When it was seven, Felix was nowhere to be found. Jade sat on the couch, fully dressed and prepared, as she waited for him to show up.

Jade had done this several times. She knew how it always ended—in tears and disappointment—but she had really thought that tonight was going to be different, that maybe he would keep his promise this time.

She had even put on the red dress he once said made her look “dangerous in the best way.” She had curled her hair, and had even applied a touch of makeup. But she had just been fooling herself. She was, and had never been, Felix's.

Jade lost track of how long she sat there, lost in thought, until she dozed off. Her phone buzzed, causing her to jolt awake from her sleep. It was a message from Felix.

“Can't make it. Something urgent came up in the back. We'll do it another time. Promise.”

Jade glanced at the time. It was already 9pm, and he was just sending a message now. He had probably forgotten about it, and had just remembered to send a message to ease his guilt.

She read the message again, and snorted, shaking her head in amusement. Another time. If only he knew that there wasn't going to be a next time.

Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was from Bella.

“Missing your date?” the message read.

Below the message were three photos. In the first, Felix sat beside Bella on the bed, holding a cold towel to her forehead. In the second, he was feeding her soup with a spoon, his face was full of so much concern. And in the third photo, he held her hand, looking at her like she was the only person in the world.

Bella sent another message under.

“He’s just the best, isn’t he? I told him I had a little headache, and he dropped everything for me. He said, ‘Bella, you’re more important than anything else right now.’ Isn’t that just the sweetest? I’m sure your spicy noodles can wait… forever.”

Jade stared at her screen with a blank look in her eyes. Her fingers didn’t shake. Her heart didn’t race. Not anymore. She felt nothing, no rage, or jealousy, just relief.

She deleted the pictures and the messages with any hesitation. Bella thought she was hurting her, but she didn't know that she was doing her a huge favour.

Jade stood up and made her way back to the bedroom to change her clothes. The only thing that caused her annoyance about Felix’s actions was the inconvenience of changing. The red dress hadn’t been easy to zip up.

As she wiped the makeup off her face, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes didn’t look as broken as they had looked that day—they just looked calm.

Her phone buzzed again, and she released a sigh of exasperation. But immediately she realized that it was Rowan, all signs of annoyance melted away, and a smile spread across her lips.

Rowan had sent two pictures of dresses.

“Which one do you prefer?” He asked under the photos.

Jade stared at both for a moment before replying.

“The first one,” she replied.

“Okay, I'll send it to you immediately,” he said.

Jade furrowed her eyebrows.

“How will you know my size?” she typed with an amused smile on her lips.

Rowan’s reply came immediately.

“Trust me, I know.”

He added a smirk emoji right after.

Jade blinked at the screen, blushing as she giggled at his reply.

She was blushing over a text. From Rowan.

How long had it been since someone made her feel wanted, and seen, like she mattered?

Alpha Rowan was her true mate, chosen by the moon goddess herself. They had met at one of the conferences that Jade had gone to represent Felix. She had been so proud that day as she spoke on behalf of a mate she believed loved her.

Jade had told him that she already had a mate waiting for her at home. Someone she loved with her whole heart, and who, she believed, loved her too. She had said it with so much confidence, and was about to reject Rowan. Rowan had pleaded with her to think about it first and give him a response a week later.

Before the week was up, luckily, Jade discovered Felix’s lies before it became too late. She gave Rowan her reply. And now, she was incredibly glad that she never made the mistake of rejecting him immediately, because with just a few messages and a smirk emoji, Rowan had warmed her heart far more than Felix ever had.

Felix didn’t return home that night.

He came in early the next morning with Bella’s scent clinging to him like a stench. Jade noticed that he hesitated at the door when he saw her already awake and seated at the dining table, eating breakfast calmly.

She watched him as he prepared what to say to apologize to her.

“Jade, baby, I’m so sorry,” he said softly, “Something came up, and I didn’t mean to stay long—I just... it wasn’t supposed to be like that, I swear.”

She said nothing, chewing her food quietly.

Felix sat beside her chair, grabbing her free hand. “Please don’t be mad. I didn’t mean to miss our dinner. I am going to make it up to you. I promise. You know that you mean everything to me.”

Still, she said nothing.

“I brought you something,” he added quickly, reaching into his pocket. “Look. I saw this and thought of you. I know how much you love jewelry.”

He pulled out a box and opened it, revealing a delicate gold necklace with a crystal pendant. Jade blinked at it, and for a moment, she almost laughed.

She knew this necklace.

It wasn’t new. He didn’t pick it with her in mind, she knew it was one of Bella’s old ones. Jade remembered seeing it in a post that Bella made weeks ago, saying she was clearing out her jewelry drawer and giving away pieces she didn’t wear anymore.

And now Felix was giving it to her. Jade stared at it for a moment longer, then raised her eyes to Felix.

“Thank you,” she said simply, keeping her voice calm. “It’s nice.”

Felix blinked. “That’s it?” he asked, confused. “You like it, right?”

“Yes,” she replied, placing her spoon down. “It’s beautiful.”

Felix was surprised. Normally, Jade would’ve been overjoyed. She would’ve hugged him, kissed him, thanked him over and over. But now, she looked as if he had just handed her a worthless piece of trash, instead of a gift. Yes, he knew it was trash, but Jade didn’t know that.

“Wait... are you mad at me?”

She smiled faintly. “No. I’m not mad.”

Jade was mad, but she wasn’t mad at Felix. She was mad at herself for not seeing things clearly before, for allowing herself to be easily manipulated.

“You’re not mad?” His voice raised in disbelief.

“No,” she said again, this time standing up. “You said something came up. I understand.”

“But—”

“It’s okay,” she cut him off. “You don’t have to explain anything.”

He searched her face, probably hoping to find some sort of emotion, but there was none. It was getting him confused, and he hated it.

“Can you stop being so damn dramatic?!” He snapped, annoyance filled his voice.

Jade furrowed her eyebrows calmly, “Excuse me?”

He released a sigh of annoyance, and stormed off.

She watched him leave, shaking her head in amusement. Her phone buzzed with a message from Rowan, and she smiled, typing back a response.

Felix returned to the dining room after calming himself down. But the moment he saw her smiling at her phone, his eyes narrowed slightly.

She hadn’t even noticed when he entered.

Felix stared at her for a moment, then slowly walked to the table, expecting to see his plate already set like always. But there was nothing there, apart from her empty plate and cup.

He cleared his throat, trying to get her attention.

Jade didn’t look up.

He cleared it again, louder this time. “Uh... where’s mine?”

She glanced up briefly, looking surprised to see him still there. “What?”

“My breakfast,” he said, pointing at the empty table. “You didn’t keep any?”

She shrugged, “I didn’t see you, so I made breakfast for myself.”

Felix blinked. “What about me?”

Jade tilted her head. “Kitchen’s right there. Eggs are in the fridge, bread’s on the counter. There’s butter and jam in the drawer.” She said it so casually, like it wasn’t anything new.

Felix stood frozen, gaping at her in disbelief. He had never once made his own breakfast in this house. Jade had always done it cheerfully without being asked.

Now she was directing him to ingredients.

He clenched his jaw. “You didn’t think I would be hungry?”

“I didn’t see you,” she replied simply, turning her attention back to her phone. Her smile returned instantly at Rowan’s next message.

Felix clenched his jaw. She was pretending, trying to get his attention, but he did not give a damn about her games.

“What kind of game are you playing now?” he snapped, stepping closer to her. “Seriously, Jade. I’m not in the mood. I’m hungry.”

Without looking up from her phone, she said calmly, “You should’ve eaten from where you’re coming from.”

Felix’s mouth opened in disbelief. “Wow. I knew it,” he scoffed, “You’re pissed and insecure, but instead of just saying it, you’re pretending to be fine. I told you that something came up at the pack, I wasn’t anywhere else.”

Jade hummed, sounding uninterested. “Okay.”

“And that’s all you have to say?” He asked.

She lifted an eyebrow at him with an unreadable expression on her face. “I said okay. You’re the one who keeps talking.”

Felix’s eyes darkened. “I’m going out,” he muttered, storming and heading back to the room.

Jade didn’t even glance up.

A minute passed before he came back. “Where the hell are all my clean clothes?”

She shrugged. “In the laundry basket. Where you left them.”

“I don’t have anything clean to wear!” he barked.

She finally looked at him with a cold voice “Then you should probably wash something to wear.”

He scowled. “Are you serious right now?”

She stared at him looking dead serious.

Felix stood there for a moment, before he snapped. “Then what use are you?” he spat. “My clothes are dirty, you didn’t cook breakfast for me! You’re getting lazy and useless in this house! What happened to you, huh? You used to be so damn eager to take care of everything, and now you can’t even do the simplest things?”

Jade didn’t flinch, she just sat there, staring at him with cold eyes. She didn’t react the way he expected. She didn’t cry, plead or even respond. It surprised him. He couldn’t even read what was going on in her mind.

Jade replied calmly, “I’ve done everything for you. For years, without complaint, and now because I didn’t do it now, you’re calling me lazy and useless?”

He opened his mouth to shout, but a thought crossed his mind. He couldn’t afford to lose her. Not yet. The conference was coming up, and she was very important to the pack clinic.

Felix froze, then he inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself, as he took a step back.

“You’re right,” he muttered, voice strained. “I’m sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean it. I overreacted.”

Felix took another deep breath. “I’m sorry,” he said again, softening his voice, “I didn’t mean to blow up at you. You’re right, I’ve been selfish. Things have been so hectic for me, you know,” he said.

He needed to pacify her, so he leaned closer to her. “Look, I was thinking. Why don’t we start preparing for our mating ceremony?”

Jade didn’t blink. She just stared at him with that same unreadable expression.

Felix waited for her to react with excitement, and joy like before when they talked about the ceremony. But instead, she shrugged indifferently.

“Take your time,” she said coolly, like they were discussing about the weather, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Her response was like a slap in the face, and Felix felt his annoyance rise again. This wasn’t the reaction he was expecting. But he quickly swallowed down his annoyance, smiling at her. “You’re right. We shouldn’t rush it, you know? Let’s make sure we’re well prepared.”

Jade didn’t answer, and Felix clenched his jaw in irritation. He knew she was still in love with him, she was just being overdramatic. She just needed time to get over whatever was bothering her. Felix knew that there was nothing he could do that Jade wouldn’ forgive him, so he wasn’t so worried. After his mating ceremony with Bella, he would shower love and affection on Jade, and everything would be fine.

Finally, he sighed and stood up, “I’ll go grab my clothes from the laundry, and give it to one of the omegas. Let’s not fight over something so stupid.”

He turned to leave, but before he did, he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. “We’ll talk about the ceremony later, okay? When you’re ready. Don’t forget to prepare for the conference coming up.”