The weight of my decision felt like a stone lodged in my chest, cold and unyielding. “It’s just a photo,” I murmured, more to myself than to Kayden and Francis, though I knew they’d hear it. “We don’t need any more photos together.”

My tone was final, and I hoped they’d take it as the end of the discussion. But Kayden, always the one to keep hope alive, nudged gently, “The skies are clear tonight. Maybe we could still take a few later if you’d like. Besides, it’s been a while since we left the pack grounds. It might be good for all of us.”

Francis chimed in quickly, his voice brighter, as if he could will away the tension. “And we could bring Sharon along, too. She’s been asking to see the northern forest for ages.” His eyes held a glimmer of hope, clinging to the thought that one simple trip might hold our fragile threads together.

The mention of Sharon—innocent, sheltered Sharon—brought a faint, bittersweet smile to my lips, though it was more in resignation than joy. I didn’t respond, just gave a small nod, knowing they’d take it as reluctant agreement. It was the only peace I could offer them.

They seemed relieved as we started toward the den, but their steps faltered when they noticed the stacked boxes by the door.

“What’s all this?” Kayden asked, confusion softening his voice, while Francis’s face mirrored his shock.

I let out a quiet sigh, keeping my gaze on the boxes. “I resigned from the intelligence division. Alpha Nathan already approved it.” My voice held firm, but a part of me felt exposed, as if admitting it made the whole thing more real.

The silence that followed was thick, stretching uncomfortably between us. Both of them knew how hard I had fought for that position, how I’d ignored the toll it took on me to keep pushing forward. For them, it was an unspoken truth, a sign of my commitment to the pack—and, by extension, to them. Kayden’s brow furrowed, and his mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came.

Francis, always the one more open with his emotions, glanced between me and Kayden, trying to find the right words. But before he could say anything, a sharp ring from Kayden’s phone broke the silence.

He answered, and Sharon’s small, anxious voice filled the room. “Kayden? My power’s out, and it’s… it’s so dark. I’m scared. I don’t know what to do.” Her words were fragile, trembling with unspoken fear.

Francis’s expression shifted instantly, a protective urgency replacing his shock. Before Kayden could respond, he interjected, “Don’t worry, Sharon. I’m coming over.” Kayden gave a quick nod, his own worry evident, and in an instant, they both shifted into their wolves, powerful forms taking over as they bolted out the door without another word to me.

I stood there, watching as their paw prints scattered bits of paper and dust from my carefully packed boxes, leaving a mess in their wake. The silence they left felt vast and hollow, and I was left alone once again, just as I’d planned.

I let out a sigh and reached for my phone, dialing a familiar number. The line rang a few times before Anna’s voice, warm and steady, greeted me on the other end.

“Malinda?” Her tone held that gentle strength that had comforted me countless times since I was a child. Anna had taken me in, a motherly figure who filled the void in ways no one else had.

I hesitated, my voice softening as I finally spoke. “I’m calling to let you know I’ll be leaving soon. I’m heading to join my mate—a match arranged by my parents.”

There was a brief silence on her end, long enough for me to imagine her reaction. When she finally spoke, there was sadness woven into her words. “Have you told Kayden and Francis?”

“No,” I replied, steadying my voice. “They’ll find out in time. For now, I just need things to stay… uncomplicated. Please, Anna, don’t tell them.”

She sighed, the sound soft and filled with reluctant understanding. “You’ve been their anchor, Malinda. They’ve looked after you since you were a child, like you were one of their own. I always thought… one day, you’d choose one of them. It’s hard to see you going elsewhere.”

A faint, wistful smile tugged at my lips. “There’s no pity in it, Anna. We weren’t fated mates, not for sure. They’ll understand.”

Another pause stretched between us, her silence heavy with the unspoken words that we both felt. Finally, she spoke, her voice tinged with regret. “Promise me you’ll come see me before you leave, Malinda. It feels so sudden… and who knows when we’ll see each other again?”

“I promise,” I replied, warmth softening my tone. “I have something for you, anyway. I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye.”

After we exchanged a few more words, we ended the call, and I found myself alone once again in the quiet of my empty home. I barely had a moment to collect my thoughts before another presence filled my mind—Alpha Nathan’s voice, firm and authoritative, reaching me through the pack’s mind link.

“Malinda, your work in the intelligence division has served the pack well. As a token of appreciation, I’ve had a crystal plaque crafted in your honor. It’s been delivered to your home.”

The link faded just as quickly as it had started, and I was left staring at the door, surprised by the gesture. A moment later, the doorbell rang, and when I opened it, Sharon stood there, clutching a small box in her hands.

She held the box out to me, her expression a mixture of gratitude and something else, a question that lingered in her gaze, though she didn’t voice it. “It’s your reward,” she said softly, eyes tracing my face as if searching for answers.

I held my breath, watching Sharon as she clutched the crystal plaque in her hands, her expression a strange mixture of innocence and something sharper, more calculating. Her eyes gleamed, almost pleading, but I knew her well enough to recognize the hidden edge beneath her softness.

“Malinda,” she said, her voice low, as if she was whispering some sacred truth only I deserved to hear. “Alpha Nathan asked me to give this to you as a reward. It’s precious… you’ve earned something truly special. You’re… amazing.”

I kept my face carefully neutral, though I could feel my wolf stirring, sensing Sharon’s true intentions before I did. Her words were a smokescreen; I could feel it in the way her gaze flickered, avoiding mine just long enough to give herself away.

Before I could speak, she took a shaky breath, biting her lip as though summoning courage. “I know this award isn’t mine,” she continued, her lashes brushing her cheeks as she glanced down, playing up the picture of vulnerability. “But could I… maybe… borrow it? Just for a few days?”

Her words cut through me like ice. My wolf bristled, an instinctive urge to protect what was ours rippling through me. Borrow my reward? The very symbol of the blood, sweat, and sacrifice I had poured into my role, the one I had earned through loyalty and dedication? Sharon’s request felt like an insult, as if she thought my years of hard work were something that could be loaned out at whim.

A dangerous smile crept onto my lips. I could feel my wolf pushing forward, all sharp teeth and no kindness. “Wow,” I said, my voice like steel, “you really are shameless, aren’t you?”

Sharon blinked, taken aback, but her grip on the plaque only tightened.

“If you’re so desperate for a crystal plaque, why don’t you earn it yourself? Talk to the intelligence division, Sharon. Maybe, after a few years of dedication, you’ll get one too.”

I reached out, my hand open, expecting her to hand it over with at least a flicker of respect. Instead, she clutched it closer to her chest, her face twisting into a look of shock and hurt, as though I’d wounded her deeply.

“Why are you being so… mean?” she whispered, her voice trembling with what I could only describe as feigned hurt. “I’m not trying to take it from you. I just… wanted it for encouragement, to remind myself of what’s possible.”

My patience snapped. The anger simmered low but deadly, and I leaned forward, extending my hand. “Hand it over, Sharon. Now.”

But Sharon didn’t budge. Her knuckles turned white as she held the box tighter, her eyes widening in a defiant glare that only fueled my irritation. Before I knew it, the struggle between us escalated, the tension crackling in the air like an impending storm.

Suddenly, her fingers slipped, and the box fell from her grip. The sound of it hitting the floor was louder than thunder in that silent room, and then—a sickening crack as the delicate crystal plaque shattered, scattering into a thousand glittering pieces across the hardwood floor.

A heavy silence settled over us, the soft glow of the plaque’s aura extinguished, replaced by fractured shards that seemed to mock me from the floor. My stomach twisted, a hollow ache settling in my chest at the sight of my ruined reward.

The silence didn’t last. From the doorway, Kayden and Francis appeared, their faces going from confusion to horror in an instant. And then, as if she’d been struck down by a mighty force, Sharon gasped, clutching her leg where a single, shallow line of blood trickled down from a shard of the crystal plaque.

Kayden’s face darkened, his eyes flickering between Sharon’s wound and me, judgment heavy in his gaze. He didn’t hesitate, rushing to Sharon’s side and inspecting her tiny cut as if it was a mortal wound. His protective instincts flared, and he turned to me with a glare that felt like an accusation.

“Are you hurt?” Francis murmured to Sharon, barely sparing me a glance. They focused on her, their attention firmly on her minor injury, their sympathy a knife twisting in my gut.

Without another word, Kayden scooped Sharon up in his arms, ignoring her feeble protests. “I’ll take you to the healer,” he said firmly, his voice wrapped in a quiet resolve. I could only watch, mute with fury, as he carried her out of the room.

Francis remained, his expression darkening as he turned to me, disappointment etched in every line of his face. “Malinda, how could you?” He demanded, his tone sharp, each word slicing into me like glass. “You have everything—the respect, the title, the power—and yet, you tried to rob Sharon of a small comfort?”

I blinked, genuinely taken aback. Rob? Sharon had been the one clinging to what was rightfully mine, refusing to let go until it shattered. The anger surged up again, hotter this time, as I struggled to keep my voice even.

“This is my reward, Francis,” I replied, my voice low and taut with barely restrained anger. “It’s a symbol of my sacrifice, my dedication. She held onto it, refused to let go, and broke it. And yet, you think I’m in the wrong?”

I pointed to the shards on the floor, their jagged edges glinting in the moonlight like a thousand tiny knives. “She’s the one who refused to let go, Francis. She’s the one who destroyed it. If anyone should apologize, it’s Sharon.”

But Francis’s expression only hardened. He lifted his chin, meeting my gaze with a fierceness that hurt more than I wanted to admit. “It’s just a reward, Malinda,” he shot back, his voice cold. “You hurt her, and instead of showing any remorse, you’re here, demanding an apology?”

With one last look of disappointment, he turned and left, the door closing behind him with a final, echoing click. I stood alone, my fists clenched, my breath coming in shallow, ragged gasps. My chest burned with a mix of anger and humiliation, and I looked down at the ruined plaque, its pieces scattered around me like a testament to my failure to keep control.

As I stood there, the faint stinging in my leg caught my attention. I looked down, realizing that a shard of the plaque had cut into my own calf, far deeper than Sharon’s shallow scratch. Blood trickled down my leg, pooling around the edges of the crystal fragments, but I felt no urge to call for help.

I crouched down, reaching for the broken shards, feeling their sharp edges dig into my palms as I picked them up one by one. My hands shook, my wolf’s quiet fury a constant presence in my mind as I cleaned up the mess on my own.

The night had settled fully by the time I finished, and just as I wrapped a makeshift bandage around my leg, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen, seeing my mother’s name flash in the dim light. I hesitated, then answered, my voice softening as I spoke. “Hi, Mom.”

Her warm voice washed over me, a comfort I hadn’t realized I needed. “Malinda, I’ve sent over some dress options for the Mateship Ceremony. Tell me which ones you like, darling.”

I scrolled through the pictures she’d sent, each gown more stunning than the last, the thought of the ceremony stirring a mix of excitement and unease within me. I felt the ache in my chest deepened, and I barely kept the tears from slipping past my control.

“Mom…” I started, but my voice faltered. I bit my lip, forcing down the bitterness and anger that simmered just below the surface. “Everything’s fine, Mom. I’m just… tired.”

Her tone softened, understanding laced in every word. “Are you sure, sweetheart?”

“Yeah,” I replied, swallowing back the lump in my throat. “I’ll be ready soon. Just one more week, and everything will be settled.”

My mother’s enthusiasm seemed to brighten the conversation. “I can’t wait to see you, darling. This is the start of a beautiful new chapter for you.”

Before I could respond, the familiar sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. I turned, feeling a pang of dread as Kayden and Francis re-entered, their faces tense as they caught the end of my conversation.

“Mateship Ceremony?” They asked in unison, their shock evident in their voices.