I looked up with emotionless expressions. “What is it?” I asked.

Xander’s jaw tightened, his wolf’s agitation glowing in his silver eyes. “Arden, we need to talk—” Before he could finish, his gaze clouded over. His mindlink activated, the faint shimmer of a telepathic connection rippling through the air. He closed his eyes briefly and spoke, his voice distant. “I’ve been summoned for a mission in the Shadowed Highlands. I won’t be back for a while.”

“You take care,” I replied casually, already planning to use his absence to say my goodbyes to the elders.

The next morning, I gathered offerings and made my way to the Hallowspring Council’s ancestral grounds. Elder Florence, who had always been like a second mother to me, greeted me with a warm but concerned expression.

“Arden, my dear, why the sudden visit? You seem troubled,” she said, brushing a stray silver strand behind her ear.

Elder Thain, on the other hand, banged his staff on the ground, his wolf growling faintly. “And where is Xander? Why is he not by your side? Has the Alpha mistreated you?”

I hesitated. The truth was too tangled and painful to explain. “No, nothing like that. I’ve just been away from my homeland for too long. It’s time I reconnect with my roots.”

Elder Florence’s warm smile faltered, her voice laced with concern. “Does Xander know you’re planning to leave?”

I nodded to keep the conversation short. “Yes, he knows.”

Satisfied, they offered their blessings, though sadness lingered in their eyes. As I rose to leave, the great oaken gates creaked open. Xander stood there, his figure towering, and beside him was Cecilia, her expression serene and confident—as though she had already claimed her place among the Hallowspring wolves.

“Arden, what a surprise to see you here,” Cecilia said with a soft smile, her tone drenched in false sweetness. She stepped forward, her presence commanding the room as if she were already Luna.

I met her gaze evenly. “I don’t need to explain my reasons for being here to you.” Turning on my heel, I brushed past Xander and made for the exit.

Realizing I was leaving, Xander followed me, his voice tinged with urgency. “Arden, this isn’t what it looks like. Cecilia’s here because the Council is helping find a cure for her curse. She’s your friend too, isn’t she? You’re not angry, are you?”

I paused, memories flooding back. Xander’s promise under the moonlight, his words when we first bonded: “The Moon Goddess destined us, Arden. I’ll stand by you for eternity.”

And now? He was introducing another woman to the Council under the pretense of duty, all while claiming he was on a mission.

I met his expectant gaze with indifference. “Why would I care? I’ve never been the type to hold grudges.”

People who aren’t worth it don’t deserve my concern.

Xander’s wolf, Bach, stirred, his frustration visible. “Arden, do you really feel nothing?”

It was ironic. When I had once voiced my discomfort with Cecilia’s closeness, he called me possessive. Now that I chose to let go, he seemed unsettled.

He leaned in, pressing a fleeting kiss to my forehead. “Be good and wait for me at home,” he murmured softly, before stepping back.

The gesture left me feeling sick. Wiping my forehead as the heavy wooden doors closed behind me, I thought back to the night he had avoided our anniversary with the excuse of “urgent pack business.”

That evening, my mindlink buzzed faintly with an incoming connection. Cecilia’s voice echoed in my head, trembling slightly. “Arden,” she began, her tone laced with mock sincerity, “I didn’t mean for you to find out like this.” Images began to filter through my thoughts, a celebration illuminated by the glow of the Moonlit Bonding Ceremony. And standing beneath the sacred lunar sigil were Xander and Cecilia.

Three moons ago, Cecilia had announced her terminal curse, declaring: “Before the darkness claims me, I want to bond with the one I love most.” I hadn’t thought much of it then, even responding through the mindlink to ask who her mysterious love was. Her reply echoed in my mind now: “You’ll know when the time comes.”

The truth cut deeper than any wound. My breath hitched as tears blurred my vision. I desperately tried to reach Xander through the mindlink, over and over, wanting an explanation. But he blocked me. That night, as he celebrated his bond with her, I wept until exhaustion claimed me.

The following day, Cecilia reached out again. Her voice dripped with false sincerity. “Arden, I’m sorry you had to see that. I didn’t want things to come out this way.”

I let out a bitter laugh but said nothing.

She hesitated, then continued, “The elders were so kind to me. They even said they’d help me find a cure. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”

She paused, her voice lowering. “Arden, why couldn’t it have been me as Xander’s mate? Why did the Moon Goddess choose you?”

I clenched my fists, my wolf stirring with suppressed anger. “It could’ve been you if you had the strength to earn it.”

Her silence was telling. “Well, let me wish you two a happy bond in advance,” I said coldly, before severing the mindlink.

After feeling so disappointed with rage boiling inside of me. I have decided to rest at my chamber first and called Elena, my closest ally.

As soon as she reached the chamber, she quickly asked, “You told me about your leaving. What happened?” She asked with concern.

I didn’t hold back. “Cecilia happened. She’s stolen everything—my position, my mate. She does not think about our friendship.”

Elena growled, her anger crackling. “That snake! And Xander just . . . let it happen? Unbelievable. So, that’s why you’re leaving? He fooled you?”

I hesitated for a moment before finally admitting it. “It’s not just about them. My union ceremony is about to happen, so why should I care about their celebration?”

Elena’s expression shifted, surprise flickering across her face, but before she could respond, I felt it—a familiar presence behind me. I turned to see Xander standing in the doorway, his shoulders tense and his wolf barely contained. His silver eyes burned with something between anger and confusion.

“Union ceremony?” he growled, his voice low and sharp. “What union ceremony?”

I gave Elena a nod, assuring her I’d handle the matter myself. After a brief hesitation, she turned and quietly left the room, leaving me alone with Xander.

“I heard something troubling,” I began, my voice steady yet laced with a growl. “A wolf betrayed his mate—bonded another under the moon without telling her. My friend called him a coward, a traitor. His mate thought she was the only one he’d ever truly care for.”

His golden eyes flashing with the wild intensity of his wolf. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he snapped, his voice bristling. “Do they even understand? What if the bond was a way to protect her? What if it was a promise to a dying wolf he couldn’t break?”

His defense, raw and fervent, felt like claws raking against my chest. Ten years of loyalty—shredded in an instant. My heart ached, but the void of numbness was creeping in, threatening to claim me entirely.

Xander stepped closer, his strong arms wrapping around me protectively. “Arden, babe,” he murmured, “what’s happening? You’ve been distant… withdrawn. I can feel the differences inside you.”

The pull of the moon surged in my blood, the beast beneath my skin snarling to break free, but the full moon was still days away. Not yet. Not yet.

Xander tightened his embrace, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “Arden, we’ve been through so much. Don’t you know how much I love you? Let me help Cecilia first, then we can formalize our bond. Just you and me.”

He reached for the hem of my tunic, but I caught his hand and pressed it firmly down. My voice was hollow as I said, “I’m sorry. I just… I feel nothing.”

Xander’s eyes searched mine, desperate to find something—anything—but there was only emptiness. He sighed as he released me and stepped back, his face hardening with disappointment. “I’ll sleep in the den,” he muttered before leaving.

Not long after, I heard him leave the house. I didn’t care to check where he went. I turned over, closed my eyes, and let sleep take me.

The next morning, I was surprised to find Xander waiting in the pack’s common room. His golden fur shimmered under the sunlight, but his eyes were shadowed with anger.

“You’re up early,” I remarked, keeping my tone neutral.

He growled, his voice sharp and accusing. “Is it true? That you’re spreading rumors about Cecilia? She told me what you said to Elena!”

My smile faltered, “And tell me, Xander, were those ‘rumors’ or the truth? Or are you saying the things I shared with my packmate weren’t accurate?”

His growl deepened. “Arden, what’s happened to you? Where’s the kind-hearted wolf I fell in love with?”

He hesitated, “You have everything—strength, status, a place in the pack—and now you’re trying to take away what little happiness she has left? She’s cursed, Arden. Cecilia’s dying. All she wanted was one moment of pride before it’s over. Is that so much to ask?” His voice cracked, but he clenched his jaw, forcing his pain into anger. “She’s your best friend too.”

A wildfire of rage burned through me, my claws itching to extend. My voice came out sharp, laced with venom. “And what of my sacrifices, Xander? I’ve fought for this pack, spilled blood to prove my worth, only to watch her slowly take my place!” I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek to control my trembling voice. “If she wants my position, she must earn it—like I did. With blood. There are no exceptions.”

Xander’s gaze hardened, but instead of meeting my anger, he turned away with a bitter snarl. “You’ve changed,” he muttered.

“I’m the one who changed?” I sobbed, tears spilling from my eyes. “You’re the one who keeps leaving me out, Xander, and I feel like you actually want me gone in your life!”

“You’re speaking without thinking right now, Arden.”

“Then do you want me gone?”

“I don’t think you can resist that.” He coldly said as he walked away, causing my wolf to feel the overwhelming pain and I started to break down, trying to call his name but he disappeared in my eyes.

And then he leaves….

My wolf howled within me, torn apart by the rejection. I stumbled through the pack grounds, my vision blurred by tears.

I stopped beneath an ancient oak, its gnarled branches reaching toward the heavens like a guardian of the woods. My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the cold earth. Hot tears spilled freely, and I clawed at the ground, my wolf clawing back in desperation.

A sudden wave of exhaustion washed over me, and before I could fight it, darkness claimed me.

My eyes fluttered open, and the sight before me stole my breath.

Towering above me was Alpha Kade of the Shadowfang Pack. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, his expression unreadable.