Nancy was pregnant, no doubt about it.

The pregnancy report she sent showed she was eight weeks along.

That meant Zack had been with Nancy two months ago, for their so-called Breeding Ceremony.

Zack's recent behavior? Probably just guilt eating at him.

That explained his earlier excitement.

His beloved childhood Omega had finally done it—she had gotten pregnant.

I bet he was at the hospital, by her side, toasting to their future.

I stood frozen, feeling like my heart had been ripped out.

My breath caught, and I nearly blacked out.

All the love we shared over the years—gone in an instant.

We had just picked our bonding date in front of the elders, and we were supposed to be crowned Alpha and Luna next month.

I had dreamed of that day, walking hand in hand with him to the altar.

At this point, though, it was all a cruel joke. The Alpha I have loved for so long was then father to another Omega's child.

The buzz of my phone snapped me back to the present.

I answered the call. It was my senior, Carol.

"Maggie, won't you reconsider coming to the Northwood research station? You're the professor's star pupil.

"He said he'll give you a half-month off to reunite with your Alpha after two months of experiments."

Her words felt distant.

I knew about the professor's medicinal plant institute in Northwood ages ago. He had invited me once.

However, Northwood was a world away, cut off from contact once I was in the lab, sometimes for months or years.

During research, outside communication would often be banned.

Back then, I could not stand being away from Zack, not even for 15 minutes. That was why I turned down the offer and chose to work in Zack's lab instead.

In the end, Zack claimed all my research as his own.

"What's mine is yours. How is that stealing?" he had said.

Remembering his smug look still made me curse.

However, I was too in love, too blind to see he was using me. I let him take everything I worked for.

He rose to stardom on the back of the herbal remedy research that should have had my name on it, becoming an overnight sensation as a pharmaceutical prodigy.

He was the Alpha everyone talked about in our pack, not just because of his impressive talents and noble bloodline, but also for his groundbreaking work on werewolves' resistance to the lethal effects of Argentosis.

Ever since, he's solidified his spot at the heart of the pack and even got himself on the Central Elder Council's list of top-tier Alphas.

Me? I was just the footnote, the name that got brushed aside in the wake of his triumph.

I stared at the text on my phone.

Zack had become a father to some other Omega's kid. He never gave a thought to our future, never cared to hold onto what we had.

Well, if that was how it was, there was no point in forming a bond.

I murmured, "Carol, I'm heading out. Business as usual, no time off."

She was taken aback at first, but her surprise turned to delight. "Amazing! The professor will be over the moon!

"When are you thinking of coming over? A week after the Bonding Ceremony?"

I shut my eyes, having decided already. "No, I'm leaving the day we make the bond."

15 days until the ceremony. 15 days to let go of all my hang-ups.

'In fifteen days, Zack, you and I will part ways for good,' I promised myself.

That night, Zack did not come home. I, on the other hand, did not bother asking where he had been.

Asking was pointless anyway.

Nancy had already flaunted the pictures all over social media.

Zack had gone back with Nancy to her pack. Her grandmother was grinning as she held Zack's hand.

His other hand rested on Nancy's belly, his eyes brimming with deep affection.

I could barely look at the photo.

For five years, Zack had given me that same loving gaze time and again.

I had reveled in every moment.

It was only at this moment that I came to understand the love I thought was mine could just as easily belong to someone else.

"Zack, do you ever feel guilty?"

My tears blurred the image of Zack's smiling face on my phone screen, and the words just spilled out of me.

In all our five years together, Zack had met my family just once. He had claimed he was not comfortable around older folks, that it made him feel stiff.

However, he did not smile, not even once, during that visit.

I inhaled sharply, frustration boiling over, and chucked my phone onto the bed.

The truth hit me hard: It was not about his discomfort with elders at all. He simply did not want anything to do with my family.

The following day, I met up with my friends to break the news about the Bonding Ceremony being called off.

All the while, the wolf inside me was pacing and growling with restless anxiety.

I clutched at my chest, feeling sick, my face ghostly pale.

The truth was, Zack had never wanted the Bonding Ceremony. I had to beg him to even consider it.

My friends were in shock when I told them.

"After all the trouble to get Zack on board with the Bonding Ceremony, why cancel it now?"

"You're so in love with him. How can you stand to leave?"

I could only offer a wry smile in response.

Let him go? Impossible.

'Years of love aren't easily cast aside,' I thought bitterly.

However, that relationship... it was never mine to demand.

I had tried so hard to be close to him, to be his one and only. Then Nancy came along, and everything shifted.

He gave her all the patience and smiles that used to be mine while he grew distant toward me by the day.

I lied to myself, saying she was his lifesaver, that he was just repaying a debt.

However, when she mentioned wanting a child to remember him by, he did not hesitate.

He had always said he would consider my feelings, but behind my back, he had gone ahead with the Breeding Ceremony.

In that moment, it was crystal clear: Zack and I were over.

Sometimes, the hardest thing was walking away, even when it tore me apart. Still, I had to do it.

I kept my reasons to myself.

All I told anyone was that I was heading to Northwood to dive into herbal research, and I would not be easy to reach for a few years.

After a night out with friends that stretched into the wee hours, I stumbled home to find Zack, fresh from his own late return.

He caught a whiff of my night out, his expression darkening as he recoiled.

However, then, as if a thought struck him, he composed himself and pulled me into a hug. "My dearest Maggie, hitting the bottle."

His eyes shone with affection as he grinned and caressed my forehead.

"Not exactly the behavior of a good Omega, leaving your Alpha to drink the night away."

Zack's attempt at humor fell flat, and I just stood there, mute.

Once, that look in his eyes would have had me spellbound. Now, it just made my stomach turn.

"Maggie, make me a promise, will you? Once we're bonded, no more booze." Zack laid it on thick, playing the part of the concerned fiance.

"Omegas are delicate, you know? Too much drink is rough on your inner wolf."

He deserved an Oscar for that act. If I had not known better, I might have fallen for it.

I let out an icy laugh and shoved him away. "Why don't you hit the showers? You reek of some other Omega."

Zack stood there, dumbstruck.

He opened his mouth to protest, but I was already heading into the bathroom.

When I emerged, he was all smiles, texting away on his phone, the earlier confusion wiped clean, replaced by sheer bliss.

'Probably sweet-talking Nancy,' I figured.

A sharp pang hit the wolf inside me.

I was not Zack's Luna yet, but three days ago, he had marked me as his own, if only for a moment. Even if he strayed, the sting of betrayal would still cut deep.

I kept silent, turning to head into the room.

Then Zack's voice broke the silence.

"Maggie, we need to talk."

I stopped dead in my tracks.

He seldom used that grave tone with me.

The last time he did, a month ago, he had talked about having kids with Nancy. Then she got pregnant. What more could he possibly have to say?

Tears threatened, but I fought them back, striving for composure.

"What's up?"

Zack seemed to struggle with himself, then finally blurted, "Can we skip the photo session tomorrow?"

His uneasy look reminded me that tomorrow was the day for our ritual photo, a symbol of our bond. I had not intended to renew our bond, and there was no point in holding onto memories.

"Sure, I'll call and cancel first thing in the morning."

I nodded.

Zack stared at me, surprised and then wounded. "Maggie, why don't you even ask why?

"Don't you love me anymore?"

He closed the distance between us, his hands gripping my shoulders with a force that made me wince.

"Are you hurting too, Zack? Inside?"

I met his gaze.

A flush of embarrassment washed over his face.

"Maggie, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have doubted you..."

I shrugged off his hands, tired of his excuses.

"You know, Zack… I felt a sharp pain today. It was random.

"Is it because of Nancy? Did you cheat?"

My voice was steady. His reaction, however, was a complete mess. He froze, his words tumbling out in a jumble.

"... How could you think that?" He stammered, "Maggie, you know you're the one I love. How could I ever betray what we have?"

I could not help but let out a bitter laugh, turning to grab my phone, ready to cancel the photo shoot.

However, before I could even speak, Zack swiped the phone from my hand.

"No need to cancel, sweetheart!" he said, his grin awkward as he ended the call. "You're aware of Nancy's condition. She'll never get to make a bond in her lifetime. She just wants one photo with me, something to hold onto."

Zack watched me cautiously as he spoke, "Don't worry! Once we're bonded, I'll make it up to you!"

My obvious disappointment must have pierced through Zack's heart. He came to me in a flurry, pulling me into a tight hug.

"I just can't bear the thought of my lifesaver passing away with regrets.

"Maggie, trust me, you're the one I love the most.

"Don't ever leave me. I'd be lost without you."

I did not say a word. I just gave a small nod.

That seemed to lift his spirits instantly, and he twirled me in a joyous embrace.

I watched his elated face and snorted inwardly.

'The future? We won't be having one. You'll regret what you've done, Zack,' I thought bitterly.