the pack years ago to start anew.
“Dana,” I said, my voice trembling. “You were right. I should never have stayed with Asher. I’m done. I want to come find you.”
Dana didn’t sugarcoat her response. “You’re a fool, Astrid. But even fools deserve a second chance. Come quickly.”
Before hanging up, she sent me a travel pass for the next caravan. It departed in three days.
As tears spilled down my cheeks, I smiled for the first time in years. For the wolf I had been, for the nine years I had lost—and for the freedom I was about to reclaim.
“Everything is ruined. And there’s nothing left for me to ruin.”
Before I could brace myself, her paw struck my face with a force that made my ears ring. The sting burned as the world around me blurred.
“You ungrateful whelp!” she hissed, her voice rising for the entire village to hear.
Her rage wasn’t just verbal. She lunged at me, claws tearing at my fur as she berated me. “Asher told me everything. Do you think wolves like him are plentiful? He’s an Alpha heir! You’ve been blessed beyond measure, and this is how you repay it? Jealousy? Laziness? You’re a disgrace!”
A wooden staff leaned against the den’s wall, and she seized it with fury. The strikes came fast, relentless, and unyielding. Each one carried the weight of her resentment and disappointment.
"You're worthless without him," she spat. "You'll come crawling back, begging for his forgiveness. Do whatever it takes-grovel, lie, bear his heir-but don't you dare return here without securing that bond!"
A gust of cold wind howled through the trees, bringing with it the first drops of rain. Lightning cracked across the sky as a torrential downpour began. My mother stopped her assault, panting, but her words didn’t cease.
“Get out of my sight! You don’t deserve this family, this den, or the life we gave you!”
She blocked the entrance to the den, tossing my old belongings out into the mud one by one.
“Even if you die,” she screamed, “you’d better die in his lodge!”
A tarnished trophy from my puphood hit my forehead, splitting the skin. Blood mingled with the rain, trickling down my face.
I crouched in the mud, gathering my scattered possessions—old trinkets and memories I had long abandoned. As I clutched the broken pieces of my past, a sleek black carriage rolled to a stop beside me.
Asher stepped out, holding a wide umbrella over his head. His presence alone made the rain seem heavier. Without a word, he grabbed my arm, pulling me upright with a roughness that sent a jolt of pain through my shoulder.
“Astrid,” he snarled, his tone dripping with condescension. “Are you done being difficult?”
His grip on my arm tightened, his claws just shy of breaking the skin. “No one else will tolerate you, let alone love you. I’m the only one who’s ever cared. Stop this foolishness and come back where you belong.”
He pulled his cloak from his shoulders and draped it over me. The scent of Lila clung to the fabric, a cruel reminder of everything I had endured.
I turned my gaze to the rain-blurred trees beyond the village, my mind retreating into numbness.
Once, I had believed Asher to be my salvation, a mate to whom I could bare my soul. I had trusted him with my pain, my vulnerabilities, and my heart. But he had used every piece of me as a tool for his own gain.
Asher had never been my refuge. He was a storm I needed to escape.
As the carriage rolled down the muddy path, Cain’s phone buzzed to life.
“Asher, where are you?” came Lila’s honeyed voice. “The gathering is in full swing, and everyone’s asking about you. They’re teasing me, saying the Alpha-to-be is missing while his luna is here alone. How am I supposed to answer them?”
Asher glanced at me, hesitation flickering in his eyes. He seemed torn, weighing his options. After a moment, he cleared his throat and said, “Astrid, you’ll join me at the pack’s retreat.”
I blinked, surprised. Asher had always barred me from his affairs. Even when I brought him meals, I had been ordered to leave them outside the lodge so as not to disrupt his work.
Now, this sudden invitation was a jarring shift.
I reached for a cloth from my satchel, dabbing the blood from my forehead. My voice was flat as I replied, “Okay.”
Asher’s seemed satisfied with my compliance, leaning back against the seat with an air of triumph.
Inside, I felt nothing. Not anger, not sorrow, not fear—just a hollow resolve.
Asher believed he was still in control, that his words and gestures could keep me bound to him. But I knew better.
I wasn’t going to the retreat as his loyal shadow. I was going to end this farce once and for all.
The wolf I used to be was gone. The wolf I was becoming would reclaim her freedom, no matter what it took.
